Chapter 21: Intoxication

Chapter 21: Intoxication

Yu Zhangxing was still on duty in the palace. After Emperor Wuming finished reviewing the memorials, he took a sip of tea and relaxed.

"Call for the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince. I will test their studies."

Feng De acknowledged the order and sent a eunuch to call for the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince.

The Eldest Prince was seven years old this year, and the Second Prince was five. Both were legitimate sons of the emperor. Emperor Wuming favored the Eldest Prince more, as he had lost his father at a young age, and Emperor Wuming, being a first-time father, had kept the Eldest Prince by his side since childhood. Even in ordinary families, such closeness was rare, let alone in the imperial family.

Due to Emperor Wuming's affection and memories of the late Wang Fengjun, the Eldest Prince had always been doted on.

The Second Prince was born to Wang Fengjun and was a lively and active child who could hardly sit still in class, always thinking about playing.

The Eldest Prince and the Second Prince arrived together, seemingly coming from the Kunning Palace.

The Panlong Hall served as the emperor's resting place. If the emperor did not visit the concubines' palaces, he would have the chief eunuch arrange for the concubines to come to the Panlong Hall to serve him. This was not only a place for sleep but also where the emperor handled affairs, often accompanied by the presence of concubines.

After a while, Emperor Wuming's angry voice erupted from within.

"It's been so long, and you still haven't memorized this book. What have you been doing?!"

Emperor Wuming's chest heaved as he suppressed his anger: "Your teachers are the esteemed scholars of the Great Yan Dynasty, including the Prime Minister. You haven't learned a thing. I don't expect you to understand much now, but you can't even memorize the book. How will you..."

"The Second Prince shall reflect for three days. No one is allowed to visit him."

The Second Prince, small and pitiful, lowered his head and said with grievance: "Father, I am sorry. I will never forget my studies again because of playing. But in two days, it will be Father's birthday celebration. I want to celebrate Father's birthday. I promise, after the celebration, I will reflect properly."

The Eldest Prince had been struggling with his recitation, and Emperor Wuming's expression was already unpleasant. The Second Prince's stammering further ignited the emperor's anger.

Seeing his youngest son's innocent face, Emperor Wuming thought of Wang Fengjun and said in a deep voice: "After celebrating your father's birthday, continue your period of reflection. Return to the Panlong Hall in three days."

The Second Prince meekly acknowledged the order.

The Eldest Prince said: "Second Brother didn't mean it. He is very serious in class. Father, please be less harsh."

Emperor Wuming: "As the elder brother, you should set a good example for Xie Tan, not indulge him all the time. Your studies also need more effort. You are the Crown Prince and must do better than others."

The Eldest Prince pursed his lips: "Yes, Father. I understand."

The doors of the Panlong Hall opened, and the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince emerged together. The Second Prince still had a smile on his face, while the Eldest Prince looked remorseful and quickly departed.

Xie Tan exhaled: "Brother, why are you in such a hurry?"

Xie Cheng: "I must return to memorize my lessons."

Xie Tan nodded and slowly descended the steps. The eunuchs outside the hall found Xie Tan's slow descent of the steps rather charming.

"Commander Yu!" Xie Tan saw Yu Zhangxing leading a patrol and quickened his pace to approach him.

"Greetings, Second Prince," Yu Zhangxing promptly saluted him.

Yu Zhangxing frequently moved in the emperor's vicinity and had interactions with both princes, so Xie Tan would sometimes engage him in conversation.

After bidding farewell to the Second Prince, Yu Zhangxing remembered that today was the day Zheng Shanci took Yu Lanyi back to his family home. He was on duty and couldn't return, so he would have to wait until evening to see his brother and brother-in-law.

...

Zheng Shanci took a short nap before rising, while Yu Lanyi remained deeply asleep. Zheng Shanci rose and went outside to take a stroll, by chance encountering Mr. Yu seated in the pavilion, enjoying tea.

When Zheng Shanci met an elder, he stepped forward to pay his respects.

"Please, have a seat. I was just feeling a bit lonely, and you happened to come to keep me company."

"Yes, Dad."

A maid poured Zheng Shanci a cup of tea. It was the hot season, and the mint tea was just right. After drinking a few sips, the heat inside him subsided. He sat down but wasn’t sure what to talk about with Mr. Yu.

"I know you have two brothers at home, which is considered a small family. Our household also has only three children."

This was a way to inquire about his family situation.

Zheng Shanci said, "I have an older brother who has always looked out for me. If it weren’t for his efforts to fund my education, I wouldn’t have achieved such results. For this, my elder brother even worked as a servant in a wealthy household and injured his leg. My younger brother is still a child and has been raised in the countryside."

"I used to be immature and thought I was something special. When I came to Shengjing, I put aside such thoughts and could only live a steady life, hoping to bring some benefits to my family. They’ve done so much for me, and now I want to give them a better life."

Mr. Yu: "Your older brother has had a tough life. You must treat him well in the future."

"Even among common folk, there are good people. They only marry one person and don’t take concubines or the like. The whole family works together to live a good life."

"I just hope you and Lan Yi will be happy together." Hearing Zheng Shanci speak so openly, Mr. Yu felt a bit of goodwill towards him. Given the Marquis of Changyang’s influence, he surely knew Zheng Shanci’s background. Seeing that Zheng Shanci did not hide anything, he felt that he was an honest child.

In the evening, Yu Zhangxing returned from the palace.

The dinner was lavish as usual. Zheng Shanci sat with Yu Lanyi, and when Yu Zhangxing saw Yu Lanyi, he smiled: "I was held up by palace affairs."

The Marquis of Changyang said, "Please, take your seat."

Yu Zhangxing nodded in agreement. He was a handsome gentleman, and his smile was warm like spring sunshine: "I was late today, so I’ll drink three cups as penance."

Without waiting for anyone to persuade him, he quickly drank three cups of wine, his every move radiating the grace of a nobleman.

Yu Lanyi: "Big brother just wanted an excuse to drink."

At home, only Yu Lanyi and Yu Zhangxing could speak so casually without regard for seniority.

Zheng Shanci saw that this close confidant of the emperor was not angry but instead followed Yu Lanyi’s words: "I was greedy for wine."

This demeanor was different from when he met Yu Zhangxing outside. At home, Yu Zhangxing was much more gentle.

Zheng Shanci toasted Yu Zhangxing.

Yu Zhangxing accepted it without hesitation.

Mr. Yu had a smile on his face, feeling as though the family had grown by one. To be honest, he had seen many young men in Shengjing, and Zheng Shanci’s character seemed good so far. If it was an act, he’d have to keep it up forever.

Seeing that Zheng Shanci had drunk some wine, Yu Lanyi couldn’t warn him openly, so he subtly tugged his sleeve.

Zheng Shanci was momentarily stunned and stopped drinking with Yu Zhangxing, only picking at some dishes to eat.

Yu Lanyi let out a sigh of relief. Zheng Shanci, a delicate scholar, was trying to match drinks with his elder brother, who came from a military background. If Zheng Shanci got drunk, it would be nothing to Yu Zhangxing.

The two of them finished their meal and took a carriage back.

Zheng Shanci’s face was red from the wine. As soon as they got home, Yu Lanyi said to Jin Yun, "Have the kitchen prepare a bowl of sobering soup and bring it to the room."

"Yes, young master."

Zheng Shanci was actually fine; he wasn’t too lightheaded. Yu Lanyi frowned, muttering something that Zheng Shanci couldn’t quite hear.

"You smell strongly of alcohol. You should take a thorough bath; otherwise, who would want to sleep next to you? From now on, let’s make a rule: if you drink and smell of alcohol, you’ll have to sleep on the floor by yourself."

Yu Lanyi walked ahead of him, and Zheng Shanci instinctively trailed behind.

The servants had already filled the bathtub. Noticing Zheng Shanci still lingering outside, Yu Lanyi said, "I'll go first. You can bathe once you’ve had the sobering soup."

Zheng Shanci’s head was still foggy, and all he could hear was the sound of water, making him feel restless, as if a fire were burning within him.

Jin Yun brought the sobering soup and promptly left. After drinking it, Zheng Shanci began to feel much better.

His mind was still hazy from the alcohol, and he couldn’t help but overhear the sound of someone bathing.

Yu Lanyi emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in steam. Noticing the empty bowl on the table, he realized Zheng Shanci had drunk the sobering soup and felt relieved.

Zheng Shanci grabbed his clothes and headed in.

Yu Lanyi had napped too much in the afternoon and now felt wide awake at night, so he simply wrapped himself in a blanket. In the past, he would have picked up some embroidery to kill time, even though he wasn’t particularly skilled at it. Remembering this, Yu Lanyi opened the cabinet and spotted his unfinished embroidery.

Jin Yun remembered his habits and had neatly arranged the embroidery. Next to it was a space Zheng Shanci used, filled with neatly stacked books.

Hearing Zheng Shanci still bathing, Yu Lanyi secretly took one out to read.

It might be a novel, placed in the bedroom.

He pulled out a copy of *The Analects*.

Then he pulled out *The Doctrine of the Mean*! And then *The Book of Documents*!

Annoyed.

Perhaps out of sheer boredom, Yu Lanyi didn’t give up. He kept pulling out books, his face already numb.

When he reached the last one, Yu Lanyi glanced at the cover and saw no large characters. His heart suddenly raced, and he lowered his head to open the book.

The first page he flipped to depicted two men during the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Yu Lanyi blushed furiously and quickly closed the book.

Before the wedding, the matchmaker had shown him similar picture books. Yu Lanyi had only glanced at a few before he couldn’t bear it anymore. He hastily put them down, and since nothing happened on the wedding night with Zheng Shanci, he had long forgotten about those books. Now, seeing a few more images, all those memories came rushing back.

His friend Lv Jin was still unmarried and had no one closer to him among his peers. He had no interest in such matters. Zheng Shanci keeping such books in the room, hidden among the classics, showed he was a fake scholar. Who knows what he was thinking while reading them.

Yu Lanyi’s ears turned red. The matchmaker had shown him all kinds of picture books, and he had even seen one depicting a face-to-face scene.

He buried himself in the pillow, turning away from Zheng Shanci, his face burning.

He completely lost interest in reading novels, and his mind uncontrollably wandered.

Wait, Zheng Shanci usually bathes quickly. Why is he taking so long today? Hasn’t he come out yet? Could he still be drunk and passed out in the bathtub?

Zheng Shanci wasn’t passed out in the bathtub; he was just looking down, somewhat troubled.