Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/204

RV 199 (LI PO) wanning the first wine. When it was ready, he filled two cups.

Then he held the wine cup to Li Po's lips. "Thus do I honor a splendid poet," he said.

Li Po drank the wine and smacked his lips. "Um," he murmured. "Good." He acted as though being waited on by an Emperor was a common occurrence.

"What kind of wine is that?"

"A thick wine from fermented grain. It is called 'Wine of Worthy Men.'"

Li Po drank several cupfuls and the Emperor waited upon him. Next he warmed the second kettle of wine. "This clear wine is called 'The Wine of Enlightened Men.'"

Li Po drank, enjoying each drop that trickled down his throat. Then he smiled. "Aptly named," he declared.

Meanwhile Yang Kuei-fei was furious. She had waited in her private apartment and the Emperor had not come to her. Was she losing her beauty? Was she no longer alluring? She tore off her clothes until she wore but one filmy garment. She took her beloved bronze mirror and gazed into it. Was she getting too fat? But in the mirror, she could only see her face. Even in anger, it was faultless, despite the absence of her bewitching smile. She rushed out into her private garden. Hedges had been so arranged that she was screened RV 199 (199)