Chapter 53 The Merchants' Banquet: Hazard was very enthusiastic.
In mid-March, the caravan that the entire capital had been eagerly anticipating finally arrived.
The entire capital city suddenly became crowded, and the streets were filled with many distinctly unfamiliar and peculiar faces. There were tall men and women with snow-white skin, as well as merchants with shiny brown skin, grinning with white teeth and speaking broken Mandarin.
In the spring of the capital, the usually pale blue streets and alleys were adorned with many bright colors. The caravans and carriages were also different from those in the Southern Zhou Dynasty, painted with vermilion or dark purple dyes, making the capital, which had not yet entered summer, colorful early on. Perhaps it was because special spices were added to the dyes, that these people with different faces carried a novel fragrance as they passed by, and even the carriages and horses were imbued with the fragrance of the golden desert earth, and the scent of wood and leaves from the rolling mountains.
Even a gentle breeze blowing through the capital city can bring with it a lively and prosperous fragrance.
The Ministry of Rites arranged accommodations for larger caravans, but since most smaller caravans had a large number of people, they stayed in inns in the capital. The Ministry of Rites considered verifying and recording the number of people to be a very important task.
With over a thousand people flooding in, maintaining order became a significant issue, prompting the deployment of some Imperial Guards to manage the situation and increasing the frequency of daily patrols.
This means that Zhao Liangxu didn't see An He's shadow for a full half month until the official banquet for all merchants.
Although the name "Ten Thousand Merchants Banquet" contains the words "ten thousand merchants," implying great prosperity, the actual number of merchants in the caravan did not reach that figure. However, the arrival of over a thousand people was already a grand spectacle, and the thousands of treasures from outside Southern Zhou, to some extent, reflected the name.
Although most of the attendees were caravans, there were also some envoys from small states among the people coming to Southern Zhou. This group was the main guests at the banquet for merchants. Only the larger caravans were invited to participate, and most of them were seated at the lower end of the table. Zhao Liangxu and other translators from the Siyiguan (Foreigners' Bureau) who were forced into the role were assigned to accompany the caravan representatives as interpreters. The Siyiguan staff who were truly fluent in the language accompanied the Ministry of Rites to receive the envoys.
The banquet for all merchants was held in a very large empty hall. The seats for the caravan representatives were all near the entrance, while the emperor's seat faced the main entrance and was several steps higher than everyone else's, to show the majesty of the emperor.
Zhao Liangxu and another translator received a Persian couple.
The two men managed a sizable caravan; in other words, they were very wealthy.
Therefore, both of them were dressed in silk. The man wore a bright purple robe with a dark red shawl draped diagonally around his waist and secured with gold ornaments. The woman wore a dark purple robe of the same color, with two dark red silk fabrics of different colors crisscrossing over her shoulders and arms. One long belt, pinched into fine pleats, was draped diagonally over her right shoulder, while the other, slightly thicker, was draped over her left shoulder, covering half of her body. Both belts were also secured at the waist with extremely fine gilded chains.
Both the couple wore many glittering wide gold ornaments around their necks and arms. The difference was that the woman's face was covered by a thin veil, revealing only the upper half of her eyes, which were adorned with charming light purple eyeshadow, and a gemstone headdress hanging diagonally between her eyebrows.
Zhao Liangxu and her companion introduced themselves briefly in Persian and then led the Persian couple to their seats.
Hazard stretched out her hand, her arm emerging from under the left half of her robe. Zhao Liangxu then noticed that the undergarments on her two arms were slightly different. The left arm had a tighter design, perfectly outlining the curve of her arm. As a result, Zhao Liangxu saw that, unlike her slightly slender body wearing the outer robe, her arm had very smooth muscle lines.
"Is my Southern Weekly dialect correct? I tried to learn it on the way here. Can you understand it?" Hazard smiled through his veil, his eyes crinkling with anticipation and nervousness.
Zhao Liangxu snapped out of her daze. She hadn't expected the woman's Southern Zhou dialect to be so passable; Zhao Liangxu understood it without much difficulty. She nodded in response, "You speak very well, I..."
She was about to explain her initial question when Azar clasped her hands together and laughed excitedly, "That's wonderful! I was worried you wouldn't understand. Your Persian is excellent!" She then turned to another nervous translator and said, "Your is good too!"
Another translator was standing next to Benna. Benna hadn't said a word until now, so the other translator was quite relaxed, just listening to Hazar's excited chatter, just like Zhao Liangxu.
Hazard gripped Zhao Liangxu's hands tightly with his strong, bronze hands: "You are such a beautiful woman. You shouldn't be wearing this color. I think dark silk and gold would suit you better!"
Zhao Liangxu was wearing the official robes specially requested by the Siyiguan (Foreigners' Office), a dull blue round-necked robe with no hidden patterns. Normally, there were no restrictions on the color of clothing, as long as the style was the same, but today the Ministry of Rites uniformly required those accompanying her to wear blue official robes.
Azar produced a golden bracelet from who-knows-where and handed it to Zhao Liangxu, saying, "I can't understand the Southern Zhou language very quickly, but I'm very interested to know what your emperor said. This is a gift for you, and I'll be very grateful for your help!"
Hazard handed it to Zhao Liangxu, his eyes burning with desire: "You'll say yes, won't you? Please accept it, it's a perfect match for you!"
Before Zhao Liangxu could refuse, Hazard enthusiastically put it on for her.
She noticed that Hazar's husband was just smiling shyly and drinking silently. When his wife gave him a gift, he conjured a gold bracelet and handed it to the translator next to him. Hazar couldn't stop talking. She hadn't expected Zhao Liangxu to answer her initial question, but seeing that Zhao Liangxu seemed willing to answer, she took over the conversation and started talking non-stop.
The hushed conversations in the hall ceased only when the eunuch announced it in his high-pitched voice, and Anhe attended to Li Ying on either side.
Looking into the distance, Zhao Liangxu saw that An He was still wearing his dark gold python robe, the gold patterns shimmering in the candlelight. He stood beside Li Ying with a cold and aloof demeanor, holding his usual whisk.
Because of his hoarse voice, he didn't need to do the task of loudly announcing things. He only needed to stay by Li Ying's side, occasionally bending down to listen to what Li Ying had to say, maintaining an air of superiority, second only to the emperor.
Everyone in the hall stood up and bowed. When Zhao Liangxu looked up and glanced at the person at the head of the hall, her eyes met An He's for a moment before they looked away.
"Oh, we can eat everything on this table, right?" Hazard asked Zhao Liangxu in a low voice, pointing to the food on the table.
Zhao Liangxu nodded silently.
Hazard casually removed her veil, tucking a corner into a gold ornament in her hair, revealing a bright face that perfectly complemented her eyes. Bena, seemingly silent, was actually watching Hazard and Zhao Liangxu's interaction closely. Seeing Zhao Liangxu nod, he confidently picked up the food on the table and began to eat.
While eating pastries, Azar pushed the jade plate next to Zhao Liangxu and said in a low voice, "You're eating too? Aren't you allowed to? Is Southern Zhou so harsh on officials like you?" She looked at Zhao Liangxu with suspicion.
Their words, spoken from their positions, wouldn't actually reach Li Ying, so Zhao Liangxu replied, "No, we'll have a designated time to eat later." She pushed the jade plate back to Azar, "Besides, we're not officials, most of us aren't."
The table was set with nothing but fancy pastries and fruits. Banquets like the Wanshang Banquet were primarily social and diplomatic events. The merchants at the next few tables sat upright, while only Azhar's table was busy eating.
"Oh, I see." Hazard ate two pieces of pastry, and after tasting them, he finally quieted down for a moment.
Zhao Liangxu lowered her head and fiddled with the gold chain on her wrist. She found the Hazard couple to be unusually warm and interesting. She had thought that the two of them would have gleaming eyes and look like they were only interested in profit, but after such a short time, Zhao Liangxu really couldn't say that Hazard was a cunning businessman.
After a moment of silence in the hall, Li Ying's still somewhat immature voice pierced through the quiet air. He did not show any fear in front of so many people. His voice was clear and distinct, reaching everyone's ears. He said some polite words, and everyone stood up and raised their glasses. The envoys who were close to him spoke more fluent Mandarin and also said a few flattering words.
Next, the people at the banquet presented their country's treasures as if reciting a menu. After the envoys uttered a variety of auspicious words, there was singing and dancing.
"Did His Majesty the Emperor of Southern Zhou become emperor at such a young age?" Azhar asked Zhao Liangxu in Persian while drinking.
Zhang Changfei, who happened to be on the same side as Zhao Liangxu, heard this and choked on his own saliva, coughing repeatedly.
Even if the barbarians have learned etiquette, they still speak so arrogantly. How dare they ask about the emperor's affairs!
Zhang Changfei's violent coughing made Hazard turn her head to look. After a few glances, she suddenly realized: "Oh! This is a question that shouldn't be asked, right?"
Azar's curiosity hadn't subsided. She stopped asking about Li Ying and instead asked, "Is the person next to His Majesty the Emperor the 'Nine Thousand Years Old' that everyone in the capital talks about? I remember his name is... Anhe! My mother told me that in the Central Plains, there are many eunuchs in the emperor's palace, but my mother only heard about it from other merchants and my father. She only knows a little bit, and my father is always reluctant to tell me these things."
She tilted her head slightly, showing displeasure: "I always ask my father, but he says I shouldn't know these things. But he always arouses my curiosity. He says that the customs of the Central Plains are also very unique. He says that eunuchs are different from other people. You are from here. Do you know what makes eunuchs different?"
Zhang Changfei's cough worsened.
Azar's thick eyebrows furrowed as he asked, "Is this also a question that can't be asked? Father said that there are many eunuchs in the Central Plains court, a large group. They shouldn't be like His Majesty the Emperor, who is only one person, and there are many questions that can't be asked!"
Azhar, from Persia, doesn't currently display the cunning of a merchant, but possesses the same boundless curiosity as most members of the caravan.
Zhao Liangxu naturally wouldn't explain the differences between Anhe and Azar in detail. Before answering, she subconsciously looked up at Anhe. Through the veil, she met Anhe's gaze once again.
Anhe couldn't hear what Hazard was asking; his gaze was fixed silently on the person next to Hazard.
"He seems to have been looking this way for a while," Zhao Liangxu thought.
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Author's Note: This chapter features another brief appearance by Eunuch An, setting the stage for a tense and exciting duet.
Also, I have some terrible news: I only have one chapter left to write (sad). My new internship is from 9 to 10, and I get off work at 10:30 (according to my philtrum), but I will try my best to update daily. If I can't keep going, then we'll talk. [clown]
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