Chapter 85 – A Worthy Drinking Adversary, Even One Thousand Cups is Not Enough
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
Please thank Suood K. of UAE for sponsoring this chapter!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The day is April 5th
The entire city of Wancheng fell into a festive mood. The city was outfitted with red lanterns and decorations, especially Wancheng city's Administration Office, the building became really beautiful and vibrant.
Apart from naval troops that was dispatched earlier to liberate Sanjiangkou, all of Jiangdong's civil and military officials are attending the wedding party.
How can they do not attend their lord's wedding? It will be very disrespectful of them to not attend.
There is an attendant who shouted endlessly in regard to the presents and from whom the present came from:
“Wujun Administrator Zhu Zhi delivers a pair of jade!”
“Colonel who Exerts Might Sun Jing, delivers a painting and a calligraphy!”
“General Who Spreads Martial Might Sun Fu, delivers 200 gold taels
And so on....
He shouted with a very nice tone, it almost sounded as if he was singing. This was a very merry day.
“So, Milord is finally settling down with a family, on good day like this, it is like the old lord is smiling from heaven!”
“Yes, it is as if old lord had just died yesterday, the years flow like a river, quick and ever flowing.
With a distinguished father like that, his son is sure to reach his father's rank!”
Those who said these words were Sun Jian's former subordinates, like Huang Gai, Han Dang and co.
“After Milord has a male heir, the Sun clan's dominance in Jiangdong will be much stronger!”
“We are set to assist Milord to set down a foundation for a hundred years to come!” Those who speak these lofty words are Sun Ce's new subordinates. Ambitious young people such as Lu Meng and Ling Tong.
There are also those who are silent all the time, because they are hiding away their joy and anger in their minds, if they speak, they would not be able to hold their overflowing emotion. Those who are silent are Jiangdong's top advisors, such as Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao and co.
Liu Mang along with Lu Bu is also among those who are invited. Lu Bu and Liu Mang delivered a pair of fluorescent pearls, which was only produced from East Chinese Sea.
Yuan Shu bought it before and had spent a lot of money for it, but it was robbed by Chen Lan and was retrieved as spoils of war by Boss Lu.
There are a total of 180 tables laid there. So the entire Administration office was filled with tables and chairs. Their seats are arranged according to their ranks in government office.
Liu Mang sat with Lu Bu at the main table.
Liu Mang and Lu Bu’s arrival made everyone's brow wrinkled, especially Liu Mang who everyone's gaze was fixated upon.
A few days before, during the welcoming banquet, he enraged two of Jiangdong's most famous scholars so it can be said that Liu Mang is the victor in the war of words.
But those two advisors, Qin Song and Chen Duan, not only was their fame big but they also had lot of disciples.
If someone in their sect was humiliated, naturally the students must stand up for revenge right? But even their teachers lost, how could this group of scholars possibly defeat Liu Mang in a war of words?
So after discussing over and over about how to face off with Liu Mang, suddenly one of the students pitched a great idea, which is a war of words... again!
However this time not showdown in knowledge but showdown in schemes!
One can see, many of Chen Duan and Qin Song’s disciples whispering to each other, they have not yet touched the good wine on the table.
“Gentlemen, this time, we are representing Jiangdong's scholars, while we still need to respect that Rascal Liu Mang, it is imperative that we make him shame himself by making him drunk!” Said the leader of those scholars group.
“Today is Milord's greatest happiness. This Administration office is packed with Jiangdong’s noble families, and also with Lord Qiao here, one can say that today half of the Han Dynasty's noble families are attending Milord's wedding.
As long as we can make that Rascal Liu Mang a fool out of himself, he will definitely be the laughing stock of the nation!
Let him taste the shame of being humiliated!” That group of students seem to have agreed to make Liu Mang drunk. The best humiliation they thought of is to make Liu Mang as drunk as possible and then he will unconsciously take off his clothes one by one in front of all the guests.
The banquet started real slowly, the initial greetings was finally over, and so Liu Mang's stomach was filled with food already.
Just as Sun Ce finished his wine toast, Liu Mang wanted to use his chopsticks to eat desert, but directly on the other side, there was a group of scholars approaching, each of them are carrying a wine glass and behind them were several servants following while holding jugs of wine.
“Hanyang, it seems trouble is coming for you!” Said Lu Bu.
Lu Bu also lifted his eye and looked at this group of scholars. They absolutely did not have good intentions. It could be said that all of Jiangdong's scholars held an unfavorable impression of Lu Bu’s army.
“Yes trouble is coming, so what? They want to scold me surely to avenge their masters right?!” Liu Mang really do not care about these damned scholars.
If those scholars wanted to do a match of literary knowledge Liu Mang was not a match for them, but if you wanted to come and debate, Liu Mang will oppress them completely. Liu Mang can spurt out his poison and abuse them without the need for dirty words.
“Your Highness Prince of Shu!” the leader of scholar then raised his glass “At that time when Your Highness Prince of Shu was in Xiapi, the traitor Cao fall into your strategy and when in Kaiyang, you also cursed him until he was extremely angry, you are really an example for our generation.
We, Jiangdong's scholars, propose a toast to Your Highness!” While the leader is smiling, he drank his wine in one gulp.
“Hmm?!” Liu Mang was also a bit puzzled, only proposing a toast, yet they come here in groups? With other people also proposing a toast, Liu Mang would embarrassed to decline so he hurriedly gulped the wine.
“Your Highness, today is Milord's marriage. For Your Highness to accept his invitation, it is a big honor for our Jiangdong. We would like to propose a toast to thank Your Highness!” Another scholar walked while carrying a wine glass.
Wow, all of you keep flattering me? Could it be, these scholars did not want to attack me so they started fawning over me? Liu Mang drank one cup again.
“Your Highness Prince of Shu, you are very young yet you have achieved this high-rank, I ask the heaves to bless Your Highness to progress further in your career!” One of the scholars spoke wrongly.
The Title of Prince of Shu is very high already, if one went further, would next level not be the
Emperor?
But Liu Mang right now can accept their flattery and gulped down another cup.
After drinking the third cup, there is another scholar behind him, Liu Mang finally understood these scholars intention. They want to make Liu Mang drunk as a skunk so he can humiliate himself right? They took turns attacking Liu Mang with toasts.
One toast was great, even two toasts is still good, however Liu Mang notices that there are a lot of scholars queuing, waiting to toast him. This is stratagem to wear a person out, by attacking him in turns.
Usually Liu Mang could not endure battling so many people, doomed to be toyed around with.
But fortunately, today the young master came prepared. "Since all of you want to play, let's play bitches" Liu Mang thought to himself.
“Today is General Sun Ce happy day, toasting one person at a time, one after another is very boring!
So, the Prince would like to propose a toast to every one of you, the Prince cannot stand it if everyone does not toast with me!” Said Liu Mang while looking at those scholars.
You want to take me down shadily, eh? I'll take you all on openly.
“So, everyone. I want to toast together. You drink one cup, I drink one cup, so we will be happy together. No cold treatment from me!”
“This!” the lead scholar's brow wrinkled. If everybody drinks together and followed Liu Mang we will be making a fool of ourselves, he then responded
“Your Highness Prince of Shu, we are many people, but Your Highness is only one person. Does your Highness Prince of Shu despise us so much that you did not have enough respect to have a one-on-one toast with us?
The leader's speech is to provoke Liu Mang. If Liu Mang does not drink, then looks down upon all of Jiangdong's scholars. This is a heavy handed insult.
“Okay then! How about this, for each toast, all of you drink one cup, I drink two cups?!” Liu Mang also knows that they will not relent at any cost.
So he made an illusion and gave them an option that will increase their chances of success in their plot in order for them to swallow the bait.
Us one cup, him two cups? The Leader of scholar is moved. If we drink a cup, then Liu Mang must drink two cups. Do not underestimate this count, the difference of alcohol intoxication is like heaven and earth.
“Good, then I will drink to my heart's content!” Liu Mang then clapped his hands, behind him there are two soldiers from Lu Bu’s army which Liu Mang brought as a bodyguard and a butler. Each of them are carrying a wine jug.
“Full glass!” Said Liu Mang while pointing to his wine glasses.
A soldier who understood walked toward Liu Mang and filled two wine glasses to the brim.
“Bottoms up, gentlemen!” Liu Mang then reversed his glass after drinking those two glasses to show it is already empty to those scholars below.
With Liu Mang's action, those scholars also followed Liu Mang's lead.
First cup, second cup, third cup, that leader of scholar's face became more cheerful. He then thought “Drink, drink and drink more and you will be drunken and start to humiliate yourself!”
Fourth cup, fifth cup. The leader's smile started fading and started being uncomfortable. But he withstood his discomfort because he wanted to see this Rascal in drunken state but his state is actually is worse than Liu Mang.
However Liu Mang's face also showed signs of struggle, making that leader's mood quite happy.
Sixth cup, seventh cup, eighth cup, the leader felt little dizzy. There are many scholars who were also unable to withstand intoxication and their complexions were already red, but they were still holding on.
They all wanted to see the limit of this rascals drinking prowess. They had drunk a total eight cups, but the rascal drank 16 cups.
Ninth cup, tenth cup, eleventh cup. The leader was reaching his limit. His complexion became very purple because he was holding down his vomit. If he vomited now, his disgrace would be unsightly.
“Come, come, come, drink one more cup!” Liu Mang once again reach for his glass and toasted again.
Come on, you want to see me humiliate myself right? Come drink with me again.
“Your Highness Prince of Shu, I could not drink anymore, we take our leave now, we take our leave!” When the leader made the scheme to humiliate Liu Mang, he didn't take into consideration Liu Mang's drinking prowess. 22 glasses of wine!!! Even military generals do not possess this prowess. But Liu Mang only felt a slight discomfort during his early toast. The later it went on, he had already adapted to the wine.
“No, do not leave, do not leave, keep drinking with me!!!” Want to escape, huh?! After provoking me, do not even dream about escaping!!!
Then Liu Mang held the back of the leaders neck and said. “Meeting a worthy drinking adversary, even one thousand cups is not enough to get you tired. Today is General Sun Ce's happiest day, if you did not drink, you do not respect me. If you did not drink, you did not respect General Sun Ce!!!
Come, drink again!!!”