Chapter 50: Old Beast

"Uncle Fang, bring out the wine we had last time and let him open his eyes!" Zhu Xiongoying said to Fang De, the former tavernkeeper.

Protected by the brocade-clad guards, Fang De and his grandson had not returned to the countryside, but stayed behind to help out at the distillery.

They were given two taels of silver each month, with food and lodging provided. This was by no means less than what they used to earn!

"Coming right up!"

Uncle Fang responded, put down the broom in his hand, and trotted all the way to the kitchen to fetch the wine.

After a short while, he came out carrying a wine pot and a cup.

"Pour him some to taste!"

The little fellow pursed his lips.

Fang De began to pour the wine into the cup.

"Slosh..."

"Stop! Stop! That's quite enough!"

The tavern's cup was not small; if it were filled to the brim, more than a tael of wine would be gone.

Fang De immediately stopped and handed the cup to Li Tian.

The elderly man looked into the cup, seeing only a shallow layer at the bottom. "Just this little bit?"

"My wine is extremely precious. Just a sip to taste the flavor is enough!"

The wine rewarded by the system was top-tier liquor of the highest grade, and its quality was unquestionable.

There was only a hundred catties in total, so they had to drink it sparingly!

Li Tian brought the cup under his nose and sniffed it first. "Hmm?"

Then he threw his head back and gulped down all the wine at the bottom of the cup in one swallow!

"Hss-ah..."

The burning sensation of the potent spirit slid all the way from his mouth down into his belly.

It stung his old face until it turned red!

"Good wine! Truly good wine!"

"Hmph hmph! How is it? Are you convinced now?"

"Convinced! Convinced! Today, this humble old man finally knows what real strong liquor is!"

Li Tian looked ashamed and nodded repeatedly.

"Well then, are you willing to follow this young master and brew wine?"

"I am willing! I am willing! As long as I can brew this kind of wine, this humble old man can go without wages!"

"As long as you work for my young master, your wages will certainly not be short..."

Zhu Xiongoying walked around in front of the craftsmen with his hands clasped behind his back, and continued, "What we brew here at the Hongwu Distillery are crystal-clear, potent spirits, which are definitely not comparable to that murky horse piss on the market!"

"What? Hongwu Distillery?"

"Did I hear that right? Isn't Hongwu our reigning era name? The young master actually dares to use Hongwu as the distillery's name? This is a grave crime!"

"Could it implicate us too...?"

Upon hearing this, the craftsmen suddenly began to panic.

Just at that moment, the custom-made plaque was delivered and hoisted high up.

The red cloth was pulled back, revealing four striking large characters: Hongwu Distillery!

"It really is the Hongwu Distillery?"

"If the government officials find out, I'm afraid not a single one of us will be able to escape!"

"Young Master, let's change the name after all. The two words 'Hongwu' must not be used...!"

The craftsmen all broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of the plaque.

"What is there to fear? If the sky falls, your young master will hold it up!"

Zhu Xiongoying waved his hand grandly and ordered the people to start sifting the grain and get to work.

"Oh? Is the Imperial Grandson planning to open a distillery here?"

Just as the little fellow was assigning tasks to everyone, a man dressed in brocade silk walked in.

Behind him followed twenty or thirty house servants!

As soon as his voice fell, those craftsmen who had just been recruited from outside instantly gasped.

"The young master turns out to be the Imperial Grandson?"

"Hiss... No wonder he dared to use our Great Ming's era name on the plaque! It turns out his background is extraordinary!"

"I heard that the Emperor's most cherished grandson is none other than the Imperial Grandson!"

"I never imagined that we would actually be working under the Imperial Grandson..."

The craftsmen straightened their spines, suddenly feeling that their status had become much more noble.

Zhu Xiongoying raised his hand to shade his eyes against the sun and looked closely. The servants following behind the newcomer were precisely the ones who had bullied Uncle Fang and his grandson that day!

Presumably, the leader was the father of that beast!

"Haha? A beast's father? Wouldn't that make him an old beast?"

"You..."

Being cursed the moment he stepped through the door, Lin Wannian's expression darkened instantly.

The little fellow walked over slowly, looking up and down at the servants behind him. "Have all your injuries from last time healed?"

The few servants hurriedly raised their hands to cover their faces.

What could they do if they hadn't healed?

When their master ordered them to come, did they dare refuse?

Even knowing that coming might mean getting beaten up, they still had to come!

Knowing Zhu Xiongoying's identity, Lin Wannian did not want to have a direct conflict with him.

Coming here today was simply to take back the craftsmen belonging to the Lin Family Distillery.

That massive distillery now had only a few old and weak soldiers left, plus that master brewer whom he had managed to keep only by paying a high price!

Taking a deep breath, he tried his best to suppress the anger in his heart. "Imperial Grandson, I am Lin Wannian, the master of the Lin Family Distillery. I have come today to take back the craftsmen of my distillery."

"Take back the craftsmen...?"

Zhu Xiongoying burst out laughing. "How did the craftsmen from your distillery end up with me?"

"Your Highness, please don't play dumb and pretend you don't know! You offered exorbitant wages precisely to poach the craftsmen from my distillery, didn't you?"

Lin Wannian had also spent many years in the business world; how could he not see through such a minor trick?

"Hey! That's not the right way to put it! How much salary I offer is my business! Whether you can keep your people is your business!"

The little fellow gave a playful smirk and spoke up.

"I don't care about the others, but you must return Master Li to me!"

He could hire other people with money; strong men looking for work on the street were a dime a dozen.

But Li Tian, this master brewer, had to be retrieved!

"Master Li...?"

Zhu Xiongoying turned his head to glance at the little old man and said with a smile, "Do you think he is willing to leave with you?"

Lin Wannian stroked his beard with confidence. "As long as I offer a higher salary than Your Highness, he will naturally return with me. After all, he has stayed there for so many years!"

"Oh? So certain?"

"Naturally!"

"Then shall we make a wager...?"

The little fellow smiled cunningly. "If Master Li is willing to return with you, my distillery will immediately shut down and close its doors! But if Master Li is unwilling to return with you, you will let your young master slap you ten times. How about that?"

"Heh?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wannian was simply amused.

There was such a good deal as this?

Li Tian's departure was only because he hadn't received the news in time.

Had he received the word, offering a bit more money would surely have kept the man!

"Fine! I'll take that bet!"

While agreeing, Lin Wannian, afraid that the little fellow would renege, called upon the onlookers to act as witnesses.

Money makes the mare go.

He refused to believe that with enough money thrown at him, the old man wouldn't follow him back!

"Can I go inside to find Master Li now?"

Lin Wannian was just about to step inside when he was blocked by the little fellow's single hand.

"Don't be in such a hurry! We still need to discuss what should happen if you don't let your young master slap you."

"Heh, I, Lin, am a person of standing and repute in Yingtian Prefecture. How could I break my word?"

"That's hard to say! After all, your Lin family are all beasts! One can never really tell what beasts might do!"

The little fellow crossed his arms and sneered.

"You..."

Lin Wannian was so angry that smoke was practically coming out of his seven orifices. "If I, Lin, break my promise, you can do whatever you see fit. Will that do?"

"Good! If you lose and refuse to honor the bet, I, your young master, will go and tear down the plaque of your Lin family's tribute wine. How about that?"

"Agreed!"