The Enchanting Imperial Concubine (Book 3)

Chapter 422 - Brewing Wine

"The palace's wine has run out; let's just buy some from outside. Without chrysanthemum wine for the Double-Ninth Festival, it feels like something is missing," Ning Chen said.

Ye Yun shook her head. "The imperial chrysanthemum wine has a unique taste that is different from what's available outside. Those who appreciate fine wine would know the difference upon tasting it. Wouldn't that diminish the royal family's prestige, making the officials think that even the chrysanthemum wine that is served every year is no longer available? Moreover, purchasing good wine from outside would be quite a significant expense."

Her concerns were not without merit, and for a moment, Ning Chen fell silent.

At this moment, Mo Yu entered. "The tea seems to have cooled; I'll go brew a fresh pot."

"Brew a fresh pot..."

These few words suddenly brightened Ye Yun's eyes. She turned to Ning Chen and said, "Your Majesty, how about we brew the wine ourselves?"

"Tomorrow is the Double-Ninth Festival. While we could make the wine today, it wouldn't have the same flavor if it isn't stored for a year," Ning Chen replied.

"No, what I mean by brewing is that on the day of the Double-Ninth Festival, all the noble officials and Your Majesty can brew the wine together, and it can be stored until next year for drinking. This would also be a delightful event for both the ruler and the subjects."

Ye Yun slightly raised her eyes to meet Ning Chen's gaze, earnestly expressing her thoughts.

"Additionally, there are still five jars of chrysanthemum wine left over. I remember that in the wine cellar, we also have imperial osmanthus wine, pine flower wine, and lotus flower wine. Why don't we simply hold a flower wine event? With these additional wines, it will be sufficient for drinking. The emperor's rewards could also be exchanged for other fine court wines instead of chrysanthemum wine, which would be even more precious."

This idea was indeed fresh and unique. It was always about drinking together, but never about brewing together; it sounded interesting to think about.

Ning Chen couldn't help but show a hint of appreciation in his eyes. "Brewing chrysanthemum wine is not complicated. The craftsmanship mainly relies on the yeast, ingredients, and storage; we just need to prepare the materials in advance."

"Your Majesty need not worry; I will handle this matter," Ye Yun said with a bow.

Ning Chen patted her hand. "You don't need to feel guilty or flustered; it's just wine. It's not a big deal. I'll take care of everything..."

"Yes, with Your Majesty here, I'm naturally not afraid of anything," Ye Yun replied with a slight smile.

Their gazes met, and everything was left unspoken.

After leaving Jiuchen Palace, Ye Yun went straight to the Brewing Bureau.

For the Double-Ninth Festival, preparations for the chrysanthemum wine to be brewed for next year had already been made; they just needed to be steamed starting tomorrow.

Ye Yun stayed there for a whole half-day, sending people several times to the Internal Affairs Office and the Imperial Medical Institute, and only by dinnertime was everything arranged for the next day.

To ensure that there would be no mistakes, she even specifically left Kong Qing to oversee things here.

With the chrysanthemum wine gone, the harem was waiting to see Ye Yun turning into a joke.

Although the emperor had already punished Jing Xian Fei, it still didn't resolve the issue of the missing wine.

If discussions arose at that time, and the emperor lost face, it was hard to believe he would continue to favor Ming Guifei.