Chapter 607: Capable Ministers and Efficient Officials

Gaze like needles.

Countless silver needles surged through the garden, piercing his back, sinking three fen into the flesh.

It itched.

Damn, it itched.

For the first time, he realized the Eye Perception Technique he couldn't bear to abandon had side effects.

Naked jealousy!

Liang Qu straightened his spine and leaned back, scraping against the chair.

Long Long Eying nudged Long Yao with her elbow; Long Yao snapped to attention and reached out to help.

"No!"

Liang Qu raised his hand to stop her. He could roughly guess the root of the itch—this was just a small display at the birthday banquet; if the Dragon Princess helped, would she fly into a rage and overturn the table?

Pouring oil on fire was a bad idea; when you can spare someone, spare them.

Ruining the banquet wouldn't do.

"Hahaha."

Xu Xu Yue laughed out loud.

Yang Xu, Yu Dun, and others showed surprise, then noticed Liang Qu's discomfort; after a moment's thought, they understood, and their lips curled upward.

Only the Dragon Princess was clueless.

"Sister, let me switch seats with you."

Zhuo Zhuo Shaoqin held up her half-dozen rings, her intent obvious.

"Go ahead and pick!"

"Brother, you're generous!"

Zhuo Zhuo Shaoqin smiled with narrowed eyes, passed by Long Li and Long Long Eying, and sat to Long Yao's left, hugging her as they picked rings together.

Long Long Eying grasped part of it, scanned the garden, and frowned slightly.

"Phew."

Liang Qu moved to Long Li's right side, his body and mind at ease.

The garden lay directly behind the birthday hall.

Everyone's seating was in the middle zone between the hall and the garden, offering clear views of both ends.

But Liang Qu's original seat had his back to the garden, bearing all the stares alone.

Now, after circling half the table, half his view faced the hall, half faced the garden—the brazen gazes vanished by more than half.

Nothing else.

Afraid of locking eyes.

The ferocity from the Great Hunt was still vivid.

The scoundrel surrounded by women was hateful, but more hateful was the fact that he couldn't beat that brute.

Sigh~

Inside the birthday hall.

The tortoise shell reflected candlelight, dazzlingly bright.

After a long silence, the announcer resumed, but after only two names, silence returned again; two quarters of an hour passed before the announcements resumed in a steady stream.

"The steward is thoughtful…"

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong asked: "Cao Shixiong, why say that?"

Yang Xu lifted his chin slightly.

"After Brother delivered the tortoise shell fragments, he probably feared no one would dare announce them. I noticed the steward moved everyone who was originally scheduled to come later to the front—state assistants, state judges, and others were pushed back, creating intervals to let the tortoise shell's influence fade."

"I heard two announcements in the middle—the gifts were quite valuable."

"Birthday gifts follow rules: what kind of person, what kind of relationship, what kind of gift. If it doesn't match your status, you're either a fool, a sucker, or you're seeking a favor."

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong pondered: "So those shifted to the back avoid the influence and awkwardness, while those shifted forward get announced with no one before or after them—making them stand out. Everyone gets what they need."

"Impressive."

They chatted a few more moments.

The announcements continued without pause.

Xu Xu Yue idled, had a maid bring paper, pulled out his newly acquired seal, pressed it into red ink, and played with the impressions.

No need to say.

None of the senior brothers and sisters understood calligraphy, but they could tell the seal was beautiful—and the more they looked, the more charm it held, the more pleasing it became, until they couldn't put it down.

The other seniors and siblings each pulled out their own carved seals and stamped their names on the paper.

Liang Qu played with it awhile, then passed it to Long Yao and Long Li, who were interested.

"The white script is like morning clouds scattering brocade, jade trees standing in the wind; the red script is like lotus reflecting on water, mandarin ducks playing on waves. Master Xu's reputation is well-deserved," Cao Rang sighed.

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong looked up: "You mean Master Xu the Elder?"

"Yes. Last night I learned Master Xu the Elder was a master of seal carving, so I went to the Xu family's library to check. I chatted with the old gatekeeper and learned this phrase was used by the founding emperor to praise him. When Master Xu returned to his hometown, the emperor personally wrote it out and had it framed—it still hangs in the Xu family's library."

Hss~

A man is dressed by his clothes, a horse by his saddle.

Everything needs a reference, a benchmark.

Before, they hadn't deeply grasped Master Xu Xu Rongguang's status as a seal master; now that they heard the emperor had praised him, they assumed his skill soared to heavenly heights—he must be the greatest calligrapher in the land.

Hu Qi asked: "Cao Shixiong Cao, what's white script, what's red script?"

"Broadly speaking, it's the difference between relief carving and intaglio," Cao Rang pointed to the paper. "When inked, if the characters come out red, it's red script; if they come out white, it's white script." Everyone leaned in to observe.

White background, red characters.

"Then ours is red script?"

"Yes."

"We got lucky!"

Xu Xu Yue was delighted.

He gave a potted plant worth sixty-eight taels and eight mace, got back a fifty-tael red envelope, dozens of gold rings, and a seal once praised by the emperor himself!

Birthday gifts are great.

With a senior brother on the boat, a home to return to, and a gift that pays for itself!

"Are the announcements over? Haven't heard any for a long time."

Xiang Xiang Zhangsong looked up.

"Looks like it."

Everyone turned to the door and saw the line outside had thinned out.

The gift-giving began at the hour of the rooster; now it was nearly the fifth hour of the snake. More than an hour had passed, and the entire gift-announcing process had barely ended—proof of how many guests had come.

Some had no seats at all; they came, presented their gift, and walked around the screen to leave.

Wait another quarter hour.

The master of ceremonies, seeing no more arrivals, prepared for the next phase.

The steward waved to organize.

Servants moved back and forth, busy but orderly.

When round tables were laid out in the birthday hall, the crowd dispersed and took their seats in order.

Long Yao and Long Li leaned forward eagerly.

But they waited a long time.

Only Xu Xu Hanping appeared, carrying a giant bowl of birthday noodles—large enough to require two arms to embrace—steaming hot; Xu Xu Shila stood beside him, using long chopsticks to lift a bowl, spooning in broth, and presenting it to Xu Xu Rongguang to taste.

After he ate, the entire bowl was taken away and distributed to the Xu family's younger members; some even stepped forward voluntarily to beg for a portion, to catch some of the good fortune.

Birthday noodles were also served at every table.

Long Li was deeply disappointed; she ladled a bowl for Liang Qu and leaned close to his ear.

"Elder, the banquet is just one bowl of noodles?"

"Who said that? It hasn't started yet," Liang Qu chuckled. "The noodles are just 'breakfast'—they're here so you won't starve. After eating them, it's called 'warming the birthday.' Wait a while longer, then the dishes will come. If you're hungry, eat two extra bowls to fill your stomach."

"No, I'm saving my appetite!"

Long Long Eying glanced at Long Li.

Long Li sat up straight, eyes down, mind focused.

Just fill the stomach.

In the garden, gongs and drums thundered; the opera began.

Amid the clamor, Xu Xu Hanping, the eldest son, carried a lacquered tray to the main table where the masters sat, raised it above his head, and respectfully served the dishes.

Three times in succession.

Guests around shouted for someone else to take over.

Maids and servants entered in a steady stream, carrying trays.

"Alright, now it's really starting!"

…

Waves surged endlessly.

Few fishing boats lingered at the Shangrao wharf.

The weather grew colder; in a few more days would come the Start of Winter, and fish catches dwindled day by day. The fishermen all sought to seize one last haul before the bitter cold set in.

Water splashed in all directions.

Brother Quan Brother Quan Guangqin and Brother Quan Brother Quan Yuxuan glanced around, confirmed all was well, then waved beneath the water.

Figures rose toward the surface, emerging from darkness into light.

Puff.

Brother Quan Brother Quan Linghan broke the surface, his fish fins trembling as he shook off droplets. He scanned the surroundings, sensing the radically different quality of the water in his gills, deeply awed.

"Is this the Jianghuai region?"

"Precisely," Long Long Binglin warmly invited. "The River Office's overseer, Officer Xu, awaits you on shore."

A brief silence followed.

"Very well!"

Moments passed.

"Chief Brother Quan!"

Xu Xu Yue, seeing the merfolk with his own eyes, was filled with joy.

The Pingyang River Office, established less than two years ago, had already forged relations with both the Jianghuai dragon folk and the merfolk.

What is a capable, diligent official?