Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

Contrary to expectations, there was no overwhelming aroma of alcohol. Instead, it was an extremely subtle and elegant fragrance, like a pear blossom bud quietly blooming in the silent snowy night.

The fragrance wasn't overpowering, but it had an extremely strong penetrating power, seeping into one's nasal cavity and reaching deep into one's lungs.

Zhao Qiyan was stunned: "This...it doesn't smell?"

He leaned closer to look and saw that the wine in the jar was viscous like oil, golden and translucent. When he gently shook it, it would stick to the jar wall and not fall off for a long time.

Shen Qiongju took the bamboo scoop that had been prepared beforehand, scooped up a little, and put it in her mouth.

It's slightly cool on the palate, followed by a burst of warm sensation. The sweetness of the pear juice blends perfectly with the mellowness of the liquor. After being agitated by the water and fermented at a constant temperature in the lower tank, the original spiciness is completely tamed, transforming into a long-lasting, sweet aftertaste.

It's three times better than the previous jar!

"It's done!" Shen Qiongju suddenly looked up, her eyes gleaming with astonishment. "Zhihui, it's really done! This flowing fermentation method produces a more mellow wine!"

Zhao Qiyan eagerly snatched the grape and took a sip, her eyes widening instantly: "Excellent wine! Absolutely amazing! If this wine were sent to the palace, not only the Imperial Concubine, but even the Emperor himself would be delighted!"

He slapped his thigh excitedly, "Come on, come on! Don't we have several jars as spares? Let's open one, we absolutely have to! We're so happy today, let's celebrate in advance!"

Shen Qiongju was in a great mood and didn't stop her: "Alright, let's open this jar for backup. But we have to set aside the best one and put it in that Yuhuchun bottle."

She turned to Shen Song and instructed, "When we arrive at the dock, the eunuch in charge of transporting the wine from the palace will definitely come to inspect the goods first. This pot of wine is a gift for that chief eunuch; it's never wrong to give a generous gift, and it will make things go more smoothly."

That night, the cabin was brightly lit.

The boat's cook was a native of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Seeing that the owner was happy, he specially caught fresh river shrimp and shad from the river.

Steamed shad is served with the scales on, revealing its rich, melt-in-your-mouth fat; stir-fried river shrimp are a vibrant red, with crispy shells and tender flesh. Paired with this freshly baked "Drunken Beauty," it's simply heavenly.

Zhao Qiyan drank the most; his handsome face was as red as a monkey's bottom. He was still holding a crab claw in his hand, and he boasted with a thick tongue, "Back in the day, in the capital... I was a man who could walk sideways! Who dared... who dared not give me face?"

Pei Zhihui only took a small sip; he was just recovering and shouldn't drink too much. He sat beside Shen Qiongju, slowly picking out the fish bones and placing the snow-white fish meat into Shen Qiongju's bowl.

"Eat more, sister-in-law." His voice was gentle, but his gaze remained fixed on her slightly tipsy face.

Shen Qiongju was also in a good mood today and drank a couple more cups, her eyes somewhat glazed over. Looking at the dark river outside the window, she felt a sense of ease she had never felt before.

However, the unexpected happened in that instant.

The ship, which had been sailing smoothly, suddenly shook violently, followed by a dull thud from its hull.

"Thump—!"

The wine glasses on the table were knocked over, and the delicious fish soup was spilled all over the table.

Pei Zhihui's expression changed drastically, and the chopsticks in his hand snapped instantly. He grabbed Shen Qiongju's shoulder, shielding her behind him, and his once gentle eyes turned as cold as iron in an instant.

"Turn off the lights!" he shouted sternly.

Before the words were even finished, countless barbed iron claws, accompanied by the sound of air being cut, gripped the ship's side tightly.

"Bandits!"

The boat captain's terrified screams were abruptly cut short by an arrow piercing his throat.

On the once tranquil river, more than a dozen speedboats suddenly appeared, like a group of sharks that had smelled blood, surrounding their large ship.

"Protective wine!" Shen Qiongju sobered up considerably in an instant.

Forgetting her fear, her first instinct wasn't to hide, but to rush to the hold. That was the Shen family's chance to turn things around, the Pei family's hope for survival—it couldn't be lost!

"Sister-in-law!" Pei Zhihui tried to grab her, but missed.

"Pei An! Take men and guard the entrance to the lower deck! Anyone who dares to approach will be killed without mercy!" Pei Zhihui made a decisive move and drew a soft sword from his waist.

At this moment, more than a dozen masked men dressed in black had already leaped onto the deck using ropes. They were armed with steel knives, well-trained, and slashed at anyone they saw. They didn't seem like bandits seeking wealth at all; they looked more like assassins there to silence witnesses.

"Damn it! How dare you ruin my drinking party!"

Zhao Qiyan stood up unsteadily, her eyes glazed over, but her hands moved with lightning speed.

A man in black swung his knife at Zhao Qiyan, who ducked low like a slippery eel, dodging the blade. At the same time, the folding fan in her hand was as hard as iron, striking the man's nerve endings with a sharp blow.

"Get down on your knees!"

Zhao Qiyan kicked the man into the river, grabbed a wine jar from the table, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp, exclaiming with heroic spirit, "Come on! Let me show you the young marquis's drunken fist!"

Although he seemed insane, every move he made was extremely ruthless, effectively blocking the stairs leading to the inner cabin.

However, there were too many enemies.

Rockets rained down on the sails, sending flames soaring into the sky.

Pei Zhihui stood on the second-floor railing, his face cold and stern. He was still recovering and could not go forward, but his eyes were extremely sharp.

"Three players on the left, attack the lower body!"

"Pei An, hold the right flank, don't linger in battle!"

Under his command, the initially panicked guards managed to form a formation and tenaciously guarded the entrance to the lower deck.

Shen Qiongju was in the lower deck, listening to the shouts of battle and the sound of wooden planks breaking overhead, her heart filled with anxiety. She directed Shen Song and several other men to cover the wine jars with wet cotton blankets to prevent the fire from spreading.

"Master! They're about to break in!" Shen Song trembled, holding a wooden stick in his hand.

"Don't be afraid." Shen Qiongju pulled a pair of scissors from her sleeve, gripping them tightly in her hand until her knuckles turned white. "As long as we're not dead, we can't throw away this wine."

Just then, a loud bang was heard, and the hatch in the lower deck was kicked open.

Two men in black, covered in blood, rushed in. Seeing the cabin full of wine jars, a fierce glint flashed in their eyes, and they raised their knives to smash them.

"stop!"

Shen Qiongju, emboldened by some unknown source, lunged forward and used her body to protect the finest jar of "Zui Jing Hong" wine.

Just as the blade was about to fall, a figure in cyan appeared like a ghost and blocked her path.

"Thud—" The sound of a blade cutting into flesh.

Pei Zhihui groaned as the soft sword pierced the black-clad man's throat, and blood instantly sprayed onto his blue robe.

Shen Qiongju breathed a sigh of relief only after watching the man in black fall.

"Don't be afraid, sister-in-law... I'm here." Pei Zhihui's face was pale, and his arm trembled slightly, but he forced another man in black back with his other hand.

His body hasn't fully recovered yet and he won't last much longer.

However, the shouts of battle outside did not diminish; instead, they intensified. Although Zhao Qiyan was brave, she was no match for the sheer number of people. She was covered in bruises, and now that she was fully sober, she was leaning against a pillar, panting heavily.

"Pei Erlang! We can't hold on any longer! These bastards came prepared, and they have too many archers!" Zhao Qiyan roared.

A sense of despair spread through the cabin.

Just as the leader of the men in black raised his crossbow, aiming it at Pei Zhihui's chest, preparing for the final blow—

"Buzz!!!"

A deep, massive thud, like the roar of an ancient beast, instantly drowned out all the shouts of battle.

Immediately afterwards, a giant crossbow bolt as thick as a child's arm, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, pierced through the air!

"boom!"

The bandit ship carrying archers was shot straight through by this arrow, splinters flew everywhere, and the ship instantly disintegrated!

Everyone was stunned.

Both the man in black and Zhao Qiyan subconsciously stopped what they were doing and looked at the river.

As the thick fog parted, three jet-black warships, shaped like giant sharks, were seen sailing upstream at an incredible speed.

Three enormous ballistae were mounted on the bow of the ship, their metallic sheen gleaming menacingly in the firelight.

"Divine Arm Crossbow..." Pei Zhihui's pupils suddenly contracted.