"Auspicious snow heralds a good harvest, a new year and a new atmosphere..."
As the emperor's auspicious words fell, the first stage of the Great Court Meeting was successfully concluded.
Next, it’s time to enjoy the state banquet with peace of mind.
The Minister of Rites waved his hand and shouted loudly: "Let the banquet begin! Serve the food!"
"promise!"
After giving the order, all the officials under Guanglu Temple got busy immediately.
They carried the table, moved the benches, served tea and water, and set up the banquet. The whole process was completed in one go, and their movements were very agile.
"Gentlemen, please take a seat!"
"..."
The current Qi Yu is considered to be a second-grade officer with the highest ranking, so his seat is arranged in the main hall where it can be protected from wind and snow.
However, the Sesame Officials in the square outside the main hall were not so lucky. Their hands were almost frozen, and they could not even hold their chopsticks steadily.
What makes them even more depressed is that all these dishes have been prepared in advance and have solidified into ice, which is not an ordinary cooling sensation in the stomach.
Actually, there’s nothing to worry about. Which year doesn’t require a few ‘injuries’?
Just get used to it.
"My dear friends, please drink this cup together!"
"Your Majesty, please come first!"
"..."
The emperor put down his wine glass, then clapped his hands together, and a soothing music began to play.
The long-awaited Lord, who was in a good mood, walked down the holy steps leisurely, and then danced to the rhythm of the drums, looking very intoxicated.
This is a dance ceremony, which is an indispensable part of any major wedding ceremony.
Under the leadership of the Holy Emperor, the ministers of different ages and fat and thin also left the table one after another and joined in with the emperor's rhythm.
one two three four five six seven eight……
After Qi Dalang did a few stretching movements, he also jumped up and down.
His idea is relatively simple, just to move the numb body and increase blood circulation in the body to achieve the purpose of dispelling the cold and warming up the body.
After a while, the dance ceremony was over!
After the emperor sat down, the ministers straightened up and returned to their seats.
Keep eating.
Suddenly, there was a bang!
Uh... is this the crunching sound when biting into vegetables?
No, it was an old official whose tooth was broken by a piece of tofu.
Seeing this, the minister of Guanglu Temple rushed out and explained: "This is not because the food is too hard, but because the weather is too cold. But don't worry, these dishes are very fresh, and you will definitely not have diarrhea after eating them."
However, his explanation was not recognized by his colleagues, and he was also shouted back by a "cut" sound.
The Minister of Guanglu Temple felt that he was very aggrieved and was eager to find someone to prove it for him, in case someone said there was something wrong with the food he cooked because of diarrhea.
Hey! Got it!
The old man's eyes flashed suddenly, and then he bent over to the emperor's side and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, how does this dish taste?"
“Overall, it’s pretty good, both in quality and taste.”
"That means it tastes very good?"
"so so."
After hearing this, the smile of the minister of Guanglu Temple immediately cracked.
The emperor smiled lightly at him, then pointed to a small bottle on the dining table and said: "This thing is my favorite!"
"What is this?... Hey, this name is so weird, it's called Lao Gan Niang?"
"Yes, this condiment is truly delicious..."
The emperor’s golden words!
His evaluation: Really delicious.
It can be predicted that the business of Laoganniang chili sauce, which is endorsed by the emperor himself, will be very prosperous in the future.
The key is, you don’t have to pay any endorsement fees.
The minister of Guanglu Temple was inexplicably frustrated and returned to his seat angrily.
Although this sudden episode cannot improve people's appetite, it can very well stir up the atmosphere of the banquet.
After three rounds of drinking, we entered a period of free mutual respect.
As the host, the emperor naturally had to give full play to his exemplary and leading role.
I saw him holding a finely carved ivory cup high, constantly walking among the courtiers, and enthusiastically asking "general to drink".
With a quick glance, he seemed to see a figure trying to dodge.
Who is this?
If you look closely, you will see that it is Qi Yu.
After looking around for a few seconds, the emperor strode over with a wine glass in hand.
"Qi Aiqing, on this occasion of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, I wish you good weather and good harvests in your jurisdiction."
After saying the auspicious words, the emperor added in passing: "At the same time, I also hope that you will continue to expand the territory and make an immortal contribution to the great Feng Dynasty like Huo Qubing."
Even a fool can hear that the last sentence is the key point in this sentence.
Is this a sincere encouragement? Or is it an intentional or unintentional temptation?
Or rather, both?
Qi Yu laughed, then raised the wine glass slightly lower than the ivory cup, touched it lightly, and said smoothly: "Your Majesty, I still say the same thing, how ambitious you are, how confident I am.
, between these two hearts, it depends on how you decide."
The implication is whether there is trust between each other.
The emperor's eyes flashed when he heard the words, and after a slight hesitation he said: "There is a saying in the poem: We know each other no matter how far away we are, and we are still neighbors thousands of miles away. Although you and I, our monarch and our ministers are separated by seas and chasms, our friendship is as solid as a rock. If this is the case, how can we know each other?
Have you forgotten about Jianghu?"
Your Majesty is really knowledgeable. In just one sentence, he not only brought out Zhang Jiuling, but also brought out the Taoist Zhuangzi. It can be said that he has good intentions.
However, this was a reassurance, which made Qi Yu feel very warm in his heart.
"Your Majesty, rest assured that I will work hard to manage the vast southern territory of our Dafeng Dynasty."
"Um……"
The emperor nodded in approval, then lowered his voice and whispered to him: "You must remember, no matter what, you must withstand the power of the French people. If you are scared to death by them, I will not take you.
Castration is a warning!”
What? Castration?
Qi Yu was shocked when he heard this. After covering his crotch, he patted his chest and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I would rather die for my country on the battlefield than let you have the opportunity to be used as an example."
After expressing his loyalty, Qi Dalang honestly picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.
The emperor patted his shoulder warmly, and then left happily.
…
Generally speaking, this Zhengdan Festival was held very smoothly, but it was a bit overwhelming physically.
After the state banquet, Qi Yu hurriedly rushed home to drink the old ginger soup made by his mother.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the sedan walked out of the palace gate, it met Lu Boxuan, who had been waiting there for a long time.
"Sir Qi, I saw you and your Majesty chatting and laughing happily during the banquet. Your appearance was very close. Could it be that you got some benefit?"
"There's no benefit, it's just a battle to defend my little brother..."
Lu Boxuan ignored the humor in his words and said seriously: "As for the transfer of Yu Hai's position, the cabinet has already approved it. After the official opening on the 16th of the first lunar month, the transfer order from the Ministry of Personnel will be issued immediately.
It won’t waste a day.”
Qi Yu was overjoyed when he heard this and quickly raised his hands to express his thanks: "Thank you, Mr. Lu, for making this possible!"
"Haha, you and I are our own people, why should we be so polite?" Lu Boxuan waved his hand indifferently, and then said: "By the way, Mr. Qi, when do you plan to leave Beijing and go south?"
"Sooner rather than later, I'm going to go south immediately tomorrow morning."
"Going in such a hurry?" Lu Boxuan was startled and asked.
Qi Yu sighed quietly and said: "I must rush to Qiongzhou as soon as possible to prepare for the upcoming attack by Franji, so how can I dare to delay it in vain?"
makes sense.
Anyone who sets up an official career should put public affairs first.
After approving, Lu Boxuan handed over his hand and said goodbye: "I wish you a smooth journey south in advance and a successful battle in the future."
Qi Yu returned the gift and thanked him, and said solemnly: "I accept your auspicious words, and I will definitely live up to my mission."