"The person who devised this method was a Director of Astronomy a thousand years ago. According to the records, he was a self-taught genius who belonged to no school or sect, yet made his name at a young age. After subduing a vicious ghost that had harmed a thousand people, he became unrivaled in renown among occult practitioners, and the emperor of the time appointed him Director of Astronomy. This emperor left no great achievements in the historical record; his reign was neither meritorious nor blameworthy, with only one matter drawing criticism. He had no biological children, and upon his death, the throne passed to a member of the imperial clan. Only after his successor ascended the throne did he discover that very little money remained in the emperor's private treasury. Modern people therefore jokingly called this emperor 'Big Spender.' But I digress. Returning to the Director of Astronomy, his name can no longer be traced. The book recorded only a few amusing anecdotes about him, saying that he was indolent by nature, never attended court, and never bowed to the emperor. Some condemned him as arrogant because of his talent, while others said he was simply uncontrived by nature. The Spendthrift Emperor paid no mind to this either, and often invited him to the palace to admire flowers and enjoy banquets. The Director of Astronomy avoided every other engagement he could, but was remarkably enthusiastic about feasts and attended every time." Lin Hanzhi paused, a hint of a smile touching his lips as though he were reading the document for the first time. "Thinking about it now, this Director of Astronomy was rather like you."
Qi Gu looked as though he had found a kindred spirit. "I wonder what ancient palace banquets tasted like."
Lin Hanzhi's smile deepened. "Shall