Hearing the disdainful snort, Xiong Qiannian's face stiffened. He turned his head, the stiffness instantly gone, replaced by a fawning smile.
"Such a handsome and dignified appearance, noble and majestic, you are clearly no ordinary man. If I'm not mistaken, you must be Fan Yang's Lu Lingfeng, the Imperial Guard's Lieutenant General, right?"
"The Fan Yang Lu family, a renowned clan throughout the land. Now I see, you truly stand out from the crowd. Such a prestigious noble family, yet you come to our Nan Zhou with the title of a private military officer, accompanying Censor Wei. It's truly a great fortune for our Nan Zhou!"
"Not to mention that General Lu is a trusted confidant of the Crown Prince. I'm so fortunate to meet you today, thrice blessed, thrice blessed indeed!"
Lu Lingfeng was startled, and Su Wu Ming was even more puzzled.
How did this Governor Xiong Qiannian know so much?
Xiong Qiannian's overacting, his theatrical performance, directly amused Pei Xi Jun who had just stepped out of the carriage.
Hearing the laughter, Xiong Qiannian's performance escalated: "Oh my, what an ethereal aura, such graceful elegance, like a fairy descending to earth. Clearly a noble young lady, a jewel of a family, you must be Pei Xi Jun, the eldest daughter of the Minister of Personnel, Pei, the beloved of our Great Tang's foremost scholar, the Censor Wei, right?"
Pei Xi Jun blushed at the praise. Who doesn't love flattery? Even though everyone knew it was too fake, it was still so nice to hear!
"Pei Xi Jun greets Governor Xiong."
"No, no, it's Xiong Qiannian who should pay respects to Miss Pei."
As he spoke, he glanced towards the carriage. The main person should be getting off now, his lines were all ready.
Song A Mi lifted the carriage curtain for Wei Ming, who stepped out. Governor Xiong immediately grabbed Registrar Luo and bowed deeply.
"Nan Zhou Governor Xiong Qiannian, along with Registrar Luo, pays respects to Censor Wei!"
Wei Ming smiled slightly, with a touch of elegance: "Governor Xiong, we are of the same rank and position, there's no need for such formality."
After helping Xiong and Luo up, before Xiong Qiannian could unleash his exaggerated and enthusiastic praise, Wei Ming said: "We've been traveling for a long time and are famished. Would Governor Xiong be so kind as to allow us to wash up and have some food?"
Xiong Qiannian's prepared speech of praise got stuck in his throat. In the end, he could only manage a single word, "Good!"
Registrar Luo chuckled silently. There was no way around it, Xiong Qiannian was overdoing it today. His performance was too exaggerated. Wei Ming was a great scholar of the time, a disciple of Di Gong. How could he not see through it?
He immediately spoke on behalf of the Governor: "The Governor has already prepared a banquet at the Wishing Guest Pavilion to welcome you and cleanse your journey."
They settled into the Sima Mansion, washed up, and then went to the Wishing Guest Pavilion for the banquet. Song A Mi and Xue Huan didn't go, both were civilians, it wouldn't be appropriate. Pei Xi Jun also didn't go, a group of men drinking and laughing, she wouldn't fit in either.
At the banquet.
Governor Xiong, somewhat toned down, said: "There's still one person missing from our gathering today."
As soon as he finished, Fei Ji Shi came running up the stairs from downstairs, chuckling: "Wei Ming, Su Wu Ming, Lu Lingfeng, your old friend Fei has arrived."
Su Wu Ming and Lu Lingfeng, upon seeing Fei Ji Shi, immediately understood the situation. This old man must have told Xiong Qiannian beforehand.
Lu Lingfeng said with a frown: "So it was you. I wondered why Governor Xiong knew so much about us?"
Fei Ji Shi, seeing Lu Lingfeng's anger, shrank his head and quietly retorted: "I told them your identities and backgrounds for everyone's sake. First, it's so Governor Xiong and Registrar Luo can prepare and avoid any disrespect. Second, when you arrive in Nan Zhou, you can quickly integrate and build connections, the best of both worlds. Why are you blaming me?"
"You!" Lu Lingfeng clenched his fist. If not for the wrong occasion, he would have definitely given Fei Ji Shi a good lesson.
Xiong Qiannian chuckled: "Don't misunderstand, gentlemen. Nan Zhou is a remote place, rarely visited by guests from the capital. Whenever distinguished guests arrive, I treat them this way."
Wei Ming smiled: "Thank you for your hospitality, Governor. Wei Ming offers a toast as a token of appreciation."
"Not at all, not at all!" Xiong Qiannian and Registrar Luo quickly raised their cups.
Su Wu Ming and Lu Lingfeng also raised their cups. Old Fei chuckled: "The wine of this Wishing Guest Pavilion is fragrant and mellow, leaving a lingering aftertaste. Though it can't compare to the Changan Drunkenness of the Drunk Immortal Pavilion, it has its own unique charm."
After they finished their drinks, Xiong Qiannian introduced a local specialty dish: "Censor Wei, Sima Su, General Lu, I'm sure you've tasted countless delicacies in the capital, but this dish is a specialty of Nan Zhou. It also has a beautiful name: Old and Young Together!"
Xiong Qiannian served a bowl of chicken soup to Wei Ming, Su Wu Ming, and Lu Lingfeng, but he deliberately skipped Fei Ji Shi. This made Fei Ji Shi extremely unhappy. He immediately jumped in and spoiled the moment.
"Cough, cough, this Old and Young Together is actually just tender bamboo shoots stewed with old chicken!"
"I, Fei Ji Shi, have tasted all sorts of chickens from all over the world, and this is the best way to cook it. I ate it for half a month straight, and never got tired of it."
Wei Ming smiled slightly: "Since it's a Nan Zhou specialty, we should bring some for Xi Jun and the others to try."
Xiong Qiannian quickly said: "Censor Wei, don't worry. Before the banquet, I already told the kitchen to prepare a separate portion, and it's already been sent to the Sima Mansion."
Wei Ming bowed slightly: "Then thank you, Governor Xiong."
"It's my pleasure, it's my pleasure!" Governor Xiong waved his hand, beaming with joy. It didn't matter if he had to serve others, but this Censor Wei must be well served. It directly affected his future career.
Everyone chatted and laughed. Governor Xiong and Registrar Luo introduced the local customs, culture, and unusual stories of Nan Zhou. For a while, the banquet was filled with laughter and enjoyment, both hosts and guests were having a good time.
When the wine had flowed freely and the dishes were half consumed.
Su Wu Ming put down his chopsticks and asked: "Governor Xiong, I have an old friend in Nan Zhou, haven't seen him in over ten years. I miss him dearly. He's a calligrapher, named Yan Yuan Fu. Do you happen to know him?"
As soon as he spoke, Governor Xiong and Registrar Luo exchanged glances, their expressions turning complex.
Wei Ming had seen the stone bridge patterns, and knew that the killer of Yan Yuan Fu was none other than Zhong Bo Qi, another member of the Nan Zhou Four.
The reason was a bit twisted: Not wishing to be born on the same year, same month, same day, but wishing to die on the same year, same month, same day! Not just words, but a true death wish!
Just then, a funeral procession came walking down the street below, accompanied by mournful dirges.
Xiong Qiannian sighed: "The one being sent off by the sound of the zither below is your friend Yan Yuan Fu, brother Su."
"What?" Su Wu Ming was stunned: "Brother Yuan Fu is dead? The deceased being carried down there is Yan Yuan Fu?!"
Su Wu Ming rushed downstairs. Governor Xiong sighed: "The Nan Zhou Four, the face of our Nan Zhou, what a pity."
Everyone followed him downstairs to pay their respects.
Governor Xiong explained: "Yan Yuan Fu passed away seven days ago. The remaining three of the Nan Zhou Four are now holding a funeral for him."
"The Nan Zhou Four are the face of our Nan Zhou. The one carrying the coffin is the tea master Zhong Bo Qi. Not just in Nan Zhou, but throughout the land wherever tea is enjoyed, the most skilled in tea ceremony is this man!"
Everyone looked up. Zhong Bo Qi, over forty, with neatly trimmed sideburns, furrowed brows, and shifty eyes, seemed to be harboring secrets.
"The one playing the zither is the Guqin master, Lu Gong Fu. The sound of his Three Kingdoms Guqin is extraordinary. It's said that when he plays in the mountains, he often attracts hundreds of birds to sing along, even the sound of the stream can harmonize with his music."
Everyone saw Lu Gong Fu sitting cross-legged on the funeral carriage, playing the zither mournfully. His long beard was disheveled, his eyes were red and swollen, he looked deeply saddened.
"The one scattering the paper money is the poet Leng Ji. His poetry is recited by every child and adult in Nan Zhou."
At this point, Governor Xiong suddenly bowed to Wei Ming and said: "Leng Ji's poetry, though not as famous as yours, Censor Wei, which has been passed down for generations, is well-known throughout the land, yet his popularity in Nan Zhou is unparalleled."
Wei Ming nodded slightly, waving his hand: "Poetry has no hierarchy, it's just a personal expression of one's heart, sincere and heartfelt."
Governor Xiong continued: "These three, plus Yan Yuan Fu, who was already famous in Changan before his death, were known as the Nan Zhou Four."
He then bowed to Wei Ming again, adding: "Censor Wei pioneered the thin gold script in calligraphy, becoming a master of calligraphy. Yan Yuan Fu greatly admired you in life and held you in high regard."
"Mr. Yan's regular script was majestic and righteous, I've seen it before, it already had the air of a master. If he hadn't died young, perhaps he could have become a great calligrapher of the regular script." Wei Ming said.
The funeral procession passed below. Tea master Zhong Bo Qi carried the coffin, Guqin master Lu Gong Fu played the zither, poet Leng Ji scattered the paper money, the people of Nan Zhou lined both sides, the procession was indeed impressive.
Su Wu Ming sighed deeply: "I'd like to go and see my old friend off."
"Good, we'll go with you."