Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 154 Zero Tolerance for Drugs (Third Update)
"You sell alcohol?"

"I'm just worried that others might misunderstand!"

Zhao Wenhua chuckled dryly. Despite the rampant corruption in officialdom, scholars were ashamed to talk about business and profit.

For example, if Hai Yue were to give "Journey to the West" to a bookseller for mass publication, he would be unable to clear his name as a seller of words. Now, Zhao Wenhua, as an official of the Six Ministries and a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), would be unbecoming of himself to sell wine.

So he quickly added, "'Hundred Flowers Brew' is no ordinary wine; it is a unique medicinal wine. Long-term consumption can lighten the body, prolong life, enhance male potency, clear the meridians, and cure all diseases. Its effects are extraordinary!"

Upon hearing about the aphrodisiac, Yan Shifan's brows furrowed, his interest piqued, but he objected verbally: "You make it sound so appealing. Such a miraculous medicine is probably rare even in the Imperial Hospital. How do you have it? Is it a family heirloom?"

"no!"

There were no doctors in Zhao Wenhua's family, so he knew that such a lie would not fool anyone. He said in a low voice, "I obtained the recipe for 'Hundred Flowers Brew' by chance from a merchant from Southeast Asia. The main ingredient used is black sandalwood, which is so precious that it has incredible effects!"

Yan Shifan snorted: "Since it is a tribute medicine, it must be rare. How can you use it to brew wine?"

Zhao Wenhua said, "Using black incense all the time is obviously not going to work. Fortunately, I later asked a Taoist priest to prepare a prescription, replacing the black incense with rice husks, and then adding mimosa flowers, agarwood, and other flower honey. Finally, 'Hundred Flower Wine' was born, relieving the pain of the sick..."

Yan Shifan glanced at him sideways: "Oh! You're acting all compassionate now, aren't you?"

Zhao Wenhua's eyes flickered slightly: "However, this action may invite criticism from the literati, who will blame me for disgracing the noble reputation of a Jinshi! Alas! I entrusted my heart to the bright moon, but who knew the bright moon would shine on the gutter!"

"Alright, alright!"

Yan Shifan waved his hand: "Tell me, how much does Hundred Flowers Wine cost?"

Zhao Wenhua whispered a number.

Yan Shifan gasped in shock: "No wonder you sold it to Sun Heihu. Only a local tyrant like him, who has squeezed so much money out of the prisoners, could afford this kind of medicinal wine!"

Zhao Wenhua quickly said, "If Brother Donglou is interested, we can do this business together."

"Oh? Is this still enough..."

Yan Shifan instinctively wanted to agree, but then he suddenly remembered that he was about to become the son of the leader of the Qingliu faction. How could he ruin his reputation by selling wine? He resolutely turned away and said, "Nonsense! Who am I, Yan Shifan? Why would I care about such a petty profit?"

Zhao Wenhua was shocked.

Is that not enough?

You're too greedy!
After refusing, Yan Shifan felt a pang of heartache. If he had agreed, would he have been able to gain freedom for Biyutang? Thinking this, he disliked Zhao Wenhua even more and said coldly, "Come with me!"

Zhao Wenhua followed closely behind, finally entering Yixintang opposite Jingyiting. There, they saw the four large characters bestowed by His Majesty. Yan Shifan, as usual, stepped forward and loudly recited: "The restless mind returns to its right path, my heart is utmost sincerity! Loyalty!!"

After the ceremony, Yan Shifan immediately went to Haiyue, who was reading in the hall, and told her what he had just learned as if presenting a treasure: "Mingwei, do you believe it? He said there is a kind of medicinal wine that can cure all diseases and also improve male potency!"

"Is rice husk the main ingredient?"

Hai Yue hadn't forgotten this detail either. Just as she had said at the time, things had to be done one by one. After investigating the old cases, it would be time to look at the strange things about Zhao Wenhua. Now Yan Shifan had asked first, and the answer made her face darken.

The rice husks are poppy husks; this is completely undisguised.

It's not surprising, because in this day and age, poppies are mostly used for medicine, beverages, or incense. It wasn't until the late Ming Dynasty, when Javanese people were inspired by smoking and started mixing poppies into tobacco, that the trend of widespread use began.

By the late Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, opium pipe technology had become fully mature, and people began to smoke pure opium. From then on, opium smoking began to poison China, creating one of the most humiliating periods in history known as the "Sick Man of East Asia."

This shows that the harm caused by using poppies varies greatly depending on the method and purity of the poppy.

After all, this is a general term, which includes 28 genera and more than 250 species, each with different medicinal properties and toxicity. Medicinal poppies were cultivated in China as early as the Tang Dynasty, but the opium poppy and the scaly poppy that became rampant in the late Qing Dynasty were both imported species, not the native ones.

Leaving aside other dynasties, just look at the Ming Dynasty. The "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty" records that vassal states paid tribute to the Ming imperial family with poppies. Siam, Java, and Bengal regularly sent tribute missions to the Ming Dynasty to present various local specialties, including poppies, which were called "black fragrance" and were believed to enhance male virility and strengthen the body.

It is said that Emperor Wanli did not attend court for thirty years, instead experimenting with and consuming elixirs in the palace, some of which contained poppy. Later, when the Dingling Mausoleum was excavated, scientists examined Emperor Wanli's body and found morphine in his bones, which was also evidence of his consumption of poppy.

That's one thing, after all, it's not surprising that the royal family would take such precious medicine. But to say that Wanli's excuse for not attending court was dizziness and blurred vision, but that the main reason was excessive indulgence and opium addiction, and that he was "the first emperor in Chinese history to use drugs" and "died from drug use," is pure rumor.

Emperor Wanli's health deteriorated in his later years, likely due to diabetes and various complications. It's not surprising that he took opium-based drugs, but he certainly didn't smoke them.

The difference between the two is enormous. Zhao Wenhua's "Hundred Flowers Wine" also uses poppy as its main ingredient, but he doesn't care at all. This is precisely because it proves that people are completely unaware of its harmfulness, or even if they are vaguely aware of it, the high cost prevents it from being widely used in ordinary people, and the harm it causes is indeed far less than that of opium in later generations.

Just because it's not as harmful as opium doesn't mean it's harmless.

Haiyue has basically integrated into the ancient world in all other aspects, but her attitude towards drugs is zero tolerance. She looked directly at Zhao Wenhua and said, "Come here!"

Zhao Wenhua felt a sudden pang of fear, and stepped forward meekly, saying, "Chief!"

Haiyue asked, "How long has Sun Heihu been drinking the Hundred Flowers Brew?"

Zhao Wenhua said in a low voice, "It's been over a year. He had a hidden illness, but after drinking this wine, his pain was greatly relieved, which is why he was willing to spend a lot of money to buy the wine."

Haiyue asked, "Are there many people like this?"

"Not many! Not many!"

Zhao Wenhua said, "This Hundred Flowers Wine is very difficult to brew. There are many people asking for it, so the supply is insufficient. Those who get the wine naturally keep it a secret and don't make a fuss... Besides selling it to these people, I also invite a few close friends to my home to taste it. I even wanted to invite Donglou before, but unfortunately, an official document came down, and I missed the latest batch of fine wine coming out of the cellar..."

Yan Shifan chuckled, actually quite curious about the taste of the Hundred Flowers Wine: "You invited me to drink with you last time, but I unfortunately missed it. After this matter is over, I'll invite Yu Zhifu along, and we'll all drink until we're drunk, how about that?"

Zhao Wenhua quickly said, "Hundred Flowers Brew is no ordinary wine; drinking too much will only harm your health..."

Yan Shifan frowned: "How disappointing!"

Haiyue said calmly, "Drinking a little is fine, but I'm afraid this stuff is highly addictive. After drinking it a few times, you won't be able to live without it!"

Yan Shifan was stunned, and Zhao Wenhua's expression immediately changed: "Chief... what makes you say that, Chief?"

Haiyue looked at Yan Shifan: "Donglou, do you still remember at the end of last year, when I discussed with you and Deyu the list of powerful figures in the capital who were taking drugs abnormally?"

Yan Shifan immediately remembered: "I remember! Mingwei, you asked me and Gui Deyu to keep an eye out for who else in the capital was taking the 'Gastrodia Powder' prescribed by Li Shaoting, the imperial physician of the Imperial Medical Academy..."

At this point, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "What? Are 'Gastrodia Powder' and 'Hundred Flowers Brew' related?"

Haiyue said, "Li Shaoting also had a special prescription. He claimed that it was a anesthetic powder passed down from the divine physician Hua Tuo, but in reality it was related to a secret medicine from Southeast Asia. He used it to swindle people in the capital, and was later killed in the case of the Princess's Mansion."

"The reason I found it suspicious and asked you to collect the list, and later even asked Lu Sheren to conduct an in-depth investigation, was because I had heard a story in my hometown in my early years."

"In Southeast Asia, there are witchcraft drugs that can control people's minds. At first, they can cure all diseases and make people feel like they are floating on air. But once people get used to their effects, they feel like a thousand ants are gnawing at their hearts if they stop taking them. They suffer unbearably. In the end, they become completely dependent on them. They will abandon everything, including money and dignity, in order to obtain this one thing!"

"Yuanzhi, does your 'Hundred Flowers Brew' have this characteristic?"

The more Zhao Wenhua listened, the more plausible it seemed, and a fine layer of cold sweat broke out on his back. Meeting Hai Yue's discerning gaze, he stammered, "No...no...this Hundred Flowers Wine...I had no idea it could cause such harm..."

Yan Shifan was already furious, his eyes blazing with fire, and he reached out to grab the man's collar: "You son of a bitch, how dare you harm me?"

Zhao Wenhua was not afraid of Yan Shifan. Instead, he immediately explained, "No! Absolutely not! I would never dare to have the slightest intention to harm the leader or Brother Donglou!"

Haiyue's face did not show anger, but she continued, "Does Yuanzhi know that besides pursuing our studies, our Yixin Society also has the heavy responsibility of finding a secret society?"

Zhao Wenhua nodded.

In those days, there was no concept of secrecy. As Yan Shifan told Yan Song about the existence of the secret society when he returned, a few days ago, in order to give the person who applied to join the society some benefits, he also specifically told him about the mission of the Yixin Society.

Zhao Wenhua then learned that such a terrifying existence existed, and that it was regarded as a thorn in the side by the current emperor.

That's not bad. Anyway, regardless of whether we can find the thief or not, having this mission will make it easier for the Yixin Society to maintain Jian's favor with the Emperor.

He wanted to join even more.

However, at this moment, Haiyue spoke in a calm tone, uttering words that plunged him into despair: "Ever since I sensed the danger in 'Gastrodia Powder,' I've been considering a possibility—is this society so mysterious because they use this substance to control their members and ensure they will never betray us? Now, if the medicinal wine brewed by Yuanzhi also has this property, whether you know it or not, you'll probably have to go to the Imperial Prison and clarify things with the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

Pfft!
Zhao Wenhua immediately knelt down: "Chief, save me!!"

(End of this chapter)