Chapter 31: Preparing for the Grand Opening
After returning to the imperial palace, Li Shen went to the Imperial Workshop and asked the craftsmen there to help design two types of gift boxes. One was simply carved with a name, while the other was intricately carved and made from premium materials. The high-end box alone would cost around six to seven hundred coins, lined with red silk inside. Although yellow silk was considered more prestigious, Li Shen dared not use it since only the emperor and crown prince were allowed to use that color at this time. The wine jars had to be securely fixed inside the box to prevent them from breaking.
After two days of research and design, Li Shen finally selected two styles. Each box could hold two jars. The low-end version was made from ordinary wood, wrapped with plain hemp cloth inside, coated with a glossy finish, and carved with the name "Chang'an Old Cellar" on top. Below the name was a carved image of people drinking wine. This box cost about twenty wen to make. Li Shen purchased them from the Imperial Workshop for thirty wen each.
The other was the high-end version: a redwood box lined with red silk. The wine inside was distilled twice, with an alcohol content between fifty and sixty degrees. Li Shen named it "Wealth Fills the Hall," symbolizing prosperity. The box was decorated with lifelike carvings of immortals drinking wine. The cost was seven hundred wen, and Li Shen purchased them at the usual price. He also ordered a few boxes made from rosewood for personal gifts. After finalizing the designs, he instructed the workshop to speed up production: five hundred low-end boxes, one hundred redwood boxes, and ten rosewood boxes within ten days.
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At Ganlu Hall, Emperor Li Shimin sat on his throne, with two guards standing below—both were the same guards who had accompanied Li Shen out of the palace earlier that day.
"Did Prince Ji really say that?" Li Shimin asked, having just received a report from the guards detailing Li Shen’s activities outside the palace. This was routine, as the entire Chang'an was under the emperor’s surveillance, especially concerning his sons.
"Your Majesty, Prince Ji did say this and brought back eleven people. Their monthly wages are four hundred and fifty wen, including three meals a day, with at least one meal featuring meat. This was specifically instructed by Prince Ji to Wang Hongfu," the guards reported.
"Good. If Prince Ji goes out again, continue to follow him. You may leave," Li Shimin said.
After the guards left, Li Shimin fell into deep thought, pondering whether Li Shen was sincere or merely putting on a show. "Wang De, do you think Li Shen is doing this just for my benefit?"
Wang De replied quietly, "Everyone, from this old servant’s perspective, Prince Ji does not seem to be acting intentionally for show. Though young, he is pure of character. You may not know, but in the harem, he treats us servants with kindness and bears no airs of royalty."
"Heh, old servant, you speak highly of Li Shen. Did he bribe you?" Li Shimin laughed.
"Everyone, you know well what benefits I receive. Every time Prince Ji bribes this old servant, it’s done openly. I don’t even know how to handle it," Wang De said without fear.
"Indeed, this Li Shen is brazen even in his bribes. He’s bribed me before. By the way, has the monthly dividend arrived yet?" Li Shimin said with a helpless smile.
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"Everyone, it has arrived—over sixteen hundred wen. In the past few months, it’s been about five thousand wen. You have to admit, Prince Ji is quite the money-maker," Wang De answered.
"It won’t stay like this forever. There must already be imitations among the common folk," Li Shimin analyzed.
"Everyone, Prince Ji and the head of the Imperial Workshop have already discussed solutions. Prince Ji told him the workshop would only produce high-end items, avoiding competition with folk artisans. All furniture from the workshop bears the mark ‘Imperial Workshop Product.’ Moreover, Prince Ji raised the prices by fifty percent to give artisans a profit margin. He said those who can afford a hundred wen are noble or wealthy merchants—paying an extra fifty wen wouldn't hurt them. Many princes and nobles call Prince Ji a ruthless merchant driven by profit," Wang De reported everything he knew to Li Shimin.
"Hahaha, my tenth son is indeed greedy. They are not wrong. But Li Shen is right not to compete with the common folk—that’s well done. As for those nobles and wealthy merchants, being ruthless is no crime," Li Shimin laughed heartily.
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By August, the Imperial Workshop had completed Li Shen’s orders. Li Shen went to collect the boxes and pay for them, instructing the workshop to continue production: one thousand five hundred ordinary boxes and another five hundred high-end boxes, as only so many in Chang'an could afford them. He had already instructed Zhang Wang to adopt an assembly line system, with workers each responsible for a single process, speeding production to several hundred boxes a day.
After a rigorous inspection, Li Shen loaded the boxes and headed straight to the East Market. He named the storefront "Boutique Pavilion," meaning only fine goods were sold there. In the rear courtyard, Wang Hongfu greeted him.
"Prince, the wine has been sealed in jars with clay. Seven hundred jars of the ordinary kind, and two hundred jars of our twice-distilled wine. More are still being produced," Wang Hongfu reported.
"Hmm, did you keep the distillation residue separate as I instructed? How is the grain procurement going?" Li Shen asked.
"Prince, the residue is stored separately as you requested. The distilled wine tastes better indeed. I’ve contacted several traders to bring grain from more distant places because our recent large purchases have pushed grain prices up threefold. Will this affect you?" Wang Hongfu asked with concern.
"What effect could it have? Cheap grain hurts farmers. Right now, millet sells for five wen a dou. Who wants to farm at such prices? I want the price to double so people will be willing to cultivate more. More grain means more people, and more people mean more demand for goods and food. That’s how we make money. So don’t be afraid to spend," Li Shen said firmly. He had long recognized the flaws in the current system—Emperor Li Shimin only cared that the people had enough to eat and kept grain prices artificially low, neglecting the need for economic vitality beyond mere sustenance.
Li Shen instructed Wang Hongfu to pack the boxes carefully and brought out some specially made rice wine. Rice was more expensive than millet because it was grown less here and transported from the Jiangnan region, costing about ten wen per dou.
Li Shen didn’t have enough rice yet to produce large quantities, so he made only a small batch for gifts. He planned to import more rice from Jiangnan or Henan to produce premium wines. Li Shen knew scarcity increased value—hunger marketing was a method common in later times.
After inspecting the Boutique Pavilion’s layout and suggesting some modifications to ensure a smooth opening the next day, Wang Hongfu confidently assured him there were no oversights.
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"How is the training of the maidservants you hired for selling the wine? Make sure they memorize the prices exactly—any discrepancy is taboo, understand? I won’t come tomorrow, though many know this is my business. I just can’t appear publicly," Li Shen warned. As a prince in this rigid class society, commerce was looked down upon by the scholar-officials, especially for someone of his rank.
"Prince, rest assured. Everything is arranged," Wang Hongfu replied.
"Good. Although I won’t be there, I’ll have Shi Tou come secretly. If anything happens, talk to him," Li Shen added.
After more conversation, Li Shen took ten boxes of finely packaged redwood wine and returned to the palace. It was still before noon, a time when court sessions usually weren’t held. He decided to present the wine at court as a gift to promote his product. He had even purchased fine porcelain wine cups—forty high-quality footed cups, essentially wine goblets.
At the palace gate, a minor incident occurred when a guard wanted to inspect the wine jars. Li Shen immediately told him the wine was a gift for the emperor and asked if he was sure he wanted to open the jars. The guard had to seek permission from the commander, who was uncertain and then asked Li An. Knowing Li Shen had just begun his winery and this was likely the first batch sent to the emperor, Li An approved.
Li Shen then proceeded straight to the Taiji Hall. As he expected, court had not yet adjourned. Wang De was waiting for him on the steps.
"Old Wang, has the meeting inside finished?" Li Shen greeted him, holding a jar of wine.
"It should be ending soon," Wang De replied.
"Alright, I’ll come in later. Here, some good wine—the same as on the cart. There’s nowhere else to buy it now. Get someone to take it back quickly, and don’t let anyone see," Li Shen whispered.
Wang De looked helpless; there were guards and eunuchs all around, making secrecy difficult. Still, he accepted the jar. It wasn’t the first time. He trusted Li Shen wouldn’t deceive him—the wine must be excellent to be gifted to the emperor. He ordered a young eunuch to carry the jar back to his quarters carefully.
Afterward, Wang De and Li Shen chatted casually for a while.