Han Mo had not expected to suddenly become a guest of several princes. To be honest, the speed of it all was truly preposterous.
The ancients said: "Having someone in court makes it easier to be an official."
The ancients indeed did not deceive me!
"Brother Mo, you jest. We are practically family, and though we bear various titles, in our daily lives, aside from our studies, we truly have nothing else of substance to do!"
Regardless, Prince Yun, Zhao Kai, was truly showing Han Mo great respect today. At the very least, he was far superior to Zhao Gou, who was constantly stirring up trouble.
"Third Brother, your words are too insincere. While we may indeed be idle, fluttering about like eagles and hounds, for you to say that is going too far!"
Before Zhao Kai’s words had even finished, Zhao Gou had already begun to openly contradict him.
"Hahaha, what is it with you two brothers today? This old woman hasn't even entered, and I can already hear you two squabbling!"
Before Zhao Gou could finish speaking, Princess Qi, supported by Han Shu, walked in.
"Aunt, you've finally arrived! We brothers have been waiting for you for nearly half an hour!"
Zhao Kai stood up directly, looking at Zhao Shu with a smile.
"You little rascals, yesterday I waited for you at my manor for the entire day, and not once did you send someone to inform me!"
As Zhao Shu spoke, she playfully patted Zhao Kai on the back.
"Hahaha, Aunt, you can't blame us. We were summoned to the palace early yesterday, and the Emperor kept us from leaving. We were helpless! Aunt, please forgive us. Consider this my nephew's apology!"
Zhao Kai explained with a smile, and then produced a long, narrow brocade box from his sleeve.
"It's good that you're sensible, boy. I'll let this matter slide."
After opening the box, Zhao Shu took out a pearl hairpin. She played with it for a moment and then didn't dwell on the matter further.
"Aunt, you see? My third brother is indeed generous. The Northern Pearls alone on this hairpin are worth a fortune! This makes the gifts we few have prepared feel rather inadequate!"
Seeing Zhao Kai's gesture, the remaining princes also smilingly presented their gifts.
"I am already very happy that you all could come! Gifts are gifts, but what is this? It smells so fragrant!"
Just as Han Mo felt a bit awkward, Zhao Shu's gaze suddenly landed on the teacup in Han Jiayan's hand.
"This is something Brother Mo prepared for us elders. You've arrived at a good time; you can have a good taste of it!"
Seeing Han Mo's awkwardness, Han Jiayan instantly understood. It seemed Han Mo had not prepared any other gift.
"I truly came in a hurry today, which has made you elders laugh."
Han Mo spoke as he quickly poured another cup of wine for Zhao Shu.
"You are not an outsider, child. Saying such things makes us feel estranged. Alright, the taste of this soup is very much to my liking. You are truly thoughtful!"
After taking a sip, Zhao Shu's eyes immediately lit up.
The Song people were already quite particular about health preservation, and their dietary practices were far more refined than in other dynasties.
Especially for officials and nobles like Han Jiayan, their focus on food had reached astonishing levels.
The number of chefs solely responsible for serving the masters in the Han family alone exceeded thirty!
Each person had their own detailed division of labor, and the number of people responsible for miscellaneous tasks was naturally even greater.
Basically, to satisfy the appetites of their masters, those chefs were racking their brains daily to prepare new dishes.
As the most innovative category of dishes, soups naturally saw the quickest rotation of new creations.
Of course, even with all their efforts, they were still unable to completely remove impurities from the refined sugar.
Thus, it was precisely because they could not completely remove the peculiar taste from the refined sugar that Han Mo's simple brown sugar water stole the show.
Seeing that even his own mother looked favorably upon this freeloading fellow further fueled Han Shu’s annoyance.
"Since Your Highnesses are free today, why don't we have a drinking game? For those who lose, not only will they be fined a cup of wine, but they must also compose a poem, right?"
Seeing that the princes had finished their greetings and the family's chefs had begun serving wine and dishes, Han Shu suddenly stood up.
"Excellent! Watching singing and dancing daily is truly boring. It's rare for us brothers to gather, so this idea is good! This idea is good!"
Hearing Han Shu's suggestion, Zhao Kai immediately stood up and applauded.
Han Mo, who had already been planning his escape, nearly jumped out of his skin upon hearing Han Shu.
"Your Highnesses, Esteemed Uncle-Ancestor, this junior has some matters to attend to today. May I...?"
He knew his own capabilities. Regardless, his objective had been achieved, and he didn't want to make a fool of himself at this moment.
His previous self was a complete ignoramus. Apart from a few classics he was forced to memorize as a child, he knew nothing else.
He himself was a transmigration from the future. If he were to plagiarize, that would be one thing, but when it came to improvisational skills like a drinking game, it was best to forget it!
"It is the New Year season, Brother Mo. What matters could you possibly have? Aren't you perhaps planning to desert before the battle?"
Han Shu, having had so much of his thunder stolen by this boy today, how could he let him off so easily now!
"Hahaha, Brother Mo, you are not allowed to run. This old man also wants to see if you've made any progress recently!"
"This..."
Upon hearing Han Jiayan's words, Han Mo felt a million thoughts racing through his mind. Was this old man determined to torment him to death today?
"Alright, let's not hesitate. Shall we keep it simple?"
Han Shu spoke as he glanced at Han Mo.
Seeing the contempt in Han Shu's eyes, Han Mo felt truly frustrated. It seemed he hadn't offended this fellow.
Why was he being singled out and bullied today?
Did it say "easy target" on his forehead?
"In that case, this junior will respectfully accept."
Looking at the princes with their peculiar gazes, Han Mo could only steel himself and proceed.
"Then, let's do this. Each person will compose a line of poetry. Not only must it rhyme, but it must also include the two words 'golden goblet', understood?"
Han Shu's eyes rolled, and he had indeed chosen a task of moderate difficulty.
Han Mo had grown up in the Han family, so he was well aware of his own capabilities. If it were about using sentences from the Four Books and Five Classics for a game, this boy might actually be able to respond.
However, when it came to poetry, this boy was truly a complete ignoramus!