Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 836 Who will eat first before the feast begins?

At the top of Honglu Temple mountain, inside the main hall.

Although the atmosphere was warm, there was always a sense of extreme coldness looming inside.

They tested each other, looking around, but did not dare to go too deep.

It was at this time that the positions of the first and second feet were changed.

The screen,
There was another sound of footsteps. After the princes looked at each other, they immediately returned to their seats, held their breath, and looked over.

It was Bai Guangju, Marquis of Xiangyang, who hurried into the hall. Seeing Marquis Luo Yun already inside, he felt relieved, bowed, and said:
"Xiangyang Marquis Bai Guangju, meet several princes,"

He was dressed in dark clothes and had a gentle expression on his face. In addition, Marquis Xiangyang was of the right age and was a steady man.

Especially the princes, seeing him for the first time in the capital, couldn't help but have a good impression of him and stood up to return the greeting.

"Greetings to the Marquis of Xiangyang. Please take a seat."

Zhou Zhengbai extended his hand to invite him in, and Marquis Xiangyang sat down next to Marquis Luo Yun.
"My Lord, you came really early. I am still a little late."

Zhang Jinyu raised her hand. There was no need for them to be so polite.
"Brother Bai, what you said is so polite. What do you mean by sooner or later? The owner hasn't come yet. I've been waiting for a long time and I'm almost full of tea. Look at these teapots."

I picked up the teapot on the table and shook it. The water inside splashed and almost half of it went down.

It seems that Marquis Luo Yun drinks a lot of water!

Bai Guangju smiled and glanced at the main seat. Sure enough, the prince had not arrived yet. He had not met him on the road, so he should not have come here yet.

"My Lord, please wait for a moment. If the prince can spare some time today to welcome the princes, it will definitely not be too late. When I first came, I saw that Marquis Jinxiang, Marquis Chuanning, Marquis Huaiyuan and Marquis Dongchuan were all behind me. It seems that the princes have a good idea."

There was meaning in the words, but Zhang Jinyu just smiled. If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. Everyone has selfish desires. Speaking of those people in the marquis' mansion, he is not familiar with them. Marquis Jinxiang and Marquis Chuanning are well-known idle people in the capital.

"Let's talk about what we are planning for another time. We are here for the banquet today just to eat. Why are we talking so much?"

Zhang Jinyu also replied in a low voice. After all, the two of them were talking in private, and the other princes were very curious.

Zhou Yewen, the prince of Song, couldn't help but ask;
"I wonder what the two Lords are discussing. Can you tell me?"

"Yes, my two lords, if there is something interesting, you might as well tell it and let us all have fun together. Otherwise, it will be a bit boring to talk here."

Zhou Xingshan, the prince of Han, sat beside him with a smile on his face, as if he had found something to make him happy. Zhang Jinyu kept silent. It is said that one can sit on a mountain and watch tigers fight, but he can't just jump in and fill in the gaps.

"Well, my lords, you are joking. There is no joke at all. I just mentioned it at the foot of the mountain. When I came here, I saw that the other marquises had arrived one after another. I'm afraid they are outside the palace now."

Bai Guangju answered the call and pointed his lips toward the outside of the screen.
It was at this time,
The door curtain rustled,

There was a sound of footsteps, and several people entered the room one after another. Not only were they of different heights and statures, but they were also wearing different clothes.
Marquis of Jinxiang Liao Daping was a short man with a protruding belly. He was wearing a red robe that was wrapped around his body, which made him look rather funny. Marquis of Chuanning was rather tall and thin with a ruddy complexion, and it was obvious that he had nothing to worry about. As for Marquis of Huaiyuan Hu Jianglin who followed behind him, he was tall and mighty, and looked like a fierce general. He walked into the room with a stern face and a short warrior suit. The last one was Marquis of Dongchuan Duan Kaihua. Although they were not tall, they were dressed in blue clothes with a blue belt around their waists, and looked extremely capable.

It was also the first time that Zhang Jinyu saw them. These marquises were rarely seen on weekdays. Even at court meetings, they were just passers-by, crying or laughing, just following the crowd. Didn't they have any sense of existence at all?
They make speeches and challenge the civil servants, just to make them echo the old duke's words. They have no opinions of their own. How do you say it? They are fence-sitters who take both sides. This is exactly what I mean by them.

As soon as the person came in, several princes stood up to greet him. Marquis Jinxiang and Marquis Chuanning hurried forward and bowed.
"I have met several princes."

Zhou Zhengbai was the oldest, and he led the group and replied with a smile;

"My two lords, please stand up and take your seats."

He wanted to wait for the two people behind him to meet him, but the last two people, Marquis Huaiyuan and Marquis Dongchuan, walked straight up to Zhang Jinyu and performed the ceremony.
"Greetings to Marquis Luo Yun. If we had known that the Marquis was here, we wouldn't have stayed here for so long."

"Yes, Lord, you are here really early. I am ashamed that my legs and feet are not very strong."

Marquis Huaiyuan, who followed closely behind, also said with a smile.

This made Zhang Jinyu a little puzzled. What did the two mean by bowing to him? He had never dealt with them before. He extended his hand and bowed back.
"You two Lords are too polite. You are both noble and old relatives. There is no need to be polite."

The words were a little stiff, and the feeling of being rejected made the two of them smile bitterly, while Huaiyuan Hou leaned over and sighed;
"Don't blame me, my Lord. It's all because I didn't explain it clearly. My eldest son is General Hu Shoucheng of the Dingbei Division of the Beijing Camp. He had a misunderstanding with you a few days ago. I hope you won't blame me."

Zhang Jinyu was startled. Hu Shoucheng was his son. So it was understandable that he was like this now. No wonder he looked kind when he first came in. Wasn't he a replica of Hu Shoucheng? The man named Duan behind him had a cold face. If I guessed correctly, he must be Duan Wenyuan's father.

"It's just a small matter, why would I keep it in mind? The person behind me should be Duan Wenyuan's father, Brother Duan, right?"

"My Lord, you are so wise. I am so shameless that I call you my dear brother. Please take good care of my son Wenyuan."

Marquis Dongchuan also lost all his dignity and shamelessly called Marquis Luoyun "my dear brother", which made the princes and the two marquises who arrived earlier look a little embarrassed. Wasn't this just leaving them there in the cold?

Jinxiang Hou Liao Daping snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and clasped his fists;
"Thank you, my lord. I will take my seat now, so that others won't be offended and lose my status!"

As soon as he looked around, he sat down on the seat on the right. Opposite him was Marquis of Xiangyang. Marquis of Chuan Ning was a little embarrassed. He did not say anything, but bowed and followed him to sit on the lower right.

However, these words made the two people in front of Zhang Jinyu feel extremely embarrassed, not knowing whether to leave or stay. Zhang Jinyu smiled. It seemed that the Marquis of Jinxiang did not have a position in the mansion. No, even he himself did not have a position. He dared to speak so arrogantly today. He really had shamelessness.

"My two gentlemen, please take a seat for the time being. Today, the prince is hosting a banquet for several princes to welcome them. We are here just to accompany them and must not steal the show."

"Yes, Lord Marquis,"

The two of them quickly stood up, bowed to the princes, and sat down on both sides. By this calculation, it seemed that except for the people from the imperial guards of Marquis Baoning, half of the old nobles in the capital had arrived.

Seeing the unconvinced Marquis of Jinxiang, Zhang Jinyu became interested. He picked up the tea bowl and gestured to the princes.

"No need to be polite, my lords. Since everyone is here, I think the prince will come quickly. We can't let some people, who are narrow-minded, ruin the atmosphere."

Several princes seemed a little unnatural. The frog in the well mentioned by Marquis Luo Yun was referring to Marquis Jinxiang. Although the mansion had a title, it was a pity that it was only an idle official position. No one in the family was an official in the court, and it was on a downward slope.
On the other hand, Marquis Luo Yun was a frontier official with a large army under his command, and was a confidant in the eyes of the new emperor. How could these be compared? Of course, this also served as a reminder to these people that the nobles were not a monolithic group, and Marquis Luo Yun was not someone who was easy to serve. They kept their composure, bowed to everyone, and returned to their seats.

After a while, the warm atmosphere in the hall disappeared and it became extremely quiet.

Marquis Jinxiang's face flushed red. Marquis Luoyun was about to name him. He wanted to refute, but when he thought of the attitudes of Marquis Xiangyang and Marquis Huaiyuan, his heart tightened. He was asking for trouble, so he held back from saying anything and ate and drank the tea and cakes in front of him.

Zhang Jinyu just sat there and ignored him, a clown-like figure, but now he had drunk a bellyful of tea and was already extremely hungry.
I had been running around all afternoon and hadn't eaten anything. When I got here, I saw a plate of cakes on the table, most of which had already been eaten. My appetite was aroused and I became even hungrier. I shouted outside,
"Someone, please bring some more cakes, or some meat-filled pastries."

The steward outside the door nodded and ran in;
"My Lord, the cooks are all down the mountain preparing meals. The prince hasn't come yet, so I dare not serve the dishes. As for cakes, there are plenty. My Lord will serve you a few more plates."

It was difficult for the manager here. He was the only one in charge of the main hall on the top of the mountain. All the other people were driven away. Even Lord Wen did not come up. Seeing Marquis Luo Yun like this, the manager was at a loss.

Zhang Jinyu's face darkened and he asked deliberately;

"How can you eat cakes as the main course? I'm not asking you to touch the main course of today's banquet. Aren't there cooks stewing meat at the foot of the mountain? Just bring up some of the stewed meat and a few pancakes. When the prince comes, you can take them away. Go quickly." It wasn't that Zhang Jinyu was deliberately making things difficult for him, but he had been here for half an hour and was just sitting here doing nothing. Who wouldn't be annoyed?

Seeing that Marquis Luo Yun was being unreasonable, the steward looked up at the others, as if asking for help. However, the princes pretended not to see it, and the few who had just arrived did not say a word.
Only Bai Guangju, Marquis of Xiangyang, smiled and said;
"Don't be afraid, steward. Some food is harmless. Go get it."

: "Yes, please wait a moment, my lord. I will be here in a moment."

The steward bowed and quickly retreated.
After leaving the hall in a hurry, he led his men down the mountain and sent someone to the backyard to bring some stewed meat. He then hurried to the official building to look for Lord Wen.
As soon as he entered the official building, the steward ignored the other people at the door, went up the stairs, and knocked on the door.

"My lord, my lord, I have something to report."

"Come in and answer."

"It's an adult."

The steward pushed the door open and saw Lord Wen sitting at the desk, reading a book. Smoke was wafting out of the incense burner not far away, and the scent of sandalwood filled the room, refreshing the mind.

"Tell me, what's the matter? The prince is here?"

Wen Shaoqing put the book down, picked up the tea on the desk, took a sip of the tea carefully, his face was calm.

The steward lowered his head and replied carefully;

"My Lord, the prince has not arrived yet, but several princes and marquises have already arrived. Marquis Luo Yun said he was hungry and insisted that I give him some food. How can the guests eat before the host arrives? But seeing that Marquis Luo Yun was a little angry, I dare not say much and can only come down the mountain."

Wen Shengshen, the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple, was all smiles, thinking to himself that it was interesting, as he had never seen anything like this before. However, the prince was late for quite a long time, as he had only read half a book, which took him an hour. The prince must have done it on purpose, or he must have been delayed by something.

"You are right. When inviting guests to dinner, the host always starts the banquet after they arrive. I have never heard of guests eating before the banquet begins. It is really incredible that Marquis Luo Yun can give such an order."

Then he shook his head again, maybe he was really hungry.
"Since he wants it, you can serve it. There are still many dishes in the kitchen. Add a few more dishes to Luo Yunhou and send him a jar of good wine. Don't worry about the rest."

The steward was stunned. What did Lord Wen mean? If a few more dishes were served and some good wine was brought, wouldn't that mean we could eat first?

"Sir, the prince has not come yet, we at the Honglu Temple will serve the food, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of? Since the Honglu Temple has received us, we can't not let people eat. As for the prince's banquet, it doesn't say when it will be served. Of course, you only give it to Luo Yunhou. If others want more, you can say that there is only this portion of food left, and the rest are for the banquet."

Wen Sheng-Shen picked up the book he had just finished reading and started talking casually, with no idea what was going on in his mind.
The steward's forehead was sweating. He understood what the master meant, but he couldn't figure out what the intention was. He could only nod and reply;

"Yes, sir, I understand."

He lowered his head and walked out again.

At this time,
The people sent out by the steward came out carrying two food boxes. When they saw the steward coming, they went to meet him.

"Sir, I took the meat."

"You guys send it up first, I'll be there soon."

"Yes, my lord."

The two watched the steward hurried into the kitchen, confused, and went up the mountain with their food boxes. In the kitchen, as soon as the steward entered the door, he immediately ordered a few servants to take the prepared dishes out of the steamer.

"You guys, carry the food boxes and follow me up. Also, bring a jar of good wine with you."

Several servants nodded, some took the dishes, some took the wine, only the chef was a little surprised.

"Sir, has the prince allowed the banquet to begin? The people and dishes are all ready."

"It's still early, just stay and wait for the letter. These are for others, hurry up!"

He replied impatiently, and scolded the servants;
"My Lord, I will be right here."

A few servants responded and hurried over. When they saw that everyone was present, the steward waved his hand and then walked out.

The speed of the few people is not slow.
The people in the hall were still staring at each other, after all, the atmosphere was a little awkward. At this time, the servant waiting outside the door came in.
Holding the food box in his hand, he walked around the door from the back and approached Luo Yunhou.

"My Lord, the steward is still behind. I will bring you some food first. These are all dishes that our Honglu Temple always has on hand."

"Okay, put it here."

Zhang Jinyu didn't need to be polite and pushed the empty plate aside. The two servants also knew what to do and opened the food boxes. They wrapped the steaming jar in cloth and brought it to the table. Another one brought a plate of side dishes, and the last one brought a pancake wrapped in brocade cloth, as well as bowls and chopsticks, and placed them on the table.

It's true that stewing meat in a jar is very delicious. Before opening the lid, the aroma makes people hungry. Zhang Jinyu laughed and threw some silver coins to the two servants. They took them and smiled happily.

"Thank you, Lord."

The people retreated.

The people who were seated looked at Luo Yunhou in disbelief. He actually asked for the food. No, how was this banquet held?
Zhang Jinyu sat there with a big mouth, leaned back, picked up the chopsticks, lifted the lid, and a puff of hot steam came out of the jar. Inside was a large piece of stewed meat, which was seasoned with fine spices. In an instant, the aroma of the meat almost covered the incense in the room, and people who smelled the aroma had a great appetite.
Zhang Jinyu was not polite either. He picked up a large piece of meat with chopsticks. It was fat and lean, and full of fragrance. He opened his mouth and swallowed it down with a slurp. His mouth was full of oil. It was true that the dishes in the Honglu Temple were much better than those in the imperial kitchen in the palace. The meat was tender and melted in the mouth.

Without caring about other people's reactions, he picked up a pancake, put some green onions on it, stuffed the meat inside, rolled it up, and took a bite. Even a god would not leave any meat behind.

Seeing Marquis Luo Yun eating without paying attention to others, Marquis Jinxiang's Adam's apple rolled and he swallowed his saliva. If he had known this, he should have eaten his fill before coming back. He had never suffered such grievances before. He looked at the Prince of Zheng who delivered the invitation and was obviously a little upset. He could still be like this and coughed slightly.
"Ahem, everyone, I think Uncle Wang might have been delayed on the way. Please wait a little longer."

"You don't have to be polite, my lord. The prince is very busy, so it's normal for him to be late. We still know some etiquette."

Marquis Jinxiang really couldn't help but make some sarcastic remarks when he replied. Marquis Dongchuan Miao Dayong saw that Brother Liao was a little bit abnormal tonight, and he also said;

"Don't blame me, my lord. Brother Liao was in a bad mood these days because of what happened in Ningguo Mansion, so some of the words I said were a bit harsh. Please don't blame me."

He clasped his fists and bowed to all around, but he was facing Luo Yunhou. All of this was seen by the people on the opposite side. Xiangyanghou waved his hand.

"Brother Miao, you are too polite. We are all noble relatives. Why are you saying these things? Marquis Luo Yun has been tired in the past few days of the imperial examination. These are just trivial matters and are not worth mentioning."

It was a round-about way.

At this moment,
The steward came in with his men and came to the side of Marquis Luo Yun.
"My Lord, I was a little slow just now, so I'll add a few more dishes for you and bring you a jar of good wine."

He turned to look at the people behind him and scolded;
"What are you guys doing standing there? Why don't you serve the Lord the food?"

(End of this chapter)