Xu Shuo laughed so hard that the wine spilled from his cup.
Watching the old and young figures depart, Yue Lin wore a look of existential doubt. "Why do I feel like Marquis Xie and my grandfather are more like grandfather and grandson than I am to my grandfather?"
Xu Shuo put down his wine cup and wiped his hands, smiling. "My old man also likes Marquis Xie, as do Duke Qin and Marquis Yongxin. Who doesn't like Marquis Xie? Speaking of which, Marquis Xie is around our age, even a few years younger, yet he can mingle with the elders..."
Recalling how he had sat behind his grandfather earlier and seen the back-and-forth between his grandfather and Xie Jiang, Yue Lin nodded in agreement.
"Marquis Xie is very casual with the elders, unlike us who are always a bit reserved in front of our elders. It's not surprising that the elders prefer Marquis Xie."
"But Marquis Xie clearly doesn't drink much. My grandfather insisted on finding Marquis Xie for a drink. Seeing how unwilling Marquis Xie looked, my grandfather simply ignored Marquis Xie's eye-rolling..."
Duke of Qian saw it but pretended not to. Did he expect this kid to show filial piety?
Remembering the spittoon of live worms that Minister Hou had spat out, Duke of Qian felt that Xie Jiang should probably not show filial piety anymore.
Who had the fortune to receive it?
"Don't you usually hang out with Ruan Ziji? Why aren't you looking for those few kids? What are you trying to do by always sticking around Song Ze?"
"I have no ill intentions towards Young Master Song. I just feel that Young Master Song is as gentle as jade and I want to be influenced by the spring breeze and gentle rain..."
Xie Jiang had just struggled slightly when Duke of Qian's iron grip on her arm tightened, and Xie Jiang gasped in pain.
"You can stop it. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. Song Ze likes peace and quiet. If you don't have anything important to do, don't bother him."
"Weren't Yue Lin and Xu Shuo also bothering him? Why can't I? Old man, don't you think you're targeting me?"
If it weren't for the fact that the old man's actions were to protect Song Ze, fearing that she would do something unreliable and implicate Song Ze, Xie Jiang would have smashed his claws today!
It hurt so much!
Was it necessary to guard her like a thief?
"Yue Lin and Xu Shuo also went?" Duke of Qian said, looking back as if it were indeed his own grandson.
"..." So the old man only had her in his eyes? Then she was truly grateful!
"Yue Lin and Xu Shuo have known Song Ze since they were young. It's not strange for them to talk together."
"I was also going to talk to Young Master Song. Is it strange for me to talk to Young Master Song?"
"You..." Duke of Qian gave her a look, letting her understand it herself. Didn't she know herself?
"Isn't there a saying, 'Near vermilion, one becomes red; near ink, one becomes black.' Can't I be red?"
"You'd better stay black." After returning to the table and throwing the person back into her seat, Duke of Qian finally let go and sat down. "Don't hang around Song Ze too much. If you're trying to avoid me, there's no need. I won't laugh at you for having a low alcohol tolerance. Doesn't everyone have a weakness?"
Xie Jiang leaned against the back of the chair, in so much pain that she couldn't move for a long time, feeling as if half her arm and half her body had been crushed.
He Zhifei frowned upon seeing this and asked, "Is Young Master injured?"
Su Yang had gone somewhere to fool around and had long since disappeared.
Xie Taihong was in the middle of the field, twisting his waist with several people in civil and military official attire, following the dancers. The scene was unbearable to look at...
In the seats of the Lan Yong envoy delegation, only He Zhifei remained seated.
Duke of Qian scoffed at her demeanor, "Such a delicate creature for a man."
Xie Jiang wanted to teach him how to be a person!
But thinking of how Duke of Qian had protected the Duke of Dingguo's mansion in various ways over the years...
She endured!
Duke of Qian personally poured two cups of wine, directly shoving one into Xie Jiang's arms. "Come, come, let's have a few drinks. You can also try Da Yu's Jade Liquid wine. It's not as strong as the wine from your mansion, and it has a different flavor." https:/
Xie Jiang reluctantly said, "Can I not drink it?"
"You're all adults who have achieved great deeds. What's wrong with drinking a little wine?"
"Let He Zhifei drink for me."
He Zhifei had no objections. Everyone knew that the Young Master disliked drinking, so it was only right for him to drink on his behalf.
"Then why should I drink with you? Why don't I just drink with little He? Do you need someone to eat and sleep for you too?"
Duke of Qian didn't intend to get Xie Jiang drunk. He just felt that a grown man who couldn't drink lacked spirit and vigor.
"Old man, you're so annoying!"
"What did you say?"
"I said I'll drink at most one cup, not even half a cup more!"
"You really can't hold your liquor?"
"Are you sure you want me to drink? I can't guarantee what I'll do after drinking. What if someone dies..."
Doesn't this sound like a threat? Would Duke of Qian be afraid of her acting out when drunk? With her frail body that would fall apart with a single blow, she'd be off to see the Duke of Zhou with one punch.
Did she think she would still have a chance to do anything?
"Drink yours, stop talking so much."
Duke of Qian raised his cup to Xie Jiang. Xie Jiang sighed helplessly, but solemnly raised her cup and gently clinked it.
This cup was for Duke of Qian, for his years of overt and covert support for the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.
Although Xie Jiang disliked alcohol and even more so being controlled by alcohol, this cup of wine was one she had to drink.
Duke of Qian drank while frowning and looking at Xie Jiang. After drinking, he looked again, feeling something was strange.
Marquis Yongxin saw them drinking and came over with a wine pot, shouting to join them. Xie Jiang refused, and he was unhappy, saying that she was fine drinking with old Yue but unhappy when he came. Wasn't this showing favoritism?
He was hurt.
He felt their friendship was strained.
Xie Jiang coldly watched Marquis Yongxin's affectation, impatiently knitting her brows tightly. She let Marquis Yongxin shove a full cup of wine into her hand and quickly drank the second cup.
Marquis Yongxin was satisfied. It was widely known that the notoriously difficult person had been dealt with by him, so how could he not be satisfied?
"If anything happens tonight, you two will be the culprits, and you must bear the responsibility!" Xie Jiang wiped her mouth and was about to leave.
If she stayed any longer, some other old man might come and persuade her to drink like Marquis Yongxin.
She guessed that the慰问 (comfort/condolences) from Yi Yancheng's side should have ended, and she was probably waiting for her in some quiet place.
After drinking one cup, she felt no discomfort. The Jade Liquid wine was not very strong, and she thought drinking another cup would be fine.
Her alcohol tolerance...
Although she had no alcohol tolerance, she wasn't someone who would get drunk after one cup!
Who knew that after drinking the second cup, she stood up, her vision went black, and then she felt the world spinning.
Xie Jiang was a little stunned!
Her poor alcohol tolerance was completely beyond her imagination.
Xie Jiang shook her head, the dizziness lingering.
Fortunately, it was only a slight dizziness, and a little fresh air should dispel it.
Xie Jiang waved goodbye to the two old men without looking back and quickly slipped away.
She had been led by a young palace maid to wander around the island for a while and was not entirely unfamiliar with the situation on Yuhu Island. Xie Jiang wandered, guessing where Yi Yancheng might be.
Where had Wen Feng gone? Why didn't he come to inform her?
Xie Jiang, feeling dizzy, saw double shadows of everything. Just as she was wondering if she should find a place to sit and wait for Yi Yancheng to find her, she suddenly saw a familiar figure by the lake, hunched over on a rock by the shore, doing something.
Xie Jiang ran over in a few steps and directly pounced on the person's back. The person beneath her immediately stiffened.
When the person turned around, Xie Jiang met a pair of startled, foxy eyes and realized she had mistaken the person.