140

Seeing Dian Wei carrying nothing at all, Wang Bo was somewhat surprised.

"Could it be that my elder brother failed to buy the wine?" Wang Bo asked with a puzzled look.

"How could that be?" Dian Wei glanced sideways at Wang Bo, then pushed the courtyard gate open and shouted loudly, "Bring them all in!"

Following Dian Wei's shout, several burly men filed into the courtyard. Each man cradled two jars of wine in his arms.

"Put them over there," Dian Wei instructed the men, pointing to a relatively open space.

"Understood," the men answered in unison, and immediately began placing the wine jars according to Dian Wei's directions. Within a moment, the men had finished moving the wine.

"You may go back now." Dian Wei waved his hand, dismissing them.

Once everyone had left, Wang Bo looked at Dian Wei with a hint of astonishment.

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Dian Wei closed the gate, turned around, and happened to catch Wang Bo staring at him with a bewildered expression, so he asked.

"Nothing." Wang Bo shook his head. How could he possibly voice his surprise that his elder brother had actually hired people to carry the wine back for him?

"Oh." Seeing that Wang Bo offered no explanation, Dian Wei did not dwell on it further. Instead, he asked eagerly, "Little Bo, you had me buy all this wine. What on earth does it have to do with that contraption of yours?"

"Elder brother will see soon enough." Without waiting for the puzzled Dian Wei, Wang Bo fetched a jar of fine wine, poured it into the pot he had already set up, ignited the firewood underneath, and fitted the distilling apparatus securely over the pot. As he finished these actions, a familiar sentiment welled up from deep within his heart. "Back then, I must have harbored the exact same feelings while covering up for my eldest brother." With that thought, Wang Bo shook his head slightly.

Waiting for the liquor to distill was a slow and tedious process. In the past, he at least had the lively Zhou Meng to keep him company, but now, watching Dian Wei standing rigidly beside him like a wooden post, Wang Bo felt a massive headache coming on. Compared to Zhou Meng—although the latter offered a higher degree of safety—Dian Wei was not even ten times as interesting as him.

After much difficulty, two jars of distilled liquor were finally produced. Wang Bo simply could not bring himself to continue. He completely smothered the fire beneath the pot, stood up, and stretched lazily. Glancing at Dian Wei, who was now clutching a jar of wine to his chest, Wang Bo shook his head in helpless resignation. Could this wine truly be so extraordinarily important to them all?

"Does elder brother now understand the purpose of this device?" Wang Bo asked. However, he clearly underestimated the sheer attraction his distilled liquor held for Dian Wei. After waiting for quite a while without receiving any response, Wang Bo smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"Elder brother!" Stepping closer to Dian Wei, Wang Bo let out a loud shout.

"Ah? Little Bo, what has happened?" Dian Wei asked, wearing a bewildered expression.

"Nothing. It is getting late, so I shall return to the academy first. I will take one jar of the wine, and leave the other here as a gift for you."

"Very well then." Upon hearing that Wang Bo was going to take a jar away, a flicker of reluctance crossed Dian Wei's face, but he gritted his teeth and agreed nonetheless.

Clutching the remaining jar of wine, Wang Bo completely ignored Dian Wei, who was still standing there in a daze while hugging his wine jar, and headed straight out the door toward the city gates.

"Without elder brother here, things are utterly dull." At the academy, Guo Jia rested his chin on one hand and said offhandedly to Xun Yu beside him.

"You rascal." Xun Yu pointed at Guo Jia and shook his head, though he felt a deep sense of sympathy for him. Throughout the entire academy, only Wang Bo could hold a proper conversation with Guo Jia. Everyone else either found Guo Jia's ideas far too shocking or considered him incorrigibly mischievous, leaving him with only a handful of kindred spirits. Although Xun Yu had known Guo Jia for a long time, he realized that he himself could not match the rapport Wang Bo shared with him, making Wang Bo an indispensable figure in Guo Jia's life. Rather than calling Wang Bo an elder brother to Guo Jia, it was more accurate to describe him as a playmate and a true confidant.

"It is already this late; why hasn't elder brother arrived yet?" Guo Jia said anxiously, watching the sky grow dark. "Besides, elder brother still owes me a jar of peerless wine. If anything were to happen to him, what would become of my wine? And what if he decided to run off just to avoid paying my debt?"

Hearing this, Xun Yu couldn't help feeling a headache coming on. It turned out this fellow was lamenting over his wine rather than worrying about Wang Bo's safety.

"Are you gossiping about me behind my back?" Wang Bo's voice came from behind them, and Guo Jia turned around in startled surprise, only to see Wang Bo holding a wine jar to his chest and smiling broadly at him.

"How could I ever dare to speak ill of elder brother?" Catching sight of the wine jar in Wang Bo's arms, Guo Jia instantly transformed into the picture of servility, fawning all over Wang Bo as he hurried to his side. "Is this wine brewed specially for me by elder brother?"

"Just now, I distinctly heard someone say that I had run off to avoid paying my wine debt," Wang Bo said, looking at Guo Jia with an amused smile.

"Preposterous! Purely preposterous!" Guo Jia declared with an air of absolute conviction. Then, pointing at Xun Yu, he shifted the blame: "It was Brother Xun who was speaking ill of elder brother; I was merely defending you."

"Enough of that." Looking at the incorrigible Guo Jia, Wang Bo felt utterly helpless.

Nearby, Xun Yu also shook his head with a bitter smile, pointing at Guo Jia and saying, "This fellow..."

Deliberately ignoring Guo Jia, Wang Bo turned to Xun Yu and said, "This wine was brewed using a secret technique. Today, I invite Brother Xun to drink with me. Neither of us shall stop until we are thoroughly drunk."

"Then I shall gladly accept your hospitality without standing on ceremony." With that, the two exchanged a smile. Ignoring Guo Jia entirely, they headed straight for the inner courtyard.

"You can't do this! That wine belongs to me!" Guo Jia let out a strange cry and hurriedly chased after them.

Halfway back to their quarters, Wang Bo asked Xun Yu to visit the dining hall and fetch some meat dishes to accompany the wine. Xun Yu nodded, parted ways with them, and went off alone to procure the food. Upon returning to the room, Guo Jia grew even more impatient, attempting to snatch the wine jar straight from Wang Bo's arms, only to be stopped by Wang Bo with a glare.

"You're the only one in such a rush," Wang Bo scolded, glaring at Guo Jia.

Subdued by the look, Guo Jia visibly straightened up and abandoned his antics, behaving as obediently as a model child. However, his eyes remained glued to the wine jar on the table, refusing to wander anywhere else.

Seeing Guo Jia in this state, Wang Bo could only sigh. This fellow truly was obsessed with alcohol to the point of risking his life. Then, realizing that the three of them could never possibly finish this entire jar of distilled liquor on their own, Wang Bo told Guo Jia, "Go and invite the Master over."

"With just this tiny jar of wine, there won't even be enough for me alone. Why drag the Master into this? Besides, it's already quite late; the Master has probably retired for the night by now," Guo Jia retorted, curling his lip in open opposition to summoning the Master.

"I told you to go, so go! Why all this idle chatter? If you refuse, not a single drop of this wine will be yours." Wang Bo glared at him once more. How could he not see through Guo Jia's petty schemes?

"Fine, fine. Since the wine is in your hands, you are the butcher and I am the fish—what else can I do?" Utterly defeated, Guo Jia had no choice but to obey Wang Bo's command. He turned around and left to invite Sima Hui.

Once Guo Jia had departed, Wang Bo finally set the precious jar of wine down. He fetched four sets of bowls and chopsticks and quietly waited for good news from Guo Jia and Xun Yu.

Xun Yu returned much earlier than Guo Jia, bringing quite a substantial amount of food with him. Even before entering the door, his voice could be heard calling out. Wang Bo hurried out to welcome him, and together they properly arranged all the provisions.

After entering the room, Xun Yu noticed the absence of Guo Jia and asked Wang Bo with mild curiosity, "Where has Guo Jia gone?"

"I sent him to invite the Master," Wang Bo replied without turning his head.

"I see."

The two men finished setting out the food and began waiting for Sima Hui and Guo Jia. Yet, no matter how long they waited, the two did not return. This delay began to worry Wang Bo and Xun Yu. Logically speaking, given Guo Jia's craving for alcohol, he should have sprinted back as quickly as possible. This prolonged absence truly baffled Wang Bo. Just as the two were growing impatient and considering going out to look for them, Guo Jia finally arrived tardily, trailing behind Sima Hui—and to their surprise, Sima Hui was carrying a wine jar of his own in his arms.

"Master!" Upon seeing Sima Hui, Wang Bo and Xun Yu hurriedly stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Hmm." Sima Hui nodded, walked over, and placed the wine jar he was carrying onto the table.

"What is the meaning of this?" Taking advantage of the moment while Sima Hui was setting down the jar, Wang Bo pulled Guo Jia aside, lowered his voice, and asked with a stern face.

"Well..." Guo Jia's expression tightened before he finally revealed the whole story.

As it turned out, Wang Bo had underestimated the weight of Guo Jia's reputation in Sima Hui's eyes. When Guo Jia approached Sima Hui and requested his presence to drink some wine, Sima Hui's immediate thought was that this rascal must have gotten into trouble again. This was followed by a relentless cross-examination of Guo Jia. After countless explanations, Guo Jia had barely managed to gain Sima Hui's reluctant trust. Following that, Sima Hui reasoned that this trickster might be up to no good, so just to be safe, he insisted on bringing a jar of his own wine along.

Hearing this account, Wang Bo and Xun Yu were left speechless. Sending Guo Jia to invite Sima Hui was undoubtedly the greatest mistake of their lives. Fortunately, they had managed to bring Sima Hui over safely and soundly; despite the numerous misunderstandings, the primary objective had been achieved.

"Guo Jia told me that Little Bo wanted to invite me for a drink. I didn't have much to bring, so I brought along a jar of fifty-year-old aged wine."

Upon hearing that Sima Hui had brought fifty-year-old aged wine, Guo Jia's eyes lit up, and he swallowed hard with a loud gulp.

Seeing Guo Jia's famished expression, the three of them chuckled. Then, wearing a mischievous smile, Wang Bo turned to Guo Jia and said, "You are the youngest in this room. Out of respect for the Master and myself, we will let you have first pick. Choose: will you drink the wine I brewed, or the fifty-year-old aged wine brought by the Master?"

"The fifty-year-old aged wine, of course!" Guo Jia answered without a moment's hesitation.

"You said it yourself—don't go back on your word." Seeing Guo Jia take the bait, Wang Bo smiled triumphantly.

"Naturally." At this point, Guo Jia suddenly realized he had fallen right into Wang Bo's trap. However, in his mind, how could this newly brewed liquor of Wang Bo's possibly compare to a fifty-year-old vintage?

Xun Yu and Sima Hui, standing nearby, also looked slightly skeptical. Could Wang Bo's wine truly surpass a fifty-year-old vintage? Yet, looking at the crude and plain wine jar, both men shook their heads inwardly. How could that be possible? Judging by the container, it was just ordinary cheap wine—how could it ever rival a half-century-old classic? Perhaps there really was some hidden secret to it?

"Haha!" Seeing Guo Jia's resolute expression and anticipating what was about to happen very shortly, Wang Bo could no longer hold back his laughter.

Everyone in the room looked at Wang Bo with puzzled expressions. Wang Bo managed to check his laughter and said, "Please take your seats, Master. I shall pour the wine for you."

Sima Hui nodded and took his seat. Wang Bo eagerly unsealed the wine jar, poured out a bowl, bowed, and handed it to Sima Hui. With malicious delight, he even deliberately paused the wine bowl right in front of Guo Jia's nose for a brief second.

The instant Wang Bo removed the lid from the wine jar, an intensely rich and mellow fragrance billowed out from within. It stunned Xun Yu, shocked Sima Hui, and utterly paralyzed Guo Jia, who had been holding his fifty-year-old vintage with such smug confidence. Guo Jia hastily uncorked the jar of fifty-year-old wine he was holding, pressed his nose directly against the mouth of the jar, and took a deep, aggressive sniff. In that split second, the triumphant look on his face collapsed entirely. He set the vintage wine down, looked at Wang Bo with a fawning, ingratiating smile, and pleaded, "Elder brother, this younger brother was blind and failed to recognize a true treasure! I beg you, for the sake of my youth and ignorance, please forgive me just this once!"

Seeing Guo Jia's servile demeanor, the three people in the room burst into hearty laughter. Guo Jia, however, cared not a whit and maintained his shameless posture regardless.

"Alright, that's enough," Wang Bo said after laughing for a long while, finally catching his breath.

"Elder brother is truly wise and magnanimous!" Guo Jia grinned broadly, eagerly grabbed the wine jar from the table, poured himself a full bowl, and drained it in a single gulp.

"Slow down!" Before Wang Bo could finish his warning, Guo Jia had already swallowed the entire bowl of wine. The moment it went down, his face turned bright red. He immediately lunged at the meat dishes on the table and began devouring them frantically, struggling for a long while before finally subduing the scorching, fiery burn in his mouth and throat.

"So reckless and impatient! You never let me finish my sentence!" Wang Bo scolded once Guo Jia had finally recovered.

Guo Jia shrunk his neck back and muttered, "Who could have known that elder brother's wine would pack such a fiery punch?"

"You, oh you..." Wang Bo pointed at Guo Jia and shook his head helplessly.

Having witnessed Guo Jia's cautionary example, both Xun Yu and Sima Hui began drinking with utmost caution. Naturally, this cautious start did little to dampen the lively atmosphere of the gathering. With a trickster like Guo Jia around, there was never a dull moment or an awkward silence.

After three rounds of drinks and numerous dishes enjoyed, Wang Bo suddenly brought up a serious topic: "I wonder how the Master views the current state of the realm?"

Upon hearing this question, everyone in the room set their wine bowls down.

Sima Hui pondered for a moment before speaking in a low, solemn voice: "Empresses Dowager such as the Yan, Liang, and He clans all lack the political acumen and virtuous character of Empress Dowager Deng. Either driven by excessive self-interest or paralyzed by indecision, they have allowed the factions of external relatives and eunuchs to run rampant in the imperial court, leading to its daily decay. Following his ascension, Emperor Ling has indulged in debauchery and heavily favored the eunuchs. The two successive Disasters of the Partisan Prohibitions have exhausted the meager finances of an already crumbling court and struck at its very foundations. Coupled with the rampant plagues in recent years, the common people are driven to utter destitution. This has caused the Taiping Dao to flourish across冀州 (Jizhou), and a great upheaval is surely upon us. Moreover, those who ignite this chaos will undoubtedly be the followers of the Taiping Dao." With these words, Sima Hui picked up his wine bowl and drained it in one go.

Sima Hui's words elicited vastly different reactions from the other three present. Wang Bo was utterly shocked—stunned by the uncanny accuracy of Sima Hui's foresight regarding the future. Knowing as he did that the Yellow Turban Rebellion was still a few years away, he had never expected Sima Hui to predict the inevitable uprising so precisely at this very moment.

Xun Yu, on the other hand, wore a deeply worried expression, remaining true to his historical role as a statesman whose loyal heart was eternally tied to the Han Dynasty. Meanwhile, Guo Jia's eyes flickered with a profound, enigmatic, and intriguing glint.

"Since Little Bo has asked me, I shall turn the question back to you. How do you view the realm today?" Sima Hui set his bowl down and asked Wang Bo with a serious expression.

"Uh..." Wang Bo was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Sima Hui to reverse the question on him. After a brief moment of reflection, he answered resolutely, "The general trend of the realm is such that what has been united for long must divide, and what has been divided for long must unite."

"Well said! 'What has been united for long must divide, and what has been divided for long must unite!'" Sima Hui nodded approvingly, looking at Wang Bo with immense satisfaction. He then pursued the matter further: "When do you think the Taiping Dao will rise in rebellion?"

"Within five years, they will surely revolt!" Wang Bo replied without a moment's hesitation.

"You are so certain?"

"The Master may not know this, but I hail from Jizhou myself and have personally visited the stronghold of the Taiping Dao. Everything I witnessed there can be summed up in a single phrase."

"And what phrase is that?"

"The hearts of the people belong to them," Wang Bo said firmly. Recalling everything he had witnessed in Julu, those four words were the only conclusion he could possibly draw.