Listening to Yang Xuejing’s words, the reactions among the crowd varied.
Liang Feng sighed, "This cannot be blamed on my second and third brothers. It was those civil officials who made things difficult. Besides, my second brother is not in good health right now..."
"Not their fault?" Yang Xuejing grew angrier as she spoke. "Look at your second brother, Liang Xiao! Isn't he incredibly strong? He even performed the feat of lifting a cauldron at sixteen! And what happened? When they asked him to join the army, he only wanted to watch flowers and chase birds!"
Liang Xiao smiled faintly, "That's true, it's all my fault. Elder Brother, you shouldn't go to Yanzhou."
"You lifted a cauldron?" Luo Qingxue looked at Liang Xiao in shock.
She and Liang Xiao had been childhood sweethearts, but they separated for several years. Upon hearing that Liang Xiao had become a dissolute young man, she came to Yanzhou to try and persuade him...
If he could lift a cauldron, it meant his physique was good. Where did all those injuries and illnesses come from?
Before Liang Xiao could answer, Yang Xuejing stared at Liang Feng and said coldly, "Do you naively believe that after you risked your life to achieve military merit, those civil officials will promote you? Or is it that without a promotion, you wouldn't be worthy of me?"
Liang Feng chuckled dryly, "My family has produced generals for generations. It cannot be that my generation only holds the rank of captain, can it?"
Yang Xuejing was so angry that she cried on the spot, pointing at Liang Xiao and scolding him, "It's all your fault, you good-for-nothing! Not joining the army and achieving merit, exhausting yourself to this state, and making your elder brother worry."
"Liang Xiao isn't a good-for-nothing!" Luo Qingxue said anxiously.
"Young Master is very capable!" Yue Lian was also anxious.
Liang Feng quickly said, "Xuejing! 'Man Jiang Hong' was written by my second brother, and recently, that poem 'Mu Lan Ci'!"
"What 'Man Jiang Hong', what 'Mu Lan Ci', what do they have to do with me? If he's truly talented, why doesn't he enter court as an official, but makes you shoulder everything alone?" Yang Xuejing sneered.
Liang Xiao frowned.
His sister-in-law had clearly become a resentful wife whose husband was stationed far from home.
After thinking for a moment, Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, I can understand your resentment. If I can prevent Elder Brother from going to the frontier, what then?"
Yang Xuejing scoffed, "If you can do that, I will sincerely apologize to you! But even your grandfather couldn't change your elder brother's mind. What right do you have?"
Liang Xiao grew impatient and asked, "Elder Brother, when do you depart?"
"You!" Yang Xuejing trembled with rage.
She had just promised that Liang Feng wouldn't go to the frontier, and now they were discussing the departure time?
"I've thought it through. After the state affairs are settled and talents are selected, His Majesty will adjust the capital's defenses, and I can request a transfer to Yanzhou. But I need to return to the Imperial Guard in two days," Liang Feng replied.
"Understood," Liang Xiao nodded with satisfaction.
Yang Xuejing saw this and was both angry and anxious.
Liang Xiao smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, if there's nothing else, I need some quiet."
"Who wants to reminisce with you!" Yang Xuejing turned and left in a huff.
Liang Feng gave Liang Xiao and Luo Qingxue an apologetic smile and turned to chase after her.
"Xuejing, I couldn't bear to see you lose face just now, but you can't always be yelling at second brother like this!" Liang Feng finally put on a stern face.
Yang Xuejing turned and glared at Liang Feng.
Liang Feng then realized that Yang Xuejing was already in tears without him knowing when.
"Then I can only blame myself for being incompetent? Unable to bear you a son or daughter?"
Liang Feng was taken aback and said remorsefully, "It's my fault. I've lived in the army for years, and we've had little time together."
Yang Xuejing felt a little better. She looked at Liang Xiao's courtyard and became angry again.
"If he's willing to be a prodigal son for his entire life, what's wrong with me scolding him a few times? Perhaps it might even wake him up!"
The old man sighed, "Second brother is preparing to brew wine and go into business recently. Besides, he does have talent. Even Father-in-law praised 'Man Jiang Hong' and shed tears several times!"
Yang Xuejing frowned.
"A descendant of a military family going into business? He's becoming more and more useless! I don't care about him anymore, you come back to the room with me!"
"Go back for what?" Liang Feng asked.
Yang Xuejing blushed, stomped on Liang Feng's foot angrily, and dragged the suddenly enlightened Liang Feng away.
"Your sister-in-law has always been like this?" In the room, Luo Qingxue asked hesitantly.
This was Liang Xiao's family matter. She hadn't married into the family yet, so it was not her place to interfere.
Liang Xiao nodded and smiled without speaking.
Liang Feng was strict, but it was ultimately for his second brother's good.
Yang Xuejing, on the other hand, was solely focused on Liang Feng. After many years of marriage, they had no children. Now that Liang Feng was going to the frontier, she naturally harbored too much resentment towards Liang Xiao and Liang Yun.
Yue Lian worriedly said, "Young Master, you promised Great Young Mistress that you wouldn't let Great Young Master go to the frontier. How is that possible..."
Luo Qingxue also looked at Liang Xiao with concern.
What would have ended with just being scolded, Liang Xiao had to take it upon himself.
If Liang Feng really went, Yang Xuejing might scold Liang Xiao again and then chase him to Yanzhou.
Liang Xiao smiled, "These are trivial matters. Besides, we three brothers of the Liang family truly cannot disgrace our elders."
The two women did not understand the hidden meaning in Liang Xiao's words and could only nod and believe him.
Half an hour later, Luo Qingxue reluctantly returned to the Luo Estate.
A guard reported that the custom-ordered wine-making equipment had arrived.
Liang Xiao immediately went to the side courtyard to inspect it, and also called for the steward, Liang Wen.
Liang Wen glanced at the pile of wine-making equipment placed in the distance with suspicion, then handed Liang Xiao a land deed and a contract.
The contract stated that a workshop west of the Liang residence was sold to Liang Xiao for one thousand taels of silver. Liang Wen had also specifically gone to the government office for authentication.
Liang Xiao immediately ordered the guards to gather the refugees they had taken in, took out a prepared plan, and handed it to Liang Wen.
"According to what is written here, clean the rooms and ensure they are spotless. Also, let the workers and their families live separately in the workshop houses, and have the most loyal guards of the estate stationed here to prevent anyone from entering or leaving at will."
Liang Wen was puzzled, but because Liang Qing had instructed him beforehand, he readily agreed. He immediately opened the plan and read through it, marveling.
"Regardless of whether this wine makes money or not, Young Master is definitely suited for business. If it doesn't work out, he can always switch to something else!"
As soon as Liang Wen finished speaking, Liang Yun couldn't help but roll his eyes and said, "Steward, the business hasn't even opened yet, and you're already cursing us to lose money?"
Liang Wen chuckled and quickly apologized.
After a few brief instructions, Liang Xiao took Yue Lian back.
"Young Master, even if the wine brewed in the winery really makes money, the technique can still be leaked..." Yue Lian worried.
Liang Xiao laughed heartily, "Don't worry, my management isn't that bad. Not only does everyone have to sign a contract with the winery, but even the production process is separated to ensure maximum secrecy. Even if part of the technique is leaked, outsiders might not be able to learn it."
Not to mention the complexity of the temperature required for distillation, just the precautions like 'cutting the head and tail' wouldn't be understood by others without Liang Xiao's guidance, and the resulting wine would be very different.
Yue Lian mused, "I don't understand what Young Master means by 'winery' and 'contract.' Do they mean the wine shop and the agreement?"
Seeing Liang Xiao nod, Yue Lian was overjoyed.
This meant that Liang Xiao wasn't impulsively deciding to open a winery, but had thought it through carefully!
After changing Liang Xiao's medication, Yue Lian ran off to teach Zhen Mi her studies.
At night, as Liang Xiao was practicing calligraphy, there was a sudden knock on the door. Upon opening it, the first thing Liang Xiao saw was Xiao Qing's smiling face.
"Elder Brother, General Lu mentioned to His Majesty that your build and eyes are very similar to General Tian?"