Discuss with you

Chapter 326 Let's Get Drunk Until We're Overcome

Lu Qing watched Lu Zhang's departing figure with a somewhat helpless expression, but she did not say anything to stop him.

Lu Yan, of course, would not react at all; driving Lu Zhang away was exactly what he wanted.

He snorted dismissively and turned to look at Lu Qing: "How did you end up with him, brother? I never expected that."

Lu Qing laughed upon hearing this, but instead of actually answering his question, she asked in return, "Where is the Third Prince stationed?"

"To be honest, brother, we came all the way from Quzhou without ever setting up camp." Lu Yan wasn't really fixated on his question from earlier. Since Lu Qing didn't answer, he didn't press the matter. "We were planning to take down that Immortal Fortress in one fell swoop, and then we could discuss setting up camp."

I never expected to run into you all on the way.

Zhu Yu listened from the side and couldn't help but secretly click her tongue in amazement.

Lu Yan lives up to his fiery temper and reputation. If he hadn't happened to run into them here today, he would have really been planning to rush over and wipe out the entire Immortal Fortress first.

It was really fortunate that we encountered this situation; otherwise, this matter might have become an unsolvable problem in the end.

“Your Highness has led your men all the way from Quzhou. The journey has been long and arduous. Why don’t we set up camp at our place and rest for a while? The matter of Immortal Fortress is probably not as simple as it seems on the surface.” Lu Qing said to Lu Yan solemnly, “Your Highness has already been punished last time. You must not make the same mistake again this time.”

Otherwise, even though Prince Yi's previous words were spoken out of spite, if they were repeated again and again, it's hard to guarantee that outsiders wouldn't actually think the same thing.

This suggestion was clearly not part of Lu Yan's original plan, but it sounded reasonable.

He readily accepted and immediately ordered a return journey. He followed Lu Qing and the others to the vicinity of Lu Zhang's camp and settled down there.

“Brother, I brought some wine with me on this journey. Now that we’ve set up camp, why don’t we brothers have a good drink together tonight?” Lu Yan suggested to Lu Qing once they arrived at the camp.

Lu Qing readily agreed: "That would be wonderful. We haven't had the chance to get together like this in a long time. Let's drink until we drop tonight."

His straightforwardness put Lu Yan in a great mood, and he immediately ordered someone to bring over several jars of wine.

"Does Your Highness only bring this little bit of wine with you when you go out?" Lu Qing looked at the wine placed to the side and asked with a smile.

"Of course not, it seems you think it's not enough, brother?" Lu Yan was taken aback, then chuckled, "That's easy! Someone, bring all the wine I brought over!"

The soldiers obeyed the order and hurriedly ran to move more wine. In no time, more than twenty jars of wine were placed in the tent.

Zhu Yu couldn't help but click her tongue. Taking advantage of Lu Yan's absence, she pulled Lu Qing aside and whispered, "You're not planning to drink all that wine with him, are you? Wouldn't that cause trouble?"

"The wine definitely cannot be kept. Lu Yan is a fiery and impulsive person, and after drinking, he becomes even more like someone who has been given fuel to the fire."

To avoid causing further trouble, let's deal with this 'root of trouble'—the alcohol. Lu Qing whispered, hiding her face with her sleeve, and gently squeezed Zhu Yu's hand. "I know what I'm doing, don't worry."

Zhu Yu nodded. Lu Qing was always cautious and wouldn't take risks. Since he was so confident, she wouldn't worry about it.

As evening fell, a campfire was lit, and a sumptuous feast was laid out in the large tent.

Before setting off, Lu Qing and Lu Zhang brought various ingredients given by Zhu Cheng, along with the wine that Lu Yan brought with him. Even without a skilled chef to cook them carefully, it was still a rare delicacy while traveling.

Lu Zhang had been stabbed in the lungs by Lu Yan in the afternoon, but out of respect for his elder brother and considering himself to be of higher status, he felt he should be magnanimous. So, at Lu Qing's invitation, even though he kept a straight face, he still gracefully took his seat.

With Lu Yan, who was completely unaware of what was happening, present, Lu Qing knew that it was inconvenient for Zhu Yu and the others to sit together. However, if she wasn't present, he was afraid she would worry. So, he asked Fu Wenfu to set up a separate table at the other end of the tent, where he, his brother Yan Daoxin, Zhu Yu, and Yan Shu ate together.

Apart from the wine, the food was exactly the same as what was served on the tables of the three princes of the Lu family.

Lu Yan did not know Zhu Yu. He had always stayed in his fiefdom and it was inconvenient for him to come to the capital at will. Naturally, he had never attended Lu Qing's wedding banquet, nor had he witnessed Zhu Yu's grand performance in the capital. He regarded her as just an ordinary retainer of Lu Qing.

However, Lu Yan had heard about the friendship between Yan Daoxin and Lu Qing, as well as the deep bond between the Fuwen and Fulu brothers and Lu Qing, which was like that of master and servant, but also like that of brothers.

Seeing that Lu Qing had specially arranged a table for him, he assumed it was for Yan Daoxin and the Fu brothers, and that the other two young men who looked like retainers were probably just there for the occasion.

With food and wine, Lu Yan was in a great mood and chose to ignore Lu Zhang's cold face. He drank and chatted with Lu Qing, and the atmosphere was quite good. After a few rounds of drinks, he suddenly became interested and suggested that he and Lu Qing have a friendly match.

Lu Qing readily accepted the suggestion, and the two of them took their swords and went to the open space outside the tent to spar. For a moment, the flickering firelight reflected on the silver blades, and the crackling sounds of burning firewood and the clanging of swords echoed one after another.

Lu Yan was passionate about martial arts from a young age and volunteered to serve on the frontier early on. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he spent many years on horseback. Coupled with his fiery and straightforward personality, his swordsmanship was hard, fierce, and full of killing intent.

Faced with Lu Yan's fierce offensive, Lu Qing remained calm and composed, his movements swift and decisive. With a few dodges, he turned the tables, gradually shifting from a defensive to an offensive posture. In just a few moves, he reversed the situation, forcing the initially aggressive Lu Yan into a series of retreats, and eventually putting him at a disadvantage.

Lu Yan was not one to easily admit defeat or show weakness. He tried several times to turn the tide, but all his efforts were in vain.

After a fierce struggle, Lu Yan finally jumped back a few steps, panting, sheathed his sword, hilt facing upwards, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Lu Qing: "I never realized before that my brother had such good skills!"
That's awesome! Absolutely awesome! I haven't felt this good since I arrived in Quzhou!

Fortunately, I ran into my brother on the way today. Not only did he prevent me from doing anything wrong, but he also gave me a rare opportunity to have a friendly exchange!
"Let's go, let's go back and drink! It wasn't a waste of money to bring this wine; let's drink until we're completely drunk tonight!"

Lu Qing looked up, laughed loudly, and affectionately put his arm around Lu Yan's shoulder. The two then returned to the main tent.