Chapter 1070
The Banquet Order Changed
Chapter 1070 The Banquet Order Changed
Inside the west hall of the Marquis of Luoyun's residence,
Zhang Jinyu let out a hearty laugh and walked into the house. She waved to the servants outside, signaling them to bring out various foods she had bought from outside.
Before long, a table full of food was laid out, much to the Prince of Jin's puzzled look. Zhou Ding asked curiously.
"My lord, we are going to a banquet today. Why do you need to buy these things? Could it be that you haven't had breakfast yet?"
Looking at the various steaming meat dishes wrapped in oiled paper on the table, Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but feel even hungrier. Without any hesitation, she opened one of the packages, revealing a large piece of braised meat, chopped into tiny pieces. Then she took out a naan bread, rolled one up, and popped it into her mouth.
"Your Highness, it's still uncertain whether we can even enjoy today's banquet. If we don't eat our fill now, we'll suffer if there's no food later,"
As if hinting at something, he took another bite. Prince Jin's heart stirred. Did the Marquis have a way to deal with this?
Without standing on ceremony, he took out a naan bread, rolled up some meat, and began to eat. He ate a bite of meat, then a sip of tea, showing no trace of the decorum expected of royalty. After finishing the naan, he felt much better, and his face became slightly flushed.
"There is a way, but it depends on whether Your Highness dares to do it."
The Court of State Ceremonial is a good choice, but it's unclear how the main venue will be arranged. Furthermore, it's uncertain whether the officials within the Court of State Ceremonial are spies planted by the princes. If they are, things will become difficult. Therefore, a strategy of using movement to control movement is necessary.
"So, does Your Excellency mean to stall for time?"
Since it was the princes who changed the time, they decided not to listen and went at the previously agreed time. However, this made them seem impolite.
"Your Highness misunderstands. That's not what I meant. Since the princes have changed the time and given the order, Your Highness can't object. If that's the case, they can change it, and so can Your Highness. However, they changed the time, while Your Highness wants to change the location."
In the capital, there's no shortage of places to drink and eat. Aside from the major brothels and brothels, even ordinary taverns offer plenty of entertainment. And if all else fails, you can even book out entire private rooms in various pavilions.
Zhang Jinyu was very familiar with this point, and Prince Jin was even more familiar with it. His eyes lit up. The Marquis's words made sense. If he changed the location of the banquet, he could not only prevent his uncles from taking over the host's role, but also seize the home ground and catch them off guard. It would kill three birds with one stone. However, he was afraid that there would be no time to choose a location.
"Your idea is good, but at this time, if we really want to host a banquet for several princes, we need to prepare a lot of things. Although there are many places to eat in the capital, there are not many places to have a banquet at this time. We can't go to places like Yan Chun Lou, can we?"
Zhang Jinyu was taking a sip of water from her teacup when she realized it was true. Which restaurant opened in the morning? After thinking for a moment, a sudden idea flashed into her mind.
"Your Highness, it is said that bystanders see things more clearly than those involved. Didn't we go out for a meal the other day? It's like being far away but right here in front of us."
Pointing towards Qinghu Lake, Prince Jin suddenly realized that it was the Youlai Inn, a restaurant located by the lake. Not only was it spacious, but its location was also perfect.
"Does the Marquis mean the Youlai Restaurant by Qinghu Lake?"
“Indeed, no one has been to this restaurant these past few days, so there must be a lot of leftover food. There is enough for everyone. Why not hold the banquet on the second floor of the restaurant? We can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Qinghu Lake and satisfy our appetites. As for the claim that this place is not dignified enough, I think that is not true.”
Zhang Jinyu smiled slightly. Although the place was of a lower class, the restaurant was still newly built. When entertaining several princes, the important thing was not the food, but the sentiment. As the saying goes, a small gift carries great meaning.
“Your Excellency is right. In that case, please arrange the affairs of the restaurant. As for the invitations to the various mansions, I will send someone to inform them now.”
The Prince of Jin looked satisfied. His father had said he would host a welcome banquet for his uncle, but he hadn't mentioned that the prince would die at the Court of State Ceremonial, especially given the changed date, which would have been a loss of face for the imperial family.
"Wait, Your Highness, send out new invitations. They should be more formal. We should also send a letter to the eldest son, Li Chaosheng, inviting him to the banquet."
Seeing the King of Jin's excited expression, he casually added, "Make sure the people you invite are properly invited, and send them invitations. Also, find out how these people came to be here."
"As you command, my lord, bring me pen and ink!"
Almost busy,
Imperial guards from all directions emerged from the Marquis of Luoyun's residence to deliver new invitations to the pre-arranged residences. However, compared to the previous elaborate invitations, these were now nothing more than a piece of paper with black and white text.
The first to receive the news was actually the eldest son, Li Chaosheng. His residence was not far from the Marquis of Luoyun's mansion, so he arrived in no time.
Just as Li Chaosheng stepped out, he received an invitation from a guard at the Prince of Jin's residence. It was a thin piece of paper, which looked rather strange, but before he could ask any questions...
He casually flipped through it and found that it was a banquet hosted by the Prince of Jin for several princes. However, the location of the banquet was not in the Court of State Ceremonial, and the time was at the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM). Was this time too rushed? Had something gone wrong? He looked at the steward beside him, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes, and asked.
“Uncle Li, the Prince of Jin’s invitation is actually at Qinghu Lake. I remember that after the princes came to the capital, they stayed at the Court of State Ceremonial. I think I heard yesterday that Senior Brother Sun went to the inner court to borrow a few cooks. But this invitation in my hand is different.”
His gaze was somewhat strange. Although no invitation had been sent to the residence a few days ago, the household knew what the Court of State Ceremonies needed to know. This time, not only had the time and place changed, but even the invitation was written on a blank sheet of paper, clearly hastily prepared. If this was the case, something had happened at the Court of State Ceremonies. If the Prince of Jin held a grudge, what would become of Senior Brother Sun in the future?
"Young Master, this morning I received some news that several princes insisted on changing the banquet time, and the Court of State Ceremonial also complied. As for the reasons behind it, we are still unclear."
The old steward knew perfectly well what was going on, so he didn't hide anything and answered truthfully. The more he answered truthfully, the more worried the eldest young master became. How could he so easily get involved in the struggles between regional princes and princes? Senior brother, you're so foolish!
"Has Father gotten up yet?"
"Young Master, the Master has been unwell these past few days and hasn't gotten up early,"
Butler Li stood by his side, not moving an inch. Clearly, his father had given instructions regarding the backyard. Looking at the invitation in his hand, he was torn. This banquet was for noble relatives and elders; why should he be invited? But since he had already accepted the invitation, he had no choice but to go.
"Okay, let's get ready and head over."
"Yes, eldest son."
Once it happens, it will happen again.
Beijing Palace,
At this moment, Prince Wei was already seated in the warm pavilion of Prince Bei Jing's residence, sitting around a pearwood table, sipping tea and eating. While not featuring delicacies, the table was laden with food, showing considerable care and attention.
And those serving outside the door,
Someone had already come in to inform them.
"Your Highness, the gatekeeper has received another invitation, saying that the venue for the Prince of Jin's banquet has changed; it will now be at the Youlai Restaurant on the south bank of Qinghu Lake."
"Understood, arrange the carriage."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He responded with a nod, showing no intention of disturbing the King of Wei's meal. Only after they had finished eating and drinking did he take a brocade cloth and wash his hands.
"Ah, it's better to be full. Your Highness, you know, my uncles didn't eat at the banquet that was prepared so well. They all changed their minds at the last minute. Look at this, my eldest brother's side has changed immediately. I'm afraid he won't be able to eat a single bite of this banquet today."
Upon hearing this, Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, laughed heartily.
"Haha, Your Highness is right. I was just thinking of a solution. The fact that the princes can change their minds means that there are changes in this banquet. They have turned the tables on the guests. If Your Highness and the other two are suppressed, rumors will surely spread throughout the capital. Therefore, the key to breaking this deadlock lies with Sun Boyan, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. Unfortunately, this man is really blind."
His eyes flickered, somewhat surprised.
"With so many people around, it's clear that the idea my brother came up with must have been from Marquis Luoyun. I heard that the Marquis also has a conflict with Sun Boyan, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. Is that why he did this?"
The King of Wei also realized that while it was common knowledge that civil officials were petty and narrow-minded, it wasn't entirely impossible that they might use their positions for personal gain.
"Your Highness's guess is not without reason. Perhaps this is the reason. In any case, this person is not capable of being of great use and has a rebellious streak in the back of his head."
"Then let's not wait, let's go grab a spot and wait."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Prince Bei Jing also became interested, wondering how things would end. Meanwhile, in front of the Eastern Prince's residence, Prince Chu's carriage had already arrived. After Prince Mu boarded, the convoy slowly moved forward. Inside the carriage, both men held hastily written invitations, their expressions strange.
"Your Highness has arrived quite early today,"
Mu Shi smiled, noting that his attire today was rather casual; he hadn't expected the King of Chu to be dressed in Confucian robes.
"Haha, Your Highness is too kind. Since there's a good show to watch, we should at least reserve a seat." "Your Highness is absolutely right. Furthermore, I've brought quite a few pastries, including cloud cakes from Yao's Shop. Would Your Highness like to try some?"
As he spoke, Prince Mu took out a package from behind him, its fragrance filling the air, and placed it on the table. Upon seeing it, Prince Chu's eyes lit up, and he nodded.
"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer, please."
"Your Highness, please."
"Giddy up, giddy up, whoosh!"
Meanwhile, on Luo Yunhou's side, Ning Bian, accompanied by his personal guards, had already arrived at the entrance of the restaurant. Ning Bian pushed open the door and entered, calling out.
"Manager, manager, Manager Xin, where is he?"
"General Ning, General Ning, I just got up not long ago. May I ask what brings you here in such a hurry?"
Manager Xin emerged from the kitchen with a puzzled look on his face. The restaurant had been quiet for the past few days, without a single customer. He simply let the staff rest in the back courtyard. He figured that once the military command released the prisoners, the matter would be resolved.
"The Marquis's residence has booked the restaurant today. The Marquis is preparing a banquet. I wonder if the restaurant has enough food and meat?"
Upon hearing that the owner was hosting a banquet, Manager Xin perked up.
"General Ning, rest assured, we can send as many people as you like. There is a cellar in the backyard with plenty of vegetables and grains stored there. The meat is stewing in the pot with the fire burning. Everything is ready. What else would you like to do, Marquis?"
"We'll have everyone seated separately. Prepare seven dishes per table, no more, no less. The head of the table will have eight dishes, and the others at the back will have six. Change the arrangement upstairs, and then ask the Taoyuan Opera troupe to come and prepare. As for the rest, Manager Xin, you can handle it."
Ning Bian didn't give much explanation. The Marquis also said that ordinary family food would suffice. However, Manager Xin was somewhat bewildered. Separate seating was reserved for banquets for princes and ministers. His small restaurant only served some tasty dishes, which couldn't compare to those grand restaurants. But General Ning didn't seem to be lying, so he could only nod in agreement.
Then, remembering something, he quickly ran back to the backyard and shouted at the top of his lungs;
"Get up, get up, get to work. You few, move all the tables, chairs and benches in the hall to the storeroom. You few, come with me upstairs to make arrangements. Also, move those screens up there."
A shout rang out, and the waiters and waiters in the courtyard came out somewhat dazed. A cook in the back kitchen yawned and asked;
"Shopkeeper, what's going on? Why are you making such a fuss so early in the morning?"
Seeing that his subordinates were still confused, he immediately scolded them;
"Still sleeping? You'll sleep yourself to death. Hurry up and get the servants to prepare the banquet. The Marquis is having a banquet today. Remember, there are eight dishes for the head seat, seven for the accompaniment seats, and six for the remaining dishes. Don't get it wrong."
Manager Xin, still not entirely at ease, gave him a few more instructions. The head chef, upon hearing this, glared at him.
"I've got it all figured out, don't worry."
He didn't dare ask any more questions. The master was in charge of the master's affairs. With his belly protruding, he grabbed two servants and headed straight for the kitchen.
While the restaurant was being decorated, the Prince of Jin's newly written invitations had already been sent to the Court of State Ceremonial.
Inside the main hall of the Honglu Temple on the mountain, several princes had already had breakfast and were personally leading their men to rearrange the layout of the hall.
Between each table, a small screen was added as a partition; though not large, it was still eye-catching.
Song Wang Zhou Jiansheng looked on in confusion and asked;
“Brother King Han, this hall isn’t very big. Why do we need to put up a screen between the seats as a partition? Doesn’t that mean that only the people opposite can see each other, and even the people sitting next to each other have to crane their necks to see each other?”
"Haha, what King Song said is absolutely right. If there were a screen separating the two tables, some things would not be visible. It is said that everyone has their own possessions and it is better to keep some things hidden. Look, if you and I were sitting opposite each other here, we could see all the actions of the person opposite us. If we arranged Marquis Luoyun and Prince Beijing to be on the west side, wouldn't we be able to see everything clearly?"
Han King Zhou Lingguang laughed heartily. Although it was a petty trick, it was enough to annoy people. Of the remaining few, only Prince Zheng went to talk to Minister Sun of the Court of State Ceremonial. The other princes stayed behind to help out. This arrangement felt inappropriate. If they were so stingy at a banquet, wouldn't it be a loss of face for them?
“Brother Lingguang, Brother Jiansheng, I think this is a bit inappropriate. This banquet is hosted by the Prince of Jin to entertain us. If it turns out like this, wouldn’t it be a slap in our own face?”
Prince Chen, Zhou Qiwu, pointed to the partitions, saying they neither blocked the view nor impeded sound; they were superfluous.
"Yes, if word gets out, outsiders might think we're afraid of Marquis Luo Yun, after all, there are quite a few people coming."
King Zhou Desheng of Wu looked somewhat embarrassed, feeling that his elder brothers had become a bit out of sorts when they encountered Marquis Luoyun. Hearing their words, the two who had initially been quite excited also looked embarrassed, with King Han looking particularly displeased. He waved his hand dismissively.
"Someone, take all of these away and get out."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The servants quickly carried the screen that had been set up outside. Just then, Prince Zheng, Zhou Changde, and the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, Sun Boyan, entered the hall together.
Upon seeing the princes, Sun Boyan quickly performed the proper courtesies and bowed deeply.
"Your humble servant, Sun Boyan, greets the princes,"
"Haha, Boyan, you're too kind. We've known each other for a long time, how could I let you be so polite? Please,"
King Zheng laughed heartily and gestured for Sun Boyan to enter. Sun Boyan nodded, and the two entered one after the other. By this time, the entire hall had been prepared. The main seat faced south, and people were seated on both sides, with three rows on each side. Even if there were more people, it wouldn't be a problem.
"Your Highness, the dishes in the kitchen of the Court of State Ceremonial are all prepared. According to the time, the banquet will begin at the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM). In that case, shouldn't we begin preparations?"
Since it was arranged by the palace, it must have been a top-class banquet, with at least ten dishes on a table, which is quite a lot.
Little did they know that King Zheng's attention was not on this.
"Lord Sun, the banquet dishes can be prepared, but there's no rush. I've come here to inquire about the order of serving the dishes—whether they will be served together or individually."
"Well, in response to Prince Zheng, the dishes were served together. Many of the dishes were actually prepared in the kitchen and presented directly after being brought up. I wonder what Your Highness's intention is?"
Sun Boyan was somewhat puzzled. These were things the princes couldn't possibly be unaware of, so why ask such a question? Just then, Prince Zheng pointed to the west.
"That seat is probably where Marquis Luoyun sits. Today, when I ask Lord Sun to serve the dishes, I will only serve that table four dishes and one soup. How does that sound?"
King Zheng's expression turned serious, as if his true intentions were finally revealed. His purpose was to humiliate Marquis Luo Yun. However, these words terrified Sun Boyan, who turned pale. Changing the time already involved risking his life; what would he do if he offended that ruthless figure as well?
“Your Highness, this change of time is my way of fulfilling past favors. However, Marquis Luo Yun is a formidable figure in the capital, and I dare not act in this manner.”
He refused to agree no matter what, shaking his head repeatedly. King Song wanted to threaten him, but King Han grabbed him.
"Since Lord Sun doesn't agree, let's try another way. When the food boxes arrive, my men will deliver them to Marquis Luoyun's table. How about that?"
Since one plan failed, they tried another. Unfortunately, although Sun Boyan had a grudge against Marquis Luoyun, he dared not agree to this, and could only step back and bow deeply.
“Your Highness, if you wish to humiliate Marquis Luoyun, you must start elsewhere. This place is merely a minor route. The Court of State Ceremonial has strict rules and regulations. If I were to act with favoritism here, I would be disrespecting the eldest son. This matter must not be agreed to. Your Highness, I am not here today; I have gone to prepare the dishes.”
They bowed repeatedly before leaving, leaving several princes squinting, sensing something unusual. Prince Zheng, in particular, noticed some clues and realized that dealing with Marquis Luoyun would require a longer-term plan. Furthermore, weren't Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, and Prince Dong Ping, Mu Shi, here to support the three princes?
"Brother Wang, what should we do?"
"If the covert methods don't work, then let's make them overt. Today's banquet is ostensibly a welcome feast for us, but it might also be a warning from the Emperor. The Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping are the real threats. Now that they have regained control of the military, they cannot be taken lightly."
Prince Zheng sighed. The situation in the capital was changing so quickly that it was impossible to predict. Even Fan Wenhai had his miscalculations. He was about to say something more when suddenly a personal guard ran in from outside.
(End of this chapter)