Cheng Yaojin’s wine barrels were never designed for refinement—his personal pursuit was ruggedness and boldness, brimming with thick Western frontier flavor. When the blackened oak barrel was set upon the table, it immediately captured the attention of all the guests who were busy demolishing the giant cake. Xiao Ya climbed onto the table and patted the barrel, which was taller than herself, saying to Li Gang: “Grandpa Li, my brother went to Uncle Cheng’s house yesterday and plundered this. His wine buried under the flowering trees couldn’t be found, and he threw a tantrum at home.”
Li Gang dotingly lifted the little girl down from the table, tapped her nose, and said: “Your Uncle Cheng has been a bandit for most of his life, always robbing other people’s things. Today someone finally robbed him—that’s quite rare. This wine deserves several extra cups.”
The hall full of guests burst into laughter. Qin Qiong stroked his beard, laughing so hard he swayed back and forth, gasping for breath as he said: “This brother of mine has loved nothing in life but wine. His stored wine must be no ordinary vintage—we cannot not drink it.”
Yun Ye smiled awkwardly and clapped his hands. Four strong servants from the Yun household carried over an ice mountain and placed it under the awning. The heat immediately dissipated. One of them took out a wooden drill and with just a few motions bored a small hole in the oak barrel. A bamboo joint with a small mechanism was fitted into the hole—the entire process flowed like clouds and water, extremely smooth.
The other three servants took out small silver hammers from their baskets and carefully chipped small pieces from the ice mountain, then finely tapped them into finger-sized ice chunks. Maids from the Yun household walked over carrying large wooden trays. The trays were filled with white porcelain bowls. They placed an ice chunk in each bowl, then skillfully stacked the bowls into a mountain shape, with a porcelain jar positioned below the wooden tray.
The guests didn’t understand what this meant and were about to ask when they saw the robust Yun household servant turn the mechanism. Deep crimson wine immediately flowed from the curved end of the bamboo pipe. First it filled the top bowl, then the wine overflowed, slowly trickling down the bowl’s sides to pour into the next layer of wine bowls. The red wine released a faint wine fragrance that diluted the sweet cake aroma that had been lingering in the small courtyard.
Along the ice mountain wine barrel, four wine towers constructed of stacked bowls appeared. The slightly tart and acidic fruit fragrance stimulated the guests’ sense of smell as the servants and maids bowed and withdrew.
Li Gang rose himself and was the first to take a bowl of wine from the tower. Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Qin Qiong, Yuchi Gong, Li Jing, and others also curiously took bowls themselves. Only Wei Zheng let out a long sigh before also taking a bowl. Lishi, Yuanzhang, Yushan, and Gongshu followed suit.
Seeing the elders had all taken wine, the remaining people also carefully took bowls. They held them in their hands but didn’t drink, waiting for someone among the guests to give a toast.
Fang Xuanling was not polite. He raised his wine bowl high to all the guests in the garden and said: “Lord Li’s great longevity, may his blessings extend long—this bowl of wine is to celebrate you. Everyone, to victory!”
Immediately congratulatory voices filled the courtyard endlessly. Li Gang’s face glowed red, his spirits high.
After the wine tower disappeared once and was rebuilt, the servants moved over long tables covered with clean hemp cloth. The tables held prepared delicacies and various cheeses and fresh seasonal vegetables.
Xiao Ya had been clinging to Yun Ye’s embrace, but upon seeing the food, she immediately forgot her brother’s existence. She skillfully searched the table for her favorite foods, using bamboo tongs to place them on a plate, then delivered it to Li Gang. Old Li’s smile deepened, though he looked with some worry at the fried chicken and ribs on the plate, uncertain whether his teeth could handle these things.
Taking advantage of others not yet knowing how to eat these things, Runniang also filled two large plates—one entirely with vegetables, tofu, and soft braised pork, the other entirely with meat. Before leaving, she viciously clamped a large meat chop, then carried them to Qin Qiong, giving the vegetables and tofu to Old Qin and the ribs and chops to Young Qin. Yun Ye stood empty-handed with a dry laugh, resolving to straighten out household discipline after returning home.
Yun Ye, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Wei Zheng stood side by side holding plates, selecting their preferred foods while chatting.
“Minister Fang, your spleen and stomach are weak and cannot digest meat well. Better to eat more tofu and vegetables.”
“Minister Du, I heard your lung ailment flares up severely every winter and spring. Why not take a period of leave and stay at Yushan to let Doctor Sun examine you properly? Winter illnesses treated in summer is the best season—you mustn’t miss this opportunity.”
“Minister Wei, don’t frown. The Yun family’s wealth comes from clear and proper sources. Having a somewhat lavish wine feast is acceptable. On Lord Li’s great birthday, being slightly extravagant is also to reward Lord Li for his many years of hard work. At an age when he should be enjoying his grandchildren, we juniors have forcibly kept him working day after day. Speaking of it, we juniors have wronged Lord Li.”
“How can Marquis Yun say such things? This old man is not one who resents wealth. I only lament that Marquis Yun’s banquet today breaks new ground and refreshes people’s eyes and ears. I only fear the world has many who imitate clumsily, unable to learn Marquis Yun’s talent for wealth like Tao Zhu but only learning Marquis Yun’s extravagant ways. This is not a blessing for the common people of the realm. Currently in Chang’an the trend toward extravagance is gradually growing. This atmosphere needs to be suppressed. Diligent thrift in managing a household is the foundation of being human.”
Wei Zheng was like this—considering all matters from their most malevolent angle, never considering their positive aspects, believing extravagance must certainly be wrong. This was a major misconception.
“Minister Wei, if you think this way, you’re mistaken. If everyone practiced thrift like you, our Great Tang would never become wealthy—it would only become stagnant water. To seek wealth, thrift is one aspect, but opening sources is the foundation of prosperity.”
“Oh? What insight does Marquis Yun have?”
All three stopped in their tracks, looking at Yun Ye with incomprehension. This was the first time hearing anyone say diligent household management was wrong. If it were anyone else, Wei Zheng would have slapped him. But these words coming from Yun Ye’s mouth had entirely different significance.
“Come, come, Marquis Yun, that place over there is quite shady. How about we four eat and converse there?” Fang Xuanling loved hearing Yun Ye’s strange and peculiar theories. Several times their conversations had inspired him. Now that he could hear wonderful discourse again, how could he let the opportunity pass?
Yun Ye waved over a maid and had her place the four men’s plates on a wooden tray, gesturing for her to carry them over. He also instructed her to bring several bowls of wine, then said to Wei Zheng: “Minister Wei may not know—the secret of wealth lies in circulation. The saying ‘flowing water does not rot, door hinges do not get woodworms’ expresses this principle. Diligent household management is certainly a virtue, but it obstructs commercial development. Everything is content within a self-sufficient small circle, unable to break out. Wealth will never increase rapidly—it’s like a basin of water. No matter how much you conserve, you’ll only ever have that one basin of water, neither more nor less.”
“Since ancient times wealth has had a fixed amount. If you earn one more coin, someone else earns one less coin. The court mints a fixed number of coins each year. Why does Marquis Yun say wealth can increase, and without limit at that?”
Du Ruhui seemed to have discovered a flaw in Yun Ye’s words and opened his mouth to question.
“Let me start with today’s banquet. The meat and vegetables on our plates were all grown by farmers, thus forming commodities. The farmers’ hard work needs to be compensated, so the Yun family pays money to buy chickens, ducks, and vegetables from them. The farmers have money and discover they need to make clothes for their child, so they go to a cloth seller and use the money to buy a bolt of cloth. He’s very satisfied, and the cloth seller’s family is also very satisfied. In this way, the same money has already accomplished three things.”
“Correct—used to buy chickens and ducks, used to buy cloth. The cloth seller presumably also has needs, so this money will continue to circulate. Indeed so, but that money is still that money—it hasn’t increased.”
Wei Zheng added his supplement but then discovered a problem.
“The money hasn’t increased, but things have increased—these are wealth. Generally speaking, labor creates wealth. Of course, there’s also innovation. Minister Wei can imagine—if wealth couldn’t grow and we brought all the money from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to now, what do you think our Great Tang would look like? Therefore, the basin of wealth is constantly growing, not unchanging. The Yun family innovated perfume, cement, and various other miscellaneous things. Now they’re all supporting many people. Chang’an hasn’t become poor because of some new industries—rather, it’s become wealthier. This is clear proof.”
“In a few days, the houses in Xinghua Ward will begin auction. Minister Wei, Minister Fang, Minister Du—please come watch then and see how astonishing the wealth among our Great Tang’s common people is, how terrifying the potential. At that time, vast amounts of money will be recovered. Minister Wei can observe whether the court will actually lose a portion of tax revenue because of this.”
The three men didn’t know if they understood or perhaps were even more confused. None of them spoke, silently eating, perfectly interpreting the good habit of not speaking while eating or sleeping.
Suddenly a cacophony arose at the gate. Yun Ye turned to look and saw Yuchi Baolin and Duan Meng carrying a striped fierce tiger as they entered. The two set the tiger on the ground and respectfully kowtowed to Li Gang, voicing in unison congratulations for the teacher’s prolonged fortune, longevity, and hundred years of life.
Li Gang walked over to stroke the tiger’s striped fur, then looked at the two blood-stained students. Old tears flowed down his face. He helped them both up and examined them one by one. Finding they hadn’t suffered too serious injuries, only then did he speak: “Baolin, Duan Meng, you are both good children who respect teachers and honor the Way. Having disciples like you is also this teacher’s blessing. But next time you mustn’t do this—it’s too dangerous. Your sincere intention is enough—there’s no need to risk your lives. It’s not worth it.”
The two lowered themselves to receive instruction, verbally agreeing and expressing they would never again engage in such foolish behavior.
Old Yuchi’s dark face was already drunk beyond distinguishing eyebrows from eyes. His mouth hung open knowing only to laugh. At last he said loudly: “A mere tiger—what does it matter! If Teacher Li likes them, when this old man has leisure time, I’ll personally go into the forest and catch all the tigers to repay the teacher’s great kindness.”
While his father bragged there, Yuchi Baolin was tugging at Yun Ye’s sleeve. Following him outside, Yun Ye saw two officials standing there with stern faces. One cupped his hands and said: “This subordinate official is the steward of Nanshan Hunting Ground. Today Yuchi Baolin and Duan Meng led a group of evildoers and forcibly entered the hunting area. Not only did they injure many guards, they also wantonly hunted a fierce tiger. This subordinate official has come to ask Marquis Yun for clarification—should we hand over the evildoers for this subordinate official to take away?”
Yun Ye felt somewhat dizzy. Looking at the two officials’ bruised and swollen faces, they must have taken quite a beating along the way. But why were they looking for him? Their fathers were all at today’s banquet.