Li Yuzong, standing beside the Emperor, plastered on a smile.
He advised, "Miss Ji, you mustn't drink too much. It's bad for your health."
Before she could say a word, the wine cup and pot on her table were deftly whisked away by a little eunuch standing behind Eunuch Li.
In their place, a jewel-inlaid bronze pot was set down.
Li Yuzong said, "The Holy Emperor wishes for you to drink this."
'Why is he even controlling what I drink?'
Ji Qingwu looked toward Emperor Wu Su on the high dais. He was receiving toasts from his court officials, holding the Imperial Cup, and not looking her way.
The bronze pot was exquisitely crafted and clearly no common item. 'What's inside probably isn't ordinary either.' She poured a cup, suspicious.
She took a small sip and nearly spat it out.
A bitter taste filled her mouth. 'This must be a sobering tonic,' she thought. 'It probably has ingredients like kudzu flower, lotus rind, and dried ginger—all meant to combat drunkenness.'
