Volume One, Chapter 46: Intoxicated

Hearing that the Emperor and Empress had arrived abruptly, and that his own famously unruly son happened to be there as well, Xue Yuandao hurriedly set aside his official duties, wishing he could sprout wings to fly back to his estate. Yet the moment he stepped across the threshold of the main hall, his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets.

The main hall was pungent with the strong aroma of alcohol, and countless wine jars were lined up across the floor.

All of them were empty.

Over there, Shen Ran and Xue Nian sat facing each other, each holding a wine jar in his hand.

Xue Wu sat nearby, her face etched with worry.

It had started with wine cups, then progressed to bowls.
In the end, they switched directly to jars.

She had tried to stop them, and she had tried to persuade them.
Whenever she intervened too sternly, Shen Ran would lean in with a glowing smile, tossing in a tender, lingering kiss as a bonus.

That would have been fine in private, but right now they were right in front of Xue Nian. Meeting her twin brother’s half-smiling, enigmatic gaze, Xue Wu’s cheeks flushed even brighter than if she had drunk the alcohol herself, and she clamped her mouth shut, saying no more.

When the elderly steward, Xue Zhong, caught sight of Xue Yuandao, he hurriedly wiped the sweat from his brow and hurried over, lowering his voice: "General, you're finally back! His Majesty and the Young General got carried away, and no one could stop them. Judging by the looks of it, they've both had a bit too much to drink."

He hadn't expected Shen Ran's alcohol tolerance to be unexpectedly high, and Xue Nian was no easy match either. Back and forth they went, until both were faintly flushed with intoxication.

Now, sweat beaded on Xue Yuandao’s forehead as well.

The line between ruler and subject was absolute.
Among all the civil and military officials in the court, even the Emperor's own brothers would hardly dare to sit opposite him and drink like this.

Not to mention, Shen Ran was currently giving out word that he was still recovering from an illness. If something were to happen to him because of this drinking bout, how could they possibly bear the consequences?

Xue Yuandao strode forward, snatched the wine jar right out of Xue Nian's hands, and roared, "You unfilial son! How dare you behave with such utter lawlessness in His Majesty's presence! Down on your knees at once!"

Before Xue Nian could react, Xue Yuandao dropped to his own knees to plead for mercy: "My worthless son lacks manners and has offended Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to forgive him!"

Immediately after, he glared fiercely at Xue Nian.

Seeing Xue Yuandao return, Xue Wu was initially relieved, but witnessing his extreme tension only deepened the look of worry on her face.

Xue Nian gently massaged his temples. A trace of an elusive, mocking smile flickered in his eyes as he slowly stood and knelt a few paces behind Xue Yuandao.

Despite having consumed a great deal of alcohol, his spine remained straight, showing not the slightest sway to either side. An air of grace and elegance was carved into his very bones, following him like a shadow.

Xue Wu clasped Shen Ran’s hand and softly murmured, "Your Majesty."

Shen Ran closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, then let out a low chuckle.

Actually, his mind was still quite clear.
It was just that his body wasn't under his control quite as much as usual.

For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to laugh—he inexplicably found the whole thing... funny.

He had drunk far too much, and the alcohol had stained his naturally pale profile with a rouge-like flush, especially when he smiled softly, making the corners of his eyes and brows brim with an alluring charm.

No one had ever seen him look like this.

During his time among the Rongdi tribes, people frequently forced drinks upon him; to avoid losing face or making a fool of himself, he had trained his alcohol capacity to be astonishingly vast, able to drain jar after jar without changing expression.

This was the first time anyone had ever managed to drink him into such a state.

Xue Yuandao lowered his head cautiously, once again pleading guilty before Shen Ran.

Shen Ran smiled and waved a hand: "My general is far too overly rigid. It was I who pulled Ziqi to drink; what does it have to do with him? Acting like this only puts me in a difficult position. Isn't that right, Ziqi?"

"Ziqi" was Xue Nian’s courtesy name, given to him by his tutor in childhood, and very few people outside of his immediate family ever used it.

First it had been "Lord Xue," then "Beloved Minister."
And now, it had shifted from "Beloved Minister" to "Ziqi."

It was as if their friendship had leaped forward by bounds over a single bout of drinking.

Xue Yuandao paused slightly, instinctively turning his head to glance at his son, who knelt with lowered eyes and a submissive expression.

Xue Nian’s complexion appeared normal, but a faint, hazy mist clouded his eyes, making it obvious that he too had consumed a great deal.

He slowly curved the corners of his lips and complied gracefully: "His Majesty is a gentleman, so this subject naturally ought to accompany a gentleman to the bitter end."

...

That night, Shen Ran and Xue Wu stayed over at the General’s Manor.
They stayed in Xue Wu’s maiden chamber from before her marriage.

Although Xue Wu had been married for five years, her bedchamber was cleaned every single day. Except for the items she had taken into the palace with her, everything else remained completely intact; even the rouge, facial powders, and floral forehead decals were regularly replaced, reflecting the deep parental love Xue Yuandao and his wife held for their daughter.

Xue Wu was pressed down onto the vanity stool by Shen Ran. She looked at her reflection in the mirror while Shen Ran sat beside her, gazing at her.

A moment later, he picked up a pearl hairpin, intending to insert it into her hair bun. Then he picked up a facial decal, planning to press it onto the center of her forehead.

Whether due to drinking too much or not, Shen Ran was exceptionally high-spirited today. He refused to settle down, and even more, he refused to go to sleep.

At this moment, a remarkably rare aura of youth suddenly surfaced around him.

Xue Wu caught his hand, feeling both amused and exasperated as she said, "Your Majesty."

At that moment, Shen Ran picked up a sheet of rouge-infused paper and handed it to her with a beaming smile: "Awu, this color suits you wonderfully. Would you like to try it?"

The rouge paper was the traditional lip tint used by women of the Great Zhou dynasty.

Unwilling to dampen his spirits, Xue Wu hesitated for a moment, took the rouge paper from Shen Ran's hand, and gently pressed her lips against it.

Shen Ran's taste was, as expected, exceptionally refined.
Even though he had merely grabbed it at random while intoxicated, the item he picked turned out to be an absolute, precise match.

Beneath the flickering, dimming candlelight, Xue Wu’s lips, stained by the lip tint, looked as delicate and alluring as freshly plucked petals, making her reflection in the mirror even more breathtaking than flowers. It was evident that this particular shade truly suited her to perfection.

Xue Wu stared blankly, a bizarre sensation suddenly welling up in her heart. She lowered her gaze and instinctively asked, "Does Your Majesty often watch people apply makeup?"

Otherwise, how could he possess such unerring accuracy in his eye?

Her tone was tinged with sourness, much like someone who had knocked over a vinegar jar.

The moment the words left her mouth, Xue Wu immediately realized they were inappropriate.

Alas, what was spoken could not be recalled. She could only press her lips together in silence.

Although a woman ought to be magnanimous, especially as an Empress who should serve as a role model for all women under heaven, the mere thought of Shen Ran doing the exact same thing with someone else left a dull, uncomfortable ache in her chest.

Shen Ran paused slightly.

In the past, he would have instantly recognized the source of Xue Wu’s sudden dejection and devised a hundred or a thousand ways to coax her into a good mood.

Though he was a tyrant, that did not mean he lacked emotional intelligence.
On the contrary, he understood human nature better than anyone else and could perceive the inner thoughts of others more acutely than anyone. Otherwise, he never could have survived the cannibalistic environments of the Great Zhou inner palace and the Rongdi tribes, let alone eventually seized the throne.

The difference was whether he was actually willing to put effort into making someone happy, or whether he cared enough to please that particular person.

Toward most people, he was neither willing nor condescending enough to waste the effort.

Yet today, he was feeling just a fraction slower than usual.

At that exact moment, a knock suddenly sounded from outside the door.
Followed by a woman’s gentle voice: "Your Majesty, Empress, my mistress has sent me to deliver a hangover-remedy soup for His Majesty."