Wei Qiang couldn’t help but look deeply at Wei Han, feeling surprised: Was this the Prince Kaiyang who usually didn’t like joining in the excitement?

He didn’t know why, but he always felt the people in this wine shop were all somewhat abnormal—like Miss Luo, who didn’t regard him, the Crown Prince, with any importance; like the little maid who dared point at his eunuch’s nose and curse him as a lowly person.

Like Prince Kaiyang, who suddenly loved joining in the excitement…

Wei Han’s tone was flat and calm: “What does the Crown Prince think?”

Wei Qiang gave a dry laugh: “If Royal Uncle is willing to be a witness, that’s naturally good. Miss Luo, please state your conditions.”

“Why doesn’t Your Highness give me that concubine instead?” Luo Sheng rested one hand on the table, speaking in a very casual tone.

Wei Qiang nearly failed to maintain his gentle expression.

She even wanted the person—wasn’t this still about that bracelet!

After a moment, Wei Qiang ground his teeth and said: “Miss Luo, please don’t joke.”

Luo Sheng blinked: “How is asking for a concubine a joke? She’s merely a concubine. Previously, someone even sent me male companions.”

Wei Qiang: “…”

Wei Han: “…”

Luo Sheng pressed her lips tightly together, clearly revealing displeasure: “It seems Your Highness is unwilling.”

Wei Qiang, who always presented himself as refined and elegant, was so angry he wanted to roll his eyes.

Of course he was unwilling!

If he gave Yu Niang to Miss Luo, he might as well give the bracelet instead.

Wait, he couldn’t let this woman’s outrageous demands lead him astray.

He couldn’t give the bracelet either.

“Miss Luo, people are not objects. I don’t have the hobby of transferring concubines as gifts.” Wei Qiang said with a taut face.

He was the Crown Prince, not one of those literati pursuing elegance.

Speaking of which, did Miss Luo even know he was the Crown Prince?

Luo Sheng gave a light snort, not sparing Wei Qiang any face: “The bracelet is an object, yet Your Highness wasn’t willing to give it either. You’re unwilling to part with the bracelet, unwilling to part with the person—why doesn’t Your Highness tell me what you are willing to part with, and I’ll name my conditions accordingly?”

This mockery left Wei Qiang clenching his fists tightly.

He couldn’t hit her. Knowing it would come to this, he might as well have gone directly to invite the divine physician.

Not that he could necessarily convince him, but being refused by the divine physician would seem normal to the world—it wouldn’t be this humiliating.

Watching Wei Qiang seethe with anger, Luo Sheng felt somewhat satisfied and said lazily: “Since Your Highness won’t agree to this condition either, I can’t think of what to ask for at the moment. How about this—let it be owed, and when I think of it, I’ll ask for it then.”

In any case, with Prince Kaiyang as witness, she wasn’t afraid Wei Qiang would renege.

“Fine.” Wei Qiang felt relieved.

Better to get through the present situation first.

Wei Han frowned slightly, thinking: Miss Luo is quite lenient with the Crown Prince.

“However—”

Upon hearing these two words, Wei Qiang’s heart immediately sank.

Why was there still a “however”?

“Two conditions proposed and both refused by Your Highness—my mood is somewhat poor. How about Your Highness satisfy one small request of mine?”

Wei Qiang fell silent for a moment.

After all this fuss, the owed condition and the request were separate?

“Please speak, Miss Luo.”

“I want to meet Your Highness’s concubine and see what kind of devastatingly beautiful woman she is that Your Highness treasures her so.”

Wei Qiang was surprised and also found it amusing.

In the end, she was just a young girl—her requests revealed childishness.

“This request isn’t difficult, is it?” Luo Sheng looked askance at Wei Qiang.

Wei Qiang smiled: “If it’s just to meet once, it’s naturally not difficult. When the time comes, I’ll have the Crown Princess invite Miss Luo to enter the palace to visit.”

Enter the palace?

Wei Han took a sip of tea.

This time he drank from newly served tea, but the tip of his tongue tasted bitterness—it wasn’t as smooth as that earlier cup.

Luo Sheng smiled slightly: “Then it’s settled.”

The wine and dishes had already been served. She stood up: “Your Highness and Your Highness the Prince, please enjoy yourselves. I won’t disturb you both drinking.”

Watching that plainly dressed figure leave the main hall for the back, Wei Qiang withdrew his gaze and raised his cup to Wei Han: “Royal Uncle, it’s been a long time since we’ve had the opportunity to drink like this. Your nephew toasts you.”

“Your Highness is too polite.” Wei Han raised his cup and drank it in one gulp.

Wei Qiang drank his wine and couldn’t help but praise: “Good wine.”

More than ten years had passed. He was no longer that youth who would cough in discomfort when drinking strong liquor.

However, what he preferred was still orange wine.

Thinking of the orange wine fragrance he’d smelled at the wine shop that time, Wei Qiang instructed Hong Dou, who was attending at the side: “Bring a pot of orange wine.”

While waiting for the orange wine, Wei Qiang casually picked up a piece of braised beef with his chopsticks and ate it.

As the beef entered his mouth, he immediately noticed this braised beef was not casual at all.

The flavor was excellent.

“Royal Uncle—” Just as he wanted to exchange thoughts with Wei Han about the wine and dishes, Wei Qiang discovered that one of the plates of enticingly colored braised pork knuckle had already decreased by several pieces.

His eyebrows lifted slightly as he picked up a slice of the knuckle.

This braised pork knuckle dish was his birth father’s favorite.

Thinking thus, Wei Qiang placed the slice of knuckle, cut to moderate thickness, into his mouth.

Salty, fresh, fragrant, and tender—fatty but not greasy.

With hardly any chewing, Wei Qiang swallowed this slice of knuckle, then picked up another piece to eat before taking time to savor the taste carefully.

He detected a flavor both unfamiliar and familiar.

Unfamiliar because in these years he had never again eaten braised pork knuckle with such flavor.

Familiar because as those precious memories grew more profound with the passage of time, many things that had seemed ordinary at the time became special.

He had eaten this dish several times at Prince Zhennan’s manor—some made by the manor’s cooks, and some made by Luo’er.

Luo’er’s braised pork knuckle had exactly this flavor.

This wine shop had awakened many of his memories.

Wei Qiang’s thoughts wandered for a moment. When he came back to himself, he discovered one plate of braised pork knuckle had already hit bottom, and his young royal uncle, who in his impression was noble and aloof, was battling through the second plate.

He seemed to somewhat understand why Prince Kaiyang had ordered so many dishes.

Only after seeing the portions and tasting the flavor did one know it really wasn’t much.

Wei Qiang stopped letting his mind wander and began eating seriously.

At this time, Minister Zhao walked in. Seeing an additional person at the table where Prince Kaiyang usually sat, he looked carefully and it was actually the Crown Prince. He hurried over to greet them.

“Your Highness, Your Highness the Prince, you two are drinking.”

Wei Qiang raised his eyebrows.

He hadn’t expected the caliber of people who came to drink at this wine shop to be quite high.

“Is Minister Zhao alone?”

“Yes.” Minister Zhao nodded heavily.

He had brought the Lin Teng and Lin Shu brothers to eat, originally thinking to take advantage of the half-price deal, but after eating twice realized it wasn’t economical.

Although it was half price, he couldn’t stop those two big fellows from eating too much.

With two such gluttons around, he ended up spending more money in the end.

No helping it—better to come alone.

“Since Minister Zhao is alone, why not join us?” Wei Qiang casually invited.

He didn’t know if Minister Zhao had something on his mind, but his expression looked somewhat heavy.

For a court minister of Minister Zhao’s standing to show his emotions so clearly, he must have encountered no small matter.

Wei Qiang turned over these thoughts based on his impression and understanding.

Upon hearing the invitation to join them, Minister Zhao was so excited his beard trembled, but not wanting to show it too much, he coughed and said: “Disturbing Your Highness and Your Highness the Prince drinking—how embarrassing.”

Wei Qiang smiled gently: “Minister Zhao is being too formal. Drinking is livelier with more people. Royal Uncle, what do you think?”

He didn’t mind an extra pair of chopsticks, but this young royal uncle had a cold and solitary temperament—if he refused outright, it would have nothing to do with him.

Wei Han smiled slightly: “I think Your Highness is right.”