Kays Translations

Chapter 45: Imperial Banquet

Li Xian held the invitation in his hands, feeling it was extremely hot; he wanted to throw it away but couldn't bring himself to do it.  

Taking the invitation meant accepting the Grand Prince's invitation; throwing it away would mean missing the chance to truly meet that "Green Girl."  

Moreover, the invitation was sealed with the Empress's seal, which made it even more difficult for Li Xian—cancelling was not a simple matter.  

He thought he might have to consult the cunning Mr. Xu Ren.  

This time, Xu Ren was also in a dilemma. “Young Master, if it were me, I would immediately return to An Yang, saying there’s something urgent to handle. There was a slight issue with the recent trade with the Sea Clan, and I must go back to address it.  

But if you still want to meet that 'Green Girl,' then you have to go. I don’t have any better solutions.”  

“Tsk…” Li Xian held the lightweight invitation, feeling extremely conflicted.  

To go? Going would mean aligning with the Grand Prince, which would cost him his neutrality and significantly impact his future developments.  

To not go? Thinking of that figure who made his heart flutter, he felt he couldn't let it go.  

To go?  

To not go?  

…  

That day, Li Xian spent his time in such turmoil. During this time, he also wanted to get some information from Zhao Fei, but to his surprise, the young Zhao Fei seemed unusually mature, saying not a word.  

“Fine, I’ll just go. I refuse to back down.”  

On the third day, the exposition finally came to a close at noon, with all the fabrics, lamps, glass products, textile machines, and more sold out; even the more than twenty thousand bearings that had been prepared were snapped up; the ones who purchased the most bearings were the carriage and horse shops.  

In the afternoon, Li Xian returned home, to the Li residence, made some preparations and organised things, then followed his father toward the palace; they actually walked there, taking a route through the inner city rather than going directly to the palace. Along the way, they naturally encountered quite a few officials, all greeting each other with smiles.  

Li Xian looked at the fake smiles plastered on everyone’s faces and felt disdain in his heart. As they walked, they encountered the Wang family, specifically a procession led by the Minister of Rites, Wang Chuan.  

Li Yulong pulled Li Xian along, smiling warmly. “Xiao Xian, come, pay your respects to Uncle Wang.”

"What?" Li Xian momentarily couldn't react—Dad, shouldn't we be strutting in with our noses in the air? Unfortunately, he couldn't outmanoeuvre his father, so he could only muster a smile that resembled a stone statue. "Uncle Wang, Happy New Year."  

"Good, good! Haha, Little San has grown quite a bit, becoming even more exceptional!" Compared to Li Xian's marble-like expression, Wang Chuan laughed like the Buddha, radiating warmth.  

However, seeing such a smile sent a chill down Li Xian's spine; what angered him more was that the old man dared to call him "Little San"? "Exceptional"? It was truly grating!  

You're the Little San, your whole family is Little San.  

After passing the Wang family, they encountered the Prime Minister, Ouyang Wubing, and Ouyang Qing.  

As Li Xian was pondering whether to greet them, Li Yulong chuckled and said, "Greetings, Prime Minister. I heard that several days ago, dozens of people from your residence were frantically purchasing cheap fabrics at the exposition. I wonder if that's just a rumour or..."  

"It's true!" Ouyang Wubing replied stubbornly. "I'm not like some people who sell official positions, form cliques for personal gain. I hear the Li residence's opulence rivals that of the palace!"  

"Not at all, it's just what's left after His Majesty's selection," Li Yulong smoothly deflected Ouyang Wubing's small trap.  

Ignoring Li Yulong, Ouyang Wubing turned to Li Xian. "You're quite something, young man, revealing the new textile machinery. The fabric from this machine is excellent; my new clothes are made from this new material.  

Nephew Xian, you must come visit me sometime after the new year."  

After finishing his words, the Prime Minister left leisurely, leaving a bewildered Li Xian behind.  

"Haha, let's go; I'll explain it all at home," Li Yulong said, leading the confused Li Xian around. Gradually, Li Xian began to understand—his father was imparting wisdom: speak straightforwardly to straightforward people, and be serious with schemers. He already got the message without needing to return home.  

Afterward, Li Yulong pointed out various officials to Li Xian: this one was uneducated, that one was solely focused on cultivation, and another was idle...  

Listening to all this, Li Xian felt only one thing—very few officials actually did their jobs. Most were concerned only with their own pockets and cultivation. Many entered the bureaucracy to control certain resources.  

In this celestial realm, while cultivation techniques were everywhere, the rarities were becoming increasingly scarce, almost extinct—it's not just one or two kinds that were disappearing, but nearly all the precious resources! Ironically, the number of cultivators was on the rise.

Thus, being an official had a significant advantage—if there was anything valuable in the area, it was naturally the officials who would get it first. This is why so many people sought to become officials. It was a benefit of the state, able to monopolise land and attract talent.  

However, it was important to note that in this celestial realm, there was no strict division between civil and military officials—perhaps a seemingly inconspicuous low-ranking official could be a Golden Core expert. Therefore, Li Yulong strictly advised Li Xian: as much as possible, avoid offending anyone.  

Under Li Yulong's guidance, Li Xian managed to grasp the workings of the Great Xia Kingdom's officialdom in just half a day. Li Xian could only express one opinion on it—it was utterly rotten and beyond saving; the next step would be to ferment into alcohol and then ignite it with a spark.  

Additionally, Li Yulong pointed out a few capable and patriotic individuals for Li Xian to remember.  

They meandered their way to the palace, where the lights were just beginning to twinkle, casting the palace in a colorful glow reminiscent of a celestial abode.  

As Li Xian walked, he felt increasingly proud; every important light fixture belonged to his family.  

Inside the palace, it was already bustling with activity, with maidservants and guards bustling about, while other attendants were busy running around—some even using spells to teleport.  

Occasionally, he spotted a couple of familiar guards scurrying about, mainly helping to arrange seating. Seeing this, Li Xian couldn't help but wonder—where were the eunuchs? Indeed, it seemed that in this celestial realm, there was no such peculiar existence as eunuchs.  

After walking a little further, he saw the brilliantly lit grand hall; this used to be the court but had now transformed into a celebration venue for the emperor and officials. The most eye-catching feature in the hall was the golden crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling; it was significantly larger than those at the exposition and glimmered magnificently. When Li Xian arrived, he could hear people discussing it—how extravagant it was.  

Li Xian naturally overheard quite a bit of conversation about himself, the textile machines, and the exposition; of course, opinions varied widely, with many dismissing it as "tricks of craftsmanship" and looking down on it. These people had compelling arguments—having such talent but not pursuing cultivation, instead dabbling in such trivial matters was a waste of potential.  

After listening for a while and gaining an understanding of how practitioners viewed "industry," Li Xian left with a mocking smile.  

Li Xian wanted to visit the Empress, but first, he had to report to His Majesty the Emperor. The Empress's banquet was in the inner palace, which was not to be entered carelessly; although the cultivation world wasn't as inhumane as the feudal dynasties of Earth, some decorum still needed to be observed.  

The Emperor was quite pleased with Li Xian's awareness, and he had a maidservant lead the way.

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