Chapter 51: Autumn White Dew, Merchants Who Value Coins over Banknotes

Jiangdong Gate, connecting to Shuixi Gate in the east and Shangxin River in the west, served as the southwest commercial center of the capital.

Zhu Zhi, the King of Liao, and Zhu Geng, the King of Min, along with a few attendants, strolled into the South Street of the west gate of Jiangdong Gate, looking at the bustling scene. They exchanged a smile and extended their hands in agreement, saying, “After you,” before walking together into the hustle and bustle.

Among the sixteen towers in Jinling, there were five located in Jiangdong Gate: Qingyan Tower, Cuiliu Tower, Meijian Tower, Danfen Tower, and Jiangdong Tower. These grand and spacious buildings with high eaves attracted elegant scholars and distinguished guests, creating a lively atmosphere.

Many literati and poets gathered here to enjoy drinking, revelry, and express their creativity, leaving behind excellent works.

Leisurely observing the towers, adorned screens and unfolding elegance,

Jade wrists sweeping red sleeves, jade cups brimming with green wine.

Varied scenes intertwine, vanishing amidst ethereal dust.

Today’s boisterous singing guests, fine-tuning new poetry.

(郡楼闲纵目，风度锦屏开。

玉腕揎红袖，琼卮泛绿醅。

参差凌倒景，迢遁绝浮埃。

今日狂歌客，新诗且细裁。)

This is a poetic description of the Qingyan Tower and Danfen Tower.

Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng stood on the street, with Qingyan Tower on their left and Danfen Tower on their right.

“Fifteenth Brother, which one shall we go to?”

Zhu Geng hesitated.

Zhu Zhi assessed the two tall towers and said, “Zhao girl, intoxicated by wine, flips her song and dampens her fan, while Yan Ji’s fragrance permeates her delicate dance skirt. Let’s first take a look at this Qingyan Tower.”

Inside the Qingyan Tower, a group of graceful women accompany the two kings. They delicately persuade them to drink from time to time. Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng ordered more than a dozen types of alcoholic beverages and tasted them one by one. The innkeeper stood by, wearing a smile, serving them attentively.

During the Ming Dynasty, wine reached its peak, surpassing the Han, Tang, and Song Dynasties.

Although commerce was not well-developed during the early Ming Dynasty, the business of taverns and wine shops was quite active.

The most favored wine among the people of the capital during the early Ming Dynasty was Zhejiang yellow wine. Although there were some instances of distilled spirits emerging in certain regions, they had not yet become mainstream. The wine varieties of the Ming Dynasty were numerous, including Jinhua wine, Autumn White Dew, Wuxiang distilled spirit, Junxun wine, Jingzhi high-proof liquor, ginger wine, fennel wine, mung bean wine, bamboo leaf wine, and more.

Jingzhi high-proof liquor and Autumn White Dew were relatively strong distilled spirits, and they had a whitish color.

On the other hand, Wuxiang distilled spirit was brewed using ingredients such as sandalwood, camphor, benzoin, cloves, and glutinous rice. Looking at these ingredients, people from later generations might lose their interest and even question whether it was drinking wine or cooking wine.

However, at that time, Wuxiang distilled spirit was hailed as the “number one wine in Jiangnan” and was associated with the “delight of a gentle spring breeze.”

Zhu Zhi held a glass of Wuxiang distilled spirit, which had a somewhat turbid color. After drinking it, he felt a mild warmth inside his body. He let out a breath and slowly exhaled, praising, “Good wine!”

Zhu Geng nudged the Autumn White Dew next to him and said to Zhu Zhi, “This wine should be good.”

After tasting a few sips, Zhu Zhi felt a slight warmth in his body. He nodded earnestly and asked the owner, “How is this Autumn White Dew sold?”

“Dear guests, Autumn White Dew is available in three grades: upper, middle, and lower. For the lower grade, it would be five mace of silver. However, for the middle grade, it would be two taels of silver. As you are esteemed guests and tasting the finest Autumn Dew White, the cost would be five taels of silver.” The owner replied with a smile.^[1]Tl’s note: 1 Guan is 1000 mace, 1 tael is 10 maces.

Zhu Zhi nodded slightly, considering the price to be reasonable at Qingyan Tower. However, five taels of silver would be manageable for personal consumption, but if they were to make a large purchase, they would have to tighten their belts and live frugally.

“You go and bring out the middle and lower-grade Autumn Dew White for us to taste,” Zhu Geng suddenly said.

Zhu Zhi was taken aback, feeling a bit embarrassed. He looked at Zhu Geng with a frustrated expression, thinking to himself, “Little brother, we are vassal kings. Should we be bargaining over the price? It’s fine if you embarrass yourself, but why are you dragging me along?”

The owner of the establishment was also bewildered by this peculiar request. Those who frequented Qingyan Tower were either wealthy merchants or noble children, talented scholars who always sought better things. They had never encountered anyone who wanted something of lower quality.

These two were quite unique.

Nevertheless, the owner maintained their composure and forced a smile, arranging for the requested wines to be brought out.

Zhu Zhi looked at the poured middle and lower-grade Autumn White Dew and shook his head, resolutely refusing to drink it.

Zhu Geng lifted his wine cup, looked at Zhu Zhi, and said casually, “If we can’t fulfill the tasks assigned to us, the two of us will have to answer for it right here.”

Zhu Zhi’s teeth felt sour, and he reluctantly raised his wine cup to taste it. His eyes brightened and he looked at Zhu Geng, nodding and saying, “This one is good, haha.”

The owner stood by with a forced smile, a hint of disdain in his eyes.

These two individuals had no discernment, unable to differentiate between good and bad wine. It was truly baffling how they could wear luxurious garments and jade belts.

Jade belts?

The owner’s pupils slightly narrowed, and a respectful smile appeared on his face.

The belt was an important part of ceremonial attire, and there were specific regulations on which belt should be worn by officials according to their rank.

Emperor Taizu attached great importance to ceremonial attire. In the third, fourteenth, and twenty-sixth years of the Hongwu reign, he made three revisions to the regulations, requiring officials of civil and military ranks to wear specific belts: first-grade officials wore jade or patterned belts, second-grade officials wore rhinoceros belts, third and fourth-grade officials wore golden lychee belts, and those below the fifth grade wore black horn belts.

If anyone wore the wrong belt or violated the rules, a third-grade official daring to wear a jade belt, for example, would likely lose not only their belt but also their head.

Seeing that both individuals were wearing jade belts despite being in casual attire, it indicated that they were either first-grade officials or Kings.

The owner trembled slightly, wondering why these two distinguished gentlemen had come here.

If something went wrong, Qingyan Tower would likely cease to exist.

“This lower-grade Autumn Dew White is good. However, one jar of wine costing five maces of silver is still a bit expensive.”

Zhu Zhi calculated in his mind.

If they were to make a large purchase, one jar of wine would cost five maces of silver. It would amount to one thousand five hundred taels for three thousand jars. If they wanted ten thousand jars, it would reach five thousand taels. The expenditure would be substantial.

“Hehe, if you both like it, our shop can offer a discount. One jar for two maces of silver. We really can’t go any lower,” the owner replied with a smile.

The owner was in a dilemma. Two maces of silver were already the cost price, and any lower would mean they would have to bear the cost themselves.

“Haha, we’re not taking much advantage of you either. How about this: three maces, and I want ten thousand jars. What do you think?” Zhu Zhi said with a smile.

The owner widened their eyes. This was a significant deal. Although the profit margin would be lower, the quantity made up for it. If that’s the case, they could still make a decent profit. However…

“Our humble shop cannot provide ten thousand jars at the moment. How about three thousand jars for now? After three months, no, two months, we will deliver another three thousand jars to your residence. How does that sound?” the owner quickly suggested.

Zhu Zhi nodded slightly and took out a stack of banknotes from his sleeve, saying, “Here is three hundred guan as a down payment. You only need to deliver these three thousand jars of wine outside the Xi’an Gate.”

Upon hearing the mention of the Xi’an Gate, the owner was taken aback. Could it be that this batch of goods was procured by the imperial palace?

As the owner looked at the banknotes placed on the table by Zhu Zhi, their brows slightly furrowed. They respectfully bowed and said, “I apologize, but our shop primarily deals in silver coins. As for banknotes, one guan note is only equivalent to half tael of silver.”

“Why is that?” Zhu Geng stood up after hearing this, his face displeased. He spoke in a stern tone, “According to the court regulations, one guan note is equivalent to one tael of silver. How can you give more weight to silver coins and undermine the court’s regulations?”

The owner immediately knelt down, their face filled with sorrow, and said, “Esteemed gentlemen, it’s not just our shop that acts this way. All the merchants and traders do the same.”

Zhu Zhi waved his hand, stopping Zhu Geng who was about to speak out. He said, “If that’s the case, then let these three hundred guan notes be equivalent to one hundred and fifty taels. Once the goods are delivered to the Xi’an Gate, someone will pay you with silver coins. How about that?”

The owner expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

After Zhu Zhi and Zhu Geng left Qingyan Tower, Zhu Geng said gloomily, “Fifteenth brother, why did you stop me?”

Zhu Zhi chuckled and said to Zhu Geng, “During the time you’ve been indulging in pleasure, haven’t you noticed that even those red-sleeved maidens no longer appreciate banknotes?”

Zhu Geng furrowed his brow. When one is in the embrace of beauty, who would pay attention to such details? Shouldn’t one focus their attention where it matters?

“Let’s go. It’s time for us to enter the palace. We still need to report this matter to the Emperor,” Zhu Zhi sighed.

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