The front courtyard was bustling with activity.
Not to mention the guests related by marriage and friendship, Yu Jin had seven brothers alone. While the Crown Prince couldn’t stay long on such occasions, the others could barely fit at one table. Add to that the married princesses and their consorts, and it was even more lively.
“Seventh Brother, you’re late and must be punished,” Prince Lu, who had been looking for an excuse to pick on someone, placed a wine cup in front of Yu Jin with mischievous intent.
Yu Jin smiled and asked, “What’s the punishment?”
It was his wedding day, so he had to resist getting into a fight.
Prince Lu had the same thought, so he wasn’t afraid of provoking the groom, saying with a smile, “Naturally, you must drink a penalty cup.”
Yu Jin raised his eyebrows.
He had overestimated his Fifth Brother – turns out it was just drinking as punishment.
“Bring the wine!” Prince Lu called for an attendant, who poured three cups of wine in succession.
As Yu Jin reached for a cup, Prince Lu stopped him. “Wait.”
As if prepared beforehand, Prince Lu beckoned another attendant who brought forward a celadon bottle.
Prince Lu removed the stopper and poured out a brown liquid, mixing it with the wine.
“Seventh Brother, dare you drink it?”
“Is this—” Yu Jin sniffed, looking at Prince Lu, “vinegar?”
Prince Lu smiled. “Seventh Brother has quite the nose. Never had vinegar wine before, have you?”
Yu Jin picked up the cup and drank it in one go, saying flatly, “Now I have.”
Seeing Yu Jin’s unchanged expression, Prince Lu was somewhat disappointed. He pressured him to drink the remaining two cups of vinegar-mixed wine but then saw Yu Jin pick up a wine jar.
In that instant, Prince Lu instinctively protected his head, shouting, “What are you trying to do?”
The painful memory of being hit by a wine jar was particularly vivid, he couldn’t help but be nervous.
Yu Jin held the wine jar with surprise: “What’s Fifth Brother doing? The vinegar was too sour, I’m just using a jar of wine to rinse my mouth.”
“Rinse… rinse your mouth? Who uses a whole jar of wine to rinse their mouth…” Prince Lu stammered nervously.
He wasn’t really afraid, nor did he want to be nervous, but he just couldn’t control his body’s reaction.
Soft laughter arose around them.
Prince Qi stepped forward: “Fifth Brother, stop teasing Seventh Brother. He’s the groom today, what if he gets drunk?”
Prince Lu’s heart tightened.
Right, if Seventh Brother got drunk, he would go crazy, and if he went crazy, it would reach Father Emperor.
Getting scolded, having money deducted, being confined… the series of consequences made Prince Lu shudder.
Prince Qi raised his cup with a smile: “Seventh Brother, congratulations.”
“Thank you,” Yu Jin toasted the princes and moved on to the next group.
Eighth Prince Xiang watched the retreating figure and said to Prince Lu with a smile, “Fifth Brother, I just remembered something.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you once say you fancied Seventh Brother’s wife?”
Prince Lu’s wine cup dropped straight to the ground as he lowered his voice in anger, “Eighth Brother, are you drunk? Why bring up old matters?”
Seventh Brother hadn’t gone far, and the tigress was just behind the screen – was Eighth Brother trying to get him attacked from both sides?
Prince Xiang stroked his chin, suggesting meaningfully, “I just suddenly found it interesting how Seventh Brother started that fight on his birthday.”
Back then, when Seventh Brother inexplicably hit Fifth Brother with a wine jar, he thought him mentally ill but thinking about it now, perhaps Seventh Brother had already set his sights on the Fourth Miss of the Dong Ping Earl’s manor.
If so, the relationship between Seventh Brother and Fourth Miss Jiang might not have been so innocent…
As Prince Xiang pondered this, he failed to notice the object flying toward him. When the pain hit, he clutched his mouth and screamed, seeing a wine cup rolling at his feet.
His cry immediately drew countless gazes.
“Eighth Brother, what’s wrong?” the princes asked in unison.
Prince Xiang glared ahead, temporarily unable to speak.
Yu Jin steadied himself against an attendant, turning back apologetically, “Eighth Brother, I’m truly sorry, I just slipped and the cup flew out of my hand…”
You did that on purpose!
Prince Xiang tried to accuse him but could only make muffled sounds through the pain.
“What’s that? No need to take it to heart? Of course not, we’re brothers after all.” Yu Jin smiled and turned away.
If it weren’t his wedding day where blood couldn’t be shed, he would have knocked out this bastard’s front teeth.
Prince Xiang clenched his fists.
Madman, Seventh Brother was truly a madman!
Unlike Fifth Brother, rationality made him swallow this offense on such an occasion, or else taking it to Father Emperor would end badly for everyone.
Seventh Brother was so protective of his wife? Heh, we’ll see about that.