The moment Duke of Gan's Mansion raised its flag, it was noticed by those with keen eyes.
—A Black Tortoise was embroidered upon the blue satin banner.
It was truly eye-catching.
On a nearby painted pleasure boat, several young gentlemen holding singing girls in their arms caught sight of the banner. After examining it briefly, one of them exclaimed:
"Why has someone from Duke of Gan's Mansion come as well?"
The butler waiting beside them took a closer look, thought back for a moment, and his expression changed slightly as he said:
"Young Master, it should be Duke of Gan himself."
"Oh? Old Duke Zhang?"
"It should be him."
"Young Master has forgotten. Some time ago, when Old Marquis Xiao held a grand banquet and invited many guests, Duke of Gan was among them."
The several young masters exchanged glances, suddenly finding even the singing girls in their arms no longer so comforting.
"Bad luck."
"This sort of lively affair ought to be for us young people. Yet he—"
"Quiet!"
"Careful, or the old man might hear you and punish you!"
"Fine..."
Naturally, Zhang Xuan heard some of those voices, but he had no intention of throwing his age around. He merely muttered:
"If this were Guangyue Prefecture, I'd skin that brat alive."
As he spoke, he looked at Xiao Yuan by the window and asked with a smile, "Old Xiao, yesterday you said you weren't coming. Why did you change your mind today?"
Xiao Yuan—Elder Master Xiao—drew back his gaze, returned to sit at Zhang Xuan's side, and said:
"I merely wished to see how capable the outstanding figures of Great Wei's Jianghu have become."
"Hm? You plan to recruit some people too?"
Zhang Xuan clicked his tongue in wonder. "You old fellow have finally come around."
"Back then,