Wang Tai personally took up the pot and poured tea for Wang Yang. "Serving you this tea is truly neglectful of me, Zhi Yan! Unfortunately, I have no fine tea here, so you must put up with it! How shameful, how shameful!"
Wang Tai shook his head and sighed softly, his remorse plain on his face.
"How about this? Once we return to Jiankang, I shall prepare the finest fragrant tea from Yizhou to make amends for today's poor hospitality!"
Wang Yang hastily put on a look of apprehension. "Sir, how could this junior possibly deserve such treatment?!"
"You deserve it, you deserve it! Zhi Yan, you are a gifted scholar of our age, the makings of a chief minister! How could common tea be worthy of you?! I only fear that once you soar straight into the clouds, you will no longer care to drink tea with me!"
The makings of a chief minister?
I discussed the classics and metaphysics and wrote two sets of song lyrics, and that makes me chief minister material?
Even if my discussion of northern and southern offense and defense at Yu Yi's house reached Wang Tai's ears, it would amount to no more than a policy essay surveying the landscape from lofty heights. How does that make me chief minister material? He's trying to hoodwink me like some foolish boy!
Wang Yang's thoughts shifted slightly. He gave a shudder, hurriedly rose, and repeatedly protested that he dared not accept such praise:
"Sir, your words truly heap more honor upon this junior than he can bear!!! My nature is crude, my talents and knowledge ordinary. I merely hunt out passages and pluck phrases, reciting texts and studying commentaries, and have luckily acquired an undeserved reputation. How could I deserve such extravagant praise from you?!