Magistrate Shen had always been the best at reading people’s expressions and the most knowledgeable about social etiquette. This was something all the officials of Jiangnan agreed on, and something Magistrate Shen himself was well aware of.
Since His Highness the Prince of Guangling was in a bad mood today, then naturally, they had to find a way to put him in a better mood.
Based on Magistrate Shen’s observations during this period of time, His Highness the Prince of Guangling was neither interested in beautiful women nor fond of flattery. He had more money than he could ever spend and seemed to have always been pure-hearted and desireless, with no particular hobbies.
There was only one thing: at the welcoming banquet back then, His Highness the Prince of Guangling seemed to quite enjoy drinking.
He had gone cup after cup with the Duke of Yongning, drinking all the way until the banquet ended, until even his legs were unsteady.
Therefore, after all the officials had taken their seats, Magistrate Shen went to find the owner of the pleasure boat himself. Relying on the favors he had accumulated over many years, he managed to obtain several jars of aged Nü’erhong wine from him.
The river fish caught from Slender West Lake were the best accompaniment to wine. In particular, there was one fish dish made with fermented grain lees. The moment it was brought to the table, its rich fragrance filled the entire table.
Xue Yan frowned almost imperceptibly.
The Duke of Yongning valued rules and propriety. Although Jun Huailang’s status was extraordinary and he was more noble than the officials seated there, he held no official title, so the Duke of Yongning had him sit with Shen Liufeng at the lower end of the table.
Xue Yan sat at the very top. Separated by the large table, the two happened to be sitting directly opposite each other.
When the fish made with wine lees was served, Jun Huailang had already seen Xue Yan frown. But immediately afterward, the banquet began. Magistrate Shen raised his cup and offered a toast, then immediately began enthusiastically toasting Xue Yan.
He very much looked as though he intended to make sure Xue Yan had a good time drinking today.
Shen Liufeng also raised his wine and clinked cups with Jun Huailang.
“My uncle found some excellent wine today!” Shen Liufeng said. “Huailang, you should drink a little more today.”
Jun Huailang smiled and agreed, clinking cups with him.
But immediately afterward, the corner of his eye met Xue Yan’s gaze.
Jun Huailang paused and instinctively turned to look at him.
He saw Xue Yan immediately withdraw his gaze, as though the stare just now had merely been an illusion. At precisely that moment, Xue Yan clinked cups with Magistrate Shen. He raised his wine cup, tipped his head back, and drained the entire cup in one go.
The moment Magistrate Shen saw this, he knew what was going on.
Sure enough, his guess had been right. This Prince of Guangling was just like his own nephew—he simply craved this one thing: wine.
Meanwhile, Jun Huailang, sitting in the distance, was stunned for a moment.
For some reason, he always felt that Xue Yan’s actions looked rather like he was drinking to drown his sorrows, though he didn’t know whom he was angry with.
After hesitating for a moment, he also drank the wine in his cup.
Aged Nü’erhong was especially mellow and fragrant, but its alcohol was also remarkably strong. The moment it entered his throat, there was a rich warmth that seemed to burn all the way down.
Jun Huailang couldn’t help glancing at Xue Yan worriedly.
He remembered that Xue Yan’s alcohol tolerance was not very good…
But the other officials were nothing like him. They had never spent so much time living alongside Xue Yan, day after day.
Every one of them was an old hand at this sort of thing, watching their noses and hearts, quietly observing the situation over there from the moment Magistrate Shen went to offer the toast.
On ordinary days, they didn’t even have the courage to speak to Xue Yan. Who would dare offer him a drink?
Yet they had never expected the Prince of Guangling to be so accommodating. Although he still wore that expressionless, cold, and fierce look, he had actually been gracious enough to drink the entire cup of wine.
For a moment, everyone understood.
So during the welcoming banquet, the Prince of Guangling hadn’t been having such a pleasant conversation with the Duke of Yongning after all. He simply liked drinking!
The eager officials immediately sprang into action.
One after another, men who normally didn’t even dare look directly at the Prince of Guangling began stepping forward to offer him drinks now that someone had taken the lead.
Unexpectedly, the Prince of Guangling really did refuse no one.
Naturally, they didn’t know that this was because the person sitting opposite the Prince of Guangling was someone who could keep him in check, someone who made it impossible for him to lose his temper or show his displeasure, and at the same time someone who left him unable to voice his grievances as he suffered from jealousy.
Instead, they thought the Prince of Guangling was simply this easygoing at the drinking table, giving them an opportunity to take advantage of.
By the middle of the banquet, the tips of Xue Yan’s ears had turned completely red.
His temper was bad to begin with, and now that the alcohol had gone to his head, the intimidating aura around his entire body—the one that screamed “stay away from me”—suddenly erupted.
His eyes had become somewhat red from drinking, and now everyone he looked at seemed to receive a gaze filled with icy hostility. But today’s wine was particularly strong, and everyone at the table had also drunk themselves into a haze. Their powers of observation had become dull, so they failed to pick up on the danger signals radiating from Xue Yan.
Jun Huailang, however, saw them.
He had always known that at these sorts of official drinking gatherings, once things reached the latter half, few people could keep the situation under control. They would only drink more and more heavily.
Xue Yan had already had too much to drink. They couldn’t possibly let him continue sitting here.
Just as he was pondering this, Magistrate Shen suddenly stood up again with his wine cup.
Of everyone present, there were only two people whom he would personally stand up and raise a cup to. One of them was Jun Huailang’s father, who had already left the banquet on his own to drink tea.
The remaining one was Xue Yan.
Jun Huailang sighed. Without bothering about the half-drunk Shen Liufeng beside him, he picked up his wine cup and stood up, walking over.
His alcohol tolerance was good, and he walked quickly. He arrived just in time to intercept Magistrate Shen’s cup before the man could toast Xue Yan.
“Magistrate Shen, let me offer you a drink.” Jun Huailang smiled lightly as he spoke, raising his cup with practiced ease. “I’ve also learned quite a lot during this past year in Jinling, thanks in no small part to your care.”
With just a few words, he drew the half-drunk Magistrate Shen into conversation over their cups.
The two of them chatted for a while about what they had seen and experienced over the past year, then talked about the notes Jun Huailang had copied regarding flood control. These were all subjects Jun Huailang was skilled in, and he handled the conversation with considerable ease.
What he failed to notice was the burning gaze from beside him.
Deep within that gaze was a stubbornness rarely seen in Xue Yan. From the moment Jun Huailang began walking toward them, those eyes had never once left him.
Magistrate Shen also admired him. Now that the wine had loosened his tongue, he began praising him without the slightest restraint.
“I always tell your father that you are bound to accomplish great things in the future! Just look at you. You haven’t even reached your capping ceremony yet, and already you have such genuine insight and knowledge! Truly, like father, like son. It is also a testament to your father’s ability that he raised such an outstanding child!”
Jun Huailang smiled faintly and replied modestly, “Magistrate Shen, you flatter me. How could this junior possibly deserve such praise…”
Just then, a low, hoarse voice sounded.
“He deserves it.”
Jun Huailang’s voice stopped.
He saw His Highness the Prince of Guangling sitting there, his expression cold and composed, calm and unruffled, but his eyes rimmed with red as he stared fixedly at him.
It was obvious that he had drunk too much.
When Jun Huailang heard him interrupt, he had originally been about to laugh, but Xue Yan’s gaze burned him for a moment.
He hurriedly looked away.
Magistrate Shen, who was beside him, was startled, then laughed.
“Indeed! Even His Highness the Prince appreciates the Heir Apparent this much. It seems my judgment really is quite good!”
Xue Yan said nothing, as though he hadn’t heard him. He was still looking at Jun Huailang.
Jun Huailang hurriedly clinked cups with Magistrate Shen and drank the wine in his cup with him.
Only then did he manage to send Magistrate Shen away. As soon as the man left, Jun Huailang set down his wine cup where he stood and said to Xue Yan, “Your Highness, it’s a little stuffy inside the boat. Why don’t you come outside with me and get some fresh air?”
Xue Yan, who had just ignored Magistrate Shen as though he hadn’t heard a word, suddenly seemed to have exceptionally good hearing when faced with Jun Huailang’s soft voice, a voice that was almost drowned out by the surrounding noise.
“Mm.”
He nodded without the slightest hesitation and immediately pressed his hand against the table to stand up.
Everyone saw him as cold and solemn as ever, but Jun Huailang noticed that Xue Yan hadn’t been careful with his footing. His legs had no strength in them, and halfway through standing, he swayed unsteadily and was about to fall back into his chair.
…Sure enough, he was already drunk enough that he couldn’t tell up from down.
Jun Huailang reacted quickly and reached out to steady Xue Yan. But the man was tall and broad-shouldered, with firm muscles and sturdy bones. Now that he was drunk, he was like a mountain, pressing down on Jun Huailang so heavily that he nearly stumbled.
He heard Xue Yan give an almost inaudible click of his tongue, sounding full of frustration.
Then he sluggishly tried to pull his arm away, clearly realizing that he had put his weight on Jun Huailang and wanting to move away.
Jun Huailang grabbed him.
“Your Highness isn’t steady on your feet. Let me support you,” he said.
Xue Yan said nothing at that, but like a large dog held on a leash, he followed Jun Huailang out of the pleasure boat.
Along the way, although his feet were unsteady, he stubbornly clung to the last bit of balance he possessed while drunk, struggling to keep himself upright. He looked as though he were facing a formidable enemy.
Jun Huailang was amused enough to laugh softly.
“Your Highness has certainly had a little too much to drink,” he said.
Once they left the pleasure boat, the surroundings suddenly became much quieter. The early-summer night breeze was not cold, blowing gently against their faces. Together with Jun Huailang’s voice, it brushed against Xue Yan’s ear.
And so, Jinbao, who had been waiting outside the pleasure boat, saw Xue Yan like this.
A tall and imposing man, naturally nearly half a head taller than Jun Huailang, was now leaning against him, lowering his head slightly to look at him. His brows were furrowed as he said in a low voice, “They kept persuading me to drink.”
His entire face was clearly filled with irritation and impatience, yet when he faced Jun Huailang, his manner softened considerably. For a moment, he actually looked like a ferocious tiger acting spoiled.
Jinbao: “…”
He really couldn’t bear to look.
Jinbao could only pretend that he was both blind and deaf, lowering his head as he hurried forward and waiting for the two masters to give their orders.
Across from him, however, the Heir Apparent was remarkably patient. Upon hearing Xue Yan say this, the hand supporting his arm gently stroked his forearm twice in a soothing manner.
“Next time, if this happens, just politely decline. How could you possibly drink with every single one of them?”
This was common sense. Naturally, Jun Huailang didn’t need to teach Xue Yan something like this. But seeing him looking so dejected right now, Jun Huailang couldn’t help saying it anyway.
Xue Yan gave a low “Mm,” looking remarkably obedient.
Jun Huailang carefully helped him across the bridge. Their carriage and horses were not far away. Seeing Jinbao come forward to meet them, Jun Huailang looked up at Xue Yan and said, “More than half of the banquet has already passed. It won’t matter if we leave now. Since you’ve had too much to drink, Your Highness, why don’t you go back first?”
As he spoke, he raised his hand, intending to hand Xue Yan over to Jinbao.
Jinbao absolutely did not dare take him.
He would rather catch a broad saber coated in deadly poison with his bare hands.
Jinbao repeatedly backed away, while Xue Yan also stood motionless where he was.
For a moment, they couldn’t get the man handed over, and Xue Yan remained heavily draped over one of Jun Huailang’s shoulders.
“Your Highness?” Jun Huailang thought he had fallen asleep.
But then Xue Yan spoke.
“You’re coming with me.”
It was a statement, delivered with absolute force, leaving no room for doubt or objection.
Jun Huailang was stunned. “Me?”
Xue Yan stared fixedly at him.
Jun Huailang hurriedly said, “The banquet hasn’t ended yet, and my father is still inside. Your Highness should go back first. Leave everything else to me. I’ll bid farewell to Magistrate Shen on your behalf…”
But Xue Yan repeated, “You’re coming back with me.”
This time, beneath the exhausted drunkenness in his voice, there was also a hint of stubbornness, making him sound almost like a child throwing a tantrum.
Jinbao rubbed his forehead.
“Please go with him, Your Highness the Heir Apparent.” He resignedly stepped forward with a smile and said, “His Highness is drunk. If you escort him back, this servant can explain everything to Magistrate Shen and the Duke. Your Highness, please rest assured.”