The Emperor, with more men than women, made me his mistress.

After two performances, Yue Li had almost finished eating the grapes on the table. Looking at the conspicuous wine pot on the corner of the table, Yue Li picked it up and poured some into her cup. "What kind of wine is this?"

Smelling the fragrance of peach blossoms and wine wafting from the cup, Jin Chenyuan said, "This is a special peach blossom wine from the palace. Every year, the imperial chefs in the palace pick some peach blossoms from the peach orchard to make some wine to keep on hand. This kind of peach blossom wine is very popular with both young ladies and wives. It's delicious and doesn't make you drunk easily."

Yue Li had already sipped the peach blossom wine in her cup. After swallowing, she smacked her lips and said, "It's quite delicious. It doesn't have any of the spiciness of alcohol. It's incredibly mellow and fragrant, with a mouthful of peach blossom aroma."

As she spoke, Yue Li poured herself a full glass and began to drink it.

Seeing this, Jin Chenyuan did not stop it. After all, in the past, in case of any accidents, his mother would have someone bring up a year's worth of peach blossom wine.

Peach blossom wine made in only one year tastes just like honey water, with no alcohol content whatsoever.

However, Jin Chenyuan did not know that while other people's tables might indeed have been filled with a year's worth of peach blossom wine, the peach blossom wine on their table had been replaced with a ten-year-old batch by order of the Emperor.

That's why Yue Li's drink tastes so mellow and fragrant.

Jin Chenyuan made the mistake of being blind to his own shortcomings. If he had picked up Yue Li's wine glass and taken a sip, he would have known the age of the wine.

The wine pot was only the size of a palm, and Yue Li quickly finished it. "What? It's gone! I want more."

"Let's drink it when we get back. We'll bring a few jars from the palace, and you can drink it slowly at home." Even though it's only a year's worth of peach blossom wine, it's still wine, and you can't drink too much of it.

He still remembered what happened after Yue Li finished drinking at the pleasure pavilion. Although part of the reason was due to the drugs, it was also true that Yue Li had a low alcohol tolerance.

Yue Li picked up the palm-sized wine pot and shook it, saying with dissatisfaction, "This wine pot is too small. I haven't even started drinking yet, and it's already gone."

"Ah Yuan, I'd like to have another pot."

Seeing that Jin Chenyuan did not react, Yue Li reached out and hugged one of Jin Chenyuan's arms, shaking it and saying, "You're right here with me, what are you afraid of? Besides, didn't you say that this wine won't make you drunk?"

"Alright then, it's a deal, we'll only have one more pot. If you really want more, we can drink it when we get home." Jin Chenyuan really couldn't bear to refuse Yue Li's attempt to coax him into having something.

He turned to Qingyun, who was standing behind him, and gave her a few instructions. Qingyun then acknowledged and left.

The Emperor, who was sitting not far from them, saw all their actions and beckoned to Fuquan, who was sitting beside him, to come closer.

After Fuquan leaned closer, the emperor whispered something in his ear.

Upon hearing the Emperor's request, Fuquan was initially surprised, but then nodded and quickly withdrew.

Behind the main hall, in a room specifically for preparing tea, snacks, and drinks for the banquet, Qingyun arrived to find Fuquan already there.

Upon seeing Qingyun's arrival, Fuquan casually asked, "Guard Qingyun, what brings you here?"

Seeing Fuquan in the room, Qingyun was also surprised. "Eunuch Fu is here too. I came to get a pot of peach blossom wine for our princess."

"So you were doing something for Princess Consort Chen!"

As he spoke, he casually picked up a wine jug from a row of jugs and handed it to Qingyun, saying, "Here, these are all pre-filled peach blossom wines, just in case any distinguished guest at the banquet needs them, and then we'll serve them to them."

Qingyun glanced at the wine pot handed to him, then at the row of wine pots beside him, nodded, took the wine pot, and thanked him, saying, "Then thank you very much, Eunuch Fu. I must hurry back; the Prince is still waiting."

"Go back, go back. I've prepared the Emperor's tea and I need to go back soon too," Fuquan said with a smile, waving his hand.

After Qingyun left, one of the eunuchs who had witnessed the whole thing said, "Eunuch Fu, are you sure you're not mistaken? Why did you give the peach blossom wine you prepared for the Emperor to Guard Qingyun?"

He had just heard that the Qingyun Guard was serving the Princess Consort of Prince Chen a ten-year-old peach blossom wine!

Shouldn't the peach blossom wine given to Princess Consort Chen be only a one-year vintage?

Fuquan's smiling face immediately turned stern upon hearing this. "Do more, talk less, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, don't look at what you shouldn't look at, and don't pry into everything."

When the eunuch heard Fuquan's words, he was startled and immediately nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, this servant understands."

After saying that, he immediately went to do something else.

Upon seeing this, Fuquan snorted.

He straightened his sleeves and went out.

He didn't take anything with him when he left, let alone the tea he had promised Qingyun to make for the Emperor.

Upon returning to the main hall, Fuquan bowed slightly to the Emperor's gaze, indicating that the matter had been completed.

The Emperor nodded in satisfaction. As he drank his tea, he caught a glimpse of Yue Li drinking peach blossom wine not far to his right, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

After watching a few more performances, the Empress Dowager allowed everyone to move around freely, since if they stayed here, they wouldn't have any chance to interact.

After the Emperor helped the Empress Dowager to the rear hall, the young men and women sitting below left the main hall in twos and threes.

At this moment, Yue Li, who had drunk two pots of peach blossom wine, felt that the air in the main hall, which had been cool just moments before, was now a bit stuffy. She wanted to go out for some fresh air. "Let's go out too, let's go to the pavilion for some fresh air."

"Okay, let's go then." With that, Jin Chenyuan helped Yue Li stand up, and the two of them left the main hall together.

The weather is quite cool today, unlike the past few days when the sun was scorching hot. However, the sky is getting a bit overcast, so it looks like it's going to rain.

Looking at the young men and women in twos and threes or groups of twos and threes in the pavilions around the Imperial Garden, all dressed in handsome and dashing manners, Yue Li watched with great interest from the pavilion next to the Imperial Garden.

"It's really pleasing to the eye!" Not only are the flowers in the Imperial Garden pleasing to the eye, but the people in the Imperial Garden are even more pleasing to the eye.

"No one here can compare to A-Li. A-Li doesn't need to look at them and sigh." Looking at Yue Li's increasingly beautiful appearance, Jin Chenyuan praised her sincerely.

"What do you know? I'm just appreciating. Good things and good people are worth appreciating."

"How many couples do you think will be formed today? Will His Majesty be able to choose one from among them?" Yue Li's gossipy nature resurfaced as she looked at the outstandingly beautiful noble ladies.

"How can we possibly guess what the Emperor is thinking? Instead of thinking about the Emperor, we should think about me instead."

In an instant, Yue Li's gossipy thoughts shattered.

It's true that if you want to gossip with someone, you need to find someone who shares your interests.

At this moment, in a room behind the main hall where the banquet had just been held, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were also discussing this topic.