Chapter 657: Long Known in Name

The imperial city stretched endlessly under the moonlight, shrouded in a hazy glow like a silver tiger crouched upon the earth.

Dong dong dong.

The hinges turned, and the great gate swung open.

The heavens and earth opened wide, laid bare before the eyes.

Eunuch Li stepped back three paces, flicked his flywhisk, and bowed to gesture him forward.

"Lord Liang, please enter."

The black passage ahead stretched into endless darkness, resembling a tiger's gaping maw.

Liang Qu felt a surge of awe, about to step forward—when his peripheral vision caught Eunuch Li and Lan Lan Jicai shifting their steps toward a side gate.

"Mr. Lan, Eunuch Li, aren't you coming in?"

Eunuch Li halted and turned back.

"Lord Liang, the Wumen has five gates; you are entering through the central gate. We cannot enter."

Only four types of people may pass through this central gate: first, the Holy Emperor; second, the Holy Empress during wedding ceremonies; third, the top three candidates of the imperial examination or the martial examination during the imperial proclamation ceremony.

Beyond these, all princes and nobles enter and exit the palace through the western gate; civil and military officials of third rank and above use the eastern gate; those below third rank must use the left or right side gates."

"I am not among the top three of the imperial or martial examinations!"

Liang Qu grew wary.

The story of Lin Chong, the Leopard Head, entering the White Tiger Hall with his sword and losing his head was one he'd heard since childhood—he couldn't afford to lose his head through ignorance!

"Thus, you belong to the fourth category—former Dragon-Elephant Martial Saint and Master Bai also passed through this gate." Eunuch Li calmly pointed upward, "Lord Liang, rest assured: the Holy Emperor has issued a special decree—you may enter boldly. Otherwise, the armored guards would never open the gate without cause."

Liang Qu looked up.

The armored guards on either side of the tower stood solemn, clad in tiger-patterned armor, each radiating an aura of immense power—clearly possessing the strength of a Tiger Hunter!

Tiger Hunters guarding the gate…

It almost felt like ascending to become a celestial soldier.

Fortunately, I rank first.

Liang Qu stepped through the gate.

This scene drew countless eyes, stirring shock and awe, sending messengers sprinting to report to their masters.

If earlier it was only speculation, tonight's entry through the central Wumen gate confirmed it beyond doubt!

Unthinkable.

A Wolf's Smoke entering the Tiger Hunter's domain—a new record!

The world may soon produce another extraordinary figure!

…

Eunuch Li and Lan Lan Jicai passed through the side gate, hurried to rejoin, and led Liang Qu onward.

As they walked, his gaze swept the surroundings.

It was impossible to claim no curiosity—this was his first time entering the palace.

Yet he dared not appear disrespectful by staring too openly; Liang Qu shifted his eyes subtly, observing everything through his peripheral vision.

Big!

Extremely big!

Exquisite, magnificent, beyond full comprehension.

Palaces, courtyards, towers stood dozens of zhang tall, their upturned eaves blotting out the moonlight.

Candlelight flickered crimson, layers of splendor unfolding like a thousand-petaled golden flower blooming in succession.

Truly magnificent and splendid.

Next came warmth.

Outside the palace, icy winds bit the skin, rivers froze, and icicles hung from every eave; inside, it was no different from spring—breathing felt moist and rich, not dry as outside, with the faint scent of flowers lingering in the air.

Comfortable.

Liang Qu took a deep breath, refreshed, yet diverted part of his awareness to suppress the Ze Ding, lest it accidentally absorb some treasure.

Along the way, he passed through countless labyrinthine alleys and crossed several unnamed gates of varying heights.

Until they reached the entrance to a garden, where an elderly eunuch stood with several young attendants.

Eunuch Li greeted: "Chief Eunuch."

"Mr. Lan, have you fully investigated?"

"To eat the ruler's grain is to serve the ruler's cause—if I don't understand, I'd betray my decades of divination, and how could I dare sit upon the altar?"

Lan Lan Jicai presented a thick stack of documents.

They contained greetings from officials across Pingyang Prefecture, summaries of recent developments, and above all, Liang Qu's household registration, birth date and time, plus a yellow talisman shimmering with light, inscribed with his birth chart.

The documents were passed into the garden.

Shortly after.

A young eunuch stepped out and whispered.

The Chief Eunuch stepped aside: "Lord Liang, please enter."

He stepped onto the lush green grass.

Liang Qu had expected to see a long table laden with all manner of delicacies, every imaginable dish…

The grass tips trembled slightly.

A copper hotpot bubbled steadily, its spicy red oil churning; a young eunuch poked the charcoal with a fire hook, sending fine sparks drifting upward.

The square table held nothing but a hotpot!

Sitting alone in the entire small garden, adding ingredients into the pot.

He appeared over forty, dressed in a blue robe with wide sash, over which he wore a feathered cloak, a Tianhuang stone pendant tied at his waist.

Without doubt, the man before him was the supreme ruler of the entire Da Shun, the most powerful man in the land!

"Your Majesty, Lord Liang and Mr. Lan have arrived."

"Your Majesty."

Mr. Lan bowed deeply.

Liang Qu followed: "Your Majesty."

"This is a private banquet—no need for formality." The Holy Emperor waved his sleeve, "I've waited two hours for you—I'm already hungry. Bring seats."

The Chief Eunuch brought two chairs.

They stood on either side.

Liang Qu felt tense, hesitating which chair to take—when Lan Lan Jicai, as if at home, sat down opposite, picked up his chopsticks, and began scooping meat into his dipping sauce.

"Mr. Lan remains unchanged as ever—true to his nature."

"Your Majesty, you say that? You summoned me precisely to set an example for this young man. Otherwise, why would I be invited to dine? This is a difficult task—I must eat my fill quickly."

The Holy Emperor smiled faintly, turning to Liang Qu: "See? Follow Mr. Lan's example. Don't come back saying you didn't eat your fill at the imperial banquet."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

With Lan Lan Jicai ahead, Liang Qu's pressure eased instantly; his tension lessened, replaced by anticipation. He respectfully sat on the left, mimicking Mr. Lan's chopsticks to scoop food.

He had fasted for days—starving.

He picked up a curled slice of fish, scalded to perfection.

【Water Marsh Essence +107】

Hm?

His eyes brightened slightly; he grabbed two more bites.

"Lord Liang, does this copper hotpot seem familiar?"

Liang Qu tore his gaze from the fish slice, before he could formulate a reply.

The Holy Emperor lifted a dish and personally poured an entire plate of lamb into the pot.

"Two years ago, the third son of Marquis Ji'an spent five thousand taels of silver to buy a hotpot base recipe, brought it to the capital, not for hotpot-style cooking, but called it 'hotpot,' opened several taverns outside the Brocade Garden.

Business boomed, crowds packed in—but after just a few days, the neighboring Marquis Antai copied it, even improved it, making the flavor even better, stealing most of the business.

Since then, a spicy wind swept through the capital; nearly half the old-fashioned soup shops switched to hotpot stalls, each with its own unique taste. When winter came, the entire city reeked of spices.

Marquis Ji'an was furious, stormed into the palace demanding I arbitrate, accusing theft. I ignored him—but I was genuinely curious: what kind of delicacy could make people so obsessed?"

Marquis Ji'an.

Xiang Fang Su's father, no doubt.

Food business is indeed hard.

Liang Qu pondered; seeing the Holy Emperor pause, he immediately replied: "Your Majesty, what do you think of the hotpot?"

"Average."

"Hmm…"

How did the conversation die so fast?

"At first, I couldn't adapt to its fiery spiciness—I found it uncouth, eating with sweat dripping from my brow. But the Empress loved it, insisted on setting up a small pot every cold day. Slowly, I grew accustomed, and came to appreciate its subtleties."

"What subtleties?"

Lan Lan Jicai played along.

"If you like it, you can toss in mountain delicacies, sea treasures, even grasses and flower buds—boil them, simmer them, cook them through.

You carry my fragrance; I absorb your flavor—seemingly natural, yet each retains its own distinct character, boundaries clear.

Especially the warmth of family gathered around the pot: take a bite, sweat drips, clothes come off, etiquette fades, hearts open wide."

I believe that beneath heaven, no food stirs conversation better than a shared hot pot.

Lan Lan Jicai found this hard to swallow.

It's just a hot pot—why would His Sacred Majesty speak of it at such length?

He paused, then looked up in surprise.

"Did you invent the hot pot?"

"Even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice. Without Your Majesty's northern campaigns and eastern voyages bringing in exotic spices, how could I have had the means to create such a delicacy?"

"Hahaha!" The Sacred Emperor laughed heartily, calm and delighted. "Pinyin, hot pot, ship anchors, jiao silk… Your deeds, Liang Qing, though rooted in Pingyang, reached the capital long ago—and entered the imperial palace."

"Jiao silk? What jiao silk?"

Lan Lan Jicai was baffled. He knew the first three, but what did jiao silk have to do with Liang Qu?

The Sacred Emperor said nothing.

The chief eunuch waved his hand.

Maidens bearing trays lined up in a row and entered the garden one by one.

Each wore a skirt with slits rising to the knee; as they walked, the hems swayed, revealing shimmering jiao silk that glistened like oil-slicked water.

Lan Lan Jicai glanced once and nearly choked on a slice of meat.

Liang Qu, who had been enjoying his meal, was now deeply embarrassed.

(End of Chapter)