Chapter 1671: The Retired Grand Commandant! I (2/2)

The carriage door opened, and Wang Chong walked out, dressed in casual clothes. In front of him was an ordinary restaurant made of gray brick, and even the roof tiles were drab and gloomy. Only the restaurant banner hanging from the second-floor balcony, black words on a red background, appeared to stand out, but even this was mottled black, appearing rather old.

'Zhiyi Restaurant'!

Wang Chong glanced at the words written in ancient script on the placard. This was an extremely ordinary restaurant, and thousands like it could be found in the capital. They catered to the wealthier common folk.

The majority of the prices in this restaurant were very agreeable. For a few strings of cash, one could get a large bowl of food. While the quality, appearance, or variety of the food couldn't compare to Vast Crane Pavilion, it was very tasty.

”Young Master, do you plan to eat inside?”

Wang Chong had just entered when a waiter with a white towel tossed across his shoulder came up to welcome him. He examined this youth with great curiosity. Normally, only ordinary commoners ate at the restaurant, and the likes of noble scions, members of great clans, or major merchants were incredibly rare. From the luxuriousness of Wang Chong's clothes, one could tell at a glance that he didn't belong here.

”Mm!”

Wang Chong grunted and strode inside.

This waiter clearly didn't recognize him. Ordinary commoners only worried about basic necessities of life and would pay little attention to the affairs of the court. It was very normal to not know his face.

”Waiter, why isn't my food ready yet?!”

”You rotten old man, you really did come here to get drunk! You come back this instant!”

”Shopkeeper, three jin of white spirits and five jin of beef to go!”

The restaurant was packed and noisy. As Wang Chong made his way through the restaurant, he inspected his surroundings.

Little care had been given to the arrangement of the restaurant, and the decorations were not lavish, but the place was extremely clean. When the occasional child caused a mess on the ground, the waiters would quickly clean it up. The people here were happily chatting with each other, drinking and gambling, and some of them were so relaxed and easy that they put their feet up on the chairs as if this place was their own home.

Wang Chong didn't find this sight strange. Smiling, he continued onward.

Going past rows of tables, he walked onto the second floor. In a corner on the eastern side of the second floor, Wang Chong finally saw the man he wanted to meet.

Here was a small table about four feet square. The table was so old that the paint was peeling off, and one could see that the wood had begun to splinter in many parts. Several small plates had been placed on the table—ordinary foods like radish-stewed brisket, ginger stir-fried chicken, and stir-fried vegetables.

Sitting by the table was a thin old man wearing an azure robe. A pair of wooden chopsticks was ferrying food into his mouth as he took a sip of wine. His eyes were slightly closed and his expression calm and relaxed. He seemed to be greatly enjoying himself.

While the old man seemed a little strange, this sort of customer was a frequent sight in this kind of restaurant.

Wang Chong's eyes scanned his body and quickly spotted the azure jade token at his waist.

It should be him.

Wang Chong quickly walked over to the elder.

”Junior Wang Chong pays respects to the venerable Grand Commandant.”

Wang Chong went up to the table and deeply bowed.

The chopsticks froze in mid-air.

The old man, who had been sipping his alcohol and enjoying his personal time, instantly froze the moment he heard the words 'venerable Grand Commandant'.

This change in emotion further confirmed Wang Chong's suspicions. If he hadn't investigated the matter for so long and found out everything he could about this old man, he would have scarcely believed that this was the retired Grand Commandant whose prestige was almost equal to Master Zhu. He had retired long ago from the Imperial Court, and the post of Grand Commandant had even been abolished in the reign of the previous emperor.

But this man still wielded enormous influence in the court, even exceeding Duke Jiu in some aspects.

Wang Chong had noticed this matter because of the previous militarist-Confucian conflict.

When he published Might Makes Right and stunned the Confucian Sect, even forcing Master Zhu to step forward and reproach him, almost the entire world had criticized him. But there had been a significant number of officials and Confucians who had not taken part.

The reason for this situation was the retired Grand Commandant of the Great Tang, who was at present more than ninety years old.

The retired Grand Commandant had a candid and upright personality. His mindset had long ago transcended the militarist-Confucian conflict. For him, there was only one thing that determined good or evil, right or wrong: was it of benefit to the Great Tang and its people? As for the difference of opinion between the militarists and the Confucian Sect, the retired Grand Commandant didn't care.