Wine doesn’t intoxicate people – people intoxicate themselves; beauty doesn’t bewitch people – people bewitch themselves.

Xiao Jue quickly became drunk.

In the warm pavilion, bright candles burned high and brocade curtains hung low. Before him, the beloved woman with elegant bearing smiled charmingly, frequently urging him to drink. Xiao Jue hazily recalled the loneliness and anxiety of recent months, comparing it to this immortal scene before him. For a moment he couldn’t tell if now was a dream or if then had been the dream.

With a somewhat tipsy smile, he gently grasped Qin Chang Ge’s sleeve and murmured, “Chang Ge, you’re so wonderful…”

“Oh?” Qin Chang Ge raised one eyebrow and calmly poured wine for him. “Wonderful how?”

Xiao Jue’s instinctive “wonderful in every way” was about to burst forth when he suddenly shuddered, remembering Concubine Shu’s disgusting words that day: “Your Majesty said this concubine was good in every way.” He immediately broke out in cold sweat and quickly changed his words: “You’ve forgiven me – that’s wonderful.”

Looking at him with an expression between smile and non-smile, Qin Chang Ge said, “Has Your Majesty remembered his wrongdoing?”

“No!” Xiao Jue immediately replied, his expression resolute. “It was all Concubine Shu’s nonsense. Really, Chang Ge, I…”

“Past matters need not be mentioned again.” Qin Chang Ge gently interrupted him. “From the moment the Grand Tutor’s residence steward came out to welcome you, A’Jue, that matter was over.”

Xiao Jue was stunned. He had originally thought that seeing Chang Ge would require much explanation before he could make things clear. He never expected Chang Ge to dismiss it so lightly with a single sentence. For a moment he was so grateful he wished he could embrace Chang Ge tightly and spin her around several times to feel satisfied.

In his joy was also some relief. To be honest, though he kept saying he wanted to explain, when it came to actually explaining, he truly didn’t know how to defend himself. Claiming someone peeked at him bathing seemed ridiculous even to him. Longzhang Palace had always been forbidden to harem consorts – if consorts wanted to come, they would be stopped before even seeing the outer palace walls. Where could anyone peek at bathing? This was something even Xiao Jue couldn’t understand and felt guilty about. Lying to Chang Ge was both foolish and unwilling. Now that Chang Ge had lightly dismissed this matter, Xiao Jue nearly shed tears of gratitude.

Unable to restrain himself, he downed three cups in succession, getting himself even more drunk.

In his haze, he saw Chang Ge opposite him smilingly raise her cup, saying, “Come, to finally learning to forget – cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Xiao Jue was already drunk. In his swaying gaze were only those brilliant smiles blooming like Asura lotuses in the brocade hall. In the warm pavilion, the charcoal in the golden brazier crackled softly as it burned, sounding like festive firecrackers.

He reached out in abandon, grasping Qin Chang Ge’s hand and pressing her slightly cool hand against his burning forehead, murmuring, “No… not everything should be forgotten, Chang Ge… About you, everything about you, I’ve never forgotten.”

Qin Chang Ge gazed deeply at him, about to speak but stopping herself. Finally, she transformed her thousands of words into a gentle smile.

This smile was no less than tremendous encouragement to Xiao Jue. Already emboldened by wine, and seeing that her usually cold face and heart had rarely melted into a pool of spring water today – if he still hesitated and retreated now, it would be like abandoning a city just as it was about to fall, which would surely cause lifelong regret.

Xiao Jue never wanted to give himself the chance to regret – without further hesitation, he pulled Qin Chang Ge’s hand and tightly embraced her.

He used such force, as if wanting to deeply knead that long-missed body into his own flesh, blood, heart and lungs, treasuring it forever, never releasing it.

Such a fiery embrace, carrying endless fierce passion, unwavering determination with blazing ardor unchanged in this lifetime, rose like flames burning bright, leaving no gaps and allowing no escape. So direct and vivid in its intrusion, stubbornly wanting to warm that woman’s heart that had been frozen for so long.

Or like a sword through the vast sky, thunder and lightning, using countless unforgettable moments and backward glances to shatter the cold barriers in the depths of her heart.

Bodies pressed together, close enough to hear each other’s heartbeats – such passionate yet steady beating, each sound like an irrevocable vow.

Qin Chang Ge’s hand rested lightly on Xiao Jue’s chest. This embrace was different from Feihuan’s gentle vastness and infinite tolerance, different from Feihuan’s cool distance that seemed present yet absent. He existed so persistently and brilliantly, not allowing her to ignore him.

Qin Chang Ge closed her eyes slightly, sighing as she embraced him back, feeling the familiar yet determined flesh beneath her palm. Her state of mind felt like another lifetime – whose heart had been so barren all these years, waiting only to wither and die? Who ultimately became whose salvation?

Before her eyes, shadows dimmed as the scent of pine needles and cypress leaves approached. He lowered his head, using his lips to seek her fragrance.

Kisses like spring breeze, carrying reverence and deep love, lightly brushed one by one over her white forehead, straight nose, slowly moving downward, seeking the world’s most pure and beautiful source.

The overlap of lips was like lightning striking in an instant, stirring up magnificent arcs of light. In the brilliant five colors, he was infinitely joyful, his heart seeming to explode into a thousand pieces, each piece soaring to the clouds.

Within joy arose slight bitterness, seemingly with an urge to cry. This moment of waiting felt as if he had waited for three lifetimes – in those three lifetimes I crossed vast seas, searching everywhere but could not find my Chang Ge.

Until this moment, until this moment, finally drunk in your dimples, in this lifetime willing to remain forever fallen without needing anyone to help me up.

Sighing deeply, Xiao Jue tenderly turned and pressed, sucking the fragrant lips of the woman beneath him. These years of longing and infinite loneliness all transformed into the reverent strength between touching lips and tongues, worshipping devoutly inch by inch.

“Swoosh!”

Fire trees and silver flowers shot up outside the long windows behind them, bursting in the high sky like rain of starlight, illuminating the dark blue firmament and the warm, romantic scene in the pavilion.

There bright candles burned high with faint sandalwood incense; there a black-clothed man and crimson-clad woman embraced in a beautiful arc; there the woman’s gently tip-toeing posture was like a graceful willow that instantly turned green three thousand li of desolate, snow-covered Jiangnan.

===================================

That night, according to custom, the Great Ceremony Hall hosted a banquet where His Majesty celebrated the New Year with all officials.

Almost all the officials discovered that His Majesty’s dragon countenance was extremely joyful – joy written all over his eyebrows, preening and posturing with countless expressions.

Having suffered months of torment from the dark dragon countenance and being oppressed by the heavy low pressure in court until they wanted to commit suicide, the officials breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged knowing glances as they all turned toward Grand Tutor Zhao at the head of the civil officials.

How could this be such a coincidence? When Grand Tutor Zhao was ill and didn’t attend court, His Majesty seemed to hit menopause, explosive as a firecracker that would blow up at the slightest touch or even without being touched. When Grand Tutor Zhao appeared at the New Year banquet, His Majesty immediately became as jubilant as if he had just conquered North Wei.

No wait, conquering North Wei hadn’t made him this excited. Look at His Majesty’s eyebrows and eyes – full of spring spirit, exactly like someone who had just made love with his beloved consort on the dragon bed ten thousand times and was thoroughly satisfied.

Tsk tsk… Wasn’t it said that the Empress had returned and was recuperating at the palace? Wasn’t it said that His Majesty and Empress had been loving for years with unchanging hearts? How was it that after the Empress’s absence for several years, His Majesty had changed his orientation from red scarves and emerald sleeves to cut sleeves and shared peaches? Tsk tsk, husband, husband – truly only within one zhang’s distance could one be a husband.

The officials exchanged meaningful glances, His Imperial Majesty sent autumn waves secretly, and Grand Tutor treated the colorful gazes from all directions as appetizers, drinking with great relish.

Across from her, the red-clad, bewitching Prince Jing’an lightly covered his features with his wine cup. Behind the cup, a pair of brilliantly shimmering phoenix eyes were more intoxicating than the finest wine, glancing toward her from time to time.

Qin Chang Ge simply assumed his eyes were twitching.

Ever since Yu Zixi had let Bai Yuan escape, though Xiao Jue and Qin Chang Ge hadn’t made things difficult for him, at Qin Chang Ge’s insistence, various military affairs were deliberately kept from Yu Zixi’s involvement. Fortunately, Yu Zixi had always been content being an idle prince. His greatest pleasures in life currently were raising dogs, flirting with beauties, and eating famous dishes from various countries at Fengman Tower. Whether or not he had a voice in military matters seemed to matter little to him.

Qin Chang Ge had once joked with Xiao Jue that fortunately Yu Zixi lacked ambition – otherwise, who was really the emperor of Western Liang would be hard to say. Yu Zixi and Xiao Jue had joined the military together, both rising step by step from common soldiers to commanding generals. On the battlefield, Yu Zixi, this lazy and carefree person, often left the charging and prominent duties to Xiao Jue while he handled easier tasks like rescuing people and clearing battlefields. So his promotions weren’t as rapid as Xiao Jue’s. But among the soldiers who had joined the same batch as Xiao Jue and survived countless battles, most later became Western Liang’s independent commanding generals, or at least mid-level officers. Many of these people had been casually saved by Yu Zixi. In terms of military loyalty, Yu Zixi could be considered the top person after Xiao Jue and Qin Chang Ge.

Unfortunately, the fox’s thoughts never seemed to be on power and politics, just like how his flowing glances always liked to stick to Qin Chang Ge.

He stuck here and stuck there, while on the imperial throne Xiao Jue also stuck here and stuck there. When the sticking inevitably intersected, Xiao Jue quickly discovered Yu Zixi’s dishonesty and immediately began glaring at him with a dark face, using his gaze to strike him. After using up all Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms, Yu Zixi never directly met His Majesty’s dragon gaze, only continued smilingly propping his chin while looking at Qin Chang Ge.

How shrewd were the officials? They had long discovered the turbulent undercurrents among the three great leaders and carefully moved their seats again and again, getting farther and farther from those two. What a joke – what kind of people were these? His Majesty needn’t be mentioned – master of the realm, whose single word decided the life and death of tens of thousands. Grand Tutor Zhao – head of civil officials, who had risen miraculously, doing extraordinary deeds and killing extraordinary people, advancing step by step on heads and blood, the youngest Grand Tutor in history. Prince Jing’an – supreme among military generals, first minister from the dragon’s rise, acting wickedly and wildly yet maintaining his foundation for years, whose Red Armor Guards were called the dynasty’s finest guards. If these people had some strange dealings, who dared join the excitement?

In this strange atmosphere, Qin Chang Ge leisurely raised her eyes, looked at Yu Zixi who did nothing but stare at people, smiled, used her hand to pinch at her clothes as if pinching up that gaze, then “threw” that “gaze” into the nearby spittoon and miscellaneous box.

Someone couldn’t help but snort with suppressed laughter, then desperately swallowed it back.

Everyone used golden cups to cover their faces, secretly watching through the gaps to see if Prince Jing’an had been driven mad with anger.

But Yu Zixi showed no anger at all. Under his ever-present red lamp, he stretched lazily, then suddenly smiled and gave Qin Chang Ge the middle finger.

…The middle finger.

This time Qin Chang Ge was dumbfounded. How could this guy possibly know what the middle finger meant? After thinking, she understood – right, he still didn’t know what it meant, but definitely knew it wasn’t good, so he deliberately did it for her to see.

Just as she was about to return the gesture, she suddenly heard a thread of focused sound transmission: “Bai Yuan has returned to his country.”

Qin Chang Ge raised her eyebrows and also transmitted: “Your Highness sounds very happy.”

Yu Zixi’s features were bewitching as he lightly tapped the table, transmitting thinly: “One more thing – before coming to Western Liang, Bai Yuan seems to have reached some kind of agreement with North Wei.”

“Is that so? Your Highness must be even happier now. This subordinate suggests that Your Highness sprinkle some poison at today’s banquet, poison everyone to death, then take the dragon throne and surrender Western Liang to Eastern Yan – what brotherly harmony and family joy – how wonderful.” Qin Chang Ge played with her silver chopsticks, the silver chains clinking in the silence.

Both were making sounds with their hands because a vacuum of silence had appeared at this moment. Under such circumstances, sound transmission was easily detected, so the officials once again witnessed the bizarre scene of “Prince Jing’an tapping the table, Grand Tutor Zhao playing with chopsticks, the two seeming to duel with some miraculous martial arts.”

“Grand Tutor, you truly wrong this prince. After all, this prince is also a person of Western Liang, right? Also His Majesty’s playmate since childhood, right?” Tap tap tap.

Officials looked left toward Prince Yu.

“Oh, so Your Highness still remembers. This subordinate thought Your Highness had changed allegiances and joined Eastern Yan, becoming National Teacher Bai Yuan’s rear garden flower!” Ding ding ding with chopsticks.

Officials turned right toward Grand Tutor Zhao.

“That cold place Eastern Yan doesn’t interest this prince. This prince still loves our Southern romantic style.” Tap tap tap.

Officials twisted left again, looking at Prince Yu.

“This subordinate truly doesn’t know which side Your Highness stands on or what thoughts you’re harboring.” Ding ding ding with chopsticks.

Officials twisted right again, looking at Grand Tutor Zhao.

“Me? I don’t know what I’m doing either. Perhaps one moment we’re friends, who knows if the next moment we’ll be enemies. Don’t you think such a life is particularly interesting?” Tap tap tap.

Twist left…

“Interesting, interesting. Only if those who play with fire burn themselves, then it probably won’t be interesting anymore.” Ding ding ding with chopsticks.

Twist right…

“Bang!”

The officials suddenly all turned their heads upward to look at Emperor Xiao who had smashed his jade cup.

“Ouch!”

Some unlucky official with cervical problems, due to left-twisting, right-twisting, then sudden center-twisting with overly frequent and rapid movements, pulled a muscle.

With a wave of Xiao Jue’s hand, the unlucky official was immediately carried off to find an imperial physician to set his muscles. His Imperial Majesty looked at no one else, only frowning as he stared at Yu Zixi. Yu Zixi gave him a seductive smile, and His Imperial Majesty nearly broke another cup.

The officials desperately gasped inwardly – ah, ah, ah, today’s banquet was really eye-opening! No longer the boring drinking and poetry of the past – this was clearly a drama of lords competing for a rabbit. Uh… was Grand Tutor Zhao the rabbit? What kind of fierce rabbit was that? Then was Prince Yu the rabbit? What kind of seductive rabbit was that?… No, no, these two killing gods couldn’t possibly be rabbits – the temperament didn’t match at all. Could it be His Majesty? Bah, bah, slap myself!!!

While desperately slapping themselves mentally, the officials’ eyes shone as they looked back and forth at those three people – so entertaining, better than a hundred plays!

But soon, something even more entertaining appeared.

Clang, clang, clang – a series of gongs and drums sounded, beaten without any rhythm at all. In the chaotic drumbeats, a gaudily dressed little person suddenly burst out from behind the jade steps and screen, pulling a flag and bouncing out happily. The flag and clothes were in the same style – so gaudily decorated it was shocking to heaven and earth, making ghosts weep, unbearable to look at. On it were eight red characters: “Congratulations and fortune, bring out the red envelopes!”

Behind the garishly dressed little person followed a dark-skinned young boy in white robes embroidered all over with large red envelope patterns, carrying a huge burlap sack and dragging it behind him. From time to time he very dutifully reminded his master, “Slow down, slow down, watch your step. No wait, this is the yangge step…”

The officials showed pained expressions.

For no other reason – Western Liang’s nationally famous, beloved by all, where people saw people loved and flowers saw flowers bloom, spring colors that couldn’t be contained in a full city like pear blossoms weighing down crabapple trees – Crown Prince Xiao had once again ignored everyone’s sorrow and gnashing hatred and made his magnificent appearance.

Appearing was fine, but why was he dragging such a huge sack? The officials had all developed sack phobia lately – they shuddered at the sight of sacks.

Recently, since Guantang Palace had begun winter break and stopped classes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had become idle and suddenly become infatuated with going door-to-door to inspect various officials’ residences, calling it concern for subordinates’ living and mental health. Concern was fine, but every visit must involve dragging a big sack, saying that coming empty-handed wasn’t gentlemanly conduct, and he brought some local specialties for everyone to taste. How could the officials dare accept the Crown Prince’s specialties? Moreover, it was said these specialties were personally dug up by the Crown Prince while standing guard at the suburban military camp – truly special products from the soil. When officials thought of specialties personally dug by the Crown Prince and personally delivered to their residences, this honor, this happiness – they kowtowed repeatedly, almost shedding tears of gratitude. They hurriedly sought out all the exquisite treasures in their residences, wanting to offer them up, but were solemnly refused by the Crown Prince, who said: “This Crown Prince came to visit you gentlemen and thank you for your diligent governance and hard work for the people. How could I have the nerve to take your things?”

The officials felt terrible about it and repeatedly knelt begging the Crown Prince to show some face. Only then did the Crown Prince reluctantly sigh heavily and say: “Taking things is absolutely impossible – if Father Emperor knows, he’ll spank me. How about this – one of Youtiao’er’s distant relatives is a sales manager at Fengman Tower. He took on the task of selling three thousand consumption vouchers before New Year, one hundred taels each, and is worried about how to sell them. If you really want to show filial piety to me…”

The officials understood the implicit meaning and immediately expressed their position: “Your Royal Highness need not worry about this. Eunuch Youtiao’er’s business is our business. These… consumption vouchers, we’ll purchase them! This old minister will take one hundred!”

So the Crown Prince was greatly pleased and highly praised these “loyal ministers” who had “merit in purchasing.” Finally, he was respectfully escorted out to the next house. The officials wiped their sweat, called their whole families, set up incense tables, and carefully lifted out the sack, untying one bag to find another bag inside, and inside that bag yet another bag. The officials marveled – packed so tightly, it must be something good!

After untying more than ten bags, they finally revealed a small package that felt soft in hand. The officials carefully opened it.

A bag of earthworms.

…

Over ten days, a total of more than one hundred officials received earthworm gifts and actively purchased three thousand consumption vouchers worth three hundred thousand taels of silver in total. Crown Prince Xiao’s “specialties dug from the soil” became the most valuable earthworms in history.

Today, the shameless and fierce Crown Prince Xiao once again dragged out a sack, and the officials had strong urges to faint.

Unexpectedly, today the garishly dressed Crown Prince was quite tactful. He squatted on his emperor father’s legs and stylishly announced: “This Crown Prince will give you gentlemen practical gifts you’ve never seen before! To thank you for your support of our Western Liang court! This Crown Prince absolutely guarantees they’re practical and are the first unique items in all of Western Liang. You gentlemen, as VIP members personally developed by me, will definitely enjoy honored guest treatment – as for whether receiving my gifts requires giving me a big red envelope, well, whatever, just show some token appreciation. Oh right, the red envelopes I prepared are made of paper and will break if you put silver in them, so please give gold leaves or silver notes. Thank you.”

Xiao Jue helplessly slapped his bottom and scolded in a low voice: “No asking for money!”

“Did I ask for money? I’m giving gifts first. As for giving gifts in return, isn’t that natural law?” Baozi blinked his innocent big eyes and looked strangely at his emperor father.

Xiao Jue was stumped for words. After thinking for a long time, he said: “What gift are you preparing? I vaguely heard you’ve been giving things to the officials. When I ask them, they won’t say, each with a bitter smile. What tricks are you up to again?”

“Oh, Father Emperor, do you want to see?” Baozi immediately very attentively pulled a translucent thing from the sack and put it on his finger. “I think you’ll need this sooner or later.”

“What is this?” Xiao Jue frowned at the soft, translucent, intestine-like thing, instinctively knowing his son was up to no good.

“This is something that ensures my Crown Prince position will be as solid as a rock and will never be stolen by other brothers who suddenly appear.” Baozi said this all in one breath, then smugly said: “I only heard my mother mention it once, but I remembered it. I thought about it for a long time before making it. Hahaha, I tested it on many animals…”

He cackled proudly as he climbed down from his old father’s knees, swaying as he once again held up the flag and bounced away to give gifts, leaving poor His Imperial Majesty with a serious expression, continuing to ponder.

Baozi started with the lower officials. When everyone had an intestine-like sleeve on their finger and was turning it around with thoughtful expressions, Youtiao’er was busy collecting red envelopes. Gold leaves were heavy, silver notes were light, but of course, their values were all lovely. Baozi collected them without any hesitation – what a joke, these were the world’s first condoms – he wasn’t even charging patent fees!

Finally reaching Grand Tutor Zhao, Grand Tutor Zhao naturally didn’t need to contemplate what this thing was. Grand Tutor Zhao sweetly accepted the gift and handed the Crown Prince a thick stack of silver notes in return. “Don’t be polite, don’t be polite, please accept them, please accept them.”

The Crown Prince felt the thick stack of silver notes and grinned so widely his teeth showed but not his eyes. “Oh my, you’re too kind…”

Opening them, all were one-tael denominations.

…

The Crown Prince’s cheerful steps finally hesitated slightly before the Grand Tutor’s table as he gave his mother a resentful glare, then turned toward Prince Yu.

This time the Crown Prince was cheerful again.

“Your Highness is Western Liang’s first minister. One gift isn’t enough to express this Crown Prince’s admiration. This Crown Prince has specially prepared another New Year gift most suitable for you.”

“Oh?” Yu Zixi squinted at Baozi. One large fox and one small fox stared at each other, sparks crackling between them.

Baozi’s eyes narrowed even more than Yu Zixi’s as he slowly pulled two items from the sack.

Made of satin, with lace trim, very little fabric, very thin straps, two round parts on top and a small triangle below.

“Pfft!”

Qin Chang Ge rarely lost composure and sprayed out her wine.

Bi-ki-ni.