Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Noon.

"Impossible!" Wang Ergou jumped up from the chair like a cat whose tail was stepped on. His face flushed red, veins on his forehead bulged out, and his fists clenched so hard that they made a creaking sound. "Young Master! I am loyal to you, as the sun and the moon can attest! If I have any second thoughts, I will be struck by lightning! That old fox named Shen must be deceiving you! He..." He was so anxious that he almost swore.

Seeing Wang Ergou, nearly jumping for joy, Zhang Jingwei instantly dissipated the slight suspicion he'd harbored about Shopkeeper Shen's claim that "money can make all things happen." He raised his hand and pressed it down, his tone soothing, "Alright, Gouzi, sit down! I'm not doubting you, don't get so excited." He looked at Wang Ergou calmly, "But this guy is cunning and unpredictable. He's already aware we're investigating him, so using conventional methods to plant agents in Gaoyang Tower will be futile and might even alert the enemy. Let's remove them and stop wasting energy on him for now."

"But young master..." Wang Ergou was unwilling and wanted to fight for it.

"It's useless to keep wasting time like this." Zhang Jingwei interrupted him with a firm tone.

Wang Ergou gritted his teeth, a fierce and determined look flashing in his eyes. "Master! Give me one more chance! I...I won't use those ordinary guys anymore! I'll send in the 'Shadows'! They're veterans I brought up myself, and they're the best at lurking and spying, appearing and disappearing like ghosts! I just don't believe that Gaoyang Tower is a solid block of steel that can't be cracked open!"

"'Shadow'?" Zhang Jingwei frowned slightly, clearly aware of the weight and risks of this secretive force. As he weighed the pros and cons, he caught a glimpse of a figure swiftly passing by the government office window, with an unusual sense of urgency.

"Shh!" Zhang Jingwei immediately raised his index finger to his lips, his eyes instantly became as sharp as an eagle, signaling Wang Ergou to be quiet.

Almost at the same time, Yang Zhao knocked on the door quickly and forcefully: "Sir! It's an emergency!"

"Come in!" Zhang Jingwei said in a deep voice, quickly withdrew his gaze from the window, and restored the solemnity in the court.

Yang Zhao pushed the door open, his face etched with a rare solemnity and a hint of confusion. Without even a nod to Wang Ergou, he got straight to the point: "Sir! Something strange has happened! Just now, while patrolling the streets, I discovered that many shops in Gaoyang County—grain stores, cloth shops, even some small teahouses—are openly selling something called 'Da Shi Wine'! Buyers are flocking to it, practically breaking down the doors! This scene... is too abnormal!"

"Da Shi wine?" Zhang Jingwei's pupils shrank suddenly, and then a cold arc appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Ha... what a generous move. Just after demolishing the Wu Shi San den in Gaoyang Tower, and now he's bringing out 'Da Shi wine'?" He pondered for a moment, then decisively ordered: "Gouzi, go, buy a glass and try it."

"Ah?!" Yang Zhao and Wang Ergou screamed almost at the same time.

Yang Zhao said anxiously, "Sir! Absolutely not! The origin of this 'Da Shi Wine' is unknown. What if... what if it's really like the Five Stones Powder before, a poison that harms people..."

Wang Ergou shook his head like a rattle. "Yes, young master! The name of this thing sounds sinister! 'Da Shi wine'? Who knows what kind of weird stuff it's made of! You can't risk your life!"

Zhang Jingwei looked at the two men's nervous expressions and smiled instead, with the calmness of someone who knew everything. "What's with that harmful food wine? It's just a drink that refreshes the mind and aids digestion. The raw material is flat beans, which can be grown in the south. In the West, it's called 'coffee'. It's made from roasted, ground, and brewed black beans. It tastes bitter, but has a mellow aftertaste. It's really good for refreshing."

"Coffee?" Yang Zhao and Wang Ergou looked at each other in surprise, having never heard of this strange name.

"Refreshing? Aids digestion?" Yang Zhao frowned. "That should be a medicinal herb or drink sold in a pharmacy. Why is it being hawked like alcohol in a street vendor? If it really has a refreshing effect, drinking too much of it could be harmful, right?"

"Indeed," Zhang Jingwei nodded. "Although this substance isn't poisonous, it's not advisable to consume excessively. However..." He changed the subject, his eyes becoming deep and sharp. "In the north, especially in a place like Gaoyang, the sudden appearance and large-scale sale of this substance is extremely strange."

Zhang Jingwei's brief explanation of "coffee" finally eased Wang Ergou's concerns. He still thought the name was odd, but since the young master said it wasn't poison, then... let's buy it! He muttered, "Okay, okay, young master, you're knowledgeable," and reluctantly accepted the order.

Inside the government office, Zhang Jingwei and Yang Zhao fell silent. Yang Zhao was digesting the novelty of "coffee," while Zhang Jingwei once again cast his gaze out the window, his brow furrowed.

Not long after, Wang Ergou returned. He carefully held a rough ceramic cup, steam still rising from its rim. But his face looked as if he had just been robbed; he was mournful, and even his gait was filled with resentment.

"Master..." Wang Ergou placed the ceramic cup on Zhang Jingwei's desk. His voice was filled with tears as he pointed at the shallow layer of dark brown liquid at the bottom of the cup that exuded a strange burnt aroma. "Look! Just a small sip! Guess how much it costs?"

Zhang Jingwei and Yang Zhao both looked at the cup of "Da Shi wine". The portion was indeed pitifully small, probably only enough for one or two sips.

Wang Ergou held up two fingers, gesturing bitterly. "Two hundred coins! Two hundred coins! That's half a month's wages for me! This isn't just selling water, this is robbery!" He gasped in agony as he stared at the expensive brown liquid. "There's still long lines outside the shops, carrying out bags of money... Crazy, crazy!" He couldn't understand why so many people were rushing to buy something so bitter and expensive. Did the people of Gaoyang get their money from the wind?

Zhang Jingwei picked up the expensive "Dashi Wine" and sniffed it. The familiar burnt aroma made his eyes flicker slightly. He took a small sip, and the familiar bitterness spread across his tongue.

He put down the cup with a look of disgust, muttering, "Bah, it's so disgusting! Bitter and greasy!"

Seeing this, Wang Ergou, standing nearby, hurriedly and cautiously took the cup, fearing the coffee would spill. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to take a sip. However, as soon as he took a sip, his brows furrowed in a frown, a look of obvious disgust on his face. "This... this thing is worth 200 wen?"

At this point, Yang Zhao's curiosity was piqued. He couldn't help but move closer and asked curiously, "Can I have a taste too?" He took the cup and, just as cautiously, took a sip. However, even with just that one sip, his expression became identical to Wang Ergou's.

"It's so bitter, and you still say it's not medicine?" Yang Zhao widened his eyes, looked at Zhang Jingwei, and asked suspiciously.