A thousand rivers held water, and a thousand rivers held the moon; the same rice raised a hundred kinds of people. Calamus River might no longer be the place of drunken extravagance and glittering nightlife it once was, but it remained Calamus River in the Great Li Capital City. It was like a naturally beautiful woman in dazzling makeup who had merely washed away a little powder and rouge. Having drunk on Calamus River was still the best proof countless outsiders could offer that they had visited the capital.
Like rich country bumpkins showing off in town, the guests at this table had only one request: replace their wine cups with bowls.
With the moon so close to his waterside tower, Hong Ji asked over drinks about the Sword Qi Great Wall. Perhaps because he had drunk some Shao Jiu, the young National Teacher who had served there as the last Yin Guan was in a talkative mood. He spoke of many names Hong Ji had never heard and told story after story of drinking and drawing swords. Guo Zhujiu, a native sword cultivator, was comparatively quiet. When she did speak, it was to ask or confirm someone's identity or whether some incident had really happened. It seemed she knew less about her homeland than her master did.
Hong Ji had only just passed fifty, yet he had already held the Northern Yamen for years. He was a powerful Great Li official trusted by the emperor, and now the new National Teacher valued him as well. In this bout of "killing with a borrowed blade," he had thrown the entire capital officialdom into a panic, sending its dregs flying. Once the dust settled, Hong Ji would surely receive compensation. By the time His Majesty returned from Northern Juluzhou, having concluded