Chapter 38 — The Blood-Sealed Wine Sea
Bai Mingyu was the most impatient type. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge forward, but Xie Jing stopped him. “Don’t cause trouble in the academy.”
Bai Mingyu glared at the people ahead without even turning around. “I know, I’m just going to talk some sense into him!”
He said that, but his sleeves stayed rolled up. Xie Jing didn’t dare let him go. Just then, the teacher came in with an armful of books, and at least managed to press Bai Mingyu back into his seat before things blew up.
The old teacher’s lecture was just as Bai Mingyu had warned — dull and dry. Sure enough, halfway through, the teacher himself nodded off mid-class.
Bai Mingyu couldn’t sit still. When he looked up and saw Wang Jingqiu sitting in the front row, head buried in his books, studying so earnestly, his irritation grew worse. He leaned over to Xie Jing and whispered, “Hey, you staying or going? I’m not staying here any longer.”
Xie Jing thought for a second, then followed him out.
Once Bai Mingyu was out of the clan school, his mood improved slightly — out of sight, out of mind.
As they walked, Xie Jing asked, “Second Young Master, what happened a few days ago? Why did you get into a fight?”
Bai Mingyu curled his lips. “Didn’t like the guy’s face, that’s all.”
Xie Jing laughed. “That’s rare. You’ve never picked fights outside the estate before. He must’ve said or done something that really pissed you off, right?”
Hearing that, Bai Mingyu’s anger cooled a little. He slung an arm over Xie Jing’s shoulder and grinned. “I knew you were on my side. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t tell. I don’t know what’s up lately — people keep trying to mess with me. At first, I thought it was coincidence, but after it happened a few times, I knew better. I’m not stupid — I caught one and got the truth out of him!”
“What truth?”
“It’s all because of those birthday gifts!” Bai Mingyu said. “Didn’t Lord Bai Jiu publicly gift those at the old man’s birthday banquet? Those guys got greedy when they saw the order for fifteen thousand jars of wine. Since they couldn’t get any themselves, they started gossiping — ‘like father, like son.’ At first, they muttered at home, but then they started badmouthing me at the academy! Guess they were tired of living!”
Xie Jing’s expression cooled. “They insulted Lord Bai Jiu?”
Bai Mingyu shook his head. “Not him — they wouldn’t dare, even if you gave them a hundred lives. They insulted my sister-in-law, Fang Yurou.”
The grudge between Bai Mingyu and that Fang Jiwu wasn’t complicated.
Fang Jiwu, it turned out, was related to the Bai family by marriage.
The Fang family of Heihe had a secret family liquor recipe. Old Master Fang had studied abroad when he was young and, after returning, improved the formula. He didn’t care for old clan traditions and stubborn rules — he poured his heart into creating a modern winery and even entrusted the family’s secret recipe to his daughter, Fang Yurou. When she later married into the Bai family, the Fang and Bai families became as close as one, running wineries together and expanding their business. Even before Lord Bai Jiu came to the provincial capital, the Fang-Bai partnership had already built three wineries in Heihe, one of the top enterprises in the region.
Old Master Fang was open-minded — he took only one wife and gave all his wealth to his only daughter. Fang Yurou lived up to his trust. Supported by her progressive in-laws, she became the managing director of the Heihe winery. She and her husband, Bai Mingzhe, worked in perfect harmony — she handled production, he managed sales and transport. The business thrived.
The prosperity of the Heihe winery made the rest of the Fang clan envious. Now, with a new order for fifteen thousand jars, their envy turned to burning jealousy.
The most resentful of them all was Fang Ji’an — Old Master Fang’s younger brother, and Fang Jiwu’s father.
Fang Ji’an and his brother had once been close. After the family split, he ran a small private distillery, but it was nothing compared to Heihe Winery. Influenced by other elders, he once even tried to send his son to be raised in his elder brother’s household — after all, his brother had only a daughter, while he had three sons. He’d chosen Fang Jiwu, the smartest and most capable, believing it was a good deal for both sides: his son would inherit wealth, and his niece would gain a brother to rely on.
But the boy was sent back that very night.
Old Master Fang made it clear — no one was to covet his property. He’d written a legal statement that, from his generation onward, sons and daughters would inherit equally. His entire estate would go to his daughter, Fang Yurou.
Fang Ji’an was humiliated, red-faced with anger and resentment. For a few years, he didn’t even visit.
But as the children grew, expenses rose. His small distillery could barely feed the family. Eventually, he had to rely on his brother’s help. Old Master Fang, being kind, helped him a little, and the families resumed contact.
Things had just started to get better when Fang Ji’an went to the Bai family’s birthday banquet and saw the lavish gifts from Lord Bai Jiu — and the jealousy came roaring back.
He drank himself into a stupor at home, muttering bitterly about the unfair family split and how his brother had hogged all the brewing secrets, leaving him nothing — only for outsiders to profit now.
He said it so often that his children believed it. They went to the academy and started spreading those rumors.
Bai Mingyu snorted. “That Fang family has too many brats — seven or eight of them! The ones gossiping are all small, not even shoulder height on me.”
“You didn’t hit them, did you?” Xie Jing asked.
“Of course not! You know my brother’s rule — I can’t hit anyone younger than me. Only Fang Jiwu’s my age, so I just yelled at him and flipped his desk.”
“And Fang Jiwu…”
“Didn’t lay a finger on him!” Bai Mingyu said defensively. “That guy’s like Wang Jingqiu — another pale, skinny bookworm. All he knows is studying.” He snorted. “My sister-in-law told me to look after him at the academy, or else I’d have beaten him already! The whole Fang clan only got into the academy because of her — ungrateful ingrates!”
Xie Jing thought a moment. “What’s Fang Jiwu like as a person?”
Bai Mingyu, though brash, was fair. He frowned. “About the same as Wang Jingqiu — a bookworm. Doesn’t talk much. I checked — he wasn’t among the ones gossiping. But they were all his siblings. I flipped one desk, that’s fair, right?”
Xie Jing gave him a long look.
Bai Mingyu’s face darkened. “Don’t even think about asking me to apologize.”
Xie Jing shook his head. “I just think this matter’s strange. To untie the knot, you must find the one who tied it. Help me get to the bottom of it.”
*
East Suburb Alley, Teahouse
Xie Jing booked a private room by the window upstairs and cracked it open, peering down the street.
Bai Mingyu sat beside him, drinking tea and eating melon seeds. Restless as always, he stood up after a bit and leaned over to peek outside too. “Hey, Little Xie, you’ve been watching forever. See anything yet?”
Xie Jing shook his head, silent.
Bai Mingyu rested his chin on his hand, “You said you’d find out who beat up Fang Jiwu. How?”
“Soon,” Xie Jing said.
“What, you think he’ll just show up?”
“When we came earlier, I told someone to spread word that you were bringing men from the East Courtyard here to investigate and demand justice for the Fang family. The ones who attacked Fang Jiwu will probably come back to see if they left any evidence.”
“Ohh,” Bai Mingyu said, nodding. Then frowned. “But Fang Jiwu’s dumb too. Got beaten up and didn’t even see who it was?”
“They put a sack over his head. How could he?”
“Fair.” Bai Mingyu thought that over, then called for the teahouse owner and asked for a sack, tying it around his own waist. Xie Jing gave him a look but said nothing.
“I’m not gonna hit anyone,” Bai Mingyu explained. “Just in case someone runs — we can’t waste our time for nothing.”
When Xie Jing didn’t respond for a while, Bai Mingyu nudged him with his foot — right at Xie Jing’s new shoes.
Without even looking, Xie Jing shifted aside. “Please behave, Second Young Master.”
Bai Mingyu grinned. “You act like some delicate young lady — can’t even let me touch you.”
Xie Jing ignored him. A moment later, he said quietly, “They’re here.”
Bai Mingyu was tossing melon seeds into his mouth. Hearing that, he jumped up and bolted downstairs before Xie Jing could stop him. His explosive energy left Xie Jing in the dust. When he reached the alley, a boy was crouched down, searching the ground. Bai Mingyu ran straight at him, threw the sack over his head, tied it off twice, shoved him down, and kicked him hard.
The boy yelped in pain — his voice still childish. “W-who are you?!”
“I’m your ancestor, that’s who—!”
“In broad daylight, how dare you— ow! I—I’m from the Bai family of Qinghe! Let me go!”
The boy shouted several times. By the time Xie Jing arrived, Bai Mingyu had yanked him up, sack and all, and slammed him against the wall. Lifting a corner of the sack, he saw a bruised-faced teenager, barely over ten.
Xie Jing didn’t recognize him and turned to ask.
Bai Mingyu’s face darkened. He shoved the boy harder against the wall and scolded, “So it was you who made me take the blame! I’ll beat you first and drag you to the academy myself! Can’t even admit what you did — some hero you are!”
The boy begged for mercy, wilting under the scolding. Eventually, he confessed. “It’s just… the Fang family talks too much. That Fang Jiwu’s house is full of nasty rumors — made everyone angry. We couldn’t stand it anymore, so we hit him.”
“Did Fang Jiwu say anything himself?”
“…No.”
“Then why hit him?!”
“You said not to hit the younger ones! He’s the only one our age!”
Bai Mingyu kicked him again. “Idiot! Who else was with you?”
The boy gave two more names, grumbling, “Second Brother, the Fang family really went too far this time. Their father must’ve been drunk every day to raise such loudmouthed kids!”
Bai Mingyu snapped, “What’s his father got to do with it? You don’t drag kids into grown-ups’ fights! They talk nonsense, fine, but you went and hit the wrong person!” He smacked the boy’s head again. The boy whimpered, and Bai Mingyu laughed in disbelief.
“What are you even mad about? Let their fathers compete with mine! Or with my brother! If they can’t win, what’s the point of talking?”
The boy looked up timidly. “So… we’re done here?”
“Done my ass! You caused this mess, you go apologize yourself!”
Before Bai Mingyu could lift his leg again, the boy bolted — sack still on his head — and sprinted away at full speed.
The East Suburb area was chaotic. Seeing dusk fall, Xie Jing didn’t linger. He took Bai Mingyu back home.
On the way, Bai Mingyu sulked. Xie Jing offered a few words of comfort. The young master sighed. “It’s not all the grown-ups’ fault. You don’t get it, Little Xie — the clan school’s like a deep pit. Fang Jiwu’s fine, but the real problem’s Wang Jingqiu.”
“What about him?” Xie Jing asked.
“Ever since he joined, he’s never ranked second — always top of the class, year after year. His name’s carved on every plaque.” Bai Mingyu sighed deeply. “I knew it — sooner or later, there’d be a clash.”
Xie Jing coughed lightly. “And you didn’t try to do anything about it?”
“I did! I brought in a whole bunch of people to study with him, supervised them every day for two months — still couldn’t beat him. They’re useless!” Bai Mingyu grumbled.
Xie Jing: “…”
After dropping off the second young master, Xie Jing returned to the East Courtyard.
That night, Lord Bai Jiu kept him for dinner. When asked about the day, Xie Jing recounted everything.
Lord Bai Jiu didn’t comment. He cut a slice of roasted meat and placed it in Xie Jing’s dish, “Fresh venison from Heihe. Eat it while it’s hot.”
After chewing, Xie Jing asked, “Master, what should I do next?”
A faint smile touched the corners of Lord Bai Jiu’s lips. He cut another thin slice for himself. “You decide. Think for yourself, act for yourself. If you can’t even handle this, how will you manage as Steward Xie?”
Xie Jing’s ears flushed red. “That title — they were just teasing, it doesn’t count.”
Lord Bai Jiu said calmly, “As of today, it counts. I’ve told the accountant to raise your monthly pay by ten taels — same as the other stewards.”
Xie Jing looked surprised, and Lord Bai Jiu couldn’t help but smile at his expression — like a startled puppy that didn’t know it was being spoiled. It made him want to spoil him even more.
After dinner, Lord Bai Jiu ordered the kitchen to give Xie Jing two venison legs — one for Huang Mingyou, and one for Granny Kou.
They were heavy, so Zhang Huwei personally escorted him home.
Xie Jing looked at the meat and asked curiously, “Why venison again? Was it hunted in the woods?”
Zhang Huwei chuckled. “No, came from Heihe Winery.”
“The winery raises deer now?” Xie Jing frowned.
“Didn’t use to. I only found out recently when I accompanied Lord Bai Jiu there. That Fang Yurou’s something else. I didn’t see the Fang family’s secret brewing method, but even their wine cellars are remarkable — each as tall as a man, all made from bloodwood barrels. They’re called ‘blood-sealed wine seas’ because the barrels are sealed using the plasma of sika deer. That’s why the winery’s been buying deer — and why we’ve all been eating fresh venison lately.”
It was Xie Jing’s first time hearing such a thing. The craft fascinated him, though he sighed. “I’d like to see it myself someday. Shame I’ve got other duties.”
Zhang Huwei clapped his shoulder. “Do your job well here in Qinghe. You’ll get your chance. Lord Bai Jiu even mentioned you to Mr. Huang the other day.”
Xie Jing’s ears perked slightly. “Oh? What did he say?”
“He praised you, of course — said you’re skilled with both pen and sword. He told me that once you finish this assignment, you’ll start firearms training with me.” Zhang Huwei grew solemn.“Little Xie, if I’m ever away, Lord Bai Jiu’s safety will rest in your hands.”
“I’ll learn well,” Xie Jing said earnestly.
