Realistic governance games for both male and female audiences

Chapter 13 Prince Su

Huo Zhong knew very well that his aunt, who was the Empress Dowager, would not bring up the cellar that the late emperor had bestowed upon him for no reason... Clearly, she had her eye on his wine!

The "Thousand-Day Intoxication" was a peerless wine specially developed by the Jiangnan Textile Bureau during the reign of the late emperor. It is said that it takes three years to brew a jar of wine and ten years to open it. It is smooth on the palate, but its aftereffects are overwhelming.

When the late emperor was alive, he specially ordered a cellar to be built for him to store "Thousand-Day Intoxication" wine, and also bestowed upon him more than ten jars of "Thousand-Day Intoxication".

Over the years, he has treasured this as a precious item, and he would not even dare to touch it with his fingers on ordinary days. Only during festivals and holidays would he dare to take out a small pot to drink alone and comfort himself.

"Reporting to...Reporting to Aunt!" Huo Zhong swallowed hard, his voice slightly hoarse as he spoke, "There are still eight jars left."

"Open the cellar!" The Empress Dowager didn't even lift her eyelids, making the decision directly. "Bring out three jars!"

After a slight pause, the Empress Dowager spoke again: "My youngest son is returning to the capital, and this welcoming banquet must not be without such fine wines and delicacies!"

"Three jars?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Zhong almost jumped up.

At that moment, he felt as if his heart was bleeding!

You must know that these eight jars of fine wine already had their own "homes" in his heart. In fact, he had already reserved one jar for each of them for several auspicious occasions in the future. Now, the Empress Dowager's words are about to tear three pieces of his heart out!

"Aunt..." Huo Zhong stepped forward with a pained expression and lowered his voice, "If I may be so bold as to say it, it's not that I'm reluctant to part with this wine, it's just... this wine is extremely precious. In the past, at grand banquets in the palace, just one jar was enough to make all the officials praise it highly. Now, to take three jars at once, isn't that... isn't that a bit too extravagant?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager finally stopped fiddling with her prayer beads.

She slowly raised her eyes, her seemingly cloudy but actually sharp eyes staring directly at Huo Zhong, a meaningful smile playing on her lips:

"Zhong'er, do you know how much suffering my youngest son endured in the Western Frontier? As his mother, I had to constantly worry about being threatened with my son's death... Now that he has finally returned to the capital, how can I make up for the pain of being separated from my son for so many years if I cannot let him drink the finest wine and eat the finest food in the world?"

After a slight pause, the Empress Dowager slowly stood up from her phoenix chair.

Then, she walked up to Huo Zhong, gently patted his shoulder, and said with a loving expression, "Don't worry, the three jars of fine wine I'm preparing for you are all specially made; I have absolutely no intention of cheating you!"

Before Huo Zhong could ask, the Empress Dowager began to explain on her own:

"The welcoming banquet I've prepared for my youngest son will last for three days!"

"On the first day, a banquet will be held for members of the imperial family and nobles, and also for all civil and military officials!"

"The following day, a banquet was held for all civil and military officials, and also for members of the imperial family and nobles!"

"On the third day, a banquet will be held for my youngest son's former troops from the Western Frontier, and also for members of the imperial family, nobles, and civil and military officials!"

"A grand banquet for three days, one jar each day, is the only way to display the majesty of the imperial family and to show my deep affection for my youngest son!"

"As the older cousin, how can you bear to watch your younger cousin drink such mundane things at the banquet?"

…………

Huo Zhong opened his mouth, originally wanting to argue his point, for example, that the three-day banquet was too ostentatious and extravagant, that it was unnecessary to use such a fine wine as "Thousand-Day Intoxication" for the banquet for Prince Su's former troops in the Western Frontier on the third day, and that the banquets on the first and second days could be combined into one...

He had so much to say!

But in the end, when he met the Empress Dowager's expectant and loving eyes, and recalled her earlier words, "As a mother, I still have to worry all the time about being threatened by someone using my son," Huo Zhong swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"That's enough! That's enough!"

Huo Zhong sighed inwardly, lowering his head as if resigned to his fate, while secretly gritting his teeth.

"It's just three jars of wine! Consider it... an apology for the outrageous things I said to my aunt earlier!"

Having figured things out, Huo Zhong raised his head, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Nephew...nephew will go open the cellar right away and personally fetch those three jars of 'Thousand-Day Intoxication,' ensuring that His Highness Prince Su and all the guests drink to their hearts' content!"

Upon seeing this, the Empress Dowager finally showed a satisfied smile.

Then, she returned to the phoenix chair and slowly sat down, picking up the prayer beads again: "Go, be careful, don't spill the wine!"

Huo Zhong bowed and withdrew, but as he completely left the main hall, he couldn't help but glance back at the scene inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

……

……

Meanwhile, at the same time, Xiao Qingkuang was walking side by side with Prince Su, Xiao Suyue.

At this moment, only a few eunuchs followed behind them, leaving even the usually noisy ceremonial guard far behind.

Xiao Qingkuang walked at a leisurely pace, his gaze seemingly fixed on the majestic outline of the Taihe Hall ahead, but in reality, he kept a close eye on his younger brother beside him.

Although Xiao Suyue was not wearing armor, his calm demeanor, honed by the winds and sands of the Western Frontier, made him appear as upright as a pine tree under the oppressive presence of Emperor Xiao Qingkuang.

Along the way, the two brothers exchanged pleasantries, but there was always an invisible veil between them—the boundary between ruler and subject, and the estrangement from not seeing each other for many years!

Xiao Qingkuang knew that the court was in turmoil, and with the powerful Northern Xiongnu lurking in the north, he, as emperor, was actually walking on thin ice, even though he was the supreme ruler.

To truly seize power, gather all forces to repel the Northern Xiongnu, and even confront that female contestant who was also chosen by some mysterious force, relying solely on the palace eunuchs and those opportunistic civil officials is not enough!

In short, he needs Xiao Suyue's power!

He needed his younger brother, who commanded the iron cavalry of the Western Frontier and enjoyed immense prestige within the army, to give him his full support!

However, the polite formalities exchanged along the way were clearly insufficient to earn that profound sense of brotherhood.

"The favor shown to me is too little," Xiao Qingkuang sighed inwardly.

If it were an ordinary official, he might be bribed with rewards, silver, and promotions. But Xiao Suyue was a prince, a member of the royal family. Ordinary rewards were just icing on the cake for him and were not enough to make him risk his life on my side!

After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Qingkuang suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Then, amidst Prince Su's slightly puzzled expression, Xiao Qingkuang stared intently at him...