Inside the Bashang Military Camp, the atmosphere in the General Who Attacks the West's Central Army Hall was excellent, and most harmonious.
Huan Wen was discussing the situation with the envoys of Guanzhong's powerful local clans and making political promises. The envoys were putting on performances of tearful gratitude, making promises of their own in return, or failing to resist the urge to haggle;
At the two lowest seats, facing each other, Wang Meng, who had emerged from the mountains and eaten only a single flatbread all day, was slowly but resolutely catching lice and crunching them between his teeth. Opposite him, Liu Acheng, who had spent the entire morning studying Guanzhong noodle soup, was earnestly eating a bowl of it despite already being comfortably full. Each mouthful had to be thoroughly chewed seven or eight times before he swallowed;
Meanwhile, almost every Black-Clad Guard and accompanying adviser who could spare the attention was studying these two... At first, they thought Wang Meng was the fiercer one, since he was crunching lice as though no one else were present. Later, however, they began to feel that Liu Duhu, who could eat his noodles so earnestly while facing someone crunching lice, might be even more formidable.
But then again, once the man crunching lice realized this and still persisted so resolutely, it seemed that he was doing rather more than simply eating lice.
This time, a chess player had met his match, a general his worthy opponent!
What a shame Sun Sheng, Xi Zaochi, Xi Chao, and Fu Tao were absent.
At the head of the hall, Huan Wen patiently spoke at considerable length. Seeing Liu Cheng finish his noodles, set down his bowl, and slowly wipe his mouth, he picked up the pace, lest Wang Meng's mouth go numb.
Yet