Liu Cheng withdrew after accomplishing his task.
In the autumn days that followed, he went from the center of attention to a peripheral figure.
He still did his work and made his appearances. He could clearly sense that everyone's attitude toward him and opinion of him had risen another notch. Perhaps, coupled with the fact that he had married and begun establishing himself, no one saw him as a hanger-on who had forced his way into the circle of celebrated gentlemen anymore. Even the most arrogant grandees in Jiankang treated him as someone of consequence.
But he had, after all, lost most of the imposing air he had enjoyed while the fox borrowed the tiger's might.
Liu Acheng knew his own position well enough. He would certainly never again approach some grandee and feel his hand as though they were old acquaintances. If he tried it now and the man turned hostile and said he did not know him, what could he do?
When Yin Hao arrived, Liu Cheng merely hid in the back and watched him from a distance, with no intention whatsoever of going up to greet him.
But he did have to stay and see the formalities through, chiefly those concerning the betrothal.
He had spoken lightly that day about finishing everything in a few days, but in reality, a political marriage of this standing would take over a month just to get through all the preliminary ceremonies. And although the betrothal gifts were supposedly ready, some things still had to be made or purchased at short notice, including inscriptions engraved on the backs of bronze mirrors-"the young county princess of Kuaiji and the second young master of Jiangling," and so forth. All of that took time.
But that suited him well enough. He could simply treat