Just as Mu Zi'an was engrossed in brewing wine, inside the military camp in the capital of Dali.
Pei Jianzhi and Lu Yunxue stood side by side, both clad in armor.
In the training ground, sand and dust filled the air.
Three thousand elite troops from the Great Li are already assembled and ready to go.
Pei Jianzhi was riding high at this moment, as this was the first time he had gone to the battlefield alone as the commander-in-chief of an army.
If this battle can quell the rebellion in Luzhou, his influence in the army will surely rise to another level.
Pei Jianzhi placed one hand on his sword and looked at the soldiers below the stage, speaking loudly.
"This battle must be won! Defeat is not an option! We must wipe out the rebels and restore peace and order to Dali!"
"Set off!"
Three thousand elite soldiers marched with overwhelming momentum. Pei Jianzhi and Lu Yunxue each sat atop a tall horse, leading the procession.
As the soldiers left the military camp, crowds lined both sides of the main street, cheering them on.
Pei Jianzhi wore a smile, as if this was the highlight of his life.
Lu Yunxue, standing to the side, was somewhat absent-minded, her mind constantly replaying the scene she had seen last night of Mu Zian walking side by side with the Ninth Princess.
Although she is now pursuing her own happiness, she still feels uncomfortable seeing Mu Zi'an laughing and talking with other women.
Especially since that woman was superior to him in both appearance and status.
The more Lu Yunxue thought about it, the more upset she became. She really wanted to rush into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and confront Mu Zian face to face.
Just then, Pei Jianzhi's words interrupted her thoughts.
"Xue'er, look at how the entire city is cheering for us today! When we return in triumph, the celebration will be more than ten times greater than it is now. So what if Mu Zi'an is the Duke of Zhenguo? The people of this world still need me to protect them."
A bitter smile appeared on Lu Yunxue's face.
Pei Jianzhi is too confident right now, you could even say he's overconfident.
This is a major taboo for a general, and Lu Yunxue wanted to remind Pei Jianzhi of it.
But seeing Pei Jianzhi's bright smile, she couldn't bear to dampen her lover's spirits.
"They're nothing but a rabble. I am a great general, and this battle will surely be won in no time."
Upon realizing this, Lu Yunxue smiled and echoed her sentiment.
“What Pei Lang says is absolutely right.”
Three thousand elite soldiers marched out of the capital and headed straight for Luzhou.
...
Two days later, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was filled with the aroma of wine.
As the cloudy wine in the large pot continued to boil, the resulting water vapor dripped down the condenser tube and into the prepared jar.
Looking at the clear, water-like liquid inside the jar, Mu Zi'an also showed a happy expression.
A simple calculation shows that it takes ten kilograms of cloudy liquor on the market to distill about one kilogram of high-proof liquor.
The cost is indeed not low, but if it reaches a certain scale in the future, it can provide a one-stop service of brewing and distilling its own products, which can greatly reduce costs.
Moreover, Mu Zian was confident that such a high-proof liquor would become a sensation throughout the entire Zhou Dynasty as soon as it hit the market.
That money would be better spent flowing in like water.
Just as Mu Zian was envisioning a bright future, Li Jiuxuan, dressed in a black outfit, suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Wow! Such a strong aroma of alcohol!"
Li Jiuxuan ignored Mu Zian and went straight to the jar containing the distilled liquor.
He gazed at the clear, water-like liquid in the jar with a look of pure bliss.
"Where's the spoon? Where's the spoon?"
Li Jiuxuan was impatient and immediately called for a servant to bring him a spoon.
Before Mu Zian could stop him, Li Jiuxuan scooped out a large bowl of wine from the jar, about seven or eight ounces, and drank it all in one gulp.
The next moment, Li Jiuxuan's originally fair face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Good...good wine."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Jiuxuan collapsed.
Mu Zian covered his head, speechless. The original liquor in this first batch had an alcohol content of at least 70 degrees, which is equivalent to the alcohol content in later generations.
Li Jiuxuan is ruthless! He downed it in one gulp! It would be strange if he wasn't dizzy.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Jiuxuan slowly woke up.
He covered his head, feeling as if his head was about to explode.
"Wow, you woke up pretty quickly."
Mu Zian's teasing voice reached my ears.
Li Jiuxuan covered his head and asked.
"Did you put a sleeping potion in this wine? I, Li Jiuxuan, also call myself the Immortal of Wine. I can usually drink ten catties of wine and leap across rooftops as if walking on flat ground. How come I've become like this after just one bowl?"
Mu Zian was too lazy to explain to him and went straight to the point.
"What brings you, the head of the Imperial City Guard, to my place today?"
Upon hearing this, Li Jiuxuan rubbed his head before speaking.
"You almost ruined something important! You know about the bandit rebellion in Luzhou, right?"
Mu Zian nodded.
Pei Jianzhi, leading three thousand elite troops, is probably almost at Luzhou by now.
Li Jiuxuan said solemnly.
"According to the news from the Luzhou branch of the Imperial City Guard, there may be Qiang cavalrymen among the rebelling bandits."
Mu Zian was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Could it be that he had really guessed correctly?
But then I realized that this might be the optimal solution.
Otherwise, how could a small band of bandits possibly conquer a prefectural government office without the help of other forces behind them?
If these bandits were backed by Qiang cavalry, then everything makes sense. Someone must have been secretly collaborating with the Qiang, and the two of them, disguised as bandits, instigated this Luzhou riot.
Li Jiuxuan continued.
"The Qiang people are skilled riders. If Qiang cavalry have indeed infiltrated the bandits, it will probably not be a simple bandit rebellion!"
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