Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 719: Emperor Wu Reduces Expenses
Hanyuan Hall,
In the center of the courtyard in front of the main hall,

Zhang Jinyu and others bowed their heads and kowtowed.
Everyone kowtowed, including the hundred soldiers behind him.
After he finished bowing his head, he shouted again;

"Second bow, Your Majesty. Bow!"

They all bowed again, with great sincerity.

This made Emperor Wu, who had just walked over, stop. It was clearly a sacrifice to heaven, so why was he worshipping "me"? What kind of sacrifice to heaven was this?

There was not even a sacrificial text, and it was just like a folk wedding. However, Dai Quan, who came with him, actually knelt on both knees and kowtowed. This frightened the eunuchs behind him and they also knelt down.
Seeing this, Yu Dingzhi dared not stand still. With a plop, he knelt down faster than anyone else. He did not forget to turn around and waved his hand to those ignorant imperial guards, telling them not to be blind. The imperial guards behind him saw the general's gesture, and they knelt down on the ground and kowtowed together.
"You old fellow, why are you joining in the fun?"

Zhou Shihong hadn't heard any noise yet, he turned around and saw Dai Quan leading the men to kneel down, curling his lips and cursing with a smile.

"Your Majesty, it is my duty to kowtow to you. When in Rome, follow the local customs. This is the way it should be done when entering Hanyuan Palace."

After saying this, he stood up respectfully.

The people behind him followed suit.

Over at the big cauldron, Zhang Jinyu shouted again;

"Bow three times to the court, bow,"

Everyone bowed again, but this time, Dai Quan and the others did not kowtow with them. It was obvious that they were only kneeling to His Majesty. Yu Dingzhi bowed his head as low as he could. He never thought that the Governor was so powerful.

"The ceremony is over, get up,"

Zhang Jinyu stood up first and patted the dirt off his knees. It was the first time for him to do such a thing. He just followed the same etiquette as Prime Minister Li's wedding ceremony, but changed the name of the three bows.
"My Lord is indeed a pillar of the court. Although the sacrifice is simple, it is sincere and filial. Maybe in the future, it will become a routine and there will be no need to write any sacrificial texts."

Lord Chu Nian watched Marquis Luo Yun lead the crowd in worshipping without reading any sacrificial texts. He just burned incense and kowtowed directly, which was a great relief.
"Master Chu is right. Although the conditions are simple, the three bows of the Marquis are sincere and will surely bless this imperial examination. As for the sacrificial text, it is all in these three bows."

Marquis of Xiangyang nodded in agreement. He had thought that the marquis would also read a sacrificial text, but he did not expect it to be so direct. It was only natural.

Only Zhang Jinyu felt ashamed, as he knew nothing about the sacrificial text. However, it seemed that sacrificial texts did need to be read during sacrifices outside the Great Wall. But here, he had forgotten about it. These were also things he had come up with on a whim, so at least they still had some meaning.

Tomorrow, when all the examiners are present, do we need to do it again? We will talk about it then. Today, whether it is for all the officials to see or for the court, His Majesty has to give an explanation. We cannot bring it up later and say that I forgot about the sacrifice to heaven. Of course, the sheep cannot be roasted directly next time. I still have this thought in mind.

"You two are too polite. Today is a bit rushed. Just do a simple worship and tell us why we are here. Tomorrow, if you still need it, you can lead all the examiners to worship again, so that this year's imperial examination will go smoothly. Ningbian, send someone out to buy everything that needs to be bought. Buy more incense as well, just in case."

"Yes, Lord, I will obey your orders."

As soon as Ning Bian finished speaking, he followed the Marquis' instructions and poured more red-hot charcoal to make the fire in the cauldron burn more vigorously. Because all kinds of spices and ghee were already hidden in the yellow sheep's belly, after being roasted by the flames and soaked in the oil, the tempting aroma floated out.

Zhang Jinyu did not expect that the taste in his memory would be so delicious. The sheep was extremely fat and it would take another hour to roast it. He just had to wait. As the saying goes, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry.

"You two, go back and take a rest first. You have to wait for a while before it's ready. It's a delicacy outside the Great Wall. As the saying goes, the food inside the Great Wall is not as good as the crispy lamb outside the Great Wall. This crispy lamb refers to a live sheep that is killed and cleaned. Various seasonings are hidden in the belly of the yellow sheep, and a layer of butter is spread on the sheep before it is roasted. The taste is better than those made by the imperial chefs in the palace. I was fortunate enough to have eaten it once because of the grace of Your Majesty. It can't be said that those chefs are fooling Your Majesty. They can't even compare to the signature dishes of the restaurants in the capital."

I don't know if it was because of the aroma or because he was bragging, but Zhang Jinyu actually compared the food with the food made by the imperial kitchen in the palace. Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Xiangyang smiled bitterly. The Marquis really said whatever he wanted, but what he said was the truth, because earlier, when he attended the state banquet, the food prepared by the imperial kitchen in the palace was cold when it was served, and the taste might not be as good as outside because of the coldness, or even worse than the roadside stalls. It was a pleasure to eat soup and noodles for one night, but he couldn't say it so bluntly, right?

"My Lord, you also know that there are many people in the palace, and the imperial kitchen has to prepare meals for so many people. Often because they cook too much, some of the food gets cold, and when it gets cold, the taste is not good, so it is excusable."

"Yes. Lord, I have also had the honor of attending a state banquet with Lord Nan. It is indeed as Brother Bai said. It is not because the food is not good. Every dish is like a beautifully carved jade. Not only is it pleasing to the eye, but it also uses a lot of spices, which are very expensive. It is because when it is served, it is already cold. Some food, once it is cold, will not taste good when eaten."

Lord Chu agreed with what the Marquis of Xiangyang said. The expenses of the palace were huge, and those dishes were the specialties of the imperial chefs. How could ordinary people see them, let alone smell or see them?

Even the Emperor Wu, who had stopped not far away, agreed with him. Marquis Luo Yun, that kid, actually dared to belittle the imperial meals in the palace. What did he mean by "not as good as those made in restaurants outside?" Could it be that what I eat is worse than that of ordinary people? Even Dai Quan, who was beside him, looked over with wide eyes. Marquis Luo Yun, dressed in an official robe, actually used the large cauldron used for offering sacrifices to roast lamb. This was simply unheard of.

in addition,

The food prepared by the imperial kitchen and the meal times of His Majesty are all traditional rules, which can be regarded as left over from the previous dynasty. As for the fact that they are all cold, they are not cold at all. There are food boxes on the table, which are at least warm. There is no way to prevent the food from getting cold at the state banquet, with so many people.
As for the imperial guard Yu Dingzhi who was following behind him, he almost turned a deaf ear to everything and stood there blankly, listening to nothing and looking at nothing. Since he had been following His Majesty, he had seen a lot of things about Marquis Luo Yun and could no longer deal with them with common sense. Whatever he said was right and all he had to do was watch. The captain Sun Shan who followed behind wanted to raise his head to look at the roasted whole lamb in front of him, but he was glared back by Yu Dingzhi. He shrank his head and dared not move rashly.

When everyone was thinking about this,
Who knows what's ahead?

Zhang Jinyu snorted and shook his head in disgust, as if mocking her.
"Master Chu, Brother Bai, you are just making excuses. Why can't we cook and eat it right after it's cooked? It's because we cooked too much and had to send it over at once. It's been so long, let alone warm food, even the day lily has gone cold.
As for what you said, it should be beautiful and pleasing to the eyes, that's all nonsense. Food should be delicious and pleasant to eat. If you feel comfortable looking at it, then don't eat it. The imperial kitchen is too fancy and the thoughts are put in the wrong place. Your Majesty is always eating cold food. After a long time, the disease will come. "

Zhang Jinyu became more and more angry as he spoke, and he ignored the increasingly frightened expressions on their faces and continued;
"Wait until tomorrow. I don't have time tomorrow. After the imperial examination, I will advise Your Majesty to keep meals simple. You have prepared so many dishes, but Your Majesty can only eat a few bites. It would be better to cook a few dishes and stew a bowl of soup like ordinary people. Change the taste every day and eat it while it is hot. This is comfortable. If you say it's the same as before, if you don't eat well, you won't sleep well. If you don't sleep well, you will be in a bad mood. If you are in a bad mood, how can your body be healthy for a long time? Brother Bai, don't you think so?"

Before he finished speaking, he deliberately asked the Marquis of Xiangyang.

At this time, Xiangyang Hou wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. How come the matter of offering sacrifice to heaven involved the emperor? However, the words of the marquis, if you think about it carefully, may not be unreasonable. Even if you are at home, you eat while it is hot. Sometimes you will feel uncomfortable for the whole day if you encounter a little cold rice. However, how can a minister randomly criticize the affairs of the emperor? He can only advise;
"My Lord, be careful with your words. This may seem like a trivial matter, but it is not simple. My Lord, after all, it was always like this in the previous dynasty."

"Look at you guys, the rules of the previous dynasty are here, the rules of the previous dynasty are there, where is the previous dynasty? If you don't tell me, I will tell you myself, really."

Zhang Jinyu really didn't lie. Although this matter seems insignificant, it is really not a small matter.
He was complaining about them.
Behind him, Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong led his people to come over. He had listened to everything that Luo Yunhou and the other two had said. It seemed that Luo Yunhou was complaining, but those words might not be without reason. What he ate might not be as good as what the officials outside ate. The last time he went on an incognito tour, he tasted food that was more delicious than that in the palace, but he didn't think about the difference. Now it seems that Luo Yunhou, this kid, can see clearly.

"You kid, you are making up all these nonsense. What do you mean by saying that the food I eat is not as good as outside? Are those imperial chefs in the palace just eating for free?"

suddenly,
A steady questioning voice came, which startled Zhang Jinyu. He turned around and saw His Majesty standing in front of him with a simple cloak on.

They came to eavesdrop on the conversation, so the three of them didn't dare to neglect it and knelt down and kowtowed.
"Your Majesty, long live my emperor."

"Be flat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The three of them performed a great ceremony, and then the ceremony began. Marquis Xiangyang and Chu Nian wiped their foreheads and glanced secretly at Marquis Luo Yun, as if complaining. Look, something went wrong.

Zhang Jinyu didn't take it seriously, he touched his belly and even clasped his fists to ask for permission.
"Your Majesty, I have something to say," "You go ahead and I'll listen. What do you want to say?"

Emperor Wu smiled, lifted his cloak, and sat down. The chair was brought by Xiao Yunzi at Dai Quan's request.

"Your Majesty, I am not criticizing you casually. It is true that I feel bad when I see that you do not eat well. There is a saying among the people that no matter how good the food is, you must have a hot meal to live a prosperous life. Now that our Dawu court is at its peak, Your Majesty should eat a hot meal."

Zhang Jinyu was not making this up, this saying was really circulated among the people, especially outside the Great Wall. Of course, what he boasted about with Xiangyang Hou before was indeed exaggerated, so here it becomes a praise. After all, you can't hit someone who smiles at you.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiangyang Marquis Bai Guangju and Chu Nian could not help but admire Marquis Luo Yun's eloquence. What he said was reasonable and logical, and they had complicated expressions on their faces. Only Marquis Luo Yun would dare to be so "casual" in front of His Majesty.

"Ahahaha, everyone says you are a fool. In my opinion, you are more than foolish. You are full of nonsense. I have never eaten well. But what you said makes sense. I am alone, as you said, and I can't eat many dishes. The expenses in the palace are also quite extravagant. It's time to change."

It was unknown what the Emperor Wu meant, or whether he was taking this opportunity to make some moves. Dai Quan, who was beside him, felt somewhat uneasy. He also did not know how Tian Baoliang, the seal holder of the Imperial Kitchen, was managing the situation. He still needed to be warned.
But these words,

Zhang Jinyu suddenly felt nervous after hearing this. It wouldn't be like what he said. If the civil servants knew about it, it would be a disaster. He quickly said;
"Your Majesty, I am only making a suggestion. Your Majesty needs to carefully consider the details. What I said just now was a bit absurd. I just need to change it. Your Majesty is the emperor. How can you treat the common people in the capital like this? I know I am wrong."

After saying this, he bowed again.
Even Xiangyang Hou and Chu Nian knew that although the Marquis’s advice was correct, it could not really reduce those things, and let the people of the world see it, so they also advised;
"Your Majesty, Marquis Luo Yun just said it unintentionally. It's not because of the dishes, but because I'm afraid that Your Majesty will eat cold food and hurt your body, so we can't just do it."

Chu Nian was the first to speak up and help Luo Yunhou out of the siege.

Bai Guangju beside him also bowed.

"Your Majesty, Lord Chu is right. Marquis Luo Yun's idea is good, but the palace has always had complicated rules. It will take time to change them. We need to think long and hard."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong was relieved to see the three people's inconsistent attitudes. He was also a loyal minister who dared to speak out. Who would dare to say this for so long? After thinking for a while, he turned to look at Dai Quan and asked;

"Dai Quan, as the chief eunuch of the palace, what do you think about this matter?"

This question obviously stumped Dai Quan. Luo Yunhou's words were out of concern for His Majesty, so how could he not change his mind? However, the advice of the three men just now was also true. He was in a dilemma.

"Your Majesty, Marquis Luo Yun's words make me ashamed. I didn't think it through so clearly. In the future, I need to instruct the imperial kitchen to serve Your Majesty hot meals. This will solve the problem of cold meals mentioned by Marquis Luo Yun."

Come to think of it, this is the only arrangement. As for how to heat it, that is the business of the imperial kitchen.

"You are just taking advantage of the situation. It's fine when it's hot, but when it's cold, how can we ensure that the food is hot? Luo Yunhou, please tell me."

Emperor Wu shook his head. It was easy in summer, but difficult in winter. No wonder he had always felt uncomfortable in winter. It must be because of these.
When Zhang Jinyu saw His Majesty asking, he thought of hot pot without thinking. How could it get cold if it was roasted in the stove? But he couldn't eat that every day. But then again, His Majesty didn't know how many dishes His Majesty would eat in one meal.

"Your Majesty, may I ask how many dishes would you like to have when you eat?"

"Ahem, Lord Marquis, according to the palace rules, His Majesty needs to serve 7749 dishes every day when he eats."

Naturally, only Dai Quan could answer this question.
However, what was said made Zhang Jinyu stunned and surprised. How could he be so arrogant? Forty-nine dishes in one meal, that would be more than a hundred dishes in a day. It was too much. Thinking of something in his memory, it seemed that only the Manchu Han Banquet had so many dishes.

"Well, Your Majesty, since you want me to speak, I will dare to give you my advice."

"You tell me,"

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Your Majesty, you have too many dishes for your meal. I heard that in the city streets of Beijing, ordinary people only have one rice, one soup, and one dish. Better families only have one more dish. Even if I am greedy, a family of one can only have ten dishes.

"I have also heard that many officials in the capital cannot even afford to eat, and they only eat simple meals, which is not much better than the common people. Therefore, I think Your Majesty should reduce the amount of food, as it is too much to eat anyway!"

This is what Zhang Jinyu really said. In her previous life, the buffets she ate didn't seem to have so many varieties. They were all large and filling, and all the meat and seafood were at wholesale prices. The cheap things were all large and filling, and as for the expensive ones, it seemed that they were either not available or limited in quantity.
After Marquis Luo Yun finished speaking, the people around him looked a little strange. He really dared to say anything. How could His Majesty not know these things? It was just the long-standing rules of the palace. In the previous dynasty, it was rumored that the Queen Mother's meal required ninety-nine and eighty-one dishes, and no one could be repeated. Now, there are fewer dishes.

unfortunately,

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong was obviously shocked when he heard this. This actually happened. He had heard some things before, but he didn't know the details. He raised his head and looked at Xiangyang Marquis Bai Guangju and asked;
"Marquis Xiangyang, tell me what you ate when you had dinner at your house."

Bai Guangju obviously didn't expect His Majesty to ask this. He paused and answered truthfully;

"Your Majesty, I have three meals a day, and the food is good. There are meat and vegetables. Each meal only has five or six dishes and a soup, which is enough to fill me up."

"What about you, Chu Nian?"

"Your Majesty, there are only a few people in my family, only my first wife, and one son and one daughter. They are still young and can't eat much. A meal is just three dishes and one soup. But Your Majesty,"

"Stop talking, General Yu, how do you eat in your house?"

Chu Nian wanted to give more advice, but was interrupted by Emperor Wu, who then turned to ask General Yu who was guarding behind him,

Yu Dingzhi quickly stepped forward and knelt down, replying;

"Your Majesty, I dare not hide the fact that I eat a lot, so when I eat, I always have a big pot of stew, a big pot of meat, and a big pot of salty soup, which is enough to keep me full."

"Stand up. I understand, Dai Quan. From now on, I don't need so many dishes for every meal. I won't make it difficult for you. Cut it in half and make it an even number, 20 dishes. Also, let the palace and all the ministries know that the court is in hardship and all the ministries need to reduce consumption. I will set an example and do it first."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Emperor Wu had set the tone and it could not be changed. Dai Quan agreed with a bitter face. As for the others, Zhang Jinyu had to admire Emperor Wu for being so frugal that he could actually save this. He was the first to cheer.
"Your Majesty is wise."

"Hey. Stand up. I was negligent in the past."

A sigh,
It echoed in the courtyard for a long time.
(End of this chapter)