97: Chapter 97 Arthur Has No Seat!

The nobles who attended the Xianyang Palace banquet returned to their respective residences one after another, including Wei Changcheng, who had enjoyed a pleasant conversation with Meng Yi.

The Backyard of the Wei Residence

A beautiful middle-aged woman was embracing a tall man.

Hearing the commotion from the front hall, her expression turned panicked as she said to the tall man standing before her, "My husband is back. Find a place to hide, quickly!"

"Mhm, mhm."

The tall man nodded repeatedly.

Only after seeing the tall man hide did she walk to the front hall to welcome Wei Changcheng, who reeked of alcohol.

"Madam, why did it take you so long to come out?"

Wei Changcheng looked at the beautiful woman before him and asked with dissatisfaction.

The woman's expression was somewhat flustered, but she quickly composed herself.

The light from the lanterns was dim, and Wei Changcheng had drunk a considerable amount of wine.

He did not notice that anything was wrong with her expression.

"I was warming up a meal for you, my husband," the woman replied.

"I see."

After hearing her explanation, Wei Changcheng didn't feel anything was amiss.

He had specifically instructed her to prepare a meal for him tonight.

He hadn't gone to Xianyang Palace to eat, but to expand his network.

Before he could return to the Wei Territory, Wei Changcheng wanted to build the best possible relationships with the Qin Nobility to seek opportunities for advancement.

At the banquet, he hadn't eaten much. Instead, he spent his time drinking with Meng Yi, flattering him, and listening to Meng Yi describe how Meng Tian had been unstoppable in slaughtering the Xiongnu people, leaving them psychologically scarred.

When they fled, they probably wished their mothers had given them two extra legs.

Despite spending the whole night enduring Meng Yi's rambling, Wei Changcheng felt it was worth it since he had managed to establish a connection with the Meng Clan, a prominent family among the Qin Nobility.

He smiled and said to the woman, "Madam, I have a surprise for you."

"Husband, I have also prepared a big surprise for you," the woman thought to herself.

"Thank you, Husband."

The woman did not immediately ask what the surprise was.

She knew that if Wei Changcheng wanted to tell her, he would do so naturally.

As they talked, the two of them arrived at the residence's dining room.

Inside the dining room were a dining table and chairs with backrests.

These had all been purchased from the Imperial Woodworking Workshop.

Since only the old couple lived in the residence, there were only two chairs placed at the table.

"Madam,"

Wei Changcheng looked at the woman and said, "Join me for a bite."

"Yes, Husband."

The woman did not refuse.

After taking their seats, they didn't start eating immediately.

Wei Changcheng said to her, "Madam, I want to gift you a love poem."

"Thank you, Husband."

The woman responded cooperatively.

Wei Changcheng solemnly took out a piece of paper and began to read aloud.

"Twenty years of flowing light, with love as the seed; though I try not to think of it, it is hard to forget."

"A beautiful companion like a flower, a shadow in my heart; years passing like water, a melody in my dreams."

"As the years wear on, my feelings grow deeper; as time turns secretly, my love becomes more steadfast."

"Even if the coming years bring great changes, this thought will always follow the sun and the moon."

Although the woman didn't understand the meaning, her eyes turned red and tears faintly welled up, giving Wei Changcheng plenty of emotional validation.

In his early years, Wei Changcheng was just a commoner at the bottom of society, but he was good at social climbing and became a nouveau riche of the Wei State.

The moment he became a noble, he had excitedly grabbed his wife's hand and said to her, "We are finally upper-class people."

Over the years, he had always wanted to make himself seem like a noble through reading.

Unfortunately, while he bought many books, he never read them; they just sat on the shelves in his study for show.

The poem on the paper, of course, was not written by him; he had asked Meng Yi to write it.

Although he recognized the characters, he had no idea what they meant when put together.

But that didn't stop Wei Changcheng from showing off, especially after seeing his wife's moved expression; he felt immensely satisfied.

And seeing the look of total satisfaction on Wei Changcheng's face, the woman also felt a sense of fulfillment—he fell for it again!

Wei Changcheng began to eat the meat on the table.

As he ate, he couldn't help but comment, "This bit of minced meat might seem insignificant, but when combined, you can see they make for an exquisitely flavored delicacy."

"Indeed."

"It's like popcorn—such a tiny grain can burst into such a large flower. It truly has a small frame but great power!"

"Madam, I have a surprise for you."

Wei Changcheng said this, but he made no move to take anything out.

"Husband, I also have a surprise for you."

As she spoke, she clapped her hands, and a tall man walked out from the back hall.

"You're back."

When Wei Changcheng saw the tall man, although he was very happy inside, he kept a stern face and asked, "When did you return?"

"I just arrived in Xianyang City this afternoon," the tall man replied.

As a Qin Official, he had just returned after escorting a group of corvée labor to the frontier for garrison duty.

"Mhm."

"A-Se, please take a seat."

Wei Changcheng spoke with a dignified air.

Wei Se saw that there were only two seats at the table—one for his old man and one for his old lady. He, A-Se, had no seat!

Looking troubled, Wei Se didn't know how he was supposed to sit.

If they were still using the old low tables, he could just sit cross-legged on the floor.

But now that Wei Changcheng was using a high-legged dining table, sitting on the floor wouldn't feel right; the tabletop would be level with his face!

"A-Se, come sit by Mother."

The woman quickly called her son to her side.

She used a spoon to feed Wei Se.

It was a scene of deep mother-son affection.

Seeing this, Wei Changcheng also began to act out a scene of father-son affection.

He handed the chopsticks to Wei Se and said gently, "Take the chopsticks yourself and have a piece of meat!"

Wei Se ate wherever Wei Changcheng pointed, not daring to touch the side dishes at all.

"Yes, wonderful!"

Watching Wei Se's submissive behavior, Wei Changcheng commented with great satisfaction.

Throughout the meal, Wei Se knelt on one knee beside the woman, his backside never touching a chair.

Finally, as the meal ended and it was time to find a silk cloth to wipe their mouths, Wei Changcheng took out the Magic Box Napkins and said, "Madam, this is the surprise I have for you."

The woman and Wei Se couldn't help but look at the Magic Box Napkins with curiosity; they had never seen such a thing before.

They stared at the Magic Box Napkins in Wei Changcheng's hand with inquisitive eyes.

"Before using the Magic Box Napkins, we must first break the seal of the magic box."

To better show off, Wei Changcheng had pasted the oval sealing paper back on.