Taiheiki

Chapter 215 Family Banquet
"What is drawn on this?" Lu Ping casually took a drawing from the bookshelf. It depicted an Archimedes screw pump water pump with fine strokes.

"A water pump!" Wei Cong looked up from his desk by the window. "If the mine is dug too deep, water will seep in and hinder mining. With this thing, we can pump the water out of the mine tunnels and continue mining!"

“No wonder you were able to sell me so much ironware at such a low price!” Lu Ping sighed. She walked to Wei Cong’s side, bent down, and leaned close to the man’s body, laughing, “Can you tell me? How many more secrets do you have that no one knows?”

Xie Bing and his apprentices awkwardly turned their heads away, trying to minimize their presence in the room. Anyone who wasn't blind could see that this beautiful woman had a close relationship with Wei Cong. As subordinates, if they wanted to stay long, they needed to know what they should and shouldn't see.

Wei Cong sighed helplessly, "Xie Bing, let's call it a day. Come back here to continue working after breakfast tomorrow!"

"Yes, sir!" Xie Bing bowed to Wei Cong with a sigh of relief, picked up his drawing tools, and hurriedly led the other apprentices out of the library. Once outside the courtyard, he let out a long breath: "Goodness, we're finally out!"

"Xie Bing, is that female Taoist priest the governor's woman?" Qin He asked curiously.

"Qin He, remember this: don't ask, don't look, don't say anything!" Xie Bing whispered. "The same goes for you guys. We make a living this way. Whether we're skilled or not is secondary. The most important thing is to keep your mouths shut. Otherwise, you won't have enough lives to kill. Got it?"

"Got it!" The apprentices all nodded.

"That's settled then! Come here at your usual time tomorrow morning. The higher-ups are pressing us hard, so we can't afford to slack off!"

In the library.

Lu Ping tidied her long hair and tied it up with a hairpin. The lovely blush on her cheeks had not yet faded. Wei Cong looked at her smooth, jade-like back, a hint of intoxication flashing in his eyes. He reached out and stopped the woman from putting on the Taoist robe, and whispered, "So beautiful, let me look at you for a while longer!"

"No way!" Lu Ping refused verbally, but her hands stopped moving. After a while, she laughed and said, "Have you seen enough? It's a good thing we're in Panyu. If we were in Yuzhang, we would definitely catch a cold if we were naked at this time of year!"

"Are you cold? Then put this on quickly!" Wei Cong picked up the Taoist robe and wrapped it around Lu Ping. The two embraced in the room, enjoying a rare moment of peace. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door from outside. Wei Cong frowned: "What is it?"

"It's Madam Jing's maid!" came the guard's voice from outside. "She's relaying a message from Madam, asking if you'd like to go to Madam Jing's place tonight!"

Wei Cong heard soft laughter beside him. He coughed lightly and said in a deep voice, "Tonight? Tell her I'll be there!"

"Yes!" With a few heavy footsteps, the library returned to silence. Lu Ping broke free from Wei Cong's embrace, tightening her belt as she laughed, "I bet your Mrs. Jing wanted you to come tonight because of me?"

"That's unlikely!" Wei Cong laughed. "I haven't been to her place for a few days, so it's normal for her to send someone to check on me! You're overthinking it!"

"Believe it or not!" Lu Ping moved quickly, already dressed in her Taoist robe. "Don't forget, my ancestors were great shamans of the Chu Kingdom. Shamanism and divination are a family tradition! My intuition is extremely accurate!"

"Really?" Wei Cong laughed. "Then can you tell me whether this trip north will be auspicious or inauspicious?"

"No need to calculate anymore, this is auspicious!"

"This is no joke!" Wei Cong became serious: "Matters of state and military affairs are not child's play."

"I'm not joking!" Lu Ping said solemnly, "Having been in Yuzhang for so long, I know better than anyone the strengths and weaknesses of the Wuling barbarians, the government troops, and ourselves. After fighting for so long, these groups have already suffered heavy losses. And I saw it in Panyu this time: your preparations for food, money, armor, and soldiers are far better than I expected. If it's just a matter of heading north to Jing and Yang prefectures, none of those groups will be a match for you!"

"What if we quell the Wuling barbarians and the Moth bandits?"

"After that? You're going to Luoyang?" Lu Ping's cheeks flushed with excitement.

“This—” Wei Cong hesitated. “To be honest, I think it’s too early. The prestige that the Han dynasty has built up over four hundred years is deeply rooted and cannot be shaken in a short time!”

"Then let's wait a little longer!" Lu Ping said with a smile. "Anyway, I see that Jiaozhou's strength has grown rapidly under your governance, while Jingzhou and Yangzhou will not recover in less than one or two decades after this great war."

“I have an idea!” Wei Cong hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, “If possible, I don’t want to eliminate the Moth Bandits, but rather preserve them, just like the Five Pecks of Rice Sect in Sichuan!”

"The Five Pecks of Rice Sect of Sichuan?" Lu Ping's eyes widened in surprise. She herself came from the Five Pecks of Rice Sect of Sichuan and was naturally familiar with its structure. But what benefit would this bring to Wei Cong?

"Do you also aspire to join the Daoist path? To become the Celestial Master Daoist Lord?"

"No, I have no such thought!" Wei Cong shook his head: "I just feel that the people under the rule of the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Sichuan should live much happier lives. Moreover, if there are many followers of the Five Pecks of Rice sect in the Jianghuai area, it will be much more troublesome for the imperial court to extend its reach to Jiaozhou. As for who will be the Celestial Master, I really don't care!"

"If possible, that would be great!" Lu Ping said. "If they could live in peace without fighting, the followers would naturally not want to fight either. However, I'm afraid the imperial court will not agree!"

"Whether I agree or not depends on the situation. I have my own plans!" Wei Cong stood up, patted the wrinkles in his clothes, and said, "It's getting late, I have to go. See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow!" Lu Ping stepped aside, making way for the door. Watching the man's departing figure, a rare look of reluctance appeared in her eyes, but it vanished in an instant. She murmured to herself, "The Five Pecks of Rice Sect? If that's really the case, then that's good!"

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manor
It was clear the cook had put a lot of effort into this dinner: although there were only four dishes—by the standards of the time, Wei Cong was a rather frugal person, rarely having more than four dishes per meal—each dish was unique: an omelet filled with pine nuts, walnuts, and fish; steamed sea bass; a roasted pheasant stuffed with dates; and the last dish was steamed oysters sprinkled with plenty of fried garlic, served with a dipping sauce of rice vinegar sprinkled with various spices, which was Wei Cong's favorite.

Like a gentle and considerate wife, A-Jing didn't mention a single word about the new woman in her husband's life. She simply served drinks and food, letting the baby sit on Wei Cong's lap and recite newly learned ancient poems. This feeling of happiness made Wei Cong almost forget the passage of time. He tossed the baby into the air and caught him with both hands, letting the baby's laughter fill the entire courtyard until the baby was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.

"You must be exhausted from what you just did!" A-Jing asked softly. "Not at all!" Wei Cong smiled and handed the sleeping child to the maid beside him: "You've been through the military, after all. If you can't even handle a baby, you're nothing but paper."

"That's good! By the way, when you go on this northern expedition, take a few sensible and understanding people with you!" A-Jing poured Wei Cong a cup of hot soup and said, "Now that you're a marquis, you should maintain some decorum. In my opinion, Sister A-Yun is quite good; she's beautiful and thoughtful. Why don't you take her with you?"

"This—" Wei Cong froze, a troubled look on his face. Before he could think of a reason to refuse, he heard A Jing laugh and say, "Or perhaps you already have someone better, sir? That's fine too. May I ask which lady it is? Is she someone I know?"

"Damn it!" Wei Cong realized he seemed to have fallen into a trap. He hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell the truth: "Yes, there is one, named Lu Ping. She was originally the head priest of the Celestial Masters sect in Sichuan. She is quite capable and knows a lot about the inner workings of the Moth Thieves. So I plan to take her with me this time!"

"So this young lady from the Lu family is quite capable!" Ah Jing clapped her hands and laughed, "You must have known her for a while now, sir!"

"It has been some time!"

“Then it’s your fault, sir. Since you’ve met her, why didn’t you bring her along so I could meet her too?” A-Jing laughed. “She took care of you for us sisters this time, so we should thank her properly! Don’t you think so, sir?”

"This—" Beads of sweat appeared on Wei Cong's forehead. His mind raced, but he couldn't come up with an excuse. A Jing smiled and said, "Since you don't want to say anything, then it's fine. There's no time like the present, so let's do it tomorrow! I'll have someone prepare some good dishes, and then we can invite A Yun and the others over so we can all have a good time!"

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The next day, in the library.

"That's what my wife said!" Wei Cong said with a wry smile, "Whether you go or not is up to you! In my opinion, it's better not to go. I'll explain to them myself, so you don't need to worry!"

"Go, why not go?" Lu Ping's clear eyes darted around, and she smiled, "You ladies all mean well. If I don't go, wouldn't I be being impolite?"

"This—" Wei Cong was stunned: "You really want to go? I think those girls are going to give you a hard time!"

"If that's the case, then I definitely have to go! Otherwise, wouldn't people think I'm afraid of them?"

"Alright!" Wei Cong said with a wry smile, "That's the only way!"

"What are you worried about!" Lu Ping slapped Wei Cong's arm: "Your wives are probably worried that I will take their place as the principal wife, but I am already a witch serving the gods, how could I marry you?"

"Huh?" Wei Cong was stunned: "You can't marry me?"

“Yes!” Lu Ping laughed, “It has always been this way! So all your wives are just worrying for nothing!”

Hearing Lu Ping say that they could not marry, Wei Cong felt a void in his heart, an indescribable sadness, and asked in a low voice, "So what's going on with us now?"

"Just like the ancient King Chu and the sorceress, right?" Lu Ping laughed. "You've read Song Yu's 'Ode to the Goddess,' haven't you? Did the King Chu take the goddess as a concubine in that story? At most, you'll build me a Taoist temple in the future!"

"I understand. When we return from this northern expedition, I will build a Taoist temple for you in Panyu. Let's call it Baiyun Temple!" Hearing this, Wei Cong roughly understood what the other party meant. Obviously, the woman in front of him would not be a wife or concubine like most women in this era. But then again, even without considering her supernatural powers, based on her knowledge, martial arts, and status among the bandits, she was not the kind of woman who would be willing to spend her whole life confined to her boudoir.

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The banquet that evening went surprisingly smoothly. Ali, who had come with Lu Ping, quickly subdued the women who had tried to verbally intimidate her. Compared to their first encounter, the beast had grown even more imposing. It gracefully strode through the courtyard, its beautiful golden-green eyes gleaming with a chilling light in the candlelight.

“Ah Li, these are the wives of Lord Wei!” Lu Ping pointed to the women on the steps, and lightly patted the beast’s neck twice with her fair hand: “Don’t you dare pay your respects!”

Ah Li let out a low growl, lowered its head to Ah Jing and the others, then lay down on the ground, rolled over, and exposed its belly, just like a tamed house cat trying to please its masters.

"This leopard is actually quite intelligent!" A-Yun exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes!” another woman behind her laughed, “I was a little scared when I saw how big it was, but now I think it’s quite cute!”

The women chattered amongst themselves, but Ah Jing hadn't forgotten the important matter of the evening. He smiled and said, "This must be Miss Lu! She is indeed very beautiful. I've heard so much about her, and it's a pleasure to meet her today. Come, come, please come inside!"

"Thank you for your trouble, Madam!" Lu Ping bowed and gestured for Ali to stay in the courtyard. She then followed A Jing and the other women into the house. Wei Cong followed behind. He saw the leopard lying by the steps, looking lazy and half-asleep, quite unlike its usual fierce appearance.

The guests and hosts took their seats, and A-Jing and the others offered toasts in turn: "Judging from Miss Lu's attire, she must be a Taoist priest, right?"

“That’s right!” Lu Ping nodded. “My ancestors were originally witches who served the King of Chu. They also studied Taoist arts under the Taoist sect of Celestial Masters. So it’s not wrong for you to say that I am a Taoist!”

"Then what about you and my husband—" Ah Jing asked cautiously.

Lu Ping glanced at Wei Cong: "Publicly speaking, Lord Wei is a man of destiny, and as the head priest of the Celestial Masters sect, I should naturally follow him; privately speaking, Lord Wei is a rare and great man in the world, and as a woman, I naturally admire him very much!"

Lu Ping's words immediately silenced the room. The Han Dynasty wasn't far removed from antiquity, and there weren't the rigid social constraints that later imposed on women. This was somewhat expected by A Jing and the others. A Jing nodded, "That's good. A sister with such talent is truly rare. Why not arrange a marriage soon and pledge our lifelong commitment?"

(End of this chapter)