Chapter 536. Good Wine (1/2)
He couldn’t let these people continue, or else his duck, which was about cooked, would fly away! Zhu Junyang had an idea and tried to change the topic, “Xiaocao, hadn’t you made a few earthen jars of grape wine before you came? I remember that you brought two jars over. Counting the days, they should be about ready to drink. Quick, bring it over so everyone can try.”
The emperor emeritus forgot about everything else the moment he heard this. Only the words, ‘grape wine’, resonated in his mind. He had tried the fruit wine that Xiaocao had made before, and especially liked her grape wine and pomegranate wine.
“Little lass, you dare dream to hide good things in front of me? Go, quick!” The white wine of this time were all grain wines which had low alcohol content, so he did not feel so satisfied drinking them. In the emperor emeritus’s point of view, it was still the Maotai [1] that had been specially crafted for the army from his previous life that had enough punch. The taste was mellow and sweet, while the texture was smooth and the rich aroma, long-lasting…
However, a shrimp will do if there was no fish. The grape wine that Xiaocao made had a rich texture, and it was even beneficial towards the body! He had snatched a jar from her last time, and after he finished that jar, he clearly saw that the internal injuries that he had suffered from the war previously had healed significantly, not to mention that it was not so hard for him to get by on a cold day anymore. Hearing that the little lass had stored quite a lot of grape wine, the emperor emeritus rubbed his chin, thinking that he should get a few more jars from her this time.
From the heated gazes she received, Yu Xiaocao knew that she could not hide her grape wine anymore. She fiercely glared at Zhu Junyang while no one was watching, ‘This scourge! Not only did he let me be teased, he even sold out the grape wine I just made! I haven’t even tried it myself!’ She decided to be upset at him for the next three months
The pitiful Zhu Junyang was schemed against by his closest relatives, but he could only silently swallow this loss. 'Ai…the thoughts of a girl are too hard to guess. One moment of carelessness would land him on a landmine!'
The grape skins and pulp in the wine jars that Yu Xiaocao had brought over had not been strained out yet, so these men, who knew the process, patiently waited for her to carry out the filtration. Imperial Prince Sa curiously watched his father and older brother’s eager expressions, wondering, ‘Father said that even the good wine that was supplied to the imperial family was tasteless like plain water, isn’t this sweet grape wine for women? Why are they showing such an odd expression?’
The red wine danced in a swirling dance as it was slowly poured into a transparent, crystal glass, exuding a thick, pleasant aroma. Imperial Prince Sa held the crystal glass filled with the crystal bright and transparent wine, and lightly sniffed at it. A fresh, pleasant fruit fragrance hit his nose, making him unable to resist taking a sip of the sweet, crisp, red liquid. It flowed slowly from the glass into his mouth and infiltrated the taste buds on the tip of his tongue. The balance between sourness and sweetness was just right, the aroma was refreshing, and the texture was smooth…He did not know if it was an illusion, but a warm feeling spread among his internal organs as the liquor flowed through, invigorating him.
”Good wine! It sure is good wine!” Imperial Prince Sa praised upon recovering from his daze. He was a man who knew how to enjoy himself, and he followed his heart in everything that he did, pursuing quality in life. Aside from beautiful women, he had another great passion—wine! Over the years, he had quite often shamelessly asked for imperial wine from the Imperial palace. His collection of wine was much larger than the palace’s storage!
He had drunk a lot of fruit wine before, but they were sweet as juice, so he thought it was only suitable for women. But today, this jar of wine from Xiaocao changed his opinion. If the ordinary fruit wine was like a soft beauty, then this wine was akin to a strong yet gentle female general—there was a beautiful side, but there was also a strong side. A beauty like a delicate flower was easy to come by and could be easily replaced. However, a perfect woman was hard to come by, and when you meet one, you would definitely not marry any other women!
How could he drink other good fruit wine after he had tasted this grape wine? After Imperial Prince Sa dazedly finished his glass of grape wine and returned to his senses, he found that the two wine jars had been almost completely shared out.
He heartachingly grabbed a jar of wine and hugged it close to him. Then he pointed at his father, brother and nephew, who were all red-faced, and said, ”How can you drink so recklessly? Isn’t this just wasting good wine?”
”Little Third, are you going to drink it or not? If you’re not, hand over the jar, I haven't had enough yet!” The emperor emeritus reached out to grab the wine jar in his arms.
Imperial Prince Sa swiftly dodged him and snorted in a burst of drunken bravery, ”All of you are like Zhu Bajie eating ginseng fruit—you don’t know how to appreciate the taste! It's such a waste, such a waste…”
Before he could finish his sentence, someone slapped the back of his head ”You little brat! Who are you calling Zhu Bajie? If I were Zhu Bajie, you'd be a bunch of piglets!” While he was still dazed from the beating, the emperor emeritus took advantage of this chance to snatch back the wine jar and pour himself another full glass.
Stars were still dancing in front of Imperial Prince Sa’s eyes but another slap came down on him, ”Little Third, you’re really capable now, aren’t you? How dare you snatch my wine? Don't you see, except for Xiaocao, who among us can you steal from?”
Following seniority and status, the emperor emeritus, his imperial brother, the emperor, the empress... Imperial Prince Sa really didn't dare to stomp his foot in front of them. He was about to say something when he turned to his young nephew, Zhu Junyang, but he was glared back by his cold, sharp gaze.
The only person here who was lower than him in rank was his young nephew, and he was a ‘Buddha’ that even he, who was his uncle, usually avoided. He had heard about the matters with the Wu Family. If it weren't for the two servants who risked their lives to stop him, the Wu Household would have already been awash with blood. Rumors said that it was only when Chief Steward Su Ran had been called to the scene did they manage to subdue him. If his young nephew lost all his rationality, he would not care if he was his uncle and just squash him like an ant.