Yu Zichuan sat down with a dark expression.
Meng Qianqian curved her lips slightly and asked Uncle Yu, "Uncle Yu, have you run into some trouble?"
Uncle Yu let out a long sigh. "The boy’s mother and I moved to the Capital City two months ago, and we still haven’t figured out what kind of business to start."
Meng Qianqian said, "I heard from Yu Zichuan that the Yu Family used to run a winery."
Uncle Yu nodded. "Yes, indeed. The Yu Family has been making wine according to an ancestral recipe for many years. Unfortunately, the flavor of our wine relies on the local spring water, and without it, the taste just isn’t the same."
Meng Qianqian suddenly understood. "Ah, I see."
Uncle Yu sighed in frustration. "But aside from winemaking, I don’t know any other trade."
Meng Qianqian thought for a moment and softly asked, "Uncle Yu, have you considered making medicinal wine?"
Uncle Yu stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Using medicinal effects to make up for the lost flavor... That’s quite an idea. But I don’t know anything about medicine."
Meng Qianqian turned to Yu Zichuan and asked, "Do you have pen and ink?"
Yu Zichuan brought over pen, ink, paper, and an inkstone.
Meng Qianqian wrote down a medicinal wine recipe. "Uncle Yu."
Lu Yuan’s eyes questioned her: You know how to make medicinal wine?
Meng Qianqian: My grandmother taught me.
During her month at Witch Mountain, Liu Muye had honed everyone’s skills, and Meng Qianqian had learned quite a few of Witch Mountain’s unique recipes.
Yu Zichuan said, "Dad, this recipe is worth a lot of money. I suggest you don’t reject it."
Uncle Yu, who hadn’t planned to reject it anyway: "..."
These days, even trying to be polite gets called out by your own son.
Meng Qianqian chuckled and said, "Uncle Yu, we brought some of this medicinal wine with us. There are two jars in the carriage. Would you like to try it?"
Uncle Yu quickly said, "Oh, that would be wonderful!"
Once again, Meng Qianqian successfully eased Uncle Yu’s embarrassment, and he couldn’t be more fond of her.
It was just a pity that she was already married. Otherwise, if she could have become his daughter-in-law... Oh, how pleased he and his wife would have been!
Yu Zichuan went to fetch it.
The medicinal wine was originally prepared for Lu Yuan, with effects such as warming the body, dispelling cold, calming the mind, and aiding sleep.
Though Lu Yuan no longer had cold-related ailments,
he had kept up the act throughout the journey and forced himself to drink it.
Uncle Yu took a small cup, and as soon as it went down, he broke into a sweat, feeling as though his congested nose of several days had suddenly cleared.
"This medicinal wine is extraordinary. If I make it myself, I can improve the flavor even more. Little Nine, I’ll teach you how to brew it later."
Yu Zichuan poked his father’s shoulder with his index finger. "Dad, isn’t the winemaking technique supposed to be passed down only to me?"
Uncle Yu gave him a sideways glance. "Aren’t you the one who didn’t want to inherit the family business?"
Yu Zichuan, left speechless: "..."
Uncle Yu handed the wine cup to his son.
Yu Zichuan: "I’m not drinking."
Uncle Yu: "I’m asking you to fill it."
Yu Zichuan: Yet another day of being the unfavored one.
Uncle Yu took another few sips. "Warm as it goes down, sweet aftertaste... Brewing medicinal wine to this level is no small feat."
Something occurred to him, and he asked, "How much of this medicinal wine did you say you had left?"
"Two jars," Meng Qianqian replied. "If you’d like to drink more, Uncle Yu..."
"No, no, no, I don’t want to drink more." Uncle Yu waved his hand hurriedly. "You’ve just arrived at the Imperial City, so you might not be aware of the royal decree."
Meng Qianqian and Lu Yuan exchanged a glance.
Meng Qianqian said, "Please, do tell."
Uncle Yu explained, "The Crown Prince Mansion is hosting a wedding banquet on the twenty-sixth of this month. It’s said that the State Preceptor enjoys fine wine, so His Majesty has issued a royal decree, seeking the finest wines across the land to present to the State Preceptor. Those chosen will have the honor of presenting the wine at the banquet themselves, and this is like free advertising for their business! Now, all the wineries in the Imperial City are itching to participate. Every day, many people respond to the decree. I wanted to go myself... but the wine I brought got smashed on the journey."
Meng Qianqian was utterly astonished at this point.
Royal decrees for curing diseases or helping the needy were common, but to issue one just to find wine for the State Preceptor? That was unheard of.
This Emperor Liang—was he spoiling the State Preceptor too much?
All because he helped the emperor find his long-lost grandson?
On the other hand, this was also a golden opportunity to approach Gongsun Yanming.
If they could personally present the wine to Gongsun Yanming, they might have a chance to assassinate him.
Even if they couldn’t meet him in person, slipping some poison into the wine would surely go unnoticed.
"Shall we try for it?" Meng Qianqian asked Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan replied, "Yes."
Responding to the royal decree might not only provide a chance to approach Gongsun Yanming but also help accomplish the Supreme Emperor’s request to meet his old acquaintance.
Lu Yuan turned to Uncle Yu. "Uncle Yu, may I ask where the royal decree is posted?"
Uncle Yu said, "I’ll have Lai Fu take you there."