Adding wagers to drinking games was not unusual.
The Emperor readily agreed to the First Prince's suggestion and even first contributed a prize himself.
The object he offered was a jade pendant taken directly from his waist.
To be honest, the pendant wasn't particularly valuable.
But even an ordinary piece of jade, once touched by the Emperor and labeled "imperial," seemed to become extraordinary—especially since it had been hanging at the Emperor's waist just moments before.
Gu Yanshu clearly felt the atmosphere in the hall shift as the Emperor placed the pendant on the tray.
The previously somewhat indifferent ministers now wore expressions of increased seriousness.
Of course, some chose to withdraw.
For example, Grand Secretary Pei also removed a jade pendant from his waist, placed it on the tray holding the wagers, and then bowed slightly:
"This old minister is advanced in years and lacks the energy he once had. I'm afraid I cannot keep up with the drinking commands and must regretfully decline. I hope His Majesty and everyone will understand."
Anyone could see this was merely an excuse.
Poetry commands like Feihualing didn't require physical exertion—they relied on literary skill. How could he be "unable to keep up"?
No one present could confidently claim superior literary talent to Grand Secretary Pei.
From a competitive standpoint, his withdrawal was actually beneficial to others.
So in the end, no one objected.
Soon, everyone in the hall had placed their wagers on the tray carried by a young eunuch.
Most attendees were men, so the tray was filled mostly with jade pendants or decorative, blunted daggers.
Qin Lu disliked wearing accessories and had nothing on him to offer as a wager.
The only dagger at his waist was there by the Emperor's special permission, allowing him to carry one weapon even in the Emperor's presence.
But that dagger was a token of love from Gu Yanshu, even engraved with Gu Yanshu's childhood name. How could Qin Lu bear to wager it?
In the end, it was Gu Yanshu who took a gold filigree sachet from his own waist and placed it on the tray.
Just as Gu Yanshu added his sachet, the First Prince spoke again:
"Since the Prince Consort of Li was the last to place a wager, why not let him begin the drinking commands?"
As soon as the First Prince finished speaking, the slightly noisy hall fell silent.
It wasn't yet so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, but it was much stiller than before.
The notoriety of the "Young Master Gu" was widespread in the capital. Even ministers who hadn't known much about him before had learned of his reputation by the time of the royal wedding.
Now, with the First Prince proposing drinking commands and appointing the Prince Consort start, it was clear he meant trouble.
If the relationship between the Prince Consort and Prince Li had been distant , that would be one thing.
But from their earlier interaction, it was obvious they were deeply attached.
Was the First Prince prepared tearing down the last pretense of civility with Prince Li?
Some perceptive ministers instinctively glanced toward the Emperor's seat.
To their surprise, the Emperor merely raised an eyebrow slightly, showing no intention of intervening—clearly planning to remain an observer.
This reaction left the ministers bewildered:
From recent events, it seemed the Emperor favored Prince Li.
But now, with the Prince Consort about to be embarrassed—which would also reflect poorly on Prince Li—why was the Emperor not reacting?
Did the Emperor actually prefer Prince Li, or was he leaning toward the First Prince?
Finding no clues on the Emperor's face, everyone could only turn their attention to Gu Yanshu, waiting to see how he would respond.
Gu Yanshu first let out a soft laugh, raised an eyebrow slightly, and then looked directly at the First Prince:
"Then, according to Your Highness, should I attempt the Feihualing or the Pitch-Pot Command?"
"Naturally, that depends on the Prince Consort's own preference. But if I must say, I believe the Feihualing might be more suitable for you."
A hint of surprise flashed across the First Prince's face—he clearly hadn't expected Gu Yanshu to ask him that.
After a moment's silence, he still offered an answer:
"After all, the Pitch-Pot Command is intended for the generals. They are all skilled in archery and horsemanship. Others might find themselves at a disadvantage in that area."
His words sounded righteous and considerate. Anyone unaware of the truth might truly think he was looking out for Gu Yanshu.
Gu Yanshu wasn't surprised by the response.
This drinking game was, from the start, a trap set by the First Prince.
Pitch-pot was a game of skill, and many civil officials weren't good at it either. But without the Feihualing, how could others clearly see that Gu Yanshu was an ignoramus?
During this exchange between Gu Yanshu and the First Prince, many sensed the rising tension between them.
Then, everyone saw Prince Li, who had been sitting beside Gu Yanshu, move as if to speak—but before he could, the Prince Consort raised a hand to stop him.
Immediately after, they heard the Prince Consort say:
"It seems what Your Highness truly wants today isn't to play a drinking game—but to see me make a fool of myself?"
This slightly accusatory question left the ministers, who had been wondering how the Prince Consort would respond, looking astonished.
Officials long accustomed to speaking indirectly and leaving room in all matters were encountering someone as blunt as Gu Yanshu for the first time.
So startled were they that none noticed the flicker of amusement in the eyes of the Emperor, who had been watching from his seat.
The First Prince frowned and retorted:
"Why would you say that, Prince Consort?"
"Why?" Gu Yanshu raised an eyebrow, his tone lifting slightly:
"Everyone in the capital knows I'm an uneducated good-for-nothing who can barely read a few characters. Yet now you insist that I play Feihualing? If not to see me humiliated, then what?"
He spoke with such confidence and force that his words seemed to hang in the air.
In truth, if forced to play Feihualing, Gu Yanshu might not have been entirely helpless.
There's a saying: "Memorize three hundred Tang poems, and even if you can't write one, you can recite."
Tianqi and his original world were entirely separate realities.
China's five thousand years of history, with its hundred schools of thought, had left behind countless timeless verses.
But Gu Yanshu couldn't overcome a moral hurdle.
He could quote Confucius and Mencius—but only if everyone knew those words came from those sages.
He couldn't take credit for others' achievements.
Since he couldn't recite and didn't know how to compose poetry himself, he decided to take an unconventional approach: overturn the First Prince's chessboard entirely.
It had to be said that Gu Yanshu's unexpected move caught the First Prince off guard.
He never imagined someone like Gu Yanshu existed—someone who seemed almost proud of being uneducated.
Just as the First Prince was at a loss, the Fourth Prince, sitting nearby, sighed softly and stood up:
"The Prince Consort misunderstands. Rumors are not to be trusted. His Highness the First Prince only proposed this because he believed the capital's gossip was slander against you—not because he wished to see you embarrassed."
This reminded the First Prince, who nodded without hesitation:
"Exactly! This Prince also believed the rumors were untrue."
"Then does Your Highness now understand that the rumors are true?" Gu Yanshu lifted his chin, his gaze making it clear: Should the Feihualing still start with him?
What could the First Prince say now?
If he insisted that Gu Yanshu play, wouldn't that prove Gu Yanshu's point—that he didn't want to play a drinking game but to see Gu Yanshu humiliated?
Such things were understood privately—they couldn't be stated openly.
As the First Prince opened his mouth to speak, the Emperor—who had remained silent until now—spoke first:
"Since the Prince Consort has said so, he need not participate in the Feihualing. Since the drinking game was proposed by the First Prince, let it begin with him."
"Yes."
With the Emperor speaking, what could the First Prince do? He could only agree.
But Gu Yanshu, standing to the side, still hadn't responded.
Noticing this, the Emperor raised an eyebrow and asked:
"What? Are you displeased even though you're not required to participate?"
His tone held no displeasure—instead, it carried a hint of teasing, like an elder amused by a junior.
Gu Yanshu, highly sensitive to others' emotions, immediately seized the opportunity. He muttered in a voice just loud enough to be heard:
"But this subject just contributed a wager…"
As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward the eunuch's tray.
His pained expression struck the Emperor as rather novel:
"How much could that sachet of yours be worth? Why the act before me? Have you earned less from glass? Or from the teahouse?"
Unexpectedly, Gu Yanshu looked even more disapproving and continued mumbling:
"Business is business, and wagers are wagers—how can they be mixed together?"
"So you mean you neither wish to contribute a wager nor play the drinking game?"
The Emperor was nearly amused by anger now:
"Since when does such a good thing exist where you get to have it all?"
Perhaps realizing the Emperor was annoyed, Gu Yanshu finally didn't dare say more. He quickly bowed:
"Your Majesty's lesson is right. This subject acknowledges his error."
But the expression on his face still looked thoroughly wronged.
If Wen Qingxiao had been present, he might have pointed at Gu Yanshu and said, "With acting like this, how dare he call me two-faced?"
When it came to acting spoiled, Gu Yanshu was just as skilled.
Clearly entertained by Gu Yanshu's aggrieved look, the Emperor spoke somewhat helplessly:
"Enough, it's just a wager Must you look so heartbroken? Xiao Dezi, bring this to the Prince Consort. We can't have people saying the royal family bullies its new daughter-in-law!"
As he spoke, Qin Yuan directly removed a jade thumb ring from his thumb, placed it in Eunuch Wang's hand, and noted him to give it to Gu Yanshu.
Gu Yanshu had only been seizing an opportunity with his casual remark—he never expected such a pleasant surprise.
"Only a fool passes up free gains!"
Looking at the jade thumb ring offered by Eunuch Wang, Gu Yanshu offered only a slight protest before accepting it.
But this scene made the pupils of many officials contract slightly.
The jade pendant the Emperor had earlier placed in the tray as a wager was clearly an ordinary piece for accessorizing—the kind he probably had eight or ten of in the palace.
This thumb ring was different.
In the ministers' memory, the Emperor had worn this ring on his thumb for many years. He rarely took it off and would often play with it—clearly a beloved item.
Yet now, just because the Prince Consort showed a bit of wronged expression, the Emperor directly gave it to him as compensation.
Even if the Emperor had recently shown favor to Prince Li, was this really normal "love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof" behavior? Could it go this far?
While the ministers were still pondering the Emperor's attitude toward the Prince Consort, the First Prince had already been thrown into disarray by the Emperor's remark: "Have you earned less from glass? Or from the tea house?"
Although the First Prince lacked great talent and occasionally acted foolishly, he understood his father to some degree.
From that single sentence, he immediately realized that Taoranju, Guiyuanju, and Yaoyue Pavilion all belonged solely to Gu Yanshu.
Therefore, the highly sought-after glass sold at Taoranju—which required orders two months in advance—could only be Gu Yanshu's product as well!
If the glass was Gu Yanshu's, what about the other things?
Soap, scented soap, straw paper? The magnifying glasses and eyeglasses? And not long ago, the movable type printing technique in the Emperor's hands…
In an instant, something the First Prince had always overlooked suddenly became clear:
Starting from glass to the recent young leafy greens, all these novel items had appeared only after the Prince Consort married into the Prince Li's household!
No one was more unwilling to accept this fact than the First Prince.
It was obvious to everyone how much favor and benefit Prince Li's household had gained from the Emperor thanks to these innovations.
Now, to realize that these advantages and favors were things he had inadvertently handed to Qin Lu—how could he bear it?
What the First Prince could figure out, the Fourth Prince and Consort Hui naturally could as well.
Immediately, the expressions of all three turned unpleasant.
Even Consort Hui, who was deepest and most composed, could barely maintain her usual smile.
On the opposite end was Consort Gui.
The darker Consort Hui's face grew, the brighter Consort Gui's smile became.
The distance between them was already small, but Consort Gui seemed to feel that Consort Hui wasn't stimulated enough. She leaned slightly toward her and said:
"Since Prince Li's wedding, I seem to have forgotten to thank you, Sister, for taking such good care of my son's lifelong matters. You've been even more attentive than I, his actual mother."
The words nearly made Consort Hui spit blood in anger.
If not for the palace banquet and the Emperor's presence, she would have loved to tear Consort Gui's mouth apart.
But for now, she could only suppress her frustration and force a smile:
"Sister, what are you saying? We are of one heart. Your son is my son. It's only right that I look after his affairs."
While Consort Hui struggled to respond, the First Prince below was faring no better.
The possibility that had just dawned on him left him feeling disoriented and distracted.
Yet the Emperor had already decreed that the Feihualing would begin with him.
So, with his mind in complete chaos, the First Prince had to step into the trap he himself had set for Gu Yanshu and somehow muster the focus to compose poetry.
Fortunately, having received the finest education in Tianqi since childhood, even in his muddled state, he managed to produce the first line of the Feihualing through sheer instinct and experience.
Although the line was well below his usual standard—to Gu Yanshu's amateur ear, it had the distinct flavor of the famous historical poet Emperor Qianlong—it was at least spoken.
And the First Prince wasn't the only one distracted by the Emperor's words.
With most attendees equally preoccupied, his subpar line was allowed to pass.
The rest of the Feihualing offered little excitement. In Gu Yanshu's opinion, it was less interesting than the First Prince's earlier "face-changing" performance.
The Pitch-Pot Command among the military officials was somewhat more engaging, and it even produced an upset: the winner was a newly promoted fifth-rank military officer this year.
Rumor had it he was from a scholarly family that had strongly opposed his decision to join the army.
As for the Feihualing, the winner was Wen Qingshu of the Wen family.
Since there were two champions, the wagers were to be divided equally.
Wen Qingshu let the military officer choose first, saying that today's Feihualing hadn't been as interesting as the Pitch-Pot, and by rights, the officer was the true champion and should choose first.
By the time the drinking game ended, many were slightly tipsy from the wine consumed during play, and the hour was late. The Emperor simply declared the banquet over.
Many had long lost interest in the event and were eager to leave. Hearing the Emperor's words, they inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
But to everyone's surprise, although the Emperor had clearly favored Prince Li and his Consort during the banquet, as he was leaving, he called for Consort Hui to accompany him—indicating he intended to spend the night in her palace.
The First Prince and his faction, who had worn gloomy expressions for most of the banquet, finally brightened at this.
As for the ministers who had already reached certain conclusions, the Emperor's move once again left them wavering.