"Hahaha!"
Liu Ling led the laughter. Taking Lü An's hand, he pulled him back into his seat and said, "Master Lü, such alarmist talk! Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd taken a dose of powder!"
"How could the Grand General not understand these principles you speak of? I hear Lord Wang serves as His Majesty's tutor and lectures him every day. His Majesty is naturally bright; his learning may well be no less than yours!"
Liu Ling swiftly helped Lü An out of his predicament. Only then did Lü An realize he had gone a little too far, and he offered no further advice.
The others hurried to change the subject as well, steering the conversation toward wine and poetry.
Ji Kang said nothing. He simply picked up the wine before him and began drinking deeply.
More and more distinguished scholars arrived.
Everyone Sima Yan had previously befriended came, without a single exception. One after another, they paid their respects to Cao Mao and introduced themselves.
The gathering grew larger, but unfortunately, not a single true heavyweight of the Imperial Court had appeared so far.
Cao Mao's invitations had already gone out, but none of them seemed inclined to attend.
Neither Wang Xiang nor Sima Fu had appeared.
The eunuchs came and went constantly, bringing word from those distinguished men. The ministers had all politely declined His Majesty's kindness.
This seemed to demonstrate the weight this emperor of Great Wei carried in the hearts of the court ministers: not one important minister was willing to attend Cao Mao's banquet of his own accord, even with Sima Yan as one of its hosts.
Had Cao Mao bypassed Sima Yan and Zhong Hui and issued the invitations alone, even the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove would probably not have