Chapter 575: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 575: The Winds Rise (2)
Yan Junyu’s words were quite skillful. Though he offered no flattery, every sentence subtly implied the affectionate relationship between Emperor Hui'an and Chu Heng.
Indeed, Emperor Hui'an was delighted, and his gaze toward Chu Heng became even more affectionate. “Since it is beneficial for Heng’er’s health, I will drink this cup of wine. As for the rest, Heng’er should keep it for himself!”
Chu Heng smiled and said nothing.
Emperor Hui'an looked at his son’s emaciated cheeks and sighed heavily, a mix of pity and guilt in his eyes. Unable to refuse his son's filial offering, he took a sip of the wine.
Upon tasting it, although the flavor was not exceptional, the unique quality revealed itself as the wine slid down his throat. Emperor Hui'an’s eyes lit up, and he praised without reservation, “Indeed, this is an exceptionally fine wine!”
There were many wine enthusiasts present, and the distinctive color of the grape wine had already piqued their curiosity. With the Emperor himself praising it, their desire to taste it grew even stronger. The fact that the wine was also said to be good for health made it all the more regrettable that they could not taste it themselves.
However, since only two small jars of the wine were in the Crown Prince’s possession and with the Emperor's endorsement, no one had the courage to ask Chu Heng for a taste. But since Yan Junyu had given the wine to the Crown Prince, they figured that privately inquiring about it with Yan Junyu might still yield a taste of this fine wine.
Listening to the murmurs of interest, Chu Heng left the wine on the Emperor's table and returned to his own seat. He poured himself a cup of grape wine and enjoyed it leisurely. The fragrant aroma made those from the royal family and officials with a fondness for wine swallow their saliva in anticipation.
...This novel is translated by the Eternal Novel Hits translators. Please read it at https://www.eternalnovelhits.com....
After Emperor Hui'an finished his wine and venison, he selected several members of the royal family and officials who were skilled in horseback riding and archery to accompany him into the forest for hunting. The remaining individuals, who were also fond of riding and hunting but could not join the Emperor, went to other hills to prepare to show their skills, hoping to catch the Emperor’s eye and be included in future hunts, as the autumn hunt would last for half a month.
Those who were not interested in hunting but were eager to taste the grape wine continued to press Yan Junyu for details.
Yan Junyu did not hide anything. He did not mention his plan to open a wine estate but said that grapes were rare, making grape wine even harder to come by, and he could not guarantee that he could acquire it.
Since the rarity of grapes was a believable reason, no one questioned it. Those who loved wine were even more eager, not only to taste it but also to gain face. Being among the first to taste the wine praised by the Emperor would certainly be a point of pride among their peers. They shamelessly urged Yan Junyu to get them some wine, and money was no object!
Yan Junyu pretended to be reluctant but agreed, already overjoyed inside.
“Haha, I was right to invest so much in building that wine estate. Soon I’ll just be counting money at home. The thought of it is already so gratifying!” In a side hall of the imperial residence, Yan Junyu boasted cheerfully in front of Xiao Ruiyuan and Chu Heng.
Chu Heng smiled indulgently, while Xiao Ruiyuan poured cold water on the enthusiasm. “It will take until next winter for the wine estate to be built and start producing grape wine. After over a year, how many people will remember this wine?”
Yan Junyu choked and then grinned cheekily. “Although the wine estate won’t be able to produce wine for a while, I have plenty of homemade wine. I won’t keep such a good thing to myself! Ah, just thinking about seeing Little Yan’er and tasting her homemade dishes again, I really want to return to the capital immediately. Unlike some people, who can’t see their beloved and have to stand on the roof at night feeding mosquitoes, oh, it’s really pitiful!”
“Pfft—” Chu Heng, imagining his cousin standing on the roof, failing to see his beloved but feeding mosquitoes instead, couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Others didn’t know about Xiao Ruiyuan standing on the roof each night, but after noticing mosquito bites on his face, Chu Heng had casually asked about it, leading to Xiao Shiyi revealing the details.
Xiao Shiyi wasn’t intentionally exposing his lord’s shortcomings; he simply felt pity for him working so hard during the day and not resting at night. Chu Heng’s question led to the revelation, which Yan Junyu then used to tease Xiao Ruiyuan.
Hearing his cousin’s laughter, Xiao Ruiyuan’s already gloomy face darkened further. He dragged the smirking Yan Junyu out of the side hall.
A moment later, when they returned, Yan Junyu’s earlier carefree demeanor was replaced by a more subdued and serious expression.
Chu Heng assumed it was just Yan Junyu being upset after having his shortcomings exposed by Xiao Ruiyuan, which made him feel a bit of a headache.
To outsiders, the relationship between the two seemed extremely strained. If not for Chu Heng’s presence, they would have fought every time they met. They had fought countless times since childhood, often leading to injuries, and only learned to be more restrained as they grew older.
Although they had a good relationship in reality, it didn’t prevent them from fighting. Chu Heng, not wanting to see them both with similar expressions of discontent, decided to give them a competition: whoever hunted the most game before nightfall would win a prize.
Worried that his cousin might catch on, and needing to vent his frustration, Xiao Ruiyuan remained silent, tacitly agreeing.
Yan Junyu had been eager for a contest and, disconcerted by recent events, was willing to agree to the challenge, hoping to avoid revealing too much.
They returned to their respective tents, took their bows and arrows, and rode off in different directions.
Phoenix Mountain, though not as towering as Yuhua Mountain, was vast and home to many large predators and birds of prey. To prevent accidents, these predators were driven deep into the mountains before the hunt and barriers were set to prevent them from emerging and causing harm.
Naturally, every autumn hunt attracted those seeking to prove their skills against these predators. The guards would usually designate a specific area, driving some of these animals into it for hunters to pursue.
Everything seemed well-arranged with no expected mishaps, but unexpectedly, some of the predators driven into the deep mountains managed to break through the barriers, leading to a major disaster…
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