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墨書 Inktalez
The curfew was extremely strict these days, with the streets dim and closed off. It began at dusk and lifted at dawn, with the sound of drums echoing through the empty streets. Patrols were everywhere, and anyone caught violating the night ban, whether official or commoner, would receive twenty lashes.
Li Jian Cheng, being the legitimate heir of the Li Family, would not be beaten for breaking the curfew. However, he would certainly be advised to return home, and if he refused, he would be escorted back. If any conflict arose, both parties would end up receiving thirty strokes each.
Taking advantage of the time before the drums sounded, Li Jian Cheng led his servants toward the East Market. At this hour, street vendors were not allowed to sell their goods, so all commerce was concentrated in the two markets.
Occasionally, some small vendors would sneakily sell cheap trinkets in more remote alleys, but they had to be careful not to get caught and punished; it was not a significant operation.
The East Market was closer to Daming Palace, surrounded by residences of royal relatives. As a result, rare treasures gathered here, and most businesses dealt in high-end luxury goods.
For instance, they were headed to Cangxia Tower, owned by Prince Guangping Yang Xiong, one of the four nobles of the court. It was renowned for its beautiful scenery and expensive offerings—so much so that a single meal could nearly cover the cost of new winter clothes for half of a Duke's Residence's servants.
The East Market was enclosed by yellow earth walls and occupied about two blocks. Measuring approximately a thousand steps north to south and over nine hundred steps east to west, it had two gates on each side for merchants to come and go.
Upon entering, one could see shops lined up next to each other with merchants bustling about. The sounds of haggling filled the air as pedestrians brushed past one another in a sweat-inducing atmosphere.
Shops selling similar goods were grouped together in what was called a "hang," while warehouses for storing goods were referred to as "di." Within this market were two hundred twenty different trades, each surrounded by warehouses.
As they walked past iron shops, stationery stores, butcheries, fortune tellers, huqin sellers, donkey rental services, pipa players, and silk merchants, they finally arrived at the tavern district.
The first establishment they encountered was Cangxia Tower. Although Li Jian Cheng rarely ventured out, he immediately recognized the attendant welcoming guests at the entrance. After greeting him loudly, the shopkeeper came out to lead them inside.
"Rascal greets Li Langjun. The finest banquet has been prepared for you on the top floor; please ascend at your leisure."
Li Jian Cheng glanced at the sun and said, "We'll rest here tonight; make sure the rooms are warmed up in advance."
"Yes, my lord. Rest assured; I will make all arrangements properly and will not dare neglect such an esteemed guest."
Today was fortunate; no other princes or nobles had come to dine here; otherwise, it would have been difficult to secure a banquet on the top floor.
Cangxia Tower was composed of four buildings: East, West, South, and North, each three stories high, with the fourth floor facing each other. In the center was an open courtyard, connected by flying bridges and railings, allowing light and shadow to intertwine.
Li Jian Cheng leaned on the railing, gazing out at the evening glow on the horizon, which appeared dreamlike. Looking down, he saw peach blossoms in full bloom, radiant like clouds at sunset, making it hard to distinguish between heaven and earth.
Before long, Dou Dan and Yuan Shibin arrived. Li Jian Cheng stepped forward to greet them. One was the son of Duke Chen, Dou Kang, and the other was the son of Duke of Pingyuan, Yuan Chengshou.
Dou Kang was the current emperor's nephew and also a cousin of Li Jian Cheng's mother. Yuan Chengshou had an even more distinguished lineage as a sixth-generation descendant of Northern Wei Emperor Taiwu, Tuoba Tao.
As the youngest among them, Li Jian Cheng bowed respectfully and called them brothers. If they were to discuss seniority, it would become complicated; thus, they interacted as equals since their ages were not too far apart.
Dou Dan pulled Li Jian Cheng aside and said, "This is good. I was thinking you should be old enough to start working. I was worried that Duke of Tang might neglect his duties while governing."
"Even if Duke of Tang were to overlook things, Old Matriarch would not," Yuan Shibin replied with a smile. "Jian Cheng, tomorrow when you go to the court, follow me. The job of Bodyguard of the Thousand Cattle is simple but somewhat tedious. However, it has a decent rank. After a few years of service outside the palace, we can consider it a step into society."
After thanking them, Li Jian Cheng invited them inside to take their seats. The two did not hold back. Dou Dan leaned in and quietly reminded him, "Jishan has a proud temperament. With Duke Chu recently receiving good news, make sure to entertain him well."
"Thank you for the reminder, brother. I understand."
Soon after, Yang Jishan and Dugu Kaiyuan arrived. Yang Jishan was the youngest son of Yang Su and had always been doted upon. He was of similar age to Li Jian Cheng and merely raised his chin slightly when he saw him approach.
Dugu Kaiyuan was the eldest son of Duke of Zhao, Dugu Luo, making him the nephew of both the Queen and Li Jian Cheng's grandmother.
The reason he was only slightly older than Li Jian Cheng was due to his father's tragic early years; he had been held captive by Gao Huan of Eastern Wei for over twenty years while still an infant. He was released only after Dugu Xin's death but lived in hardship in Zhongshan without means to marry.
It wasn't until the establishment of the Sui Dynasty that Dugu Luo was brought back to inherit Dugu Xin's title as Duke of Zhao and enjoy a life of wealth.
Dugu Kaiyuan had a robust build but was exceptionally understanding. Upon seeing Li Jian Cheng, he said, "Why gather in such an extravagant place? We are brothers; we could just find a quiet tavern for a good meal together."
Yang Jishan interjected, "Enough with that talk! As the saying goes: one does not tire of fine food or delicate dishes. I know you care for Jian Cheng, but can he really be short on this meal?"
Li Jian Cheng laughed heartily, "Of course, it has been quite good. For the past six months, I have been staying with my mother at the Out-of-City Villa. Today, I finally returned to the capital and have not had the chance to gather with my brothers for a long time. I assure you, today's banquet will not be lacking."
He reached out to pull Dugu Kaiyuan closer. "Brother, you enjoy drinking. The Cangxia Tower has Yingzhou Fushui, Wu Chengruo Xia, Xingyang Earth Cave Spring, Fuping Shidong Chun, Jian Nan Shao Chun, and the nearby Tavern may not be as well-stocked."
The three of them entered arm in arm, while the other two rose to greet them, playfully exchanging a few jests before taking their seats at a long rectangular table adorned with a painting of celestial beings celebrating longevity.
Li Jian Cheng took the main seat at the head of the table, while the other four sat across from him. Their servants stood guard at the door, and soon enough, dishes and drinks began to flow in like a stream.
There was no need to mention the usual chicken, duck, fish, and shrimp; however, a tall-nosed and deep-eyed Barbarian led a half-grown lamb to the front of the hall. After bowing to the young nobles, he deftly flipped his hand and drew a narrow knife, skillfully slaughtering the lamb with smooth and elegant movements.
Once he had disassembled it, he left the knife on the lamb meat and stepped back to stand aside. Li Jian Cheng invited his brothers who had already tasted some appetizers, "Let us each take our favorites."
With great interest, they descended from the hall in order of age and took turns cutting off pieces of meat they deemed delicious from the lamb. The proportions of fat and lean meat were determined by themselves. A maid holding a silver platter stepped forward with colorful silk cloths to wrap up the chosen lamb meat before sending it to the kitchen for cooking.
After washing their hands in a basin, they returned to their seats where a perfectly roasted venison dish was already served alongside a small dish of apricot sauce.
At this time, it was fashionable to serve food in a communal style; however, aside from items like bread or soup that were shared among all diners, other dishes were portioned out by cooks or servants according to the number of people at the table—meaning that diners did not share meals at one table.
Everyone took their time savoring the delicious food and sipping fine wine without rushing into discussions. With curfew approaching soon, returning home through the streets was impossible; they would have to stay within East Market for an entire night filled with conversation.
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