Zhao Xian was a little puzzled. He noticed that Magistrate Cao was acting strangely today, being unusually polite to him, but he didn't dare to ask.
"It's truly a stroke of luck that Young Master Zhao has come to the county town at this time. Now we have both a scholar and local specialties."
At this moment, Magistrate Cao's eyes lit up as he stared intently at the several jugs of wine in Zhao Cheng's hands.
"Young Master Zhao, this is the millet wine you produced. May I try some?"
Zhao Xian was completely bewildered. He knew that Magistrate Cao did not easily accept gifts from others, but upon seeing these jugs of millet wine, he was determined to taste them immediately.
Seeing this, the clerk was about to explain when he was interrupted by Magistrate Cao.
"Wait a moment before you speak. Let me taste it first. At this poetry gathering, the Prefect asked me to recommend a specialty of Zhengyang County. If my colleagues ask about millet wine, how will I explain it if I don't taste it beforehand?"
Zhao Xian was completely dumbfounded, and now he had no idea what was going on.
A yamen runner brought over a wine cup; it seemed Magistrate Cao was really going to taste the millet wine.
Zhao Xian had no idea what Magistrate Cao was up to, so he decided to let him try the millet wine first.
Zhao Cheng took out a pot of millet wine, opened the lid, and a rich aroma of wine filled the entire inner room.
"Good wine!" Magistrate Cao couldn't help but exclaim.
Zhao Cheng poured a cup of wine, and the yamen runner carefully handed it to Magistrate Cao.
Magistrate Cao took the cup of wine and greedily inhaled the unique aroma of the millet wine. His nostrils twitched incessantly, leaving Zhao Xian stunned.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Magistrate Cao brought the wine cup to his lips and began to taste it.
The alcohol content of millet wine is not high, only around 30 degrees. It does not have a strong alcoholic kick and tastes very smooth and wonderful.
Magistrate Cao looked completely absorbed, as if he were the only person in the world, and everything around him seemed to disappear.
"Fine wine! I have never tasted such a delicious brew before," Magistrate Cao exclaimed sincerely.
Zhao Xian was very excited that Magistrate Cao had approved of the millet wine, but he was puzzled by Magistrate Cao's unusual behavior.
The advisor stroked his beard and finally spoke.
"Young Master Zhao may not know this, but since the Prefect took office, he has spoken up for the people, eliminated violence and disorder, promoted benefits and eliminated abuses, and rectified officialdom. The entire Qing'an Prefecture has seen an unprecedentedly good situation."
However, Qing'an Prefecture's economy had never been very good, and its contribution to the imperial court was not significant. Prefect Shen wanted to take advantage of the triennial poetry gathering to develop Qing'an Prefecture's industry and commerce, and to have each county showcase its local specialty products at the poetry gathering.
Since the county had no decent specialty products, Magistrate Cao was worried about this matter. Unexpectedly, Young Master Zhao brought millet wine at this time, which could be a major specialty product of our county.
On another note, for this poetry gathering, each county was required to send at least three learned and talented scholars. Magistrate Cao had searched for many days and only found two, still short one. Unexpectedly, Young Master Zhao personally came to his door, solving Magistrate Cao's urgent problem.
Zhao Xian was taken aback. He would have loved to promote millet wine at the poetry gathering, but he absolutely could not attend a poetry gathering of this era.
Having transmigrated from another era, I know absolutely nothing about poetry and literature. Attending a poetry gathering of ancient literati would inevitably involve composing poems on the spot—that's a joke!
"Please, Your Excellency, find someone else suitable. I have neglected my studies over the years and really cannot attend this poetry gathering; it would cause me trouble," Zhao Xian quickly declined.
Magistrate Cao laughed heartily, thinking that Zhao Xian was being modest.
"Young Master Zhao, there's no need to be modest. I already knew about your experiences, but I just didn't think of you at the time."
Young Master Zhao passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen, becoming the top scholar in the county, a feat unmatched to this day.
Besides, Qing'an Prefecture is only so big, and the level of the literati attending the poetry gathering is what it is. If Young Master Zhao were to attend, those literati would basically have no chance.
"No, no, it really won't work."
Zhao Xian panicked. If he really went to such a place, he would definitely make a fool of himself.
"Your Excellency, I came here specifically to deliver wine. I have a lot of things to take care of at home and must return as soon as possible." At this moment, Zhao Xian wanted to leave this troublesome place as quickly as possible.
"That's easy. If there's anything you need to arrange, let Zhao Cheng go back and make the arrangements for you. I got the permit for your production of millet wine a few days ago and was just about to send someone over. I'll have Zhao Cheng take it back with me later."
Besides, attending the poetry gathering isn't complicated. In addition to you, there are two other talented people from our county who will also be attending. They are exceptionally talented and proficient in poetry, lyrics, and prose. With them there, you won't need to waste much of your breath.
This poetry gathering not only includes literati and officials, but also many businessmen. The poetry gathering is one aspect, but product promotion is also a major part of the event. Young Master Zhao is attending this poetry gathering mainly to have you promote the local specialties of our county.
As for how to promote the millet wine, you'll have to think about it carefully. I hope this millet wine can become the main attraction of the poetry gathering and make a splash.
Zhao Xian finally understood that if what Magistrate Cao said was true, then this poetry gathering was actually a product promotion event, and Prefect Shen wanted to use it to promote the development of industry and commerce in Qing'an Prefecture.
This is a good opportunity. It seems I really should attend this poetry gathering and launch my millet wine.
Before Zhao Xian could speak, Magistrate Cao continued:
"Prefect Shen will also be attending this poetry gathering, which is unprecedented. Prefect Shen already knows about your plan to brew millet wine and he is very interested in it. If the millet wine is showcased at the poetry gathering, it will undoubtedly be a great gift for the Prefect."
"Perhaps the prefect himself will personally recommend the millet wine to you. Such a good opportunity, how could you say you wouldn't go?"
This is indeed a golden opportunity. Ancient literati loved wine, and with local officials of all ranks, not to mention many business tycoons, once Baizi wine makes its debut, it will definitely be an instant hit.
Zhao Xian was tempted. He hoped that he could pass himself off as someone else at the poetry gathering and escape by chance. If he really did run into someone, he would find a Tang or Song poem to fool them and he would definitely be able to get away with it.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xian asked:
"When will this poetry gathering be held, and how long will it last?"
"The poetry gathering will only last one day. This afternoon we will go to Qing'an Prefecture, the poetry gathering will be officially held tomorrow, and we can head back home the day after tomorrow."
With the provincial examinations approaching, a large number of scholars and students are gathering in Qing'an Prefecture, and many guests will be attending. Tickets for the poetry gathering are already in high demand.
By this time, Zhao Xian had developed a strong interest in poetry gatherings. He knew that there were some famous poetry gatherings in ancient times that were very successful, had a far-reaching influence, and were passed down through the ages.
The phrase "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" by Wang Bo is used as a metaphor to describe how it has amazed later generations for over a thousand years. This timeless masterpiece was created by Wang Bo on the spot at a poetry gathering hosted by Governor Yan. It was precisely because of the appearance of this parallel prose that the poetry gathering became a household name and has been passed down to this day.
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