Jeune Premier ministre, un ermite

Chapitre 27

"You flatter me, Your Excellency. I am deeply grateful for your kind words and would like to offer you a toast in return." Since I couldn't avoid this toast, I might as well use it as an opportunity to offer my own.

After two glasses of wine, plus the ones I had drunk earlier, my face started to feel hot.

"Young Master Wei, I would also like to offer you a toast. Your skills are superb, and I greatly admire them, feeling inferior to them. I hope you will give me more guidance in the future." Xinhe rarely took the initiative to offer a toast.

How could she refuse? She had no choice but to accompany him, even at the cost of her life. After downing a cup of wine, Wei Zijun warned herself that she must not drink any more.

The former Wei Zijun had never been drunk. It wasn't that she was a heavy drinker, but rather that she was disciplined. Once she felt dizzy, she would never drink again, refusing any offer of alcohol. You must understand, in those kinds of situations, dealing with a group of business men, if she had been drunk, she would have lost her integrity more than once or twice.

Seeing that Wei Zijun had drunk several cups, Li Tianqi picked up his wine cup and walked towards her.

Wei Zijun was alarmed. What was he doing here again? If he said it out loud, it would be difficult to refuse. It would be better to politely decline first.

"Second Brother, let's skip the formalities since we're family. You know my drinking capacity. But it seems you haven't toasted Prefect Zhang yet?" Wei Zijun wanted to take the opportunity to have him toast Prefect Zhang, so he wouldn't feel awkward going back.

But Li Tianqi clearly wasn't going to let her off the hook. "Eh? I don't know anything about Fourth Brother's drinking capacity. Fourth Brother has never gotten drunk in front of me. How do I know how much Fourth Brother can drink? Looking at how refreshed you are, you don't seem like someone who's drunk. Could it be that I've offended you somehow, Fourth Brother? That's why you're the only one who refuses to drink my toast?"

Wei Zijun was truly suffering in silence. To outsiders, it sounded as if there was some undercurrent between the brothers, but who knew that this was merely his shameless provocation.

For some reason, Li Tianqi really wanted to see what she would be like when she was drunk.

Helpless, Wei Zijun sighed, "Second Brother, why do you say such things? It makes people think we brothers are not on good terms. I just hope you will cherish me. Since you insist, how could I refuse even ten or a hundred cups?"

As she raised her glass and drank, Wei Zijun felt her legs go weak as the wine slid down her throat.

"Fourth brother, I know you won't refuse your elder brother, but how can I let you drink a hundred cups? How about we drink ten?"

These words struck Wei Zijun like a blow to the head. Her lips parted slightly, her eyes glazed over, and she stood there, stunned. Her expression was undeniably alluring.

Looking at that expression, Li Tianqi's breath hitched. Then, seeing that expression instantly turn into regret and helplessness, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Looking at that smiling face that seemed to have found endless amusement, and the wine glass handed to her, Wei Zijun really wanted to splash the wine in her glass onto that smiling face.

He should regret it now. He blames himself for underestimating the wickedness of human nature, which led him to say something like "I'll drink ten cups and a hundred cups." Who could have imagined he'd take advantage of the situation?

Taking the overflowing wine glass, Wei Zijun looked at Chen Chang and said, "Third Brother! I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to take care of me."

"Hey—Fourth Brother wouldn't get drunk so easily. If he does, I'll take care of him myself and won't bother Gongzhi," Li Tianqi said shamelessly.

"I certainly won't trouble you, Second Brother." Wei Zijun then turned to Chen Chang and instructed, "Third Brother, remember to take care of me."

The reason she gave such instructions was because she was worried that her gender would be discovered. At this moment, she was indeed worried about Li Tianqi. Among her brothers, only Chen Chang seemed to be kind enough. If she were taken care of by Li Tianqi, he might discover that she was a woman. It wasn't that she felt there was anything wrong with her female identity. If they had started as women from the beginning, it would have been fine. It was just that she had concealed it for so long. If it were discovered... how could she put her face in such an embarrassing situation?

"Hahaha... Fourth brother, don't worry, third brother will take care of you personally." Chen Changle couldn't help but laugh. This fourth brother was just adorable. After drinking a little, he seemed to be entrusting important matters to his father.

After downing a cup of wine, Wei Zijun felt as if his feet were on cotton, fearing he might faint and embarrass himself. So he quickly sat down, lightly touching his forehead with his fingers, "Second Brother, I'm drunk, I'm afraid I can't drink with you anymore."

Li Tianqi sat down opposite her on the ground without caring at all. "Fourth brother is lying to his elder brother. How could a drunk person speak so clearly? Come, have another drink."

Wei Zijun gave a helpless bitter smile. The wine had already taken effect, making her dizzy and her vision blurred. How could she say she wasn't drunk? All she had left was a relatively clear mind.

After another glass of wine, her dizziness worsened, and she instinctively supported her forehead with her hand and closed her eyes. She knew that for the first time in her life, she was truly drunk, so drunk that she couldn't walk home on her own. But she wouldn't allow herself to embarrass herself. Even though she felt like she was about to collapse on the spot, she insisted on sitting there, even if it meant leaning on the table.

But she was unaware of just how attractive she was at that moment.

Li Tianqi stared intently at the person opposite him, noticing his slightly closed eyes, flushed cheeks, elbows resting on the table, long fingers supporting his forehead. He remained motionless, stubbornly refusing to fall. A sigh escaped his lips, and for no apparent reason, he felt an urge to pull him into his arms. Then, he was startled by his own thought, and his mind cleared.

Prefect Zhang was completely captivated by the woman beside him, his eyes filled with infatuation as he stared intently at Wei Zijun's face, murmuring, "Skin like fine porcelain, lips like cherry blossoms, pure and smooth as ice and jade, cheeks flushed with rosy clouds..."

Just as he was thinking this, Li Tianqi shot him a sharp gaze, and Prefect Zhang swallowed back the rest of his words. It seemed that Prefect Zhang was quite afraid of him.

Li Tianqi stepped forward and gently pulled the drunk man into his arms, whereupon the man fell with a thud. He chuckled inwardly; the man was so drunk, yet he was still stubbornly trying to stay awake.

He got up, picked up the stubborn child, and walked towards the backyard. Chen Chang immediately stood up when he saw this, but Li Tianqi glared at him, and Chen Chang had no choice but to obediently sit down again.

During this time, Li Tianqi stayed at the General's Mansion, and Chen Chang cleaned out the best room for him. He naturally carried Wei Zijun into his bedroom without any hesitation.

He bent down and placed her on the bed, unexpectedly coming face to face with her. Her seemingly soft skin, her lustrous nose, her tender red lips—everything about her was undeniably alluring. Li Tianqi took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to press against her, and forced himself to sit up with difficulty.

Looking at the person who was fast asleep due to drunkenness, Li Tianqi couldn't help but laugh. He simply took off his boots, climbed onto the bed, and lay down next to Wei Zijun.

[Volume 1, Deer City Chapter: Chapter 25 Offering a Plan (Part 1)]

After an unknown amount of time, Wei Zijun woke up. Finding herself lying on the bed, she realized with a start that she was still in the General's Mansion after thinking about everything that had happened.

What time is it? The red candles on the table are already mostly burned, and the lanterns outside the open window sway, illuminating the courtyard brightly.

He struggled to sit up, his head throbbing, feeling dizzy and the effects of the alcohol not yet completely worn off. Using the dim candlelight, he scanned the room.

The room was divided into several areas by screens. Not far in front was a large, low table with the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) on it, especially the tall brush holder, which was filled with more than a dozen brushes of varying sizes. Behind the table was a low couch about an inch high, next to which was a low, wide porcelain vase filled with various scrolls. Beyond that was another screen, and behind the screen was a curtain.

Wei Zijun noticed that the various areas here were mainly decorated and divided by curtains and screens, and there was also a large curtain behind the bed she was lying on. The beds of this period were independent of the screens, with railings about a foot high on three sides, unlike the beds of the Ming and Qing dynasties which were embedded inside.

She pressed her temples with both hands, intending to put on her shoes and go downstairs, but was shocked to find that not only had her shoes been taken off, but even her white cloth socks had been removed.

Sigh! I wonder what the person who took off their socks would think. You see, although Wei Zijun was quite tall, her feet were delicate and fair. Her toes were also neatly arranged, like a row of plump white porcelain dolls, and her nails were crystal clear and smooth. Her friends used to say her feet were unbelievably beautiful. And who would believe that such feet were men's feet?

Fortunately, women in this era did not have the widespread custom of foot binding.

Wei Zijun nervously put on her shoes, then touched her chest to make sure everything was alright, and went outside.

As soon as he stepped out the door, two maids came to greet him. "Young master is awake. Please have your dinner now."

“No need. Where is General Chen?” Wei Zijun asked.

"The General, the Pacification Commissioner, and Supervisor Li are in the study. I will go and inform the General right away."