Peng Zun and the noble scions looked down their noses at the eunuchs, but could not be bothered to speak to them again.
Before long, the Imperial Guards escorted them to Shanglin Garden.
On reflection, that made sense.
However much King Zhou wanted to win over the nobles, he could not let them openly live in the royal palace. After all, there were still many consorts in the Imperial Harem.
The newly built Shanglin Garden was a fine destination, with all manner of exotic flowers and rare plants, a magnificent layout, numerous halls and chambers, and the flowers and ornamental stones collected from across the realm through the Flower and Stone Transport for their enjoyment.
Given King Zhou's playful nature, they probably were not going to be his study companions at all, but his playmates.
They would merely spend each day playing football or watching cockfights with King Zhou. Who in Chaoge did not know that, aside from holding court once every three days, King Zhou spent his time amusing himself?
King Zhou's policies were good enough to earn him the title of an enlightened ruler, but this one habit drew criticism. However beneficial they might be to the country, playing football and watching cockfights still set a terrible example.
Peng Zun felt that King Zhou would give him an important role, because ever since football had become popular, he had fallen in love with the pastime and deliberately practiced his footwork.
Soon, they arrived at Shanglin Garden. A tributary of the Qi River flowed into the garden from outside and out again, winding and curling through its grounds to create a scene of distinctive elegance.
Fei Zhong appeared before them and began handing out identification tokens according to the list of study companions the nobles had previously supplied.
Peng