The Beacon of Kyushu

"Good crabs, really good crabs!" Lü Duan praised loudly while eating with relish. In a blink of an eye, he had eaten the huge crab until only the crab shell was left. Seeing him like this, Zhao Tingmei smiled and said, "Yi Zhi, sit down and eat. I only know that you like to eat crabs, but I don't know what kind of dipping sauce you like. I will ask the servant to bring it to you right away."

Lü Duan's face was full of smiles, and he looked quite naive. "Your Majesty, for me, any dipping sauce is fine as long as the crab is good. Please serve whatever you like."

Zhao Tingmei nodded, pointed to the wine pot on the table, and said, "Yi Zhi, you can't eat crabs without wine. Do you like yellow wine or white wine? If you like white wine, can I ask someone to change it for you?"

Lu Duan shook his head and said, "No need to change, no need to change. For me, any wine is the same. As long as you like it, it is better than anything else."

Zhao Tingmei thought for a moment and then asked, "Yi Zhi, what kind of fruits would you like to eat with the crabs? I will have someone prepare them right away."

While eating crabs, Lu Duan said, "Your Majesty, I don't even choose the dipping sauce and wine, so how can I choose fruits? Just serve whatever you like, it doesn't matter to me."

Zhao Tingmei pointed at Lu Duan and said with a smile, "Yi Zhi, everyone says that you are foolish in small matters but smart in big matters. I think what they say is absolutely true! There are so many difficult cases, and you handle them all with swiftness and determination. But when it comes to small matters like eating and drinking, you have no idea and think everything is the same except crabs."

Lü Duan held up a crab leg and said, "My parents gave me life, and Your Majesty knows me! I, Lü Duan, have never had much interest in eating anything other than crabs. I'm sorry to make Your Majesty laugh at me."

Zhao Tingmei shook his head slightly, clapped his hands, called over a servant, and ordered: "Go and bring a plate of dipping sauce to Yi Zhi. Remember not to just put vinegar and soy sauce, but also put more minced ginger and minced garlic. Also, bring a few more nang for Yi Zhi to enjoy." The servant responded and trotted to the kitchen to get something.

"Yi Zhi." Zhao Tingmei called out to Lu Duan softly, and said with a hint of melancholy: "Yi Zhi, you have been working in Kaifeng Prefecture for almost ten years, right? How has the king treated you?"

Lu Duan put down the crab and said without hesitation: "Your Majesty, your kindness to me is so great that I can never repay you even if I die!"

Zhao Tingmei stared at the yellow wine in the cup and sighed, "Alas, I don't need you to be torn to pieces. I just hope you can help me with some advice and save my life."

Lü Duan was puzzled and asked, "Your Majesty, why are you saying that? Did the emperor say something to you during the court session this morning?"

Zhao Tingmei shook his head, his eyes still on the wine glass. "To be honest, the best rice wine I have ever drunk in my life was the one De Zhao gave me when he returned to Beijing a few years ago. Since then, whenever I see rice wine, I will think of my nephew De Zhao. Unfortunately, he passed away last year. Just like his father, he died in an unclear way. Most likely... most likely he was killed by the government. Now that De Zhao is gone, the biggest thorn in the government's side is me and De Fang. I believe it won't be long before he attacks us. What will I do then?"

Lu Duan thought for a moment and said, "My Lord, you have a deep relationship with the eldest prince. If you can interact more with the Eighth Prince, I think you will be able to save your life."

Zhao Tingmei was stunned and said in confusion: "Yi Zhi, the Eighth Prince has always been leisurely and idle, not caring about state affairs, and he is also a strong enemy in the eyes of the emperor. How can he protect me?" Lu Duan gestured a long strip in the air with his hand, "Your Highness, have you forgotten the Eighth Prince's golden mace? As long as the golden mace is there, even if the emperor does not pass the throne to you a hundred years later, at least your life is guaranteed."

Zhao Tingmei nodded, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes, "That's right, with the golden mace in hand, it's more than enough to save my life! I have no intention of fighting for the throne, and being able to live out my days in peace and security is enough for me!"

While the two were talking, the waiter came over with the dipping sauce and tangerine peel. He placed the food in front of the two respectfully, then bowed deeply and returned to the bridge to wait for orders. Lu Duan smiled and handed Zhao Tingmei a crab, saying, "Your Highness, don't worry. With the golden mace, everything is fine. You should have a crab too. Otherwise, it would be too shameful for me to eat all of it."

Zhao Tingmei took the crab and ate it like Lu Duan. "Yi Zhi, do you know why I like you? It's because you are smart about big things but confused about small things. If you were always smart or stupid, I would have kicked you out of Kaifeng Prefecture long ago!"

Lu Duan patted his belly and said with a smile: "I have no other ability, but I can tell when to be clear and when to be confused."

Zhao Tingmei and Lu Duan laughed at each other, their expressions showing no difference in superiority, just friendship. Afterwards, they ate crabs and drank together, talking happily. However, Zhao Tingmei's alcohol tolerance was not very good, and he was overwhelmed after just a few drinks, so he fell asleep on the table.

Seeing that Zhao Tingmei was asleep, Lü Duan did not dare to disturb him. He was about to call the servant at the bridge to help him back to his room, but the servant from the Eighth Prince's Mansion got there first and ran over in a panic. Lü Duan was afraid that the servant would wake up the prince, so he hurried forward a few steps to block his way.

Seeing that Lü Duan was blocking his way, the servant had no choice but to stop and report: "Sir, I am a servant from the Nanqing Palace and I have something important to report to the King of Wei."

Lu Duan glanced at Zhao Tingmei and said in embarrassment: "The prince is drunk, what should we do?"

The servant hesitated for a long time before saying, "Then... I'll have to trouble Lord Lu to convey the message. The story is this: when our prince woke up this morning, he found that his golden mace was missing, so he sent me to Kaifeng Prefecture to report the case. Unfortunately, I arrived too late, and the King of Wei had already left the court, so I had no choice but to come here to report."

Lu Duan was only slightly startled, his expression was calm, "Well, I know about this matter, I will convey it to the prince when he wakes up. Now please leave quickly and don't disturb the prince's sweet dream, otherwise you and I will be punished."

The servant had not expected Lu Duan to be so calm, and a trace of suspicion crossed his mind. But he was just an employee after all, so how could he openly question the official of the court because of a little suspicion? He had to follow the instructions and leave slowly, fearing that if he walked too fast, he would make a noise and wake up the King of Wei, causing unnecessary trouble.

Lü Duan looked at the servant's back as he left, his eyes rolled around, and without saying anything, he led the servant back to the pavilion. The servant had been working for many years, and without Lü Duan's instructions, he took the drunken Zhao Tingmei back to his room to rest. Lü Duan couldn't bear to waste so many good crabs, and it was inconvenient for him to stay in the pavilion alone to enjoy the delicious food, so he had to pick up a few of the fattest ones and put them in his arms, and then he returned to his residence with satisfaction. (End of this chapter)