If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

A palace maid led the way.

Zhao Yu followed behind him, passing through layers of corridors and palaces, and arrived at the largest banquet hall in the back garden.

As they approached, they heard seductive music coming from the garden.

Upon entering the banquet hall of the Imperial Garden, one is greeted by a group of dancers dressed in sheer gauze, their figures alluring and their dance graceful.

Coupled with the mist that seemed to come from nowhere, it looked like fairies dancing in a fairyland.

Zhao Yu followed Yue Yi's gaze and looked at the sources of the music on both sides.

Countless instruments of all kinds were in the hands of the musicians, producing beautiful and harmonious melodies.

Zhao Yu noticed that several of them had a calm demeanor, and their fingertips seemed to emanate internal energy as they moved; they were clearly masters at the Grandmaster level.

Any one of these people would be a figure who could establish a sect in the martial arts world, but here, they can only be an accompanying musician.

This banquet must be incredibly extravagant!

Zhao Yu's footsteps were not loud, but as soon as he appeared at the door, the noise in the hall came to an abrupt halt.

The music stopped.

The dancers lowered their heads and silently retreated to both sides of the hall.

All the Qian family members in the hall, regardless of their previous demeanor, stood up in unison, lifted the hems of their robes, and knelt down.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

The voices were perfectly synchronized and echoed throughout the hall.

"No need for formalities."

Zhao Yu waved his hand and walked straight to the main seat on the high platform.

The Empress Dowager and Prince Qian Lie of Zhennan sat on either side of him, and both smiled when they saw him arrive.

"Yu'er, your uncle has come from afar, and I didn't want to keep him waiting, so I took the liberty of having the singing and dancing started first. Please don't blame me," the Empress Dowager said with a hint of apology.

Zhao Yu's gaze swept across the entire room.

Apart from the singing and dancing, no one touched the food or drinks on their tables.

There was only one person, Qian Batian, who looked simple and honest, who was eating a chicken leg with gusto, his mouth full of oil.

Zhao Yu did not speak immediately.

He sat down in silence, and this brief silence made the Empress Dowager and everyone below the stage very nervous.

A moment later, Zhao Yu smiled slightly and waved his hand.

"Keep the music playing, keep dancing."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled softly.

The music started again, and the dancers swayed in the hall once more.

The people at the table finally began to pick up their chopsticks.

The Empress Dowager smiled and pointed to a dish on Zhao Yulong's table.

"Yu'er, quickly try this Imperial Concubine Chicken that I made myself. It's the Monkey Wine Chicken that you loved to praise when you were little."

"Yes, yes, try it!"

Prince Qian Lie of Zhennan was gnawing on a chicken leg, his mouth dripping with oil, and mumbled indistinctly, "It tastes just like it did back then!"

After saying that, he took another big bite, looking quite pleased with himself.

Zhao Yu looked at the dish in front of him.

The whole chicken was roasted until it was golden and glistening, and the aroma wafted into the nostrils with the steam.

He picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of tender meat from the chicken thigh.

The meat is attached to the skin, with distinct fibers. When you pick it up with chopsticks, juice seeps out from the meat's texture.

He put the meat in his mouth, and with one chew, the chicken burst open in his mouth!

The chicken is tender and juicy, with a sweet and fresh taste upon first bite. But after chewing, a rich aroma of fruit wine explodes in your mouth, sliding down your throat, as if every cell is awakened by this warmth.

Even in his past life, when he was a chicken-eating fanatic, he had never eaten such delicious chicken!

He nodded subconsciously.

"The wine is mellow and has a strong aftertaste; I really miss this dish."

As soon as she finished speaking, the Empress Dowager's chopsticks, which were reaching for the dishes, stopped in mid-air.

The smile on her face faded, replaced by a look of confusion.

"Yu'er, didn't you used to hate this dish the most? You always said it was too winey and didn't taste good. Every time I made it, you would take a bite and then complain a lot. How come you like it now?"

Qian Lie, the Prince of Zhennan, who was eating meat with gusto, also stopped what he was doing, his face greasy, and looked over with a puzzled expression.

Zhao Yu's heart skipped a beat.

broken.

As someone who has been working in the entertainment industry in the 21st century, drinking and socializing are basic skills for him, and over time, wine tasting has also become one of his hobbies.

Without realizing it, he let slip what was on his mind.

He hadn't expected that the emperor of a mere country wouldn't like drinking!

But now is not the time to pursue Zhao Yu's case.

Zhao Yu glanced at the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Zhennan out of the corner of his eye. Both of them were looking at him. If he didn't explain things well, there would be big problems.

His mind raced. Why would a boy who didn't like alcohol grow up to like it?

Was it because you had to drink at the banquet? Or because your favorite uncle came back?

No, no! That's all too far-fetched.

The focus shouldn't be on explaining why you like it, but rather on...

In an instant, the answer was obtained.

Zhao Yu slowly put down his chopsticks.

He didn't answer, but instead picked up the wine glass in front of him, tilted his head back, and took a sip.

This action left the Empress Dowager and Qian Lie even more stunned.

Monkey wine braised chicken is ultimately a dish, with limited wine flavor.

The fact that Zhao Yu could drink a glass of wine directly shows that he truly didn't dislike alcohol.

Setting down his wine glass, Zhao Yu sighed softly, his voice low, as if he were talking to himself.

"When I was a child, I did hate alcohol."

"The taste is similar to what the servants described as horse urine. Even if it's fruit wine, I think it's far inferior to plain water."

"Back then, I never understood why those officials drank as if they were drinking some kind of nectar. I thought they were all fools..."

He shook his head slightly, a bitterness beyond his years appearing on his face, his eyes deep, like a lonely wanderer weathered by time.

"But since I grew up, I've come to understand why you, sir, like to drink."

"Because being drunk brings a moment of relaxation, and you don't have to think about those worries anymore."

"Ever since I fell in love with wine, I have been unable to live without it. Every night, when all is quiet, I secretly have a little to drink, and only with that little bit of alcohol can I forget my troubles for a moment and fall asleep peacefully..."

As the Empress Dowager listened to these words and looked at the vicissitudes on Zhao Yu's face, the image of his innocent and carefree childhood unconsciously surfaced in her mind.

The contrast between the two evoked a surge of indescribable pity within me.

She recalled the last banquet, where those纨绔 (spoiled brats) from the Qian family dared to contradict him in public, showing no respect for him as the emperor. Suddenly, she understood the feeling of loneliness.

The Empress Dowager's eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion.

"Yu'er, these past years... you've really suffered."

It became.

Zhao Yu silently recited this in his heart.

We've finally gotten through this hurdle.

The taste of the wine is not important; what matters is why people have changed.

If you get hung up on changes in taste, it will ultimately be difficult to justify your position.

But if it's not the taste that changes, but a person's state of mind, then it's completely different.

Just as the atmosphere in the hall was becoming somewhat heavy, a hearty laugh broke the silence.

"Hahaha!"

Prince Qian Lie of Zhennan slammed his hand on the table, making the cups and plates clang loudly.

"Good! How can a man of the Qian family not drink!"

"Yu'er, come, let your uncle toast you!"

He raised his wine glass and gestured towards Zhao Yu.

"A true man should be full of heroic spirit! Cheers!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp. This bold action completely put the sad matter behind him.