Chapter 710: The Splendors of the Eastern Capital

It was high summer, and the Eastern Capital's weather had entered its most sweltering stretch. Inside and outside the city walls, the common folk's clothing grew ever thinner; hard-working laborers were drenched in sweat. In the markets, business in tea and cold water grew ever brisker. More people frolicked in the Bian River, and beneath the green shade along the roads sat folk seeking relief from the heat.

"Brother Qin, come, let me toast you again!" In a lively tavern, Zhao Yanjin raised his cup to Qin Zaixiong, who had come from the north, a smile on his face.

"Please! Please!" Qin Zaixiong also grinned wide, holding his cup in both hands, imitating Han etiquette.

In the room were three other Yao generals, all red-faced and reeking of wine—they were drinking straight from the jar. Qin Zaixiong and his men all wore fine Suzhou brocade, tribute from the Southern Tang bestowed by the Emperor. Though dressed in Han attire, they could not shake that "wild flavor" of the barbarians.

The door opened, and two servants carried in a roasting rack with charcoal, adding yet more heat to the room. Pointing at the seasoned mutton, Zhao Yanjin smiled at Qin Zaixiong: "This tavern's most famous dish is roasted mutton—the flavor is excellent. Brother Qin must have a good taste!"

With the seasonings, the aroma of the roasting mutton spread quickly. Qin Zaixiong sniffed, clearly stirred to appetite, and said with some feeling: "It's the same roasting of meat, but in the capital it's far too refined... With such warm hospitality, I truly don't know how to repay it!"

"Haha!" Zhao Yanjin put on a hearty air, waving his hand: "Eat the meat first. Come evening, I'll take you to Qinglan House. I hear a batch of Western Regions barbarian women has arrived—I haven't even tried them myself..."

As he spoke, his smile grew lewd, and Qin Zaixiong was stirred as well.

The tavern chosen was deliberately lively—people of all trades and stations, peddlers and porters, every sort imaginable. In a more refined establishment, these Yao men likely wouldn't have fit in, and judging by the behavior of Qin Zaixiong and his companions, they were clearly quite at home with the surrounding noise.

Since the Battle of Liyang, when they surrendered to the Han army, they had been escorted to the capital along with several Yao generals. The moment they arrived in Kaifeng, Qin Zaixiong and his men were dazzled by the city's splendor.

Towering city walls, broad imperial avenues, orderly wards, magnificent towers and gates—the streets flowed with crowds, and on the river a thousand sails raced...

The Emperor did not grant Qin Zaixiong an audience right away. Instead, he bestowed bolts of brocade and goods, had them fitted with proper attire, and then ordered Zhao Yanjin, Chief Inspector of the Inner Palace Guard, to show them around the Eastern Capital.

Zhao Yanjin's orders were to lead them in eating, drinking, and carousing their way through every corner of the Eastern Capital. After a few days, they had begun calling each other brothers.

"Go, fetch me some ice, ice water, and a cold towel!" Finding the room's heat hard to bear, Zhao Yanjin ordered the attending servant.

He glanced up at Qin Zaixiong and the others, noting they showed no discomfort, and muttered inwardly that these barbarians had thick hides and could take the heat—but aloud he said: "Summer has its pleasures, but I've never cared for this heat. It's too hard to endure. Not like you brothers, Qin—you take it as easy as can be!"

Qin Zaixiong replied: "We were born in cave streams and raised in the mountain forests. Climbing ridges, crossing wilds, wading rivers, leaping ravines—we've long been accustomed to the southern scorch."

Washing down several skewers of mutton with cold brew, Qin Zaixiong belched and looked at Zhao Yanjin: "Brother Zhao, we've been in Kaifeng five days now. When might the Son of Heaven grant us an audience?"

At the question, Zhao Yanjin hastily swallowed the mutton in his mouth, took a drink of wine, then waved his hand: "No rush—I haven't yet shown Brother Qin all of the Eastern Capital!"

But Qin Zaixiong shook his head and said with feeling: "With the Eastern Capital's vastness and splendor, even spending a year or two, one could hardly finish touring it all."

His expression turning more solemn, he straightened up, raised his cup, and said to Zhao Yanjin: "Moreover, we are but crude men of the wilds. We lost in battle and surrendered. Upon reaching the Eastern Capital, the Son of Heaven not only refrained from punishing us but bestowed clothing and provisions, and had Brother Zhao treat us so generously. Such heavy grace and deep kindness fills my heart with gratitude—I ought to go thank His Majesty!"

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise passed through Zhao Yanjin's eyes. He studied Qin Zaixiong for a moment, somewhat impressed—this man truly qualified as a leader of his people. The reports had said he was both brave and shrewd, and indeed he had not been utterly lost in these days of wine and women.

After a moment's consideration, Zhao Yanjin replied: "Brother Qin, if His Majesty heard of such a sentiment, he would be very pleased. But gaining an audience with His Majesty is no easy matter—one must follow the court's ceremonial protocols."

"How about this: I'll find a way to submit your request, and we'll see what the palace arranges. What do you say?" Seeing Qin Zaixiong's disappointment, Zhao Yanjin reassured him.

His face brightening at once, Qin Zaixiong said: "Thank you, Brother Zhao!"

"Come—fine wine and fine meat are before us; we should enjoy them to the fullest!" Zhao Yanjin raised his cup in invitation.

"Cheers!"

"I've made the arrangements. After we finish this round of drinking, we go straight to Qinglan House. First a bath to wash up, and then, heh heh..."

However firm one's resolve, under the assault of dazzling pleasures and sugar-coated cannonballs, corruption was inevitable. The Yao generals accompanying him had already sunk into it, unwilling to leave, wanting to live this dreamlike, drunken life every day.

Qin Zaixiong was the shrewd one. He knew in his heart that the Son of Heaven and the court would not treat them—lowly barbarians—so generously without reason. As for what was sought, with his limited knowledge, the only thing he could think of was the various barbarian tribes of western Hunan.

"How will the Son of Heaven settle these people?" Late at night in Qinglan House, after indulging his carnal desires to the full, as weariness crept over him, this thought still flickered through Qin Zaixiong's mind.

Not until dawn the next morning did he wake from his stupor. Looking at the two barbarian women lying beside him—big-breasted, round-hipped, just his type—barbarian men with barbarian women seemed a fitting match.

A soft little hand was still clutching his chest hair, tickling his heart. Morning, after all, was a time of arousal—how could he resist the temptation of such a warm nest? He shifted slightly, his movements practiced and smooth.

With a muffled grunt, the barbarian woman's still-passable face creased in a frown. She soon opened her eyes and looked at Qin Zaixiong. Feeling his rough motions, she scorned this barbarian inwardly, but her solid professional instincts made her respond with full enthusiasm...

It was nearly noon before Qin Zaixiong left the room, the exhaustion on his face impossible to hide. Colorful silks hung throughout the establishment, and the air was thick with intoxicating powder and perfume. Last night he'd been too busy enjoying himself, but now, looking at his surroundings, he couldn't help marveling at the exquisite decor. Passing the neighboring rooms, his Yao generals were still lost in their beds.

"Brother Qin, how was last night? The barbarian girls weren't bad, eh!" After he'd eaten a bit in the establishment, Zhao Yanjin emerged from somewhere and found him.

Even Qin Zaixiong's rough face flushed slightly as he replied: "Excellent! Excellent! But tell me, how much does this sort of pleasure cost?"

"That's not for Brother Qin to worry about—just enjoy yourself to the full!"

"Have you finished eating?" Zhao Yanjin asked.

Qin Zaixiong nodded, and Zhao Yanjin waved his hand: "Good, then come with me!"

Qin Zaixiong was taken aback—perhaps his energy had been spent too freely and his mind had gone dull, for he didn't react in time: "Where are we going?"

"His Majesty is going to receive you!" Zhao Yanjin walked on ahead.

His face lighting up with joy, Qin Zaixiong hurried to follow: "And my men?"

"Someone will see to them!" Zhao Yanjin strolled along leisurely: "First we go to the Protocol Court. The palace has many rules—the etiquette for an audience with His Majesty must be learned first..."

After a flurry of activity, it was only once Qin Zaixiong had been delivered into the palace that Zhao Yanjin finally let out a breath. His task as "tour guide" was at last complete.

Zhao Yanjin's mood was now somewhat complicated. In the army, he had been tightly bound by military law and often found it dull. Whenever the chance arose, he'd wanted to go carouse in the markets with friends and comrades.

But this time—eating and drinking at public expense, no restraints, indulging in wine and women to his heart's content—after a few days, he found it all tasteless. Compared to lingering in such extravagance, Zhao Yanjin suddenly felt that going home to keep his wife company was more meaningful.

His old father Zhao Hui's health was also failing day by day. A wave of guilt surged over him, and without realizing it, Zhao Yanjin felt as though his thoughts and soul had been elevated.

Making him weary of fine food, fine wine, and fine women—could this, too, be the Son of Heaven's design?