The bubbles of the iced Coke exploded against the glass, like countless tiny pearls tumbling in the liquid. Leaning back in his rattan chair in the living room, Xǔ Chén watched the white mist rising from the rim of his glass dissipate in the sunlight. With his Body Trauma Healing Rate at 75%, he could finally enjoy the exhilaration of an iced drink—ever since the System had indicated his digestive system had fully recovered, he hadn't run out of Coke in the fridge.
*Burp*— He let out a sweet-smelling burp and swiped his finger across his phone screen. In the pushed short video, a group of young people were attempting a Coke fountain. The moment mentos were dropped into a supersized bottle of Coke, the brown liquid erupted into a two-meter-high water column, splashing onto the lawn like a sweet rainstorm.
""'Happy fat otaku water' lives up to its name,"" Xǔ Chén chuckled, raising his glass, the cold sensation transmitted through the glass to his palm. A popular science video popped up on the screen: ""From Ancient Egyptian Beer to Modern Carbonated Beverages: The History of Human Carbonated Drinks."" The images showed beer cans at pharaohs' banquets and sparkling wines from medieval Europe, finally settling on the dazzling array of Coke bottles on supermarket shelves.
""Did you know?"" the host asked, holding up a Coke bottle to the camera. ""This fizzy sweet water sells over a billion liters annually. What's its charm? Perhaps it's the momentary burst of sparks on the tongue, that fireworks-like joy—in ancient times, perhaps only immortal brews could compare.
Xǔ Chén took a large gulp, savoring the tingly sensation of the bubbles in his throat. He recalled the Lychee Post Station of the Tang Dynasty, where fresh lychees were transported at breakneck speed, all to elicit a smile from the Imperial Consort. If Coke, a drink of instant gratification, were projected into the Flourishing Tang Dynasty, what would be the expression of Yáng Guìfēi, known for her love of sweets?
【Detecting content related to culinary cultural innovation, do you wish to project it to the Flourishing Tang Dynasty's Chang'an?】
The System prompt popped up just as the screen displayed a comparison test between Coke and ancient Sour Plum Drink: at the same temperature, Coke's bubbles lasted three times longer than the Sour Plum Drink, and its sweetness was 20% higher. Xǔ Chén could almost hear the clamor of Chang'an's taverns, see the melting ice from iced lychees in the ice chests, all scenes awaiting the crackling sound of bubbles bursting.
""Project,"" he said, wiping a Coke stain from his lips with a tissue. ""Let the Tang people taste this sweet water that dances."
【Targeted projection activated... Analyzing carbonation reaction display method... Projection commencing!】
The phone screen suddenly shimmered with a brown halo, as if countless bubbles were exploding on the glass surface. Xǔ Chén could almost smell the lychee fragrance of Chang'an, the scent of wine from the West Market, and the unique caramel aroma of Coke—all scents merging into a wondrous sweet aroma with the crisp sound of a cap being opened.
***In the Tang Dynasty, the Changsheng Hall of Huaqing Palace was filled with the clear sweetness of lychees.
Yáng Guìfēi reclined on a soft couch covered with white fox fur, a freshly peeled lychee held between her fingertips, its glistening flesh still dewy. A palace maid knelt beside her, holding an ice chest from which chilled lychees emitted white vapor, mingling with the hall's incense to form a mist.
""The lychees are fresh this year,"" she murmured, placing the fruit into her mouth. The sweet juice melted on her tongue, but it didn't bring the usual delight. Ever since the Sky Curtain display last month, she felt that ordinary foods lacked novelty.
Tang Xuanzong Lǐ Lóngjī sat opposite her, idly playing with a night-blooming jade cup gifted from the Western Regions, the wine within glowing like a ruby. ""If my beloved consort tires of them,"" he said with a smile, waving his hand, ""I shall send someone to Lingnan to gather more."" He signaled the musicians to play the newly composed ""Song of Rainbow Skirts and Feathered Clothes,"" the strumming of the strings like water flowing over jade.
""Does my lord know,"" Yáng Guìfēi said, picking up a lychee with a silver pick, ""that I heard yesterday the West Market was bustling with people surrounding copper pots boiling meat, making it seem more lively than court banquets?"
Lǐ Lóngjī laughed heartily: ""These are merely street foods shown by the Sky Curtain, how could they compare to the precious lychees of my consort?"" Just as he spoke, a eunuch's shocked exclamation came from outside the hall: ""Your Majesty! Empress! A strange light in the sky!"
They both looked up simultaneously. Above the glazed tiles of Changsheng Hall, a peculiar brown halo had appeared. Within the halo, a transparent container held a dark brown liquid, its surface continuously churning with fine bubbles, like crushed stars sunk at the bottom of the water.
""What is that?"" Yáng Guìfēi sat up, leaning curiously towards the window. She had seen grape wines from the Western Regions and honeyed wines from Persia, but never a drink that moved on its own.
The view zoomed in. A modern person in a short shirt was unscrewing a bottle cap. With a soft click, white bubbles immediately gushed out, forming a brief cloud of mist at the bottle's opening. He raised the bottle and took a large drink, letting out a satisfied burp, a brown stain on the corner of his mouth.
""It fizzes?"" Lǐ Lóngjī's eyes lit up. Tang Dynasty vintners always worried about wine fizzing, considering it a bad omen, but the bubbles in this liquid were so uniform and beautiful, as if it were meant to be this way.
The scene shifted to the production process: in a large copper vat, workers mixed sugar, water, and spices, boiling them, and then added a gas called Carbon Dioxide (the System helpfully labeled it: ). The originally calm liquid immediately began to boil, and even after being bottled, it remained active with bubbles. Subtitles explained: Coke, a carbonated beverage, sweet with a slight bitterness, its bubbles are refreshing, a perfect summer thirst-quencher.
""Carbonation?"" the Director of the Department of Food and Meals, in charge of the imperial kitchen, murmured. ""Could it be similar to a yeast starter for brewing?"" He looked at the people in the video looking refreshed after drinking it and suddenly had an epiphany—if this drink could be replicated, it would surely win the Consort's favor.
What shocked Yáng Guìfēi the most were the scenes in the video: farmers under the scorching sun, artisans sweating profusely, even children playing until they were drenched in sweat, all casually buying this drink and enjoying its coolness by simply opening the cap. No need for fast horses from Lingnan, no need for ice chests, a joy easily accessible to ordinary people—it was more appealing than lychees.
""More convenient than lychees?"" she sighed softly, unconsciously rubbing the brocade of the couch with her fingertips. ""Every year, how many post riders die on the road just so I can have fresh lychees? But this from the Sky Curtain allows everyone to enjoy sweetness anytime, anywhere."
When the video showed someone making a slushy with Coke, the brown liquid colliding with ice cubes and creating even more bubbles, Yáng Guìfēi couldn't help but swallow: ""My lord, look at that slushy..."
Lǐ Lóngjī immediately understood and instructed the Director of the Department of Food and Meals: ""Do you see? Get people to replicate it immediately! Whatever method it takes, I want to taste this 'carbonated sweet water' within three days."
""Your humble servant obeys!"" The Director of the Department of Food and Meals quickly bowed to accept the order, his eyes fixed on the recipe list in the video—sugar, water, spices, carbonation. Although he didn't know what 'carbonation' was, the first three ingredients were readily available in the imperial kitchen.
***Three days later, in Huaqing Palace, craftsmen from the Department of Food and Meals knelt before the hall, holding over a dozen ceramic bottles.
""Your Majesty, Empress,"" said the leading old craftsman, sweat beading on his forehead, ""We could not find the method, so we substituted honey for sugar, added plum juice for sourness, and finally, when sealing, we inserted a red-hot fine iron rod to produce bubbles through heat..."
Yáng Guìfēi picked up a ceramic bottle and, imitating the Sky Curtain, twisted open the ceramic stopper. With a soft *pop*, there was indeed a faint bubbling sound. She poured a small cup. The amber liquid was filled with fine bubbles. She brought it close to her nose and sniffed—it carried the sweet fragrance of honey and the slight tartness of plum juice.
""How does it taste?"" Lǐ Lóngjī asked nervously, watching her.
The Consort took a shallow sip. The moment the bubbles exploded on her tongue, she couldn't help but squint and smile: ""It's more refreshing than lychees! Sweet and crisp, sour and invigorating, these bubbles are dancing in my throat!"
Everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, and the old craftsman kowtowed repeatedly in excitement: ""Thank the Consort for her forgiveness!"
""This is not a matter for forgiveness, but for reward!"" Yáng Guìfēi handed the cup to Lǐ Lóngjī. ""My lord, quickly try it! It's much more interesting than wine."
Lǐ Lóngjī tasted it and was overjoyed. He immediately issued a decree: ""The Department of Food and Meals shall supply Honey Fragrance Sparkling Water daily, and bestow one hundred bolts of silk upon the craftsmen!"
News quickly spread to Chang'an, and the first to learn of it was Ān Lùshān, who was in Chang'an for official duties. This 150-kilogram barbarian general was worried about not having an opportunity to please the Consort. Upon hearing that the sparkling water had delighted her, he immediately rushed to the Department of Food and Meals with the distilled grape wine gifted from the Western Regions.
""Add it for me!"" Ān Lùshān slapped a craftsman on the shoulder. He had witnessed brewing produce bubbles in Fanyang and believed that using his distilled wine would surely surpass the honey water!
The craftsmen dared not delay, repeatedly experimenting with the high-proof grape distilled wine brought by Ān Lùshān. When they plunged the red-hot iron rod into the sealed ceramic pot, the grape distilled wine indeed produced stronger bubbles. The *pop* sound upon opening the pot startled everyone. The brown liquid, carrying a rich fruity aroma and stimulating bubbles, was more potent than the honey water and more suitable for men.
""Call this one!"" Ān Lùshān, holding the newly made Western Regions Sparkling Wine, headed straight for Huaqing Palace, coinciding with Lǐ Lóngjī and Yáng Guìfēi drinking under the moonlight. He knelt and presented his treasure: ""Your Majesty, Empress! Your humble servant presents a divine brew from the Western Regions, three parts more potent than the immortal drink from the Sky Curtain!"
When Yáng Guìfēi took a sip, she coughed, choked by the bubbles, her cheeks flushing. Yet she smiled and said: ""It truly has the boldness of the barbarians; it suits Ān Lùshān's temperament well."
Lǐ Lóngjī was overjoyed at the sight and immediately appointed Ān Lùshān Supervisor of Sparkling Wine Production, allowing him to open taverns in Chang'an specializing in Carbonated Beverages. Suddenly, Chang'an was swept by a bubble craze. Taverns in the West Market began offering their own sparkling brews, some made with rice wine, others with fruit juice. Some daring establishments even added Sichuan pepper and prickly ash to create spicy carbonated drinks, attracting eager customers.
The craftsmen of the Department of Food and Meals did not cease their research. They discovered that mixing boiled syrup with fermented fruit wine and sealing it in a copper vat to sunbathe for three days produced more persistent bubbles than using a red-hot iron rod. When this improved Tang-style Coke was presented to Yáng Guìfēi, she was vexed by a Coke advertisement on the Sky Curtain—the people in the video were drinking beverages with straws, which looked exceptionally elegant.
""What is this?"" the Consort pointed at the plastic straws in the video.
The internal attendant had a flash of inspiration and used a hollow reed stem as a substitute, inserting it slantwise into the ceramic bottle. Yáng Guìfēi gently sucked through the reed, and the bubbles flowed into her mouth along the straw. It was indeed more dignified than tilting her head to drink. She couldn't help but laugh: ""Now it's truly learned completely."
***Xǔ Chén lay back in his rattan chair, watching his Faith Points soar on his phone screen, laughing so hard he almost sprayed his Coke.
【Detected successful replication of sparkling water in the Tang Dynasty, Faith Points + .】
【Detected Ān Lùshān's promotion of Western Regions Sparkling Wine, Faith Points + .】
【Triggered side quest: Beverage Innovation. Quest progress 40%.】
【Reward: Body Repair Fluid (Advanced) x2, Body Trauma Healing Rate increased to 80%.】
The Tang Dynasty live feed that popped up on the screen was particularly amusing: Yáng Guìfēi's elegant posture drinking sparkling wine with a reed straw, Ān Lùshān's boisterous drinking with soldiers holding ceramic bottles, the bustling scene of Chang'an West Market citizens queuing for carbonated drinks... What made him laugh the most was that the Department of Food and Meals had even specifically designed accompanying ice chests as a thermal insulation method for the carbonated drinks, allowing this summer beverage to remain chilled even in winter.
""It turns out that no matter the era, the creativity of foodies is boundless,"" Xǔ Chén took another sip of Coke, the cold liquid sliding down his throat with a bubbly sensation. He remembered reading in history books that Yáng Guìfēi loved sweets and even ruined her teeth because of it. If only she had modern toothpaste and toothbrushes, perhaps this beauty could have suffered less.
The phone pushed a video about ancient oral hygiene. The screen displayed ancient Roman toothpaste recipes, Tang Dynasty mouthwash formulas, and finally settled on modern toothpaste shelves in supermarkets. ""Did you know?"" the host exclaimed, holding up a tube of mint toothpaste. ""Ancient methods for dealing with cavities were varied, but none could match the cleaning power of modern toothpaste—this is perhaps, besides Coke, another cross-era oral pleasure.
【Detecting content related to hygiene and healthcare, do you wish to additionally project it to the Flourishing Tang Dynasty's Chang'an?】
The System prompt sounded again, the brown halo on the interface had not yet completely faded. Xǔ Chén could almost see Yáng Guìfēi frowning at her bronze mirror, likely troubled by a toothache again.
""Additional projection,"" he confirmed with a smile, letting the beauties of the Tang Dynasty enjoy modern oral care as well.
【Content being appended... Synchronized to the Flourishing Tang Dynasty Sky Curtain terminal.】
The light from the phone screen turned a fresh mint green, as if countless bubbles were condensing into a cool mist on the glass surface. Xǔ Chén knew that a small revolution in oral health was about to quietly unfold in Huaqing Palace. And he himself, amidst the sweetness and coolness spanning across time and space, felt the comfort of his body gradually recovering.
The cicadas outside gradually quieted, and the afternoon sun softened. Xǔ Chén put down his empty glass, watching the residual bubbles at the bottom slowly rise, as if in silent correspondence with those in the Flourishing Tang Dynasty. Whether it was Yáng Guìfēi's reed straw or the modern person's Coke bottle, the essence of pursuing happiness has never changed.
On the phone screen, the Faith Points from the Tang Dynasty continued to grow slowly. The West Market had already seen the emergence of Tooth Cleansing Paste, imitating toothpaste, made from salt, mint, and honey, reportedly popular among aristocratic women. Xǔ Chén closed the interface, stood up, and walked towards the kitchen—he suddenly wanted to try making chicken wings with Coke, perhaps he could create his own cross-era delicacy.
In the long river of history, perhaps happiness is the easiest thing to transmit. The explosion of a bubble, the coolness of a sip of sweet water, can create resonance between people from over two thousand years ago and modern people. And this resonance is probably the warmest connection of civilization.