Taiheiki

Chapter 353 Bedside Restaurant
"Enough talk! Focus on the performance!" Liu Yan sighed. "Don't you think it's really spoiling the mood to talk about these trivial things at a time like this?"

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"General, someone from Yuzhang has arrived!" Wei Cong had just alighted from his carriage when he saw Meng Gaogong approaching him with a mysterious expression: "It's from Chief Minister Lu!"

"Ah Ping?" Wei Cong's heart skipped a beat. It had been two years since Lu Ping was granted the title of County Lady and settled the remnants of the Moth Bandits in Yuzhang. She distributed the followers of the Five Pecks of Rice sect to cultivate and settle them. Although they occasionally exchanged letters, there were not many correspondences. Why would she suddenly send someone here? Could something have happened in Yuzhang?
"Take the visitor to the library in the backyard! Make sure no one else sees them!" Wei Cong whispered.

"My subordinate understands!"

Sunlight filtered through the diamond-shaped stained-glass windows embedded in the sloping wall, and a gentle breeze drifted in from the garden outside, carrying the scent of pine. Changsheng gazed intently at the furnishings: the walls painted white, the tables and chairs, the low chairs with backrests, and the rows of bookshelves filled with countless books—books occupied more than ninety percent of the room's space. He recalled what Lu Jijiu had told him: if he hadn't entered officialdom, he would probably have become a great scholar.

"The general has arrived!"

Hearing the announcement from outside and the clanging of armored guards, Changsheng hurriedly put the book back on the shelf and bowed deeply to the man who entered the room: "This humble Taoist, Changsheng, greets General Wei!"

"Longevity?" Wei Cong looked at the young Taoist kneeling on the ground, and the image gradually overlapped with the figure in his memory. He had red lips and white teeth, a handsome face, and a pair of dark eyes full of spirit, making him very lovable.

Seeing the younger generation of his old friend, Wei Cong was pleasantly surprised: "So it's you! I remember now, the Daoist boy that the Great Master entrusted to me. I didn't expect you to have grown so much in just two years! Stand up and speak!"

"Thank you, General!" Changsheng stood up, took out a letter from his sleeve, and presented it to Wei Cong: "This is a letter that the Chief Priest asked me to bring!"

"Hmm!" Wei Cong took the letter, but didn't leave to open it. He casually asked, "Has your teacher contacted you in the past two years? How is he now?"

“My master came to Yuzhang last July and stayed for five or six days. He tested my studies and then left! I heard that he was planning to go to Sichuan to visit fellow Daoists in Qingcheng!”

"Seeking out fellow Daoists from Qingcheng?" Wei Cong was taken aback upon hearing this, then laughed: "Your master has truly become a living immortal. Compared to him, I sleep at midnight and rise at dawn, I'm practically a servant!"

Chang Sheng laughed and said, "The ancient sage kings, such as Yao, Shun and Yu, were originally raised as gatekeepers and served as subjects. The general bears the responsibility of being a pillar of the state, assisting the emperor and bringing peace and prosperity to the world. Naturally, his life is similar to that of the ancient sage kings."

"Hahaha!" Wei Cong was taken aback upon hearing this, but couldn't help laughing: "You didn't learn anything else under A Ping's tutelage, but you certainly learned to be incredibly glib. Didn't your master give you a good beating?"

"These words were originally spoken by my master!" Changsheng said. "After he arrived in Yuzhang, he saw the people along the way living in peace and prosperity, free from the hardships of forced labor and the worries of accumulating wealth, and he was deeply moved. He said that when everyone followed him in the uprising, countless lives were lost, and if it were attributed to him, it would be a tremendous sin. Fortunately, thanks to the kindness of General Meng, the followers were given a way out and a place to settle down, which can be considered as absolving him of some of the sins of the past! That's why he can enjoy his carefree life now!"

"It's good that your teacher thinks that way!" Wei Cong nodded. "Back then, I was ordered by the court and did many things I had no choice but to do. If there are anyone I've wronged, your teacher is one of them. Hearing good news about him puts my mind at ease! By the way, how long are you staying in Luoyang this time?"

"My aunt, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, has sent me out to broaden my horizons. Luoyang is the capital, a place where heroes from all over the world gather, and it also has a great collection of Daoist scriptures, so I would like to stay for a while longer!" Changsheng replied.

"Very well, Gao Gong, arrange a place for Changsheng to stay in the side courtyard, and pick two companions who are familiar with Luoyang to accompany him, and pay them a monthly salary!"

"Yes, sir!" Meng Gaogong replied.

"Thank you, General!"

"Alright, consider this as repaying your teacher's favor!" Wei Cong waved his hand, signaling Changsheng to leave. After he went outside, he took out a letter from his sleeve, opened it, and began to read.

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Among the many noble residences in Luoyang, the residence of Kuai Sheng, the Commandant of the Capital Region, located north of Luoyang and at the southern foot of Mangshan Mountain, may not have been the tallest or most spacious. However, its interior structure and furnishings were comparable to those of any of the most famous noble residences of the time. In particular, the dining room where Kuai Sheng and his guests would hold banquets after dark, lit by the first candle, was renowned throughout Luoyang for its luxurious structure and furnishings.

Six teak pillars divide the rectangular hall into inner and outer sections. Various beautiful flowers and vines covered with green leaves are entwined on the pillars. At this time of year, they are all from greenhouses and serve this place where people are immersed in lust and gluttony, emitting a fragrance that can only be found in the forest and wilderness.

The surrounding walls were covered with various reliefs, radiating the beauty of nude figures. Due to overseas trade, Wei Cong's men had come into contact with many Gandharan-style sculptures and paintings, and they were quickly captivated by their symmetrical nude beauty. These were displayed in his private residence, and Kuai Sheng was one of them. His floor was inlaid with precious aromatic wood, adorned with exquisite images of dancing mountain spirits and goddesses, and emanating a captivating fragrance.

Inside the hall, behind the six teak pillars, were six brocade couches. In the center of each couch was an exquisite jade table. Unlike the custom of the time, Kuai Sheng did not have his guests seated at various tables; instead, he prepared a couch for each guest, allowing them to sit or recline. Food and wine were placed on the central jade table, while maids and dancers stood by, awaiting the guests' invitations to serve them. Kuai Sheng found this far more relaxed, enjoyable, and comfortable than the common banquets of the time. His opponents denounced it as a disregard for etiquette, comparing it to a merchant's long nights of drinking, a sign of national ruin. Kuai Sheng completely ignored these attacks.

On the night the performance ended, the restaurant at Kuai Sheng's residence was already full of guests. The people gathered here may not be the most noble people in Luoyang City, but they had come here to do something big.

All the invited guests wore long, flowing white robes, their hair loose and casually tied back with ribbons. The thirteen-course dinner prepared by Kuai Sheng's highly skilled cook was nearly finished, and the maids were serving honey water to cleanse the stomachs. A relaxed and pleasant atmosphere filled the guests; the sounds of banter, laughter, clinking glasses, and natural conversation all testified to Kuai Sheng's culinary prowess, especially the attentive service of his maids.

"Give me another cup of coconut wine!" Liu Yu, the Junior Chamberlain of the Imperial Household Department, called out in his somewhat hoarse voice, handing the silver wine cup in his hand to the nearest maid who was pouring wine: "Give me another cup, a full cup. I want to thank Kuai Junping for his generosity... Let all those hypocrites who spout so much etiquette and rules go to the Ruins of Return!"

"Damn it!" The Grand Diviner on the next couch lowered his voice and laughed at the beautiful maid in his arms, "Now you're about to see this drunkard stammering through the Book of Songs. That's enough time for us to finish another thirteen dishes!" "That's right!" Wang Geng, the Imperial Household Officer on the other side, said sarcastically, "It would be fine under normal circumstances, but his brain is already submerged in wine. He probably only remembers the 'Wine Proclamation,' so asking him to recite the Book of Songs is really a bit of a challenge!"

"To be honest, I really don't know what the difference is between holding a banquet lying on a couch and sitting behind a table!" a handsome young man shouted. He wasn't very old, but his dark circles and hoarse voice showed that he had been ravaged by wine and women. "Even this will become an excuse to prevent me from being recommended for the civil service examination!"

"Young Master He!" Wang Geng smiled, his eyes narrowed. "Although I don't like those old-fashioned fellows either, you really aren't suitable to be recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination!"

"If having a couple of drinks and cuddling a woman disqualifies someone from being recommended for the civil service exam, then every candidate sent from various prefectures and counties would be sent back," the handsome young man retorted angrily. "And Wang Geng, what right do you have to laugh at me? Do you think you're suitable for your official position in your current state?"

"You—" The handsome young man was furious. He stared fiercely at Wang Geng, speechless for a moment.

“Brother Wang, you have overstated things!” Kuai Sheng, who had been whispering to others on the couch, finally spoke up: “Those who come to my home are all good friends. Friends should help each other, shouldn’t they?”

Wang Geng's smile vanished. He lowered his head and apologized to the handsome young man surnamed He, saying, "Please forgive me, I was too harsh just now, please forgive me!"

"Young Master He!" Kuai Sheng turned his gaze to the handsome young man: "I will look into your matter of being recommended for the civil service examination. As for what happened with Wang Shangfang just now, don't hold it against him!"

"Yes, I understand!" The handsome young man quickly lowered his head.

"Very well, let's have a drink! To this wonderful evening!" Kuai Sheng raised his glass, and everyone in the restaurant raised their glasses in unison, replying, "To this wonderful evening!"

The wine in the cups was finished, and the maids cleared the plates from the jade table, then served fruit and desserts. With the gradual importation of sugar from Jiaozhou, sweets became popular in Luoyang. Although many people opposed this new fashion, the human gene's love for sugar and calories was irresistible. The guests, having eaten and drunk their fill, put down their wine cups and began to enjoy their favorite fruits and desserts.

"Did you see the square performance this afternoon?" Liu Yu asked excitedly. "How magnificent and grand it was! Horse archers, chariots, infantry formations, crossbowmen... The general is indeed a famous general of our time. His elite troops are unparalleled in the world and no one can defeat them. The Xianbei and Southern Xiongnu will not be able to run rampant for many more years!"

"Yes! But the General seems to be more concerned about the refugees!" said the Grand Diviner. "For someone of his status to personally promise the people of Luoyang in public that he would give them land for free and provide interest-free loans to buy oxen and farming tools is unprecedented!"

"Yes, refugees are a huge headache! Hundreds of thousands, even millions of people have no livelihood and wander around. If there is any slight disturbance, the whole country will be in chaos. It is normal for the general to be so worried!"

"Didn't you guys notice? A lot of people didn't look too happy back then!" Wang Geng laughed.

"Not very good-looking? What do you mean?" Liu Yu asked.

"General, you're about to accomplish something great!" Wang Geng laughed. "Whether this succeeds or fails, a large number of people will thank you. That's virtue. Add to that the merit of pacifying the Southern Barbarians and Xianbei, and by then, General, your merits will be complete!"

The restaurant fell silent, everyone wearing awkward and uneasy expressions. Even Liu Yu, who had drunk quite a bit, seemed to have sobered up. The phrase "achieving perfect merit" had only one meaning here: Wei Cong could take things to the next level, a taboo subject.

"What are you worried about?" Wang Geng laughed. "Have you forgotten who the master of this place is? Really, even if the dynasty changes, what's wrong with that for you and me? Commander Kuai, you won't forget us then, will you?"

"Of course!" Kuai Sheng laughed. "As I said, everyone who comes here is my friend, so how could I forget my friends?"

"Commander Kuai!" The Grand Diviner's voice trembled slightly. He pushed away the voluptuous body beside him and sat up. "Does the General really mean that?"

"Hehehe!" Kuai Sheng laughed: "What you're saying is a matter of fate, how can it be controlled by human hearts? You are the Grand Diviner, shouldn't we be asking you this question?"

"Yes, yes!" The Grand Diviner laughed awkwardly. He was both uneasy and overjoyed. Everyone knew that this Commandant of the Capital Region was a confidant of General Wei. If the Mandate of Heaven were to change, then he, as the Grand Diviner, would have many opportunities to serve.

"You all seem to really enjoy my restaurant, don't you?" Kuai Sheng suddenly asked.

"like!"

"Of course I like it!"

"Otherwise, why would we have come here!"

"Since you like it, you should know that this restaurant, the desserts, the square, and this afternoon's military parade were all brought by the General. Those who attack this restaurant for being against etiquette, do you really think they don't like lying on soft couches, feasting with dancers? They are against the person who brought all of this together!"

(End of this chapter)