Reluctantly, I put down the wine bottle, and the high-ranking officials and nobles also raised their own cups to slowly sip the liquor. Being people of status and standing, they naturally could not gulp it down in one go like a little kid like me.
After drinking, they all agreed that the wine was wondrous and truly worthy of being a premium vintage. The only pity was that there was simply too little of it. The Crown Prince was sharp-witted; he immediately picked up the bottle, filled a cup for his father the Emperor, then with a show of filial piety filled cups for the Empress Dowager and his own mother, before finally pouring a full cup for himself. Although women generally did not drink, in the case of such imperial tribute wine, people of high status and standing would all partake of a little.
While they were chattering endlessly in praise of the wine and drinking in high spirits, the Emperor immediately sent men to bring out large quantities of ordinary wine for everyone to taste. In truth, he was simply reluctant to bring out any more of that special custom-made brew. In the end, even he admitted that the flavor of the ordinary wine was indeed somewhat inferior. Even so, it was still a genuine product, a world apart from anything they had drunk before.
Chapter 161