The two soon arrived at the tavern.
As soon as Ji Feiyu stepped in, she smelled the strong aroma of wine. This fragrance was different from the clear and cold one in Dayong, yet it reminded Ji Feiyu of what Cheng Xuan had said before.
"Speaking of wine, the ones from Beihan are the most mellow. They're strong but not overpowering. Drinking them is like entering a dream, with thoughts wandering back and forth."
Cheng Xuan was fond of wine. Back then, when he was creating maps of the mountains and rivers everywhere, he had tasted many local wines.
Ji Feiyu still remembered that at that time, she playfully said, "Brother Cheng Xuan, if there's a chance, take me to Beihan too. I also want to taste that intoxicating wine you've been talking about."
Cheng Xuan just smiled, patted her on the head and said, "You're a girl. Usually, it's fine for you to taste some sweet flower - brewed sake. Why do you want to go to Beihan? There are all rough men there, and the weather is cold. It's not suitable for you."
Ji Feiyu then tugged at his sleeve and said, "Alright. In the future, wherever Brother Cheng Xuan goes, I'll go. If Brother Cheng Xuan wants to travel across the great mountains and rivers, I'll accompany you. Anyway, Brother Cheng Xuan mustn't dislike me."
"How could I dislike you? I can't even dote on you enough. If I had known your situation back then, I would never have left you alone in Liuyun for those years." Cheng Xuan sighed, his eyes full of indulgence. "You suffered a lot alone during those years."
Ji Feiyu smiled. "But I've also become stronger. If I had always been protected by Brother Cheng Xuan, I wouldn't have grown into who I am now. Compared to being simple - minded before, I prefer the current clarity of seeing through the world."
Hearing this, Cheng Xuan couldn't help but gently tap her head, as if scolding her. "You're still so young, yet you say you've seen through the world. You're just a child. Don't say such words that make people feel sad."
Ji Feiyu smiled again and rubbed against Cheng Xuan's arm...
"Please take a seat, Young Master Yudi." The voice of the Second Prince came, pulling Ji Feiyu out of her memories.
Hearing this, Ji Feiyu took another look at the tavern. It was rather shabby, not as magnificently decorated and imposing as the restaurants in Dayong.
There were a few tables of people sitting here and there in the tavern. Most of them were strong - built and drinking from large bowls. They were very unrestrained.
Ji Feiyu couldn't help raising her eyebrows. They drank from bowls here.
Seeing her looking around, the Second Prince smiled. "Our way of drinking in Beihan is different from that in Dayong. I wonder how much the young master can drink. Don't get drunk after just one bowl?"
Ji Feiyu's drinking capacity was just average, but she had self - made anti - drunkenness pills, so she wasn't afraid. She just didn't know how much the Second Prince could drink. If he got too drunk, the truth - serum pills might not work well.
Ji Feiyu smiled. "A man in the jianghu should be able to drink. Your Highness, order whatever you like. I, Yudi, will accompany you to the end today."
The Second Prince looked at Ji Feiyu, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Then he called the waiter and ordered a jar of wine.
When the jar of wine was served, Ji Feiyu felt a bit dizzy looking at the amount. What she was thinking about was whether there was a place to relieve herself nearby.
The Second Prince slapped open the wine jar, poured a bowl for her. Ji Feiyu took a small sip and immediately understood what Cheng Xuan had meant. It was truly a mellow and pure good wine.
She never thought that she would be able to drink the wine from Beihan in such a situation.
She finished the bowl in one gulp. Her throat felt burning but also sweet. She couldn't help slapping the table and shouting, "Good wine!"
The Second Prince also poured himself a bowl, drank it and said, "I'll drink this bowl with you. Then I'll punish myself with three more bowls."
After saying that, he really poured and drank three bowls by himself. Ji Feiyu took this opportunity to openly take out the anti - drunkenness pills and swallow them.
The Second Prince drank three bowls in a row, but his complexion remained normal. During a break in drinking, he saw Ji Feiyu's small action and asked, "What were you just eating, Young Master Yudi?"
Hearing this, Ji Feiyu took out a pill and said, "Liver - protecting pills. Does Your Highness want to try?" Ji Feiyu was sure that he wouldn't dare to take pills given by others casually.
Sure enough, a look of confusion flashed in the Second Prince's eyes. He asked, "Do you people from Dayong need to take this when drinking?"
Ji Feiyu said, "Others probably don't. But I've been weak since childhood, so I must take it. Protecting the liver and nourishing one's health is the long - term way to drink freely."
The Second Prince had no choice but to continue pouring wine for both of them. After taking the anti - drunkenness pills, Ji Feiyu felt much clearer when she drank.
Just then, a few burly men came. As soon as they saw their table, they came over to cause trouble.
"Yo, isn't this the Second Prince? Why did you think of inviting someone to drink in the middle of the night today?"
The Second Prince glanced at them but said nothing.
Seeing this, Ji Feiyu also ignored them.
One of them said, "Surely you're still feeling ashamed because you lost to me in the wrestling match some days ago, so you're ignoring us?"
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
Ji Feiyu couldn't help sizing up their strong physiques and comparing them with the relatively thinner figure of the Second Prince. She thought that it was no wonder he lost with such a physical disparity.
The Second Prince just smiled and said, "Are you all so idle? It seems that the tasks assigned to you by the Eldest Prince are too few."
Hearing the keyword "Eldest Prince", Ji Feiyu wondered if these people were the Eldest Prince's men. Judging from the situation, it seemed that the two brothers were on bad terms.
Hearing this, the men stopped laughing. Instead, they looked at Ji Feiyu twice. One of them said, "The Second Prince has been mingling with southerners recently. I really don't know what he's thinking. These southerners are so weak. How can we expect them to help us achieve great things?"
Another one said, "The Second Prince probably hopes to find a different way to catch the Khan's attention."
"We still advise the Second Prince to stop doing such meaningless things. He should learn from the Eldest Prince and achieve more in horse - riding and archery."
These sarcastic remarks were completely different from the strict hierarchical and respectful etiquette in Dayong. Ji Feiyu remembered some records in the local chronicles she had read. In Beihan, the hierarchy was not as obvious as in Dayong. They respected the strong here. So even if one was the Khan's son, if he was too weak, he still wouldn't be respected.
Hearing these words, the Second Prince wasn't angry. He wasn't an impulsive person and naturally wouldn't cause trouble because of some malicious remarks. So he just said, "The Khan will know the value of these people sooner or later. As for my ambition, it's normal that you rough men don't understand. You think that Beihan is powerful in terms of force, but it's just an illusion. If you don't go out and see more, you'll always be like frogs in a well."
Hearing this, the men got furious and surrounded the Second Prince and Ji Feiyu. Ji Feiyu was startled by this situation.
The Second Prince winked at Ji Feiyu. "Come on, Young Master Yudi. Aren't you going to teach them a lesson?"
Ji Feiyu looked at him in confusion. "What does this have to do with me?"