Poison Doctor Roaming the Martial World

"Heh~ His Highness Prince Qi has really gone to great lengths to make the plum drink."

Lu Qiao took the silver notes handed over by the third-rank official and examined them. They totaled five hundred taels. Without hesitation, he took out three hundred taels and handed them to the official.

"Thank you very much for your cooperation, Lord Li."

Lord Li happily accepted the silver note, saying, "I am very grateful to Miss Lu for thinking of me; otherwise, I would not have had the opportunity to cooperate with your esteemed establishment."

The monthly salary of a third-rank official in Dongli is four hundred taels of silver. Today, he can get three hundred taels of silver just by doing a favor for the King of Qi. Why not?

It wasn't that he didn't care about the brewing method of plum drink, but rather that he feared he might know it but not live to use it.

Plum drink is a fruit drink launched by Huashuiyuefang. It has been popular in Dongli for many years and is remembered by many people. Many merchants have tried to imitate it and make a fortune, but they only have the appearance but not the taste. In the end, Huashuiyuefang still has a monopoly.

"Next time such a good thing happens, Miss Lu, please remember me."

Lord Li had heard a little about the matter of Minister Lu severing ties with his eldest daughter, Lu Qiao. Now Lu Qiao was doing very well outside, and even the manager of Huashuiyuefang listened to her arrangements. Minister Lu would regret it later.

"That's natural."

Lu Qiao personally saw the official's family off, and just then she ran into Li Ge returning with Qing Dai.

Qingdai curtsied to Lu Qiao, "Greetings, Miss Lu."

Lu Qiao pulled Qingdai up, "Did Li Ge explain things to you clearly?"

"Yes, Qingdai understands."

Qingdai was speechless, thinking about Li Ge's instructions along the way. She was supposed to be deceiving the Prince of Qi, and she couldn't even specify the timing and proportions...

Do they really think King Qi is a fool who can be easily fooled?!

Miss is loyal and sentimental. Compared to a fruit drink recipe, Dan Niang is definitely more important. Li Ge is also someone who can't tell the difference.

"Okay, let's go in then."

"Ah."

The waiters, who had been prepared, carried thirty jugs of fruit drinks and followed Qingdai into the private room numbered Earth.

After Yao Lao recognized Qing Dai as his goddaughter, he would visit her every few days, which attracted many nobles in the capital to curry favor with her. For a time, Qing Dai was incredibly popular.

Now, Qingdai has clearly entered the ranks of noble ladies, wearing a moon-white brocade dress with dark patterns, and an outer layer of sky-blue light gauze with wide sleeves. The jade pendant tassel at her waist sways gently with her steps.

She slightly raised her chin, her neck stretched out like a crane's, and the hair ornaments adorned with pearls and kingfisher feathers in her hair remained perfectly still. Only a pair of jade pendants by her ears occasionally touched her shoulders, making a very faint tinkling sound.

King Qi was unaware that Qingdai had once been Yang Jianwu's maid; he only knew that she was the adopted daughter of the old apothecary. Upon seeing that the visitor was Qingdai, he was exceptionally warm towards her.

"Hehe~ I never expected that the owner behind Huashuiyuefang would actually be Madam Qingdai!"

Qingdai bowed slightly to Prince Qi, saying, "Your Highness, you misunderstand. I am just a servant."

"Haha~ Madam is too modest."

King Qi's mind raced with thoughts. Qingdai was Yao Lao's goddaughter. If she wasn't the owner of Huashuiyuefang, then the person behind her was very likely Yao Lao.

Both Flower Moon Pavilion and Medicine King Palace are worth befriending!

"His Highness Prince Qi is blessed with good fortune. His winning the first prize is truly a sign of divine favor."

Everyone loves to hear nice words, and it's especially pleasing to hear the nice words spoken by people of high status. Qingdai's few words flattered the Prince of Qi, making him feel even more that the capital was his lucky place.

"The fruit drink has been delivered. I will not disturb Your Highness's meal any longer. Farewell."

Qingdai bowed again and slowly walked towards the door. King Qi, however, had ulterior motives and was unwilling to let her go.

"Madam Qingdai, please wait!"

"What are Your Highness's orders?"

Qingdai pretended not to know, waiting for the King of Qi to say it himself, which was also a way of stalling for time.

"The shopkeeper stated before the lucky draw that the first prize winner would receive a free meal, plus ten pots of each of three different fruit drinks, or the option to choose the brewing method for one of the fruit drinks. Is this true?"

"That is certainly true."

Qingdai feigned guessing and asked, "Then...Does Your Highness want a method for brewing a fruit drink?"

King Qi no longer suppressed his smile, "To know this would be an immense honor!"

"Look at what Your Highness is saying, how could we possibly fail to honor the rewards offered by our establishment?"

Qingdai walked slowly to the table and sat down on a stool away from Prince Qi. She poured the three kinds of fruit drinks into transparent glass cups one by one. Each fruit drink had its own unique fruit aroma and color, which were displayed beautifully in the glass cups.

"I wonder which fruit drink recipe Your Highness Qi would like?"

King Qi pondered the three fruit drinks, but finally decided to choose the best-selling plum drink. Making money was the right thing to do first, and he would think of other things later.

"Plum drink!"

"it is good."

Qingdai asked someone to bring out the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper), and wrote and recited as she did so:

"The key to plum drink is the plum."

Before the morning dew has fully risen, pick six or seven parts ripe green plums from the branches. The best ones are green with a hint of white and with a faint blush color showing through the stem.

Wash away the dust with clean water, place the plums in a bamboo sieve under the eaves, let the wind pass through the hall, and wait until the skin is smooth and free of watermarks.

Take a ceramic jar or unglazed coarse pottery pot, and clean it by soaking it three times in freshly brewed rice wine. Only when the aroma of the wine permeates the folds of the jar's walls is it considered complete.

King Qi began to calculate the cost of the plum drink. Green plums were easy to obtain, but... how about soaking them in rice wine three times to clean them?!

Even the lowest grade of rice wine requires soaking in the jar three times, which is quite an expense. No wonder plum drinks are so expensive.

Qingdai ignored Qi Wang's inner thoughts. She heard the change in the zither music outside the door and knew that Yang Jianwu had arrived. She just wanted to leave the private room as soon as possible. She hadn't seen her mistress for many days and missed her.

Then a layer of green plums, covered with a layer of crushed rock sugar, with plums and wine each occupying one side, and the rock sugar half-concealing its edge.

Finally, pour in a low-alcohol, clear liquor, enough to cover the plum tip by three-tenths, and seal the jar with wax and mud seal when sealing it.

The altar was placed in a shady spot, and the cicadas' chirping gradually faded away.

Three months later, when the jar was opened, the plums had lost their greenness, the wine had turned amber, and the sweet and sour flavors had quietly blended within.

Qingdai quickly finished speaking and writing down the prescription, then handed it to King Qi.

"The detailed method has been explained to Your Highness. If you wish to obtain a more mellow plum drink, then store it for a few more years. The spirit of the green plum will then transform into wisps of pure fragrance, which will linger on your lips and teeth along with the aroma of the wine."

King Qi accepted it with both hands, carefully folded it as if it were a precious treasure, and put it into his bag.

"In that case, thank you very much, Madam Qingdai!"

Qingdai smiled and bowed, mission accomplished!

After obtaining the brewing recipe, King Qi returned to the private room of the highest rank with great interest, only to find the room empty, with Dan Niang nowhere to be seen.

"Somebody come!"

"What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

Unable to see Danniang, King Qi felt an unnamed rage burning in his lower abdomen.

"Where is Dan Niang?!"

"Your Highness, Miss Dan Niang's brother just came by and took her away."

Only the head guard knew about tonight's plan. The guards were just following orders to protect Dan Niang. When her family came to pick her up, there was no reason not to let them go.

King Qi neither wanted nor dared to escalate the matter, so he had no choice but to send his guards back to the mansion to find a maidservant to serve him.

Thinking about the brewing method in his bag, he felt cheerful again, and soon another considerable sum of money came in.