Chapter 223
Chapter 223: Ying Lan Attending the Feast
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It was early evening and the lanterns were just lit . Ying Lan set off from the Remote Paddy Inn and headed towards the First Prince’s residence . From far away, he could see the bright lights and servants were entering and exiting the courtyard non-stop . The illumination from the lanterns made it look like the sun was still up in the residence and there was a black shadow standing at the entrance . The shadow looked into the distance as though he was waiting for something .
Ying Lan walked over and noticed that the person waiting at the entrance was the attendant who delivered the invitation card . When the attendant saw Ying Lan arriving, he was very excited and immediately went over to welcome the man . “Palace Master Ying, you have finally arrived! This one has been waiting for a long time… If you fail to turn up, Master will surely put the blame on me . Please follow me into the residence to take part in the feast . Master has been waiting in the main hall for quite some time now . ” The attendant finished speaking and bowed with a gesture to invite Ying Lan into the residence . He then led Ying Lan into the main hall .
Pei Rumo was already waiting for him and there were a total of eight dishes laid out on the table . Eight of them were hot and the others were cold dishes . There was a stew in the center of the table and it seemed like it had been cooking for quite some time . Pei Rumo was seated in the host’s seat and he gently fanned himself . Had it not been for the scar on his face and the stern aura that broke the friendly atmosphere around him, Pei Rumo would look like a graceful young master .
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“Master, Palace Master Ying Lan is here . Shall we start the feast?” Ming Lu bowed to Pei Rumo and tilted his body sideways to reveal Ying Lan’s presence behind him .
Now that Ying Lan had arrived, Pei Rumo immediately closed his folding fan and stood up . He greeted Ying Lan politely, “It’s my honor to be able to invite Palace Master Ying today . Please take a seat . ” Pei Rumo pointed to a chair on the eastern side of the room . In the Cloud Water Nation, people seated at this position were all esteemed guests . Pei Rumo used this custom to show his respect for Ying Lan .
Ying Lan didn’t hold himself back as he went over to his seat . He didn’t know much about Pei Rumo and it was best for him to speak less . The more he spoke, the more mistakes he might make . It was fine for him if Pei Rumo spotted a mistake and made things difficult for him, but if it implicated his mistress, things wouldn’t be good .
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Pei Rumo wasn’t surprised at all in regards to Ying Lan’s rather disrespectful behavior . In Pei Rumo’s opinion, a person like Ying Lan could be considered a superior expert in the outside world . It was normal for experts to have such an eccentric attitude and even if he behaved inappropriately, Pei Rumo was an imperial prince . He should be magnanimous enough to forgive Ying Lan’s rude behavior .
“Bring up the plum blossom brew and warm it up at the side . ” Pei Rumo immediately instructed his servants after seeing Ying Lan take a seat .
“Yes . ” Ming Lu acknowledged his orders and headed straight for the kitchen . The plum blossom brew was unsealed from the mud during daybreak and the morning dew was still present on the surface of the jug . With such meticulous preparation, the wine was at its best flavor and the drinker wouldn’t be easily intoxicated . In order not to let the alcohol smell disperse into the air, Ming Lu had specially asked the men to seal the liquor in an icehouse to preserve the taste . As a result, they needed a stove to heat up the liquor before they could serve it . Once the plum blossom brew was heated up, it would be an exceptional liquor that couldn’t be found even among the many restaurants in the Cloud Water Nation .
Pei Rumo waited for Ming Lu to serve the wine and he waited for an opportunity to bring up the topic . Since Ming Lu wanted to preserve the taste of the wine, he took a long time to serve it . Since Ying Lan didn’t understand what Pei Rumo was thinking, he waited for the prince to break the silence .
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As Ming Lu poured the alcohol, he noticed an absolutely bizarre scene . These two individuals who had outstanding strength and appearances sat in front of a table full of dishes, without moving an inch .
The duo’s current state frightened Ming Lu and he assumed that the dishes prepared by him were not to their liking . The more he thought about it, the more his arm shook as he poured the wine . He finally filled the cups and he placed the jug on the table . If he spilled the fine wine when the dishes were already not to their liking, Ming Lu was sure that he would lose his position in the First Prince’s residence after this .
“Master, Palace Master Ying Lan, are the dishes not to your liking? If there is anything you wish to eat, please inform this servant . I will ask the men to prepare it right away! If our kitchen can’t prepare the food, I will get someone to purchase it from the famous restaurants in the capital city . ” Ming Lu asked carefully with his head lowered . He glanced at Pei Rumo from time to time to look at the expression on his master’s face . However, there was nothing out of the ordinary and Ming Lu hastily offered a solution .
Pei Rumo was an official who had been meddling in political affairs for a long time . He quickly reacted and poured a cup for wine for Ying Lan before speaking to Ming Lu . “It’s all good here . However, there is a saying that goes, ‘to drink and chat merrily’ . Without the wine, how are we supposed to start? Isn’t that right, Palace Master Ying Lan?” Pei Rumo easily started a topic and passed it over to Ying Lan .
Before Ying Lan could say a word, Ming Lu interrupted him . “Please forgive me, honored sir . This servant went through the complicated process to preserve the aromatic taste of the plum blossom brew . It was unsealed in the morning and this servant stored it in an icehouse in order to preserve the taste . Sorry for the delay . This plum blossom brew is a liquor prepared personally by Master and there are only ten jars available per year . If I ruin the taste, won’t I be wasting Master’s efforts?”
Ming Lu’s explanation was utterly brilliant . First, he explained the reason for the delay, then he stated the preciousness of the plum blossom brew, allowing Ying Lan to feel that he was highly regarded .
How would Ying Lan be unable to decipher the meaning behind Ming Lu’s words? He quickly responded to allow the host, Pei Rumo, to escape from the awkward situation . “Your First Highness doesn’t need to blame your attendant . He is much better than my subordinate and there is also a saying that goes, ‘it is never too late to have a good meal’ . I’m sure we will have a good time as long as the food is good . Furthermore, I am a commoner by birth and it is already my good fortune to be able to drink liquor personally brewed by Your First Highness . ”