However, in a place unseen by the ministers, the Emperor nearly crushed the wine cup in his hand.
How could he have missed the subtle exchange between Qin Lu and Gu Yanshu?
He had seen it—and found it utterly unbearable to watch!
From Qin Lu's constant mentions of "my Consort this" and "my Consort that" over recent days, the Emperor had already gathered that the two shared a good relationship.
But what he hadn't expected was that their closeness would extend to such unguarded intimacy in public.
Fortunately, both Gu Yanshu and Qin Lu knew their limits.
Aside from speaking in lower tones, leaning closer when talking, and acting somewhat affectionately, they didn't cross any further lines.
Since even the Emperor showed no reaction, the other ministers naturally chose to pretend they hadn't noticed anything, their expressions remaining unchanged.
Of course, it might have been more convincing if they hadn't kept casting occasional, subtle glances toward Gu Yanshu and Qin Lu.
Although the Emperor and his ministers remained silent, that didn't mean no one would speak up.
For instance, the First Prince, who had always been at odds with Qin Lu, watched the scene with shifting eyes, clearly plotting something.
When the music in the hall paused and the dancers prepared for the next performance, the First Prince suddenly rose from his seat:
"Father Emperor."
"What is it?" The Emperor glanced at him, signaling him to speak directly.
"This son believes that although the singing and dancing performances at the annual palace banquet are lively, they lack a certain novelty and can become rather repetitive."
The First Prince bowed slightly and spoke clearly:
"Why not try something different this year—perhaps a drinking game?"
"Oh?" The Emperor's tone lifted slightly. It had to be said, the First Prince made a valid point. "What kind of game do you suggest?"
The First Prince pretended to ponder as if stumped by the question, then after a moment offered:
"How about… a round of drinking commands?"
At first, Gu Yanshu wondered why the First Prince had suddenly stood up to draw attention.
But upon hearing "drinking commands," he immediately understood what the First Prince was up to.
The original Young Master Gu had been a standard ne'er-do-well—highly skilled in eating, drinking, and merrymaking, and well-versed in drinking games.
In Tianqi, drinking games were a common form of entertainment at banquets, generally divided into "elegant commands" and "common commands).
The simplest was finger-guessing: two players would simultaneously extend their hands while calling out a number. Whoever correctly guessed the total number of fingers shown would win, and the loser would drink.
Other games involved dice, passing a flower to drumbeats, word chains, couplet linking, and more.
But this was a palace banquet. Among those present were high-ranking officials of Tianqi and the Emperor himself.
Common games like finger-guessing were clearly unsuitable—only elegant commands would do.
Elegant drinking commands inevitably involved poetry and literary skill.
For example, the "Feihualing" (飞花令, "Flying Flower Command") required participants to recite lines of poetry containing a specific character, such as "flower", in a set order.
For instance, if seven people formed a group:
The first would need to recite a line where "flower" appeared as the first character.The second would need a line where "flower" was the second character, and so on,until the seventh person recited a line ending with "flower."
Anyone failing to recite would bepenalized with a drink.
This game required substantial knowledge and quick recall.
There were also more challenging variations, such as improvising poems on the spot, which demanded even higher literary skill.
Whether the standard Feihualing or its advanced versions, neither would be easy for Gu Yanshu or Qin Lu.
Qin Lu had studied some poetry during his early education, but after joining the military, he focused mostly on strategy and texts—after all, flowery verses were of little use on the battlefield.
As for Gu Yanshu…
The original Young Master Gu was a notorious playboy. If not for his elder brother Gu Yanli's strictness and his noble family background, he might not even have been literate, let alone well-versed in poetry.
And Gu Yanshu himself? If asked to draft a business plan for acquiring a company, he could do it effortlessly. But composing a seven-character quatrain? That would be truly challenging.
So the moment the First Prince suggested "drinking commands," Gu Yanshu knew it was targeted at him and Qin Lu.
The Emperor was diligent—working 360 days out of 365, even refusing rest when slightly unwell. His workload exceeded even the modern "996" schedule—Gu Yanshu would call it "007."
Finally having a few days off during the New Year, only to watch the same repetitive performances, even the Emperor found it somewhat dull.
The First Prince's suggestion hit the mark—the Emperor's expression showed clear interest in the drinking game.
Sure enough, within moments, the Emperor agreed to the proposal.
He even devised the rules himself:
precisely the Feihualing Gu Yanshu had thought of, and in its more difficult variation.
Perhaps considering that many military officials were present, for whom poetry games might be challenging, the Emperor also added "Pitch-Pot Command" , a game of skill involving throwing arrows into a vase.
After setting the rules, the Emperor seemed even more enthused. As if remembering something, he waved to Eunuch Wang behind him:
"There are still two jars of the Xiyue strong liquor that the Third Prince presented to Us two years ago. This is the perfect occasion to let Our ministers taste it!"
Both Feihualing and Pitch-Pot fell under the category of "elegant commands."
Military officials typically preferred common, lively drinking games, so one could imagine their reaction upon hearing the rules set by the Emperor and the First Prince.
Yet surprisingly, the initially reluctant military officials brightened at the mention of "Xiyue strong liquor," their expressions shifting to clear anticipation.
Such an obvious change was impossible for Gu Yanshu to miss.
Curious, he leaned toward Qin Lu and whispered:
"What is Xiyue strong liquor?"
After all, the Emperor had just said it was a gift from Qin Lu.
Since Gu Yanshu asked, Qin Lu answered without hesitation:
"The kingdom of Wuxi excels at brewing. Xiyue liquor is the strongest wine in Wuxi, also known as the 'Number One Strong Liquor Under Heaven.' It has a rich, aromatic flavor and is extremely rare—even in Wuxi. I obtained some only after the battle with Wuxi three years ago and presented three jars to Father Emperor. I didn't expect two would still remain."
Although Gu Yanshu himself, due to his health in his previous life, wasn't fond of alcohol, the original Young Master Gu had been a connoisseur.
Wuxi bordered Tianqi to the west and was famous for its brewing craft.
Wuxi liquor was notoriously difficult to obtain in Tianqi—worth its weight in gold.
Even the decadent Young Master Gu had once said, "If I could ever taste Wuxi liquor, I could die without regret."
Hearing that Xiyue was the strongest liquor in Wuxi, Gu Yanshu couldn't help but feel a stir of anticipation.
While they were speaking, Eunuch Wang had already brought out the two jars of liquor.
That Wuxi was renowned throughout the land for its drink was clearly not without reason.
When Eunuch Wang opened the seal of the liquor jar, the rich aroma of wine instantly filled the entire hall.
Just the fragrance alone was intoxicatingly mellow—those with low alcohol tolerance might already feel slightly drunk from the scent alone.
Some military officials who were fond of drink couldn't help but swallow eagerly. If not for the Emperor's presence, they might have rushed forward to seize the Xiyue liquor from Eunuch Wang's hands.
Taking in everyone's reactions, a faint smile appeared on the Emperor's face.
Perhaps because it was a festive occasion, he didn't keep them in suspense for long. With a wave of his hand, he noted Eunuch Wang to step forward and distribute the liquor.
As the highest-ranking person present after the Emperor, Qin Lu was seated closest to him and thus among the first to receive the wine.
Maybe because of Gu Yanshu's earlier question, as soon as the liquor was served, Qin Lu poured a cup for Gu Yanshu:
"Would my Consort like to try?"
Although Gu Yanshu had seldom drank in his previous life, the Gu family's wine cellar had housed many famous vintages, and they even owned a liquor company—so he had some knowledge of fine wines.
Seeing Qin Lu's expectant expression, Gu Yanshu didn't refuse. He lifted the cup and took a small sip.
As the strong liquor flowed down his throat, Gu Yanshu savored it carefully but felt a hint of disappointment.
The wine was indeed quite good—rich aroma, deep and lingering taste, with a subtle sweetness after swallowing. Even by modern standards, it could be considered quality liquor.
What disappointed Gu Yanshu was that it wasn't truly "strong."
By his estimation, using modern measurements, this Xiyue liquor was probably no more than 45% alcohol.
While 45% could be considered strong, labeling it as the "Number One Strong Liquor Under Heaven" felt, in Gu Yanshu's eyes, somewhat undeserved.
His disappointment wasn't obvious, but Qin Lu, having spent every day with him, could read him better than anyone.
Almost instantly, Qin Lu sensed that flicker of emotion:
"My Consort seems… not entirely satisfied?"
Instead of answering directly, Gu Yanshu asked softly:
"What does Your Highness think of this liquor?"
"It's quite good."
Qin Lu didn't have much personal fondness for alcohol either; he even believed excessive drinking could lead to trouble.
But this Xiyue liquor held special meaning for him:
"Mainly, it's strong enough. When we obtained this liquor, it was winter. The army lacked sufficient cold-weather clothing, and many soldiers relied on Xiyue liquor to get through it."
Gu Yanshu hadn't expected there to be such a history.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
Using strong liquor to ward off cold wasn't uncommon even in Chinese history, let alone during the three most difficult years when Qin Lu was campaigning—a time when the state treasury was empty and the situation unstable.
Even if the court wanted to provide for the troops, it lacked the means.
This realization sparked numerous thoughts in Gu Yanshu's mind:
The benefits of strong liquor weren't limited to taste and warmth.
If the alcohol content was high enough, it could also disinfect and sterilize—a significant advantage on the battlefield.
The fact that Xiyue was called the "Number One Strong Liquor" suggested that no one yet knew about distilled brewing methods. If…
But just as these ideas began forming, the First Prince's voice interrupted his thoughts:
"Since we're playing drinking commands, this son believes it would be more interesting if we added some wagers."