Within the government office, its rear hall echoed with lively song and dance.
The dancers from Xiahang moved gracefully, their performances captivating, their flirtatious eyes further fanning the banquet’s atmosphere to its peak.
There was a saying in Qian State about the four great loves of scholars:
The rouge of Xiahang touched by the brush of the imperial capital;
The fine liquor of Wuchuan complementing the ink of Hengzhou.
The "rouge of Xiahang" referred to the beauties from Xiahang. In the imperial harems of Qian State emperors throughout the ages, there had always been a place reserved for women from Xiahang. The current ruler of Qian State had even taken in the three sisters of Xiahang’s Yang Family, a tale often recounted with admiration.
Within the hall, the beauties currently dancing were all from Xiahang; they were a gift to the local governor from a wealthy Jiangnan gentleman.
The Governor of Mianzhou was seated at the head of the room. To his left and right, in seats of lesser honor, sat his colleagues from Mianzhou City. At the very lowest seat sat the Mianzhou City Division Commander.
Logically, in border regions, military officers should be held in higher esteem. Civil officials managed local administration while military officers commanded the troops. In fact, when military and administrative affairs were inseparable due to the need to handle major conflicts, military officers often held more sway. This principle was thoroughly upheld in the Yan State’s Beifeng Prefecture. But this was not Yan State; this was Qian State. In the eyes of Qian State’s civil officials, allowing a military officer to join their banquet was already a significant concession.
This Division Commander was also good-tempered. Though ignored by others, he ignored them in return, content to eat his food, drink his wine, and watch the dancer before him.
Indeed, could one serve as a military officer in Qian State without a good temper?
He didn’t take it to heart; after all, he had a ready example right beside him: his former superior and father-in-law. That old master, who had mentored him, wielded the Sun’s Spear with such mastery.
And what was the result? He clashed with civil officials, and after much turmoil, ended up becoming Li Yue’s own subordinate.
What was the point of all that trouble? Such unnecessary strife.
Division Commander Li Yue glanced sideways, stealing a few looks at the Governor seated at the head.
He mused, the Governor is already over sixty, yet all these dancers sent by the southern merchants today will be delivered to his chambers tonight.
Li Yue shook his head. He thought about the rumor circulating in Mianzhou City—who knew who started it?—that their esteemed Governor was, shall we say, long past his prime in certain masculine endeavors. Yet, his remarkable oral skills still managed to keep his many wives and concubines perpetually flushed and rosy-cheeked.
At this thought, Li Yue suddenly felt a sour taste in his mouth and instinctively raised his wine cup to wash it down.
The civil officials up at the head of the table, amidst the song and dance, were composing poetry. Some had even set up desks and begun to dabble with brush and ink.
Li Yue remained in his seat. No one invited this "uncouth soldier," as he thought of himself, to appreciate their calligraphy or paintings, and he had no inclination to seek their company and risk a snub.
His brother-in-law, Sun Jianming, however, had been able to mingle with those scholars; he knew a fair bit about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
He could have had a great future. For a military man, if he was also versed in letters and could gain the scholars’ approval, his path forward would be much smoother. Once the civil officials considered him one of their own, promotion and wealth would follow.
Unfortunately, Sun Jianming’s career was dragged down by his own father. He should have smoothly taken over his father’s position and perhaps even earned the Sun Family the prestigious title of ’Scholar-General.’
The Sun’s Spear was distinctive for its double-ended blade, capable of striking both forward and backward. And his father-in-law, that old master, was much like his ancestral spear. He had memorials submitted accusing civil officials of enslaving garrison soldiers as private servants, and then he exposed the severe corruption of military officers at the border, specifically their practice of padding payrolls.
Well, there were two main paths, and he chose neither. If you can’t ascend to the heavens, you’re bound to be slammed to the ground.
Fortunately, Li Yue himself wasn’t particularly ambitious. Becoming a Division Commander was already the fulfillment of his life’s aspirations; he had no grand designs on climbing higher.
Having seen enough, Li Yue rose and bid farewell to the Governor.
The Governor and his coterie of civil officials were preparing to "take drugs"—a customary highlight after banquets for Qian State scholars. They each produced their personally concocted, high-quality Five-rock powder, discussed their merits, and then consumed them together.
At such a moment, who would bother with a coarse military man? The Governor merely waved a dismissive hand, indicating he acknowledged Li Yue’s departure.
Li Yue showed no annoyance on his face. He bid farewell to the others individually and left the hall. He had barely stepped out when waves of uninhibited singing erupted from within.
Glancing back, he saw those refined civil officials, their skin flushed red. Some were singing with wild abandon, others were stripping off their clothes and dancing. Some even went as far as to pull the nearby dancers into their laps and begin to force themselves upon them...
Li Yue snorted disdainfully and continued on his way out.
His belly full and his face flushed from the wine, Li Yue took his horse from a servant. As he mounted, his body swayed precariously, and he nearly tumbled off.
That shock sobered him up considerably. He took a deep breath, then glanced back one last time at the two stone lions flanking the entrance to the government office. Find the newest release on novelꜰire.net
With a guttural sound, Li Yue hawked and spat a thick wad of phlegm right onto one of the stone lions.
Of course, that was as far as he dared to go.
Then, he slumped forward onto his horse’s back and said to his servant beside him, "Home..."
He was just about to settle in for a nap on horseback when an immense clamor suddenly erupted from up ahead.
Li Yue lifted his head, squinting into the distance. He saw many people running, shouting as they fled.
"What are they—what are they yelling?" Li Yue asked his servant.
An expression of utter disbelief spread across the servant’s face.