jdhmnovel Chapter 502 Inside Tingyu Pavilion, Drinking Wine in the Jianghu
Chapter 502 Inside Tingyu Pavilion, Drinking Wine in the Jianghu
Listening to the Rain Pavilion, second floor.
The candlelight was bright, and the aroma of wine filled the air.
When Sikong Changfeng pushed open the door of Tingyuxuan carrying his bedding roll, the scene that greeted him made him raise an eyebrow—
Baili Dongjun and Hu Bufei sat facing each other on the ground, with a coarse cloth spread out between them, on which were several ceramic bowls.
The several jars of "Drunken Eight Immortals" wine, worth a fortune, have been opened, and the rich aroma of the wine mingles with the evening breeze, filling the courtyard.
"Okay, okay!"
Sikong Changfeng tossed his bedding aside by the door, pointed at Baili Dongjun, and laughed, "So that's why you were in such a hurry to send me away. You were afraid I'd steal your good wine and you'd be secretly enjoying yourself here with Imperial Censor Hu!"
Baili Dongjun turned around in surprise: "Huh? What are you doing here, you good-for-nothing? Why aren't you at home with Feng Qiuyu? What are you doing here?"
Sikong Changfeng shook his head with a wry smile and sat down opposite Hu Bufei: "Speaking of this... Today when I returned to the City Lord's Pavilion, I got a good scolding from Qiu Yu."
He mimicked Feng Qiuyu's expression and tone at the time, recounting the story with remarkable accuracy—
"Her face darkened the moment she saw me: 'Sikong Changfeng, have you lost your mind? You left Dongjun alone to guard Tingyu Pavilion, the safety of the Hu family rests on your shoulders, and you, what are you doing, running back to me first?'"
Sikong Changfeng spread his hands and gave Baili Dongjun a helpless smile: "Of course I tried to explain, saying that I was worried about her early pregnancy and that she had been restless these past few days... but she certainly wouldn't listen!"
At this point, his voice suddenly softened, and a gentle yet ashamed light appeared in his eyes: "Who knew that Qiu Yu would say so solemnly: 'I, Feng Qiu Yu, am marrying the Third Lord of Snow Moon City, not someone who is afraid of death.'"
"Dongjun is your brother who would risk his life for you, and Imperial Censor Hu is a guest protected by Snow Moon City—for both loyalty and duty, you shouldn't be staying in my safe haven right now."
Hu Bufei was moved by what he heard and sat up straight.
Sikong Changfeng continued, "She also said—" He mimicked Feng Qiuyu's resolute tone from back then,
“‘By protecting Dongjun and the Hu family, you are protecting the principles of Snow Moon City, and the martial world we will entrust to our children. How could I, Feng Qiuyu, not understand this importance?’”
He paused, his expression turning serious: "In the end, she packed my bedding and stuffed it into my hand, saying, 'Tonight, move to Tingyuxuan and stay with Dongjun.'"
I have maids and nannies here, and the city lord's guards patrol outside the courtyard at night, so there's no need to worry."
After Sikong Changfeng finished speaking, he touched his nose with a slightly embarrassed expression: "You see, when my wife scolds someone, she has a lot of reason and evidence, and you can't ignore her!"
After listening, Baili Dongjun picked up his wine cup and handed it to Sikong Changfeng: "You're lucky, kid. What good deeds did you do in your past life to marry such a wonderful wife? Cheers!"
"So wise and understanding!" Hu Bufei replied softly, and solemnly raised his wine bowl. "Miss Feng's breadth of vision and insight are truly remarkable. Brother Sikong, this bowl is a tribute to your virtuous wife!"
"You flatter me, Imperial Censor Hu!" Sikong Changfeng's eyes lit up with a warm smile. He then sat down cross-legged without ceremony, took the wine cup handed to him by Baili Dongjun, and the three of them raised their cups to each other and drank them down in one gulp.
The moment the wine touched his throat, Hu Bufei smacked his lips, gazing at the amber liquid in his glass, and murmured:
"The Drunken Eight Immortals... It truly is the Drunken Eight Immortals. When my late father returned from a banquet at the palace, he talked about it for three days straight, saying that this wine has eight flavors, layer upon layer, and that drinking it is like seeing immortals dancing..."
After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, letting out a long sigh: "Having tasted it today, I know that what my late father said was true. This wine... truly deserves the title of 'divine brew'!"
Upon hearing this, Baili Dongjun's heart stirred, and he asked, "Brother Hu, has your father ever tasted this wine? Isn't this Drunken Eight Immortals wine from Yibin?"
Hu Bufei, still savoring the moment, put down his wine cup, opened his eyes, and said:
"I originally thought it was just a coincidence of names, but I didn't expect this wine to actually have eight flavors. It's probably the same 'Eight Immortals of Drunkenness' that my late father tasted at the state banquet!"
Baili Dongjun was even more puzzled and asked, "Could it be the tribute wine from Yibin that is supplied to the imperial court?"
"No, no! Zui Ba Xian is a wine from Tianqi, made by Xie Shi of Diaolou Xiaozhu. Although Yibin has Wuliangye, ordinary people have never even heard of Zui Ba Xian, let alone tasted it!"
This wine is a closely guarded secret passed down from Master Xie; legend has it that only one or two jars are produced every three years, exclusively for the imperial court—ordinary people can't even buy it if they want to!
Baili Dongjun, however, was holding the wine bowl, looking somewhat dazed. He suddenly asked, "Brother Hu, you just said that this wine is a secret recipe passed down by Master Xie, exclusively for the imperial palace... Is that true?"
Hu Bufei put down his bowl and said solemnly, "It should be true. My late father once accompanied Emperor Tai'an to a state banquet and tasted it. He never forgot it after returning home."
I was young then, and I only remember my father murmuring, 'This wine should only exist in heaven'... Now that I've tasted it myself, I know what it means to be captivated by something so deeply."
Sikong Changfeng couldn't help but click his tongue, closed his eyes to ponder, and after a long while opened his eyes and sighed:
"Indeed wonderful! I once heard people say that it is rare to be able to taste even one flavor in the world of fine wines. Autumn Dew White can contain three flavors. Dongjun's Seven Cups of Starry Night Wine is a masterpiece that can capture seven flavors of the human world!"
But this "Eight Immortals of Drunkenness"... truly lives up to its name. The eight flavors build upon each other, a harmonious blend of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, mellow and rich, with not a single taste repeating itself. Master Xie truly deserves to be called the foremost brewer of Tianqi.
As he spoke, he turned to Baili Dongjun, his eyes filled with a mischievous yet earnest light: "Dongjun, if you want to completely defeat him, you'll probably have to brew a perfect 'Ten-Flavor Wine'!"
Baili Dongjun silently put down his wine cup, his tone somewhat wistful: "I can't understand why Master Xie didn't bring out his skills when we were drinking together, since he has such extraordinary abilities."
If we were to compare the Drunken Eight Immortals with the Seven Cups of Starry Night Wine, it would be truly uncertain who would win!
Hu Bufei picked up the wine jar and filled the cups of Baili Dongjun and Sikong Changfeng, then poured himself a full cup before replying:
"It is said that the brewing process of this wine is extremely complicated and the production is very rare. Apart from state banquets and special gifts from the royal family, only a few jars are known to circulate in the world."
In my opinion, the Imperial Palace probably forbids the spread of the Drunken Eight Immortals' legend, keeping it exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty and nobility; ordinary people would certainly never have the chance to hear of it!
With a "bang," Baili Dongjun slammed his wine bowl down on the cloth after hearing this, a bright fire burning in his eyes.
"Why should I?!" His voice wasn't loud, but every word was firm and resolute.
Why should fine wine be locked within the palace walls, to be enjoyed exclusively by only one family?
There are countless wine lovers throughout the world—wandering swordsmen, old farmers in the fields, ordinary people in the marketplace—who doesn't deserve a taste of fine wine?
He stood up, his sleeves billowing in the night wind, the moonlight bathing him in silvery light.
"I, Baili Dongjun, brew wine so that those who want to drink it can drink it, and those who understand wine can taste it."
My master, the Confucian immortal Gu Chen, possesses countless celestial wines in his cellar, yet he would never say, "This wine is for so-and-so to drink." Wine is the essence of heaven and earth, brewed with painstaking effort for human consumption. Why should the Xiao royal family be so domineering and tyrannical, even monopolizing their wine?
He turned to look north, but the direction of Tianqi City was hidden in the thick darkness of the night.
"The Xiao family, possessing the entire world, even wants to possess a single wine. They want to monopolize all the wealth in the world, and even the finest flavors of life must be branded with imperial authority!"
With such narrow-mindedness and stinginess, how can it be no wonder that the country is declining and the people are increasingly alienated?
Baili Dongjun's chest heaved, but his voice grew increasingly calm:
"When my grandfather and cousin started their rebellion, I initially thought it was just a matter of family and national grievances. But now I think, perhaps they were fighting for more than just the throne!"
We must break down these high walls and return this monopolized world, this privately held beauty, to humanity!
Sikong Changfeng listened quietly, then suddenly tilted his head back, drank the remaining wine in his bowl, and laughed loudly:
"Well said! This applies to wine, and it should apply to all things in the world!"
Hu Bufei also raised his bowl, his expression moved: "Dongjun's words are like gold and stone striking the ground! Indeed, fine wine should be enjoyed together, and the bright moon should be gazed upon together—the most beautiful things in this world should not be held in the palm of anyone's hand and possessed by them alone!"
The fire in Baili Dongjun's eyes gradually settled into a clear and firm resolve. He sat down again, raised his wine cup to the air, as if he were drinking with an unseen distance.
"When the day comes that the mountains and rivers are clear and peaceful," he said, each word like a vow or a wish.
"I, Baili Dongjun, will brew a wine that is unparalleled throughout history—no, not just one. I will brew a thousand flavors, ten thousand styles. On the day the jar is opened, all under heaven will drink together, and the whole world will be drunk together!"
"it is good!"
Sikong Changfeng and Hu Bufei raised their glasses at the same time!
A night breeze swept through, making the aroma of wine in the room even stronger. The three men looked at each other and smiled, their bowls clinking together once more.
That jar of Drunken Eight Immortals wine still faintly exudes the aroma of wine that has been kept secret for too long, an aroma that should belong to everyone.
……