Chapter 4 - 4 - Do you like these?

The dining hall was large and bustling when they arrived. Servants hurried under a tall ceiling, carrying trays laden with food or pitchers of drink. The center of the room was covered with plush bamboo mats, and the guests knelt or sat to eat at low, beautifully carved and lacquered wooden tables. The tables were arranged in the same manner throughout all of the empire, with the highest ranking individuals near the center of the room. Conversation abounded, chatter echoing happily off of the walls.