Chapter 178: Drinking Wine

Lin Hao received the glare and silently sent it back.

Understood. This was a case of hating the bird and the nest.

Kou Wan’s eyes flashed with shock; she clearly hadn't expected the person who had remained unresponsive amidst the undercurrents just moments ago to strike back.

She quickly realized the key: the ones targeting Lin Hao just now were her elder sister and Princess Ronghua. Therefore, Lin Hao was simply picking on the softest persimmon!

Her sister was right; the second Miss Lin was indeed a woman with many schemes.

She glared again, only to find that Lin Hao had already turned her gaze toward Princess Yuliu, as if the previous eye contact had been a mere illusion, and as if no one else had noticed the hidden tension between them.

Although all the noble ladies visiting Fuxiang Garden held extraordinary status, only two were currently the center of attention: Princess Yi'an of Great Zhou, and Princess Lingque of Yuliu.

As the hostess, Princess Yi'an warmly invited Princess Lingque to take a seat.

The banquet was laid out within the garden's long corridor.

The corridor was open on all four sides, allowing anyone seated anywhere to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the garden and watch flocks of cranes strolling elegantly across the vast stretches of grass.

Yuliu had no cranes, so it was inevitable that Princess Lingque would cast a few extra glances their way.

Princess Yi'an smiled and said, "If Sister likes them, I shall gift you a pair when you return to your country."

Princess Lingque was momentarily stunned, then smiled. "No need, I was merely looking at something exotic. My palace raises many peacocks; when they spread their tails, they make a hundred flowers lose their luster. It would be quite strange to mix in a pair of cranes."

As soon as these words were spoken, the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere froze.

What did Princess Lingque mean by that?

Was she devoid of schemes, or was she looking down on everyone?

The ladies stared at Princess Lingque's exquisite face, reaching a silent consensus: it was definitely the latter!

To stand on Great Zhou's territory and look down upon the treasures they cherished was clearly a deliberate insult.

The ladies silently looked toward Princess Yi'an.

They could not speak much in such a setting; it was up to Princess Yi'an now.

Princess Yi'an frowned inwardly.

This Princess Lingque lacked all sense of propriety. She was the hostess of this banquet; if she were to clash head-on with a foreign guest, the Emperor would surely think she was immature. But precisely because Princess Lingque was a foreigner, if she showed no reaction, how would these noble ladies view her?

Princess Lingque's beautiful eyes flickered toward Princess Yi'an as she picked up her wine cup and took a sip.

The white jade cup held an amber-colored fruit wine, the finest quality plum wine.

However, Princess Lingque wore a strange expression, clearly struggling to swallow it.

This reaction further incited the rising fury of the ladies, who once again turned their eyes in unison toward Princess Yi'an.

Wasn't she quite capable of subtly squeezing the second Miss Lin just now? Why was she speechless when facing Princess Lingque?

Princess Yi'an knew she could no longer remain silent. Her slender fingers gripped the wine cup as she offered a half-smile. "Does Sister not have a habit of drinking?"

Princess Lingque smiled radiantly. "It is not that. I am simply more accustomed to drinking the grape wine produced in Yuliu; I am not used to this plum wine."

She was born beautiful, and this smile was like spring flowers in full bloom, captivating the soul.

Princess Yi'an suddenly felt even more annoyed. Her slender fingers tightened around the cup as she said indifferently, "It so happens we have the grape wine presented by your country. Attendants—"

As her voice rose slightly, maidservants soon brought out the grape wine and placed it before Princess Lingque.

Princess Lingque lowered her eyes, masking the coldness within them.

She felt it was a pity that the Great Zhou princess was such a coward, though fortunately, she had a bit of spirit.

A crystal-clear glass cup held a pomegranate-red liquid; compared to the amber plum wine, it possessed a different kind of charm.

Princess Yi'an raised her white jade cup. "Sister is a guest; I toast to you."

Princess Lingque held the glass cup without moving, her voice soft and sweet. "One cannot drink like this. There is only one guest, yet there are so many hosts. If you toast me one by one, I won't be able to handle it."

"Then how does Sister think we should drink?"

Princess Lingque's gaze swept lightly over the ladies, her playful lips showing a hint of willful arrogance. "We should all drink together, of course."

"By 'drinking together,' you mean—" Princess Yi'an frowned slightly.

Princess Lingque held her cup, smiling brightly. "A cup for the hosts, and a cup for the guest. Only then can both hosts and guests enjoy themselves. Don't you agree, little sister?"

Hearing this, the ladies could not help but look at one another in confusion.

If Princess Lingque drank a cup, did they all have to drink one too?

What nonsense was this wench talking!

Princess Yi'an cursed her "shamelessness" inwardly, but maintained a forced smile on her face. "Actually, for this flower-viewing banquet, I am the only host; the others are merely accompanying guests."

Her alcohol tolerance was decent, but among the noble ladies present, there were inevitably those who could not handle much alcohol. If someone made a fool of themselves by getting drunk in such a setting, it would not only embarrass her as the person in charge but also disgrace Great Zhou.

This Princess Lingque looked delicate and weak, but in reality, she was digging pits everywhere with ill intent.

Princess Lingque covered her mouth and laughed.

Her bell-like laughter drifted into the ears of the ladies, sounding inexplicably piercing.

Having laughed enough, she raised her cup toward Princess Yi'an. "I shall drink first to show my respect."

Princess Yi'an's expression shifted; she pressed her lips thin and raised her cup.

Seeing Princess Yi'an drink, Princess Lingque looked toward the ladies who were holding their cups with hesitation.

Having spoken to this extent, it seemed they had no choice but to drink.

Most people hesitated, waiting for the reaction of others. Finally, someone could no longer endure Princess Lingque's mocking gaze and tilted their head back to swallow the wine.

It was just a cup of fruit wine; they could not let the Princess of Yuliu look down on the noble ladies of Great Zhou.

The crisp sound of a cup hitting the table seemed to break a certain balance. First one person, then another, and soon even the noble ladies who rarely touched alcohol bit their teeth and drank.

The fruit wine was sweet and sour, very easy to swallow. Once the first cup was finished, it seemed as though it wouldn't be a problem.

Pitchers of fine wine were brought out one after another, and the faces of the ladies gradually became more radiant than the cluster of roses blooming outside the corridor.

Suddenly, there was a sound; one noble lady, feeling dizzy, failed to hold her cup steady, and it rolled onto the ground.

Princess Yi'an bit the tip of her tongue to keep herself conscious.

They could not keep drinking!

"It is quite dull to only focus on drinking. The most famous thing about Fuxiang Garden is its beautiful scenery. I shall accompany Sister on a stroll."

Princess Lingque's peripheral vision swept over several hazy, drunken faces as she smiled and set down her cup. "Very well, then I shall trouble you, little sister."

It would be boring if they were completely drunk.

Her own alcohol tolerance, even including men, was rarely matched, and because of that, she had seen all sorts of unexpected undignified behavior from drunken people.

When one drank too much fruit wine, its aftereffects were no weaker than strong spirits.

She wondered what kind of surprises these usually dignified and gentle noble ladies of Great Zhou would give her?

Although the garden was more spacious than the corridor, the fragrant floral scents carried by the wind made one's head feel increasingly heavy.

Qi Qiong walked somewhat unsteadily, gripping Lin Hao's hand tightly.