Chapter 459: The Great Feast

Emperor Hongzhi gave a special palace banquet in the palace because the crown prince Zhu Houzhao recovered from illness, which can be regarded as the emperor's grace for the ministers, but the congratulatory message that has been prepared is withdrawn, and there is only one explanation, what happened to make the congratulatory message out of place. ☆→☆→,

After Zhong Hanlin inquired about the reason, Wang Wei just said indifferently: "The Yellow River is flooded ......."

This reason is absolutely reasonable and sufficient, there is a natural disaster**, the banquet has not been withdrawn is considered good, and it is inevitable to make a festive gesture at the palace banquet.

Liu Daxia came with Wang Wei, because he was afraid that the Hanlin who liked to sing praises for the emperor on weekdays would say something unsuitable at the palace banquet, so that the emperor and the civil and military officials could not come to the stage.

Liu Daxia came this time, and he didn't pay attention to Shen Xi, so he left in a hurry with Wang Wei...... The matter was urgent, and they should have gone to another yamen to inform them.

Thinking of Wang Qiong, Henan's right-hand political envoy, entering Beijing to sue Henan Governor Gao Mingcheng for embezzling money for river grain, Shen Xi guessed that it might cause a major earthquake in the officialdom, and the local officials in Henan would be replaced, and even the Beijing officials who recommended these officials might also suffer.

But these have nothing to do with him for the time being.

Zhu Xizhou gathered everyone together, discussed it roughly, unified and coordinated the caliber of the Hanlin Academy, and had to explain clearly what should be said and what should not be said.

What are the celebrations on weekdays, Hanlin is the most showy, but today's situation is different, Shen Xi summed up the meaning of Hanlin:

Try to pretend to be dumb at the palace banquet!

The palace banquet was held in the Huagai Hall as scheduled, and the civil and military officials looked a little gloomy when they entered the palace gate, apparently having just received the news that the Yellow River was flooding.

Shen Xi followed the flow of people, following the same steps, silent, with his height would not be an eyesore, he heard someone on the left and right whispering: "...... This year's peach blossom flood came a little late. ”

The flood in the Yellow River basin is divided into two kinds of ice flood and torrential flood, now it is April day, Central China basically belongs to the spring dry season, there can be no heavy rain, then this flood is the ice flood, also known as the peach blossom flood, because when the flood breaks out, it is just the season when the peach blossoms bloom in the north.

Now that it is mid-to-late April, the news of the flood has reached the capital at this time, and Shen Xi has made a slight estimate that the peach blossom flood will occur from late March to early April, or earlier. After there is a natural disaster in the locality, it is generally not necessary to report to the imperial court immediately, but to remedy it by itself, Gaoming City has been covering the sky in Henan in recent years, and the news of the Yellow River may be flooded is also from the capital through abnormal channels.

Outside the canopy hall, preparations for the feast were basically ready.

Shang Bao Si set up the throne in the Huagai Palace, the brocade guard set up Huang Lu at the east and west ends of the palace, Jin Wu and other 24 guards in the palace, the left and right are separated, and the heroic posture is extraordinary.

The teaching workshop department set up nine music and song workers in the hall, set up a big music worker outside the hall, set up three dance miscellaneous dancers in His Royal Highness, and the civil and military ministers were lined up outside the hall according to the court class, facing east and west.

Although this is a big banquet, but not a regular banquet, Emperor Hongzhi is riddled with trivial matters, some of the ceremonies can be reduced accordingly, the ministers attending the banquet do not have to wait outside the hall, they all sit down and wait on the seats in the main hall.

Entering the main hall, Shen Xi and Zhu Xizhou's seats were on the west side by the corner of the wall, and before the wine and food were served, there were only wine glasses and dishes on the table.

Shen Xi Shi Shiran sat down and glanced at the desk of the emperor, not only did the emperor not come, but even the cabinet scholars and the main officials of the six ministries did not come, perhaps at this time the imperial court was holding an emergency meeting to discuss how to deal with the flood of the Yellow River, as for the disposal of officials, the imperial court should not be too eager.

According to past experience, even if it is necessary to punish the crimes of local officials, it is necessary to wait for the flood waters to recede, so that officials at all levels will try their best to maintain local stability in order to "make meritorious contributions to their crimes."

Zhu Xizhou leaned over and asked in a low voice, "If Your Majesty asks about the strategy for governing the river in a while, how are you going to respond?" ”

Shen Xi secretly figured to himself, just now in the Hanlin Academy, he discussed whether he could be a leader and say something inappropriate, and now he asked himself about the strategy of governing the river, even Zhu Xizhou, who seems to be loyal and honest, is also saying one thing and doing another! Shen Xi glanced at Zhu Xizhou and shook his head, meaning to say that you say, I don't have an idea anyway.

Zhu Xizhou didn't force Shen Xi, and continued to ask Wang Zan who was sitting next to him.

There are a total of three Hanlin cultivators, everyone belongs to the same level of officials, although it has been agreed before departure that this banquet will not be in the limelight, but it is best to discuss with each other, in case of temporary changes, Emperor Hongzhi asked on the spot, how to answer in order to attract Zhu Youjiao's attention, so as to be in a high position.

At the end of the Shen period, all the ministers gathered, but the Hongzhi Emperor and the three cabinet scholars, the six Shangshu did not show up, the officials discussed a lot, the emperor could not have a banquet, this is the rule, everyone has to tighten their belts and wait for the wine and food, but some people are already thinking about the problem of Gong.

But the most inconvenient thing in the palace banquet is to go out of Gong.

Usually the emperor holds a banquet, it is best to come easily, go heavily, and do not leave the venue halfway, at this time, no matter how hard it is, you have to forcibly hold back.

Seeing the sunset, according to the rules of the feast, the emperor wanted to enter at an auspicious time, and the cabinet scholars were invited in person.

At two o'clock in the unitary time, Emperor Hongzhi finally came out accompanied by Liu Jian, Li Dongyang and others, Shen Xi followed the civil and military officials to kneel to greet them, and the bells and drums outside the hall rang out in unison, and the music started.

Even if Shen Xi didn't raise his head, he could feel that Emperor Hongzhi was in a heavy mood at this time.

When Emperor Hongzhi ascended to the throne, the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, under the guidance of the Ming Zan, lined up in the center of the main hall and stood facing the north of the emperor's ascension.

The big music changed the tune, praised the official and praised the "four bows", Shen Xi was mixed in the civil and military officials, kowtowing and saluting.

Emperor Hongzhi raised his hand and said, "All the ministers are flat and take a seat." ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Shen Xi replied with the civil and military officials, and then returned to his seat and sat down, and soon the sharp and lofty voice of the eunuch came from his ears: "Open the table!" ”

The attendants of Honglu Temple enter from all over the Huagai Palace, and serve the wine and food that have been prepared long ago, and who is responsible for sending which table is rehearsed in advance, even if there are two or three hundred seats present, the food of Honglu Temple is also in order.

It was only after the meal was served that Shen Xi realized that the banquet in the palace was actually just like that.

The so-called imperial meal is just a little more meaty, there is a fish, a few pieces of cured meat, and a few dishes of vegetarian dishes, which are still served for two people.

These things are not full at all, and the palace banquet only provides wine, not always the staple food, and after eating, you may be hungrier than not eating.

Waiting for the wine and food to be together, from the three products of Guanglu Temple Qing for the Hongzhi Emperor to pour the first wine, held to the front of the emperor, the teaching workshop kneeling to play a song "Yan Jing Luck Song", all the ministers kneeling again.

When Emperor Hongzhi drank this first jue wine, the civil and military officials were not qualified to drink together, and they had to wait for Zhu Youzhu to drink the first jue wine, and the hundred officials could get up after four bows and sit down for the second time, and then the hundred officials could pour the wine and prepare to accompany the drink.

Starting from the second jue wine, Emperor Hongzhi drank again, and the hundred officials did not need to kneel again, but they did not need to wait until Zhu Youzhu drank it, and the officials could raise their wine glasses to drink with them later.

After the second jue finished drinking, the officials of Guanglu Temple began to enter the soup, which was also accompanied by ceremonial music, and the civil and military officials needed to get up, and wait for the Hongzhi Emperor to finish the soup, and the ministers could sit down, and the next thing was to enter the soup for the ministers.

Shen Xi looked at the white soup in front of him, it was just a very ordinary fish soup.

But now it's April, and it's not easy to eat fish soup in the capital, but the soup is too thin, almost visible at the bottom of the bowl, and you can eat it after a few bites, but you can only see it at this time.

After Emperor Hongzhi drank the soup, the music was changed again, the dancer danced, and the civil and military officials could sit there and enjoy a dance, and the middle was basically their own time, they could eat and drink by themselves, but before the end of each dance, the civil and military officials had to pour the wine by themselves and wait for the next wine for His Majesty.

From the banquet to the banquet, a total of nine jue have to be drunk, that is, nine lamps, Shen Xi doesn't have such a good amount of wine after all, so each lamp can't be filled, after all, the wine content of the banquet in the palace is relatively high, and it is easy to get drunk with his small body.

The rules of each jue wine are basically the same as those of the second jue wine, which is that Emperor Hongzhi drinks it first, and the hundred officials drink it later.

If there is any congratulatory message or gift, it should also be offered before the music and dance after drinking, but because Wang Wei and Liu Daxia went to the ministries in advance to inform the Yellow River that the Yellow River was flooded, this banquet was a little monotonous, and Emperor Hongzhi did not speak, and no one dared to come forward to speak.

At the end of one dance, the dance will be changed at the next song, but the dancer will be changed after three performances.

The first scene was performed by male dancers, and the last two were danced by female dancers from the Teaching Workshop Division.

After the Jiujue wine was offered, the officials of Guanglu Temple ordered the wine cup to be removed and the "big meal" was served.

The so-called "big meal", in Shen Xi's view, is a large plate of dishes like a hodgepodge, with meat and vegetables in it. It just so happened that Shen Xi felt that his stomach was not bottoming yet, so he quickly picked up the chopsticks and ate a few bites, because if he didn't hurry up, he would have to withdraw from the table in a while.

After eating a big meal, the workshop taught the hundred flowers to dance, which is also the essence of dance and music in the whole feast.

The dance girls who perform the Hundred Flowers Dance are all the best among the dancers of the Teaching Workshop, with beautiful figures, and they are all between twelve or thirteen years old and twenty years old, and their faces are delicate.

This hundred flowers team dance, like a hundred flowers blooming in spring, is delicate and abnormal, plus the hundred officials drank a little wine, it belongs to the state of being full of wine and food, it is easy to "think about ****", and it is inevitable to think about it when you see these beautiful and moving dancers. Even Shen Xi drank a little wine at a young age, and when he saw these delicate beauties at this time, he couldn't help but feel turbulent.

At this time, it was already the time to turn on the lights, and the attendants belonging to the Honglu Temple lit candlesticks on each table in turn, and at the same time, the hanging lamps in the main hall were lit one after another, and soon the main hall was reflected red.

At the end of the Hundred Flowers Team Dance, the praise official sang "Withdraw the case", saying that it was a withdrawal of the case, but it was only a formality, and all the tables would not be removed immediately, because there was still food on the table that had not been eaten.

The policy of "Huaihui" began with Tang Xuanzong, stipulating that "in the future, civil and military officials will be given two portions of food for the feast, one with their parents, not for fruits and men and women, and for those who eat the rest of the food to be given a veil to Huaihui."

It means that after eating, give a meal for the parents to eat, and take the rest back to the children to eat, which is a sign of the emperor's benevolence.

As for the packing work, after the banquet is over, the attendants of the Honglu Temple will be in charge, and the officials cannot do it themselves, nor can they pick and choose.

At the same time as "withdrawing the case", the praise official sang "banquet completion", Shen Xi hurriedly followed the hundred officials to attend and lined up, facing Emperor Hongzhi, and then the Ming Praise official sang "bow" in his ears.

The bow here is not to bend down, but to kneel and kowtow, and at the same time, the sound of salute music resumes, and the civil and military officials need to bow and rise.

Hundreds of officials are arranged on the east and west sides, and the ceremonial department kneels to Emperor Hongzhi to play "Libei", and then sounds the whip and plays music.

Hongzhi Emperor Zhu Youzhu drove back to the palace, and the civil and military officials began to leave, but before leaving, all officials, including Shen Xi, had to wait for the Honglu Temple attendants 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 for all book friends, thank you to the six alliance masters, eleven hall masters, twenty-four helmsmen, three hundred and ninety-six deacons and more than 10,000 disciples...... Thank you for your support, and the Son of Heaven bows to you!

This chapter came out before zero o'clock, and the Son of Heaven finally fulfilled his promise, and at this time he felt that every cell in his body was full of one word: cool!

The Son of Heaven has worked so hard, don't you have a wave of subscriptions, and encouragement? (To be continued.) )