On the night of the sixteenth, the moon was still round. Having heard of unusual movements in Xingyang, Yao Xiang was eating in Chenggao.
This year's newly harvested wheat had been ground into coarse flour and made into dough-flake soup, with a little lard and a whole pheasant leg added. Eating it left his head streaming with sweat in the early winter weather, while several of his brothers and his brother-in-law ate heartily beside him with their heads down.
Right before his dining table lay seven or eight letters of varying ages, paper quality, sizes, and lengths, now stained with soup.
After three large bowls of dough-flake soup in one sitting, this Great Chanyu of the Shijiazhuang Qiang finally breathed out a white cloud and put down his bowl. He was in no hurry to do anything, merely looking around at his relatives still eating. Only when they had finished did he nod in satisfaction and speak with a smile. "All right, if you've eaten your fill, go out and look around. See how the other brothers are eating and check the weapons. I need to talk with the chief clerk and the others."
Everyone promptly assented, then rose, took up their weapons, threw on simple outer garments, and went outside.
"Chang, stay." The Great Chanyu singled out one man again.
Yao Chang immediately turned back, wiping his mouth as he stood to one side with a hand on his saber.
Soon, after most had left, only four people remained in the room-Yao Xiang, Yao Chang, Wang Liang, and Xue Zan.
Leaving the first two aside, of Yao Xiang's four principal staff members-Wang Liang, Yin Chi, Quan Yi, and Xue Zan-only two now remained. Among them, although Xue Zan was highly capable, he had always been somewhat different from the