An Jing picked up the tea her husband had poured for her and took a light sip. Only when it didn’t taste like dishwater did she continue to drink. If it were as bad as dishwater, she’d rather have plain boiled water.
The tea wasn’t anything special, but she found it drinkable, and that was all she asked for – she wasn’t so demanding.
In the center of Qian Wei Tavern, a stage was set up where the Speaking Master was narrating a story, the life and achievements of General Meng Zhan. When he came to the part about General Meng Zhan’s death in battle, the Speaking Master’s eyes turned red, and he seemed utterly unable to bear the sight of General Meng Zhan’s death, as though he was witnessing it firsthand.
The audience was deeply moved.
When An Jing heard about General Meng Zhan’s death in battle, she was quite touched. She too had sacrificed for her country. She could empathize with what General Meng Zhan must have felt at the moment of his death.
Xiao Changyi, seated beneath the table, just gripped An Jing’s hand tightly.
Feeling the pressure on her hand, An Jing immediately gave Xiao Changyi a big smile, signaling to her husband that all was well.
It was at that moment that the waiter brought their meal to the table.
Accepting the chopsticks Xiao Changyi handed her, An Jing was about to place a chicken leg in Xiao Changyi’s bowl when she heard the Speaking Master loudly proclaim, "Having finished with General Meng Zhan, let us now talk about the King of Eternal Victory!"
"Good, good, good!" a customer shouted thrice in excitement, "Hurry, tell us, we’ve all been waiting!"
"Exactly, exactly!" other customers echoed in agreement.
An Jing was momentarily startled, then continued picking up the chicken leg. As she placed it into Xiao Changyi’s bowl, she leaned in and whispered with a laugh to Xiao Changyi, "My dear, he’s talking about you."
Xiao Changyi didn’t say anything, but proceeded to pick up the other chicken leg from the pot and put it in her bowl.
They had ordered a meat dish which happened to be a stewed chicken. Upon opening the pot, an aromatic fragrance filled the air.
Grinning ear to ear, An Jing savored the chicken leg her husband had placed in her bowl while she listened with great interest to the Speaking Master recounting her husband’s past ’deeds’.
"Ten years ago, neighboring countries began to invade Xiyun Kingdom en masse. Within less than two years, they had occupied nearly half of Xiyun’s territory. Even when the Emperor personally led the army into battle, it was to no avail."
"At one point, the Emperor was heavily surrounded by enemy forces, on the verge of capture, and it seemed Xiyun was about to fall. That was when! An unknown soldier guarding the Emperor fearlessly cut a bloody path through the enemy and rescued the Emperor! Xiyun was given a new lease on life!"
"Back at the camp, the Emperor discovered that this unknown soldier not only possessed the courage of a myriad of men but also had the talent of a leader. Right then and there, he promoted this soldier to Commander in Chief, the highest military commander, in command of all the armed forces."
"True to expectations, the Commander in Chief won every battle he fought, striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, causing them to retreat again and again. Upon the Emperor’s return to the Imperial Capital, he promoted the Commander in Chief to General Long Sheng, the King of Eternal Victory."
"Two years ago, all lands that had been occupied by foreign nations were reclaimed by General Long Sheng. Xiyun Kingdom’s territory was once again whole. Even other countries began to seek peace on their own initiative, signing perpetual non-aggression treaties with Xiyun."
"With the triumphant return of General Long Sheng to the Capital, the Emperor, accompanied by civil and military officials, went out of the city to welcome him. Before the citizens of the Imperial Capital, the Emperor granted General Long Sheng the title of King of Eternal Victory, bestowing upon him the privileges of a Prince, exempting his lineage from death for seven generations!"
"Later, the Emperor acknowledged the King of Eternal Victory as his adopted son, bestowing upon him the royal surname ’Su’. He was granted the privilege to enter the palace without dismounting, to carry a sword in the Emperor’s presence, and to abstain from kneeling and bowing rituals. From then on, his popularity was unmatched!"