Chapter 10: Qing Cheng Has Wine 1

A river with quiet water divides the world in two. The country of Yue is located in the south, with an elegant and mild landscape like the picturesque Jiangnan, and a breathtaking scenery of mountains and rivers like Bashan and Shu. Even the unknown places have their own unknown beauty. Wei Yiniang, a famous traveler who loves to visit mountains, rivers, and ancient cities, spends most of his time in the country of Yue. Sometimes, after getting drunk, he picks up his pen and walks to the window, coincidentally catching sight of a peach blossom. He then starts painting another masterpiece that captivates the world.
Observing peaches is the epitome of spring in Taoling, but to understand snow, one must visit the pine moon lake. On the desolate wilderness, there is endless smoke, and weary evenings are spent gathering fallen sunlight. Speaking of the most astonishingly beautiful places in the world, everyone has their own answer in their hearts, but most would mention a few places. However, when it comes to spring scenery, the scholar Wei prefers the city of Changchun in the kingdom of Yue, known for its green mountains.
There are no famous flowers in this place, nor is it an ancient city. There are only wine banners hung up due to the Lord's interest. However, he feels that the morning light is unexpectedly beautiful. If the weather is good, the sun rises with a touch of spring, making people feel compassion.
With such beautiful scenery, a pot of new wine warmed up, and if there is a good companion, wouldn't it be a wonderful story?
However, it is already late this year. Bookworm Weiwei sighed and continued to paint his peach blossoms.
千里之外，暖风过青城，夜色将尽，几张绣着“青”字的酒幡挂在城楼上，迎风而展。言玖夜骑着马从北边过来，正迎着一道混着酒香的风，这味道醇厚迷人，天然便带着个小勾子，勾着人一颗心往那处走。
There is a "viewing platform" set up on the top of the city wall a few years ago. Just at this moment, Luming's round head appeared.
He stared with his eyes wide open, leaned against the fence and looked down, seeing Yan Jiuye's figure. Suddenly, he woke up and waved his arm, complaining, "I have been eagerly waiting for you to come and have a drink. But instead, you came in vain for the whole night!"
It is not clear where he learned those words from that gang *censored keyword*, as his original accent from Jiangnan is also muddled together, making him appear weak and easy to bully.
Yan Jiuya released the reins, gathered strength, and leaped with a light tap of her toe on the city wall. In just a few steps, she reached the top of the tower, intending to tease Lu Qing. However, upon arrival, she noticed a pitiful Historian Official in this breezy place.
He was very drunk and couldn't recognize people anymore. He just vaguely saw a figure suddenly appear and chuckled, "I don't, don't drink! Another drinker, all rough people like Lu Qing."
His appearance was a bit disheveled, with tears and snot running down his face. He was rolling on the ground, kicking his legs, sometimes crying and sometimes laughing, completely mad. Lu Qing silently moved away a bit and looked at Yan Jiuye. Yan Jiuye also looked at him and said, "Since when did you become so close to him, drinking together?"
Lü Qing was only drunk and a little dazed, but he was still able to express his disdain clearly: "He came uninvited and only took three sips before he got drunk, and then he insisted on throwing up and coming back to drink again, wasting my wine. I didn't mind, I just didn't want him drinking my wine, so I forcefully poured him a whole jar and sealed the acupoints to make him suffer a bit."
As for this person, who was drunk and spoke foul language about the people of the martial world, Lu Qing didn't really mind. However, since Yan Yuelai had arrived, he didn't want her to hear such vulgar words. So, he had someone come and carry the official away and sent over several large jars of good wine.
"In the past few years, you always said you wanted to see the sunrise in Qingcheng, and this is actually an opportunity." Li Qing was still lying on the ground—very comfortable—his clothes were wet from the alcohol but then dried, and he exuded a strong smell of alcohol, indulging in pleasure. "We agreed that you would come yesterday, I thought you wouldn't show up."
"I encountered some unexpected things on the way, but I arrived one day late. Why are you acting like an aggrieved woman in a closed room? If I really didn't come, I would have been nagged by you."
He howled, "What, you had a good time and I can't say anything?!"
"You can say, you can say, I'm just listening, aren't I?"
Yan Jiuye picked up a jar of wine and sniffed it, then picked up another one. After taking just one sip, she felt that neither of them were good. A month ago, when she came south from Yanqiao, the wine she drank in that small town was much more enjoyable than what Lu Qing had brought out.
Lord Mayor, annoyed by her complaints, shouted loudly, "You're used to delicacies of the mountains and haven't seen wonders. You say you can't handle my new wine, but you're actually trying to snatch the aged wine from my hands. Don't think I can't tell!"
Yan Jiuye looked at him: "In the spring, the green bamboo leaves along with the early blooming flowers, the taste of the mountain spring is too gentle. I'm not used to your new wine. When it comes to wine, what's the point of elegance? I want aged dregs. If you can hear it, bring it out quickly."
Lù qīng zé zé yáo tóu, dào: “gū niáng jiā jiā de zǒng shì zhèyàng cūlǔ, mián bù tòngkuai, shāo dāozi tòngkuai bù? Qùnián gěi nǐ hē nǐ hái zhāng gè bàn sǐ, nà shíhòu nǐ shuō shī jiǔ chá jiǎngjiù fēngyǎ, nǐ xiànzài dǎo bù rènzhàng le.”
"You're just stingy and don't want to share." Yan Jiuye picked up a small bottle of wine, bit the bottle mouth, tilted his head and took a sip, shaking his head. "It tastes like water, only about twenty percent. The rest has some peculiar flavors of literati's sourness and decay. Did you change the recipe for brewing the wine, or did you change the manager of the wine cellar?"
This statement actually has a hidden meaning of sarcasm. Lu Qing is a great person in every aspect, but he is just too good. Whenever something happens, he tends to be overly cautious like a scholar, even when scolding someone, he has to go around in circles, just to avoid hurting them too much. This time, he sent a carrier pigeon all the way to invite Yan Jiuye from the north to come to the south. When they met, without saying anything, he immediately invited him to drink. However, after a whole night, Yan Jiuye still doesn't know if this drink is for celebration or for worry. Look at his expression, it doesn't seem like he's hosting a joyful event.
Either there was a vengeful enemy at the door, Yan Jiuye thought.
However, Lu Qing didn't understand the meaning in her words, and drunkenly said, "I can help you get in even if I change positions. I don't have any responsibilities."
At home, there are two wine cellars that no one takes care of. Usually, they are just locked from the outside. Inside the cellars, the best wines of each year are stored according to their vintage. Yan Jiu Ye has always been covetous of them. When she sets her mind on something, she acts on it. She is not someone a lock can stop. Besides, Lu Qing has also never thought of refusing her entry into his wine cellar, so there is no need to have someone guarding it.
"There's no way around it, Qingcheng is famous for its alcohol, and if you, Lu Qing, refuse to bring out the best, naturally I will use the best."
Lu Qing nodded his head happily upon hearing her words, and confidently said, "Exactly!"
But the conversation suddenly turned: "No."
The wine in the hands of the wine god is like the wooden fish carried by monks and the qin in the fingertips of musicians. Lu Qing is famous for his wine, and if he wants to get him to bring out the wine, he must be willing to do so. When friends who would bet their lives come to ask for it, he hesitated for a moment and still refused.
This is different from Yanyu Night stealing wine from his own wine cellar to drink.
Usually generous people can be the most petty when they become stubborn. Even if he doesn't give it, can't Yanyu Night just snatch it? He has done this kind of thing before.