The banquet was held at Bright Moon Hall, originally a dining establishment, but with the increasing presence of dignitaries, more banquets were arranged here, going on all night. The shopkeeper hired dancers and a band, gradually making it the premier banquet venue in Wuchang Prefecture, where nobility passed by amidst embroidered melodies, and a year easily slips by in the autumn wind.
Lanterns swayed below the corridor in the wind, while out on the street, carriages moved in succession, and blue-cloth sedans entered like a stream. Those of higher status or official rank rode directly into the courtyard, while commoners had to dismount their sedans and tether their horses at the gate, then be led in by servants.
Su Hongtao, dressed in a Hu silk casual robe, waited in the front courtyard to receive guests.
