Volume 7, Chapter 7: Grape Wine, Baked Pastries, and Go (1/2)

The days have gotten shorter, Jinshi thought. It was truly a relief that he managed to return before sunset.

“Then, that’s all for me.”

Basen will be returning home. Night guard duties were left to someone else. He had been worked up over staying overnight to guard before, but honestly, Jinshi would get tired if he were to stick to him for the entire day, so he wanted to practice restraint.

Suiren greeted him as soon as he returned to his palace. “First, you’re eating.”

“No, a bath first….” Jinshi tried to correct her, but the palace had a different feel to it from usual. Normally, she would light an incense that Jinshi was fond of—it was a little sweeter than usual.

Even the guards inside was different from the usual faces.

“A guest?”

“Yes.”

And guests who show up at Jinshi’s palace were few and far between.

As the guards lining the corridor lowered their heads, Jinshi headed for the living room.

The person he pictured was relaxing in the living room.

“Is it okay to not visit the inner palace today?” As he lowered his head, Jinshi spoke to his majesty.

“The latest administrator has been recommending me too many of the new consorts.” The great man with the beautiful beard read a book as he tilted his cup. There was a Go board before his eyes. Here too was another individual who rode the craze. “Pushing all girls of my tastes at me.”

In other words, those with large breasts—Jinshi knew. The sovereign of a country, this gentleman wouldn’t pick consort based on just that.

By carelessly choosing a consort of his liking, it’ll be troubling to have individuals who were politically unsuitable. His majesty’s “troubles” refer to that.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

There was Empress Gyokuyou, who rose from consort to empress. In other words, she had become the main wife. Her father, Gyokuen, was currently staying in the capital.

“Worried about your father-in-law’s eyes?”

They were now at Jinshi’s palace. Their conversation took a casual turn.

“No matter the era, those who bear a crown must keep an eye on everyone’s countenance.” His majesty set down a Go stone with a clink and urged Jinshi to sit with his free hand.

Jinshi smiled at his action and sat on the seat opposite the Go board. The Go bowl on his side contained black stones.

His majesty lowered his book. Needless to say, it was the weirdo tactician’s book.

Suiren brought a cup to Jinshi. The fluid within was as red as blood.

He relished the swirling liquid that was visible through the clear glass.

“This grape wine is really sour.” Beside his majesty was a cup that had already been set down.

“This taste is to my liking,” Jinshi said.

“I don’t dislike it either, but recently I heard that sweet wine is popular.”

Hearing sweet wine, Maomao’s disgusted expression suddenly came to mind.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, nothing.” His face had broken into a wide smile. He smoothed it over flusteredly.

His majesty looked puzzled and swirled his cup. “Which reminds me, the Go craze is liable to overshadow it, but apparently imported goods have appeared on the town market.”

“I guess so.” Jinshi also knew. Alongside the western priestess’ arrival the other day, foreign products are on the market in abundance. For a time, taxes had also been lowered temporarily.

“Do you know what the most popular good among them is?”

“What is it?”

The emperor smiled. Normally, it wasn’t unusual for him to look silly before Jinshi, so long as he’s not exhausted from work. “It seems to be grape wine.”

“Grape wine?” Jinshi tilted his head. “It’s not something made in the West?”

In the vicinity of the western capital, Empress Gyokuyou’s hometown, grapes are produced in abundance. The grape wine he currently held in his hand was also a product of the western capital.

“Do things produced in the western capital possess a characteristic sourness like this? However, apparently, the imported ones are sweeter and more delicious.”

“Are they of such high quality?” Jinshi took a gulp of wine. The western capital produce is sour but its initial flavour isn’t bad. However, he felt that Maomao had said it wasn’t supposed to be this sour.

When was that?

Was it around the time Maomao stopped working at the inner palace last year to start work at Jinshi’s place?

Jinshi suddenly swirled the cup. “Is this truly an imported product?”

“…is the taste different? I’ve never drunk it before, but the cabinet minister said it’s delicious?”

“It might be better if you don’t drink it.” Jinshi shared a look with Suiren. When she came closer, he whispered into her ear.

Suiren left the room and returned with a cloth pouch.

“This is?”

Jinshi showed the contents of the package to the emperor who was stroking his beard. It was a metal cup. “This is something I received before. Was it last year?”

Jinshi suddenly recalled the early spring of the previous year.

〇●〇

“I believe it’s better if you don’t drink that wine,” the unsociable pharmacist maid said as she stowed away the tableware. It was when he was pouring a cup of grape wine after a meal.

“Why? You tasted for poison just then, right?” Jinshi tilted his head as he swirled his cup.

The pharmacist had left the inner palace the other day and returned to the pleasure district. She had been employed as Jinshi’s maid and food taster, saying that she’ll come if the pay is good.

“I’ve tasted for poison. I don’t think there’s anything poisonous in the grape wine. If anything, it’s really sour.”

Jinshi preferred sour over sweet. Suiren must have prepared it to suit his tastes. It was a product from the western capital. “Then…”

“It’s just the container that’s an issue.”

“The container?” Jinshi looked at the metal container. “Is it coated with poison or something?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

The pharmacist gently took the cup away from Jinshi. “Excuse me.”

She dipped a pair of chopsticks into the cup of wine and placed a drop into her mouth. After tasting it slowly, she slipped out of the room. Probably to spit it out and rinse her mouth.

The pharmacist, who returned in no time, took away the cup of wine. “It turned into poison.”

“Turned into?”

The pharmacist said meaningfully. “It’s gotten a lot sweeter since I first drunk it. If you use it for a while longer, it would probably turn even sweeter. It tastes delicious, but the component is poison.”

“I don’t quite get it, but can I give my opinion?”