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Wine culture was highly popular among the upper echelons of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
The origins of wine are attributed to various figures, such as Du Kang or Yi Di. There are also legends involving Shennong and divine apes. However, one thing is consistent: wine, as a cultural phenomenon closely tied to scholars, has played a significant role in almost every historical period, and the Eastern Han Dynasty was no exception.
Initially, Fei Qian had considered using wine as a means to build his fortune. Unfortunately, he discovered that distilled liquor, or high-alcohol wine, had already appeared during the Eastern Han period. Of course, this "high-alcohol" wine couldn't compare to something like vodka from later eras.
But this still brutally severed one of Fei Qian's potential paths to wealth!
What happened to the classic time-travel combo of papermaking and distilling liquor?
The harsh reality was that paper had already been invented during the Eastern Han period. While it couldn't compare to modern paper, it was still usable. When Fei Qian thought of using lime to bleach paper and went to a paper workshop to check, he returned in tears…
Half of it was due to the fumes, and the other half was because they were already using lime and continuously improving their methods…
The same went for distilling liquor. At first, Fei Qian was excited to try distillation, but when he visited the largest tavern in Luoyang, Zuixian Tower, his heart sank. From fruit wines to grain wines, and even the fermented milk wine of the Hu people, there were also wines infused with cypress, pepper, and flowers…
When Fei Qian saw that high-alcohol distilled wine already existed, and the tavern owner explained that this strong wine was only consumed by heavy drinkers and was unpopular among the gentry, with very low sales…
At that moment, Fei Qian's burning desire for wealth was utterly extinguished, and he felt like giving up—why was it that in every time-travel story, the protagonist could effortlessly dominate with papermaking and distilling liquor, amassing a fortune without drawing attention? Yet here I am, not even getting a sip of the soup, let alone a bite of the meat…
So, Fei Qian gave up on these two ideas.
After all, the gentry were the most important consumer group during this period. Commoners rarely used paper and seldom drank wine. Papermaking might still have room for improvement if conditions allowed, but high-alcohol wine was simply not accepted by the gentry. Who would buy it if he forced it into the market?
The Hu people? Sure, the Hu people loved wine, but they weren't fools. They were poor and could only trade with livestock, which to them was as valuable as land was to the Han people. They might indulge occasionally, but trading hundreds or thousands of livestock for wine? Any Hu leader who tried that would likely be overthrown before the deal was done…
The gentry of the Eastern Han Dynasty preferred low-alcohol grain wines, which were further categorized: the highest grade was glutinous rice wine, the middle grade was millet wine, and the lowest grade was sorghum wine.
Of course, there were also more luxurious fruit wines. For example, Cao Cao was fond of grape wine…
Today, Liu Biao served Fei Qian with "Golden Nectar Wine." This wine was mentioned by Mei Sheng of the Western Han Dynasty in his "Ode to the Willow": "The noble offers the nectar of golden wine."
Drinking naturally called for a lively atmosphere, and the more lively it was, the merrier. Today, Liu Biao was in high spirits after hearing Fei Qian's insights, feeling more confident about his prospects in Jingxiang. So, he not only invited Fei Qian but also sent for others, saying it was to welcome Fei Qian and celebrate his new appointment.
The first to arrive was Pang Ji, Pang Ziling. Having learned from the servants about Fei Qian's appointment as Inspector's Aide, he immediately congratulated both Liu Biao and Fei Qian, setting a harmonious tone…
Next came a military officer named Wang Wei, courtesy name Wang Weilian. He had a square face and neatly trimmed mustache. Upon learning that Fei Qian was the newly appointed Inspector's Aide, he showed some surprise but still offered proper congratulations to Liu Biao and Fei Qian before taking his seat.
Following him was Fu Xun, courtesy name Gongti.
When Fu Xun first entered, Fei Qian initially mistook him for another military officer due to his imposing stature, stern expression, and vigorous gait. However, upon closer inspection, he realized Fu Xun was dressed as a scholar. After Liu Biao's introduction, Fei Qian confirmed that Fu Xun, who served as Registrar, was indeed a civil official.
After all, the Registrar primarily handled financial and administrative records, something military officers typically couldn't manage.
Fu Xun, upon hearing of Fei Qian's new appointment, showed no discernible emotion on his serious face. He simply performed the customary greetings and took his seat.
The next two arrivals, one military and one civil, left a stronger impression on Fei Qian, not because he had met them before, but because they were more prominent in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" than the previous guests.
The military officer was Wen Ping, courtesy name Wen Zhongye. Standing about eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and thick arms, he was clearly a formidable warrior. He currently held the position of General.
The civil official was Yi Ji, courtesy name Yi Boji. Fei Qian was struck by Yi Ji's appearance. He had thought Liu Biao was the epitome of grace, but Yi Ji surpassed even that. No wonder many Three Kingdoms games in the future bestowed Yi Ji with titles like "Renowned Scholar" or special skills. His every movement exuded the charm of a mature man. If he were in the modern entertainment industry, he would undoubtedly make every female swoon…
If Yi Ji was this impressive, how dazzling must the legendary Zhou Yu, said to captivate women from eight to eighty, have been?
The last to arrive were Commandant Cai He and Assistant Officer Deng Xi.
Fei Qian had some recollection of Cai He, but Deng Xi was a complete blank…
With most of the guests present, Liu Biao officially announced the start of the banquet and introduced Fei Qian, the newly appointed Inspector's Aide, to the assembled group.
Fei Qian quickly exchanged greetings with Liu Biao's subordinates.
As he greeted them, Fei Qian mentally assessed:
Pang Ji, Pang Ziling, based on prior knowledge, was surnamed Pang but didn't seem closely related to Pang Degong. He was likely aligned with the Kuai family, serving as their vanguard…
Wang Wei? No impression. The Wang family wasn't prominent in Jingxiang, so he was probably an outsider…
Fu Xun, as Registrar, likely held a position close to Liu Biao. After all, who doesn't prioritize finances?
Wen Ping, Wen Zhongye, was from the Wen family of Jingxiang, likely representing the northern Jing region…
Yi Ji was from Shanyang, the same place as Liu Biao. So, he was probably one of Liu Biao's confidants…
Cai He, obviously from the Cai family. However, Cai Mao hadn't yet emerged, so Cai He might be similar to Pang Ji, serving as the Cai family's advance scout…
Deng Xi? No impression at all. As Assistant Officer, his role mainly involved handling documents, making it hard to gauge his affiliations…
From this, it seemed Liu Biao's inner circle included Fu Xun and Yi Ji. The Jingxiang faction was represented by Pang Ji (Kuai family), Cai He (Cai family), and Wen Ping (Wen family). Wang Wei and Deng Xi were likely outsiders, one military and one civil…
Fei Qian couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Factions were everywhere, and Liu Biao was no exception. With just these few people, there were so many divisions. It seemed his role as Inspector's Aide wouldn't be easy…