Chen An was an easygoing person, and since there was nothing particularly special about it, he agreed. Gu Shaoheng, being the second son of Gu An, rarely missed an opportunity to join in the fun, so he readily agreed as well. All eyes then turned to Shen Qingchen.
Qingchen dared not drink with everyone, worried that he might accidentally reveal his secret identity after drinking, and looked embarrassed.
Gu Shaoheng was afraid that she would refuse to go again, so he quickly said, "Qingchen, since you're already here, a little more time won't make a difference. I know you're not good at drinking, so don't worry, I definitely won't make you drink too much today."
Chen An, whose rank was lower than Zhang Yuan's, was afraid of spoiling his superior's mood, so he said, "Yes, since you can't drink, just drink a little. It's alright. Since we're all here, let's drink together. Today is Lord Zhang's birthday, let's go and celebrate together."
Just then, someone else said, "It's just a little drink, what's so scary about that? Acting all coy like a woman. If you don't want to drink more, who can force you? Or do you look down on us and don't want to be with us?"
Qingchen looked in the direction of the voice and found that the speaker was Xu Silin, who was looking at him with a cold face, with a little bit of the white of his eyes showing through his lower eyelid.
When she first saw him, she sensed something was off about him. His behavior had been somewhat normal a couple of days ago, but today he seemed unusually cold, and his words carried a hint of barbs. She wondered what was wrong with him; his mood was more fickle than a child's.
Just as Qingchen was about to explain, Zhang Yuan said, "Shen Qingchen, you've been in the Hanlin Academy for a year now, and it seems you haven't had many drinks with us yet. Why don't you refuse again today?"
Since the conversation had progressed to this point, Shen Qingchen could no longer refuse and could only agree.
The restaurant where they were drinking was a two-story wooden building with two large red lanterns hanging at the entrance, which looked bright red even without being lit.
The first floor of the tavern was for ordinary people to drink. Several wine jars covered with red paper were placed in the corner. A wooden staircase folded twice, leading to a long corridor on the second floor. The second floor was divided into several rooms. When the lattice doors were pushed open, one could see that the interiors were elegantly and luxuriously decorated, with orchids as decorations and a portrait of a beautiful woman hanging on the wall.
Everyone took their seats. Gu Shaoheng sat next to Shen Qingchen, while Xu Silin sat a little further away, separated from Chen An, Lin Mo, and Luo Yuanhao. At the very edge of his eye, he could only see Shen Qingchen's teacup.
Xu Silin rarely attended such gatherings, while Shen Qingchen almost never did, so apart from the day the names were announced in the imperial examination, the two had never eaten at the same table.
After the banquet began, everyone toasted Zhang Yuan, and Qingchen had no choice but to drink a cup. Apart from that, as mentioned before, no one really forced her to drink much.
Gu Shaoheng kept his word and shielded Qingchen from several drinks by the other officials. He himself had a high alcohol tolerance and drank quite a bit, toasting one person after another as if he were in a second womb, completely at ease.
Xu Silin didn't seem very enthusiastic. He only toasted a few seniors one by one, drank a few cups politely, and then sat quietly, listening to everyone talk.
Although the Hanlin Academy was a prestigious and prestigious institution, attracting countless people, it was not easy to rise to prominence. Many people only began to show their talent after their beards had grown long. Ten or twenty years would slowly wear them down, and even in the most promising years, spending every day confined to that small, square space, dealing with books and historical records, could be quite monotonous. Therefore, occasionally going out to drink and make merry became their best way to dispel loneliness.
During the gathering, everyone talked about classical texts, operas, and folk tales, from romance to rural anecdotes. When the mood struck, they even recited a few poems to add to the ambiance. Gu Shaoheng was quite skilled at composing poetry; he wrote "Inviting the Moon" while looking out at the setting sun, a poem that was both elegant and charming.
While he was composing poetry, Qingchen felt a slight throbbing in his head. Taking advantage of everyone's laughter and distraction, he went to stand on the railing of the porch outside to get some fresh air.
She looked down at the street and saw that there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on Qipan Street, and many shops were about to close.
A father and son were waiting for their sugar figurines at a sugar figurine stall, with the four- or five-year-old child sitting on his father's shoulders.
Qingchen thought of her father, who had passed away in modern times. When he was still alive, he had taken her to buy sugar figurines. Holding the delicate sugar figurine in her hand was her happiest moment.
Her father was an engineer who died when she was in junior high school, on the last dam he was supervising the construction of.
The project had a total investment exceeding one billion yuan. Her father was the chief engineer in charge of the entire project's construction, and the contractor was the son of a high-ranking official—a true "second-generation official." During the dam's construction, her father discovered that some people were cutting corners to maximize profits. He refused to work for them and reported them to the relevant authorities, but his accusations went unanswered. Shortly afterward, he "accidentally" died in a construction accident. She couldn't believe it was an accident and cried for a very long time.
Qingchen still remembers that when her father took her to see the dike before he died, he told her that the power of nature is immense, but that humans can use their wisdom and efforts to fight against this power and protect themselves, their families, and many others. His resolute and ambitious expression remains vivid in her memory to this day.
When she snapped out of her reverie, the father and son downstairs were gone. A gust of wind blew by, scattering the childhood memories she dared not recall.
Just then, the partition behind them was pushed open, and Xu Silin came out.
He walked to her side, leaned on the railing with one hand, and looked at her indifferently, saying, "You're already drunk? Even women can drink a couple of ounces, how come you, a man, have such a low alcohol tolerance?"
"I'm not drunk, just a little dizzy. I came out for some fresh air." Shen Qingchen turned to look at him. "Are you out for some fresh air too?"
Xu Silin stared expressionlessly at the street below. "I'm not. I came out to see you... to see if you'd fall flat on your face and die."
"..."
Qingchen sighed almost imperceptibly, wondering what was wrong with the person in front of him today. Every word he said was barbed, and he had no idea how he had offended him again.
"I'm going in first." Since the conversation wasn't going well, she didn't want to say anything more.
But he blocked her way, his eyes fixed on her. "Wait, don't go."
Qingchen frowned. The Ming Dynasty was a vast and prosperous land, full of beautiful mountains, rivers and scenery. Why did he have to pester her so much that she couldn't even catch her breath?
"Young Master Xu is of noble status, so what's so difficult about watching someone fall down? If I were to fall down and die like this, it wouldn't be very exciting. If you really want to see it, how about I go up to the roof, choose a better position from a higher vantage point, and then fall down?" She should have gotten used to his pestering long ago, but at this moment, her head was filled with the smell of alcohol, and some of her words were beyond her control.
Xu Silin sensed the sarcasm in her words and was momentarily surprised, but he didn't care much. He turned to look at her calmly and said, "I was just joking. You don't need to be so angry and sarcastic."
Actually, he had drunk several glasses of wine, but he was far from drunk enough to keep his composure. He looked at her slightly flushed face, his gaze moving from her face to a small section of her neck that was also flushed, and finally back to her eyes. Her eyes were slightly hazy and misty, truly those of a handsome young man with white teeth and red lips.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingchen frowned slightly again. He could speak with a barb, so why couldn't she? The Xu faction probably bullied people in this way. She disliked the Xu faction and hated those who wielded power yet oppressed others. They had killed her father.
So from the very beginning, she had no good feelings towards him, the son of a high-ranking official.
Shen Qingchen said self-deprecatingly, "I am but a commoner, easily wiped out by the flick of your little finger, so how could I dare to speak with barbs? I was just thinking that this vast land of China is so wonderful, and it's a rare opportunity to meet and drink with Young Master Xu. If you want to see my performance, how could I not make a fool of myself?"
After saying that, she turned her head and glanced at him, just in time to meet his slightly flickering gaze.
Xu Silin narrowed his eyes, looking at the fair and slightly flushed face, and said in a low voice, "You come from a poor family, so naturally you wouldn't dare to do anything. Now you're mocking me so recklessly because you've found a good backer in Teacher Song, right?"
In this world, nothing stays secret forever, especially not someone like Xu. That day, this man clearly told him that Song Yue hadn't gone anywhere with him, but it turned out they went to the Zhenfu Division to ask for a girl for him. He was lying to him, and he was very unhappy about it. Not knowing what his relationship with Song Yue really was made him even more unhappy.
Shen Qingchen hadn't expected him to mention his teacher, and without a moment to consider the implications, he simply said, "He's my teacher, and he's your teacher too. It makes no difference to you or me. Besides, I'm upright and honest; I don't need any powerful backers."
After saying the words, Qingchen took a couple of breaths, feeling a tightness in her chest and her heart racing.
Xu Silin's brows were already furrowed as he stared at the young man who had suddenly become stubborn. His fingers, gripping the railing, slowly clenched. This man had always avoided him and spoke gently, but today, after drinking, he finally revealed his true feelings. It turned out that he had so many disagreements with him.
After all, they were classmates. I had only teased him a few times. Why was he so resistant to me and so sarcastic?
Meanwhile, Gu Shaoheng, who was drinking inside, noticed that Shen Qingchen and Xu Silin had been missing for a long time. He looked up and peered through the lattice door and saw that the two were indeed standing together. He was a little unhappy.
With his handsome brows furrowed as he gazed at Qingchen, Xu Silin, feeling the effects of the alcohol, took a breath and said, "That day, didn't you say that Teacher Song came to see you only to ask about your studies and that poem?"
Qingchen blinked her lowered eyelashes. "Is there something wrong?"
Seeing that she still didn't want to admit it, Xu Silin's emotions fluctuated for a moment. His pupils shrank and he growled, "You think I wouldn't know if you didn't tell me? You went to the Zhenfu Division's yamen, and he still owes Lu Shenyun a favor because of you!"
Shen Qingchen was startled and looked up at him.
She forgot that he was the son of the Grand Secretary, and the entire court was filled with Xu's faction, including the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Of course, he was able to hear and see everything.
It seemed he was asking a question he already knew the answer to, waiting to see her humiliate herself in her attempt to hide it from him, just as he always did, using his special status to toy with and mock her. She was truly throwing an egg against a rock.
Shen Qingchen lowered his head, truly not wanting to say anything more. "Since you already know, why ask me? I'm sorry, I'm feeling the effects of the alcohol, I need to go back inside and sit for a while, so I won't keep Young Master Xu company any longer. Farewell."
After saying that, she turned and left.
He suddenly grabbed her wrist.
His tall figure blocked out the fading sunlight, his face handsome yet cold. "I haven't finished speaking yet, how can you be so rude? Don't leave."
This is another double standard. Does grabbing her wrist mean he wasn't being rude?
Shen Qingchen struggled twice in pain, but he wouldn't let go. She had no choice but to say again, "I told you I'm feeling the effects of the alcohol and want to go back to my room. Let me go."
"What exactly is your relationship with Teacher Song?" Even Xu Silin himself was surprised by the question. He hadn't expected to be so persistent about it. Song Yue was a cabinet minister, and the affairs of the Ministry of Rites were numerous and complicated. It was astonishing that someone who rarely meddled in other people's business would help an insignificant student and even go out of his way to negotiate with the Embroidered Uniform Guard on his behalf.
He couldn't convince himself that there was no special relationship between the two people.
If so, what exactly is the relationship?
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