Huaisang was lingering around, toying idly with his fan and wondering how long his friend would make him wait. He smiled at the sight of Jiang Cheng, settling with him to eat. "Yes, thank you, Jiang-xiong."
His place had been set near to Jiang Cheng's, a place of honor with only the two of them in the hall. Huaisang was a little bit amused. Jiang Cheng had gone to the effort to have them dine privately, but the banquet hall was still far too formal for Huaisang's tastes.
Tomorrow, he thought, he would tour around some of the available reception halls and parlors of the Jiang Sect in order to find one appropriate for the Sect Leader to host a small number of honored guests in order to make them feel that they were taken into his confidence. It would be a useful tool in his arsenal, and Huaisang would see to it that he understood how to use such a thing.
Starting to chatter pleasantly as they ate, Huaisang talked about things he'd noticed on his journey. He spoke with praise on new developments of interest in Yunmeng--an inn, a temple, a bridge--and complained with good-natured innocence about inconveniences along the way in order to diplomatically slip them onto Jiang Cheng's radar--a washed-out section of road, a damaged stone array, a bridge support starting to rust. The travelogue of Huaisang's experiences edged a few times into boring territory, except for how his sweet-natured charm made it all exasperatingly amusing. ("I swear the bridge was shaking as we crossed it, one of those bridge supports had rust on it, and it was so high up, I was frightened, I couldn't help clinging a bit to one of my attendants, I might have shrieked once...")
no subject
His place had been set near to Jiang Cheng's, a place of honor with only the two of them in the hall. Huaisang was a little bit amused. Jiang Cheng had gone to the effort to have them dine privately, but the banquet hall was still far too formal for Huaisang's tastes.
Tomorrow, he thought, he would tour around some of the available reception halls and parlors of the Jiang Sect in order to find one appropriate for the Sect Leader to host a small number of honored guests in order to make them feel that they were taken into his confidence. It would be a useful tool in his arsenal, and Huaisang would see to it that he understood how to use such a thing.
Starting to chatter pleasantly as they ate, Huaisang talked about things he'd noticed on his journey. He spoke with praise on new developments of interest in Yunmeng--an inn, a temple, a bridge--and complained with good-natured innocence about inconveniences along the way in order to diplomatically slip them onto Jiang Cheng's radar--a washed-out section of road, a damaged stone array, a bridge support starting to rust. The travelogue of Huaisang's experiences edged a few times into boring territory, except for how his sweet-natured charm made it all exasperatingly amusing. ("I swear the bridge was shaking as we crossed it, one of those bridge supports had rust on it, and it was so high up, I was frightened, I couldn't help clinging a bit to one of my attendants, I might have shrieked once...")