"Abbot, we are barely able to save ourselves, how can we possibly save you?"
Looking at the abbot who was pleading for his help, Hachi couldn't help but say dejectedly.
The abbot hurriedly said, "Aren't you acquainted with that Xi Zhicai? He is the emperor's confidant. If he is willing to speak up for us, we will be safe!"
"What? He's one of the Emperor's confidants?"
Hachi and the others were slightly taken aback, as they had not expected Xi Zhicai to have such a high status.
"Yes, please, three masters, have mercy on us and save us!" The abbot looked at Hachi and the other two with a pleading expression.
Although the abbot did not know what Xi Zhicai had said to Hachi and the other two, he could tell that as long as Hachi and the others were willing to say a word, Xi Zhicai would definitely help them.
Samo said with a look of interest, "Hachi, why don't we... why don't we just do as the abbot says!"
“The three of us came here with high aspirations, but not only have we accomplished nothing, we have also suffered this calamity. If we were to die like this, I would be truly unwilling!” Sijia chimed in.
Samo continued, "That's right. Those guys from the Ancestral Court have always regarded us as heretics. Even if I die, I want to die fighting against them, not die here in misery!"
Hearing their advice, Hachi's face showed a hint of reluctance.
After a moment's thought, Hachi nodded: "You're right. Although we failed in the Han Dynasty, we must let those people in the Ancestral Court know that the reason for our failure is not us. Otherwise, even if we meet Buddha, we will never be able to hold our heads high again!"
Upon hearing this, Samo and Sigah nodded in agreement.
Although they spoke with great righteousness, no one knew what they were really thinking.
But one thing is certain: they don't want to die, or rather, they don't want to die in the Han Dynasty.
Then, Hachi called over a jailer and handed him the letter that Xi Zhicai had thrown at him.
The jailer didn't make things difficult and quickly sent someone to inform Xi Zhicai.
Before long, Hachi and the other two were led out of the prison and into the back hall of the Luoyang government office.
Upon entering the inner hall, Hachi and his two companions saw Xi Zhicai sitting behind a table.
Opposite Xi Zhicai, there were three tables, clearly prepared for the three of them.
On the table were some food and a pot of fine wine, but all the food was meat.
Seeing Hachi and the other two walk in, Xi Zhicai stood up and smiled slightly, then pointed to the three tables.
"Please have a seat, three guests!"
"Thank you so much, Director!"
Hachi and the other two abandoned the wai (hands together in prayer) and instead bowed to Xi Zhicai according to conventional etiquette.
They knew that by coming here today, they had completely bid farewell to their identity as monks.
After taking his seat, Xi Zhicai raised his wine glass and looked at Hachi and the other two: "Prince Hachi, this is a rare delicacy of our Han Dynasty. I would like to offer you a toast!"
"In that case, it would be impolite of me to refuse!"
Hachi smiled and obediently referred to himself as Little King, but there was a hint of bitterness in his smile.
"Cough cough~!"
As soon as the glass of liquor went down his throat, the pungent taste of the strong liquor caused Hachi's face to flush red, and he couldn't help but start coughing violently.
It took a long time before she stopped, with two lines of tears still hanging from the corners of her eyes.
"Ah~, I've just tasted the fine wine of the Han Dynasty for the first time, and I lost my composure for a moment. I hope the master of the theater will forgive me!"
Hachi wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and bowed apologetically to Xi Zhicai.
Xi Zhicai smiled and waved his hand: "It's alright. Everyone who tries this wine for the first time is like this. You'll get used to it!"
As he spoke, Xi Zhicai poured himself another full glass, then looked at Samo and Sijia: "You two should also have a taste!"
"good!!"
The two men also raised their glasses and drank them down in one gulp. Although their faces were also flushed from the spiciness, they did not lose their composure like Hachi.
Then, Xi Zhicai pointed to the dishes in front of the three men and said, "These are rare delicacies from our Great Han Dynasty. Please have a taste!"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Director!"
As the three thanked him, they picked up their chopsticks, took a piece of meat, put it in their mouths, and began to chew.
Now that we've already drunk the wine, we don't care about eating one more bite of meat.
As the three chewed, their expressions changed constantly, from initial discomfort to surprise, and finally to enjoyment.
The reason is simple: the meat is just too delicious.
After finishing one piece, the three of them, without waiting for Xi Zhicai to call them, immediately picked up another piece and put it in their mouths.
At this moment, in their eyes, no rules or regulations, no so-called Buddhist teachings, are as important as the delicious food in front of them.
Seeing this, Xi Zhicai, who was sitting opposite, couldn't help but smile and nod.
Afterwards, Xi Zhicai continued to toast the three of them, and Hachi and the others put aside all their reservations and responded to Xi Zhicai.
Soon, after several rounds of drinks and dishes, Hachi and his two companions were quite tipsy and began to speak incoherently.
"Haha~, Master of the Play, to be honest, I've lived most of my life and this is the first time I've tasted such sweet wine and eaten such delicious food. It's truly been a worthwhile life!"
Hachi, who was already slurring his words from drinking, began to refer to himself as the "Little King," effectively relinquishing his identity as a prince of the Kushan Empire.
Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "Prince Hachi is an honored guest of our Great Han Dynasty. These fine wines and delicacies will naturally be plentiful in the future!"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
