"He truly was impressive."
Zhang Hua sat before Cao Mao, his thoughts seemingly still back at the Imperial Academy, and could not help voicing his admiration.
Guo Ze nodded as well.
Their horizons truly had been broadened.
Cao Mao looked far more relaxed. He smiled and said, "Anyone capable of founding a school of thought is naturally impressive."
At that moment, they were sitting in the Gao Family Restaurant that Cao Mao always liked to visit.
The restaurant's owner had bought the house to the left, knocked through the walls between the two houses, hung a sign outside, and added more seating. The place was quite lively.
The man dressed differently now, too. He no longer wore his old farmer's clothes and looked increasingly like a merchant. Nor were his children the ones bustling about anymore; he had hired two serving boys.
More people came here now, people of every description.
Cao Mao looked at all this with a great sense of accomplishment.
What he wanted was not merely an increase in the imperial court's tax revenues. He wanted even more to improve the common people's quality of life.
Judging by the present situation, at any rate, the quality of life of Luoyang's inhabitants had clearly improved considerably.
Their having money to spare for meals at a restaurant proved that.
Just then, a party of travel-worn men entered the restaurant.
Their arrival instantly silenced the previously bustling restaurant.
The newcomers wore peculiar hairstyles, and their clothing and appearance were entirely different from those of people from the Central Plains.
But they were not Xiongnu. They wore animal pelts around their necks, which differed from Xiongnu attire.
The moment they appeared, Zhang Hua could not help saying, "Xianbei."
Cao Mao was somewhat surprised. This was his first time seeing Xianbei, and