Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Meng Yi quietly poured himself another bowl, and just as he brought it to his lips—

"Ouch!"

He hugged the bowl and hid behind him, looking up with a pitiful expression, only to meet Wang Jian's fierce eyes.

"You little brat, drinking so fast, can you even taste the flavor?" he scolded, feigning anger, his beard twitching. "Save some! This old man hasn't had enough yet!"

While dodging, Meng Yi muttered, "How come I can't taste the difference... It tastes much better than the ones Father secretly hid!"

Ok?

Zhou Wenqing paused slightly in the teacup he was holding.

General Meng Wu... secretly hid wine?

He subtly turned his gaze to General Meng Wu, and saw that the general's face darken at a visible speed.

The next second, a large, iron-like hand precisely grabbed Meng Yi's ear.

"Alright! You little brat!"

General Meng Wu gritted his teeth, his voice squeezed out from between them, "No wonder my wine collection kept leaking and breaking every now and then. I thought it was rats, but it turns out it was you, you big rat!"

Meng Yi was pulled so hard he had to stand on tiptoe, his hands covering his ears, his face contorted in pain: "Father, spare me! I only drank a little bit! Really, just a little bit!"

"Just a little bit?" General Meng Wu raised his hand even higher, and Meng Yi's heels almost left the ground.

"Well, so it seems you've 'little by little' drunk all those jars of my fine wine? If I don't teach you a lesson, you won't even know who your father is!"

He had painstakingly hidden away those few jars of fine wine, and this little brat squandered them all!

"I know, I know! I was wrong, Father~ I'll never do it again~!"

Meng Yi begged for mercy, his neck throbbing with pain, tears welling in his eyes, his voice trembling with sobs, yet he stubbornly refused to betray his brother.

Seeing his younger brother in such a miserable state, Meng Tian felt a pang of conscience.

Of course, more importantly-

Knowing Meng Yi as a cunning and sly young man, if he hadn't helped out a second later, things would have been more than just being "exposed".

In the end, in his own younger brother's eyes, he will become the only big rat!

Meng Tian was startled and quickly stepped forward, lowering his voice to urgently remind him:

"Father! Stop pulling! General Wang, finish your wine!"

Meng Wu suddenly turned his head to the side.

Wang Jian was seen tilting his head back, drinking bowl after bowl with great gusto, his beard glistening with wine beads.

Noticing the gaze, he wiped his mouth and looked over, a smug look on his lips that seemed to say, "You guys keep arguing, I'll drink first."

"They're cheating!"

Meng Wu instantly released his grip, then abruptly stopped, turned back, snatched the bowl from Meng Yi's hand, and drank the wine inside in one gulp.

"You little brat, you're not allowed to drink anymore, give it to me!"

He dropped a sentence, grabbed two large bowls, and charged towards the wine jars with the ferocity of a warrior, looking as if he were going to war.

Meng Yi covered his bright red ears, angry but not daring to speak out, standing there looking aggrieved, his eyes darting around.

The bowl is gone, I need to find another empty one. Let's see if we can find any!

Zhou Wenqing held his teacup, watching the lively scene unfold with a smile.

He was laughing when he suddenly stopped.

and many more!

Is it really okay for an eleven or twelve-year-old to drink alcohol?

I think I've read somewhere that drinking alcohol can affect a child's brain development?

Zhou Wenqing looked down at the wine jar beside him. There was only a small amount left inside, but the aroma of the wine was still strong.

After all, although it is fruit wine, considering that it is to be given to General Wang, it is distilled and has a high alcohol content.

It can be said that it is in no way inferior to the various aged wines of this time!

Meng Yi will rely on his brains to make a living in the future. If he gets ruined by alcohol, wouldn't the Great Qin be missing a pillar of society?

Even if there's only the slightest possibility, this responsibility...

Zhou Wenqing's mind went on high alert.

He immediately sprang into action, subtly shifting his position to block the stack of empty bowls on the table behind him, then picked up the wine jar, preparing to quietly "dispose" of the last bit of wine.

Suddenly, a large bowl appeared from the side.

Before Zhou Wenqing could even react, his wrist had already tilted, and the clear liquid fell in precisely.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhou!"

A deep, satisfied voice rang out.

Zhou Wenqing's hand froze in mid-air.

He slowly raised his head, following the bowl, following the hand, looking upwards—

Wang Ben.

Wang Ben downed the last bit of wine in one gulp, put down the large bowl, smacked his lips, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Zhou Wenqing changed.

Uncle Zhou is actually a good person; it's just that his father is a nuisance!

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

He met that intense gaze, clearly moved, and his lips twitched.

This kid is quite easy to bribe.

After a jar of wine was finished, the atmosphere visibly became more lively.

General Wang Jian's face flushed red, the effects of the alcohol taking hold. He then clutched a jar of fruit wine to his chest, protecting it as if it were a precious treasure.

He didn't forget to wave his hand grandly and give the order with boundless confidence:

"What are you all standing there for? The banquet is about to begin! Bring out all these drinks! Let my men taste them; there's no such thing as fine wine in this world!"

The servants, upon hearing the order, dared not delay and quickly picked up the wine jars and placed them on the tables.

Wang Jian's eyes were already somewhat hazy with drunkenness, but he still turned his head, grinned at Zhou Wenqing, and leaned closer to say loudly:

"Zicheng! I remember saying before that once you brewed your fine wine, I would make sure everyone in the army bought it! Hehe, I will never break my promise—believe it or not, after these little brats taste your wine, not one of them will be able to resist buying it!"

"I believe it, I definitely believe it!" Zhou Wenqing looked at the old general's flushed face and smiled bitterly.

What to do? The banquet hasn't even started, the guests haven't arrived, and the host is already a bit drunk.

Don't let the host fall fast asleep when guests arrive.

Zhou Wenqing was hesitating whether to persuade the others to stop drinking when a series of noisy footsteps came from outside the door.

General! Your humble servant has arrived—

A group of people filed in, all of them military officers, some with swords at their waists. As soon as they entered, they were drawn in by the aroma of wine that filled the room.

"What's that smell?" The leader sniffed, his eyes fixed on the wine jars on the table. "General, what kind of wine are we drinking today? It smells off."

"Something's not right?" Wang Jian slammed his hand on the table, his eyes wide. "Can't you talk properly? This is something's not right? This is way too good to be true!"

The crowd laughed.

Zhou Wenqing also breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, the guests of honor had finally arrived.

He glanced at General Wang next to him, whose face was flushed but whose imposing manner remained intact. The fact that he could still slam the table and curse meant that the problem wasn't serious.

What if, later, when the guests are seated and toasts are being exchanged, the host is drunk and fast asleep...

That would be hilarious!

"Come, come, sit down, everyone! Serve the food!" Wang Jian waved his hand. "Today is a day for me to treat my brothers, so no one is allowed to be polite. Let's begin!"

The servants filed in, carrying lacquered trays, on which steaming dishes were placed on the table.

Zhou Wenqing's brow twitched.

Ah! It's starting already? Is it really that hasty?

There were no toasts, no opening remarks, and before the guests were even seated, it was just two words: "Let the banquet begin," and that was it?

His gaze swept across the hall, only to find that the generals seemed to have long been accustomed to General Wang's style. They didn't need anyone to greet them; they took their seats one by one, some even taking off their swords from their waists and leaning them against the table. Their movements were fluid and graceful, as if they were more at ease than in their own homes.

Zhou Wenqing: "..."

Well, he was overthinking it.

Some soldiers were already captivated by the aroma of the wine; before even touching a single dish, they picked up their bowls and took a sip.

"Excellent wine!" The man's eyes lit up, he smacked his lips, and took another big gulp. "General, I've never tasted such good wine before. It's potent and so enjoyable to drink!"

"That's what I meant by 'enjoyable'!" Wang Jian said smugly, his mustache bristling. "This is fruit wine brewed by Brother Zicheng himself, many times better than the wines you usually drink! Today, I'll show you!"

As he spoke, he deliberately gestured with his chin toward Zhou Wenqing.

Following his gaze, everyone noticed Zhou Wenqing sitting in the corner with a teacup in hand and a smile on his face.

"Even Zhou, the Imperial Secretary, has come?" A general's eyes lit up, and he stood up, bowl in hand. "I've long admired Imperial Secretary Zhou's reputation; I never imagined he could brew such excellent wine! Come, come, let me toast Imperial Secretary!"

He held up the bowl and was about to walk towards Zhou Wenqing.

"Go away!" Meng Wu leaped up and blocked the way. "Do you think Zhou Neishi is like you boorish men? Drink your own wine, and no one is allowed to force my brother Zicheng to drink!"

"Ah, right!" Wang Jian also came to his senses, slammed his hand on the table, and laughed and scolded, "Let's see who among you dares to touch Zicheng? You think you're so capable, trying to drink with him? You have the nerve to do that? Go back, all of you, go back and drink your own wine!"

Zhou Wenqing stood up with a smile, raising his teacup in a gesture of respect:

"I appreciate the kind hospitality of all the generals, but I am truly unable to hold my liquor and cannot drink alcohol. Therefore, I will offer you a cup of tea instead, and I hope you will all enjoy it to the fullest!"

"Great!" Everyone roared in agreement, raising their bowls in unison.

The general chuckled, sat back down, and downed his bowl of wine.

For a moment, all around were the sounds of smacking lips, shouts of "Another bowl, please!", and coughs from people who choked while drinking too fast.

"This smells absolutely amazing!" A young general held up a bowl and approached his colleague. "Smell it, the aroma... it's like... like fruit? Or like... flowers?"

"Forget about the flowers, just drink it!" His colleague shoved his face away and poured himself another bowl.

"Hey, hey, leave some for me!"

"Don't you still have some in your bowl?"

"That was my last bite!"

"..."

The hall was filled with the aroma of wine and laughter. The generals were flushed from drinking, but each of them held onto their bowl tightly, afraid that they would miss out if they didn't drink a little more.

After several rounds of drinks, Wang Jian, holding his bowl, swayed as he stood up and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Listen up, everyone! You've all had your fill of drinking tonight. From now on, if you want more, you'll have to pay for it yourself! Nobody's allowed to renege on their debt!"

"Buy it!" everyone shouted in unison. "We absolutely have to buy it!"

"General, where should we buy it?"

"Yes, tell me quickly where to buy it!"

"What's the rush?" Wang Jian glared. "We haven't finished our drinks yet. Let's finish them first!"

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Wang Jian had quietly moved closer to Zhou Wenqing without anyone noticing, and lowered his voice:

"Zicheng, haven't I done a good job of promoting this wine for you? Look, I'm almost finished with mine, so... why don't you save a few jars for me?"

Zhou Wenqing was helping Meng Yi drink tea when he turned to look at his sly expression. Suppressing a laugh, he lowered his voice and replied:

"General, to tell you the truth, I really can't produce this wine."

Wang Jian's eyes widened: "Can't produce it? You only gave me ten jars, how come it's all gone?"

"Good wine is hard to make," Zhou Wenqing said sincerely. "General, you must think about it, such mellow wine requires a very complicated process. These ten jars are the limit of what I can offer, and I'm giving them all to you."

"To be honest, it's only because he's an old general. If it were anyone else, Wenqing would never be willing to give away half a jar!"

"what?"

Wang Jian was taken aback, then looked around.

The ten jars of wine were now scattered haphazardly, some empty with their bottoms facing up; some with only the bottom left, being scraped off by people; and a few jars were being held tightly by several generals, who looked like wolf cubs guarding their food, glaring at anyone who came near.

Wang Jian's face visibly fell apart.

"That's...that's all?"

Zhou Wenqing blinked innocently: "The old general just said that everyone should drink to their heart's content today."

Wang Jian choked.

He had a great time, but he didn't expect the wine to be so strong!

But after all, those bold words were indeed spoken by him personally. If he goes back on his word now, where will he put his face?

"If only I had known..." he murmured, staring resentfully at the empty jars, "I should have hidden a few jars first... I miscalculated, I miscalculated..."

Seeing his frustrated expression, Zhou Wenqing finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. He leaned closer and lowered his voice:

"General, don't worry. Although there isn't much wine left, the King's birthday banquet is approaching, so Wenqing has reserved a batch specifically for the banquet."

"The King's birthday banquet?" Wang Jian suddenly perked up, but quickly deflated again. "Isn't that still a few days away?"

"It'll be soon, it'll be soon." Zhou Wenqing reassured her with a smile, "It's only fifty or sixty days, it'll be over in the blink of an eye."

"Fifty or sixty days!"

Wang Jian sighed deeply, staring at the half-empty jar of wine on the table. He reached out to touch it, then withdrew his hand, swallowed hard, his face full of conflict.

"The thought of not having this fine wine to soothe my throat makes me unable to wait even a day longer!"