lcionline Chapter 194 Drunkenness
Chapter 194 Drunkenness
Just as the King of Chu was about to unleash his fury, the King of Qi, quick-witted and agile, swiftly stopped him. The King of Qi, his face full of curiosity, turned his gaze to the steaming hot pot on the table and asked, "How exactly is this novel dish prepared?"
Seeing this, the King of Qin smiled slightly, rose, and walked to the table, personally demonstrating how to eat hot pot. He skillfully picked up a slice of tender mutton, dipped it briefly in the boiling pot, then scooped it out, dipped it in a special sauce, and savored it. While enjoying the dish, he explained the secrets of the preparation in detail.
As the King of Qin demonstrated and explained, the unpleasant atmosphere caused by the drinking was quickly suppressed. Everyone followed the King of Qin's example and began to enjoy the incredibly delicious hot pot.
As King Qi was enjoying his meal, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Wonderful! This hot pot is truly unique. Just one bite is enough to leave you with an unforgettable taste. It's so delicious! And this liquor, although it's a bit spicy at first, after a few more sips, I feel warm all over and so comfortable!"
The King of Wei nodded in agreement, "That's absolutely right! In this cold winter, to have such delicious food and such fine wine is truly a great pleasure in life!"
Although the King of Chu still harbored resentment and wanted to refute it, he had to admit that the hot pot was indeed exceptionally delicious. As for the liquor, although he initially choked quite a bit, he later enjoyed the warming sensation emanating from within, feeling completely refreshed.
At first, a restrained atmosphere permeated the crowd, as if everyone was bound by invisible shackles. However, as time slowly passed, this restraint gradually dissipated. The Qin officials were the first to break the ice, enthusiastically pulling at officials from other states and frequently urging them to drink. Soon, laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air, transforming the scene into a lively and festive celebration.
Amidst the commotion, the King of Qin tightly gripped the King of Qi and frantically poured wine onto the King of Chu. The King of Chu, a lover of wine, naturally accepted the lavish hospitality without hesitation. And so, back and forth, amidst the clinking of cups, those utterly unaware of the power of strong liquor collapsed one after another.
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, the King of Wei simply stopped talking and began to pour himself a drink. The King of Wei wasn't a very good drinker to begin with, and it didn't take long before he felt dizzy. Looking down, he saw that many people had already collapsed; some were fast asleep on the tables, while others were slumped in chairs, muttering to themselves.
King Wei's heart tightened suddenly. Although the alcohol had begun to affect his brain, his mind was unusually clear. His gaze swept over the officials below, who were staggering and behaving in disgraceful ways. He discovered that most of them were envoys and officials from other countries. While many Qin officials were also drunk, their numbers were far fewer in comparison.
At that moment, when he caught sight of the King of Qi beside him, already quite drunk but still clinging tightly to his wine cup, King Wei was immediately alarmed. He couldn't help but think to himself: "Could it be that the King of Qin intends to use this opportunity to wipe out all of us from other countries? This possibility seems plausible, but it's unlikely he'd do it so openly. After all, if he did, Qin would likely find it difficult to silence public opinion. But if that's not his intention, then what is Qin's true purpose?" Countless thoughts flashed through King Wei's mind, various speculations intertwining, making his mood increasingly heavy.
After careful consideration, King Wei quickly made up his mind. He decided to pretend to be drunk, then lie on the table and listen quietly to the sounds around him, trying to glean some clues to unravel the mystery behind it all.
The King of Qin coldly observed the officials from various states staggering below, a surge of murderous intent rising within him. He wished he could immediately order their complete annihilation. Once these obstacles were removed, unifying the world would be a piece of cake for him.
However, just as the King of Qin was about to issue the order, a phrase Jia Yang had once said suddenly came to mind: "Unification is easy, but subsequent governance is fraught with difficulties." If he were to truly execute all these people today, it would surely provoke strong discontent and resistance from the people of Qi, Chu, and Wei. The resulting troubles would likely be several times more difficult than unifying the six states.
Thinking of this, the King of Qin suppressed his anger and beckoned to Fu De, who was not far away. Fu De, who had been closely watching the King of Qin's actions, saw this and hurriedly ran over. When he arrived in front of the King of Qin, the King of Qin ordered, "Quickly, let the guards from Qi, Chu, and Wei come in and escort their respective officials back to the post station to rest."
Fu De said, "Yes, Your Majesty!" and then ran out.
As the guards from various countries filed in, the sight of the bodies lying haphazardly before them filled them with utter horror. In that instant, the first thought that flashed through their minds was that these men had all perished at the hands of the King of Qin. The King had summoned them here, presumably to eliminate any future threats. Thinking this, the guards turned ashen-faced, their souls nearly leaving their bodies, and they all turned to flee through the door.
However, at this moment, the King of Qin calmly said, "Don't panic, they are just drunk. You all should quickly carry these people away!"
Upon hearing this, the guards were initially taken aback, filled with suspicion. After all, the scene before them was far too bizarre to believe it was merely due to drunkenness. However, seeing the King of Qin's composed demeanor, which seemed genuine, a few of the bolder guards mustered their courage and stepped forward to carefully examine one of the officials. A moment later, the guard shouted, "This man is still breathing; he is not dead!"
Upon hearing this, the other guards were somewhat relieved and quickly rushed forward to check on each of the fallen men. After checking and confirming that everyone was out of danger and had no injuries, they breathed a sigh of relief. Then, they hurriedly searched for their respective kings, and after confirming that their kings were safe, they frantically and carefully carried the unconscious ministers onto their carriages one by one.
Once the troops from several countries had all departed, the once noisy and bustling palace instantly fell silent. The eunuchs and maids began methodically tidying up the scattered tables, chairs, and dishes, cleaning up the mess.
Meanwhile, Meng Yi, who had been silently observing the situation, took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention and quietly moved behind the King of Qin. He lowered his voice and asked softly, "Your Majesty, are we really going to let them go so easily? If we miss such a great opportunity, I'm afraid we'll never find another one like it in the future!"
The King of Qin slowly straightened up, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. His majestic gaze swept across the scene before him, seemingly able to pierce through all obstacles, and then he declared in a firm and powerful voice: "I will surely unify the six kingdoms! This is not only my mission, but also the blessing of all people under heaven. Moreover, I will accomplish this great undertaking with honor and dignity, so that the world may know the might of my Great Qin and my ability!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the King of Qin flicked his sleeves, turned around, and strode resolutely into the distance. His tall and imposing figure gradually disappeared into the distance, but he always exuded an unparalleled aura of dominance and confidence.
Standing to the side, Meng Yi silently gazed at the departing figure of the King of Qin, a feeling of reverence welling up within him. He knew that the king before him possessed extraordinary ambition and determination, and was destined to achieve something truly earth-shattering. Therefore, Meng Yi gently bowed, offered a salute, and then quietly withdrew, not daring to disturb the King of Qin's current thoughts.