When Xiao Jingnan saw Li Wanming enter the room, he immediately pulled Feng Xiao aside and asked in a low voice, "Tell me honestly, did His Majesty drink that wine?"
"Yes, he did." Feng Xiao looked him straight in the eye and replied frankly.
"However, he only took one sip and spat it out. He grimaced and shouted, 'What the hell kind of wine is this? It tastes so fucking awful!' Hahaha..."
Feng Xiao clutched his stomach and laughed uncontrollably, pounding his chest. "He... he also said he wanted Miss Cheng to send two more jars in. He must let those old fogeys taste this peerless famous wine at the New Year's Palace Banquet!"
Xiao Jingnan grabbed him. "You must tell His Majesty that the wine my wife brewed is not Dragon Paste Wine!"
If this matter was ever used against them, the charge of "deceiving the emperor" would be enough to crush Li Wanming.
"Got it. It's Phoenix Marrow Wine!"
Feng Xiao said with a smile, "Don't worry. I've made it clear to His Majesty. He also knows this matter can't be taken lightly and will handle it properly."
Xiao Jingnan let out a sigh of relief. After thinking for a while, he murmured to himself, "If it's for the New Year's Palace Banquet, I have to tell my old man in advance. I must ask him not to touch this black - looking wine at that time..."
This remark reminded Feng Xiao. "I also have to go back and tell my old man. He's a wine lover. If His Majesty persuades him and he drinks this wine in one gulp, he might vomit all over His Majesty's table on the spot!"
After saying that, he hurried away.
Li Wanming came out. Not seeing Feng Xiao, she didn't ask much but turned around and went back into the wine cellar.
There were still eight days until the New Year's Palace Banquet. There was still time to improve the taste of this wine.
Although Xiao Jingnan and Feng Xiao had both told her it was okay, as a winemaker, she couldn't tolerate brewing such a terrible - tasting wine. This was simply a disgrace to her reputation!
Actually, Li Wanming didn't understand that for a wine to become famous through the ages, taste was the least important thing.
It needed history, allusions, the praise of famous people, and the flowery words of literati...
This Phoenix Marrow Wine brewed by her own hands happened to have all these elements.
It had a strange color, similar to the legendary ancient wine. At the New Year's Palace Banquet, it would be personally bestowed by the emperor to the royal family and nobles. There would surely be many eulogies from the princes... How could it fail to become famous?
Taste bad?
That's exactly right!
The more strange its taste was rumored to be, the more people would want to try it.
If it was really made into a delicious wine and became popular all over the country, it would lose its original mystery.
Xiao Jingnan had told Li Wanming these things, but she still couldn't let go of her self - esteem as a winemaker.
A wine that made the emperor vomit...
This was simply a disgrace to her!
As a creative, imaginative, motivated, and responsible winemaker, how could Li Wanming allow such a thing to happen?
Xiao Jingnan was helpless. After trying to persuade her twice without success, he had no choice but to let her be.
It was a pity that Li Wanming never managed to brew a satisfactory wine later.
The fishy, pungent, and hot smell in the alligator meat just wouldn't go away.
But if she didn't add the alligator meat, it would lose the meaning of Dragon Paste, and the color would turn into an ordinary blue - purple instead of being as black as ink.
Before they knew it, it was the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month. Tomorrow would be New Year's Eve, and Li Wanming finally gave up.
She decided to stop for the time being and enjoy the New Year first.
She had been cooped up in the winery for some time and hadn't even started preparing for the New Year.
She had to have a reunion dinner with her father - in - law and mother - in - law on New Year's Eve, and she would go back to her natal home on the second day of the Lunar New Year. She hadn't even prepared all the New Year gifts yet.
Last year, she and Xiao Jingnan went back to her natal home. The things they needed to buy were simple, just cloth, silk, gold locks, and silver ornaments. But this year, her two elder sisters were here. She had to go back with them, so she needed to prepare more things.
Fortunately, Qinglan was capable. She took Chuntao on a big shopping spree. In just half a day, they had prepared all kinds of gifts, so Li Wanming didn't have to worry too much.
"Six bolts of brocade, twelve bolts of jacquard satin, six fruit boxes..."
Li Wanming was happily checking the things Qinglan had prepared when suddenly she saw Chuntao running in in a hurry.
"Miss, something's wrong! A lot of soldiers are outside. They said the Ministry of Revenue and the Taifu Temple are here to arrest you!"
"The Ministry of Revenue?"
Li Wanming was stunned and a bit confused.
From Chuntao's words, it seemed that she had committed some crime and the Ministry of Revenue was here to arrest her...
However, her interaction with the Ministry of Revenue was only when signing contracts. She only occasionally needed to go to the Ministry of Revenue to get the official seal. There had never been any real connection. And she asked herself that her attitude had always been polite and respectful. There was absolutely no way she had offended them... Why would the people from the Ministry of Revenue suddenly come in such a menacing way?
Qinglan's face turned pale. She said in a panic, "Could it be that something has happened to the academy again?"
The incident when the Imperial College came to cause trouble last time still gave her the jitters. If it hadn't been for Li Wanming's proper handling, the Zhaoyu Academy might have been shut down. Now, every time she heard that the soldiers were coming, she immediately thought that something had happened to the academy.
Li Wanming frowned slightly and shook her head after thinking for a moment. "The affairs of the academy are under the jurisdiction of the Imperial College and the Hanlin Academy. There's no need for the people from the Ministry of Revenue to get involved. Moreover, this time, they've also sent someone from the Taifu Temple..."
The Taifu Temple was one of the most important institutions under the Ministry of Revenue. It was specifically responsible for managing the country's financial policies, commercial taxes, and trade.
If people from this institution had come, it probably wasn't a problem with the academy. It was more likely related to her other shops.
Li Wanming suddenly had a bad feeling.
To be honest, she wasn't too afraid of someone causing trouble at the academy.
Her two elder sisters had already been brought out, and everything was moving in a good direction. For her, the Zhaoyu Academy had already fulfilled most of its mission.
Moreover, if this academy couldn't be run, she could just close it and open another one.
It would be a bit troublesome, but it wouldn't be a fatal blow.
As long as she had money and people, she could open an academy anywhere.
However, if someone tried to make trouble for her wine shop...
Her cash flow would be in danger of collapsing.
This was a hundred times more dangerous than the problem with the academy.
Li Wanming knew very well that although she had many shops now, the most stable and profitable one was still the Li Family Wine Shop.
If someone came to cause trouble for the wine shop, it would be like hitting a snake at its seven - inch point. It would be grasping her life - line.
Coincidentally, the operation of the wine shop was exactly under the management of the Ministry of Revenue and the Taifu Temple.
Li Wanming was worried. She rushed to the front hall and immediately saw Xiao Jingnan standing there.
His face seemed a bit solemn, far from his usual suave and relaxed self.
He was standing respectfully beside two red - robed officials and asking in a soft voice, "May I ask, sirs, you said that our wine shop has passed off inferior goods as high - quality ones, concealed taxes, and falsified accounts... May I ask if you have any evidence?"