Chapter 5: The Golden Age (V)

The deserts were filled with biting cold, and the frontier echoed with the sounds of drums and horns.
Such a life was steeped in endless suffering, hardship, and tears of blood.
Yet they still had to fight—to prevent their homeland from being engulfed in war and chaos, to stop foreign invaders from trampling upon the land of China.
Such emotions were beyond the understanding of the princes, generals, and nobles in the imperial court; such loneliness was incomprehensible to those dressed in fine robes.
But what did it matter?
The soldiers of the Copper Military Camp and the descendants of the Tang Dynasty from the Zhenwu Camp understood—they knew! They drew their swords to protect their wives, children, relatives, and friends. Wasn’t that enough?
You can never impose your own moral standards on others; as long as you live up to your conscience, that’s sufficient.
“Little Seventh Brother, welcome home!”
Chen Xiaoliu opened his arms, welcoming the hero back in a manly manner.
“Seventh Brother, welcome home!”
“Welcome back!”
Su Jinghong, the eldest son of Su’s rice shop, bowed to him, while Hao Yihao from Hao’s silk shop gave him a formal salute. At that moment, the young man felt that all his efforts and hardships over the past year had not been in vain!
“Seventh Young Master, the carriage is ready. Shall we go?”
Zhang Fu, Zhang Yanji’s personal servant, gritted his teeth before stepping forward to “ruin” such a harmonious atmosphere.
“Mm.”
Li Kuo nodded and said to his friends, “Yanji has arranged a banquet in Beili to welcome us back. If anyone is free, let’s go and enjoy it together.”
“That sounds great. I’ve been exhausted from handling business these past few days. This is a perfect chance to relax.”
The eldest Su son waved his folding fan, complaining about his troubles.
“My father happens to be in Zhouzhi handling some business, so I have some free time.”
Hao Yihao naturally wouldn’t miss such an opportunity and quickly agreed. Although his family was wealthy, places like Beili were difficult for ordinary people to access.
“Look at you all—each one more eager than the last when it comes to banquets,” Chen Xiaoliu said, annoyed by their eagerness.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Li Kuo replied, stepping in to save Su and Hao from embarrassment.
The two young masters immediately praised him, “Look at Seventh Brother’s generosity—he’s truly a general, so thoughtful!”
“Alright, stop flattery. He already seems quite proud enough,” said the eldest Du sister, issuing her command. Who would dare disobey?
“As you command!”
Everyone bowed and clasped their fists, filling the room with laughter.

Young Master Zhang was as handsome as a jade crown, dashing and charming, making many beautiful ladies envy him. Naturally, the banquet he arranged had to be splendid. He went to great lengths to prepare it, visiting various restaurants before finally choosing Yicui Tower in the northern district. Yicui Tower was one of the three most famous towers in the northern district, serving only princes, nobles, and high-ranking officials. As for those merchants who had suddenly become wealthy, they couldn’t set foot inside Yicui Tower unless invited—no matter how deep their pockets were. The group traveled north in Zhang’s carriage without any hindrance, chatting and laughing along the way, enjoying themselves greatly. Lunzi, the coachman, had followed the young master since childhood and knew his moods and preferences perfectly well. The young master had said the carriage shouldn’t go too fast, as that would cause jolts, nor too slow, as that would be exhausting. Only Lunzi could maintain the perfect pace. “Huh!” Pulling on the reins, Lunzi stopped the carriage in front of a magnificent three-story building. He jumped down from the carriage in one stride, placed a wooden stool in front of it, then raised his voice. “Young master, we’ve arrived at Yicui Tower!” Zhang Yanji frowned and lifted the curtain. “Didn’t I say we don’t need the stool anymore? Take it away quickly.” With that, Young Master Zhang leaped down from the carriage. “Be careful!” Lunzi was shocked and rushed over, instinctively supporting his master. “Let go, quickly!” Zhang Yanji, blushing with embarrassment, shook off Lunzi’s arms. “Oh!” Though Lunzi didn’t understand why his master, who usually cared so much about his feet, suddenly acted so stubborn, he still released his hands. It was better not to guess the master’s thoughts—just do one’s duty properly. “Brother Kuo, come in!” Zhang Yanji invited him with one arm, looking quite proud. After all, countless nobles had tried to host banquets here at Yicui Tower. He had spent a fortune and used his connections to secure this opportunity. Li Kuo smiled lightly, took A Tian’s hand, and followed him into the restaurant. As soon as they entered the main hall, the young man felt a serene atmosphere. If Taibai Ju’s vibe was bold and Lanyue Tower’s was luxurious, then Yicui Tower exuded elegance—serene like a bamboo grove, graceful like meandering waters! The walls on both sides of the hall were adorned with various paintings and calligraphy, depicting mountains, rocks, plants, birds, beasts, and fish—everything under the sun. Though not all might be relics from past dynasties, they still carried a sense of refinement.

Of course, Young Master Zhang wouldn’t hold the banquet in the main hall. Led by the attendant, the group turned to the back room and climbed up the spiral staircase, arriving at the third-floor pavilion. The pavilion was divided into a dozen small rooms by the innkeeper, each named after a famous place in the Tang Dynasty. Whether it was Chang’an Residence or Luozhou Hermitage, they were all luxurious places reserved for the wealthy; ordinary officials with no connections probably wouldn’t even be allowed to set foot inside.

“Wow, isn’t that Young Master Zhang? What a rare visit!”

Old Zhang, the deputy manager of Yicui Tower, immediately broke into a smile upon seeing Zhang Yanji and his group arrive at the pavilion and stepped forward a few paces to greet them.

“Old Zhang, spare me the formalities. Has Jiannan Pavilion been prepared for me?”

Zhang Yanji wasn’t in the mood to bicker and got straight to the point.

“Hehe, hehe.” Old Zhang forced a smile awkwardly. “Everything has been prepared for you. Nothing will delay your plans.”

“Good!” Zhang Yanji raised an eyebrow and took out a silver coin from his purse, tossing it to Old Zhang.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, Young Master Zhang.” Old Zhang was overjoyed to receive the silver coin. Although silver wasn’t widely circulated in the Tang market, wealthy families had the custom of minting such coins. Firstly, they were lightweight and easy to carry, useful in emergencies. Secondly, they served as a symbol of status—after all, sons and heirs of prominent families couldn’t just pull out a string of sweaty coins from their purses at will, could they?

With the silver reward, Old Zhang became even more eager to please. “Just wait and see. I can’t guarantee anything else, but today, I’ll make sure you leave Yicui Tower thoroughly satisfied!” He bowed deeply, greeting these wealthy guests as if they were gods of wealth, and led them into the private room.