Six chefs and a dozen of their assistants are constantly busy in the kitchen, with the clatter of knives on the cutting board and the grunt of the soup pot on the fire. Goldeneye red snapper, swallowtail pufferfish, Ise kaike, bluefin tuna and other precious and fresh ingredients are taken out in the same way, decomposed, sliced, processed, plated, and topped into delicious delicacies, which are then served out by the attendants who shuttle endlessly.

The chief chef in charge of the diet patrolled the progress of the various processes back and forth, and although he had a straight face, he was secretly glad that if it was not in February but in the hot June, then he would have much more pressure to prepare for such a banquet.

The attendants stood vigilantly on the way from the kitchen through the corridor to the main hall, and had to stay for a moment in a special aisle, where the safety of the food was checked in three ways, and the chief in charge was always nervous three hundred and sixty-five days a year.

The main hall was brightly lit and staggered, and although there was no overly loud noise, the atmosphere was quite harmonious, and the noble hosts and guests praised and thanked each other, and no one suddenly walked in without feeling any disharmony.

The host of this banquet is me, and the guests are more than a dozen local daimyos who are about to leave, of course, not all of them have such qualifications, and power and prestige are indispensable.

I smiled and raised my glass to greet the guests, listening to all kinds of flattery, both explicit and covert, and exchanging the news we had just gotten with each other.

When Prince Masahito came out of Kyoto, it can be described as shabby, the honor guard of the two palace cars, except for the holding of the Ming Temple, only 20 low-level retinues followed, not to mention the high-ranking minister, I am afraid that the emperor himself does not know how this not very popular son can suddenly whimsically go to Todaiji Temple in Nara to pray for his longevity and national fortune.

However, thinking about it, this does not seem to be a bad thing, and there is no place in Kyoto where this prince must be stayed, and a ten-year-old child may just want to go out for a walk, and come back after playing for three or five days. The Emperor and the Imperial Council agreed to the request of the Emperor and Kihisa of the Shomeiin Temple. It's just that he doesn't have too many funds and attendants for him.

In fact, it is no wonder that the important ministers of the imperial court, the main work arrangement now is to confirm the identity of Prince Tomohito Hachijo Miya's heir, although the emperor himself has basically made up his mind, but the communication work of all parties is also indispensable.

These people were too busy, until I heard that I still didn't connect the two things, and I wondered if I should send someone to condole. But at this moment, the exact news that I was leading the daimyo of the world to greet Prince Masahito in the suburbs of Nara came back.

It was in front of the great names of the world that I led the ox cart all the way to Todaiji Temple for Prince Masahito. In a panic, the monks hurriedly replaced the apartment prepared by His Royal Highness the Prince with a main courtyard house. Since the presiding officer, all the monks below have changed into formal dresses in brocade robes and come out to greet them, and the gate is crowded with the upper monks of other monasteries who have heard the wind.

Closely related to my family are Tofukuji Temple and Sokokuji Temple in Kyoto, as well as Atsuta Daimei Shrine in Owari, so there are not many ceremonial events held in Nara, and the scale is usually not very large. Since Oda Nobunaga took the orchid luxury 20 years ago, Todaiji Temple has not been like this for a long time!

The presiding officer of Todaiji Temple was naturally ecstatic about the arrival of Shinkiyo and me, as well as the arrival of the world's daimyos, and he shook his head and tail before and after running like a pug. In his mind, there was such an opportunity, maybe it was really the Buddha who opened his eyes to Todaiji Temple again!

During the whole visit and worship of the Buddha, I spoke very little. When asked, it was just a coping nod or shake of the head. Then he retreated to a position half a step behind Prince Masahito, leaving all direct glances to His Royal Highness. Xinqing could only retreat half a step back, and the others were listed in clusters behind.

As long as they are not mentally disabled or mentally unsound. should understand what this means.

Prince Masahito spent a total of five days in Naraji, and I basically accompanied him throughout the trip, and although I still hadn't said much, there was enough "information" coming out!

There is never a shortage of smart people in this world, and on the second day of the "greeting", the public opinion of Prince Masahito's "benevolence, filial piety, and respect" and "the style of an emperor" spread among the daimyos, and some of them were even impatient enough to submit a table to the imperial court, urging His Majesty the Emperor to "reserve the throne early".

Kyoto naturally heard about it, and it immediately caused an uproar, although there was no official mention of any name inside or outside. But the attitude of the world's martial artists has been very obvious. In the face of this situation, some people still want to fight again, but more than ninety percent of the ministers have gradually revised their attitude.

Before the discussions in Kyoto could begin, Prince Masahito returned from Nara, and out of consideration for the development of the new situation, a high-level greeting team was dispatched, unlike when he left Beijing. Although many people are not willing in private, what cannot be changed is that the throne in the hands of Prince Tomohito of Hachijo Palace has flapped its wings and flown away! I am a modest and diligent man, and the words of whom I should be appointed as a prince have never been spoken in my mouth.

I don't know if it's the idea of holding the Ming Yuan Kijiu again. In order to show the "iron" of his relationship with me, Prince Masahito made another earth-shattering move, asking me to be honored as "Imperial Father", that is, he found another father for his old son and another grandfather for himself.

According to his own explanation, the reason is that since His Royal Highness Zhuxing Qing Clan has presided over the crown ceremony for the current emperor, then even if he has the title of righteous father and son, although he cannot be called "Emperor" because he has never been an emperor, it is not too much to call him "Imperial Father". Moreover, His Royal Highness the Qing Clan has been doing his best to maintain the royal family for decades, and he has indeed entered the responsibility of "father", so isn't it justified to be called "imperial father"?

Unexpectedly, as soon as this proposal came out, it was actually a crowd of respondents, and there was a lot of applause inside and outside Kyoto. In addition, some ministers and monks wrote a large number of poems and articles in praise, which were widely disseminated throughout. Regardless of whether it is panicked or not, but this matter cannot be simply ignored, and a few days later, the imperial court really issued such a holy decree.

After careful consideration, I decided to dismiss this honorific title, and now I don't need to increase my prestige in this way, the way things develop is often the opposite of things, and the prosperity of things is often the decline, even if I can keep my head sobrieved, it is inevitable that my descendants and the whole system will become arrogant and stupid.

After some favors and concessions, my honorific title was given "Taijo Daigosho", which means the emperor's elder and "Daigosho" refers to a retired shogun.

I really didn't care much about it before, an honorific title is still very necessary for a person like me who is about to become history, and not to mention my personal vanity, just to look better in the history books, it should have such a form.

Many people flocked to congratulate me again, and I coped with it somewhat, and in order to avoid being besieged and entangled, I held two tea parties in Nara, which was considered one of the first time that everyone had met.

When those little daimyo saw that I sent Xinqing away first, they knew that there would be no more chance, and after ten or so days, most of them left one after another. Only a dozen or so daimyo from all over the world were greeted, and I will feast on them afterwards.

I have not been so flattered by the invited guests, which I have not been so flamboyant in many years, and it is natural that I have been invited in this way as a proof that I am different from those other bird-like figures, and perhaps this is a sign that will appear in the future sequence of shogunate rule.

"Congratulations to His Royal Highness!" Date Masamune held his glass to me, one eye glittering.

"The merits of the stars are in the community, and the benefits are in the future, such as the eternal existence of mountains and rivers, and the eternity of the sun and the moon. With all my sincere admiration, I would like to congratulate you on the Emperor's honor!" After saying that, he drank all the wine in the cup, and then looked at the empty bottom of the cup to everyone.

"Yes! yes!" Regardless of whether everyone is sincere or not, they all echo the voice.

"It's all His Majesty's grace!" I turned to Kyoto with emotion, raised my glass and gave a humble salute before hiding my face and drinking.

Date Masamune's interest is indeed very high now, and since Tokugawa Ieyasu abdicated and came to Kyoto, Nobukiyo also gave him the position of the Oshu Expedition. Now he is in charge of the two positions of exploration and guardian of Mutsu, which can be described as a temporary honor.

I noticed that Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was temporarily suppressed in Mutsu, had a much higher reputation in Kyoto and throughout the world. Now, on my recommendation, he has become the teacher of Prince Masahito, who has already been made the crown prince, and his reputation continues to rise.

"It seems that this Prince Masahito is very smart, I hope he can always stay sober at all times!" I don't know why I suddenly came up with this idea, although he is young, but with the help of Jimeiin Kijiu to help him take the helm, he should not go down the "crooked road".

But things don't always go according to my guess, the surveillance in Kyoto is tighter, and even if there is anything, I naturally can't slap myself in the mouth, so I can only let this prince return to heaven in advance.

"Your Highnesses are really overrated, and you are ashamed!" I finally interrupted the compliment like a relay race, and said with a long sigh: "The kindness of Your Highnesses is understood by my Xingqing clan, but I can make a few nails with my own iron. It's a pity that it has been a hundred years of turmoil, and how many loyal and righteous people have died for the country, it's really sad to think about it!"

"Your Highness Zhuxing is really too humble, and it is also your efforts to set things right that make these righteous people's righteous actions worthwhile!" Maori Huiyuan hurriedly picked up and said.

I smiled, but unfortunately I didn't say these words for him. "During the campaign against the Hojo family, the army was also trapped in the Hakone mountain road, thanks to the timely help of His Highness Tokugawa. I remember that at that time, there were several generals of the Tokugawa family who bravely moved forward and performed miraculous feats, and a few of them ...... What's it called?" I tapped the middle finger of my right hand lightly on my temple, and turned to Tokugawa Ieyasu in confusion and asked.