Chapter 481
Imperial Banquet
...
Before setting off on his campaign, Zhao Yu held a special banquet to bid farewell to the civil and military officials of the Song Dynasty.
For this banquet, Zhao Yu also granted special permission for high-ranking prisoners from Wanguo City to attend.
The number of attendees was in the tens of thousands, and including the servants and guards, the hall and the square in front of it were almost full.
Without mentioning the people sitting in the Taihe Hall Square, let's only talk about the people who can enter the Taihe Hall.
They must be at least high-ranking officials of the third rank.
Princes, heirs of princes, and dukes
Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, Grand Protector, Grand Commandant, Minister of Education, Minister of Works
Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, Shangshu Zuo Pushe Cong Menxia Shilang, Shangshu You Pushe Cong Zhongshu Shilang
Privy Councilor, Privy Councilor, Associate Privy Councilor, Deputy Privy Councilor, Signatory Privy Councilor
Grand Master of the Palace
Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Grand Preceptor to the Crown Prince, Grand Guardian to the Crown Prince, Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, Junior Preceptor to the Crown Prince, Junior Guardian to the Crown Prince
Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Vice Minister of the Chancellery, Vice Minister of the Secretariat, and Vice Chancellor.
The six ministers (Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Works)
Six Ministries Vice Minister
And so on and so forth, I won't go into detail about each one...
Here is a brief overview of the enemies that Zhao Yu defeated over the years.
The Zanpu of Qinghai-Tibet: Xiazheng, Longza, Xisheluosa (i.e., Xiaolongza).
Emperor Li Ganshun of Western Xia.
Emperor Yelü Yanxi of the Liao Dynasty.
King Wang Gae of Goryeo.
The Emperor of Japan, Emperor Toba, the Emperor of Japan, Emperor Sotoku.
Emperor Wanyan Wugumai of the Jin Dynasty in history.
King Borjigin Khabul of the Mongol Empire.
Khan of a host of steppe tribes, including the Naiman, Kereit, Merkit, Tatar, and Mongol tribes.
Western Regions: Bilge of the Gaochang Uyghur Kingdom, Supugu, King of the Kucha Uyghur Kingdom, Ibrahim ibn Ahmad, Great Khan of the Eastern Karakhanid Dynasty, and so on...
—Bilege and Supugu were not prisoners; they surrendered to the Song Dynasty voluntarily and came to Beijing to enjoy a life of luxury.
Tibet: Lhasa lineage leader Yontan; Ali lineage leader Ariburang; Yaze lineage leader Juyaze; Yalongjue'a lineage leader Tsongkhapa.
Indochina: Ly Kham Deh of the Ly Dynasty, Yang Bo Ma Die, King of Champa, Suryavarman II, King of Angkor, Chao Deviana, King of Bagan, Arun Siddhu, and Srivijaya.
And Duan Zhengyan, the king of the Dali Kingdom.
In addition, there were some princes, indigenous chieftains from the mainland, and kings of some small countries in Southeast Asia, such as the Srivijaya King, the Poli King, the Java King, the Mayi King, and so on.
These small kingdoms were conquered by Zhao Yu's sons, some by immigrants from the Song Dynasty, and others by those who, having seen the situation clearly, voluntarily relinquished their thrones to one of Zhao Yu's sons and then "voluntarily" came to the Song Dynasty to enjoy a better life.
Because it brought together so many emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures, this banquet was also known as the "Banquet of a Hundred Emperors."
However, to be fair, if you add up all these emperors, kings, khans of the grasslands, and tribal chiefs, even including all the former rulers who once held great power and wielded authority, there are actually no more than one hundred of them.
Furthermore, it must be said that there are still a large number of emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures in Central Asia, South Asia, and the West. If all of them were captured, there would certainly be enough to number a hundred emperors.
On the other hand, it would take many years to capture all the emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures from Central Asia, South Asia, and the West, and it's uncertain whether Zhao Yu can even do it now.
The key point is that by the time Zhao Yu actually accomplishes such a thing, these emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures may already be dead.
It should be noted that among this group of emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures:
Some are young, like Wang Kai, who is not even twenty years old yet;
He always felt that he was wronged, and that the Goryeo Dynasty was wronged. If Goryeo had not been defeated by the Jin Dynasty and his father had not been "kidnapped" by the Jin people, if they had followed the Goryeo people's tradition of "serving the greater good with the lesser," how could they have been destroyed by the Song Dynasty? He, the Goryeo royal family, the royal family, and the nobles would not have become prisoners, and the Goryeo royal daughters and royal daughters would not have all become Zhao Yu's playthings.
Later, after the Song Dynasty destroyed all the surrounding countries, he realized that even if Goryeo had not been defeated by the Jin Dynasty and his father had not been "kidnapped" by the Jin people, Goryeo would probably have ended up like this. He then began to feel somewhat relieved, or rather, he began to accept reality.
Some were indeed in good health, like Yelü Yanxi.
Perhaps it was because of his love of hunting, or perhaps he was just a naturally carefree person, or perhaps he was simply an extremely selfish person. In any case, despite the fact that the ancestors of the Khitan had finally managed to conquer and preserve the country for over three hundred years, causing all the royal family and clan members who followed him to become prisoners, and causing all the royal daughters and clan daughters of the Liao Dynasty to become Zhao Yu's playthings, he is still in good health even though he is over fifty years old.
He could even draw a hard bow and shoot arrows, and he never missed.
Even just recently, he had played a polo match with Zhao Yu, along with emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures from other countries.
At that time, his agile figure was in no way inferior to most young emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures, making it really hard to associate him with a man in his fifties.
However, there were also some elderly emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures, such as Li Gande of the Joseon Dynasty, who were not only old but also in poor health and had few years left to live.
Therefore, if Zhao Yu doesn't hold the Hundred Emperors Banquet this time, people like Wang Kai and Yelü Yanxi might still be able to wait until Zhao Yu returns; while people like Li Qiande are probably already rotten to the bone.
If we still can't collect them all by then, there will always be regrets.
The crucial point is that it's uncertain whether Zhao Yu will even return to the Song Dynasty.
Based on these considerations, and after being persuaded by Zhang Chun, Zhao Yu finally decided to do a small summary of his mid-life journey before embarking on the second half.
Thus, this banquet for a hundred emperors came about.
However, on the other hand, although there were not even a hundred emperors, kings, khans, chieftains, and powerful figures in total, who would dare to underestimate this banquet of a hundred emperors? To be able to gather all the supreme rulers, grassland lords, and tribal chiefs scattered throughout the East to sit together at one table was itself an unprecedented and extraordinary feat that defied the heavens.
Moreover, although there were fewer than a hundred people at the table, the number was not far off.
Crucially, besides these "main figures," the banquet also featured the Crown Prince, who held the power of the heir apparent, princes and nobles who bore the weight of the imperial family, and members of the royal family who enjoyed the honor of being princes.
These people were originally influential figures in their respective countries, whose words could influence a region.
Faced with the grand banquet hosted by Zhao Yu, the expressions and postures of the people varied greatly, revealing the diverse facets of human nature:
Among them, some had indifferent expressions, as if they had put aside all thoughts of honor, disgrace, gain, and loss;
Some remained silent, their eyes concealing a myriad of thoughts;
Some were deeply saddened and could not hide the pain of the rise and fall of their nation;
Some were calm and composed, as if they had everything under control;
Some wore sorrowful expressions, filled with a sense of helplessness and bewilderment;
Some glared angrily, their anger burning fiercely within them;
Some regret their past choices and secretly lament their decisions;
Some conceal their talents and quietly accumulate strength;
Some were utterly despondent and had given up the struggle;
Some are filled with envy and resentment at the success of others;
Even more cunning individuals harbor ulterior motives, hoping to find an opportunity to escape their predicament through this grand banquet for the emperors.
and many more……
Such a vivid and complex group portrait stirred the hearts and minds of the painters, led by Zhao Ji and Zhang Zeduan.
They held their breath, their brushes never ceasing, afraid of missing any subtle expression or delicate gesture, all wanting to capture this unprecedented scene on the scroll and create a masterpiece that would be passed down through the ages and shine in history.
The banquet for the emperor featured a variety of delicacies sent from all over the Song Dynasty (including the areas conquered by Zhao Yu), and even the chefs were renowned chefs recruited from all over the Song Dynasty.
Emperor Zhao Yu even had the dishes prepared for this banquet of a hundred emperors made into a recipe book so that chefs of the Song Dynasty could learn from each other and pass it down to future generations.
This also shows that Zhao Yu was contributing to the great integration of ethnic groups.
The wine that Zhao Yu and his entourage drank was imperial wine, also known as Guanglu wine.
—The jars for this Guanglu wine are deep red, and the mouth of the jar is sealed with yellow silk. Therefore, it is also called "Yellow-Sealed Wine". It is the national wine produced by the Guanglu Temple of the Song Dynasty.
The imperial wine served at this banquet was not brewed during Zhao Yu's reign, but rather aged imperial wine left over from the previous dynasty, and it was from the best vintage.
Such fine imperial wine! Once the bottle is opened, the rich aroma immediately wafts out. Many people who cannot hold their liquor feel dizzy just from smelling this aroma.
Wanyan Zongmin was the ninth son of Wanyan Aguda. He was fond of drinking, and historical records show that this was especially true in his later years. He often made mistakes because of alcohol, and ultimately, his moral failings due to alcohol became one of the pretexts for Wanyan Liang to execute him.
The aroma of the finest wine in the world made Wanyan Zongmin's mouth water. He leaned over the entrance of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, inhaling deeply and praising the wine profusely: "Fine wine! It truly deserves to be called imperial wine. If I could drink three hundred cups, I would have no regrets even if I had to die!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu laughed and said, "Alubu (Wanyan Zongmin's Jurchen name), drink as much as you like, I will make sure you have enough."
Wanyan Zongmin was overjoyed. Before even drinking, he was already drunk, reciting: "Bells and drums, delicacies and jade are not precious enough; I only wish to be drunk forever and never wake up. Sages and worthies of the past are all forgotten; only drinkers leave their names behind. Prince Chen once feasted at Ping Le, drinking ten thousand coins' worth of wine and indulging in merriment. Why does the host speak of lacking money? Just go and buy some more to drink with you. My dappled horse, my thousand-gold fur coat—call the boy to exchange them for fine wine, to dispel with you the sorrows of ages past!"
Seeing this, many people felt that Li Bai's "Bring in the Wine" had been ruined by this guy.
Surprisingly, the one who disapproved of this scene the most was Yelü Yanxi. He said to those around him, "What a tiger father, what a dog son! Aguda was no less a hero, yet he has such a good-for-nothing son. No wonder the country has perished."
Upon hearing this, Wanyan Wuqimai sneered and said, "Even heroes like Abaoji have descendants who bring about the downfall of their kingdoms."
Yelü Yanxi wasn't unaware of Wanyan Wugumai's words, but he was inherently unambitious, and his life as a prisoner had completely worn down his edges. He was unwilling to truly provoke the Jurchens who had destroyed his country. Therefore, he pretended not to hear Wanyan Wugumai's words and instead rose and bowed to Zhao Yu, saying:
"May Your Majesty's personal expedition be smooth sailing and a resounding success, unifying the world and creating an unprecedented vast empire, a feat that will benefit the present and future generations!"
Zhao Yu smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind words."
Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) keenly captured this scene and felt that it could be recorded in this painting, "The Hundred Emperors' Banquet".
Emperor Huizong of Song wrote with divine inspiration. His wrist was relaxed, and the sheep's hair brush was lightly dipped in thick ink. He first outlined the slightly hunched shoulders of Yelü Yanxi as he bowed and kowtowed. The folds of his clothes fell gently with the bowing posture. His brushstrokes were soft yet firm, capturing both the obedience of Yelü Yanxi's bow and the decadence hidden in his muscles.
Zhao Ji held his breath and moved his brush with fluid strokes. With each stroke, Wanyan Wuqimai leaned back in his seat, his lips trembling with frustration, eager to pick a fight, or better yet, to have a brawl.
The painting also captures Wanyan Zongmin's posture of crouching at the palace gate. The varying shades of ink highlight his eagerness as he leans forward to inhale the aroma of wine. His shoulders are slightly hunched, and his fingertips seem to touch the ground. His infatuation with wine is vividly portrayed, yet the brushstrokes retain a sense of restraint, not concealing the physical characteristics of a member of the imprisoned Wanyan clan.
The inkstone on the table was being lightly ground, the fragrance of ink mingling with the aroma of wine in the hall. Zhao Ji did not raise his eyes, his gaze fixed on the plain paper. Sometimes he would pick up the brush and write quickly, sometimes he would write slowly and deliberately, even his breathing was gentle with the rise and fall of the ink...
Others only know that Zhao Ji's calligraphy was exceptional, unmatched by anyone in the world.
Little did people know that Emperor Huizong's paintings were also exceptional.
It is said that Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) was skilled in painting, and his meticulous flower-and-bird paintings were exquisite and lifelike.
He emphasized the artistic principle of "combining form and spirit," not only pursuing the realism of external form but also focusing on capturing the subject's fleeting expression to reveal their inner spirit.
His meticulous flower-and-bird paintings inherited the "Huang Quan's rich and noble" style and absorbed the new style of ink painting, which is both neat and grand, and also full of spirit; while his ink paintings are simple and unpretentious, using only ink and painting, sketching from life, and capturing both form and spirit.
Many of his paintings are accompanied by lengthy poetic titles, perfectly combining poetry, calligraphy, and painting, and are full of poetic and literary charm. In history, he pioneered the integration of poetry, calligraphy, and painting in Yuan and Ming literati painting.
There is a later theory that "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains," one of the ten most famous paintings in Chinese history, was not created by Wang Ximeng under the guidance of Emperor Huizong of Tang (Zhao Ji), but was created by Emperor Huizong when he was eighteen years old. In other words, Emperor Huizong was Ximeng, and "Ximeng" was Emperor Huizong's understanding of Taoism.
In short, Zhao Ji was not only the foremost painter of his time, but also the foremost painter in history.
Not to mention, assisting Zhao Ji in painting "The Hundred Emperors' Banquet" was a team that was second to none in the world and even in the entire history, including Zhang Zeduan, who painted "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".
And it just so happens to be the right time.
These people worked together to leave this priceless treasure for posterity...
...(End of chapter)