Moma Liangshan

Chapter 13 Eight Immortal Wines, Famous Throughout the Capital

This time, the wine didn't linger in Emperor Huizong's mouth; he drank it all in one gulp and, after a few breaths, exclaimed, "Strong!" Li Shishi rose and stood behind Huizong, massaging his shoulders as she said, "Sister finds this wine too spicy and not pleasant to drink. I wonder what grade you think this wine would be?" Huizong didn't hesitate and said, "Superior!" Li Shishi was puzzled and asked, "Sister only knows that wine is divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. What does 'superior' mean?" Huizong grasped Li Shishi's hand and said, "Unprecedented and unparalleled, that is superior." After saying this, he called out, "Young man, come before me." Wang Hao dared not delay and came before Huizong. Emperor Huizong asked, "Name? Hometown?" Wang Hao replied, "My surname is Wang, my given name is Hao, and my hometown is Penglai." Emperor Huizong nodded and asked again, "It is said that there are immortals in Penglai. Do you know about them?" Wang Hao replied, "There are eight immortals in Penglai. The eight immortals crossed the sea to attend the Queen Mother's Peach Banquet, not by fairy boat, but by their own supernatural powers." Emperor Huizong became interested and said, "I only know that there are immortals in Penglai, but I didn't know there were eight immortals?"

Wang Hao replied, “The first is Tieguai Li, a man from Bashu during the Warring States period, whose real name is Li Xuan, and whose magic weapon is an iron staff. The second is Zhongli Quan, a man from Xianyang during the Han Dynasty, whose courtesy name is Yunfang and sobriquet is Zhengyangzi, and whose magic weapon is a banana leaf fan. The third is Lü Dongbin, a man from Hedong during the Tang Dynasty, and whose magic weapon is a long sword. The fourth is Zhang Guolao, a man from Hebei during the Tang Dynasty, and whose magic weapon is a paper donkey. The fifth is Cao Guojiu, the younger brother of Empress Cao of Emperor Renzong of this dynasty, whose name is Jingxiu. Because he was ashamed of his brother’s bullying of the weak, he went into seclusion in the mountains to cultivate Taoism. One day, the two immortal masters, Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, visited him and asked with a smile, ‘We have heard that you are cultivating Taoism. What are you cultivating?’ He replied, ‘Taoism.’ The immortal masters asked again, ‘What is Taoism?’” "Is it there?" the Imperial Uncle asked, pointing to the sky. Then he asked, "Where is the sky?" The Imperial Uncle pointed to his heart. The immortal master smiled and said, "The heart is the sky, the sky is the Dao; you have seen your true nature!" He then imparted to him the immortal methods, instructing him to practice them diligently, and he eventually joined the ranks of immortals. Wang Hao was about to continue when Emperor Huizong interrupted, saying, "What you just said about the Imperial Uncle Cao, is it true?" Wang Hao replied, "I received it in a dream; I don't know if it's true or not." At this moment, Li Shishi said from the side, "What Young Master Wang says doesn't seem false. But the matter of cultivating immortality is so profound; since ancient times, it can only be understood intuitively, not explained in words. The Imperial Uncle Cao and other immortal masters appeared to Young Master Wang in a dream, asking him to relay it to Your Majesty. This must be to strengthen Your Majesty's determination to cultivate immortality!"

Understanding Emperor Huizong's intentions, Wang Hao readily stated, "The sixth is Han Xiangzi, grand-nephew of Han Yu of the Tang Dynasty, whose magical treasure is the Purple Gold Flute. The seventh is Lan Caihe, whose surname is Xu and given name is Jian, a native of Sichuan during the Tang Dynasty, whose magical treasure is the Broken Bamboo Basket. The eighth is He Xiangu, a native of Xiaoxiang during the Tang Dynasty, whose magical treasure is the White Lotus Flower. All eight immortal masters were mortals in their previous lives, but because of their virtuous deeds and unwavering faith in the Dao, they attained immortality." Emperor Huizong smiled and said to Li Shishi, "Indeed, you are someone who has received a dream from an immortal. Even at such a young age, you understand some principles of cultivation." Li Shishi replied, "Although Wang Hao is young, his sincere heart is evident. Your Majesty should cultivate more connections with immortals." Emperor Huizong nodded and said, "Sister, you are right." He then asked, "Does my dear minister have a courtesy name?" Wang Hao replied, "I am but a country bumpkin; how could I have received a courtesy name from an elder?" Emperor Huizong said, "Today, I will bestow upon you the courtesy name 'Xianmeng' (仙梦), what do you say?" Wang Hao replied, "I am humbled and grateful for Your Majesty's great favor." At this moment, Li Shishi said again, "The wine brewed by Xianmeng has no proper name; please, brother, give it a name as well!" Emperor Huizong smiled and said helplessly, "An immortal appeared to my dear minister in a dream, and my dear minister offered me the wine; therefore, I received the immortal's revelation. This wine shall be called Eight Immortals Wine!" Wang Hao replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Emperor Huizong drank another cup of wine and asked, "My dear minister, do you have any official rank?" Wang Hao replied, "I only know a few characters; I have no official rank." Huizong said, "Since that's the case, it's probably not easy to directly grant you an official position. You should cultivate a closer relationship with Grand Commandant Gao and learn from him the ways of officialdom. After you become familiar with the ministers of the court, I will grant you an official rank. Are you satisfied with this reward?" Wang Hao replied, "I am but a humble man; to have Your Majesty's permission to sell wine in the capital is already a great favor. I dare not hope to one day serve Your Majesty!" Li Shishi said from the side, "His Majesty has always cherished talent. As long as you remain dutiful, loyal to the emperor and patriotic, you will surely enjoy wealth and honor." Wang Hao bowed again to express his gratitude. As night deepened, Huizong said, "Let's stop here for today! Let's return to the palace!"

After seeing Emperor Huizong off, Li Shishi and Wang Hao returned to Fanlou in their original carriage. Inside, Wang Hao asked, "Is His Majesty joking or serious that he wants me to get close to Grand Commandant Gao?" Li Shishi replied, "Brother, have you ever heard the saying 'A ruler's word is law'?" Wang Hao nodded and said, "I've learned my lesson!" Li Shishi asked, "The Eight Immortals Wine is now on sale in Tokyo. What's your plan, brother?" Wang Hao said, "If I could make you and the Eight Immortals Wine the center of attention in Tokyo, would you be interested?" Li Shishi pondered for a moment and said, "That's quite novel; it's worth a try." Wang Hao said, "Immortal wine paired with an immortal woman—I guarantee you won't be disappointed." The two chatted back and forth, and soon they arrived at Fanlou.

The following morning, Wang Hao wrote a letter and ordered Ruan Xiao'er and Ruan Xiao'wu to deliver it to Cangzhou. He also ordered Ruan Xiaoqi to return to Liangshan and inform Zhu Gui to bring wine to the capital. Wang Hao first asked Li Shishi to obtain a piece of calligraphy from Emperor Huizong, inscribed with the three characters "Eight Immortals Wine," and then asked Manager Han to rent a large courtyard in Dongjing (Kaifeng). Fifteen days later, Zhu Gui arrived in Dongjing and stayed in the prepared courtyard. Five days later, Chai Jin arrived in Dongjing and immediately booked two suites at Fanlou Restaurant. With everything in place, Wang Hao prepared a sumptuous feast and invited Li Shishi and Chai Jin to discuss the next steps.

At the dinner table, Wang Hao first introduced Chai Jin, saying, "This is the renowned Li Shishi, the most beautiful woman in Dongjing (Kaifeng)." He then introduced Li Shishi, saying, "This is the famous Chai Jin, the esteemed Master Chai." Li Shishi raised her cup and said, "Are you the esteemed Master Chai, a direct descendant of the Later Zhou imperial family, whose family possesses an iron certificate of merit?" Chai Jin replied, "That is indeed me." Li Shishi continued, "Master Chai, you are so public-spirited and charitable. I have only ever inquired about your name, but regrettably, I have never been able to meet you in person. Today, I have finally fulfilled a long-cherished wish. I toast you, Master Chai!" The two raised their cups and drank together. Wang Hao said, "On the day of the Eight Immortals Wine promotion, I would like to divide the venue in two. The literati and scholars will be at Fanlou, where Miss Li and I will jointly entertain them. The heroes and warriors will be on the banks of the Bian River, where we will set up a continuous banquet with eighty tables. Anyone who shares the same ideals, regardless of their name, is welcome to sit down. Heroes value loyalty and righteousness, so I would like to invite you, sir, to personally oversee the event." Chai Jin was very excited and said, "Nephew, this is an excellent idea. Your uncle can't stand those weak scholars who nitpick over words. Heroes from all over the world gathering together to drink, eat, fight, and chat—such an unforgettable event is something your uncle can do." Wang Hao continued, “There are currently three hundred jars of Eight Immortals Wine in the capital. I will give two hundred jars to you, Uncle, and also transfer the three Ruan brothers and Zhu Gui, the leader, to you as backup. The remaining one hundred jars will remain at Fanlou. As for the expenses of the banquet, the owner of Fanlou and I have business dealings, and we will settle the accounts with wine in the future. As for the banquet on the banks of the Bian River…” Before Wang Hao could finish, Chai Jin interrupted, saying, “Uncle will naturally be responsible for that.” Wang Hao was about to argue when Chai Jin said, “Uncle only does what he wants to do, so please don’t refuse, my dear nephew.” Wang Hao could only say, “Thank you, Uncle!”

Two days later, banquets were held simultaneously at Fanlou and along the Bian River.

Inside Fanlou, thanks to Emperor Huizong's calligraphy hanging prominently in the main hall, almost every scholar, scholar, and high-ranking official who could attend was present. The sounds of drums and stringed instruments filled the air, and colorful petals rained down. Amidst the petal rain, Li Shishi, draped in a red silk ribbon, descended from the sky. Simultaneously, eighteen streams of clear water descended. Beneath these streams were eighteen white jade wine pots, each surrounded by eight white jade wine cups. Beside each set of wine vessels stood a young woman in her prime. Li Shishi landed, and the pots filled with wine. The music and music abruptly changed, and the young woman poured wine from the pots, distributing it to the guests. Wang Hao picked up the crystal wine vessels and, together with Li Shishi, ascended the second-floor corridor. Li Shishi stopped beside a man with graying temples and said, "Greetings, Grand Tutor Cai!" Wang Hao, seeing this, bowed and presented a tray, saying, "This humble commoner, Wang Hao, greets the Grand Tutor. Please, Grand Tutor, offer your contemplation!" Cai Jing helped Wang Hao up and said, "You're too kind, Immortal Dream. If you don't find me verbose, please call me 'Uncle'!" Wang Hao thought to himself, "There are indeed no secrets in the capital. I didn't even tell anyone about Emperor Huizong bestowing the calligraphy upon me, yet Cai Jing knows." He said, "Greetings, Uncle!" Cai Jing smiled, took a sip of wine, and slowly said, "Excellent wine! Excellent wine!" Li Shishi said, "We have many guests; my brother and I must excuse ourselves for a moment." Cai Jing nodded, thinking to himself, "This young man is not to be underestimated. The Emperor bestowed a calligraphy upon him, and Li Shishi calls him 'brother'—impressive!"

Li Shishi stopped before a thin man. The man spoke first, saying, "Greetings, Miss!" Li Shishi replied, "Grand Commandant Gao, you flatter me. It is Grand Commandant Gao who should be well!" Gao Qiu quickly said, "I dare not, I dare not!" Wang Hao presented a tray and said, "Please, Grand Commandant Gao, taste this!" Gao Qiu picked up a wine cup and said, "Brother Xianmeng, you are truly talented, to have brewed such exquisite wine." Wang Hao said, "It is not my talent, but entirely due to the dream of immortals." Gao Qiu thought to himself, "This boy is full of nonsense, yet he remains so composed. Given time, he may become another of His Majesty's favorite ministers." He said, "I, your brother, will also drink a cup of your immortal wine."

The two continued forward and came to a scholar. The scholar, extremely hostile, looked at Wang Hao and said, "Are you the Wang Hao who used your dream of immortality to attract attention?" Wang Hao, puzzled, replied, "I am indeed Wang Hao." The scholar suddenly stepped between Wang Hao and Li Shishi, asking, "Are you of noble birth?" Wang Hao answered, "No." The scholar then asked, "Do you have any official rank?" Wang Hao answered, "No." The scholar continued to question, "Can you compose poems or lyrics?" Wang Hao answered, "I can neither." The scholar snorted coldly and said, "In that case, how can you have the face to walk side by side with Miss Shishi?" Wang Hao replied, "Miss Shishi is willing to walk side by side with me." The scholar, suddenly enraged, unconsciously puffed out his beard and glared.