1112: The Return of an Old Friend (20)

The Return of an Old Friend (20)

"If we take small sips, we won't be able to taste the mallowness of this snow brew." Empress Xiande smiled and said, "You have to drink it in big mouthfuls."1

"Did you drink like this in the past?" Emperor Yong Le frowned. "How inappropriate."

"No one is watching when I drink. Why should I care?" Empress Xiande raised the wine jar and poured wine for Emperor Yong Le.

Emperor Yong Le wanted to say something, but he hesitated. He looked at Empress Xiande deeply and fell silent.

Empress Xiande made snow brew every year, but this was the first time Emperor Yong Le drank it with her. All these years, she had been making tea alone, brewing wine alone, and living cautiously in the harem. She did a good job as the empress, but people almost forgot that she was just a woman and would be lonely. Most of the time, she could only endure the bitterness of a lonely life.

Nanny Tao and Eunuch Deng stood very far away, as if they wanted to leave this rare time to the emperor and the empress. Empress Xiande handed the wine bowl to Emperor Yong Le and said with a smile, "Every time Jingxing comes to the palace banquet, he likes to drink from a big wine bowl instead of a goblet. You seem to be envious of Jingxing that he can always do whatever he wants without caring about what others think of him. Tonight, you don't have to care so much about the opinion of others either. Even if you get drunk and lose yourself, I won't criticize you."

"What a joke. What's there to be envious of?" After saying that, Emperor Yong Le picked up the wine bowl and took a sip.

Seeing this, Empress Xiande couldn't help but smile and say, "Your Majesty, what are you doing? You should drink like this." She picked up the wine bowl and drank it with her head raised.

Emperor Yong Le chuckled. His gaze was very gentle as he followed suit.

Empress Xiande poured herself another bowl and said with a smile, "When I was young, I read history books with my father. I was very envious of the heroes in the books. They were carefree and unbridled, eating meat and drinking wine in big mouthfuls. I felt that only by living such a life would my time in the world not be wasted. I thought that I would definitely marry such a hero in the future. I would make tea for him in the day and drink with him at night." As she spoke, her eyes were bright, as if she had returned to the time when she was a girl and was asking her brother for wine.

"And then?" Emperor Yong Le asked.

"Later, I married Your Majesty. You won't eat meat and drink wine in big mouthfuls, and you are nothing like the unbridled hero I imagined. Instead, you are very indifferent. I regret it."

Emperor Yong Le narrowed his eyes at her. Her cheeks gradually turned red. It was unknown if she was drunk or not. Emperor Yong Le thought that she was definitely drunk. When she was sober, Empress Xiande would not say such rude words to him.

He said, "Didn't you say that you can hold your liquor very well? Why are you getting drunk so quickly?"

"I'm not drunk." Empress Xiande said, "I want to be drunk, but unfortunately, after so many years, I have no choice but to be sober."

Emperor Yong Le couldn't smile anymore.

"I'm really unlucky to be married to you. For no reason, I have to share my husband with countless women, and I don't even have a child of my own. This marriage is really not a good one." Empress Xiande smiled and said, "That's why I'm very envious of Princess Consort Rui. Her life is not easy, and she has a lot of things to worry about. However, she's luckier than me because she can choose. Jingxing treats her very well. He's not as heartless as you."

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