The City Rejoices, Praising the Marquis's Merits; All Officials Admire and Revere Yue Chong

With the marquis-enfeoffment ceremony concluded, Ying Zheng gave a sweeping wave of his hand and issued an order.

Today, the old palace customs would not be observed. Instead, a night banquet would be held in Wu'an City—"a celebration shared with the people."

The moment the decree was issued, Wu'an City became like cold water poured into a pot of boiling oil. The entire city erupted in roaring jubilation.

Before Jade Light Tower, the bluestone plaza vast enough to hold tens of thousands had begun bustling from dusk onward.

Disciples of the Mohist Pavilion directed the laborers as they arranged long tables along the bluestone patterns of the square, crisscrossing like a chessboard and stretching away like a long dragon.

The tables were draped in clean linen and laden with the finest delicacies Wu'an City had to offer.

There was also amber-colored strong liquor, jar after jar having its clay seals slapped open, its rich fragrance detectable from three streets away.

Commoners poured in from every direction, supporting the old and leading the young, shoulder to shoulder.

They wore their finest clothes. Though most were rough hemp garments, they had been washed spotless, and even their patches had been sewn neatly.

No one fought for a place, and no one shoved. Under the order maintained by the Blood-Clad Army, the crowd flowed naturally into the square like a stream, each finding their own seat.

On the ninth floor of Jade Light Tower, the carved beams and painted rafters blazed with light.

The gathered officials sat by the railings, their black robes and crimson garments taking on tranquil hues beneath the soft glow of electric lamps.

By lowering their heads, they could overlook the entire plaza and see the dense sea of lanterns and smiling faces below, like a field of stars.