After Ning Anlian had downed three cups of wine, Chu Linglong clapped his hands. “Such alacrity. This Crown Prince offers you a toast.”
Chu Linglong then stood up, gesturing the wine cup in his hands towards Ning Anlian before the two of them downed their glasses together.
Ning Anlian originally thought that the toasts would be the end of it, but Chu Linglong immediately continued. “It’s sure frustrating to drink like this. This Crown Prince knows Nanzhao is a country of wine, and that its people, whether they are young or old, male or female, can hold their liquor better than a wine vat. This Crown Prince loves drinking; and since I’m here, I must definitely drink a few cups with the Eldest Imperial Princess to curb my alcohol cravings.”
Ning Anlian was well aware of her alcohol tolerance, but also knew that she couldn’t reject him. As a result, she simply nodded in agreement. “Sure. Since Your Highness wants to drink with this Princess, how could I refuse?”
“Great! It appears that the Eldest Imperial Princess is someone with alacrity. However…”
Hearing the word ‘however’ made Ning Anlian’s heart skip a beat. “What is it? Your Highness can just speak frankly.”
“It’s sure unsatisfying to drink one small cup at a time. Being faced with the princess of the nation of wine, this Crown Prince feels that it’s more satisfying to drink with a large bowl.”
Chu Linglong’s words instantly caused others to be perplexed.
“Huh? A large bowl? We’re not in the wild or in a dinky village. Is it appropriate to drink like that?”
“Exactly, only the barbarians drink like that. Why does Crown Prince Chu want to drink in this manner?”
Being faced with this unexpected suggestion, Ning Anlian was momentarily stunned.
As if suddenly realising that it was a bit inappropriate, Chu Linglong pondered for a while before speaking again. “We can forget about the large bowls, but we can at least get a larger wine cup, right? Otherwise, how long would we be here for if we were to drink from these small cups?
This time, no one had any objections.
Ning Anlian knew that Crown Prince Chu had always been a crafty one. This is obviously to get me drunk without eating.
She looked at the people around her. I have no grounds to refute Crown Prince Chu in front of so many people. After all, I am the one who’s late. If I don’t accept, I don’t know how Crown Prince Chu would make things difficult for me!
Although Pei Qianhao and Yun Ruofeng kept quiet, the two had their eyes fixed on Ning Anlian. The latter’s eyes were filled with purpose as he stared.
Seeing the situation, Chu Linglong asked provocatively. “What, is this Crown Prince’s request too much for the Eldest Imperial Princess? Or does the Eldest Imperial Princess look down on Dongling and think it’s beneath her to drink a few cups with this Crown Prince?”
“This Princess…” Ning Anlian was about to reply when Ning Lianchen interrupted her from the high seat.
“Your Highness Crown Prince, Elder Imperial Sister didn’t mean it that way.”
“That what does she mean?”
Everyone’s eyes turned to Ning Lianchen. Even Ning Anlian was staring at him intensely, albeit with a frightening glare.
I need to make sure Ning Lianchen knows not to provoke me at this moment. Otherwise, I’m not sure what I’ll do to him afterwards!
However, Ning Lianchen ignored her threats and looked at Chu Linglong with a cordial smile on his face. “Nanzhao has had great ties with Dongling for generations. Your Highness Crown Prince, after keeping you waiting for so long today, I’m sure that Elder Imperial Sister would be happy to drink with you. Furthermore, she has always been a pretty good drinker. Even if she had to drink by the pot instead of a large cup, she would still be willing. She only hesitated just now because she had not expected the Crown Prince to be so gracious, and lost herself in the moment.”