The elder of Waguansi, Zhu Fatai, said, "May the Empress Dowager proceed to the Fragrant Accumulation Courtyard. Its spacious hall is quiet and secluded, suitable for the two patrons to debate."
Empress Dowager Chu instructed Huan Mi, General of the Central Army, "Do not stop any gentlemen or ladies who wish to listen to the debate."
Thus, the officials who had come to offer incense, including Wang Yun, a court secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, along with Wang Xizhi's wife Xi Xuan, Lu Na's wife Zhang Wenwan, Lu Weiwei, Zhang Tongyun, Xi Daomao, Zhang Mo, Chen Shang, Gu Kaizhi, Xu Miao, Liu Shangzhi, Wang Xianzhi, Xie Shao, Yuan Tong, Zhuge Zeng, Wen Lin, and Cai Xin, all came to the Fragrant Accumulation Courtyard. Empress Dowager Chu Suanzi sat on the Eight-Spoked Palanquin, with white gauze curtains hung to separate her from the others. The remaining women occupied the left side of the spacious hall, and the men the right. Sima Yu, Prince of Kuaiji, and Wang Biaozhi, Pushe of the Imperial Secretariat, also took their seats.
As they entered the Fragrant Accumulation Courtyard, Xie Daoyun said quietly to Chen Caozhi, "Zizhong, let us debate to our hearts' content today. Do not hold back out of courtesy. Whatever the outcome, there will be no regrets."
Chen Caozhi said, "I shall certainly give it my all. I hope you will do the same, Brother Yingtai."
Walking behind them, Wang Xizhi's wife Xi Xuan told her son Wang Xianzhi to call Xie Shao over and asked who Zhu Yingtai was. Xie Shao naturally said that she was a distant relative of the Xie Clan. Though Xi Xuan had some doubts, she never guessed that Zhu Yingtai could actually be Xie Daoyun. Ten years earlier, when Wang Xizhi had served as administrator of