Chapter 54 Entering the Wine

  Li Tai personally pulled Qin Mu Bai, constantly urging Qin Bin, and brought the two to the first creek water turn corner - according to convention, it is usually where King Wei himself and the most familiar and poetic people sit.

  "Brother Mu Bai, I've come to introduce a few people to you." Li Tai pulled Qin Mu Bai over just as the others who were seated had already stood up.

  Qin Mubai glanced roughly and found a familiar face among them - Changsun Rui was also there. He sat with a young man, and the two men's faces looked similar in several ways.

  "This is the one, he is the eldest grandson of the Marquis of Longxi, Longsun Chong." Li Tai first introduced the young man to Qin Mubai. Sure enough, it was indeed Longsun Chong, the elder brother of Longsun Ruan, the eldest son of the Longsun family, and the current number one imperial son-in-law who married Princess Changle.

  Princess Changle of the Tang Dynasty, Li Lishi, was the eldest daughter of Empress Changsun. She was the elder sister of Crown Prince Li Chengqian and Wei Wang Li Tai. Princess Li Lishi was a virtuous and wise person, just like her mother, Empress Changsun. Since childhood, she had been the favorite of Emperor Taizong of Tang, who praised her as a model for all the princes and princesses. The emperor married her to Zhangsun Chong, which showed his great favor towards the Zhangsun family.

  According to the custom of this dynasty, it is generally "the eldest son inherits the title and the second son marries the princess". And Zhangsun Chong was the eldest son of Zhangsun Wuji, the first minister of the current dynasty. This exceptional marriage to a senior princess shows his prestige and reputation in the current court. However, Zhangsun Chong seems to be more low-key than his brother Zhangsun Reng, like his father, he is cautious and introverted, usually staying out of the limelight, so his influence is not particularly great in the imperial family circle.

  Qin Mubai sized up that Long Sun, and at first glance, he seemed to be a modest and polite young master. The two exchanged greetings, which was equivalent to breaking the ice.

  "This one doesn't need Xiao Wang's introduction, you're all very familiar with each other, haha!" Li Tai said with a smile, pointing at Chang Sun Yan.

  "Brother Qin is indeed a refined and elegant talent, hiding his true self!" Changsun Yan smiled with the corners of his mouth, his words full of sarcastic meaning.

  Qin Mubai returned the courtesy with a casual smile: "I'm just a martial artist, and when it comes to poetry, I'm really an ignorant outsider. It's not that King Wei thinks I'm foolish, but rather he's called me over to broaden my horizons, have a cup of wine, and join in the excitement."

  "Brother Qin, no need to be overly modest." Changsun's face wore a gentle smile, but his nose let out a faint, cold snort as he sat down.

  On the side, Zhangsun scolded in a low voice: "The King of Wei is here, how can you be so rude?"

  Chang Sun's expression changed slightly, and he awkwardly lowered his head: "Little brother knows his mistake."

  Li Tai and Qin Mu Bai seemed to have not heard it, and smiled as they went to greet others.

  Today, many big shots and second-generation ancestors have arrived. Du Ruhui's son Du He, Xiao Yu's son Xiao Rui, Chai Shao's son Chai Lingwu, Wang Ke's son Wang Jingzhi, Fang Xuanling's son Fang Yizhi and Fang Yiai... Among them, many are sons-in-law who married princesses. What interests Qin Mubai the most is the historically famous "Green Hat King" - Fang Yiai. This young man is only 15 or 16 years old and has not yet married a princess. He is tall and strong, with a rustic and simple-minded appearance, and is said to be skilled in archery and horseback riding. During the conversation, it was mentioned that Changsun Wuji had previously invited him to participate in the selection of the Hundred Riders, but Fang Er said that being a soldier without beautiful women would be too bitter, and it's better to wait for marrying a princess, which would guarantee a lifetime of wealth and glory without worries. Why bother going to the army to wield guns and spears?

  Indeed, you have great ambitions and a broad vision!

  Qin Mubai paid attention for a moment, but didn't find Wei Zheng's son here. It is said that Wei Zheng's family discipline is extremely strict, to the point of being a bit like having depression, and he is very reclusive. Normally, his family closes its doors and refuses to socialize with anyone, and strictly orders his children and nephews not to make friends with anyone. Therefore, in the Second Generation Circle of Chang'an, there isn't even half a person from the Wei family.

  Li Tai finally managed to introduce Qin Mu Bai, the new guy, to everyone. After a round of introductions that took quite some time, the officials and talented scholars below were getting a bit impatient. Many people were bored from waiting and had already started chatting with each other in twos and threes.

  "Qu Shui Liu Shang is starting now!"

  Everyone cheered and began their preparations. In the upper reaches of the stream, some people were also preparing to release floating cups.

  Li Tai said, "Today's wine is exceptionally good, it was bestowed upon me by the Emperor himself, specifically for this occasion of 'Qin Xian Yu Jiu' - Ah, it's brewed by none other than Qin San Gongzi!"

  Li Tai pointed at Qin Mu Bai, instantly attracting everyone's attention. Whether it was out of respect for Li Tai or to give Qin Mu Bai some face, many people applauded and a burst of surprised gasps sounded.

  "Your Highness, let's get started soon, everyone is getting impatient."

  "Alright, let's start!" Li Tai chuckled and smiled foolishly. He raised his hand, the music changed, and someone upstream began to pour wine into cups.

  The first three wooden wine cups flowed down, each with about half a cup of wine. Along the winding stone path by the creek, they clattered and bumped along. At the first bend, they were blocked by a large rock in the creek, and the scene erupted into applause and cheers.

  "Good, Your Highness takes the lead!"

  "Your Highness, please hurry!"

  The first cup of wine fell in front of Li Tai, and the other two cups flowed slowly down and were taken away by the other two talented scholars.

  "Haha, then Little Wang will make a fool of himself first." Li Tai bent down to pick up the wine cup from the creek water and drank it all in one gulp. His face immediately turned red. Taking a deep breath, he exclaimed: "Qin Xian Yu Jiu is indeed good wine! ——Little Wang will take 'Xian' as the meaning, recite a poem!"

  Having said that, Li Tai casually recited a poem, which triggered a burst of applause and cheers from the audience, bringing the banquet to a climax.

  Qin Mubai secretly admired: I have to say, this fat kid is very talented. In this regard, I am far inferior to him.

  Two other officials also recited their poems, which were also well-received. The scene was recorded by the royal secretary, who wrote down all the poems. Later, the best works would be selected from among them, either engraved on stone tablets and erected in the palace garden, or compiled into a poetry collection to be circulated throughout the world.

  The wine cups floated down the winding stream, and those who failed to compose a poem on the spot were punished with three cups of wine, which they had to drink amidst the jeers of the crowd.

  Qin Mubai was purely here to make a personal appearance and join in the fun, but didn't expect to go to the creek to fetch a cup and end up embarrassing himself. In fact, everyone was sitting quite close together, so if that cup had been left for someone else to recite poetry, it would have all depended on everyone's mood, or whether someone else would give face and push it over.

  Seated next to Qin Mu Bai was Qin Bin, and right beside him were Li Tai and the Chang Sun brothers. The two brothers seemed extremely interested in this wine-drinking game, and Chang Sun Mo even took it upon himself to fetch a cup from the stream and recite a poem of love and beauty, causing everyone to erupt into laughter and applause.

  The young man is charming, and everyone present likes this kind of flavor.

  Another round of flooding is coming.

  Qin Mubai was chatting with Qin Bin, when suddenly the whole scene fell silent. He looked up in surprise to see Changsun Yan standing in front of him, holding a cup with a few drops of water left, and a sly smile on his face.

  "Brother Qin, how can you just chat and not show off your skills? Since you're here, shouldn't you at least give a small performance?" Long Sun Ran said, placing the cup and plate on Qin Mu Bai's table.

  "This... In the next martial arts competition, I'm really not good at poetry." Qin Mubai smiled and said, "Brother Changsun, since you picked up the cup, it's still your turn. The capable one does more work, after all!"

  A burst of whispers erupted around him, and it was clear that many people were secretly ridiculing Qin Mu Bai as a "martial artist".

  "Since Young Master Changsun is so enthusiastic, we should not be rude. My third brother won't recite poetry, I'll do it instead." Qin Bin stood up and was about to reach for the cup when Changsun Yan suddenly raised his hand to stop him: "Hold on! Second Brother Qin, this wine was specially brought for Third Brother Qin."

  Qin Mubai's eyebrows slightly furrowed: This little rascal is still defying me, does he really want to humiliate me in public?

  The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat tense.

  Li Tai hastily got up and came over, laughing: "No need to recite poetry, it's completely fine! Mu Bai, you just have three cups of wine as a penalty. You're not the only one who got penalized today, no big deal."

  Chang Sun Yan looked at Qin Mu Bai, with a cold smile: "The King of Wei is absolutely right. It's just three cups of penal liquor, and for Brother Qin's capacity, it's not a problem at all."

  At this time, Qin Bin said in a low voice: "Third brother, just punish him with three cups of water."

  "Three cups? My capacity for liquor is limited. This wine I brewed myself, so I know its potency. What if I get drunk and start acting like a fool, wouldn't that ruin the atmosphere of today's gathering?" Qin Mu Bai stood up, gazing straight into Chang Sun Yan's eyes, suddenly flashing a cold smile, reached out to grab his cup.

  "Although I am uneducated and untalented, compared to the talented scholars present here, I'm just an ignorant fool who can't even recognize characters. But as for poetry... occasionally I also dabble in it." With that said, Qin Mu Bai tilted his head back and downed the wine in his cup, slamming the cup onto the table.

  Chang Sun blinked, staring at Qin Mu Bai with wide eyes, thinking to himself: What kind of nonsense is this kid going to spout again? After months of being in the army together, when have I ever seen this martial artist recite half a line of poetry? The books he reads are all military strategy and tactics, not a single one has anything to do with elegance or refinement... I'd love to see how he gets out of this!

  Li Tai took the lead in applauding: "Good, good! The flowing water and wine cup are actually valuable for participation, but relaxed and happy. Today, Mu Bai brother's poem, whether good or bad, this spirit is also worthy of praise." With that, he first paved a downhill road for Qin Mu Bai, so that he wouldn't be embarrassed when he recited a bad poem later.

  Since King Wei has spoken, everyone else can only follow along: "Yes, yes, the value lies in participation. We will listen to the excellent work of Master Qin."

  Qin Mubai smiled casually, holding a wine cup in one hand and clenching the other behind his back as he paced back and forth, pretending to be deep in thought, occasionally scratching his head with a hint of embarrassment.

  Li Tai hastily ordered his servant to pour him a cup of wine.

  Qin Mubai burst out laughing: "Thanks to King Wei's gift of wine, I... have an idea!"

  "Let's name this wine and compose a poem 'Will Bring Wine' to amuse the world."

  "Good, let's have some wine! Everyone, pour out the wine in your cups!" Li Tai shouted.

  Qin Mubai couldn't help but want to laugh.

  Heart's way, Laozi may not be able to compose poems, but he can recite a few... Li Bai, don't blame me for pirating your work, I have no choice, that turtle grandson is forcing me!

  "Don't you see, the Yellow River's waters come from heaven, flowing to the sea without returning? Don't you see, in high halls and bright mirrors, white hair is a sorrow, in the morning like black silk, by evening it becomes snow! In life, when things are going well, one must enjoy them fully, don't let golden cups be empty when facing the moon. Heaven has given me talent, it must have its use, even if I scatter all my wealth, it will come back again."

  Qin Mubai was a born general, and his voice had been trained to be loud and clear in the army. When he recited poetry, he had a particularly heroic and majestic momentum. The first few sentences he just recited made many people stunned, and the scene suddenly became a bit quiet.

  Even Li Tai couldn't help but widen his eyes, suddenly shouting: "Good! 'Life's joys must be savored to the fullest, don't let golden cups face the moon alone, heaven-born talents will surely find use, a thousand pieces of gold spent will return again' - an absolutely excellent poem!"

  "Good——" A loud applause erupted, with thunderous clapping.

  Chang Sun's eyes were already twitching, and his face was involuntarily pale. Ever since he met Qin Mu Bai, he found himself easily turning pale, adding to the annoyance in his heart.

  Qin Mu Bai burst into loud laughter, drained his cup and raised it high, reciting loudly ——

  "Roasting sheep and slaughtering cattle, we must drink three hundred cups at a time. Sir, let's have another cup, don't stop! I'll sing you a song, please lend me your ear to listen."

  "Good——"

  The atmosphere of the wine party reached its peak in an instant, and many officials couldn't help but applaud wildly, raising their cups to drink. Today's guests are all masters who have read extensively, and Li Bai's "Bring in the Ale" is a timeless masterpiece that has been passed down for thousands of years - how can they not be excited?

  "A steed with a coat of five hues, a cloak worth a thousand pieces of gold; I'll call out to my son to come out and exchange them for fine wine, to drown our sorrows together for all eternity."

  After finishing the poem, Qin Mu Bai seemed to be drunk and laughed wildly, waving the empty wine cup in his hand: "Gentlemen, please drink this cup to the full, and dispel the sorrows of ten thousand ancient times!"

  Li Tai took a deep breath, waved his hand and shouted: "Bring wine!!! To toast to Mu Bai's extraordinary masterpiece, let's drink a full cup!"

  Everyone poured wine and stood up, saying in unison: "King Wei invites you, Brother Mu Bai, please!"

  "Please——" Qin Mu Bai's heroic aura burst forth in a loud shout, as he downed the strong liquor in his cup in one gulp.

  After three consecutive cups of wine, Qin Mubai was indeed a bit dizzy. He glanced at Zhang Sun Ran and saw that he had shrunk back to his own table like a wounded little mouse, not even daring to look straight at Qin Mubai.

  Qin Mubai pretended to be drunk and staggered back to his seat. Li Tai also sat down, turned around with a smile and said: "Brother Mubai is indeed a hidden talent with extraordinary literary skills, I love this poem 'Invitation to Wine' so much! I would like to ask Mr. Yu Shannan, the number one calligrapher of our time, to write it out and engrave it on a stone tablet in our local government office, so that we can read it day and night. Would Brother Mubai mind?"

  "Your Highness, if you don't mind the crudeness of my poetry, then please do as you wish." Qin Mu Bai replied with a smile.

  "It's great, it's great." Li Tai chuckled twice with his signature heh-heh smile, gesturing for Qu Shui to continue. But all around them were excited discussions and many people were still immersed in the passion of "Inviting the Wine", reciting lines from it non-stop.

  Qin Mubai glanced at Zhang Sunyan and couldn't help but laugh: "Strange, this kid's face is going to turn green again?"

  .??，！