They really were overheated.
This was almost the hottest stretch of the year, yet they had needed to hurry back at the speed of couriers. At a time like this, who would not want a mouthful of slightly cool vegetables mixed with tofu? And the melons and fruit kept in the stream.
Of course, watching them eat his family's tofu without a trace of the bearing of celebrated gentlemen-even Monk Zhi Daolin had thrown back his sleeves to dig in-Liu Acheng had something to say: now did they know how hard those couriers had it?
He showed not the slightest sympathy.
But they were all wolfing down their food. Who had the attention to spare for him?
Once his stomach was slightly distended and he had cooled down a little... though Xie An's eyes were no longer red, his expression remained grave. "Liu Yulong, tell me: why did you submit some 'Treatise on Lasting Peace and Order' in my name?"
"I didn't use your name." Liu Cheng spoke evenly. "I submitted it myself. It was just that, when I explained this 'treatise on peace and order' of mine to the Empress Dowager, the emperor, and the Prince of Kuaiji in the Eastern Studio, I specifically explained how my thinking had developed step by step... fleeing here, discussing the great currents of the realm with Liu Jili in a haystack below Flower Mountain over there, analyzing the situation in the north; carrying firewood to your house, where you asked what I thought of Liu Jili's strategy. I said we should expand north first, then move against the aristocratic clans, and you nodded..."
"I merely thought your method was somewhat better than Liu Jili's unreasonable headlong charge! I wasn't saying I agreed to dealing with the aristocratic clans!" Xie An truly was