In Humble Heart Garden within Imperial Emperor City, beneath the old peach tree, the golden crow was sinking in the west and dusk was drawing near. Of the pot of cloudy wine, without anyone noticing, only one-third remained...
Xuanyuan Hill was vast. At this moment, the swans in the sky had yet to reach Golden Power Market, and Han Yuanhong, within Ten Thousand Treasures Garden, had yet to hear the clamor coming from outside the marketplace.
Meng Shidao and Han Zhengfang sat on opposite sides of the stone table, drinking and talking.
That so-called stone table was not truly a table at all, but two long-abandoned stone millstones in the garden.
The edges of the millstones had worn away, while their central grinding holes had long been clogged with debris. The lower millstone rested close to the ground, its base already blanketed in green moss. In even a moderately wealthy household, such things would have been discarded like worn-out shoes, yet in Humble Heart Garden, the Grand Tutor used them as a stone table for receiving guests. In all Imperial Emperor City, the number of people fortunate enough to sit beside these millstones could be counted on one hand.
The position Grand Tutor Meng might assume in the future was likely that of Grand Minister of Agriculture, one of the Three Excellencies.
As he spoke and drank with the Grand Tutor, Han Zhengfang gradually developed a feeling. During their conversation today, nearly everything that interested the Grand Tutor concerned the various aspects of Great Xia's economy under Han Zhengfang's administration at the Office of the Grand Minister of Agriculture.
The Grand Minister of Agriculture oversaw Great Xia's nationwide civil administration. To the Crown Prince, who acted as regent, this post offered the greatest assistance and was best suited to helping