159 Brothers, There’s Wine Now! (1/2)
Other than the absentees from the Wolves of the Grasslands and the Southern Border Tribe, all the countries in the continent, including the four empires, saw their fair share of participants.
Of course, with so many people in attendance, each general had his own requests and demands.
”Can this general reserve another hundred pots of wedding wine?This general asks that General Tie honor this request. For the brothers of this nation who are unable to attend the banquet, of course. Whether they are dead or alive, I'm sure they would love to drink a goblet of this wine that belongs to all militants!”
”Can I reserve a thousand catties of Marshal Tie’s wedding wine? This nation’s military men who cannot come are all dying to try them!”
Tie Zheng was sorely tempted to let loose a string of expletives as he thought about the situation.
I can’t even afford wine for our empire’s men and you want me to reserve wine for all of you? Wishful thinking, certainly.
Of course, there would be wine.
As long as there were silver taels in abundance, you could have tens of millions of catties of wine!
There were more than ten millions breweries in the Empire of Yutang alone; how could there be a shortage of wine?
As for Marshal Tie Zheng’s wedding wine, no brewery would be able to turn down the order.
However, the only problem lay in the fact that Tie Zheng did not have the wealth to pay for them.
Tie Zheng’s wedding had caused much excitement among the militants in all the countries across the entire continent; the wine served at the wedding would never be of poor quality, as it would be a shame to host guests with an inferior wine. After all, this banquet involved the pride of Yutang!
What would happen if a good wine was not served?
If an inferior wine, those that cost only one silver tael for ten catties, was used, would they want the generals of the enemy countries to drink to their deaths?
A catastrophe could occur if such wine was imbibed.
The cheapest of the good wine that could be served at a wedding would need at least ten taels for a catty!
Tie Zheng would need at least two million catties and above of said wine.
That would bring the cost up to a total of twenty million silver taels!
Where was Tie Zheng supposed to find so many silver taels?
Even if he crushed his bones and sold the powder… he would not be able to gather together this astronomical amount.
Marshal Tie was becoming increasingly distressed over this issue, prone to heavy sighing in recent days.
His Majesty had just organized a donation drive and emptied everyone’s pockets. At this juncture, he could not even find someone who could lend him the money.
He did not regret this decision he had made, he was simply worried about how he was going to pull this off.
Silver taels, oh silver taels!
Sometimes, when Tie Zheng lay awake at night to worry, he would think – why not send twenty thousand men in ten different directions to pilfer the required sum?
It was undoubtedly a way to solve his problems and a tempting idea at that.
”Marshal!” The leader of his janissaries called out. ”Someone from the Ma Family has asked to meet you.”
”Who is it?” Tie Zheng asked impatiently. ”Which Ma Family?”
”That Ma Family that is said to be Powerhouse Ma, the top-tier brewery in Empire of Yutang.” The leader said excitedly, ”It is their young master Ma Chenglu who has come.”
”Send him in.”
Tie Zheng was puzzled. The Ma Family’s wine had always been on the higher end side; the most inferior of their wines would still cost some seven or eight silver taels a catty. This was not in tune with the wine he was using for his wedding, why was he looking him?
Upon his arrival, Young Master Ma’s words had delighted Tie Zheng, to his pleasant surprise. ”I have long heard of Marshal Tie’s wedding. Coincidentally, we have a batch of wine that has been stored for some time… We’re willing to sell them to the marshal at a low price. We would be deeply pleasedif the marshal were to honor our request.”
”How much wine is there?” Tie Zheng asked with genuine interest.
”Four million catties!” Ma Chenglu said. ”Twenty catties per pot so that would be a total of two hundred thousand pots!”
”So many?” Tie Zheng was shocked, but after his initial surprise, he immediately realized that the wine would definitely be sufficient for the wedding.
The only question that remained was that of the price.
Even as he thought about it, Tie Zheng asked aloud with some lethargy, ”How much for a catty?”
In his mind, he thought about the types of wine that came from Powerhouse Ma, the Ma Family. It had to be exquisitely premium wine since it had been stored for so long without being sold; even if they were let off at a low price, they would still cost between fifteen to twenty taels. If it was, say, twenty taels, that would total up to eight million silver taels. If this fellow had the temerity to mention a similar number, your father will kick him out right away!
Look at me, do I look like I would have eight million taels lying around? Are you here to fool your father? Forget eight million, I would be dancing with joy if I had even two million taels?
”This lowly shop’s four million catties of wine will be priced at six million silver taels. How about that?” As Young Master Ma Chenglu spoke, a flurry of emotions coursed through his heart.
Yun Yang!
My great Young Master Yun, why did you do such a thing?
That was a total of thirty million silver taels! You just tossed it out without even blinking an eye and you don’t even want others to know about it.
After the emperor’s trick, Tiantang City’s monetary situation was in a state of trepidation; there were few who dared to make transactions of large sums. Tie Zheng had wished to sell his manors and past rewards in exchange for silver taels but it remained only a wish. No one wanted to buy them even when he had offered them at a low price. If it were not for this, Yun Yang did not have to put in such a big effort!
”I can’t afford them… sorry, what did you say?” Tie Zheng had just uttered the first three words absently, but as he muttered them, his eyes grew wide with disbelief. ”How much did you say it was?”
He almost could not believe his ears.