Chapter 22 Banquet
Those who came today were either his students or old friends, relatives, nephews and nephews. Yang Su sat calmly on the couch waiting for everyone to come forward and pay their respects in turn. As the Shangzhuguo Shangshu You Pushe Duke of Yue of the Sui Dynasty, his status was enough to act so domineeringly.

Li Jiancheng followed Dou Dan, Yuan Shibin and others forward, bowed and greeted them, and was about to leave when Yang Su called him, "Young Master Li, please stay for a while."

Li Jiancheng stopped when he heard that. The originally noisy hall suddenly became quiet for a moment. He felt countless gazes coming at him from the front and back.

Most people knew him. In the past two months, Li Jiancheng had been the topic of conversation for many people in the capital, but most of them were just jokes. It was not until he dared to say to Qigong Gao Zuo's face that the only thing he owed was death that some praise came out.

Of course, it was not to praise Li Jiancheng sincerely, but just to use him to belittle Gao Zuo. The Princess of Qi had been in power for many years, not only blocking the way for others to rise, but also demoting and suppressing many people.

They did not have the courage to confront Gao Zuo face to face, but they were brave enough to take advantage of others by saying a few words. When the matter was spread around, it was reported that Li Jiancheng had scolded Gao Zuo in front of the emperor and empress, and Gao Zuo was so ashamed that he knelt down and apologized.

Some of Gao Zuo's disciples also scolded Li Jiancheng as a young boy who had done nothing for the country, but relied on his birth and the protection of the empress to be rude to the prime minister. He should be dismissed from his post and demoted back home to study etiquette.

Similarly, these people did not dare to scold Li Jiancheng in front of him. Not to mention that even though the Li family was skinny, they were still cannibals. They still had some old friends, relatives, and aristocratic families in the army. The queen and the old lady of the Li family were still there, so they were not people that officials could afford to offend.

If these noble relatives are really spoiled, what can we do if we beat them in the street and then chase them home and beat up their fathers and sons together?

Didn’t you see that the emperor was furious a few days ago and only gave them a slight punishment? If it were them, they would probably have been beaten to death in court by His Majesty himself.

The Wuchuan nobles have their roots entwined with the country and the people. They can be suppressed slowly, but they are not so easy to cut off.

Soon the noise started again, but everyone's peripheral vision was focused on this side. Li Jiancheng turned around, met Yang Su's gaze, and bowed, saying, "I wonder what the Duke of Yue has to say."

Yang Su looked at him for a moment and said, "Since you said that the Duke of Qi only owes death, what do you think of me today?"

Everyone present was a little surprised. They thought that the Duke of Yue was going to take the opportunity to praise the younger generation and belittle the Duke of Qi. They didn't expect that he was trying to make things difficult for them.

Li Jiancheng was also somewhat puzzled but that did not stop him from answering: "I said that the Duke of Qi owed only death because Zuo Pushe had already achieved outstanding achievements and held a high position among the ministers, and was rich and powerful, with a wife and children, and all the aspirations of a man in his life were fulfilled. The Empress asked what the reward should be, and I dared not avoid the answer, so I answered.

"Chengcheng is just a junior who has done nothing for the country and has not helped the country. It is too late to regret expressing my shallow and humble opinions. How dare I say anything more? I hope Duke Yue will not embarrass me."

Yang Su asked a few more questions, but Li Jiancheng kept his head down and belittled himself, refusing to say anything else, which made the people who were listening attentively feel a little disappointed.

Everyone has heard that Li Jia Dalang was a man who dared to disobey the emperor's order and persuaded Duke Qi to die in person. He was the queen's favorite and was a spoiled and domineering person. Unexpectedly, he was very honest today and even looked a little timid.

After a while, Yang Su couldn't bear to delay the banquet for one person any longer, so he let Li Jiancheng go and take a seat.

Li Jiancheng looked relieved, but he was gnashing his teeth slightly. He had already realized that Yang Su was just being pretentious. He wanted to bring down Gao Zuo, but he didn't want to see his opponent, who had suppressed him for more than ten years, being commented on by a child.

Such a straightforward question was of course intended to embarrass him in public. No matter how Li Jiancheng answered, it would be wrong. This was Yang Su's residence, and there was no empress watching over him, so he did not need to be as restrained as Gao Zuo. It was better to be self-deprecating than to be stepped on in public.

But after a moment, Li Jiancheng adjusted his mentality. Yang Jian could tolerate Gao Zuo for more than ten years, so how long could Yang Guang tolerate Yang Su after he ascended the throne?
He came here originally to reward Yang Su for his service as a loyal follower of the emperor, to promise him the position of Zuo Pushe, the highest position among the ministers in Jin, and to lead the already prominent Yang family into a prosperous situation.

It's just a little difficult now, it's nothing.

Although Yang Guang was a prince, he was able to remain patient and restrained, so naturally Li Jiancheng could do the same. They all wanted that position, so it was not shameful at all.

After everyone was seated, nearly a hundred glamorous dancers with pearls and jade on their heads appeared in the originally empty hall, and there were two maids in green clothes behind each table to serve wine.

Dozens of musicians appeared outside the south wall, playing the konghou, pipa, five-stringed instrument, sheng, flute, xiao, and bixiao, as well as the maoyuan drum, dutan drum, dala drum, waist drum, jie drum, jilou drum, and cymbals.

Amid the gentle dance and music, all kinds of fine wines and delicacies were served one by one. When everyone raised their glasses, the dance and music began to change. "Indian Music" is a graceful dance dedicated to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and its melody and dance moves are very impressive.

The "Kucha Music" from the Western Regions is exciting. Led by the Hu woman, the dancers begin to dance lightly, with expressive movements such as snapping fingers to beat the rhythm, moving necks and heads, and spinning techniques as fast as the wind.

Later on, there were dances and music from foreign regions, such as "Goryeo Dance", "Wenkang Dance" and "Anguo Dance". Apart from the imperial palace, perhaps only the Duke of Yue's Mansion had such a complete orchestra and dancing girls.

At this time, Yang Su had finished talking with the distinguished guests sitting on the bed and distributed the interests of each family. Then he walked down from the wooden couch, came to the guest table, raised his glass to drink, and enjoyed the dance and music together.

After the dancers left, Yang Su said to Xue Daoheng, the Minister of Internal Affairs, "Would you please drink this cup to the full and sing another song for me?"

Xue Daoheng was nearly sixty years old but still had a full head of black hair. He stood up and said, "The host is offering wine, and I will not refuse. But will the host sing first?"

Yang Suman drank from his cup and sang: "Living in the mountains, I am surrounded by obstacles on all sides. Wind and clouds come all day and night. Ancient trees lie across deep streams, and secluded rocks lie on empty rocks. The sun rises over distant peaks, and the birds scatter in the empty forests. ... When the sun sets, I see the lonely mountain, and I look out at the birds in the wind."

When the song was over, everyone clapped and cheered. Xue Daoheng praised and then offered a toast. Yang Su drank with one hand and grabbed his arm with the other, saying with a smile: "If you offer me a drink, I won't refuse. Please sing, don't be late!"

Xue Daoheng immediately sang loudly: "Weeping willows cover the golden embankment, the leaves of the mugwort are in full bloom, the water overflows the lotus pond, the flowers fly along the peach and plum paths, the Qin family's daughter picks mulberry leaves, the Dou family's wife weaves brocade, the playboy bids farewell to the mountain pass, the wind and moon stay in the empty room... Once she leaves without any news, how can I cherish the horse's hooves."

After a song was over, they drank wine together. Yang Su invited people to sing and drink together. If someone was not good at singing the lyrics, they didn't have to be afraid. They just had to drink five full cups, take off the pearls and jade ornaments on their body and give them to the maid who served wine, and she would sing for them.

The singing rose one after another, blending with the music in and out of the hall, creating a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

...............

(End of this chapter)