Zhang Xu kept cajoling him.
Wen Xunpeng listened to the teasing without a word. Once his wine was gone, he picked up the jug and poured himself more, smacking his lips over a bite of food, then taking a loud sip of wine. Had others not seen Wen Xunpeng in his destitute days, they might have thought he was living like this of his own accord.
"Come, I'll raise a cup to Brother Wen. May every year be like this year, every day like today." Zhang Xu could not bear the sight any longer and raised his cup, speaking words that were hard to tell whether they were envy or mockery. Before he had finished, a woman's scream came from outside the courtyard.
The next moment, several people cried out in alarm, followed by a burst of commotion.
What had happened?
The advisers present, including Wen Xunpeng and Zhang Xu, all stood up in shock. The musicians stopped playing, while the dancers and maids looked over uneasily.
"Ah!" The next instant, a maid in a goose-yellow dress screamed at the doorway. The tray in her hands fell straight to the ground, fruits rolling everywhere. Her face had gone deathly pale as she stood trembling where she was.
At this sight, the advisers could no longer restrain themselves and hurried outside.
At the entrance to this courtyard, they stopped and saw two Residence guards dragging a blood-soaked person along the road not far away.
The person, limp as a dead dog, was clearly already dead. Dragged along without moving, he left a long trail of blood behind him. The stench of blood filling the air was enough to make one vomit.
"Th-this is Wang Xuan, isn't it?" Someone with sharp eyes recognized the corpse and cried out hoarsely, disbelief thick in