"The Imperial Banquet" tells the story of a shocking conspiracy during the Yongle era.

During the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, many major events took place. Beyond the well-known historical incidents, there were also many unknown, sensational secrets. The entire novel uses the historical facts of the Yongle era as its backdrop, telling the story of the protagonist, the Jinyiwei commander Brian Carter, and how he uses his intelligence, advancing step by step, to uncover the truth behind a shocking case and break a monumental conspiracy in an era teeming with both tigers and wolves, and rife with deadly peril.

The characters in the novel are vividly portrayed and uniquely charming. On the foundation of rich historical facts, the author has also carefully set up numerous mysteries, making every step full of intrigue. As the protagonist proceeds cautiously, a vast and astonishing conspiracy gradually unfolds before the reader, leaving them amazed.

Additionally, the main romantic storyline in the novel is full of twists and turns, deeply moving and breathtaking.

Author Introduction

Gavin Clark, a leading figure in the new historical novel genre. Master of the "Mo Sect."

His works are grand in scope, full of suspense, with lively characters and witty language, sweeping away the heaviness of traditional historical novels. He breaks through the limitations of traditional wuxia themes, blending in the storytelling of Jin Yong, the sentiment of Gu Long, the creativity of Huang Yi, the cleverness of Wen Rui'an, and the depth of Er Yuehe, pioneering a new era of new historical novels that integrate history, wuxia, and fantasy.

Step by Step into Danger

Preface

"The Imperial Banquet" is my third new historical novel after "Rivers and Mountains" and "Blood Oath," but it is not my third work.

Writing novels originally stemmed from impulse—to write what I wanted, to create a world of wild imagination, sharing joy and sorrow with friends. Writing new historical novels, however, requires planning, adding a layer of restraint, yet giving me the chance to settle down and deepen my own world.

Everything, like a divination hexagram, has several sides; the key is how we look at it.

I have always believed that if, when writing a novel, there is no impulse in your heart, if even you yourself are not moved, then it cannot be called a good novel.

Fortunately, I still have that impulse. When the urge to write strikes, my heart trembles. Fortunately, I can still, in the quiet of night, while listening to a song, write with tears streaming down my face or a broad smile...

No book can satisfy everyone's tastes, but if it can record or stir the strings of someone's heart at a certain moment, then it has meaning.

The historical backgrounds of my three novels are all periods that seem familiar yet are shrouded in mist—at least, that's how I see it.

I've always wanted to write about those real historical figures who have been intentionally or unintentionally overlooked, to write about those who, like leaping spirits in the history books, cannot be hidden by the dust and frost of the historian's pen.

Thus came "Rivers and Mountains," telling the passionate resistance of heroes at the end of the Sui Dynasty before the rise of the Tang; thus came "Blood Oath," telling the blood and tears of true generals who could defend the country under the so-called brilliance of the Song Dynasty's civil officials; and thus, today, comes "The Imperial Banquet"...

New history is not history, nor is it a pile of old papers. Of course, it can be more bizarre, more interesting, and in many places can borrow the styles of wuxia, fantasy, or even mythology, going far beyond what many people imagine.

In my view, "The Imperial Banquet" is also a work that surpasses imagination. Of course, friends have only seen half of it so far. If you can read the whole thing, you will find that even your imagination may be completely different from what actually unfolds.

Perhaps this is the true charm of new historical novels.

Imagination is crucial. Humanity only develops because of imagination. Without it, there is no future, and perhaps not even any history.

"The Imperial Banquet" covers nearly sixty years of history from the late Yuan to the early Ming. The inspiration for writing came from a line in the Tang Dynasty's "The Classic of Lengths and Shortness": "The one who makes carriages worries that people will not value them; the one who makes arrows fears that people will not be harmed. Do they have love or hate? It is simply the drive of their craft."

Of course, a single line of inspiration cannot directly become a novel. To write a new historical novel of over a million words, as is my habit, I need to consult several million words of historical material.

But my friends obviously don't need to look up history. You can treat "The Imperial Banquet" as a story. Of course, if you know the history of those sixty years, you can read more into it, find more interest, even be shocked. But if you don't, that's fine too, because what we're writing is, after all, new history.

Let more people who don't know history come to understand it through new historical novels. If it even inspires some to explore and research that period, perhaps that is the true meaning of new historical novels.

Finally, I must first thank Mr. Eric Bennett, president of Shanghai Intesong Book Co., Ltd. It is thanks to his generosity and tolerance that today's Gavin Clark exists. And of course, I must thank you, the reader of this book. With your support, Gavin Clark can continue moving forward.

Thank you!

After the third round of proofreading for "The Imperial Banquet"

April 2012

Chapter One: Strange Event

A fine drizzle moistened the spring earth. In Jiangnan, it was the season when apricot blossoms, misty rain, and beauties were like a song, but in Shuntian Prefecture, the rain still carried a chilling cold.

Amid the rain and mist, the long street grew noisy. Ever since the emperor decreed the capital would move to Shuntian Prefecture, this northern border city, once solemn and forbidding, had become more prosperous with each passing day.