Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Looking around the Jiade Hall, there were about a dozen people at the banquet, regardless of their official positions, who were clearly all close ministers of Sun Quan.

Hu Zong, serving as a court attendant, introduced the attendants to Chen Zhi and Zong Yu one by one: Sun Deng, Crown Prince of Wu; Liu Zuan, the Imperial Son-in-Law; Teng Yin, Prefect of Wu Commandery; Liu Ji, Grand Master of Ceremonies; Xu Xiang, a court attendant; Lü Ju, General of the Palace Guard; Lu Mao, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; Kan Ze, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; Xue Zong, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; Ding Gu, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; Zhang Xiu, Right Assistant Commandant to the Crown Prince; Gu Tan, Assistant Commandant to the Crown Prince; Yang Zhu, Imperial Censor…

Chen Zhi and Zong Yu could only pay their respects and exchange words under Hu Zong's guidance.

Clearly, the two most important figures, Sun Quan and Gu Yong, had not yet arrived. After exchanging greetings with the people seated on the outside, the last person to be seen was Sun Deng, the Crown Prince of Wu.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Chen Zhi and Zong Yu bowed slightly.

"General Zong, Commandant Chen." Sun Deng, handsome and amiable with an air of nobility, smiled and nodded. "I have long heard of Commandant Chen's talent, and now that I have met him, he is indeed a brilliant talent of the Western Kingdom!"

"I dare not accept Your Highness's praise," Chen Zhi replied with a respectful bow.

Just as Sun Deng was about to say something, Sun Quan, accompanied by Gu Yong, walked into the hall from the direction of the rear hall.

Gu Yong arrived at the front position on Sun Quan's left, standing opposite Crown Prince Sun Deng. Only after this did everyone bow to Sun Quan.

"Your subject (a foreign official) pays his respects to Your Majesty!"

Sun Quan was clearly in good spirits, a broad smile on his face, and quite magnanimous: "You are all familiar with my banquet, but you may not have heard of General Zong and Colonel Chen, who have come from Yizhou. Drink with me until you are drunk! Zigao, you supervise the drinking. Anyone who stops drinking before being fully intoxicated will be struck by my precious sword!"

Sun Deng was clearly not surprised by his father's order. He bowed, then stepped forward, took the sword that Sun Quan threw to him, bowed again, and returned to his seat.

Chen Zhi and Zong Yu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with helplessness.

Sun Quan loved wine and was good at urging others to drink!

Before Chen Zhi set off, he had heard Chen Zhen mention in the Qingliang Hall that when Fei Yi was sent as an envoy to the Wu Kingdom, he was forced to drink at a banquet. Taking advantage of Fei Yi's drunkenness, Chen Zhen asked Fei Yi about the state affairs of the Shu Han Kingdom and tested Fei Yi's abilities. Fei Yi excused himself by saying that he was drunk and left the banquet temporarily. After thinking about his answer, he returned to the banquet to reply to Sun Quan.

At that banquet, Sun Quan, drunk, asked Fei Yi, "Wei Yan and Yang Yi are both villains. If Prime Minister Zhuge were to pass away, how would you use them in court?" Fei Yi was speechless for a moment.

Of course, there are many other stories about Sun Quan drinking wine that have been passed down to Shu.

After getting drunk in Wuchang, he sprinkled water on his ministers, making them all pass out on the platform before he could refuse to drink; upon seeing the minister Yu Fan feigning drunkenness, he became enraged and threatened to kill him with his sword; while drunk, he brought a donkey in front of Zhuge Ke, wrote the four characters "Zhuge Ziyu" on its face to mock Zhuge Jin's long face, and even forced Zhuge Ke to force the over seventy-year-old Zhang Zhao to drink, refusing to let him refuse...

Before attending the banquet, Chen Zhi and Zong Yu were both prepared to get drunk.

However, in this day and age, heavy drinking is considered a virtue. Liu Biao even had three extra-large wine vessels specially made for this purpose. The largest was the "Bo Ya," which could hold seven liters of wine; the "Zhong Ya," which could hold six liters; and the "Ji Ya," which could hold five liters...

After offering wine nine times, Sun Quan finally sat down and allowed everyone to offer toasts. According to Sun Quan, the emperor's drinking was not the same as others', and he should drink to the fullest extent.

To this, Chen Zhi could only smile and remain silent.

Chen Zhi was, of course, prepared to be questioned.

The saying goes, "The map is unrolled and the dagger is revealed." The people are not yet drunk, and the banquet has just begun. The "map" is only gradually unfolding, and the "dagger" is yet to come.

After Sun Quan, Crown Prince Sun Deng offered wine three more times, and then Chancellor Gu Yong offered it once more. Judging from his appearance, Gu Yong was a dignified gentleman in his sixties, but Chen Zhi was quite impressed by Gu Yong's eloquent words at the banquet.

King Chu favored slender waists, leading to many starving deaths in his harem. It seems even Gu Yong could only succumb to this fate when faced with a king who indulged in heavy drinking.

Of course, these intermittent remarks were all polite formalities. Crown Prince Sun Deng praised Chen Zhi when he offered a toast, and Gu Yong also praised Zong Yu, so there was no need to take them to heart.

The alcohol content of the wine in this era was not very high. He drank about twenty cups in total. Although he was not drunk, he was not used to such a heavy drinking party. While slightly tipsy, Chen Zhi felt the need to use the restroom and had to apologize to the Crown Prince Sun Deng, who was in charge of supervising the wine, and go out to relieve himself.

Perhaps because such banquets were frequent, the Wu Kingdom servants outside the Jiade Hall were already familiar with the place. They not only gave directions but also supported Chen Zhi on both sides, as if afraid that Chen Zhi would fall.

After feeling relieved, Chen Zhi had just taken the damp handkerchief handed to him by the eunuch to wipe his hands when he saw Crown Prince Sun Deng walking towards him.

What a coincidence!

Sun Deng is the wine supervisor today; if he leaves the banquet, he will certainly need Sun Quan's permission.

What a coincidence!

"Captain Chen!"

Sun Deng arrived with laughter before he did, striding over. Judging from his appearance, he was roughly similar in build to Sun Quan, but he lacked Sun Quan's sharpness and domineering manner, appearing gentle and polite.

"Your Highness." Chen Zhi stepped aside to make way for Sun Deng and bowed.

If you're unsure what Sun Deng is going to do, just assume he needs to use the restroom.

Sure enough, Sun Deng stopped in front of Chen Zhi, glanced left and right, and the two eunuchs bowed and withdrew. Only the two of them were there within ten zhang.

"Today I met Commandant Chen, whose appearance and talent are outstanding. While drinking just now, I was thinking that if I could become friends with Commandant Chen, it would be a great blessing in my life."

Chen Zhi pretended to hold onto the railing beside him, his body slightly unsteady, and nodded with a smile: "Your Highness is too kind, I dare not accept such praise."

"How could I dare not accept such praise?" Sun Deng smiled. "I heard that Commandant Chen spoke frankly to His Majesty in the palace the other day, and His Majesty praised Commandant Chen highly. Now that we have met, with Commandant Chen's outstanding insight and foresight, I wonder what words he can offer me?"

Highly praised?

Chen Zhi was self-aware enough to know that the power struggles within the Wu Kingdom's harem and royal family were not something an outsider like him could get involved in; even getting slightly involved would be inappropriate.

Sun Deng claimed that Sun Quan praised him, but who knows how much Sun Deng actually knew about what was said that night? Although Chen Zhi was a little drunk, he clearly remembered that Sun Quan had dismissed the eunuchs and guards that night before asking him to offer his advice!

If Sun Deng tricks them into revealing information and disrupts the situation in Wu, wouldn't all their previous efforts be in vain?

Taking advantage of a slight buzz from the alcohol, Chen Zhi shook his head and casually remarked, "Your Highness, as the Crown Prince and the heir apparent of Wu, possesses the bearing of a dragon and the appearance of the sun and moon, your nobility is beyond description. I am of limited talent and learning, how could I possibly teach Your Highness anything?"

Sun Deng smiled outwardly, but inwardly he sighed.

He has three sources of information.

Firstly, it was learned from Sun Quan's eunuchs that Chen Zhi had given advice to Sun Quan that evening, and even dismissed some people, mentioning Jingzhou, but the specific details were unknown. When he entered the palace this afternoon, Sun Quan did indeed praise Chen Zhi to his face.

Secondly, he learned this afternoon from his half-sister Sun Luban that Sun Quan summoned Sun Luban to the palace yesterday and inquired in detail about the attitudes of Sun Luban's husband, Quan Cong, towards the Lu Xun and Gu Yong families.

Thirdly, Hu Zong sent an envoy to Lu Xun in Wuchang to deliver a message.

After verification by all three parties, how could Sun Deng not know that changes might be about to occur within the Wu Kingdom? That is why he specifically stopped Chen Zhi here today to ask him questions.

However, Sun Deng was still somewhat presumptuous.

How could Chen Zhi so easily get what he wanted?