The size of Yujin Garden is beyond Lu Chengqi's imagination. He hadn't been to www.biquge.info the so-called South Imperial Garden, and he didn't know that this Yujin Garden was so gorgeous and extravagant. Only the emperor of the previous dynasty was willing to spend money to build it, but Lu Chengqi was reluctant to pay for it. Occupying so much fertile land, it is only for the entertainment of the royal family, and the people are not allowed to watch it, which is really a tyrannical thing.

The emperor is busy with political affairs, how can he come once? Covering an area of nearly ten hectares, there are countless pavilions and pavilions, and it can be regarded as the royal family has the courage to build.

Before the monarch and ministers entered, the courts, dining rooms, and imperial kitchens were set up at the banquet site by up to 100 people, and the specific arrangements clearly showed the dignity and inferiority.

Emperor Lu Chengqi's throne is of course set in the middle of the Huining Hall where the banquet is held, and in front of the seat is the "imperial tea bed", that is, the dining table, on which there are artificial flower branches made of jewelry, several plates of rare fresh fruits, and a fruit plate for viewing only, in which is a pagoda made of candied fruits and carved melons and fruits.

On the opposite side of the throne, four rows of seats are set up, the first row is a high bench, a brocade cushion is laid, a low table is arranged in front of each seat, and a fruit plate with carved or candied melons and fruits is arranged, and the twelve ministers of the cabinet, all the first-class officials (including Taishi, Taifu, Taibao, Shaoshi, Shaofu, Shaobao, these official positions of auxiliary kings, most of them are fictitious officials) and other people sit with the envoys of the Liao State. The next three rows were changed to low stools, and the three of them shared a low table, and the people seated were also important officials of the imperial court, such as the ministers of the ministries and the privy envoys. Well, if it weren't for Lu Chengqi and not having a son, maybe even the prince and the prince, the prince and the prince, and the prince and the prince would have to be invited to the banquet.

The seats of the rest of the ministers and the low-ranking attachés of the Liao State are located outside the main hall and under the eaves of the side halls on both sides, and they are all three people at a table, and the table is furnished with ring cakes, oil cakes, and jujube towers to form a "watch plate", which is purely for decoration and is not allowed to be eaten. In addition, there are more lower-ranking officers, such as the imperial guards and the escort forbidden soldiers, who are seated behind the "mountain tower". It was really a treat from the Son of Heaven, leaning towards the banquet, with a large number of people, and the scene was extraordinarily huge.

The whole banquet lasted quite a long time. As a result, it must be divided into upper and lower fields, which are called "preceding feasts" and "after-feasts." The first half consisted of five wines, and the second half consisted of four. Each round consists of three glasses of wine, with a Shangshu taking the lead in toasting Lu Chengqi first. Ministers accompany the drink; then toast to the head of the cabinet, and the ministers drank with him; Finally, it is a symbolic toast to the hundred officials of other departments, and the big guys toast together.

This round unfolds very much like a performance, following a strict procedure. In front of the railing of the hall, there will be a teacher called "Kanzhan", who toasts every time. He would sing "pour the wine" or "pour the wine" in a subdued tone, and at the same time spread his sleeves like a crane spreading its wings, and then slowly fell and fell on the railing.

Then, Lu Chengqi will raise the wine glass and display it from east to west, showing the gesture of inviting the ministers to drink together. Because the banquet outside the hall could not see the movement of the palace, there would be a group of "Xuanzan" standing by the palace door, and the shift would bow down with the emperor's movements and announce "drinking" three times, and then the ministers needed to stand up together. Saluted to Lu Chengqi, drank all the wine in the cup while standing, and saluted again before he could take his seat.

Repeating five rounds in such a cycle must have been quite hard, so the halftime was arranged very humanely. Interestingly, during the break, according to the etiquette, people will be sent to give the ministers all kinds of splendid artificial flowers, and the ministers need to put these flowers on the crown, and then a group of big men will return to the field with flowers.

Lu Chengqi will get up and avoid wearing civilian clothes and small hats. Originally, there were also some small hairpins on the hat. Lu Chengqi frowned. Reborn, where is he willing to bring flowers, this is not in line with his aesthetics at all! When he refused, he returned to his throne. At this time. The "post-feast" is considered to begin, and it is still a round of toasting and drinking, and it is not until the ninth lamp that it is the final table.

The emperor's banquet naturally could not just be about drinking, and from the third lamp, the servants began to kneel and pass the cooked food to each table.

It is very strange that the relatively large Shun Dynasty is rich to the dazzling cuisine. The dishes at this high-profile banquet are more like light meals.

Each dish ranges from three to five, and most of them include a type of grilled meat or skewers, soup or rice, a dish of rice noodles with soup, and stuffed dim sum similar to steamed buns, siu mai, yakiniku or meatloaf, and even assorted pickles. It turns out that these simple dishes are mainly considered to be convenient to serve, neat and beautiful furnishings, and clean to eat with the banquet people, so as to avoid eating indecently.

Also from the third lamp, after the dance accompanied by Baiguan wine, there will be a short performance of various tricks, followed by acrobatics, "acrobatics" similar to group comedy, men's bowing, girls' group dance, and so on.

This arrangement is not only for the sake of the beautiful scene, but also for everyone to have a meal. However, every time the chamberlains brought food, the ministers still had to stand up and give thanks, so the whole banquet was repeated in the constant getting up, saluting, and returning to the seat, and no one could eat steadily.

Such cumbersome etiquette, not to mention Lu Chengqi, even the Khitan mission, they are not very interested in eating. But after all, the whole feast is long, and it is inevitable that you will be hungry during the process, so you can take a meat skewer or pie or something to satisfy your hunger. There is no need to be afraid of wasting so many dishes, according to the custom, these foods can be taken home by the ministers afterwards, and then distributed to relatives and friends to show the emperor's grace and rain and dew.

This banquet, not only did everyone eat unhappily, but the cost was also not small. The ingredients used alone cost tens of thousands of dollars. If it weren't for the Khitan envoy coming for the first time in so many years, Lu Chengqi, who was strict and economical, would be reluctant to spend this unjust money.

But thinking that there would be no economic growth without consumption, and Huangzhuang also had an income of 600,000 yuan a month, which was still affordable for this little money, Lu Chengqi nodded and agreed to hold a banquet with great fanfare.

Finally, the banquet finally passed the ninth toast, and Lu Cheng used boiled water, so naturally he drank cup by cup without changing his face. But some important ministers who drank lightly seemed a little drunk at the moment, with Huang Xishi, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, as the most. Lu Chengqi hurriedly sent the waiter to take him home, and when Huang Xi, who was already in his seventies, Lu Chengqi was really afraid that he would accidentally have a stroke and hang up.

After three minutes, this tiring and unsatisfying banquet finally came to an end. After Lu Chengqi withdrew, the chamberlains and palace maids could eat. Lu Chengqi didn't know such a thing, otherwise he would definitely say that the hierarchy of the decadent feudal society was too strict.

Long Yuan got off and arrived at Anhua Gate in a short time. At this moment, the lights on the Anhua Gate are colorful, as if it is a festival. Lu Chengqi couldn't help but ask, "Why is it so colorful?" ”

Lu Chenhuan, who was a hero of archery, accompanied him, his eyes were sharp, and when he saw the words on the lantern, he smiled and said: "This is the people congratulating Your Majesty on your success in shooting, so the lanterns are colorful." ”

After getting closer, Lu Chengqi also saw the words on the lantern, and asked suspiciously: "Fat Lu, are you literate?" ”

Lu Chenhuan hurriedly said: "I don't know much, but I only know more than a thousand words." ”

Lu Chengqi said with a smile: "I never thought that you, a fat man, were still a civil and military all-rounder. Talk to me, but do you know martial arts? ”

Lu Chenhuan didn't hide it, and said: "The last general is indeed good at martial arts, and his martial arts are not bad, ordinary men, more than 20 can't get close." ”

Lu Chengqi, who used to be a fan of Jin Yong, was quite interested in martial arts, and continued to ask: "Then what kind of kung fu do you know, will the Nine Yin True Scripture know, will the Nine Yang True Scripture know?" Or is it the eighteen palms of the dragon descending, the dog stick method, one yang finger, and the six-vein divine sword......?? ”

Lu Chengqi said a lot of names for martial arts, and Lu Chenhuan shook his head with a wry smile and said, "These martial arts have never been heard of by the general. ”

Hearing this, Lu Chengqi was slightly disappointed. But he quickly became interested again and asked, "Then what kind of martial arts do you know?" (To be continued.) )