About half an hour later, Nangong Feng saw that there were no guests, so he instructed Wei Yongnian: "It seems that no one is coming, Yongnian, you clean up these, and go to the back kitchen to see how the preparation is, and in half an hour, you can almost prepare to sit at the table." Wei Yongnian nodded while packing up the gift account. While the two were talking, a line of brocade guards came in, and a eunuch entered, and as soon as he entered the door, the eunuch announced in a loud voice: "The holy decree has arrived!" Prime Minister Nangong Tian received the order. ”

When Nangong Feng heard this, he hurriedly instructed Wei Yongnian: "Hurry up and go to the second hall to call the old man to come out to receive the order, and you also order the people in the back hall to come out to receive the order." Just go. Wei Yongnian Malier put away the gift account, and then walked briskly towards the back hall. Nangong Feng saw that Wei Yongnian had gone to the back hall, so he walked up to the eunuch and saluted the eunuch, and politely replied: "Manager Wang, my father is resting in the back hall, and the minister has already asked the housekeeper to summon him, presumably it will be there in a while, please wait a while." ”

When Mr. Wang heard this, he only nodded and said nothing. This Wang Guan is the chief eunuch of the palace, Wang Jiezhong, and Wang Jiezhong. He is the chief steward of the emperor's side. Therefore, when the civil and military officials saw this person, they were all respectful. Soon, Nangong Tian and other people in the back hall of the mansion were summoned. As soon as Nangong Tian arrived, he gave a salute to Wang Jiezhong, who had passed on the decree, and said politely: "Let Mr. Wang wait for a long time." ”

"Don't worry, the prime minister is old, which is understandable. Your Excellency Prime Minister, take the order. Wang Jiezhong replied lightly, after speaking, Nangong Tian and his family members in the house and the people waiting for him knelt down to wait for the order, and at the same time, everyone who came to congratulate him also knelt in the courtyard and waited for the order. When Wang Jiezhong saw everyone kneeling, he unveiled the holy decree and read it, "Fengtian carrier, emperor, edict said: Today is the birthday of Prime Minister Nangong Tianzhi, and he is my courtier, but in fact he is my teacher, I congratulate my teacher today as a student, and hereby the student has prepared a thin gift for the teacher, giving the teacher a golden longevity word, wishing the teacher a long life and good health." I can't come to celebrate my birthday today because of state affairs, and I hope my teacher will understand. Chin this! ”

"Weichen is grateful, long live my emperor, long live." Nangong Tianling said. Everyone said in unison, "Long live my emperor, long live." After receiving the order, Wang Jiezhong asked the Jinyi guard to bring the golden longevity word forward, and after Nangong Tian received the birthday gift, Wang Jiezhong said: "Prime Minister, please hurry up." Nangong Feng helped Nangong Tian to get up, Nangong Tian held the birthday gift and holy decree in his hand, and said with a smile: "Manager Wang is really grateful to you, if you don't dislike it, it's better to stay in the mansion and dine together with the guards." ”

"Lord Nangong doesn't have to be polite, I still have to go back to resume my life, and wait for the emperor, I don't dare to delay my official business. Thank you for your understanding, Prime Minister. I'm going back to the palace. Wang Jiezhong smiled and prevaricated, "Lord Nangong, on your birthday today, you can eat and drink well, I hereby congratulate your Lord on your blessing as the East China Sea, and your longevity is better than Nanshan pine." ”

"Thank you, Mr. Wang, for his good words." Nangong Tian replied with a smile, "Since Chief Manager Wang still has something to do, the old minister will no longer persuade him to stay." The old minister sent the king to the lord. After saying that, Nangong Tian handed over the holy decree and birthday gift to Nangong Feng, and then sent Wang Jiezhong and his party out of the house, when sending it, Wang Jiezhong said: "By the way, Lord Nangong, the emperor asked me to ask you what you have been busy with your granddaughter recently?" I haven't seen her come to the palace to reply to the emperor's previous entrustment for several days? Shouldn't you have forgotten it? ”

"Back to the king, the granddaughter of the old minister may have been busy preparing for her birthday in the mansion recently, and she is often seen in and out of the mansion to help." Nangong Tian paused, and then continued, "As for the matter entrusted to her by the emperor, the minister can guarantee that she must not have forgotten." Presumably, he will be able to enter the palace to reply to the emperor in a few days. ”

"In that case, then I'll go back to the saint." Wang Jiezhong replied, "It's good that Lord Nangong is sent here, please stay." After speaking, Wang Jiezhong and the others stepped on their horses, bid farewell to everyone and headed towards the palace. After seeing the group leave, Nangong Tian turned to the people behind him and said, "Please go back to the house and rest for a while, and then the banquet can be held." After speaking, the group returned to the mansion one after another.

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After returning home, Nangong Feng put the holy decree and the gold-cast longevity character on the main hall and offered it. After that, he instructed Wei Yongnian: "Yongnian, you go down and prepare, and dine in the second hall for a while." Wei Yongnian nodded, and then took a few attendants and maids to the second hall. Seeing off Wang Jiezhong, Kong Liangbo led several chefs to continue to go back to the back kitchen to prepare for the banquet; When Nangong Xue and her two elder brothers saw this, they also went to the back hall, and the reason was that it was time to prepare for the birthday celebration. So at this moment, there are only Nangong Tian left in the main hall, Nangong Feng, the six maids in the house, and all the adults. At this time, Nangong Tian poured a bowl of tea and picked up the tea bowl to thank everyone: "Today is the birthday of the old man, just now the emperor sent someone to celebrate the birthday, so that the old man is sincerely afraid, and at this moment all the adults in their busy schedules to come to celebrate the birthday, how can the old man be able to thank the saint for your love for the old man, and now the old man is drinking tea instead of wine to show his gratitude." ”

After speaking, Nangong Tian drank a bowl of tea. When everyone saw it, they hurriedly picked up the tea bowl in their hands, drank it all, and then congratulated in unison: "Congratulations to the Prime Minister on his good life and health." ”

"Thank you, thank you." Nangong Tian replied with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, you can go to the second hall to eat after a while, the old man invited the church today, if you adults have nothing to do, you can stay in the mansion and order a few more plays to listen." ”

"Lord Nangong is really bothered." The adults said in unison. After speaking, Nangong Tian's father and son accompanied the tea ceremony in the main hall and chatted with the adults. At this time, Chen Zhao, who was sitting on the side, was holding the tea bowl with a smile on his face, but he didn't say much, it seemed to be like he was in Cao Ying's heart, Nangong Tian saw Chen Zhao's expression, so he stepped forward and said: "Lord Chen seems to be a little absent-minded, is there something entangled?" ”

"Oh, no, no." Chen Zhao came back to his senses and replied, "The Prime Minister is too careful, I don't have anything to do with me, I just looked at your mansion a little distracted, I have visited a few times before, but I haven't visited it as well as today, so I was a little surprised for a while." I didn't expect that the façade of your mansion is not big, but the house is full of everything. It's just that the population is a little sparse. It's a pity. ”

"Hey," Nangong Tian sighed and explained lightly, "Lord Chen doesn't know, there were still a lot of people in my humble house before, and after the children left the capital one by one to go elsewhere, Nangong Feng was left in the family to accompany him, and there were few family members left, and the others went to a distant place with their children." ”

"I see." Chen Zhao nodded and replied, "No wonder." ”

As he was talking, Wei Yongnian stepped forward and reported: "Master Hui, master, the second hall is ready, you can invite all the adults to dine together." ”

"Well, got it. You go to the second hall to prepare first. Nangong Tianying said, and after speaking, Wei Yongnian took a step forward and went to the second hall, "Your lords' banquet is ready, please go to the second hall with the old man to eat." As soon as the words fell, Nangong Tian led the adults towards the second hall.

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When I arrived at the second hall, I saw that more than a dozen round tables had been placed in the second hall, and the dishes and chopsticks on the round table were ready. Nangong Tian and all the adults entered the table one by one, and then the attendants and maids in the palace waited one after another. It didn't take long for the dishes to be arranged. The waiters poured wine for each of the adults. After the wine was poured, Nangong Tian stood up and raised his wine glass, and said: "Thank you for the emperor's grace, thank you for your lordship, for celebrating the birthday of the old man today, and the old man is here to pay respect." Your Excellency must return home with all your joy today. As soon as the words fell, Nangong Tian drained the wine in the wine glass. Just before Nangong Tian spoke, all the adults also stood up one after another, and they all held their wine glasses, and along with Nangong Tian's congratulations, they all dried up the wine glasses.

Just after they drank the first glass of wine, Nangong Xue and her two elder brothers came to the second hall with three wooden plates, covered with red cloths, and congratulated: "Grandpa, today is your 60th birthday, here I and my two brothers together to celebrate grandpa's birthday, and present the birthday gift we prepared for you, wishing grandpa a blessing like the East China Sea Shoubi Nanshan." And the three of us are going to give you a performance. I hope you smile. After speaking, he lifted the red cloth, and everyone saw that it was a set of tea sets, large and small tea bowls and teapots, and everyone came to God, not knowing what the three grandchildren were going to perform. So they all looked at the three people intently.

Xiao Yue and Dongmei, who were standing next to them, moved a small coffee table, Chun Xue moved a stool and put it in front of the coffee table, Nangong Xue sat on the stool and put the wooden plate in her hand on the coffee table, and after tidying up the teapot and other tea utensils used in the wooden plate, she began to perform kung fu tea, Nangong Xue's movements were skillful and elegant, so that everyone was extremely admired, and they all stretched out their thumbs to Nangong Tian to express their praise. Nangong Tian's father and son also smiled with satisfaction when they saw their skillful performance. Only after this look did I understand that I heard that there was no lights out in the Nangong Snow Room last night, and it turned out that I was practicing kung fu tea. Seeing Nangong Xue perform like this, the father and son were very pleased.

Nangong Xue poured the kung fu tea one by one into the tea bowl on the wooden plate of Nangong Hai and Nangong Yun, and the brothers presented the tea bowl to the adults one by one, so that they could drink it together. I have long heard that the prime minister loves to drink tea, and the tea leaves at home are all of the highest quality, and now I feel honored to taste it, which is really worthy of its reputation. And I have long heard that Dean Nangong has three sensible children, and now when I see it, I really envy us people. ”

"Where, where. Ladies and gentlemen, have won the prize. Nangong Tian hurriedly replied.

"Dare to ask Nangong Xue what kind of tea is this? Where did you buy it? I would also like to buy a pack. Lin Shiru stepped forward and asked.

"Back to Doctor Yushi, the little girl's tea was bought in a newly opened tea shop in Dongcheng, if you drink it well, the little girl is willing to make you another pot." Nangong Xue replied.

"Since you've said so, you're welcome." Lin Shiru responded, "I'm sorry for you to make another pot for us all to taste again." ”

After speaking, Nangong Xue made another pot of tea and handed it to Lin Shiru, and then she was worried and afraid that everyone would still want to taste it, so she made a few more pots and prepared them. Just when Nangong Xue was making tea, Lin Shiru noticed that the tea bowl he was holding was a little special, which was a little different from the one at home. There is a bit of a frosted feeling on the hand, and there is no tea in the tea bowl, but you can still smell the strong fragrance of tea. Then he asked curiously again: "Nangong Xue, your tea bowl seems to be a little special, right?" Can you tell us about it? ”

"Back to Doctor Yushi, I was about to explain that my set of tea sets and these teapots and bowls are all made of purple sand. Therefore, it will be a little different from other teapots and bowls. Nangong Xue replied, "This purple sand will absorb the fragrance of tea, so you will smell the strong fragrance of tea after drinking tea." ”

"Oh?" Lin Shiru's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he responded, "No wonder I still smell the fragrance of tea after drinking." It's a really good tea set. Looks like you've got a good birthday gift for your grandfather. You guys have such a heart, you really envy us people. ”

"Doctor Yu Shi has won the prize. The little girl just did her filial piety. I'm sure your children will do the same one day. Nangong Xue smiled.

After speaking, Nangong Xue dedicated the purple sand teapot and a dry tea set to Nangong Tian. Nangong Tian took the teapot in his hand and looked at it carefully, and said, "My good granddaughter and good grandson, thank you." After finishing speaking, he put away these teapots, tea bowls and a dry tea set for Wei Yongnian. After putting it away, Nangong Tian said: "Then please enjoy this table of dishes to your heart's content." Have fun today. ”

As soon as the words fell, everyone picked up the dishes and chopsticks and enjoyed them. The two classes were lively eating and drinking, and Nangong Xue and her two brothers went to a room in the back kitchen to eat with several chefs and Kong Haoyu.

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When the feast was over, the attendants and maids were busy cleaning up the table, and the back garden was lively and singing. Nangong Xue saw that her grandfather and father were so happy, and she was very relieved. So the day was so lively and lively until the evening that it dissipated.

After sending off the guests, Nangong Xue had time to ask her grandfather: "Grandpa, are you happy about the gift we gave you today?" ”

"Happy, happy!" Nangong Tian smiled and said, "This purple sand teapot is really good." And the hall you decorated for your grandfather today is also very festive, it's really hard for you. Grandpa has a few of your grandchildren, which is really a blessing from the previous life. ”

"Grandpa, we should do these things for you." Nangong Hai replied, "In the future, we will celebrate your birthday every year." ”

Hearing this, Nangong Tian felt very cordial in his heart, now that he is sixty years old, and his three grandchildren have also grown up, seeing that they have this filial piety, he is very happy in his heart. So I muttered in my heart: "Thank God for giving me such a caring grandson." What a blessing. ”