Chapter 151: The Frog Falling into Water Decree

This kid is really well-informed. Liu Yitiao looked at Li Rusi's delicate face and touched the imperial decree still tucked inside his robe.

Did he actually know about it before the decree was even issued?

"Thank you for your concern, Young Master Li," Liu Yitiao said, taking a small sip of tea. He raised his eyes and said softly to Li Rusi, "As the saying goes, 'While your parents are alive, do not travel afar.' I have already stayed in Chang'an for over a month, and having finished what I needed to do, it is time for me to retire gracefully and return home to visit my family. My departure is set for tomorrow. Brother Helan and I will be leaving at dawn, so I am afraid I won't be able to bid Young Master Li farewell in person."

"Tomorrow? So soon?" A hint of reluctance flashed across Li Rusi's face.

"What is there to mind?" Gongsun Helan sat up straight, flicked his right hand to open his folding fan, and held it lightly against his chest as he leaned in toward Li Rusi. "Sanyuan is not that far from here. If Young Master Li has spare time in the future, you are more than welcome to visit Sanyuan for a reunion, and I will certainly be there."

"Brother Helan's words are very true. Should Young Master Li ever come to Sanyuan, I will surely host you with a family banquet!" Liu Yitiao said with utmost sincerity.

"Many thanks for the kind offer, Mr. Liu," Li Rusi said, cupping his hands in a salute to Liu Yitiao with a bitter smile. "With the imperial examinations drawing near, I must diligently study for them. Moreover, my father has been pressing me hard. If I wish to venture out again in the future, I fear it will be quite difficult. Once we part ways today, who knows in which month and year we shall meet again."

"Haha, why is Young Master Li feeling so pessimistic? Taking the imperial examinations is a matter of great importance. Your honorable father treating you this way is also for your own good. You must know that 'the night of the bridal chamber, and the placing of one's name on the roll of successful candidates' are among the greatest joys in life. I imagine that once the examinations are over, your father will no longer make things difficult for you," Liu Yitiao comforted him with a gentle smile. "By then, it won't be too late for us to gather again."

"Yes, yes, Mr. Liu's words are very true." Li Rusi smiled unnaturally. The next time he was able to step outside, it would probably be on his wedding day.

The expression on Gongsun Helan's face was quite colorful as well. He stared blankly at Li Rusi and asked with some uncertainty, "So, you're saying, Young Master Li, that you've been grounded by the old master of your household?"

Li Rusi glanced at him and said with a wry smile, "You could put it that way. At the very least, it will be hard for me to get out anytime soon."

"Oh, I see." Gongsun Helan nodded lightly, looking somewhat disappointed. However, he quickly recovered his cheerful demeanor.

"Young master, the wine and dishes are all prepared. May I serve them now?" The young page boy came up from downstairs, stood at the doorway, and asked Li Rusi.

"Yes, bring everything up," Li Rusi nodded and instructed softly.

Shortly after, a group of attendants carrying trays walked upstairs one by one, placing all the wine and dishes onto the table where Liu Yitiao and the others were seated. Liu Yitiao looked at the spread—braised, stir-fried, pan-fried, deep-fried, and simmered dishes featuring chicken, duck, fish, meat, and shrimp—and found it remarkably lavish.

However, with only three people dining, wasn't this many dishes a bit excessive?

Once all the food and wine had been fully arranged, Li Rusi stood up, picked up the flagon, and poured a cup for Liu Yitiao. When he reached to pour for Gongsun Helan as well, Gongsun Helan hurriedly stood up, took the flagon from Li Rusi's hands with both hands, and chuckled lightly, "There's no need to trouble Young Master Li with this; I can pour my own."

Gongsun Helan first filled a cup for Li Rusi, and then topped off his own.

Seeing this, the page boy standing nearby finally looked a bit more favorably upon Gongsun Helan. He walked softly over to Gongsun Helan's side and took the flagon that had just been set down; pouring wine was, after all, his job.

"Come, Mr. Liu, Brother Helan," Li Rusi raised his wine cup, gesturing toward Liu Yitiao and Gongsun Helan, and said, "Since both Mr. Liu and Brother Helan are leaving Chang'an tomorrow, let this meal today serve as a farewell banquet for you both. Allow me to offer this first cup to the two of you, wishing you a smooth journey and fair winds all the way!"

"We accept Young Master Li's kind wishes!" Liu Yitiao raised his cup to clink with Li Rusi and Gongsun Helan, then tilted his head back and drained the wine. After he set his cup down, the page boy stepped forward to refill their cups one by one.

Liu Yitiao picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of food resembling pig's large intestine, and popped it into his mouth. Mmm, flavorful without being greasy; the chef here had quite a decent skill, no wonder so many people came to patronize the place every day.

"I heard that Mr. Liu will be getting married shortly. I wonder whose daughter is so blessed to be able to tie the knot with Mr. Liu?" Li Rusi picked up his chopsticks and asked Liu Yitiao casually.

"Ah, I know about this," Gongsun Helan twirled his folding fan and spoke up preemptively before Liu Yitiao could reply, "My future eldest sister-in-law's surname is Zhang, and her given name is Chuchu. Although she comes from a farming family, she possesses genuine literary talent, to the extent that even Du Zigui that fellow admits he falls short. During this year's Lantern Festival, Sister-in-law even strolled through the festival together with Big Brother. Haha, it was also at that time that I met Big Brother for the very first time."

"What stroll? Such an ugly way to put it, we merely happened to cross paths with Miss Chuchu last time," Liu Yitiao tapped Gongsun Helan lightly on the head with his chopsticks and said, "If you don't know the inside story, stop talking nonsense, lest I sue you for defamation."

"Defamation schmefamation! Big Brother, do you take your younger brother for a three-year-old child? I saw the sweet talk passing between you and Sister-in-law back then—you call that a chance encounter? Who would believe that?!" Gongsun Helan rubbed his head and playfully teased Liu Yitiao, refusing to give in.

Sweet talk? Li Rusi's expression darkened involuntarily, and he lifted his cup to take a gloomy gulp of solitary wine.

"Huh? What is wrong with Young Master Li? Is something weighing on your mind?" Seeing the melancholy on Li Rusi's face, Liu Yitiao stopped his hand from hitting Gongsun Helan and asked Li Rusi.

"It's nothing," Li Rusi forced a smile onto his face and said, "It's just that hearing Mr. Liu has found someone dear to his heart stirred some emotions within me. I wonder where my own future destination lies?"

"Oh," Liu Yitiao dawned in realization, nodded, and looked at Li Rusi as he said, "So Young Master Li is feeling lonely for a woman."

"Huh?" Hearing this, Gongsun Helan's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. Li Rusi feeling lonely for a woman? This—Big Brother's remark was, well, fiercely bold.

The page boy, meanwhile, resumed glaring angrily at Liu Yitiao.

"Mr. Liu is joking," Li Rusi's face flushed slightly at Liu Yitiao's words. Unwilling to dwell further on this topic with Liu Yitiao, he asked instead, "I wonder on which day Mr. Liu will be holding the wedding? Even if I cannot attend to offer my congratulations in person by then, I will surely dispatch someone to deliver a wedding gift."

"The date has been tentatively set for the fifteenth day of the fourth month this year," Liu Yitiao said with a smile. "If Young Master Li is truly too busy by then, never mind. After all, your studies are heavy and the imperial examinations take precedence; do not let my affairs distract your mind and ruin your important matters."

In truth, within Liu Yitiao's heart, he and Li Rusi had only met a total of three times. Although every encounter had been quite pleasant, and Li Rusi was not an unlikable person, their friendship had not yet reached such a profound depth. Whether or not Li Rusi came to the wedding made no difference.

"I understand this, thank you Mr. Liu for the reminder," Li Rusi replied softly, feeling a nameless ache in his heart.

The fifteenth of the fourth month? Now it was already mid-third month, which meant there was only a little over a month left? How fast time flies.

"Young Master Li, Big Brother," Gongsun Helan folded his fan and looked up at the two of them, saying, "Drinking like this feels a bit too monotonous and rather dull. Why don't we play a drinking game?"

"Good idea, I was just thinking the same. Speaking of drinking games, I happen to know a novel one that I believe neither Brother Helan nor Young Master Li has ever encountered. Would the two of you be interested in trying it?" Liu Yitiao put down his chopsticks and asked Li Rusi and Gongsun Helan.

"Please enlighten us, Mr. Liu!" Li Rusi gestured toward Liu Yitiao with an open hand, curious to see what entertaining novelty Liu Yitiao was about to introduce.

Liu Yitiao nodded and smiled lightly, "This drinking game is called the 'Frog Falling into the Water Game'." Seeing the blank looks on Gongsun Helan and Li Rusi's faces, he knew they had indeed never heard of it, and continued, "The rules of the chant are like this. Let me demonstrate for you once first."

"One frog, one mouth, two eyes, four legs, splash—into the water it jumps! Two frogs, two mouths, four eyes, eight legs, splash, splash—into the water they jump! Three frogs, three mouths, six eyes, twelve legs, splash, splash, splash—into the water they jump! And so on, continuing in sequence. The three of us will take turns line by line, and there must be no pause longer than two breaths in the middle. Whoever hesitates too long or speaks wrongly shall be penalized with a cup of wine. What do you two think?" Liu Yitiao looked at them and asked.

"This drinking game sounds quite novel. Well, we can certainly give it a try." Li Rusi and Gongsun Helan nodded in unison, evidently intrigued by Liu Yitiao's 'Frog Falling into the Water Game'.

"Very well, then we shall start the game from my end, followed by Young Master Li, then Brother Helan, and then back to me, Young Master Li, and Brother Helan. We shall repeat this cycle until someone fails to answer or makes a mistake." Liu Yitiao sat up straight and took the lead in reciting the chant: "One frog, one mouth, two eyes, four legs, splash—into the water it jumps!"

"Two frogs, two mouths, four eyes, eight legs, splash, splash—into the water they jump!" Li Rusi quickly took over, then turned his head to look at Gongsun Helan.

"Three frogs, three mouths, six eyes, twelve legs, splash, splash, splash—into the water they jump! Big Brother, it's your turn!" Gongsun Helan also chimed in successfully.

"Four frogs, four mouths, eight eyes, sixteen legs..." Liu Yitiao had frequently played this kind of game before, so he was thoroughly familiar with it and rarely made mistakes.

However, Li Rusi and Gongsun Helan were not so fortunate. After five or six rounds, almost neither of them could manage to count past ten frogs, and consequently, both of them ended up drinking their fill of wine.