Chapter 186: The Family Banquet
The Eastern Divine General’s residence was very quiet. Inside and outside the hall, aside from the faint sound of footsteps and the rustle of clothing, no other noise could be heard—not even a cough. This was likely what they called the family’s character.
The stones paving the path were like this, and the trees in the courtyard were the same—thick, long, and straight, spaced far apart, with few green leaves among their branches. Silent, grim, and cold.
Chen Changsheng sat at the table, gazing at the aged porcelain tableware before him, unsure of what to say. From the moment he entered the residence until now, no meaningful conversation had yet taken place.
Xu Shiji and his wife sat at the head of the table, while he sat in the guest seat. Granny Hua stood quietly by, attending to them, and the one serving the dishes was none other than Shuang’er, that extremely proud and haughty girl.
Only these five people were in the hall, but outside, there were many attendants. Several stern-faced matrons kept a cold watch on the surroundings, while maidservants carrying trays bustled in and out, their pomegranate-red skirts easily clearing the high threshold.
On the trays carried by those maidservants were green tangerine water, both hot and cold damp towels, ivory chopsticks, and small rosewood tiger-shaped stands for holding the chopsticks. In comparison, the trays bearing dishes were far fewer.
Tonight’s dinner at the Eastern Divine General’s residence was relatively simple. There was braised square pork, steamed river fish with scallions and ginger, and blanched green bean sprouts in broth. The dishes were delicious but utterly ordinary—no rare sea fish commonly seen at noble banquets in the capital, no soup made from demonic beast marrow, and even the number of plates was small.
If they called it a family banquet, it truly was an ordinary family banquet.
Chen Changsheng roughly understood the intent behind the Xu residence’s display of such an attitude. He could only respond with silence, lowering his head to eat. Yet he noticed that aside from lacking rare fowl, the Xu residence’s banquet didn’t even have the most common chicken. Among the dozen or so condiments, there was no duck gizzard sauce, the most typical kind.
He was curious but didn’t ask.
Once all the dishes were served, Lady Xu began to speak with him. Like the family banquet itself, her words were bland and insipid, never touching on the past stubbornness.
The meal dragged on tastelessly toward its end, and the Eastern Divine General’s residence remained as quiet as before.
Lady Xu glanced at Xu Shiji, picked up the wine flask, and refilled Chen Changsheng’s cup.
This was Chen Changsheng’s second cup of wine that night.
He thanked her.
Xu Shiji raised his cup, looked at him, then drained it.
Chen Changsheng drained his.
Lady Xu poured more wine.
Xu Shiji drank again.
Chen Changsheng drank with him.
Lady Xu poured again.
Xu Shiji held his cup, staring at him expressionlessly, and said, “I admit, from start to finish, I’ve never had any goodwill toward you.”
Chen Changsheng remained silent.
Xu Shiji said coldly, “But everyone must also admit that I’ve never had any malice toward you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have survived in the capital until now, let alone sit across from me.”
Chen Changsheng still said nothing. He stood up, took a paper envelope from his chest, and placed it on the table.
The envelope was somewhat thick and clearly new. Though no one could see what was inside, everyone knew that what it contained must be old.
Lady Xu’s expression changed abruptly. Granny Hua also showed a hint of anxiety. Only Shuang’er’s eyes lit up.
“You… what do you mean by this?”
Xu Shiji squinted at him, his face growing cold. The cup in his hand slowly lowered, and though the motion was slow, the moment the cup’s base touched the table, it made an extremely dull thud.
“I don’t mean anything else. I just want to finish this matter. It should have been finished a year ago, but due to some misunderstandings, it was never completed…”
Chen Changsheng looked at Lady Xu and Granny Hua, and then at Shuang’er, speaking earnestly, “I wasn’t lying back then. I came to the capital to break off the engagement. You just never believed me.”
Hearing this, looking at the heavy paper envelope on the table, Lady Xu’s face suddenly turned extremely ugly. The anxiety between Granny Hua’s brows grew heavier, while Shuang’er was clearly very shaken.
“Misunderstanding?” Xu Shiji stared into Chen Changsheng’s eyes, his face as cold as frost. “For an entire year, the capital has been in turmoil, and the continent has been in constant uproar. Could all of this really be because of a misunderstanding?”
Chen Changsheng didn’t answer his question. Instead, he looked at Lady Xu, bowed first, and then said, “Madam, you once said some things. I didn’t come back a year later specifically to prove those words wrong. I just think that now, you probably no longer see me as a country boy Daoist who tried to change his life by clinging to a Divine General’s family. So perhaps it’s time for me to finish this matter.”
The hall fell silent. The green tangerine water reflected the lamplight, as strong as liquor, much like the atmosphere at that moment. No one spoke. The night breeze brushed gently past the threshold, yet it was so tense.
No one knew how long passed before Xu Shiji looked at Chen Changsheng with a hint of mockery and said, “You’ve done all these things, even unhesitatingly throwing yourself into a maelstrom you had no right to touch, and all for the sake of my wife’s words? Because of that pitiful and laughable pride?”
Chen Changsheng took some time to think carefully, confirming that there wasn’t much wrong with what he had done, and replied, “Pride is indeed a reason, but I don’t think it’s laughable, much less pitiful.”
Xu Shiji slowly stood up, clasped his hands behind his back. His towering, mountain-like figure leaned slightly forward, carrying an immense pressure as he stared into Chen Changsheng’s eyes and said, word by word, “You took first place in the Grand Examination, caught the eye of His Holiness the Pope. Do you think… this proves you’re better than Qiushan Jun? That you can gracefully withdraw as a victor, pretending to be magnanimous?”
Chen Changsheng was momentarily stunned, thinking that he had never thought that way. He wanted to explain, but found such a deeply personal matter hard to articulate. As he pondered, Xu Shiji turned and left the table. Moments later, he returned with a dossier and threw it directly in front of him.
“Take a look for yourself.”
Xu Shiji said expressionlessly, “This is no longer a secret. By tomorrow, the entire continent will know why Qiushan Jun didn’t participate in this year’s Grand Examination.”
Granny Hua and Shuang’er had already quietly withdrawn.
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then picked up the dossier from the table and opened it. As he read, his expression gradually changed, becoming somewhat complicated. He understood why Xu Shiji had spoken that way.
This year’s Grand Examination was the most lively in the past decade, an undisputed major event. If there was any regret, it was probably that Qiushan Jun and Xu Yourong had not appeared.
Given Qiushan Jun and Xu Yourong’s bloodline talents and potential, they could, of course, bypass the Grand Examination and directly qualify to view the Mausoleum of Books. But people always wanted to see them in the Grand Examination.
Many had thought Qiushan Jun would participate this year. The reason he hadn’t appeared might have been because Xu Yourong wasn’t participating, but more likely, it was due to the engagement between Xu Yourong and Chen Changsheng.
Now, reading this newly compiled dossier, Chen Changsheng learned the true reason Qiushan Jun hadn’t taken part in the Grand Examination. Silently reflecting on it, he found he had to admit a grudging respect.
(During the day, I was busy with affairs. Dinner was at the top of the Canton Tower; Mu En treated me to a meal—a buffet at what is said to be the world’s highest revolving restaurant. While they happily ate, I silently wrote a thousand words at the table. Then, after various hustles, I returned to the hotel, desperately wrote another thousand words, and then immediately went out again. Everyone knows I’m usually lazy, but these past few days, though the update count has been modest, I know myself—I haven’t been lazy. All the editors and readers who know my itinerary would silently weep, right? Tomorrow, I’ll head to the airport at six-something, take an early flight, land, then a few more hours by long-distance bus to the county town, to attend my dear niece’s wedding. It depends on the road conditions and work situation. I send my regards to everyone. Please understand.)