After inspecting the ferry crossing's preparations for the following day's ceremony and meeting Yuan Zhen, Liu Cheng had intended to turn in early. Instead, Xi Tan came to invite him to a banquet.
At first, Liu Cheng had not intended to go. It was not that he was putting on mysterious airs; he had attended plenty of banquets lately and had already been busy all day. Missing this one would hardly matter. Besides, Yuan Zhen was bound to be the guest of honor tonight, and the two of them had already exchanged their views candidly, making it all the less necessary.
But Xi Tan actually sent someone a second time, saying there was something to discuss, and only then did Liu Cheng head over.
And sure enough, there really was something.
After three rounds of wine, the cups and dishes lay in disarray, and quite a few guests had left. At Xie An's urging, with Yuan Zhen and Xie Wan joining in, the rest trooped off to admire the moon beside the Huai River. Xi Tan seized the opportunity to invite Liu Cheng to sit beside him and brought up a matter.
"Guannu?" Liu Cheng looked thoughtful. "That is indeed a problem."
Wang Xianzhi had turned sixteen this year. After returning from Mount Tai the previous year, he had formally bound up his hair on coming of age, and Liu Cheng had sent him back to Kuaiji. Early this year, Wang Guannu had formally married his cousin Xi Daomao, and afterward, as a matter of course, official offers of appointment had begun arriving from all quarters.
But there was one small problem: Huan Wen's power and prestige had now grown immense. Xie An still held the title of Army Advisor on Huan Wen's Staff, Wang Tanzhi was serving as Chief