That night, in the general's mansion, in order to celebrate the victorious return of Shouhan, a family banquet was grand and sumptuous.

It is said that it is a family banquet, but it is not very accurate.

As the whole family sits around a table, everyone has a pile of dishes in front of them, and the cups and plates are messy. This kind of thing is inconsistent with Shouhan's current status and status, and it is also very conflicting with his own interests and preferences.

Comparatively speaking, Shouhan still likes a small table in front of everyone, and everyone drinks together in a hall, which not only conforms to the hygienic principle of meal sharing, but also has the spirit of a princely house. Rather than simply huddled together because of the principle of kinship proposed by a certain theorist.

In the hall converted into the former hall of the Ruan Wangye, more than ten tables were lined up, and a larger table in the center was used as the dining table for the Han.

In the hall, dozens of red lamps with the same height as people are lit, and the lamps are made of bronze throughout, and each lamp weighs dozens of pounds. The lamppost is hollow, the wick made of huge cotton twist is soaked in the lamp post by the lamp oil, and the lamp base is a large oil pot that can hold ten catties of lamp oil, and one lamp can illuminate a radius of several feet, not to mention dozens of lamps? Even if a needle has dropped in the entire hall, you can find it!

Because it was a family feast, those female musicians and troupes were not summoned, but waited there with musical instruments in the ear room on the side of the hall, and as long as the owners of the hall had ideas and interests, they would go in to sing and dance as soon as possible.

In a burst of laughter, Shouhan was dressed in a robe made of new summer cloth. There is a white jade belt crushed into a dragon pattern across his waist, a pair of civil and military soap boots under his feet, and a golden crown on his head. Holding Hua Mei's little hand in his left hand, and supporting Fu Bo in his right hand, accompanied by Pei Lin, he led a group of wives and concubines, and a group of maids and daughters behind him held their younger children, and appeared at the door of the hall lively.

Entering the hall, Shouhan naturally sat in the middle, because he was a master and servant of the monarch and the minister who had been in contact for many years. Yan Mei'er and the others don't have to be taboo with Fu Bo and Pei Lin. The two took their seats in the guest seats.

The next thing to do is to arrange the seating of the Han women, settle them, and the maids and maids holding the children will serve the children at the small table behind them.

However, the turmoil began from there.

Li Muhua has been giving birth to Li Shouhan's second son, Li Huayu. The body has become a little plump. Compared with the past, it has become more and more less feminine. She glanced at the seats in the hall and called out to her mother-in-law, Ruan, who was beside her.

"Mama Ruan, Mama Ruan. Carry the young master to the table next to the master. It is closer to the master, so that the master can see the young master clearly. My poor son, from the time he was born, he has been running around and toiling outside. ”

"Yes, princess."

That Ruan's mother is also an old person who came out of Shenglong Palace, and in her mouth, Li Muhua is still the pearl of Li Shenzong, his princess, not Li Shouhan's fifth aunt.

While holding the child and stepping forward to the left-hand position of Shouhan, Ruan's mother muttered to herself, "Okay, my little master, don't cry, just get closer to Daddy, Daddy works so hard, isn't it just for you to earn this belongings?!" ”

seems to be unintentionally coaxing Li Huayu, who is babbling in his arms, but other people can't listen to it.

"Wait!"

"Wait!"

"Stop!"

"Wait!"

Several women stopped Ruan's mother from further action in unison, and suddenly the atmosphere in the room became strange and awkward:

Ruan's mother walked to the center of the hall with the child in her arms, and several women behind her looked at her with fierce eyes.

"Mother Ruan, Hua Yu has just had a pox, and his body is weak, don't let the master's tiger power rush. Let's go and sit in the back! Father and son are by nature, why should they fight for this time? ”

At present, the two Meishan sisters, as Yan Mei'er's helpers, are in charge of the expenses of the inner house in the house, and the arrangement of the maid's mother-in-law, they have always advanced and retreated with Yan Mei'er, and Li Muhua, who has contributed to the defense of the Han Dynasty and pacified the northern territory, and has brought a big dowry.

But they are still okay with each other, and when they meet, they are all sisters and sisters calling each other, if it weren't for Li Muhua's attempt to take this opportunity to test everyone's bottom line today, it is estimated that this kind of harmony will continue to flutter in the inner house.

Since Da Lang died of acne that day, Sister Mei Shan has formed a bond with Li Muhua, and today she is trying to determine her status in this way, how can this be accepted by the two sisters?

When it comes to what they have done for Shouhan, Mei Shan's father is now working diligently for his son-in-law and running a large plantation of tear trees (rubber trees) in the Chao Phraya River, carrying wrought iron, refined salt, sugar, porcelain, cotton cloth and other goods sold to Siam.

"A woman whose country is ruined and her family is ruined, and a white tiger star! Gram's country is dead, my father is dead, and my son is dead when I come here! If it weren't for the fact that the master wanted to use that dead ghost father of yours as a signboard, you would have been sent to a farm to match the reclamation people! All you believe in yourself is a son! Don't be too complacent, your son may not be the master of this family business in the future! The eldest lady also has a seed in her belly! Our sisters also have the blood of the lord in their stomachs! Whose son belongs to this belongings, it may not be a good one! ”

Looking at the changing light and darkness on Li Muhua's face with the beating of the lights, Shilin felt indescribably happy.

"Fifth aunt," Yan Mei'er's henchman, now the housekeeper in the house, Mrs. Cai, also comforted gently, "The young master is weak, and the master has to drink a few glasses of wine, once the young master can't stand the crying, won't it disturb the master's interest?" makes the old man unhappy, but it is not good for the young master. ”

Mrs. Cai's words are soft and hard, and the words are full of threats, but she can't find any fault.

Seeing that several women around him had such an attitude, he saw that everyone was angry. couldn't help but signal Li Muhua to let Ruan's mother take Li Huayu back, stand behind him, and wait for Mrs. Cai to arrange the banquet seats.

"Ma'am, please." Mrs. Cai played the role of the banquet official very competently, first invited Yan Mei'er to take a seat, and when Yan Mei'er sat down under Shouhan's hand, she beckoned Mei Shan and Sister Shilin to sit down, and then the fourth wife Xiuzhu (that is, the maid who flew with Shouhan and Xiuxiu, after Xiuxiu passed away, Shouhan took her into the room. It's kind of a little thought). The four wives in front of them and their own children. After the maids and women around her were all seated, Cai Pozi picked up her handkerchief, slowly wiped the sweat on her forehead and cheeks, and rested a little. Only then did he nod and call Ruan's mother.

"The Nguyen family. You sit here with the fifth aunt. ”

Mrs. Cai consciously bit the words of the fifth aunt a little hard. The arrangement for Li Muhua is according to the fifth position of the room. However, this position not only made Ruan's mother feel angry. also made Li Muhua's willow eyebrows stand upside down.

Opposite the table of the fifth aunt is the location of several Tianzhu orchids. These women are women who have enjoyed the Han in their spare time, and their status in the house has always been more embarrassing and subtle, in the eyes of the maid and the woman, they are the women of the master, although they have no name at the moment, but they may be accepted one day. In the eyes of several aunts, they are similar to the status of concubines. At this family banquet, they also attended, but it was just a few people at the same table.

And placing Li Muhua with them clearly means to belittle and despise.

Seeing that everyone was already seated, Mrs. Cai nodded. One of her stewards stood at the door of the hall and sang in a long voice, "Open the table——! Serve——! ”

With the elongated shout, the courtyard was soon filled with lights flickering and wafting with a rich aroma. The children in the teasing room and the few Tianzhu orchids couldn't help but twitch and sniff their little noses, greedily breathing in the aroma of food.

As the chefs approached the pace of serving the food, the musical instruments in the hands of a group of fine musicians also began to play, and the dinner officially began in the melodious sound of silk and bamboo.

According to the custom of large-scale feasts spread from the mainland, the first big dish is served, which is called Daga rice. (Water Margin and Jin Pinmei and other works often mention that there is a good Ga rice, just say that these dishes or the hotel's housekeeping dishes.) According to the process of serving, the so-called five cuts and three soups are performed, alternating between five dishes and three soups, and then accompanied by music, so as to create a warm and cheerful joyful atmosphere as soon as the feast begins.

The first major dish is roast goose, followed by roast pork and roast duck. Braised hooves, roasted deer, brocade wrapped sheep and other dishes. Each roast bird is a whole bird to show grandeur. In particular, a big fat deer in the rectification is even more courageous. After several servants brought up the prepared deer, the audience fell silent. The chef wields a sharp knife and cuts these five dishes on the spot to make it easier for everyone to eat, so it is called five cuts. After that, the chef puts the cut part on a plate, and the maid distributes it to each table, and each person orders the people around him to take it according to his own preferences and eat it with various ingredients.

Next is three soups, and after five cuts and three soups, the first climax of the banquet has arrived. Next, everyone can drink calmly. At this time, the core of the dish is mixed. Delicacies on land and water, all kinds of desserts come one after another, up to dozens of products. Seeing those newly entered Tianzhu orchids, they were dazzled and amazed.

A cook put a piece of roasted fragrant fat venison on a wooden plate, walked quickly to Shouhan, bowed down, raised the wooden plate above his head, and the soldiers on the side took the wooden plate and handed it to the Shouhan table, "Please taste it!" ”

Sticking a knife into the fat venison in front of him and dipping it in the spices on the plate, the Shouhan seemed to be back to the days of eating barbecue before the crossing.

"Brother Zong, how does this smell?"

Shouhan raised the knife in his hand, cut the fat venison, and from time to time put small pieces of venison into his mouth.

"This deer is a delicacy in the world!"

Li Peilin also raised the knife in his hand high in his seat, and he was also feasting.

"Daze Longfang stings, and the Central Plains deer is fat. What does the clan brother think? Does it rhyme? ”

"This?!"

Rao is Li Peilin and Li Shouhan have known each other for many years, and they know each other very well.

What is a dragon and a deer? In Chinese characters, even a newly enlightened schoolboy knows that the dragon and the deer both represent the highest power and the world! Could it be that Shouhan felt that in the Daze of this southern middle school, he had heard the sound of spring thunder. A dragon is about to take advantage of the trend?! Go north to the Central Plains to hunt with the heroes?

"Although the words and sentences are not very neat, they are similar to the wind song of the Han Gaozu in the past, and the Taizu of this dynasty 'three oh call out the Fusang Day, sweep away the remnant stars and the defeated moon', the momentum is similar!"

Pei Lin very euphemistically praised Shouhan, by the way, he tried to see if he was going to go north to the Central Plains and compete for the chair in Beijing, and consciously compared this poem with Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang's poems to see how Shouhan reacted.

As a descendant of the Li family in Liaodong, from the bottom of my heart. Pei Lin did not have such a strong sense of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty. When his Li family was in Liaodong, wasn't it a feudal town!

"How can I be compared to the Taizu of this dynasty and the Gaozu of the Han Dynasty? It's just a momentary feeling, and it's just a big talk! However, if one day the storm comes, I can follow the example of my ancestors. Not impossible! ”

That's right!

Pei Lin put her heart back in her stomach. He had always worried that Shouhan would be carried away by the victory in the past few years. became the second Yang Yinglong, although the current Ming Dynasty is no longer the Ming Dynasty of the Wanli Emperor back then, but. After all, more is better than less. Immerse yourself in development first!

"Daddy!"

Li Huamei, who was sitting behind Yan Mei'er, jumped in front of Shouhan, ignoring the grease on the corners of her mouth and hands, pulling Shouhan's robe, and looking at Shouhan with anticipation.

"Are you going deer hunting? I'm going too! Would you like to take Erya with you? ”

"Good! Daddy next time he goes out, he must take Erya with him! ”

Shouhan looked at his baby daughter with love in his eyes, "However, going out is a hard thing, there is no such soft bed for you to sleep on, and there are not so many delicious foods for you to eat, you can only sleep on a hard bed, and eat the same meals as all people, can you stand it?" ”

Li Huamei blinked her little eyes, and suddenly laughed slyly, "Daddy is lying to me!" I'm not afraid! When the time comes, I'll have dinner with Daddy! Then I'll ask A-Niang to bring me a few more mattresses! ”

Wearing a red dress fluttering, Yan Mei'er got up and left her seat and came to Shouhan, and gently pulled Hua Mei, "Daughter, don't bully Daddy, Daddy has been really hard these days, you let Daddy take a good rest." ”

Looking at Yan Mei'er, who was wearing a golden crown and a red silk skirt, her slightly bulging lower abdomen, the Han Shou ordered the man to pour a glass of chrysanthemum wine, raise his glass in his hand, and gesture to Yan Mei'er.

"Mei'er, when I'm not at home, I've worked hard for you."

As soon as these words came out, Yan Mei'er was like a bowl of vinegar sprinkled on the charcoal fire, and his heart was hot and sour.

The husband often goes out for a few months, either going around to conquer or to patrol all over the place, where does he know that there are clouds and treacherous things in this inner house? The same struggle between women?

If it weren't for her husband's support and encouragement in the open and secret, Fu Bo would be in charge of the house, I'm afraid that the woman of the Li family would be turned upside down!

She listened to the gossip from the fifth aunt more than once, and this woman intentionally or unintentionally let out the rumors: A maid was born, and he can actually be in charge of housekeeping? The two women who were defeated by the lord and sent to ask for peace can even make waves in the mansion, there are really no rules in this mansion!

It was during the days when Shouhan went to Ryukyu that Ruan's mother went to Cai Pozi to ask for this and that several times, all of which exceeded the rules and regulations of the house.

At first, Mrs. Cai adhered to Yan Mei'er's intentions, and gave some small things that were not spoken, but she didn't want this to fuel the momentum of the five rooms, so she actually ran to Yan Mei'er and asked for an increase in the monthly silver! And the number of increases shall be equal to that of salt plums!

"The princess has added the young master now, and the expenses have increased everywhere, and I hope that the housekeeper's wife will give the silver for expenses, so as not to let the young master be wronged, and the master will not be able to explain it when he comes back!"

Ruan's mother's words were very harsh and ugly, obviously relying on Li Muhua to give birth to a son and bully the master with slaves.

"The amount of money was set when the lord was there! I don't dare to decide which one to add and which to subtract! Besides, since the young master was born, he has added the same monthly silver as the eldest lady and others, and he has added another 10%, as well as the nurse's reward silver, and the nanny's reward silver, these few pieces of silver are not enough for a nursing child? ! ”

"Madam, you can't say that, the young master is young at the moment, but my princess ,......"

"Daring minion!"

Listening to Ruan's mother, she is a princess and a princess, and it is Yan Mei'er's daily hard work to cultivate no matter how good her cultivation is. I can't hold back my anger!

"This is the presidential palace of the South China Army! It's not the palace of the Annam Commander! What princess is not princess! In this inner house, there is only the daughter-in-law of the Li family! ”

Ruan's mother couldn't help but be startled when she saw Yan Mei'er slap the table, and secretly underestimated this woman from a maid, but she was still rotten.

"Madam, it's only because the slave and maid screamed smoothly, and she didn't change it for a while. It's just that the young master does have a lot of temporary expenses that are difficult to handle, and my family ...... The fifth aunt means. Let's see if you can compare the appearance of the second wife and the third wife? ”

The second and third wives in her mouth are the sisters Mei Shan and Shi Lin, and these two sisters are no longer what they used to be, far from the sad and sad relatives they had when they were given to Shouhan and their relatives by the Siamese royal family in Ayutthaya. It is the father of the two of them, who has relied on guarding the Han to reclaim the Chao Phraya River in recent years. It is also planting tear trees and cinchona trees. It is also to sell all kinds of industrial products to the mainland of Siam. He has long been wealthy, and he has donated as many as four or five statues of Sakyamuni in pure gold to Buddhist temples alone, praying for his daughters and sons-in-law to be blessed for a long time. Affection lasts a long time.

has such a father who earns money outside, and naturally the two daughters are also very active in the house, and they are generous. Compared with these two, Li Muhua's living standard is not as good as that of the fourth wife's cultivation of bamboo.

"Nonsense! The sisters are their own money from their mother's family! ”

In a word, Li Muhua not only hated Yan Mei'er, but also hated Mei Shan and Shi Lin sisters more and more.

Looking at Yan Mei'er who was standing next to Shouhan's shoulder, Yan Mei'er who was smiling, looking at the golden crown on her head and the big red dress on her body, the corners of Li Muhua's eyes couldn't help twitching twice, and her eyes swept the nanny beside her, and the nanny bowed slightly, indicating that she understood.

"The concubine respects Huayu to the lord for a cup!"

Li Muhua raised the golden cup in his hand high, and the nanny behind him held Shouhan's son Li Huayu and followed closely.

"It's hard to keep a man, but he is a man, so he has to do the work of supporting his wife and children, but a few of you should give your wife a drink. She takes care of the housework, which is no less than the Shouhan fighting outside! ”

One bird enters the forest, and a hundred birds are silent. Fu Bo's words suddenly made Li Muhua lose interest, looking at this person with white hair that had been sparsely visible, sitting firmly in his seat, drinking and eating meat, Li Muhua's prepared words were completely useless.

"Thank you, Fauber, you're always right! We're going to toast my wife! The long-standing Meishan sisters had a tacit understanding with each other, and walked to the position side by side with Li Muhua, and several maids behind them followed closely with wine jugs.

And the fourth wife, Xiuzhu, took the initiative and came to Yan Mei'er's table with a wine bottle and a wine glass, and poured a full cup of wine for Yan Mei'er. Turning back into the queue, standing on the side of Sister Shilin, he turned his head and scolded the group of Tianzhu orchids, "What are you doing sitting there stupidly? Why don't you come over and toast your wife?! A bunch of little hooves! Be careful to go back and I'll clean you up! ”

Shocked, the group of Tianzhu orchids trembled one by one, and hurriedly came behind the four women, waiting for the wife's orders.

Seeing that he was alone, Li Muhua stood in the queue a little stupidly, holding a wine glass, with a smile on his face, but he couldn't stop cursing in his heart, "Two Siamese foxes!" I hope you won't be able to give birth to a son this time, and what you give birth to will still be the same money-losing goods as you! Even if it is born, it will not be raised! Don't dream and grab my Huayu! ”

"Xiuzhu."

Shouhan, who was hugging Yan Mei'er's shoulders, obviously felt that his wife's body was trembling slightly, and he didn't know whether he was excited or a little tired. However, looking at the waists and abdomen of the several women in front of him one by one, he still had to speak.

"Your toast to your wife's wine is also your heart, and I am also touched by this. Explain your respect and filial piety to your wife. (Oh, that's a bit too much!) But, you all bow your heads and give Lao Tzu a good look, Mrs. and Mei Shan and Shi Lin are all pregnant, don't drink this chrysanthemum wine, replace it with sugar cane wine! Don't hurt my son! ”

The servants who were waiting for the banquet hurriedly came over to change the sugar cane wine for the pregnant wives, which was low in content and good for the body.

"I wish my wife a long and happy life, and I will love my lord."

As everyone drank all the wine in the cup, Li Muhua looked down at his dress, and then looked up at Yan Mei'er, who was hugging Li Hua with Shouhan and was happy, and couldn't help but swear secretly.

"Sooner or later, I'm going to wear a red dress and sit in that seat on it. I'm a princess, I can't be a concubine! (To be continued......)