Chapter Sixty-Five: Inebriation with the Emperor

Chapter 65: Drunkenness with You

After the midday meal, Zhu Yunxuan took his child back to their quarters for an afternoon nap, while Liang Zhen returned to the main courtyard to summon the lady of the Qin family for questioning.

"Did you leave the residence this morning, Madam?" he asked.

The lady replied respectfully, "No, I only strolled around the estate with Young Master and briefly visited the front courtyard before returning."

Liang Zhen's thoughts raced, and he continued, "Were there any visitors to the residence this morning?"

"Only Ren-ge came by to deliver some tea leaves. Madam happened to encounter him and casually inquired about his occupation. I informed her that he accompanied Young General you from the capital."

Upon hearing this, Liang Zhen paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. "So that's how it is... Very well, I understand. You may go about your duties."

When Zhu Yunxuan awoke, Liang Zhen was leaning beside him, engrossed in a book. The subtle aroma of tea emanating from Liang Zhen's person momentarily disoriented Zhu Yunxuan, who then opened his eyes.

Liang Zhen lowered his head, their eyes meeting. Zhu Yunxuan was taken aback, closing his eyes briefly to avoid Liang Zhen's gaze before sitting up. "Why are you here?"

Liang Zhen walked over to the table, poured a cup of hot water, and offered it to Zhu Yunxuan. "Here, let this soothe your throat."

Zhu Yunxuan took the cup, sipped gently, and then lifted his gaze to the smiling Liang Zhen before him. With hesitation, he asked, "You... are you still using that Cloud Mist Tea to scent the room?"

"Yes, I've grown accustomed to its aroma. The tea produced on this island doesn't have the same pleasant fragrance. In truth, I've always preferred Cloud Mist Tea, which I acquire through trade with Southern Ocean merchants and those from Great Yan," Liang Zhen replied as he sat down at the bedside. Leaning forward, he met Zhu Yunxuan's eyes and whispered with a smile, "Your Majesty, I'm quite loyal. It's true for tea, and it's true for people."

Zhu Yunxuan was momentarily stunned, averting his gaze. "I... don't understand."

Liang Zhen chuckled softly, deciding not to push the matter further.

When Rong'er also woke up, it was already late afternoon. The family of three prepared to leave.

Liang Zhen led them to a tea plantation on the island today. Located on the western side, the vast plantation sprawled across terraced hills, lush with tea bushes covering the mountainsides. Women and children were seen working diligently throughout the garden, creating an atmosphere of prosperity and vitality.

Upon learning of Liang Zhen's visit, the manager of the plantation promptly came to greet them, accompanied by a young lad named Ren Ge. Liang Zhen casually instructed the manager, "No need for formalities. We'll just stroll around ourselves; there's no need to send anyone to follow us."

"Understood," the manager replied with a fawning smile. "This morning, Ren Ge delivered some freshly dried tea leaves to the general's residence. They were processed using a new method. Did Young General find them satisfactory?"

The mentioned youth hesitantly stepped forward, avoiding Liang Zhen's gaze with his head lowered. Liang Zhen smiled and addressed the manager, "I haven't had a chance to try the tea delivered this morning. We can discuss it later."

The young lad blushed and said, "Young General mentioned last time that... you wanted to drink this kind. So, I especially sun-dried it..."

"Enough, I appreciate your effort. Go on with your duties."

With a few brief words, Liang Zhen picked up Rong'er and led Zhu Yunxuan into the tea garden. As they passed by each other, Zhu Yunxuan noticed Ren Ge's dazed expression and couldn't help but frown.

Inside the tea walkway, Rong'er looked around in wonder, insisting on walking on his own. Liang Zhen set him down, and the child was thrilled, running and jumping about. However, Zhu Yunxuan, following behind, seemed distant and distracted until a delicate tea leaf brushed against his cheek. Instinctively turning his head, Zhu Yunxuan found Liang Zhen holding a leaf he had plucked at some point, looking at him with a smile.

"What are you thinking about, Your Majesty?"

Zhu Yunxuan's gaze softened slightly. "What are you doing?"

Liang Zhen threw the leaf away, crossed his arms, and his smile now held a hint of teasing mockery. "Why has Your Majesty been so absent-minded since entering this tea garden?"

After a moment of silence, Zhu Yunxuan lowered his eyes and scoffed softly. "Liang Zhen, you already know, yet you insist on making things interesting? Is there a point?"

Liang Zhen laughed nonchalantly. "Your Majesty is an emperor high above all. Would you really care about such an insignificant person?"

Zhu Yunxuan's expression cooled. What mattered to him wasn't the person's status but Liang Zhen's attitude. Just because the individual was a minor figure, Liang Zhen had gone to great lengths to bring him from the capital to here. If it was merely due to their resemblance to him, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

But since Liang Zhen had directly asked, he couldn't bring himself to say those words. After all... their relationship, whether in the past or now, didn't give him the right to be picky about such matters.

Seeing Zhu Yunxuan's silence, the playful smile on Liang Zhen's lips faded, and he regained a rare seriousness as he held Zhu Yunxuan's hand and explained earnestly, "The fact that Your Majesty is concerned about someone else by my side shows that you have feelings for me. I am naturally overjoyed, but Your Majesty has indeed misunderstood. The situation isn't what you think."

"That young man was originally presented to the Xuancheng Prince by the Liang family, then forcibly given to me. They only saw a resemblance to Your Majesty in him, and their intentions were impure from the start. It was impossible for me to touch him; I simply had him sent to work as a laborer on a manor and forgot about it."

"Afterwards, one of my trusted subordinates, the one who rowed the boat to pick you up at the dock that day – his younger brother, who was kidnapped by child traffickers when he was just two or three, turned out to be Rong'er. Once they recognized each other, the brother brought him back home. Three years ago, when I left the capital for Nanyang, they both followed along. It wasn't my intention, but Rong'er had no one else to rely on in the capital except for this older brother. I couldn't let them be separated once more."

"Rong'er's health suffered due to his turbulent childhood, so he couldn't join the military. My subordinate pleaded with me, so I arranged for him to work at a tea plantation. He occasionally delivers tea to the general's residence, and I've only seen him a few times, barely speaking a handful of words. Yet, Your Majesty has somehow taken a liking to him. You truly have wronged me."

By the end, Liang Zhen seemed to feel wronged. Knowing he had made a fool of himself, Zhu Yunxuan felt a bit awkward. He pulled his hand away and pursed his lips. ".... Only a blind man wouldn't sense that someone secretly admires your esteemed General."

"So what? This General is debonair, handsome, and admired by many. If even Your Majesty finds me pleasing, why not those ordinary folk?"

Zhu Yunxuan: "...."

Zhu Yunxuan had no retort. Rong'er, who had gone to play, returned, clutching a bright yellow flower he had picked somewhere. He held it out to Zhu Yunxuan, "For Father."

Zhu Yunxuan smiled, ruffling the boy's hair as he accepted the flower. Liang Zhen, meanwhile, bent down to scoop Rong'er up, lifting him onto his shoulders.

Startled, the child let out a startled cry before breaking into a fit of giggles. After settling down, he clung tightly to Liang Zhen's neck, looking around in wonder at the new perspective: "Wow, so high!"

Zhu Yunxuan had intended to ask Liang Zhen to put the child down, but seeing their father-son duo so thrilled, he reconsidered and swallowed his words back... Never mind.

They strolled along the tea plantation until they reached the seashore.

Before they knew it, the sun was setting, casting a crimson glow over the sea. They sat on the beach, captivated by the magnificent sunset, even Rong'er, who had been restless, grew quiet, leaning against Zhu Yunxuan's embrace with wide eyes, fixed on the scene.

The fishing boats that had set out early in the morning had returned, anchored not far away at the pier. Women and children rushed to unload basket after basket of freshly caught seafood with excitement. Liang Zhen suddenly turned to Zhu Yunxuan with a smile, asking, "Your Majesty, would you like some grilled fish?"

Zhu Yunxuan nodded casually, and Rong'er clapped his hands, exclaiming, "I want to eat big crabs!"

"Very well," Liang Zhen chuckled, gently pinching his son's little nose. "My little treasure, you can have whatever you desire."

Bonfires illuminated the seashore, and the fragrance of grilling fish gradually permeated the air. The crabs that Rong'er eagerly awaited were buried beneath the charcoal and sand, soon turning a golden brown. Their tender flesh, once extracted, was incredibly succulent. It was not just the young Rong'er who found them irresistible; even Zhu Yunxuan couldn't help but indulge in a few extra bites.

Liang Zhen also had wine brought forth, a variety of tea flower wine brewed on the island itself, sweet and mellow, exquisitely alluring. With each delectable bite followed by a sip of the libation, it was not long before Zhu Yunxuan found his gaze growing hazy with intoxication, the gentle flush of drunkenness spreading across his features and softening the imperial demeanor he habitually carried, rendering him strikingly authentic and endearing. Liang Zhen watched him all the while with a smile, causing Zhu Yunxuan to feel particularly ill at ease under his gaze. He lightly slapped his own face and muttered sotto voce, "What are you smiling at?"

"Nothing much, just reminiscing that after three years, His Majesty still cannot withstand the effects of alcohol."

"What's so funny?"

Satiated, Rong'er nestled into Zhu Yunxuan's embrace and drifted off to sleep peacefully. Zhu Yunxuan gently swayed the child in his arms and, after a while, slowly closed his eyes, leaning against Liang Zhen's shoulder.

Liang Zhen turned his head and brushed his cheek against Zhu Yunxuan's hair. "Is Your Majesty drunk?"

Zhu Yunxuan kept his eyes closed, seemingly muttering in his sleep. "No..."

Then he must be drunk. Liang Zhen sighed softly. "Has it been a long time since Your Majesty last got drunk?"

"Hmm... I don't remember. I'm not that easily drunk. In recent years, I've never been drunk, never..."

In truth, there was an instance. When they met again in Quanzhou, he had drowned his sorrows in alcohol. But he didn't wish to revisit that memory now.

What Liang Zhen recalled was when Zhu Yunxuan had gotten too drunk at a state banquet. Enraged by the foreign dancers' performances, he had lost control and forced Zhu Yunxuan to brand him with a humiliating tattoo. Since then, Zhu Yunxuan had never let himself get drunk in front of Liang Zhen, not once.

Now, Zhu Yunxuan was once again letting his guard down in front of him, indulging in the intoxicating wine. Did this mean... that he truly no longer held a grudge against the wrongs Liang Zhen had committed in the past?

Lowering his head, Liang Zhen placed a gentle kiss on Zhu Yunxuan's forehead. He reached out to hold his beloved tightly, whispering, "From now on, whenever Your Majesty wants to drink, I'll accompany you... We'll get drunk together."