Under the gathering dusk, Chen Shang, Chen Caozhi, Shen Chiqian, and more than ten Shen Clan Private Soldiers left the Prince of Langya's Residence and rode toward Hengtang in the north of the city. Chen Caozhi wanted to visit Gu Minzhi at the Gu Residence first. Since coming to Jiankang in the second month of the previous year, he and his Third Brother, Chen Shang, had been staying there, and everyone in the household had treated them with great kindness. The Eastern Garden, the residence the Chen Clan was building beside the Qinhuai River, had been completed two months earlier, but Gu Minzhi had still kept Chen Shang at the Gu Residence, saying there was no hurry to move until Chen Caozhi returned from his diplomatic mission and brought the women of the family from Qiantang to the capital. This time, however, Chen Caozhi had returned with too many followers: Ran Sheng had twenty soldiers, Shen Chiqian had sixteen private soldiers and several servants, and there was also Ding Licheng's household of nine. Large though the Gu Residence was, it could not accommodate so many people. Ran Sheng had therefore already taken his soldiers to the Eastern Garden, purchased simple bedding, and borrowed two cooks and two kitchen maids from the Gu Residence to prepare their meals there-
Gu Minzhi was delighted to see Chen Caozhi and immediately ordered the kitchen to prepare food and wine to entertain him. Ding Licheng was also asked to stay for the evening banquet. Over the meal, Gu Minzhi naturally asked about the mission to the Northern Lands. Chen Caozhi spoke only of defeating Dou Tao in debate, battling the scholars of Di Qin with words, and escaping his predicament in Ye City by exploiting the conflict between Murong Ke and Murong Ping. He