Chapter 102: The New Eight Drunken Immortals (Part One)

Patter, patter. After the first summer rain, the drainage ditches of Chang'an were overflowing with murky water.

Rainwater dripped from the eaves, carving a small hollow into the stone steps of the wine market. Inside the timber building where amber vintages were stored, a hot-tempered, handsome, bearded man, dressed like a scholar in blue robes, lay dead drunk. He clutched a wine jar in his sleep until the night rain ceased and the first gong of Chang'an sounded. He then habitually dipped a bamboo ladle into the empty jar, only to hear a hollow clanking sound. With eyes still closed, he moved the ladle to his mouth, tilting it again and again, but failing to get a single drop.

Irritated, he smacked his lips, opened his bleary, drunken eyes, and shoved the jar away; it rolled off with a thud. Grabbing the long bamboo ladle, he fumbled to open a new vat, scooped out some wine, and drank a few gulps before suddenly flinging the ladle aside and bellowing, "Where is the ale? Where is Manager Agati? Where have you all died off to? Why haven't you prepared wine for this Prince?"

The wooden door of the wine market was thrown open in a hurry, and a still-sleepy clerk rushed in, bowing and scraping to appease the Prince, explaining that the ale had already been finished by him.

The bearded middle-aged man was clearly having none of it. He insisted that the clerk fetch Manager Agati, pulling gold pieces from his sleeves and stuffing them into the clerk’s arms one by one as he counted. He demanded only ale and Manager Agati, then picked up his ladle again to drink, only to collapse on the floor clutching the vat once more, looking nothing like a prince should.

In the back room of the wine market, the clerk placed the gold on Manager Agati’s desk and sighed. "This Prince of Ruyang has deep pockets but is obsessed with drink. Manager, shouldn't we just give him the last two carts of ale? We’ve made enough gold already!"

"Short-sighted! That's not enough," Agati scolded the clerk who had followed him for years. "The remaining two carts are for pre-ordered customers. We cannot neglect one for the other and offend our clients; that would mean losing long-term profits!" Agati had no way to deal with the Prince of Ruyang—a man who was half-god of wealth and half-plague. The Prince had stayed at the market for days; he used to drink grape wine and sleep all over the place, but now that he had developed a craving for ale, he was doing the same.

"Then what should we do?" the clerk asked, feeling aggrieved. After all, the man was a prince; he was not someone they could easily offend.

Agati gathered the gold from the table and went to find the Prince of Ruyang, tapping his shoulder in hopes of waking him.

Instead, the Prince grabbed his hand, pulled him down with brute force, wrapped him in a tight embrace, and shouted "Xiaoxiao" before planting a stinking, drunken kiss on Agati's lips. The two men rolled on the floor of the wine market in a bizarre display.

Agati finally managed to break free from the drunken Prince, nearly vomiting from the ordeal. Having been forcibly molested like a maiden first thing in the morning, a flicker of cunning flashed in his blue eyes. Once the Prince woke up, he would shift the blame, telling him that all the ale in the wine market was gone and that if he wanted more, he would have to find the Princess Protector at the Princess's estate.

He wiped his mouth, thinking that he hadn't committed any grave sins since arriving in the Great Tang, yet he had been fiercely kissed by a man for no reason at all. He got up and headed for the latrine, his stomach churning from the stress.

Upon arriving at the latrine, he had just squatted down when the wooden floorboards gave way. As he fell, Agati reacted quickly, bracing his hands against the sides to suspend himself above the pit, while his trousers slipped off and floated into the waste below.

Agati’s face turned crimson. He was having the worst luck imaginable. The latrine must have been damaged by the Prince of Ruyang; it was unbearable. Drinking so much ale meant frequent urination, and he likely hadn't been aiming straight, causing the wood to rot.

Running around the wine market with bare legs was a blow to Agati’s dignity. After changing his clothes, he returned to keep an eye on the Prince.

The dark clouds dispersed and the sun shone down, illuminating the dewdrops on the tips of the weeds in the wine market’s courtyard. A ray of light pierced Agati’s blue eyes, and the Prince of Ruyang slowly began to wake.

"Oh, Manager Agati! Has my ale been prepared?" The Prince squinted, his eyes stinging from the light. He used his sleeve to block the glare, his head heavy from the hangover. He tried to sit up several times but failed, remaining half-reclined.

"Haha..." Agati let out an unnatural laugh before cutting it short as his stomach churned again. Forcing back the urge to vomit, he explained, "If I may be frank, Prince, the ale in the market is all gone. If you wish to drink more, you must head to the Princess Protector’s estate at Qujiang Pool!"

"What? You've run out? I haven't even had my fill yet!" The Prince’s tone was dissatisfied, but he took a deep breath and forced himself to sit up. "The Princess Protector?"

"Does the Prince not know? The Princess Protector is the one who invented this ale! It is a limited supply here at Agati’s, but it is inexhaustible at the Princess’s estate!"

Li Jin sat upright, staring into Agati’s blue eyes. He couldn't detect any sign of deception; it seemed the wine was truly gone. "Tsk, ah, a life without ale is a life of trouble! Very well, I shall go to the Princess's estate to seek a 'soup of troubles' to drink; one bout of intoxication can dissolve a thousand sorrows!"

With that, he headed toward the gate of the wine market. Stepping through the mud, shoulders slanting and head tilted, his listless figure appeared somewhat forlorn. Just as he took the reins from the clerk, he saw a familiar figure in white.

"Hahahaha! Brother Taibai!" Li Jin stumbled over with his horse to greet Li Bai, laughing heartily and with great enthusiasm. "Where is Brother Taibai headed?"

Li Jin looked in the direction Li Bai was walking. Wasn't that the way to the Journey to the West Restaurant? The wine banners were fluttering, and the characters were clearly visible.

"Prince of Ruyang!" Li Bai bowed in greeting, catching a whiff of the alcohol on the man. He could distinguish it instantly: the scent of ale, the most familiar smell of all!

"Is Taibai going to the Journey to the West Restaurant for ale?"

Seeing Li Jin’s knowing smile, Li Bai hesitated and nodded. The Prince, like himself, viewed wine as his life. Could it be that he wanted to beg a cup or two? Ale was very hard to come by and usually required a reservation.

"Taibai, you don't know! There's no ale to be had today; it’s all in my stomach! I am just on my way to the Princess's estate to beg for a drink. How about it? Will you come with me?" Li Jin’s blue sleeves fluttered in the warm summer breeze, and his laughter was a mix of madness and triumph.

Li Bai was startled. No wonder the man reeked of ale. He asked in a hurry, "Is that true?"

"I have just come from the wine market. I drank there for seven days and seven nights, and eight carts of ale were finished by me. If you don't believe me, Brother Taibai, you can go and confront Manager Agati!" Li Jin swayed, clearly addicted to the ale.

"How could I doubt the Prince? I am well aware of your vast capacity for drink! Since that is the case, let us go to the Princess's estate! We shall find the Princess Protector; this ale must be enjoyed to our hearts' content!" Li Bai supported Li Jin, fearing he might fall. Looking at how the Prince swayed in the breeze, he could tell he had been drinking too much—he was completely drained!

Wu Yueling could never have guessed that after spending one day teaching at the Imperial Academy, two drunks would come to her home and occupy her brewery!