Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 37: Should He Set An Example?

Observing him through the lens of what his mentor Chao had taught him, Wuyi felt he understood Qingzhu even before they were seated. Yet, the most revealing insight into Qingzhu's character came unexpectedly. It was not through any action of his own but rather through the demeanor of his lady as she joined them at the table.

Her bearing spoke volumes about the man she was married to, adding another layer to his understanding of him.

Lady Meiyu couldn't have been more than five years older than Wuyi, yet she presented herself as though she were some ancient artifact of great value. Her attire was laden with excessive jade ornaments and strings of pearls, set against a backdrop of embroidered silk that seemed to have every color known to man.

She took her seat with exaggerated grace, much like a bird of paradise might perform a mating dance. Her heavy perfume wafted through the air, smelling more of crushed golden saffron than of natural blooms. In her lap sat a peculiar pet, a feline creature with an excess of fluffy fur and large, probing eyes.

The animal appeared quite content to snuggle against her and survey the table with a look of vague disinterest. All the while, her eyes were fixed on Jianyu, as if gauging his reaction to her spectacle.

Across from her, Baron Qingzhu watched her attentions towards the young master with an unreadable expression. It occurred to Wuyi then—the issue of undermanned watchtowers was only a symptom of a larger problem.

As the meal commenced, Wuyi's hunger clawed at him from within, but decorum dictated that he restrain his appetite. He ate with measured grace, mirroring Jianyu's actions. They were offered an array of culinary oddities—rare bird's nest soup, shark fin dishes, and dumplings filled with gold leaf.

The vegetables were similarly uninviting, having been cooked into pale imitations of themselves before being subjected to an array of unusual spices. Fashionable cooking, it seemed, had transformed good food into something akin to artwork—pleasing to the eye but unsatisfying to the soul.

Wuyi noticed that Jianyu shared his disinterest; his lukewarm reception to the dishes made Wuyi wonder if others around the table picked up on Jianyu's lack of enthusiasm.

Thanks to the teachings of Boluo, Wuyi was able to navigate the social maze that was this dinner. He made polite conversation with his dinner partner, a young woman who spoke of the recent scarcity of quality silk fabric in the province of Lian. Yet his ears wandered, picking up snippets of conversation that hinted at larger issues.

The talk was not of political machinations or trade negotiations—those matters would be discussed between Jianyu and Baron Qingzhu in a more private setting. Instead, the chatter revealed cracks in the facade of Baron Qingzhu's governance. From the discussion around him, he understood that the nobles here were fed up with the common public because people kept complaining.

Nobles were putting all the blame on common people and merchants. According to them, no matter how much you do for the commoners, they only know how to complain. Wuyi heard about how commoners lamented the poor state of the roads and spoke with concerns about the lack of repairs on local fortifications.

How the merchants griped about the increased instances of robbery, impacting the safe passage of their goods through the prefecture of Fenglu. The words of Wuyi's dining partner about fabric scarcity took on a new light.

What he understood from Baron Qingzhu's few spoken words was that the cause of everything was a lack of financial resources and support. He was going to urge the young master for gold and resources when they met privately to discuss the issues properly.

As he observed Baron Qingzhu, he understood that the Baron in truth did not care at all; the Baron was busy and captivated by every flutter of his young wife's eyelashes. Chao's teachings echoed in his mind: "Here is a Baron more interested in indulgence than in governance." It seemed Lady Meiyu wore the funds that should have been allocated for infrastructure and safety.

The jade rings and amulets that adorned her could well have paid for the manning of watchtowers or the repair of roads.

The banquet was not just a meal; it was a reflection of a realm teetering on the edge of negligence. And at the heart of it all was a man who, captivated by fleeting beauty, had lost sight of enduring responsibilities. The dinner drew to its conclusion, leaving Wuyi hungry and unfulfilled.

Since the young master did not like the food, he did not eat much, and since etiquette demanded that Wuyi eat less than the young master, he ate almost nothing. It was as if his stomach had been tricked into believing that there would be food, only to be lied to later.

As the room filled with the melodies of musicians and the eloquent words of poets and storytellers, he allowed his focus to drift towards the conversations around him instead of his bothering and hungry stomach.

Lady Meiyu sat adjacent to Jianyu, touching her new jade rings and amulets as if she were still unfamiliar with their weight. She seemed to revel in her newfound affluence, but as the night wore on, her demeanor changed. Despite her best attempts to engage with the proceedings, fatigue set in. She yawned openly, barely managing to cover her mouth in time.

Her pet, the small furry creature, had long since surrendered to sleep and lay curled in her lap. Wuyi observed her discreetly pinching her wrists, a crude method to keep herself awake. Eventually, relief washed over her when Qingzhu summoned the entertainers for their final accolades, allowing her an excuse to retire.

It was late at night when all the banquet ceremonies ended. Hungry, Wuyi returned back to his pavilion. As Wuyi settled into a makeshift bed, his thoughts crystallized into a concise analysis. Qingzhu was not merely inept; he was neglectful. His young bride was just a symptom of a deeper malaise that had fallen upon his leadership.

"Lady Meiyu is a simple woman, beguiled by her new lifestyle, and Qingzhu? He's a man distracted, perhaps even overwhelmed by the new love in his life," he mused. "He pours resources into entertaining his wife while disregarding his responsibilities.

Even if he isn't betraying the Luyao clan, he's certainly failing them." Wuyi pondered the weight of Qingzhu's jade rings and amulets, trinkets that could have been invested in the welfare of his prefecture or at least in defenses. He had more of these trinkets than a normal Baron would, and yet he complained about a lack of finances. Wuyi's mind wandered into darker territories.

Should he end his life to set an example? Would such an act serve as a wake-up call to other complacent nobles?