A lavish banquet was laid out in the General's Residence in Xi'an.
The guest of honor was Wei Nisheng, the Imperial Envoy dispatched by imperial decree. Every civil and military official in Xi'an was there to accompany him.
The generals Ma Tianlu, Han Biao, and He Yong, along with officials Dong Wenqian, Chen Shao, and the others, all sat at the tables.
Lamps and candles lit the hall, and wine cups crossed amid the bustle of the feast.
Everyone wore a heaped-on smile, some offering toasts, others serving food.
It was as though the hall full of "Three Unknowns" a few days earlier had never existed.
Their smiles floated on their faces but never reached their eyes.
Throughout the feast, each harbored his own concerns.
When the banquet ended, Xu Zhen rose and personally led Wei Nisheng aside. "Lord Wei."
"Today, I won't speak to you in official platitudes.
"I want to say a few words to you, straight from the heart."
"Please speak, General," Wei Nisheng said.
"Do you know, my lord..." Xu Zhen gazed at the wine in his cup.
"Back then, Gansu fell, and the Tangut iron cavalry swept east.
"The entire Court trembled. No one dared speak."
"It was Lord Feng!"
"Lord Feng stood against every objection and chose me to leave Luoyang and head west to stabilize the defensive line."
"At the time, I was nothing more than a frustrated general.
"Everyone at Court asked what qualified me to shoulder such a burden. It was Lord Feng who staked his own head before the emperor to vouch for me!"
"Without Lord Feng, this life of mine would have withered away ten years ago.
"How else could I be here today, commanding Xi'an and guarding this region?"
Xu Zhen's voice trembled slightly as he reached this