While Mu Zian was immersed in brewing liquor, at the military camp of the Great Li Empire’s capital, Pei Jianzhi and Lu Yunxue stood side by side, clad in armor.
The training ground was filled with swirling dust and wind. Three thousand elite soldiers of the Great Li Empire stood ready for departure.
At this moment, Pei Jianzhi was basking in glory; this was his first time leading an army independently onto the battlefield. As long as he could quell the rebellion in Luzhou, his influence within the military would surely rise to another level.
With one hand resting on his sword, Pei Jianzhi looked down at the assembled soldiers and declared loudly, “This battle can only be won, not lost! Wipe out the rebels and return a clear sky to the Great Li Empire!”
“March out!”
The three thousand elite soldiers moved out with imposing momentum. Pei Jianzhi and Lu Yunxue rode atop their tall horses, leading at the very front.
As they exited the camp, the citizens lining the streets cheered and sent them off enthusiastically.
Pei Jianzhi wore a beaming smile, as if this were the brightest moment of his life.
Beside him, Lu Yunxue seemed distracted, her mind replaying the scene from the previous night when she saw Mu Zian walking side by side with the Ninth Princess.
Although she was now pursuing her own happiness, seeing Mu Zian smiling and conversing with another woman still made her uncomfortable—especially when that woman surpassed her in both beauty and status.
The more Lu Yunxue thought about it, the more unsettled she felt. She even wanted to rush into the State-Stabilizing Duke’s residence and confront Mu Zian face-to-face.
Just then, Pei Jianzhi’s words interrupted her thoughts.
“Xue’er, look at the whole city cheering for us! When we return victorious, the celebrations will surely be ten times grander than today. What does it matter if Mu Zian is the State-Stabilizing Duke? The people of this empire will still rely on me for protection.”
A bitter smile appeared on Lu Yunxue’s face.
Pei Jianzhi was overly confident—so much so that it bordered on arrogance, a dangerous flaw for a general.
She wanted to remind him, but seeing the radiant smile on his face, she couldn’t bear to dampen his spirits.
“They’re just a rabble. I am a man of great talent; this battle will be easily won.”
With that thought, Lu Yunxue smiled and agreed, “Pei Lang is absolutely right.”
Three thousand elite soldiers marched grandly out of the capital toward Luzhou.
…
Two days later, inside the State-Stabilizing Duke’s residence, the courtyard was filled with a rich aroma of alcohol.
As the mash in the large cauldron boiled, steam condensed through the cooling pipes and dripped steadily into prepared vats.
By simple calculation, it took about 6 kilograms of mash to distill 1 kilogram of high-proof liquor. The cost was high, but once scaled up with brewing and distillation integrated, costs could be greatly reduced.
Mu Zian was confident that once this high-proof liquor hit the market, it would take the Great Li Empire by storm.
The wealth would pour into his coffers like flowing water.
As he dreamed of a prosperous future, Li Jiuxuan, dressed in black and moving like a shadow, suddenly appeared.
“Ah! What a strong aroma of wine!”
Ignoring Mu Zian, Li Jiuxuan went straight to the vat filled with distilled liquor, staring at the clear liquid with a look of intoxication.
“Where’s the ladle? Get me a ladle!”
Unable to wait, Li Jiuxuan called for a ladle.
Before Mu Zian could stop him, he scooped up a large bowl, about 400 grams, and downed it in one gulp.
In the next moment, Li Jiuxuan’s previously fair face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“Good… good wine.”
Before he could finish his sentence, he collapsed.
Mu Zian covered his face speechlessly. The first batch of distilled liquor had an alcohol content of around 70%—practically pure alcohol.
Li Jiuxuan was truly bold to gulp it down like that. It would have been strange if he hadn’t passed out.
Who knew how much time passed before Li Jiuxuan groggily woke up.
Holding his head, he felt as though it was about to split open.
“Wow, you woke up fast,” came Mu Zian’s teasing voice.
Li Jiuxuan, clutching his head, asked, “Did you spike this wine with knockout powder? I, Li Jiuxuan, pride myself on being a wine immortal—6 kilograms down and I can still scale walls as if on flat ground. Yet one bowl of this and I’m like this?”
Mu Zian couldn’t be bothered to explain and got straight to the point.
“Why would the Director of the Imperial City Division have time to visit me today?”
Li Jiuxuan rubbed his temples and finally spoke, “Almost got delayed by you. Do you know about the horse bandit rebellion in Luzhou?”
Pei Jianzhi, leading three thousand elite troops, was probably close to Luzhou by now.
Li Jiuxuan said seriously, “According to reports from our Luzhou branch, there might be Qiang cavalry among the rebels.”
Mu Zian’s expression shifted slightly. Had he guessed correctly?
Thinking it over, it made sense. Without backing from another force, mere bandits couldn’t have breached a prefectural city.
If Qiang cavalry were involved, everything fit—someone must have secretly allied with the Qiang and disguised their troops as bandits to spark the Luzhou rebellion.
Li Jiuxuan continued, “The Qiang are skilled horsemen. If Qiang cavalry have joined the rebels, this isn’t merely a bandit uprising.”
Mu Zian crossed his arms and said, “What’s the point of telling me? Isn’t Pei Jianzhi already leading troops to suppress them?”
Li Jiuxuan looked helpless. “I know exactly what that guy’s capable of. He might handle ordinary bandits, but against Qiang cavalry, he’s going to be slaughtered.”
“I’ve reported this to the Emperor. I came here today to tell you to be ready.”
The meaning behind his words was clear.
If Pei Jianzhi was defeated, the Emperor would surely dispatch the empire’s best—the Vanguard Battalion—and Mu Zian, as its current commander, would have to lead the army into battle.
Li Jiuxuan came to warn him early to avoid any last-minute chaos.
Mu Zian understood immediately; no more words were needed between them.
“Take these two vats of my new liquor and try them out.”
Seeing the vats, Li Jiuxuan shivered, still remembering how he had been knocked out earlier.
Mu Zian laughed, “This batch has been blended—better taste, not as harsh. Drink it without worry; think of it as my thanks for today.”
Only then did Li Jiuxuan relax and accept the vats.
“I’ll send you updates from Luzhou as soon as they arrive.”
After Li Jiuxuan left, Mu Zian’s expression grew serious.
He could keenly sense that the rebellion in Luzhou might be the start of his rise to fame.
With that thought, Mu Zian ordered the entire State-Stabilizing Duke’s residence to work day and night, continuously distilling alcohol.
Mu Zian gazed toward Luzhou and murmured, “A storm is brewing.”