"The banquet is on the second floor. Please follow me."
Zhao Xu went up the stairs. Someone had long been waiting there, with empty chairs reserved.
He looked around. Well now—Cui Zhaoqian, Xie Zhi, and He Yuduan were all present. They had practically invited half the Grand Secretariat.
"You finally made it."
Only now did the several Grand Secretariat ministers let out a breath of relief.
Candles burned before the hall, casting everything in clear light. Dishes covered the table.
"Peach blossom shrimp, Phoenix Tower shark fin, Mandarin duck chicken, five-treasure stew, golden minced ginger with jade fish slices, exquisite peony fermented fish, honey-glazed ham, First Rank tofu... Ha, quite a lavish spread."
Zhao Xu was not afraid of poison. Once seated, he picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
"This tofu is from Phoenix Tower. The craftsmanship is passable, but it definitely wasn't made by the head chef. The second chef made it."
"The Mandarin duck chicken was cooked decently, but it lacked a little flavor. It was reheated after going cold—at least half an hour had passed."
The prime minister took a bite, drank a cup of wine, then set down his cup.
"What exactly happened tonight? We have eaten the feast and drunk the wine. Can you speak now?" Zhao Xu and the ministers looked grave. They now knew these were not Zhao Xu's men, and that armored soldiers stood everywhere—they had been placed under soft house arrest.
"My lords, this matter truly has nothing to do with you. It would be best to play the fool and muddle through."
After thinking it over, Xie Hongdao still answered this way.
Seeing that he was not lying, Zhao Xu glanced around. The other prime ministers also seemed to have things they wished to say but held back.