Green Mountain

In the crowd, an old man and a youngster were having a drinking contest, going back and forth, while Bai Xingzhen was busy moving wine jars, enjoying himself.

The Old Ears was bold and hearty, while the youngster’s whole body exuded white steam, as if a low-hanging cloud might form over the noble house. The courtyard was filled with the intoxicating aroma of the wine, dizzying even with just a sniff.

Emperor Jing squinted and scrutinized the young man’s face, but couldn’t recall which noble family he belonged to: "Could it be the drunkard I encountered on the street earlier, coincidentally drinking together?"

Bai Jian recalled: "Your Majesty, earlier the Imperial Guard reported that an old man and two youngsters came down from a Bai Family carriage; he must be one of them."

Emperor Jing exclaimed in amazement: "I’ve wanted to drink with that person for decades but never got the chance, and here he is, drinking jar after jar."

He patted Bai Jian beside him, urging: "Quick, think of who that kid could be. To drink with that man and use a Bai Family youngster as a maid, he must be someone significant."

Bai Jian muttered quietly: "Could it be the Jiang Family’s prodigy? Or the one hidden by the Yuan Family? Your Majesty, even the Court Minister hasn’t seen this kid before."

Emperor Jing wondered: "Could he be a newly accepted disciple?"

Bai Jian hesitated: "That person should take a disciple..."

Emperor Jing pondered for a moment, raising his head to look at the Wu Yun resting above Old Ears: "If the kid’s a disciple, that makes sense, but what’s with the cat?"

Bai Jian squinted to clearly see Wu Yun, and immediately stood in awe.

Yuan Xiang’s residence occupied the southeastern corner of Pingkang Square, featuring ponds, rockeries, flowers and plants, family temples, stables, and dozens of corridors and guest quarters.

The common folk that streamed in did not roam chaotically, instead, they all sat cross-legged in the courtyard.

Seeing this, Emperor Jing cheerfully lifted his robe and sat on the blue bricks.

Bai Jian hastily removed his cotton padded coat and laid it on the ground, helping Emperor Jing to sit down slowly: "Your Majesty, the ground is cold."

As Emperor Jing sat down, his eyes remained fixed on Old Ears and the youth in the crowd, his eyes vibrant: "What’s a bit of cold? In my younger days, I even slept on snow."

A look of reminiscence spread across his face: "In the eighth year of Li Sheng, I personally led a campaign against Beifan, living and eating with the soldiers of the Central Forbidden Army. That year, heavy snow covered a thousand miles; at Yumu River I happened upon the Beifan Khan, who had been separated from his vanguard. Seeing such an opportunity, I led our young men, abandoning our supply wagons, chasing the villain to the Wan Nan River, laughing heartily as we watched those dogs swim across, leaving their armor and even their warhorses behind!"

At this point, Emperor Jing downed a mouthful of strong wine, exhaling its fiery breath: "That was exhilarating!"

Seeing Emperor Jing in such a state, Bai Jian was slightly moved.

Emperor Jing suddenly mocked himself: "Yet, after the great victory, we couldn’t locate the logistics or supply wagons, sitting in a vast, desolate grassland, sipping on captured mare’s milk wine, everyone taking turns. Back then, Yuan Xiang and Yuan Cheng were the craftiest boys, secretly taking two big gulps while others were too frugal, drinking only sips."

Hearing these two names, Bai Jian fell silent for a moment.

"That was the best mare’s milk wine I’ve ever tasted, I’ve never had better since," Emperor Jing looked at Bai Jian, slightly intoxicated and meaningful: "The best tasting wine is the one you capture yourself."

Bai Jian softly replied: "Yes, Your Majesty, the wine you capture is the best."

The Jing Dynasty cast him a sideways glance, shifting his gaze back to the courtyard: "Who do you think will win?"

Bai Jian instinctively replied: "Certainly that one will win."

However, just as the old and young man reached their third jar, Old Ears suddenly put down the jar, raising his hand to call out: "Wait a moment! Wait a moment!"

The youngster mocked with a sneer: "Can’t drink anymore? Then go sit with the kids."

Emperor Jing and Bai Jian couldn’t help but exchange a glance.

Just then, Old Ears swore and grumbled: "Who says this old man can’t drink anymore? I’m just worried everyone sitting here is too cold. Go, go, retrieve the fire pans and charcoal from the guest room."

The crowd sprang up, fetching the stored charcoal pans from the noble house, and began to pour segments of long charcoal into the pans, clinking with the sound of metal and iron.

Bai Jian noticed that the surface of the charcoal was frosted over, and his expression immediately changed as he whispered: "This is the silver charcoal from ten-year-old oak from the sunny side of Changbai Mountain, burning warmly for half a day. Even the palace uses nothing better, yet they’re letting them squander it..."

Emperor Jing was indifferent: "After all, it’s Yuan Xiang’s."

Meanwhile, a man carried a freshly lit charcoal pan to Emperor Jing’s presence. Bai Jian was about to rise and intervene, but Emperor Jing held down his wrist.

The man set the pan before Emperor Jing, politely saying, "The elder uses it first."

Emperor Jing laughed heartily and clasped his hands: "Thank you."

After the man left, Emperor Jing extended his hands to warm them near the charcoal pan: "Bai Jian, am I wasting this silver charcoal by using it?"

Bai Jian grinned sheepishly: "It’s Yuan Xiang’s honor."

Emperor Jing chuckled heartily: "This year’s end suits the world’s best wine, the best charcoal."

He turned to look again at the crowd, only to see Old Ears once more sitting down and continuing the drinking contest with the youngster, though after just a few sips he stopped to burp: "Wait a moment! Wait a moment!"

Opposite Old Ears, Chen Ji sneered: "What now?"

The onlooking drunkards jeered: "Old man, this kid can drink a lake, give up if you can’t continue!"

"Old man, surrender and you’ll lose only half!"

"Nonsense, does this old man know how to surrender?" Old Ears coughed twice and declared: "Everyone’s just drinking without any snacks, go, go, there must be Eight Treasures Inn’s pickles in this residence, go fetch some."

The drunkards laughed heartily, setting off to find the pickle jars. Pickles were no ordinary salted vegetables. While salted vegetables are stirred with salt in ordinary households, yielding a thin flavor, pickles need desalting and marinating, taking from half a month to several months to craft, affordable only to nobles.

A moment later, a few men came back carrying several large jars, from which they served pickled cucumbers, pickled lettuce, and pickled ginger, just perfect with wine.

Chen Ji looked at Old Ears: "Do you need to go to the toilet?"

Old Ears waved his hand drunkenly: "No need."

Chen Ji confirmed again: "Is there anything else to do?"

Old Ears tilted his head and thought for a moment: "No."

Chen Ji raised the jug: "Then let’s continue."

Old Ears said with distress: "You should at least have some food!"

Emperor Jing watched from a distance and praised: "The last time I saw this Lai Jiu was forty-one years ago."

Bai Jian noticed that Emperor Jing’s cheeks were already flushed, and immediately reminded him carefully: "Your Majesty, it is already evening. You should return to the palace to host the New Year’s Eve banquet."

Emperor Jing still stared at Old Ears and Chen Ji, not turning his head: "Let them wait a little longer."

...

...

On New Year’s Eve, there were no curfews in Shangjing City, and the gates of the city were wide open.

Outside the Great Ming Palace, the Imperial Guard was leading a Nuotu Team of over a thousand people in a slow procession, with a jingzi wearing masks chanting loudly the "Twelve Ghosts Eating Curse": "Armor devours misfortune, stomach devours tigers, Xiongbai devours spirits, Tengjian devours ominousness, Lanju devours blame, Boqi devours dreams... Cut your flesh, pull your lungs and intestines, if you don’t leave quickly, the later ones will be your food."

The voice was grand, shaking the soul.

Behind the Nuotu Team followed nobles and civil and military officials, some circling the aging Yuan Xiang, some around the Left Minister, people crowded around exchanging New Year greetings and words of blessing.

Only Princess Liyang walked alone, with the crowd miraculously parting three steps away around her, their gazes passing over her as if through air.

People whispered behind her, not knowing what was said, occasionally bursting into laughter.

Princess Liyang remained indifferent, walking proudly through the Danfeng Gate.

Inside the Great Ming Palace, the Left and Right Guard were all on duty, lighting hundreds of braziers that illuminated the palace in every detail, even brightening the night sky.

The Nuotu Team stopped outside Zichen Hall, and the nobles and officials slowly entered the hall, but they waited inside for a whole hour without seeing Emperor Jing take his seat, nor did they see any sign of the eunuch Bai Jian.

Princess Liyang stood alone in a corner when suddenly a eunuch walked briskly into the hall and announced loudly: "His Majesty is currently reviewing the urgent border army report. Please, everyone, take your seats first."

The nobles and officials were in uproar, as no one had heard of any urgent border army report today.

Someone murmured: "Does the Southern Dynasty dare to invade?"

"It shouldn’t be the Southern Dynasty... Could it be related to the Sword Seed Path Inheritor?"

"I heard that the thief broke into Shangjing through the Water Gate yesterday and vanished in Tongshan Square."

Listeners paled: "Tongshan Square? Could it be that Kujue Temple has been hiding the Sword Seed Inheritor all along? It makes sense..."

"Silence, do not speculate about Kujue Temple. Ask the Council Chief Executive Officer; he might know what the urgent border report is."

The nobles turned their gaze to Lu Jin in the back, but Lu Jin seemed oblivious, carefully supporting an old man as they walked slowly.

The old man had a mouthful of yellow teeth and a raspy throat like a broken bellows.

He suddenly stopped, coughed violently, and then tugged at Lu Jin. Lu Jin pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve and held it in front of the old man, catching the phlegm from his mouth.

Lu Jin folded the handkerchief and casually handed it to a subordinate following behind.

The old man’s eyes revealed mockery: "What, are you disgusted by this old man?"

Lu Jin’s expression remained unchanged as he whispered: "Not at all."

The military officials behind Lu Jin wore expressions of anger. One general deliberately said loudly to others: "Is this old Yuan Zhong trying to bring down the esteemed Lord by humiliating him to elevate himself? Why not kill him?"

Yuan Zhong turned around, his eyes flippant and arrogant: "Want to kill this old man? If he hadn’t knelt before my door for three days and nights to beg for an opportunity, would there be the current Lu Jin? Council Chief Executive Officer, don’t you agree?"

Lu Jin smiled: "You are right, I remember it well."

With that, he gently said, "Yuan Xin, you don’t need to enter the palace today. Just go to the Privy Council and receive twenty lashes."

The general named Yuan Xin’s expression changed several times as he clasped his hands and said: "Yes!"

At this moment, dozens of eunuchs filed in, leading the nobles and officials to their seats, two per table, the nobles on the left, the officials on the right.

But when everyone was seated, Princess Liyang still stood alone at the entrance of the hall, as if everyone had forgotten about her.

Princess Liyang glanced around, not getting angry, before turning and going to sit in the corner.

The hall buzzed with discussions again: "Where exactly has His Majesty gone?"

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