Chapter 459 The feast
Emperor Hongzhi gave a special palace banquet in the palace because his crown prince Zhu Houzhao recovered from illness. For the ministers, it was considered a great favor to the emperor. However, the congratulations that had been prepared were withdrawn, and there was only one explanation. What happened to make the congratulations inappropriate.☆→☆→,
After the Hanlins asked about the relationship, Wang Jiao just said calmly: "The Yellow River is flooding..."
This reason is absolutely reasonable and sufficient. It is a natural disaster, and it is considered good to give the banquet without withdrawing it. It is also a festive attitude at the palace banquet.
When the people were in trouble, the court should also empathize. Liu Daxia and Wang Yang came together because they were afraid that the Hanlins who liked to praise the emperor on weekdays would say some unsatisfactory words at the palace banquet, which would prevent the emperor and civil and military officials from coming to Taiwan.
Liu Daxia came this time and did not pay attention to Chen Xi and left hurriedly with Wang Jiao... The matter was urgent, so they should go to another yamen to notify him.
Thinking of the right governor of Henan, Wang Qiong, who came to Beijing to sue the Henan Governor Gaomingcheng for corruption in Mo's capital for the river management, Chenxi guessed that it might trigger a major earthquake in the officialdom, and all the officials in Henan, all the local officials in Henan would be replaced, and even the Beijing officials who recommended these officials might suffer.
But these have nothing to do with him for the time being.
Zhu Xizhou gathered everyone together, discussed it roughly, coordinated the Hanlin Academy's overall and sub-provincial attitudes, and explained everything they should say and not say.
What celebrations are there on weekdays? Hanlin is the most popular, but today's situation is different. Chen Xi summarized the meaning of the Hanlin:
Try to pretend to be mute at the palace banquet!
The palace banquet was held in Huagai Hall as scheduled. All civil and military officials looked a little sad when they entered the palace gate. It was obvious that they had just received news of the floods of the Yellow River.
Chen Xi followed the crowd, following in silence. With his height, he didn't seem annoying. Then he heard people around him whispering: "...The Peach Blossom Flood this year is a bit late."
The floods in the Yellow River Basin are divided into two types: ice flood and heavy rain flood. Now it is April. Central China is basically in the spring drought season, and there is no rainstorm. This flood is ice flood, also known as the peach blossom flood, because when the flood breaks out, it happens to be the season when the peach blossoms bloom in the north.
It is already mid-to-late April, and the news of flooding has spread to the capital. Chenxi makes a brief estimate that this peach blossom flood will occur roughly from late March to early April, or earlier. After natural disasters in the local area, they usually do not dare to report to the court immediately, but instead have to make up for it themselves. Gaoming City has been covering the sky in Henan in recent years. The news of flooding in the Yellow River may have also been reported to the capital through abnormal channels.
When we arrived outside the Huagai Hall, the preparations for the banquet were basically ready.
Shangbao Department set up an imperial throne in the Huagai Hall, Jinyiwei set up a yellow troop at the east and west ends of the hall, and 24 guards from each other including Jinwu were separated in the hall, standing on the left and right, with extraordinary heroic posture.
The Jiaofang Office has set up nine music music musicians in the hall, big musicians outside the hall, and three dance team dancers are set up at His Highness. The civil and military officials are trained outside the hall, facing east and west.
Although this is a big banquet, it is not a regular banquet. Emperor Hongzhi is full of trivial matters, and some etiquettes can be reduced accordingly. Ministers attending the banquet do not have to wait outside the hall, and they must sit down and wait on the seats in the hall.
Entering the hall, Chen Xi and Zhu Xizhou's seats were on the corner of the wall on the west side. Before the wine and food were served, there were only wine glasses and dishes on the table.
Chen Xi Shi sat down and glanced at the emperor's desk. Not only did the emperor not come, but even the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and the main officials of the six ministries did not come. Perhaps the court was holding an emergency meeting at this time to discuss how to deal with the flood in the Yellow River. As for the handling of officials, the court should not be too anxious.
According to past experience, even if you want to punish local officials, you have to wait until the flood recedes. In this way, officials at all levels will try their best to maintain local stability in order to "make meritorious contributions" in order to "make crimes."
Zhu Xizhou leaned over and asked in a low voice: "If His Majesty asks about the strategy of river control in a while, how do you plan to answer?"
Chen Xi thought to himself secretly that he had just discussed not being the first to be a bird in the Hanlin Academy and said something inappropriate. Now he asked himself about the strategy of river control. Even Hanlin, who looks loyal and honest like Zhu Xizhou, said one thing to do! Chen Xi looked at Zhu Xizhou and shook his head, meaning that he wanted to say you, I have no idea anyway.
Zhu Xizhou did not force himself to sink into Xi and continued to ask Wang Zan in the seat next to him.
There are three Hanlin writers in total, and they are officials of the same level. Although they have agreed to not show off before departure, they should discuss with each other that if there is a temporary change, Emperor Hongzhi asked on the spot how to answer it to attract Zhu Youzhang's attention and thus reach a high position.
At the end of the Shen period, all the ministers gathered, but Emperor Hongzhi and three Grand Secretarys of the Cabinet, and the six ministers of the Ministry of Justice had not appeared. Officials were talking about it. The emperor would not be able to hold a banquet. This was the rule. Everyone had to tighten their belts and wait for the food to serve, but some people were already thinking about the problem of respect.
But the most inconvenient thing in the palace banquet is the sacred ceremony.
Usually when the emperor holds a banquet, it is best to come easily and leave heavily and not leave the venue halfway. At this time, you have to force yourself to hold it in as much as it is difficult.
Seeing the sunset, according to the rules of the banquet, the emperor wanted to enter the venue at auspicious time and the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet personally invited him. This time, Emperor Hongzhi and the Chief Cabinet Minister were not there at the same time, and there was not even a host in the Huagai Hall.
At the second hour of You, Emperor Hongzhi finally came out with Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and others. Chen Xi followed all the civil and military officials to kneel down to greet him. The bells and drums outside the hall were ringing, and a loud music started.
Even if Chen Xi didn't look up, he could feel that Emperor Hongzhi was in a heavy mood at this time.
When Emperor Hongzhi was promoted to the throne, the civil and military ministers, led by the Praise Officer, went to the center of the main hall and arranged in sequence, facing the north of the emperor's throne.
The music changed the tune, and praised the officials and praised the "Four Bows". Shenxi was mixed with civil and military officials, and kowtowed to salute.
Emperor Hongzhi raised his hand and said, "All the ministers are calm and take their seats."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Chen Xi followed the civil and military officials and then returned to his seat and sat down. The sharp and high voice of the eunuch came from his ears: "Seat start!"
The waiters of Honglu Temple entered from all over the Huagai Hall and brought the wine and dishes that had been prepared long ago. Whoever was responsible for delivering the table was rehearsed in advance. Even if there were two or three hundred seats present, the servings of Honglu Temple were orderly.
It was only after the food was served, Chen Xi realized that the banquet in the palace was actually just that.
The so-called imperial meal is just a little more meat, one fish, a few pieces of cured meat, and a few dishes of vegetarian dishes, which are still served for two.
After eating these things, you don’t care about your fullness. Gongyan only provides alcohol and not staple food every time. After eating them, you may be even hungry than not eating them.
When the wine and food were all over, the third-rank Guanglu Temple minister poured the first-ranked wine for Emperor Hongzhi, and brought it to the front of the imperial court. The Jiaofangshu knelt down and played a song "The Song of Yan Jing Kailu", and all the ministers knelt down again.
When Emperor Hongzhi drank the first-rank wine, all civil and military officials were not qualified to drink together. They had to wait for Zhu Youzhang to drink the first-rank wine. All officials could bow four times and sit down twice. Only then could the officials pour the wine and prepare to drink with them.
Starting from the Second Journey Wine, Emperor Hongzhi drank again, and all officials did not need to kneel down. However, after Zhu Youtang drank it, the officials could raise their glasses to drink later.
After the second lord finished drinking, the officials of Guanglu Temple began to pour soup, with ritual and music accompaniment. All civil and military officials needed to get up. Only after Emperor Hongzhi finished the soup, the ministers could sit down. Next, the officials were given soup for the ministers.
Chen Xi looked at the white soup in front of him, it was just a very ordinary fish soup.
However, it is April now, and it is quite difficult to eat fish soup in the capital. However, the soup is too thin, and you can almost see the bottom of the bowl. You can eat it by lifting it up for a few bites. But now you can only see it and not drink it.
After Emperor Hongzhi finished drinking the soup, the music was changed again, and the dancer started dancing. The civil and military officials could sit there to enjoy a dance. The middle was basically time to eat or drink on their own. However, before each dance was about to end, the civil and military officials had to fill the wine by themselves, waiting to give His Majesty a title of wine.
From the banquet to the banquet, a total of nine wines were needed, that is, nine cups. Chenxi did not have that good alcohol content, so each cup could not be filled. After all, the wine level given to the palace in the banquet was relatively high, and it was easy to get drunk with his small body.
The rules for each rank wine are basically the same as those of the second rank wine. Emperor Hongzhi drinks it first and all officials drink it later.
If there are any congratulations and gifts, they should be presented before drinking and before music and dance. However, because Wang Yang and Liu Daxia went to various departments in advance to inform the flood of the Yellow River, the banquet was a bit monotonous. Emperor Hongzhi did not speak, and no one dared to come forward to make a statement.
When one dance ends, the next dance will change, but the dancer will change in three sessions.
The first one was a male dancer, and the last two were a female dancer from the Jiaofangsi. Relatively speaking, the last two dances were more attractive to the attention of civil and military officials.
After the Jiujue wine was delivered, the officials of Guanglu Temple ordered the wine cup to be removed and the "big meal" was given.
The so-called "big meal" is in Shen Xi's opinion, a large plate of dishes that look like a hodgepodge, with meat and vegetables in it. It just so happened that Chen Xi felt that his stomach was not yet in the bottom, so he quickly picked up the chopsticks and ate a few bites, because if he didn't hurry up, he would have to remove the table in a while.
After having a big meal, the Jiaofangsi danced in hundreds of flowers, which is also the essence of the dance music in the entire feast.
The dance musicians who performed the Hundred Flowers Team dance are all the best among the dance girls in the Jiaofang. They are beautiful in shape, and they are between the ages of twelve and twenty, with beautiful appearance.
This team of flowers dances is like the blooming flowers in spring, extremely beautiful. With the officials drinking some wine, they are in a state of full wine and full food. It is easy to "think about the full food". Seeing these beautiful and charming dancers is bound to be imaginative. Even Chen Xi and drinking some wine at a young age, when they see these delicate beauties, they can't help but feel turbulent and their souls are impressed.
It was already time to put on the lamps. The attendants of the Honglu Temple lit candlesticks for each table in turn. At the same time, the lamps hanging in the hall were lit one after another, which quickly turned the hall red.
The Hundred Flowers Team ended, and the officials praised the officials to sing "removal of the case", saying that it was withdrawal, but it was just a form and would not immediately remove all the tables, because there was still food on the table. According to the principle that it was impossible to waste, there was a court ceremony for "retreat" at the banquet, that is, packing and taking away the unfinished dishes.
The policy of "remembering home" began with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, which stipulated that "in the future, civil and military officers would be given two portions of food, one would be given to their parents, not to give fruits and men and women, and those who eat the rest should be given a veil to bring home."
It means that after eating, give a meal for parents to eat. As for the rest of the food, it is a manifestation of the emperor's kindness.
As for the packaging work, the attendants of the Honglu Temple will be responsible for the packing work after the banquet. Officials cannot take it themselves or pick them.
While "withdrawing the case", the official of the Pian Pian sang "Feast". Chen Xi quickly followed the officials to attend, facing Emperor Hongzhi, and then the Ming Pian sang "Bow" in his ears.
The bow here is not bending, but kneeling down and kowtowing. At the same time, the ritual and music sounds are heard again, and all civil and military officials need to bow four times.
All officials were arranged on the east and west sides, and the Yili Department knelt on Emperor Hongzhi to play the "Rites" and then whipped and played music.
Emperor Hongzhi Zhu Youzhe returned to the palace, and all civil and military officials began to leave the court, but before leaving the court, all officials, including Chen Xi, had to wait for the attendants of the Honglu Temple to pack the food and then leave the palace with the food.
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ps: The eighth update is here!
This chapter is still an update for all book friends. Thank you for the six leaders, eleven hall masters, twenty-four helmsmen, three hundred and ninety-six deacons and more than ten thousand disciples... Thank you for your support, the emperor is here to bow and pay tribute to you!
This chapter was coded before midnight, and the emperor finally fulfilled his promise. At this moment, he felt that every cell in his body was filled with a word: It’s great!
Chapter completed!