Chapter 823 The Sky-Piercing Giant
The sky outside was beginning to darken, and inside the deep palace, it was as if night had fallen in an instant.
With his vision obstructed, his hearing became even more acute. Yuwen Ye clearly heard the sound of rushing water. It was Yuwen Cheng who got up and filled the wine cup for the Crown Prince sitting next to him. In the dim light, the color of the wine was almost invisible. He could only see the cool water flowing from the spout like moonlight, shimmering in the cup.
A strong aroma of alcohol began to fill the air.
Then, the sound of fabric rustling could be heard. Yuwen Cheng turned around, tilted the wine pot slightly towards the wine cup in front of Yuwen Ye.
Another sound of flowing wine came from the cup. Because it was right in front of him, he could not only hear it more clearly, but he could also see the cloudy wine leaping out of the spout. Compared to the clear and pure color and aroma just now, the wine that was being slowly filled up was much richer and more intense. After the last drop of wine fell into the cup, Yuwen Ye reached out and held the cup, feeling the coolness of the wine passing through the cup.
Reflected in the water, Yuwen Cheng, whose eyes sparkled, seemed to look up and smile at him.
Then he poured himself another glass of wine.
After filling all three cups, he raised the cup in front of him, looked at Yuwen Qian, then at Yuwen Ye, and said, "This third cup is for my two elder brothers."
Yuwen Ye stared calmly at the amber-colored glass in front of him, then glanced across at Yuwen Qian, who had already silently picked up his glass as well.
Perhaps because of his long-term Buddhist practice, he always appeared very calm. His expression and mood were almost undetectable to others, and even his hands were very steady. But at this moment, perhaps it was just his imagination, Yuwen Qian's hands were trembling, and the wine in his cup was also shaking.
Yuwen Ye frowned slightly.
Yuwen Cheng smiled at him and said, "Second Brother, aren't you going to raise your glass?"
Yuwen Ye glanced at him, said nothing, and simply reached out to pick up the wine glass in front of him. The coolness of the wine had completely penetrated the glass, and when he held it in his hand, the coldness was piercing, as if he were holding a block of ice. Yuwen Ye had always been strong and afraid of heat, and this was the first time he had felt cold. Moreover, it was not just the coldness of his palms, but a chill that rose from his heart, connected with the sensation in his palms, and in an instant, it made his entire body stiff and cold.
Yuwen Cheng seemed very satisfied, his smile deepening, but it also carried a hint of coldness due to the coolness of the wine.
He said, "As my second brother just said, we brothers are all working together for Father's great cause. However, since Father has already appointed my eldest brother as the Crown Prince, he will eventually pass this great cause on to His Highness the Crown Prince. So, are we brothers working together for this great cause also working together for the Crown Prince and for the great cause he will inherit in the future?"
Yuwen Ye's brows immediately furrowed.
Of course he knew that his third brother had never been one to hold back his words since childhood, but because he was the youngest, he was easily forgiven by adults. In addition, he had been protected by Aunt Hui when he was at home, and now the Crown Prince would protect him, so he became even more unscrupulous. But even if he was unscrupulous, talking about the emperor's great cause and the succession was going too far!
Yuwen Ye immediately said, "Third brother, these are matters that you shouldn't be discussing; they are matters for Father!"
Yuwen Cheng laughed and said, "Second brother, when did you become so cautious? In the past, you rarely asked Father to intervene in your affairs, and you often acted on your own."
"..."
"What, I can't even say something?"
Yuwen Ye said, "No!"
Yuwen Cheng's face darkened: "You—"
Yuwen Ye said coldly, "I acted on my own initiative because those matters were entrusted to me. As long as they were completed and Father Emperor received the results, he naturally wouldn't interfere. But Father Emperor's great cause and the selection of the successor are not matters for you to interfere with. Do you know that you are committing the crime of deceiving the emperor by talking nonsense here?"
Yuwen Cheng's expression changed immediately. He was about to say something more when a calm voice rang out from the side: "Third brother, stop making trouble."
Yuwen Cheng immediately calmed down and turned to look at Yuwen Qian. In the dim light, he was so quiet that he was like a shadow completely shrouded in darkness, his outline almost indistinguishable. Even his usually clear and serene eyes were almost swallowed up by the darkness.
He said calmly, "The King of Qin is right, so you don't need to say anything more."
Yuwen Cheng was still somewhat unconvinced, but upon hearing the last few words, he suddenly seemed to remember something. He glanced at the wine cup in Yuwen Ye's hand, smiled, and said, "Alright, I won't say anything more, but Second Brother, will you drink this cup of wine offered by your younger brother?"
"..."
Yuwen Ye glanced at Yuwen Qian in front of him, then slowly put down his wine cup.
He said, "Since Your Majesty says what I said makes sense, it means that what you said is unreasonable. In that case, we don't need to drink this cup of wine."
Yuwen Cheng's expression changed again. He suddenly tightened his grip on the wine glass, causing the wine inside to slosh around as if he were about to crush it. Yet, he managed to suppress his anger and forced a smile through gritted teeth. The smile, reflected in the shimmering wine, even revealed a hint of ferocity.
He said, "My second brother doesn't give me any face at all."
Yuwen Ye said, "Drinking is like being a person; one should be reasonable and moderate."
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Cheng's eyes darted around, and he suddenly stood up, raising his wine cup to him and saying, "Since Second Brother says that what I just said was unreasonable, then how about I use this cup to apologize to Second Brother?"
After saying that, he bowed deeply, then raised his eyes to look at Yuwen Ye: "Second brother, will you drink this cup of apology wine or not?"
Yuwen Ye's breath hitched.
He looked at his third brother again, his face showing a chilling expression, a chill tinged by the ice-cold wine glass in his hand. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled and said, "It seems my third brother is determined to make me drink this glass of wine."
Yuwen Cheng said, "We all drank the first two cups of wine together. If Second Brother doesn't drink this cup, wouldn't that be like kicking me out of the family?"
"..."
"Did I do something wrong as the underling?"
Yuwen Ye frowned, but before he could speak, Yuwen Cheng continued, "Could it be that Second Brother is so intolerant of me? He won't even drink the wine I offered as an apology?"
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Ye could no longer feel the coldness in his hands.
Because my heart has been completely frozen into ice.
He smiled faintly and said, "I have never been intolerant of anyone; it is only that people cannot tolerate me."
"Since that's the case,"
Yuwen Cheng immediately said, "Then please, Second Brother, drink this cup of wine as an apology."
Yuwen Ye frowned as he looked at him, then at Yuwen Qian opposite him. By this time, it was completely dark, and the entire hall was as if it had been splashed with thick ink, almost completely dark. He felt as if he had sunk into a bottomless abyss, unable to see any light, and even his breathing became rapid and shallow, as if the darkness would swallow him up completely at any moment.
After looking up and seeing no light or discerning any figures in the darkness, Yuwen Ye lowered his head again and looked at the wine cup in his hand.
At this moment, the wine glass was just a blurry outline, and the faint glimmer of water inside could no longer illuminate his eyes. The only thing he could perceive was the aroma of wine, and an extremely strong aroma at that, like a sharp weapon that suddenly attacked from the darkness, almost piercing his entire body.
Yuwen Ye said, "Good wine..."
Yuwen Cheng laughed and said, "Of course it's fine wine, specially prepared for our brothers' gathering today. How could it be ordinary?"
"..."
"However, one cannot appreciate the quality of this wine simply by looking at it or smelling it. I would like to invite you, Second Brother, to share this cup with us, so that we can not only renew our brotherly bond but also better understand the wine and the exquisite taste of what I have carefully prepared."
After saying that, he turned to Yuwen Qian, who was only holding a wine glass and seemed to be making no move, and said, "Brother..."
Upon hearing this, the shadow finally stirred slightly.
Yuwen Ye raised his eyes and saw him slowly raise the wine cup in his hand. It was unclear whether he was lost in thought or concentrating. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a hoarse, almost unfamiliar voice: "Second brother, please—"
Yuwen Ye frowned.
The three brothers had already raised all three wine glasses, almost bringing them to their lips.
The rich aroma of the wine had almost transformed into a tangible weapon. Yuwen Ye even instinctively tilted his head back slightly, but neither Yuwen Qian nor Yuwen Cheng hesitated for a moment. The wine cups had already touched their lips, and the next moment, they were about to drink it all in one gulp.
Just then, a bright light suddenly appeared beside them!
"Feng Chen!"
The sudden sound and light made everyone present gasp and their hearts pound. Yuwen Ye immediately turned around and saw a familiar figure outside the dark hall. This figure, who should have been clumsy, was walking very fast. With each step, he entered with the majesty of a thousand troops and the force of a thunderbolt. The lantern in his hand swayed and filled the entire hall with a faint light. The light and shadow flickered, making it seem as if the entire hall was about to collapse.
But her arrival was like a towering giant, instantly lifting up Yuwen Ye's mind and spirit!
He immediately put down his wine glass: "As you wish!"
Sitting beside him, the two men, who were almost accustomed to the darkness around them, seemed somewhat uncomfortable when suddenly illuminated by the light. Yuwen Cheng, in particular, immediately frowned and squinted his eyes. Only Yuwen Qian remained expressionless, but there was a strange twitch between his brows, and a heavy gloom appeared on his face the instant the light passed by.
He put down his wine glass, and clenched his fist even tighter!
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