Chapter 658: A Gifted Blade
Shi Bingyun clapped her hands. Soon, a stream of servants flowed in, presenting an array of exquisite tableware. There was high-quality Guan ware porcelain with a crackled glazed surface that was as thin as paper. At first glance, it was entirely blue, but closer inspection revealed a faint pink hue beneath the glaze. The chopsticks were ivory inlaid with silver, their silver tips polished to a bright shine, and the ivory shafts glowed with a soft golden luster.
As for the delicacies they held, each dish was so refined and delicate that it made one hesitant to disturb their presentation.
To be fair, Qi Xuansu now had a modest fortune. An annual income of 3,600 Taiping coins was no small sum, enough to guarantee an ordinary family a lifetime of prosperity. Even so, it was not nearly enough to afford this kind of luxury.
As a superintendent, Qi Xuansu had only one attendant assigned to take care of daily chores. After all, he could not be expected to do the laundry or cook meals himself because he was busy working day and night while also maintaining his cultivation. He barely had time. But that was the extent of the service he was provided. Everything else beyond that, he had to handle personally. The Daoist Order promoted frugality, so luxuries like personal maids or servants were privileges reserved for court nobles. Even as the Grand Master, such indulgences would be frowned upon.
It was no wonder the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion had declined so rapidly in the past. Once accustomed to such grandeur, how could one remain grounded?
Just imagine—a Daoist superintendent witnessing court officials of equal rank barking orders at servants, with concubines aplenty. Meanwhile, he was stuck with one attendant and a Daoist companion whom he had to treat as an equal. He could not even throw a tantrum, lest she scold him. How could the Daoist priest not feel envious?
Court officials were no different. They saw lowly merchants living in splendor, surrounded by riches, servants, and beauties, spending without care. Meanwhile, their own modest salaries barely covered their family expenses and a few aging servants. Their sense of imbalance was even more severe than that of the Daoist priests.
The road to corruption often starts when that balance tips. It was not poverty, but inequality, that bred resentment. Comparison was what corrupted the heart.
People often say that women were vain, but men were no better, as vanity was all part of human nature.
Shi Bingyun chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare break the rules by using this many servants. These are all Old Qin’s people. He and I aren’t married. We’re just close friends, so even the Fengxian Hall can’t accuse me of misconduct.”
Qi Xuansu laughed dryly.