Chapter 363: The Provincial Government's Place of Entertainment (Part 2)
Chapter 363: Chapter 193: The Provincial Government’s Place of Entertainment (Part 2)
Stepping into the pavilion, a wave of warmth and a faint, sweet fragrance washed over them. The hall was spacious and bright, the floor covered with a thick, brocade carpet. In the center stood a massive round table, already laden with all sorts of exquisite tableware and platters of cold dishes. Five or six young men and women were already seated around it.
Seeing them enter, a young man in brocade robes who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, seated in the host’s position, was the first to rise. He cupped his hands and smiled, “Honored guests have arrived, gracing our humble abode. I am Wang Yanting, Yufei’s eldest brother. On behalf of the Patriarch, I have been awaiting Director Yang and Steward Tang.”
His gaze swept past Yang Wenjian, and his smile deepened. “And Brother Wenjian.”
The others also rose to offer their greetings. Most were young scions of the Wang family. Two other men, judging by their bearing, demeanor, and the accessories at their waists, were clearly young officials from the Provincial Government, of a rank similar to Yang Wenqing’s.
Wang Yufei introduced them quietly from the side. Yang Wenqing learned that one was Yuan Lang, a deputy steward in the tax division of the Provincial Government’s Civil Affairs Bureau, and the other was Jiang Ran, a deputy section chief under the Third Patrol Department of the provincial City Defense Headquarters. Both were sons-in-law married into a branch of the Wang family.
After chatting and laughing with his guests, Wang Yanting raised a hand to signal. From behind a screen in the corner of the hall, the faint sound of a qin began to flow like a babbling brook. It was the melody of *Flowing Water*, not too loud and not too soft, just right to enhance the atmosphere without disturbing the conversation.
“Director Yang, Steward Tang, Brother Wenjian, please, have a seat.”
Wang Yanting earnestly invited the three to be seated, then raised his cup and said, “My elder brother has received much care from Director Yang in Lingshan County. Today, I have prepared this humble banquet, first to welcome you all, and second, as a small token of our Wang family’s appreciation.”
The porcelain cups tapped together with a crisp DING. The wine was warmed Bilan Spring; it was mellow on the palate with a long, sweet aftertaste.
Yang Wenqing set down his cup, his gaze sweeping naturally over the table.
“Director Yang…”
Yuan Lang, the man from the tax division to Wang Yanting’s right, spoke up. “I hear Lingshan County has implemented joint inspections. I wonder how effective they’ve been?”
The question cut directly to the practical matters of public order, carrying the slightly condescending inquiry of a Provincial Government official.
Yang Wenqing used his silver chopsticks to pick up a slice of red-scaled sea bream, dipped it lightly in wasabi sauce, and brought it to his lips. The cool flesh of the fish melted instantly, a burst of fresh sweetness and a perfectly balanced spiciness exploding on his taste buds.
He chewed very slowly, as if savoring the rare delicacy, but in reality, he was choosing his words carefully.
“There was indeed some resistance.”
He set down his silver chopsticks and said in a very soft voice, “Initially, many workshop and estate owners complained that the registration was tedious and wasted work hours. Later, our bureau, in conjunction with the tax division of the County Civil Affairs Bureau, selected a few large but poorly reputed factories to audit their data.”
He looked up at the questioner. “In the end, we found some minor issues with their accounts, issued a fine, and posted the notice on the county’s Public Bulletin Board for seven days. After that, the lines to register got so long we had to start calling numbers.”
Wang Yanting raised his cup at the perfect moment and smiled. “My elder brother often praises you in his letters, saying that Lingshan’s public order is peaceful and that it’s convenient for merchants and travelers. Come, let’s toast Director Yang again. May Lingshan achieve even greater heights.”
As cups and goblets were exchanged, the atmosphere maintained a delicate balance.
Another young man from the Wang family, who worked in the City Defense System, shifted the topic to the upcoming grand competition. He spoke of several popular contestants as if he knew them personally, showing how well-informed he was while also subtly flattering Yang Wenqing.
Tang Yuan, for his part, occasionally chimed in with interesting anecdotes from the Provincial Government Office, cracking jokes and making witty remarks to keep the event from feeling too much like a work report.
Wang Yufei sat quietly beside her brother for most of the time, only speaking in a soft, low voice to introduce the origin of an ingredient or a particular cooking method when a servant brought a new dish.
Her gaze would occasionally meet that of a somewhat flustered Yang Wenjian across the table. Both would then quickly look away, one lowering her head to sip her tea, the other pretending to listen intently to Tang Yuan, while the tips of both their ears turned an almost imperceptible shade of red.
Everyone at the banquet was talking, and everyone was also observing. Words were exchanged over cups of wine and fine dishes, and probing was done with smiles and glances. There was no open hostility, nor any heartfelt confidence, only a mutual, unspoken display and evaluation.
This was a typical banquet meant to pave the way for a future alliance. All the friendliness, praise, and even the subtle, almost imperceptible competition were wrapped in a veneer of exquisite etiquette and delicious food.
Yang Wenqing handled the various topics with composure, but the string of tension in his mind never loosened.
The banquet concluded in an atmosphere where both guests and hosts were pleased, yet without anyone losing their sense of propriety. Wang Yanting personally saw the three of them to the entrance of the Beauty Pavilion, then had Wang Yufei carry a glazed lantern to escort them all the way back to their residence before bidding them farewell.
Back at the small courtyard, a single lamp was lit in the hall. Gao Zhen was sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion, regulating his breath. He opened his eyes the moment he heard them.
“Senior Brother, you haven’t rested yet?” Yang Wenqing asked with a chuckle.
“Didn’t we agree to go out and have a look around later?” Gao Zhen replied, unfazed by Yang Wenqing’s teasing.
“I’m going to change,” Tang Yuan said, walking into the inner room.
Hearing this, Yang Wenqing and Gao Zhen both subconsciously glanced down at their own clothes. After confirming there was nothing amiss, they each cast a ‘Dust Clearing Skill’ on themselves.
Yang Wenqing asked Lan Ying in his Spirit Sea, ‘I’m going out in a bit. Want to come?’
‘You don’t seem to want me to go. Should I?’ Lan Ying asked back.
‘How could I not want you to come!?’
‘You’re the one who said it.’
Lan Ying landed on Yang Wenqing’s shoulder.
Tang Yuan came out shortly after, and he led Yang Wenqing and Gao Zhen aboard his Flying Shuttle, which was parked at a nearby landing platform.
About half an hour later, the Flying Shuttle stopped at a quiet, lakeside street corner. Here stood a three-story pavilion. The plaque hanging over the main entrance bore the two large words, ‘Anxiang Pavilion’.
The steps before the pavilion were clean, flanked by elegantly archaic stone lanterns. Their light illuminated several young women in identical long, cyan dresses standing under the portico.
Tang Yuan was clearly a regular. He handed over a Jade Talisman, which an attendant inspected before respectfully leading the three of them through an inner door.
Beyond the door was a spacious and elegant foyer. The floor was paved with jet-black, jade-like tiles, polished to a mirror shine. On the four walls hung ink wash paintings of landscapes that evoked a sense of profound tranquility.
In the center stood a massive red sandalwood screen, carved with a partial scene from the *Night Banquet Painting*. In front of the screen was a rosewood console table, upon which an incense burner sent up curling wisps of blue smoke.
The air was filled with the crisp, cool fragrance of plum blossoms, mixed with the faint, rich scent of fine wood. The aroma was refreshing, instantly shutting out the clamor of the outside world.
Before long, a young woman emerged silently from behind the screen. She wore a moon-white ruqun, a light-cyan, half-sleeved jacket, and her hair was styled in a simple bun. Her features were delicate and she wore no heavy makeup. She didn’t look like a woman from the world of pleasure, but more like a handmaiden from some scholarly, aristocratic family.
“Master Tang, your reserved private room is ready, and the wine is being warmed. Are these two gentlemen here for the first time?” the woman asked, her voice soft as she looked at Yang Wenqing and Gao Zhen.
“You can call this one Yang Dalang, and this one Gao Erlang,” Tang Yuan introduced.
“Greetings, gentlemen. This servant is Lanxin.” The woman gave a graceful curtsy, her posture flawless. “Gentlemen, please follow this servant.”
‘She’s so rude!’ Lan Ying said to Yang Wenqing in his Spirit Sea, clearly annoyed that Lanxin had ignored her.
Lanxin, unaware that Lan Ying was complaining about her, led the three men around the screen. Behind it was a wide corridor flanked by individual private rooms. Each door had a wooden plaque with a different elegant name, such as “Sparse Shadows,” “Permeating Plum,” or “Rinsing Jade.”
One side of the corridor was a solid wall of carved wooden windows. Outside was a meticulously manicured courtyard garden, which held a unique charm under the glow of the lanterns hanging from the eaves.
Soon, they arrived before a door with a wooden plaque that read “Listen to the Heart.” Lanxin pushed the door open and stepped aside, inviting the three men to enter.
The private room was more spacious than expected. The furnishings were minimalist yet showed exquisite craftsmanship in every detail. A thick, plush carpet covered the floor, and the walls were papered with plain silk and adorned with two free-style floral paintings. A wide, low couch with a small table on it stood by the window. The table was already set with several kinds of delicate fruits and pastries, as well as a set of wine-warming utensils. On a small, red-clay stove nearby, a jar of hundred-year-old Bilan Spring was being warmed, its fragrance faintly wafting through the air.
In a corner were a qin table and a chessboard, both polished until they were spotless. The most wonderful feature was that one wall was a single pane of glazed glass, looking out directly onto several winter plum trees in the courtyard. In the deliberately dimmed light, the outlines of the snowy branches were clearly visible, like a natural, living painting.
After the three men were seated, Lanxin activated an Array on the surface of the glass window. The image of a room full of beautiful women instantly appeared on it. Tang Yuan quickly called out to Gao Zhen, hurrying over to the projected image to begin choosing.
And just at that moment, Zhou Moxuan and his party from the Bibo Prefecture’s lineage appeared at the entrance of Anxiang Pavilion. Ever since Zhou Moxuan had heard that a young prodigy from the new generation of the Xuanyue Lineage would be participating in the Provincial Hall’s grand competition, he had his people keeping a close eye on them. His arrival tonight was, of course, a deliberate move to cross paths with Yang Wenqing.