Chapter 845: A Welcome Banquet to Wash Away the Dust

"Your Majesty, please do not do this—how could I dare accept such honor!"

In Wansui Hall, an imperial banquet was laid out, with all the high ministers and officials present, and the generals who had pacified Shu granted an audience. Before the assembled ministers, Liu Chengyou personally removed Xiang Xun's campaign robe, took his hand, and led him to his seat.

Faced with the Son of Heaven's condescending to show such overwhelming favor, Xiang Xun could not help but feel his heart surge with emotion—grateful, yet also flustered, repeatedly saying he dared not, all of which Liu Chengyou dissolved with gentle ease.

The civil and military officials present largely envied the Emperor's treatment of Xiang Xun, yet felt it only fitting—most believed that since the Son of Heaven had made this gesture, Xiang Xun, as the commander of the Shu campaign, deserved it.

As for the other senior generals, they too felt honored. If the Emperor treated their commander so graciously, it showed he recognized their achievements, and their conduct in Shu territory could be spoken of favorably—they could rest easy.

"I sit enthroned in the north, yet have taken all of Chuanshu—this is all the merit of Xingmin and his generals. Now that you have returned in triumph to the capital, it is only right that I personally attend to your armor, to express my gratitude!" Liu Chengyou said to Xiang Xun, who could hardly decline such hospitality, offering these words as reassurance.

Xiang Xun spoke with great tact: "This all relies on Your Majesty's heavenly might, the support of the wise ministers at court, and the united efforts of the officers and men. If all this honor were to be heaped upon me alone, I would not dare accept it!"

Hearing this, the assembled civil and military officials all showed satisfied expressions. Liu Chengyou could not help but laugh heartily, pointing at Xiang Xun and saying to those around him: "What is the flower of generalship? Xiang Xingmin is precisely that!"

"Ministers, I propose that sovereign and subjects raise their cups together, to toast the meritorious heroes who have returned from a hundred battles in pacifying Shu!" After all were seated, Liu Chengyou picked up his cup and said in a loud voice.

"Yes!"

"We thank Your Majesty!"

The senior generals of the southern campaign—Gao Huaide, Zhao Kuangyin, Wang Quanbin, Wang Renshan, Li Yan, Cui Yanjin, Zhang Yongde, Guo Jin, and others—were all present. For these pillar generals of the Great Han, Liu Chengyou naturally did not stint on praise, personally toasting each of them.

After Xiang Xun, the first among them was Zhao Kuangyin. After the campaign to pacify Shu, Zhao Kuangyin's bearing had grown even more formidable. Yet before Liu Chengyou, he remained restrained, every move and gesture radiating the air of "a loyal minister and good general, a talent of the state."

Liu Chengyou's tone was deeply moved as he said with feeling: "You directed operations with skill, commanded with composure. The eastern route army broke through enemy strongholds one after another like snapping rotten wood, drove straight in, and reached Chengdu with the speed of heavenly troops, forcing the Meng clan to surrender. In taking all of Chuanshu, you rendered great merit.

When treacherous rebels plotted sedition and disloyal subjects rose in revolt, you led your troops, braving cold and wind, to suppress the disorder and root out evil, restoring peace to the people—you rendered great service in this as well."

"Your Majesty overpraises me. The pacification of Shu and suppression of rebellion were all the direction of Your Majesty's long whip, the planning of the ministers, the overall command of Duke Xiang, and the devoted efforts of the officers and men. I merely performed my proper duty—how could I brazenly claim such merit!" Zhao Kuangyin's emotional intelligence was clearly no less than Xiang Xun's; faced with the Emperor's lavish praise, he too dared not accept it.

Unconsciously, it seemed, the marshals of the Great Han had all become modest and courteous, taking credit without arrogance, knowing when to advance and when to yield, understanding the times.

Liu Chengyou was naturally satisfied with this state of affairs, but his tone toward Zhao Kuangyin remained heavy. He even raised his cup with both hands to drink, then said gravely: "What weighs on my heart with guilt is that when Duke Guangyang of Zhao passed away, you were still pacifying rebellion in Shu, and I could not let you see his final face..."

In truth, in this era, for those who served as officials and generals, being far from one's parents on official business and unable to attend their deathbed was a very common thing—many only observed filial mourning after the fact.

Just as with Duke Jing Fan back then—when his old father died, he wept and resigned his post, hurriedly returning east to handle the funeral arrangements.

But at this moment, Liu Chengyou used Zhao Hongyin's death to express his guilt, as if he had done Zhao Kuangyin some great wrong. His primary purpose was still to bestow favor and display virtue.

And Zhao Kuangyin, hearing this, was visibly moved, his eyes slightly reddening. Zhao Hongyin had greatly influenced Zhao Kuangyin's growth, and the bond between him and his father was deep. The Emperor's attitude naturally moved him.

He drained his cup in one gulp, then prostrated himself—far more sincere than his earlier formalities—and said: "Your servant and my father have both deeply enjoyed Your Majesty's favor and been steeped in the state's grace. I can only devote myself utterly to Your Majesty's service until death!"

"Rise, Minister Zhao!" Liu Chengyou said, deeply moved, personally helping him to his feet.

Though there was some genuine feeling in it, the exchange between Liu Chengyou and Zhao Kuangyin did carry a strong whiff of performance. Liu Chengyou made his move, and Zhao Kuangyin, as his counterpart in the scene, received it perfectly—both putting on quite a show of acting.

The remaining generals, though not matching Zhao Kuangyin's "depth of feeling," all received personal toasts and conversations from Liu Chengyou, given full respect. Such things Liu Chengyou did often, long since skilled at them.

A welcome banquet personally hosted by the Son of Heaven concluded in an atmosphere of sovereign-subject camaraderie. Since there was a welcome, there was also a cleansing. In the Qionglin Garden there was an imperial bathing pool, which Liu Chengyou occasionally used for a romantic soak or two. After the imperial banquet ended, Liu Chengyou specially bestowed bath water to wash away their fatigue, and each man was also given a beautiful palace maiden to attend him—the kind one could take home.

The Han palace's resources of beautiful women were quite abundant. Over the years, the palace's complement of eunuchs and palace maidens had been slowly increasing, and by the tenth year of Qianyou, it numbered only slightly over five hundred. Most of the increase came from various powers offering tribute.

However, in this eleventh year, the palace's personnel swelled dramatically, mainly because after the destruction of Shu, the spoils of war were too rich. A large portion of the Shu palace's beauties and eunuchs, after examination, were transported north to the Han palace, becoming the private property of the Han Emperor.

Especially those little flower-bud ladies that Meng Chang had collected—Liu Chengyou accepted them all with a smile. Hmph, the beauties he had taken in were hardly limited to just the two consorts Xu and Li...

Of course, the vast majority of these women would never receive the Emperor's favor. And for these beauties, being bestowed as gifts upon generals or ministers was not necessarily a bad thing—leaving the palace for a high household, at least the status of a concubine was guaranteed, and at minimum they would not be slaves or maidservants.

As for the Emperor's generous treatment, the assembled generals and military officers naturally accepted with gratitude and delight—including Xiang Xun and Zhao Kuangyin, neither of whom refused the gift of beauties.

However, of the entire group, only Xiang Xun was kept behind alone by Liu Chengyou, and the two conversed in the inner bedchamber.

Behind a jade-inlaid painted screen, on a wide imperial couch, Liu Chengyou lay on one side and Xiang Xun on the other, both bare-chested, with two pretty-faced, skilled palace maidens kneeling beside them giving massages.

"Xingmin, you've been commanding troops and managing affairs in the southwest for nearly six years now, haven't you?" Liu Chengyou said with his eyes closed, enjoying the delicate hands working on his waist, back, and shoulders.

"Your Majesty's memory is excellent. Your old servant was appointed to take up his post in Fengxiang in the fifth year of Qianyou, after Your Majesty's triumphant return from the southern campaign. It should be about seventy months now!" Xiang Xun replied.

"Your memory is not bad either!" Liu Chengyou chuckled: "Hey, why have you also learned to call yourself 'old servant' like Fan and Wei?"

"Your servant is also approaching the age of knowing Heaven's mandate—my years are indeed no longer few. This time, receiving the edict to pacify Shu, I felt the weight of responsibility, as if bearing a thousand jun, and at times felt my strength unequal to my will!" Xiang Xun's words carried a faint air of decline, and his voice sounded aged.

Liu Chengyou sighed along with him: "Six years gone to the southwest, busy with military affairs, toiling over every matter personally—you have worked hard!"

"Your Majesty has given your servant the opportunity to render service and leave a name in history. I am grateful beyond measure—how could I speak of hardship!" Xiang Xun said.

"With Xingmin's talent, aspirations, and bold spirit, you deserve to be recorded in the annals of history, your name remembered for a hundred generations!" Liu Chengyou said.

"Your old servant would not dare accept such lofty praise!" Xiang Xun said modestly.

Liu Chengyou waved his hand, feigning annoyance: "Don't keep calling yourself 'old servant'—you, Xiang Xingmin, are not yet forty-seven, in the prime of your years. How can you speak of being old? Pacifying Shu is only the beginning. You are a pillar of the Great Han—there are still many places where you are needed!"

Clearly, Liu Chengyou had detected the self-deprecation in Xiang Xun's words.

After a moment of silence, Xiang Xun said: "Your servant truly is old..."