Chapter 111 We all understand the principle, but where does the food come from?

At the banquet, after Zhu Biao drank a cup of wine, his face instantly turned red and he couldn't help coughing twice. It was obvious that he underestimated the strength of the wine.

"Ahem. Third brother, why is this wine so strong?"

Then, Zhu Biao turned to look at Zhu Gang beside him and asked.

“Distilled.”

Zhu Gang was different from Zhu Biao who drank swiftly. Instead, he took a sip and then spoke.

"Distilled? No, your wine is stronger and more fragrant than soju."

After hearing this, Zhu Biao thought about it for a while and then shook his head.

"The technique is different, and it's a secret recipe that won't be passed on to anyone else."

Zhu Gang said with a smug smile on his face.

In ancient times, even though the Song Dynasty invented distillation vessels, it was unable to reach modern purification standards due to the limitations of the times.

Even if the wine industry is more mature, it cannot be compared with modern technology.

Naturally, the alcohol content of the wine cannot be very high.

Therefore, Zhu Gang put a lot of effort into the distillation vessels.

In addition, the wine-making techniques have also improved a lot.

Therefore, even if it does not reach the level of high-proof liquor of later generations, it is still higher in alcohol content than the liquor of this era.

Moreover, Zhu Gang initially improved the distillation vessel not to brew strong liquor, but to produce alcohol.

After all, when Zhu Gang conquered the grassland, there would inevitably be casualties among his soldiers.

However, due to the limitations of the times, there was a lack of antibiotics and sterile technology that we would have had in the past.

Controlling the formation of pus in wounds mainly relies on some traditional methods and natural remedies.

But these methods have limited effectiveness, so the effect is minimal.

Therefore, in order to prevent unnecessary casualties, Zhu Gang devoted himself to researching and inventing alcohol to disinfect wounds and prevent them from festering and rotting.

After Zhu Yuanzhang drank a cup, his eyes lit up, and he immediately looked at Zhu Gang and said, "You can't even tell me, Dad?"

"If you want to drink, son will give you enough."

In response, Zhu Gang chuckled and then looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

"This wine? You're not going to sell it for silver again, are you?"

Hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and raised his eyebrows in thought.

"You guessed right. I do want to sell it."

Zhu Gang said with a smile on his face.

Wine that surpasses this era will surely attract the attention of the gentry and powerful, and this wine will quickly sweep Yingtian Prefecture and even the entire world.

Of course, there is no need to do so in Taiyuan, because this kind of wine is very common in Taiyuan, and even people with higher annual incomes can afford it.

After all, Zhu Gang only uses top-quality wine, both in terms of brewing technology and brewing materials, so the price is not low, which is worthy of the wine.

But this is also because Taiyuan is wealthy and the people have extra money to buy wine.

And if it were to be marketed to the whole world, probably only the local gentry and wealthy people could afford it.

But what Zhu Gang wanted to earn was the money of the gentry and powerful people.

"Yes, if the wine you brew is as mellow as the one in front of you, it will definitely attract the attention of the gentry and powerful, and sell well."

"But have you ever thought that once this wine is released, you will cut off the livelihoods of many people."

"After all, if no one else makes wine that can compare to yours, who else would make wine?"

"And if there are no wine-making merchants, how will these people make a living?"

"Also, if you promote this wine to the world, it will definitely attract envy. After all, the interests involved are too great."

In response to this, Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment before looking at Zhu Gang and said.

The world today is still in a state of disrepair. After all, after the chaos at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the people could not even afford to eat, so where would they get the money to buy wine?
The only people who can really afford to drink are the gentry, the powerful and the upper class.

Once the wine brewed by Zhu Gang comes into the world, all the fine wines of the past will become dregs.

That would not only cause hatred, but would also cut off the livelihoods of many people.

It can be said that this is equivalent to one person monopolizing the market, which will inevitably cause public resentment.

"I will buy it. I can buy any wine they brew. Of course, I can't raise the price."

Zhu Gang shook his fingers gently and smiled meaningfully again.

"Buy it?"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Gang in confusion and asked, "Why did you buy it?"

"The mountain man has his own clever plan."

The corner of Zhu Gang's mouth still had a mysterious smile.

"If you don't want us to beat you, just speak to us like a human being."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Gang, who seemed to be asking for a beating, and immediately gritted his teeth.

The third child in their family is good in everything except his temper. Sometimes he really makes people want to kill him.

But since he is my own son and I spoiled him, I have to just be patient with him.

“The winemaking process is actually similar, but the methods of distillation and purification, as well as the different vessels, are what make the wine we drink today.”

"That's why the wine I brew is richer, stronger, more powerful and more domineering than the wine they brew."

"But I can take back the wine brewed by the people and purify it through secondary distillation."

"In this way, people who rely on winemaking for their livelihood will not lose their livelihood."

Zhu Gang looked at Zhu Yuanzhang, who was a little exasperated, and said with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

"After double distillation, can we still drink it?"

"Don't forget, these wines have already been distilled and purified. Even if they are distilled and purified again, they won't be much better."

Zhu Biao on the side just shook his head.

After the Song Dynasty, the invention of distillation vessels brought about a qualitative change in the wine industry.

Since distilled wine can make it more mellow and strong, some people would naturally think of distilling the wine multiple times to get the essence of the wine.

Make the wine more mellow, strong and powerful.

Of course I have thought about it, but unfortunately it is impossible to realize it.

why?
Firstly, distillation technology was in the initial adaptation stage and was mainly used to produce shochu, which is distilled liquor.

Although in theory, the concentration of the wine can be increased through multiple distillations.

But in fact, due to the limitations of technology and process, it is impossible to achieve.

Secondly, the market demand is different. The literati and poets of the Song Dynasty pursued elegant cultural enjoyment rather than simply pursuing the concentration of wine.

So they prefer wines with specific flavors.

For example, the "turbid wine" and "green ant new wine" often mentioned in poems and songs reflect a comprehensive pursuit of the color, aroma and taste of wine, rather than just strong liquor.

Naturally, no one would conduct detailed research to improve the craftsmanship and technology of the wine industry.

"I am not taking back these wines for drinking."

"It is because of the differences in distillation vessels and distillation techniques that the essence of the wine is extracted."

“I call it alcohol.”

"But if you brew it yourself, the labor and cost involved are too high and it takes too long, so it's not worth it."

"So it's better to buy wine from the public and then do a secondary purification process. In this way, I can get a lot of alcohol."

"At the same time, it will not cut off the livelihood of the winemakers." Zhu Gang did not even think about Zhu Biao's question and explained, "After all, that's what my Taiyuan does."

"Alcohol?"

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao nodded, not quite understanding what was going on, but then they looked at Zhu Gang and asked, "What kind of wine is this?"

After all, the name "Essence of Wine" sounds very classy and it clearly indicates a good wine.

But unfortunately, this alcohol
"It is wine, but it is not wine because you cannot drink it."

Zhu Gang shook his head.

"Can't use it to drink?"

Not only Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were confused, but even Li Wenzhong and Li Zhen standing beside them were confused.

After all this talk, it can’t be drunk, so what’s the point of purifying it?
After all, in their traditional concept, wine is meant to be drunk since its creation.

Apart from that, alcohol has no effect.

"It can be used to heal injuries."

Facing everyone's doubts, Zhu Gang spoke slowly.

"Treat the injury?"

"I once read the Thousand-Gold Prescriptions for Emergencies by the King of Medicine Sun Simiao, which mentioned that using wine to clean wounds can promote wound healing and prevent wound decay."

"But if the effect is really good, this method would have been popularized long ago. Why wait until today?"

In this regard, including Zhu Yuanzhang, everyone was still confused, only Zhu Biao frowned and said: "After all, although wine is precious, it is not as valuable as the lives of soldiers."

Zhu Biao was also a man of great learning and talent, having read a wide range of ancient books.

Moreover, as the crown prince of the Ming Dynasty, every time he inspected the military camps, he was heartbroken when he saw the soldiers who died from festering and rotting wounds.

So Zhu Biao also wanted to find a way to stop the wound from festering and rotting, but unfortunately, he was unable to get what he wanted.

After all, since ancient times, there has been no absolute way to stop wounds from festering and rotting.

"On this point, I share the same view as Sun Simiao, that is, to use wine to prevent the wound from rotting."

"It's just that the wine I'm talking about is different from Sun Simiao's."

"Because its concentration is not high enough, it cannot inhibit the killing of viruses at all."

"So for this, I distilled and purified the wine several times according to my process, and then blended it according to the desired proportion to obtain alcohol."

"But because the concentration of the wine has reached its peak, this wine cannot be drunk and can only be used to disinfect wounds."

"And I can tell you responsibly that after many experiments, the technology and craftsmanship of alcohol have been absolutely improved."

Zhu Gang thought for a while before looking at Zhu Biao and speaking.

"You mean to say that the soldiers in Taiyuan have already used this alcohol and it worked very well?"

Zhu Yuanzhang also understood Zhu Gang's meaning and spoke.

There was a flash of anxiety in his words.

Even Li Wenzhong's expression showed a change.

After all, this weak alcohol is really useful and can completely prevent unnecessary casualties. This is a great guarantee for the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.

"Of course I have used it, and it worked very well."

Zhu Gang smiled and nodded.

Taiyuan, where Zhu Gang was based, became stronger after his reforms and conquests of the grasslands. Its army had reached a huge number of 200,000 and was spread throughout Shanxi.

Therefore, for the sake of these 200,000 troops, Zhu Gang had to be extremely cautious and not dare to be careless.

Although alcohol may seem simple to make, it is actually very difficult, especially in ancient times when there were many restrictions, it was difficult to mix the perfect alcohol.

Only through strict control and meticulous attention to every step can the perfect alcohol be blended.

"Then why didn't you take it out earlier, you little brat?"

After hearing this, the smile on Zhu Yuanzhang's face froze instantly, and he glared at Zhu Gang fiercely again.

If Zhu Gang had taken it out earlier, the Ming Dynasty could have reduced many unnecessary casualties in foreign wars.

After all, Zhu Gang himself said that the technology and craftsmanship of alcohol have been greatly improved.

So it’s no wonder that Zhu Yuanzhang was angry.

"I have only been back to the capital for a short time, and there is no war to fight. How can I remember it in such a short time?"

"Besides, I was in the grassland at that time, fighting a war without any end in sight. How could I have the time to report this to you?"

"Besides, wasn't I always at the forefront in the past few years?"

"Do you think Bei Yuan can be so peaceful?"

Zhu Gang also spoke unhappily about Zhu Yuanzhang's anger.

Since the seventh year of Hongwu, Zhu Gang and Kuyuk Temur had been fighting on the grassland, so there had been no conflict between the imperial court and the grassland.

Zhu Gang has been suppressing the grassland so that it cannot step over the Great Wall, so even if there is no alcohol, it will not be a big deal.

Upon hearing this, the embarrassment on Zhu Yuanzhang's face flashed away. He thought that at that time, Zhu Gang was still angry with him and refused to give him the alcohol.

Now it seems that Zhu Yuanzhang was a little narrow-minded.

But who is Lao Zhu? How could he admit his mistake so easily?

"Relax, your son is not that petty."

"So I plan to set up a wine department to produce alcohol and provide protection for the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty."

"Moreover, the formula of this alcohol can only be controlled by the imperial court and cannot be spread out."

"Because we also need to prepare for future foreign trade. After all, in my opinion, no country can refuse alcohol."

Zhu Gang's voice sounded again.

Alcohol was definitely an extremely important strategic material in ancient times, so once it came out, it would certainly not be ignored.

After all, only with talents can there be a country, only with a country can there be soldiers, and only with soldiers can the country be defended.

Even small foreign countries should understand this.

"Yes, alcohol can inhibit the rotting and pus discharge from wounds. No one can refuse this."

"But it cannot be compared with food weapons, because it can only avoid unnecessary casualties."

"So the outcome of a battle cannot be determined by alcohol at all."

"Then we can profit from alcohol. After all, the initiative is in our hands and they have no room for bargaining."

"And in this way, our Ming Dynasty can grow rapidly, and all we have to pay is alcohol."

A light flashed in Zhu Biao's eyes, and then he nodded.

"That's right, the boss is still smart enough."

Zhu Gang immediately gave a thumbs up.

"But where does the grain for brewing wine come from?"

Zhu Yuanzhang, who was sitting next to him, frowned again.

As we all know, wine is equal to grain, and grain is equal to wine.

If all the grain in the country is used to make wine, what will the people eat and drink?
Therefore, it is simply not feasible to open up large-scale trade with the outside world.

After all, the foundation of an agricultural society is farming.

People still believe that food is the most important thing for them, and only surplus grain is used to make wine for sale.

It's impossible to put the cart before the horse, right?
That would not accelerate the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty, but would accelerate its destruction.

(End of this chapter)