Chu Jiubian proceeded all the way to the palace gates.

From afar, a magnificent two-horse carriage could be seen parked outside. Upon closer inspection, one could pick out auspicious cloud patterns on its frame, and a large “Xiao” displayed on the curtain.

Two figures stood silently beside the carriage: a servant and a coachman.

Upon seeing Chu Jiubian, the servant hurried over and bowed in greeting: “Greetings, Lord Chu. This servant is here on the family head’s orders to escort you to the banquet.”

It seemed Xiao Yao wasn’t here.

A mocking glint flashed through Chu Jiubian’s eyes. He gave a curt reply and walked to the carriage.

The coachman lifted the curtain, keeping his eyes down during the process. He dared not offend Chu Jiubian with even a single glance.

The servant extended his hand and invited Chu Jiubian to enter the carriage.

Chu Jiubian got in, and as soon as he entered the cabin, he smelled a light, elegant fragrance.

Looking around, he couldn’t help but admire Xiao Yao’s ability to enjoy life.

The two-horse carriage boasted twice the space of the usual single-horse carriage, and was also larger than the one he and Qin Xiao had ridden together before.

Furthermore, the carriage had seats on three sides, covered with soft, thick cushions. A square table was fixed in the middle, with various-sized indentations on it where an oil lamp, teapot, teacups, and snack plates were placed.

Chu Jiubian sat on a seat to the right. Seeing that the servant was about to come in and serve him, he said: “No need to serve me.”

The servant acquiesced and lowered the curtain.

After receiving Chu Jiubian’s assent, the servant and coachman sat down on either side of the outer carriage and steadily steered the horses toward the Western Market.

The only sound on the quiet street was the clop, clop, clop of the horses’ hooves. The flickering light of the oil lamp cast Chu Jiubian’s swaying shadow against the carriage wall.

Chu Jiubian lifted the curtain to look outside, but when all that met his eyes were the continuous walls of the palace, he lowered it again.

After traveling for some time, he suddenly heard voices.

The light outside gradually brightened, indicating that they had arrived on the main street.

The noise of the crowd grew louder, but rather than slowing down, the carriage maintained a steady pace.

Ordinary people would give way to the carriages of the wealthy and powerful.

For their own convenience, they occupied the resources that ordinary people used to survive, causing them unnecessary trouble. This was typical of the elite.

Chu Jiubian was sitting in the carriage – this symbol of power and wealth – and for the next period of time, would be working with these powerful figures to sell salt.

Although his goal was the Imperial Examinations and the starting point was to have more officials who did practical things for the common people, he had inevitably become a member of the wealthy and powerful elite.

Becoming part of the whole was the safest and most efficient way to cooperate.

For their own benefit, they could be at loggerheads one moment, then shake hands and make peace the next.

This was officialdom.

The carriage reached almost to the center of the main street before turning to enter the Western Market.

Before long, the noise level rose instead of falling, and the light outside the carriage grew even brighter.

Chu Jiubian lifted a corner of the curtain slightly and saw that the route seemed to pass through Splendid Plaza.

Sure enough, not long after, he caught sight of the two-story Hundred Treasure House.

The carriage continued forward until it reached the end of the long street, where it turned again.

The voices nearby were noticeably quieter than before, but the sound of traditional instruments increased. He could hear different songs and instruments every few steps.

This was the shore of Changning Lake, where the sounds of traditional string and wind instruments sounded from the pleasure boats and painted barges on the water.

The carriage gradually slowed down, and Chu Jiubian dropped the curtain.

They were almost there.

Sure enough, after traveling only two or three hundred more meters, the carriage came to a complete stop.

The servant outside announced: “My Lord, we have arrived at the pleasure boat.”

Chu Jiubian acknowledged him, and the servant lifted the curtain, respectfully inviting him down from the carriage.

It would have taken Chu Jiubian forty-five minutes to walk here from the palace.

He looked up at the vast lake in front of him, shimmering with lights. Dozens of exquisitely-decorated pleasure boats floated there leisurely. Through the gauze curtains and drapes, he could faintly glimpse a multitude of graceful dancers, as well as academics and scholars drinking wine, composing poems, and engaging in lively conversation.

Candles were not yet available in the Great Ning Dynasty, and oil lamps were the most commonly-used light source.

Even so, people’s knowledge and ideas could also motivate them to make various attempts in pursuit of “beauty.”

Colorful halos refracted through different objects and gave the flickering light of the oil lamps a dreamlike quality.

Chu Jiubian swept his gaze lightly over everything before him, ultimately settling on a huge pleasure boat right next to the shore.

This pleasure boat was the largest and most luxurious one on the entire lake.

Whether it was the use of mahogany throughout, the flowing brocade and silk decorations, or the various shapes and colors of porcelain and jade, it all displayed the preciousness and extravagance of the painted boat.

And on the shore, at the “pier” closest to the painted boat, stood quite a large group of people.

The vast majority of them were servants, however, other than the tall, elegant man standing at the center.

Dressed in dark blue brocade robes, he gently waved a folding fan. With just a slight smile on his lips, he was able to make everyone around him pale in comparison. 

The Xiao family truly lives up to their reputation as “beauties,” thought Chu Jiubian.

The man he had praised as a beauty noticed him at that moment.

Even in the simplest black and white robes, lacking any ornate decorations, Chu Jiubian’s ethereal and otherworldly nature was undeniable.

His long silver hair was ruffled by the breeze, revealing a breathtaking divine quality under the light and shadows.

Xiao Yao stared for a moment before stepping forward to bow: “Jiu-gongzi.”

Today’s banquet was a private affair, so addressing him as “my lord” would be inappropriate, but calling him “Chu-xiong” would also be strange. Therefore, Xiao Yao proceeded with this form of address. 

Chu Jiubian nodded: “Family Head Xiao.”

When he attended court as an official, his concurrent titles were Grand Tutor and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and he would return such greetings by bowing to his colleagues.

But he wasn’t on duty at this time. He was Chu Jiubian, a “god,” and naturally must continue to maintain his aloof and divine persona.

Chu Jiubian had been just like this the first time they met, so Xiao Yao wasn’t surprised. In fact, he felt that a celestial being should be just like the person in front of him.

“I am truly flattered that the Young Master accepted my invitation.” After the niceties, he gestured for him to proceed and said, “I have prepared some wine. Young Master, please come on board.”

When Chu Jiubian took a step, the other man followed after him.

Once on the pleasure boat, Xiao Yao was worried that Chu Jiubian might lose his balance, and offered perfunctory support. But Chu Jiubian stood firm, giving him no chance to put on a performance.

“This way, Young Master.” Xiao Yao personally led the way, taking Chu Jiubian to the boat’s main hall.

He seemed to be showing deference to Chu Jiubian in every way, going through every possible gesture.

But Chu Jiubian didn’t take it to heart at all.

For a normal person, chartering an entire pleasure boat on a day like the Qixi Festival to cater to one person would be a truly sincere high-level reception.

But for a powerful figure like Xiao Yao, this expense was like a delicacy he could casually enjoy – just a part of his daily life.

If he was truly sincere, he would have gone in person to pick Chu Jiubian up.

As they saying went, have respect for the wise. Even Zhuge Liang had to be visited at the thatched-roof cottage three times,^[1] but Xiao Yao only sent one of his servants to pick him up.

These noble families were so accustomed to their own arrogance and superiority that they didn’t take other people seriously.

So in actuality, Xiao Yao intended to befriend Chu Jiubian but was not inclined to humble himself.

He was unlike Qin Xiao, who could readily lower himself and beg without hesitation, and allow Chu Jiubian to stab him to mollify his anger.

Although a bit radical, his sincerity was obvious.

Compared to Xiao Yao, Chu Jiubian felt that Qin Xiao was pure and unpretentious.

The pleasure boat had two floors, and was somewhat similar to the Qiu family’s Treasure Pavilion, but more beautiful and magnificent.

Xiao Yao had booked this pleasure boat for the day, and all of the singers and dancers were at his beck and call.

They had also prepared an array of fruits, snacks, fine wines, and delicacies.

All of them were ready to take their positions when Xiao Yao gave the order.

As Chu Jiubian and Xiao Yao walked to the second floor, a cool, damp and refreshing breeze blew in.

Chu Jiubian took a casual glance around and found that in the very large space, there were no doors or windows on any of the four sides, only carved pillars and gauze curtains that moved with the wind.

The large area in the middle could have been filled with many tables and chairs, enough to seat hundreds of people. But at this moment, there were only two low tables and cushions facing each other.

The people of the Great Ning Dynasty were accustomed to using tables and chairs, and would sit around a table to eat with a small gathering of friends. However, when a banquet was held, everyone would sit at separate tables.

And according to ancient customs, when people sat at separate tables, they sat directly on the ground. At most, there were a couple of soft cushions, and the low dining tables only reached knee height.

When women sat, they would always keep their knees together in a borderline kneeling position.

And when men sat, they would usually do so cross-legged.

This was the first time since his arrival that Chu Jiubian had seen such a dining layout in Great Ning. But he had acted out such a scene before, so when Xiao Yao invited him to take a seat, he sat down smoothly.

Every move he made was a delight to behold.

The Xiao family loved beautiful people, and Xiao Yao was no exception. 

When Chu Jiubian glanced at him, he smiled slightly and sat down opposite him. The two were about five or six meters apart, neither too far nor too close.

Xiao Yao shot a look to his right, and soft music began to play. Then dozens of women in red and white dresses emerged from behind a screen and danced gracefully to the music.

Chu Jiubian also looked in that direction.

The women were more than ten meters away from them, and because they were seated at a higher elevation than where the women were dancing, they had an excellent view.

“What does the young master think?” Xiao Yao asked with a smile.

Chu Jiubian replied mildly: “Pretty good.”

This was hardly a “pretty good” performance. It seemed that this Jiu-gongzi was used to watching fairies dance, and naturally looked down on the women of the mortal world.

Xiao Yao then stopped trying to impress the unimpressible, saying: “Please try these dishes, Young Master.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a line of maidservants carrying trays filed up the stairs.

Dishes were placed on the table one by one.

Chu Jiubian knew at a glance that these dishes were made with fine salt. It must have come from Bai Lihai.

“Please, Young Master,” Xiao Yao said with a warm smile.

Chu Jiubian stared at him intently, a cryptic smile playing at the corners of his lips.

In his mind, the System was flashing chaotic red lights: [Alert, alert! This System has detected that the food in front of Host is poisoned. Please consume with caution!]

*

*

Nong’an Village, Yunlu County, Hexi Prefecture.

During the Qixi Festival, the young men and women of the village had their own routines. They changed into their most presentable clothing and put on brand-new cloth shoes. The girls did their hair in meticulous braids, and those who were skilled would also style them into beautiful buns, adding eye-catching silk flowers that they wouldn’t normally wear.

They would travel to Yunlu County, the closest county seat to their village, and under the guise of admiring the lanterns, chat with their sweethearts with whom they wouldn’t normally exchange more than a few words.

Dong Sanzhuang walked amongst the vividly-colored crowd, feeling somewhat out of place.

He looked to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. His patched-up day clothes were not very clean, and it was even possible to smell sweat mixed with dirt while in close proximity to him.

But he wore an undisguised smile on his face, and would occasionally glance back at his basket.

He was walking in the opposite direction of almost everyone else, his steps light and quick as he headed toward Nong’an Village.

After walking for most of the day, he finally entered the village.

A group of aunties and grandmothers were gathered at the village entrance, chatting idly. When they caught sight of him returning, one of the loudest aunties greeted him with a cheerful smile: “Hey, Sanzhuang’s back from work.”

“Yes, Auntie.” Dong Sanzhuang replied with a smile. He didn’t stop.

“Go back quickly, your wife has been missing you since noon,” an auntie teased.

The crowd immediately burst into laughter.

Dong Sanzhuang blushed and quickened his pace. In no time at all, he disappeared into the night.

“These newlyweds are really enjoying themselves.”

“That’s true. But Sanzhuang’s basket looked heavy – he probably brought back a lot of good stuff.”

“That’s a strong, hardworking man. He just finished repairing one of the dams for the Imperial Court and then rushed back to work in the country. It’s only right and proper for him to use any spare money to buy food and necessities.”

“It’s not just him. His young wife Dan Niang is also capable and hardworking. Now that she’s pregnant again, the young couple’s lives are getting better and better.”

“It’s a good thing they separated from that family early. Otherwise, those two honest kids would definitely have been treated like livestock by that Old Lady Dong.”

“Who can blame them when the first son is a county accountant, the second son married the village head’s daughter, and only the third son is reliable…..”

Dong Sanzhuang was unaware of the gossip circulating in the village.

He rushed back to his small home on the outskirts. It was a small courtyard with two dilapidated mud houses, but everything was kept meticulously clean. Inside, an oil lamp provided dim illumination.

“Wife! I’m back!” he shouted from afar.

Hearing the commotion, the person inside immediately came out to greet him, quickly moving to unlock the gate.

Dong Sanzhuang had already arrived at the door, and as soon as it opened, his eyes fell on a girl in coarse linen clothes.

The girl was eighteen or nineteen years old. Her long, glossy black hair was styled into a woman’s bun, and her features were gentle and shy, aside from a red birthmark the size of a copper coin on her left cheek.

This was Dan Niang.

Village girls married young; half of them had their marriage agreements arranged at eleven or twelve, and then got married at thirteen or fourteen.

Some fathers who doted on their daughters might keep them for a couple more years, but generally, they must marry by fifteen or sixteen. It would be extremely difficult to find a spouse after that age.

Women like Dan Niang, who hadn’t married until she was eighteen, were known as old maids in the surrounding villages.

And the reason she wasn’t married, other than the birthmark on her face, was because she was down-to-earth and capable. Her family didn’t want to lose this free labor, so they never bothered to find her a suitable matchmaker.

It was during the previous year’s Qixi Festival that Dan Niang accompanied her younger sister to the county town on a shopping trip, and that was where she met Dong Sanzhuang.

She and Dong Sanzhuang were basically in the same boat, both of them neglected children, yet also down-to-earth, capable, and guileless. Once they met, their relationship blossomed into true mutual affection.

Thus, after Dong Sanzhuang returned home, he informed his parents of his marriage proposal. When she heard that Dan Niang’s family wasn’t asking for much, out of fear that the villagers would gossip about her, Old Lady Dong reluctantly accepted this daughter-in-law.

Not long after marrying, Dan Niang became pregnant.

But she had no relevant experience, and Old Lady Dong didn’t care about her and continued to make her handle difficult tasks. This caused her pregnancy to go wrong, and it wasn’t until her belly was quite large that she and Dong Sanzhuang realized the problem.

In order to provide a better life for his wife and children, Dong Sanzhuang had gone to the county town to find work and labored tirelessly. He would often send money and food home, hoping that his family would take better care of Dan Niang.

But Old Lady Dong paid no attention to her at all. She spent Dong Sanzhuang’s money while continuing to force his wife to work, which caused the miscarriage of Dan Niang’s first child.

Dong Sanzhuang was still a teenager and hadn’t paid attention to such things before, feeling that it was normal to suffer a few hardships at home.

But with this event, he could no longer bear it, and took the matter to the family head.

For the sake of reputation, the family head agreed to allow them to separate from the family and leave.

When the two youngsters left, they were given nothing but two meager acres of land, along with a courtyard and two dilapidated houses.

But after just one year apart from the family, they were already making a good living.

Dan Niang was now pregnant again, and was almost five months along. This time, the two were taking extra precautions for the baby.

“Wife, slow down a little.” Dong Sanzhuang supported her by the arm the moment he laid eyes on her, then turned to lock the gate before guiding his wife back into the house.

Dan Niang smiled and said: “I’m fine. But why did you come back so late today? You made me worry.”

“It’s my fault. I’ll try to come back earlier next time.” Dong Sanzhuang helped her into the house and sat her on the heated kang bed. Then he said while unloading the basket on his back, “Since today is the Qixi Festival, Boss had a lot more orders to deliver, so I worked a little longer.”

“But Boss Wang didn’t make me work for free; he even gave me an extra ten coins.”

“Don’t overwork yourself,” Dan Niang said in concern. “You just finished the dam repairs a few days ago, and you haven’t recovered yet. Plus, you still have a considerable amount of wages left from His Highness Jiannan-wang, so it won’t hurt for you to rest a few more days.”

“It’s fine, I’m not tired.”

Dong Sanzhuang set the basket on the floor and crouched beside it. He looked up at Dan Niang with a smile: “Wife, guess what I bought today?”

Seeing him in such a state, Dan Niang laughed and asked him: “What is it?”

Dong Sanzhuang reached into the basket and pulled out two small sacks of refined rice flour.

“Aiya, why did you buy all of this?” Dan Niang took the sacks with great surprise and quickly took a look inside.

“Didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to eat white flour steamed buns? Let’s make them here tomorrow.”

Dan Niang grinned from ear to ear.

“And these too.” Dong Sanzhuang pulled one item after another from his basket as if by magic.

Peanuts, malt sugar, and a piece of pork belly the size of a palm.

Dan Niang was delighted, and didn’t lecture him for spending the money. On the contrary, she was genuinely happy with everything he had brought her.

“Let’s render some oil from this pork belly tomorrow and use it for cooking later. We can chop the remaining meat with some scallions and make a filling – we’ll have meat buns tomorrow night!”

As he watched her talk so excitedly, Dong Sanzhuang’s smile never faded.

He took the last item from the basket, put it behind his back, and sat down next to Dan Niang.

She continued to talk spiritedly for a while, then opened the malt sugar so that they could both have a taste.

Dong Sanzhuang tasted sweetness on his tongue.

Then, Dan Niang wrapped up the malt sugar again to preserve it for later.

“Oh, look at this!” She picked a piece of red linen off the kang and unfolded it. The simple fabric had been made into a small round-necked tunic.

“Is this for our child?” Dong Sanzhuang asked in pleasant surprise. “Wife, your craftsmanship is truly excellent.”

“I saved up more than a dozen eggs to exchange them for this cloth at my second aunt’s house. Our child will definitely love wearing it.”

Dong Sanzhuang said: “Then starting tomorrow, don’t save up any eggs. Eat one every day and take good care of your health.”

“Okay, let’s each have one so we can both get some nourishment.”

Dong Sanzhuang just smiled. Then, he hesitated for a moment before awkwardly pulling something out from behind him: “Wife, this is for you.”

Dan Niang looked over, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

“Is…..is this a pearl flower?”

The day they met at the Qixi Festival, Dong Sanzhuang had used the little money he had to buy a pearl flower, giving it to Dan Niang as a token of their love.

He also promised to buy her one for the Qixi Festival every year. Dan Niang had almost forgotten about it, and hadn’t expected him to remember.

Dong Sanzhuang put the pearl flower in her hair, then gently wiped away her tears and said: “Wife, I will never allow you or our child to suffer again. I will work hard to earn money and build a big brick house for my family, and we’ll be able to eat meat and sweets every day.”

Dan Niang cried and laughed at the same time: “We believe you, both me and the child.”

*

*

Chu Jiubian looked at the five dishes in front of him.

There were two stewed dishes, a bowl of porridge, a bowl of soup, and a bowl of minced meat.

The System had detected that all of the dishes aside from the porridge contained poison.

Many people knew that Xiao Yao had invited him to a banquet today.

And the fact that he had invited him to such a grand event, and even used so much fine salt in so many dishes, suggested that he wished to discuss the salt business with Chu Jiubian.

Therefore, he would never take this opportunity to harm him, and for a long time to come, even without the gun incident, Xiao Yao would have avoided harming him for the sake of the salt trade.

So why poison the food?

Was someone trying to use Xiao Yao’s hand to kill him?

But that wasn’t quite right either.

Xiao Yao wasn’t an idiot, and would have kept the business he intended to discuss with Chu Jiubian secret from those other powerful figures. Therefore, anyone on this pleasure boat today must belong to him.

Outsiders wouldn’t have much of a chance to interfere.

Chu Jiubian picked up the bowl of porridge, scooped out a spoonful, and ate it.

It had a slightly salty taste, and it could be seen that the emergence of fine salt would spur on the development of savory porridge.

If there were preserved eggs in the future, they could have preserved egg and lean pork porridge.

“Not bad,” Chu Jiubian commented, setting the bowl back down on the table.

Xiao Yao had already taken a couple sips of soup. Upon hearing this, he nodded and said: “The soup is even better. I’ve been favoring it lately, and crave it if I miss a day. The Young Master must try it.”

Even those noble families that weren’t related to royalty paid great attention to etiquette and manners.

But Xiao Yao was drinking the soup one spoonful after another, as if he couldn’t get enough.

And once he finished the entire bowl, he let out a long sigh as his eyes momentarily glazed over.

Chu Jiubian’s mind stirred.

He thought: “System, what kind of poison is in the food?”

[Three points.]

“Deal.”

The System immediately replied: [Opium poppy, an addictive toxin, has been added to the dish.]

As expected!

Chu Jiubian’s scalp immediately tingled, and his heart sank.

When had this stuff reached Great Ning?

How long had it been spreading?

How many people had been exposed to it?

“Why isn’t the Young Master eating?” Xiao Yao regarded Chu Jiubian with a slightly dazed expression. “Is it not to your liking?”

Chu Jiubian could tell from the look of him that he had developed somewhat of a dependence on the thing.

With his fingernails digging into his skin, Chu Jiubian said in an exceptionally calm tone: “This dish smells delicious. Aside from the fine salt, something else must have been added as well.”

Xiao Yao smiled and said: “To be honest, Young Master, we also added a spice brought back from the southeast, called mandala.”

“Mandala?”

“That’s right. It is a fine powder with a unique flavor. Adding it to any dish will completely change its taste.” Xiao Yao felt that he was very clear-headed. “Just like your fine salt.”

“What is like fine salt?”

A familiar voice suddenly rang out, and both Chu Jiubian and Xiao Yao looked toward its source.

Out of nowhere, dressed in black, Qin Xiao had appeared in the hall behind Chu Jiubian.

He then sat down right next to Chu Jiubian as if he was in his own home.

Xiao Yao was only astonished for a moment before regaining his smile. He said warmly: “I apologize for not welcoming Lord Ning-wang properly.”

“It’s nothing.” Qin Xiao magnanimously didn’t hold it against him. He then asked: “What were you saying earlier about fine salt? Is it something this lord can hear?”

Xiao Yao glanced at Chu Jiubian. Seeing that he had no response to give, he said: “Of course.”

Then he ordered that another table and set of dishes be brought out.

Looking at these dishes, Qin Xiao could tell that they had been made using fine salt. There were none of the impurities left behind by cooking with coarse salt.

“Neither My Lord nor the Young Master are outsiders, so I won’t hold back,” Xiao Yao said. “My Xiao family possesses mandala, and the two of you manage the fine salt trade. My Xiao family is willing to give thirty percent of the profits from both the mandala and fine salt to the Imperial Court – on the condition that the fine salt trade be limited to only my Xiao family.”

He was quite arrogant, wasn’t he?

However…..

“What is mandala?” Qin Xiao asked.

Xiao Yao said with a smile: “My Lord will know after he tastes these dishes.”

Qin Xiao softly rubbed his ring, then grabbed his chopsticks. Just as he was about to pick up some minced meat, his wrist was grasped tightly.

Startled, he turned to stare at Chu Jiubian.

---

[1] In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Liu Bei had to humbly visit the strategist Zhuge Liang at his cottage three times in order to recruit him. ⮐

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Chapter 36 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 38