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“Yes,” Mo Yan said happily, “The pleasures of drinking have become unfamiliar, and the companions are desolate, unlike when I was young. My second brother also likes this short poem, I didn’t expect you to like it too.”

Zhan Zhao smiled, unsure whether he should feel honored.

"Did you find anything downstairs?" he asked.

“Aside from the embroidery, it’s all just everyday items, nothing special.” Mo Yan tilted her head and thought for a moment. “It’s obvious that Bai Baozhen dotes on her; the things in the room are not only comprehensive but also exquisite, clearly collected with great care… What do we do now?”

"Weren't you sleepy?"

"Yes!" She stretched her arms, yawned wearily, and laughed, "I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it."

"Let's go back to the inn and rest first." Zhan Zhao also felt his eyes were dry. "We can take a look at the account books we brought back last night; maybe they'll give us some clues."

Mo Yan frowned: "Judging from the current situation, those account books are most likely fake."

Zhan Zhao remained silent and strode forward.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mo Yan asked Zhan Zhao for leave early and rushed off to find her senior sister, Ning Wangshu. Zhan Zhao was alone in his room, carefully examining the account books for a long time, but he still couldn't make sense of them.

It wasn't until dusk, when he had to light a lamp to see, that he realized how late it was. The dinner brought by the waiter was slightly different from usual, with an extra dish of mooncakes. Regardless of the taste, Zhan Zhao put one in his mouth and chewed it slowly, thinking that he hadn't been home to visit his family for several years.

Back in his hometown of Wujin, his elder brother should be surrounded by his family, enjoying drinks and conversation in a joyful atmosphere. Thinking of this, Zhan Zhao felt the mooncake in his mouth become even drier, and couldn't help but give a self-deprecating smile. He should have gotten used to it by now; why bother thinking about the festival?

Lost in thought, I suddenly heard a noise outside. I opened the window and saw several clusters of fireworks blooming in the night sky, colorful and beautiful. They were probably set off by wealthy families in the city to celebrate the occasion. Many families in the city went out for outings, either climbing to the platform to admire the moon or boating on the lake to enjoy the scenery. Carriages and horses passed by frequently on the streets.

Zhan Zhao wondered where Mo Yan was at this moment; she was probably celebrating the festival somewhere in the city with her senior sister. That girl, he always seemed to be all smiles. Thinking of how she had almost caused Ning Jin internal injuries yesterday, a smile appeared on Zhan Zhao's lips, but after a moment, it turned into a sigh: He hoped she wouldn't cause any trouble during this festive season.

Suddenly, someone gently knocked on the door, very politely.

Zhan Zhao opened the door, and Wu Zichu stood before him with a beaming smile: "Brother Zhan, have you forgotten your appointment with the Prince tonight?"

He felt a slight headache: "What is it, Your Highness?"

"To admire the moon." Wu Zichu's smile remained unchanged, his tone gentle yet firm, "Your Highness's kindness is surely appreciated, Brother Zhan wouldn't refuse such a small favor, would he?"

Zhan Zhao sighed softly and said nothing more.

This time, Wu Zichu didn't take him to Hanshan Temple, but instead to the Changsheng Restaurant, a large restaurant built by the lake. The downstairs of Changsheng Restaurant was packed, but the upstairs was empty, except for one person who stood by the railing, his white robe fluttering, a cup of wine in his hand, muttering to himself.

Wu Zichu quietly stopped and gestured for Zhan Zhao to wait.

The man drew out the words and recited leisurely: "East wind, oh east wind, blow the clouds westward for me. But they do not come, and the fallen flowers lie silently on the green moss."

Zhan Zhao lowered his eyes and thought to himself: He does resemble the Brocade-haired Rat of Trapped Sky Island to some extent. However, if it were Bai Yutang, he would probably be reciting "A dappled horse, a thousand pieces of gold, call the boy to exchange them for fine wine, to dispel our eternal sorrows together."

After the man finished reciting, and after waiting a moment, Wu Zichu respectfully stepped forward and said softly, "Your Highness, Zhan Zhao has arrived."

"Zhan Zhao greets Your Highness."

Ning Jin tilted his head back and drank the wine. Only then did he turn around, his expression melancholy, as if he were still immersed in the poem. He simply waved his hand, gesturing for Zhan Zhao to sit down at the table.

"Zhan Zhao, how many years has it been since you last came home?" He poured himself another cup of wine.

Zhan Zhao was slightly taken aback, then said calmly, "More than three years."

"A bit older than me. I only returned to the capital the spring before last." He handed the wine pot to Zhan Zhao. "Do you still have any relatives at home?"

"My elder brother also takes care of things at home."

Ning Jin nodded: "About the same as me."

Zhan Zhao smiled without saying a word. His own brother was just a businessman in Wujin, while Ning Jin's brother was the current emperor. How could they be considered "similar"?

"Why aren't you drinking?" Ning Jin mistook Zhan Zhao's silence for hesitation. "Don't worry, tonight is just for drinking and enjoying the moon. I didn't set any traps for you. Even Zichu, I've made him stay. Now you can rest assured." With that, he beckoned Wu Zichu to sit down. "Tonight, there are no masters or servants, no distinction of rank. Don't bother with those formalities."

Knowing that he was used to this, Wu Zichu sat down as instructed, poured himself a cup of wine, and then raised his cup and said, "Since Your Highness says so, I will presume to presume and offer this cup to you, hoping that Your Highness will not have to face the two of us again on next year's festival."

Ning Jin laughed loudly: "You're right, you're probably tired of looking at me too." With that, he drank it all in one gulp.

After they finished drinking, they both turned to look at Zhan Zhao.

Helpless, Zhan Zhao filled his wine cup, offered a slight toast, and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few rounds of drinks, Wu Zichu, who was not good at drinking, had a pale face that had turned slightly pink; Ning Jin, though his face remained unchanged, had eyes that were somewhat glazed; only Zhan Zhao remained calm and clear-eyed.

Ning Jin patted Zhan Zhao on the shoulder and sighed, "How come even the people in Kaifeng Prefecture have a higher alcohol tolerance than ordinary people? I still remember a few years ago when my brother hosted a banquet for the court officials in the Imperial Garden. Until the banquet ended, only Bao Heizi was the same as usual. I don't know if it's because he has a high alcohol tolerance or because he's dark-skinned and can't tell."

Zhan Zhao smiled. Lord Bao's drinking capacity was second to none in Kaifeng Prefecture. Every winter solstice, he would get several people drunk, and Mr. Gongsun was usually the first to be affected.

"Just how much can you drink?" Wu Zichu was really unwilling to accept that he had lost to Zhan Zhao in terms of alcohol tolerance.

Zhan Zhao shook his head; he didn't know his own limits either. Actually, he wasn't a good drinker. Ever since recovering from a poisoning attack, he'd become much less tolerant of alcohol. Outsiders didn't know, only praising his inability to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. But he knew in his heart that the poison had damaged his internal organs, leaving him numb even to the strongest liquor.

With a single bite of his chopsticks, Ning Jin separated the fish head, ate a few bites carefully, took a sip of wine, and then glanced sideways at Zhan Zhao, as if speaking to him, or perhaps to himself, saying, "I fear people like him the most. They think a lot, do a lot, but say nothing. In the end, they work themselves to death and no one even knows."

"Your Highness, you've had too much to drink," Zhan Zhao said with a faint smile, removing the wine pot from Ning Jin's face.

"Nonsense." Ning Jin pointed at the fish head in front of him with his chopsticks and said smugly, "If I had drunk too much, would I have been able to eat this fish head so clean? Zichu, you tell me!"

"Of course I didn't drink too much!"

Wu Zichu coaxed him in a resolute tone.

Ning Jin was satisfied and took back the wine pot. Just as he was about to pour some wine, he suddenly sighed deeply, "The three of us are quite pitiful. We don't even have a pretty girl to pour wine for us. Oh... Zichu doesn't count. He'll have a wife and children around him when he goes back to the capital. Zhan Zhao, why aren't you married yet?"

It seemed they had indeed drunk too much. Zhan Zhao exchanged a helpless glance with Wu Zichu.