C40 Kiss

The empress took the lead, while the imperial concubines toasted Huangfu Yuchen first. When it was Yan Ge's turn, he took a sip and finished it in one gulp.

Huangfu Yuchen reminded him, "This is twenty years of aging, you must have a lot of strength."

Yan Ge shook his head and said, "Your majesty, even though this wine is twenty years old, it's still not good enough."

Worthy Lady Tian covered her mouth and laughed, "Hearing Palace Man Yan's words, it sounds like you have drank better than my wine. Palace Man Yan, haven't you gotten drunk already? "

Rou Fei and Consort Zhao looked at each other, and the same thought flashed past their eyes. Since they didn't want to stand up for them, someone else naturally stood up for them.

Yan Ge laughed faintly: "Even if there is such a recipe, Yan Ge would not offer it to the Emperor."

The empress, concubine and the like all looked at him with a "you're tired of living" look.

Huangfu Yuchen indicated for Palace Maid to fill the cup and asked: "Why?"

Yan Ge said: "Drinking a little alcohol is good for your health, drinking too much will harm your health. Yan Ge has heard of a doggerel before, is the Emperor interested in hearing it? "

"Tell me about it." Huangfu Yuchen said.

Yan Ge explained slowly: "This wine, ah, it looks like water. Drinking it to the mouth, making a ghost in the stomach, tripping one's legs when walking, waking up in the middle of the night to find water, regretting it when I wake up in the morning."

Huangfu Yuchen laughed loudly, his black eyes filled with laughter. "Interesting, interesting. This poem is quite impressive. "

The Queen and Fourth Concubine had followed Huangfu Yuchen for a long time, but had never seen him laugh so happily. At the same time, the gaze in which they looked at Yan Ge became more serious.

The Worthy Lady Tian felt unresigned. Her beautiful eyes darted around as she raised her glass and said, "Your Majesty, Palace Man Yan has just been newly bestowed a new title. Your concubine should make a toast to him."

Huangfu Yuchen nodded.

Worthy Lady Tian raised her cup towards Yan Ge from afar as she smiled sweetly, "Palace Man Yan, congratulations."

"Thank you, Worthy Lady Tian." Yan Ge stood up while holding the wine cup, and sat down after drinking it all in one go.

Worthy Lady Tian laughed tenderly: "Amongst the four male consort s, Worthy Lady Soong is gentle, Du Chang Zai is handsome, Zhou has agreed to be gentle … Palace Man Yan was the first to be bestowed the title, I think that all of the works are well done. Your Majesty, in my opinion, Palace Man Yan is rather knowledgeable about alcohol. How about you compose a poem on the subject of alcohol to help Your Majesty enjoy it? "

Before Yan Ge could reply, Huangfu Yuchen's face darkened and he suddenly put down his wine cup. Looking at Worthy Lady Tian, he said without a trace of warmth in his voice, "In my opinion, you are the most talkative." He had only planned to let Yan Ge accompany him alone, worried that it would cause the other concubines to become jealous. That was why he had brought the Empress and the others here, so that Yan Ge wouldn't be at the center of attention.

Under the bright white light, Worthy Lady Tian's small and beautiful face instantly turned pale white. Her eyes widened as she looked at Huangfu Yuchen in disbelief and grievance.

The empress was shocked. Worthy Lady Tian was recently the Emperor's most beloved concubine, but today the Emperor scolded her so heavily for the sake of a male consort.

Huangfu Yuchen said in a cold voice, "If Worthy Lady Tian is drunk, then you should go back and rest."

The empress was about to smooth things over when Zheng Fei said softly, "Your majesty, I believe Worthy Lady Tian has no other intentions. I'm just curious about the knowledge that Palace Man Yan has. "Sister Tian has just entered the palace, I hope that you don't mind, your majesty."

Yan Ge, the Empress and Huangfu Yuchen were on the stage at the same time. They clearly saw the Queen's face change slightly after being cut off by Zheng Fei, and she pretended to wipe her mouth and use a handkerchief to cover her displeasure. He lowered his head and took a sip of tea, a hint of amusement flashing across his eyes. On the surface, Zheng Fei's words were a plea for mercy on behalf of the Worthy Lady Tian, but in reality, she was eyeing the Worthy Lady Tian. It had been a few months since the elegant lady had entered the palace, and the Worthy Lady Tian was still insensible. However, could Huangfu Yuchen really not tell?

He curiously glanced at Huangfu Yuchen and coincidentally saw a hint of ridicule flash past Huangfu Yuchen's eyes. He quickly recovered his pampering and said to Zheng Fei: "As expected of Zheng Fei."

Then, he looked at Yan Ge, "Why is Palace Man Yan staring at us?"

Yan Ge said calmly, "Yan Ge does not dare. Your majesty, Yan Ge offers you a cup. "

Huangfu Yuchen picked up his wine cup and took a sip, looking at him thoughtfully. He was about seventeen or eighteen years old, and even though his facial features were somewhat childish, his temperament was not the least bit immature. Whether it was his speech or actions, he exuded an air of agility and elegance. This male consort of his had piqued his interest more and more, and he was looking forward to the day when his mask would be taken off.

Huangfu Yuchen's protection of Yan Ge made all the other consorts more obedient. After that, no one dared to look for trouble with him anymore. Fourth Concubine and the Worthy Lady Tian who had become smarter treated Yan Ge with utmost respect.

The empress was the calmest one. Yan Ge was a man, no matter how favoured he was or how high his position was, he couldn't surpass her. Let the others fight with him, she was happy to watch the show.

When the banquet came to an end, the empress couldn't help but speak up. "Your Majesty, Xi`er hasn't seen you for a few days. How about tonight …" It has been a long time since the Emperor visited her Yongyi Palace. The empress was the world's respected imperial mother, but because of her esteemed status, she could not brazenly compete for the favor of other concubines. If she were to suffer a bad reputation, it would definitely affect her image and status. Therefore, she could not get the emperor's favor, and could only use the First Prince, who was the crown prince, Huangfu Yun Xi, as an excuse.

Huangfu Yuchen said: "There has been a lot of things recently, I will pay him a visit tomorrow at noon."

The empress was first disappointed, then delighted, saying, "Xi'er must be very happy to learn that his father is going to see him."

Huangfu Yuchen nodded.

"Your majesty, take off!" Deng Mannde shouted.

"Palace Man Yan, come with me."

Yan Ge walked to his side, "Yes. Your majesty has drank quite a bit. How about I accompany your majesty on a walk and wake up from your stupor? "

"Sure." Huangfu Yuchen touched his own face.

The Queen, Consort Zhao and the others watched as they left, knowing that the Emperor would most likely invite the Palace Man Yan to sleep tonight. They didn't know what to feel. The Emperor obviously doesn't like men, I wonder what methods the Palace Man Yan used to make the Emperor so close to him.

It is the custom in the womb to attend and to ascend after the birth of a child. When she thought about the possibility of Yan Ge becoming a Scholar right after he levelled up, Worthy Lady Tian clenched her teeth and pounced on Yan Ge, wanting to bite him a few times.

Yan Ge's back felt cold, and he sneezed.

Huangfu Yuchen looked at him with a funny expression, "For example, my son got a cold today because of a heat attack?"

Yan Ge shook his head and rubbed his nose, "No. Maybe the pollen or catkins went into my nose. "

The countless lanterns hanging on the side of the road were emitting yellow light. They meandered along the paths in the garden, appearing especially warm under the night sky. The familiar scenery of the imperial garden at night had become unfamiliar. Compared to the day, it had a different mood. In the garden, apart from the cicadas and frogs, there was only the sound of their footsteps. The night breeze was cool and pleasant on his face. Both of them slowed down at the same time.

Deng Mannde and the other people from the Palace were five or six steps behind, holding onto lanterns, they followed without a sound.

"What were you laughing about at the dinner?" Huangfu Yuchen rubbed his forehead, then suddenly asked.

When Yan Ge heard his voice sound slightly lazy and dumb, lacking the majesty he had during the day, he knew that he was not angry and laughed, "It's just self-deprecating, you made so many enemies without doing anything at all …"

"Scared?" Huangfu Yuchen stopped and smiled, "You are not such a cowardly person."

Yan Ge looked at him in surprise. He couldn't help but suspect if Huangfu Yuchen had a double personality. Right now, he appeared a bit more gentle than he did during the day, slightly weakening his edges. He exuded an even more powerful manly charm, and his smiling eyes were dyed with the yellow of the lanterns, giving others the illusion that he was filled with tenderness.

The Yan Ge in Huangfu Yuchen's eyes was also different from when he normally talked about proper business. There was an extra bit of silence, and an additional bit of fighting spirit. He could not help but walk closer to Yan Ge, raising his right hand to rub his hair, and reminisced about the first time he touched Yan Ge.

Deng Mannde felt the ambiguous atmosphere, and signaled the people of the palace to stop, holding his breath to secretly pay attention to the situation ahead.

Huangfu Yuchen bent his head and pecked Yan Ge on the lips, the tip of his tongue slashing between his lips.

Yan Ge didn't have time to react at all, he raised his head and stared at him in shock. His heart was pounding and his face was burning hot from the alcohol.

Huangfu Yuchen retracted his hand, with half squinting eyes, he rubbed his swollen temples and muttered to himself in a low voice, "I must have drank too much …"

Yan Ge was relieved, and supported him, "Let me help you get on the Dragon Carriage."

"Yes, I have a terrible headache." Huangfu Yuchen clicked his tongue as his brows tightly knitted together. "We really shouldn't believe you. Twenty years of aging is not good enough …"

Yan Ge was overjoyed, and didn't dare to laugh. He supported him up along with Deng Mannde, "I didn't lie to Your Majesty, if there's a chance in the future, I'll let Your Majesty taste an even more mellow wine."

Deng Mannde quickly looked at Yan Ge in puzzlement. If it had been any other concubine accompanying the emperor while he was drunk, he would have taken the initiative to snuggle over to him. Didn't the Palace Man Yan love the Emperor a lot? This was a good chance to be blessed by the Emperor, why didn't Palace Man Yan seize it? However, as the loyal slave of the Emperor, he could not force Yan Ge to do anything. He quickly instructed a young eunuch to return to the Tengloong Hall first and prepare the wine and tea.

"Your majesty, you're drunk. Have a good rest tonight and don't let anyone disturb us." Yan Ge spoke tactfully. The fewer people Huangfu Yuchen was fortunate to have, the fewer enemies he had in the palace.

Deng Mannde snickered, he had already said that he would promise to not fall in love with the Emperor, if not, why would he advise the Emperor not to flip his board tonight?

Huangfu Yuchen glanced sideways from the Dragon Carriage at Yan Ge, but did not say anything as he closed his eyes to rest.

"Deng Mannde, get someone to prepare one more serving of Spirit-Sobering Tea."

Deng Mannde said, "Your majesty, don't worry. This servant has already explained it to you."