If Prince Yan were that easy to deal with and send away, she would not have a headache at all!

Ling Jingshu gave Ling Jingyan a glance, and changed what had been about to leave her lips to: “Cousin Yan makes a fair point. From now on I will try to go out as little as possible. And if there truly is no avoiding it, then ignoring him like today will do.”

She then forced a light smile: “We have come to the Crown Prince’s residence several times already, but this is the first time we have been asked to stay for lunch. When we get back, I cannot imagine how pleased Great-Aunt will be!”

That was true!

Sun Shi had long been eager to attach herself to the Crown Prince’s residence — this great towering tree of influence.

Madam Jiang showed a smile of warm understanding, and the slight heaviness that had been sitting on her heart lifted and eased considerably: “Well, enough — food and drink are the greatest things under heaven; whatever troubles we have, set them aside for now and fill our stomachs first.”

Ling Jingshu smiled and agreed.

The cook at the Crown Prince’s residence needed no praise — the dishes were exquisite and delicious. After half a day’s exertion, everyone was truly hungry, and the meal was enjoyed with great relish.

After the three of them had eaten their fill, Ling Jingshu instructed the few personal maids to sit down and eat as well.

Once everyone had been fed, palace maids came in of their own accord to clear the table. Ling Jingshu and the others returned to the earlier guest room to wait.

This wait stretched on for more than the span of two hours.

Even the most composed of the three — Madam Jiang — could not help growing restless, and finally frowned: “It is already past the third quarter of the Hour of the Goat. Why have A’Xiao and the two Highnesses still not finished their noon meal?”

Even if they had drunk a few cups of wine, it should not take this long!

Ling Jingshu also furrowed her brow slightly, murmuring softly: “Perhaps the Crown Grandson and His Royal Highness Prince Yan grew absorbed in drinking and lingered too long because of it.”

Absorbed — more like worked up into a temper, if anything.

Young men, after all — the hot-blooded impulse was unavoidable.

The Crown Grandson in his cool and composed restraint, and Prince Yan in his deep and calculating manner, were no exception.

It had begun with a sharp exchange of barbs, thrust and parry, back and forth. Once two flasks of wine had gone down, the heat gradually turned to fire. Someone — it was unclear who — had decided the cups were too small and called for bowls. And then it was bowl after bowl, with no end in sight.

Prince Yan, who excelled at all manner of eating and drinking pleasures, naturally had no lack of capacity for wine. The usually quiet and reserved Crown Grandson turned out to be no weaker than Prince Yan either — the two had been competing for over two hours, and still no victor had emerged.

“A’Yao, look at you — your face has gone completely red. If you cannot drink, stop putting up a brave front.” Prince Yan said tauntingly, convinced he himself was still sober. In reality, his own face was flushed scarlet and his eyes were glassy.

The Crown Grandson was not in much better shape than Prince Yan. His speech was nearly beginning to slur, yet he refused to concede: “Sixth Imperial Uncle is joking again. Where have I gone red? Even if I drank another ten or twenty bowls, it would be no problem at all. Wang Tong — come and pour this prince more wine!”

The commander of the guards had been reduced to a wine-pouring attendant. Wang Tong could only shake his head inwardly with a silent, pained smile. He could not resist adding one extra word of counsel: “Your Highness, you really ought not to drink any more. If you continue at this rate, you will truly be drunk——”

Before he could finish, the Crown Grandson was already glaring at him.

Wang Tong had no choice but to fall silent. He refilled the wine dutifully.

Ling Xiao, who had long since eaten his fill and was sitting to the side listening to the two of them drink themselves into a competition, also wore a face full of helpless distress. He had tried no small number of times to persuade them to stop — all to absolutely no avail.

He could not move either of them, and he could not leave before they did. He could only sit there and wait.

“Come — down this bowl!”

“Drink it is!”

And then came the magnificent, uninhibited sound of vigorous gulping.

Just how long was this going to go on? A’Shu and his cousins had been waiting outside this whole time!

Ling Xiao truly could not bear to remain any longer. He cleared his throat and said: “The two Highnesses are in high spirits today. I wonder until when you will drink to your satisfaction. I cannot drink wine, and sitting here idly will only dampen the two Highnesses’ pleasure in drinking. If you would permit me, I will take my leave first — the two Highnesses can continue at leisure.”

“That will not do!”

Prince Yan and the Crown Grandson — through whatever impulse of their own — refused in perfect unison.

Prince Yan was the first to speak further: “What is this about leaving in the middle? Today you will stay right here and serve as our witness — see for yourself who has the greater capacity for wine.”

But what did that have to do with him?

Ling Xiao gave a quiet inward sigh of resignation and had no choice but to agree.

Another half an hour passed.

Beside the table legs, seven, eight, nine — a whole row of empty wine flasks had accumulated.

The Crown Grandson was slumped forward, face-down on the table. Prince Yan’s eyes were blazing, and he broke into a triumphant laugh: “Ha ha ha — look at that meager capacity of yours, and you still dared to have a drinking contest with me. Today you have learned the extent of my prowess——”

The words were not yet finished before a long, deep wine-hiccup escaped him. He then dropped forward onto the table and lay there without moving.

Wang Tong had long anticipated that it would come to this. He pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long sigh.

In such a state of drunkenness!

When news of this reached the Crown Prince and Crown Princess’s ears, he could not imagine how he was going to explain himself as the commander of the guards.

“Commander Wang — am I permitted to leave now?” A clear young voice rang out beside Wang Tong’s ear.

Wang Tong collected himself, and offered Ling Xiao an apologetic smile: “Of course. Young Master Ling, please do as you wish. I still need to attend to His Highness, so I will not see you out.”

Ling Xiao exhaled in relief, rose to his feet, and supported by his young attendant, made his way back to the guest room.

The three women, who had long been waiting in anxious distress, immediately gathered around him.

“A’Xiao, did you drink wine as well?” Ling Jingshu caught the strong smell of wine and could not help but knit her brow with a mild reproach: “You are still taking medicine and applying treatment for your eyes — how could you drink wine?”

Ling Xiao couldn’t help a helpless laugh: “A’Shu, you’ve misunderstood. It was the Crown Grandson and His Royal Highness Prince Yan who were drinking the entire time — I did not touch a single drop. The smell of wine is on me because I was sitting right beside them the whole while. They drank so many flasks that I inevitably absorbed the fumes.”

Ling Jingyan clicked her tongue: “Not a single drop for you, just sitting at the side — and you already smell like wine through and through. Then just how much did those two drink?”

Ling Xiao thought about it earnestly, then answered with no great certainty: “Roughly ten-odd flasks, I would say. By the time I left, they had both drunk themselves into a stupor and were face-down on the table.”

Everyone: “……”

Picturing the cool, self-possessed Crown Grandson — face flushed red with drink — there was an inexplicable sense of the absurd to it.

The corner of Ling Jingshu’s lips lifted briefly, then she smoothed her expression again. She murmured: “We have already lingered long enough at the Crown Prince’s residence today — it is time we leave.”

Otherwise, if the Crown Princess got wind of it and took offense, she would come looking for trouble with them.

Madam Jiang understood perfectly without needing it spelled out, and nodded at once: “A’Shu is right. We will leave right now.”

No one bothered to go and take their formal leave with the Crown Princess — they made a hasty departure from the Crown Prince’s residence. Once they were inside the carriage, almost in unison, everyone let out a breath of relief.

Ling Jingshu considered for a moment, then spoke with a look of sincere earnestness: “Sister-in-Law, Cousin Yan — there is something I wish to ask of you both.”

Madam Jiang laughed softly: “Whatever you need to say, just say it plainly. Between us, why would you need to ‘ask’ anything?”

Ling Jingshu tugged at the corner of her mouth, yet her eyes held very little in the way of a smile: “We cannot hide what happened today — encountering His Royal Highness Prince Yan — from Great-Aunt. But we must not say too much either. When Great-Aunt asks about it later, let me be the one to answer.”

Madam Jiang and Ling Jingyan exchanged a glance, and both nodded in agreement.