Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 863 Rongguo Mansion Banquet
In front of Rongguo Mansion,
The middle door is wide open,

Many common people, with their families and children, entered the gate of the Duke's Mansion cautiously, looking around with caution, looking at the majestic gate tower, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Under the guidance of the gatekeeper, they went to the large courtyard in the southeast corner of the yard and waited for the banquet to start. Outside, there were many members of the Jia family's concubines. Later, the young man who was originally a little arrogant, came in. Now he was quite well-behaved. After entering the main gate, he bowed to the plaque on the gate to show his respect, and then walked in slowly, quite politely.

On Ningrong Street, people were bustling about, and it was very lively.

at this time,

A simple convoy slowly drove in from the west street corner. Although the carriage was large, it was plain and simple. The windshield brocade used was all old material. There were two old horses pulling the carriage in the front. The wheels swayed as they rolled over the bluestone road, making a slight noise.

Liu Chen, who was driving the carriage in front, drove the carriage to the front gate of Rongguo Mansion, pulled the reins, and the carriage stopped.

Liu Chen reported carefully to the car;
"Mr. Huang, Mr. Zhang, we have arrived at Rongguo Mansion,"

In the car,
Emperor Wu sat in the carriage. Although he was dressed simply, the majesty that emanated from his bones was real. Even if he tried to restrain himself, he still made people dare not underestimate him. He lifted the curtain of the carriage and stared at the gate of Rongguo Mansion with his deep eyes.
He took in the view of the gatehouse, with a smile on his face, which seemed quite scrutinizing;

"That's not bad. Seeing so many common people can go in, it shows that Rongguo Mansion is not an arrogant and domineering family. Otherwise, these common people may not be able to go in."

"Master is right. The old lady of Rongguo Mansion is well-known for her kindness and righteousness. During festivals, she distributes food to many elders in the clan and people in need, so that they can get through the lean years."

Dai Quan took the opportunity to speak well of him, without too much flattery, but instead picked up some trivial things and talked about them.
Empress Jiang looked carefully through the gap in the curtain. She was in a hurry to pass by last time and didn't see it clearly, but she could see it clearly today.
"The old lady is a person who knows etiquette. As the saying goes, an old man in the family is like a treasure. Your Majesty, it is not in vain to show favor to Rongguo Mansion."

Several people in the car chatted for a few words. Zhang Jinyu, who was sitting at the door, did not interrupt. He was still thinking about his elder sister-in-law Li Wan. He also wanted to go see Lin Daiyu, or talk to Xue Baochai. If that didn't work, then he could chat with Madam You.

Although I recognized the wrong person that night, I have to say that Madam You is a beauty. It's a pity that that one time was enough to leave me with endless aftertaste and great satisfaction.

As I was thinking, I just stood there in a daze.

The Emperor and Empress looked around for a long time, but did not hear Marquis Luo Yun speak. They turned around and saw the boy sitting at the door in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking. Emperor Wu smiled and asked;

"What are you thinking about, how do you get in?"

"Well, Master Huang, of course we walked in. With so many people, we can't climb over the wall, right?"

Zhang Jinyu was suddenly asked a question and came back to his senses with a start. He remembered what the emperor asked, so how else could he get in? Naturally, he would walk in. However, there were many people following him, and since it was free food and drink, they would have to go in and have a few bowls of food.

Listening to Marquis Luo Yun's shameless words, Emperor Wu shook his head unhappily.
"You are the one who takes advantage, get out of the car and go in and take a look."

"Yes, Master Huang."

Zhang Jinyu had been feeling suffocated in the car for a long time. Not to mention the fragrance of Chunhe across from him, even the grandfather Dai beside him had several sachets on him, and the smell was so strong that it hit her nose.

outside the car,

Liu Chen had already taken a stool and placed it under the carriage. Zhang Jinyu jumped off the carriage first, followed by Dai Quan, then Wu Huang, and then Chun He and the others. After they got off the carriage and stood still, the guards behind them scattered around.
Zhang Jinyu's eyes twitched. This was too obvious. However, seeing all the hundred households in the Imperial City, only Dai Quan could do such a thing.
"It's quite lively. This is my first time here. The gatehouse looks very impressive."

Empress Jiang got out of the car, and Wen Wan stood aside. In the deep courtyard, the gate of Rongguo Mansion was the most impressive.
"Yes, Mr. Jiang, there are really not many families that can compare with you?"

Zhang Jinyu agreed very much. Even the gate towers of several princes' palaces could not compare to it. People live by their faces, and this gate tower is their face.

It's just that Dai Quan found this statement extremely strange. The gate tower of Luo Yunhou's mansion could be compared to it.

Just as they were about to enter, a team came from the east. There were at least a hundred people, including old women, maids, slaves and helpers. They all looked reluctant, and some were crying. They carried large and small packages on their backs and headed southward toward the west street entrance. No one knew where they were going.

Everyone looked at him strangely, and Emperor Wu looked for the place where the person came from. He saw that he came out from the main gate of Ningguo Mansion, and asked in confusion;
"Why did these people come out of Ningguo Mansion? Where are they going?"

Dai Quan was also somewhat stunned, he had not heard of this matter, only Zhang Jinyu beside him had some guesses in his mind, and replied;

"Master Huang, I heard that the Ningguo Mansion has split up. Since the family has been split up, these servants are no longer needed to serve them. They should be released from the mansion."

"That's a reason, but with so many people gone, are there enough people serving in the mansion? Did they really disperse? Dai Quan, send someone to investigate."

"Yes, sir."

Emperor Wu frowned. Ningguo Mansion only punished Jia Zhen and his son, and their property and titles were not taken away. How could they break up the family? Could it be that the clan residence gave them some trouble?

Thinking about his troubles, he didn't want to stay here anymore, so he reached out and patted Luo Yunhou on the shoulder.

After being tapped on the shoulder, Zhang Jinyu immediately understood what the emperor meant, and walked over first, standing in the gatehouse and shouting;

"Mr. Huang from the east city congratulates Rongguo Mansion,"

With a "yes", the gatekeeper of Rongguo Mansion came over with a bow and said "please".

A group of people squeezed in.
Went to the front yard,

Afterwards, a servant asked quietly;
"Butler, where is Mr. Huang?"

"Don't ask, everyone who comes is a guest,"

The manager was also confused. He had never heard of the Mr. Huang from the east of the city. However, the guard who just bowed seemed familiar. Unfortunately, there were too many people coming and he was confused.

As soon as you step into the vermilion gate, you will see a house with carved beams and painted buildings, flying eaves and corners. Slowly walking along the bluestone road, you will enter the front yard, where there are rockery gardens, flowers, plants and trees, all neatly built and majestic.
Behind the rockery is a flower garden with colorful flowers that make people feel relaxed and happy.

Follow the road and continue walking inside.

Southeast corner,
I thought it was a big yard, but it turned out to be a large open space. On the north side, there was a spacious corridor with a high platform. Several people were singing on it, and the people were sitting below to watch. From time to time, cheers could be heard, and it was very lively.

In the middle of the open space, there were long tables that were placed together. They looked extremely simple. There were two tables on each, and four dishes and six bowls of noodles were placed on them. After all, only six people could sit around a table. It didn't look very good, but the aroma was overflowing.

Zhang Jinyu looked around and saw that there were no people sitting at the tables in the corner, so he quickly led the way and went over there. Liu Chen, Ning Bian and others occupied all the tables around without being told.

The middle one is reserved for His Majesty and His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, the table and benches must have been borrowed from an outside restaurant. They are very simple and inconvenient to sit on. I was negligent."

Zhang Jinyu didn't expect that Rongguo Mansion would use these tables and benches to fool people. He could sit on them, but the emperor and the queen probably had never done so before.
Emperor Wu waved his hands, looking at the long tables and stools with potholes, with a nostalgic look in his eyes, and he sat down on them. Empress Jiang also smiled and sat down next to Emperor Wu.

"Why can't I sit here? Back then, Yuqing and I, well, Young Master Jiang and I, had a drink at a restaurant outside the city. There were only tables and chairs like this. In the blink of an eye, it's been almost ten years."

The tone is quite nostalgic.
Zhang Jinyu listened and sat down as well. He thought to himself that more than ten years ago, the Emperor and Empress were able to sit here, which meant that they had just arrived in the capital. Thinking that Prince Zhongyi was demoted, His Majesty must have been crowned the Crown Prince when he arrived in the capital.
"Mr. Huang is right. Ordinary people also have these tables and chairs in their homes. I am in the army, so I don't have these. I just sit on the ground and eat with a bowl."

"You kid, how can your household expenses compare to those in the army?"

Seeing Marquis Luo Yun making a joke, Emperor Wu felt much better. He pointed to the seat next to Zhang Jinyu and ordered;
"Dai Quan, you sit next to that boy," "Thank you, sir."

Dai Quan was very excited. He thanked him and sat down next to Marquis Luo Yun. At the same time, Queen Jiang also asked Chun He and the old nanny to sit beside them. In this way, the six seats at the table were full.

At this moment,
From the corner gate,

Qian, the manager of Rongguo Mansion, used his hands and feet to wipe the sweat off his face. Then he brought a group of servants, holding bowls and chopsticks, and started serving food to the people who came. As there were many people, the food was served faster.

After a while,
Their tables are filled to the brim.

There were no extra dishes, just three stir-fried vegetables, a plate of pickles, a large pot of stewed meat, and six bowls of noodles on the table.

Take a closer look,
The appearance is not very good, they are all big bowls and plates, the quantity is quite large, a full plate, it smells ok, but I don't know what it tastes like when I taste it after a while. The most fragrant one is the jar in the middle.
Zhang Jinyu was curious, so he picked up the chopsticks and dug into the middle of the jar. It was full of big pieces of meat, which was quite affordable.

Seeing Marquis Luo Yun's expression, Empress Jiang smashed the table with her folding fan.
"You are really ignorant of etiquette. You looked through the food before the master even started eating."

Zhang Jinyu was a little stunned. It was really a habit. He quickly put down his chopsticks and explained;
"Master Jiang, you wronged me. This is my first time here for a buffet. I am curious, right? Look at these four dishes, a plate of pickles, three vegetarian dishes, and a jar of meat in the middle. I want to see if there is meat in it. If there is minced meat, it would be too stingy. How can I eat it? It is said to be the inner courtyard, and there are guests sitting at the main table. If it is not good, we can move to another place."

This was also Zhang Jinyu's backup plan. If they couldn't eat here, they could present gifts and take the emperor and the queen to eat at the main banquet.
"You are the only one who has many thoughts,"

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Emperor Wu replied unhappily, but he was watching the movements around him. Many people were sitting together, eating noodles with smiles on their faces, and many children were standing by the table, carefully eating a bite of meat from the jar. Perhaps he was touched by these scenes and sighed;
"People say what the smell of fireworks is. I see that the smell of fireworks is here. I'm afraid that few of the ministers in the court have ever tasted the dishes in front of them."

It seems that there is some suffocation inside.

Zhang Jinyu saw through His Majesty's thoughts. No one could match the ministers in the court in their ability to speak, but the lives they led in the palace were more extravagant than the others.

"Master, you are absolutely right. It is said that it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality, but easy to go from frugality to luxury. These dishes in front of us, at the border, even the generals guarding the city may not be able to eat them. Master, Mr. Jiang, the noodles are not delicious when they are cold."

After saying this, he was about to pick up his chopsticks, but halfway through, Dai Quan, who had been standing by his side without saying a word, stopped him. He took out a sleeve from his bosom, took out a silver needle, and inserted it into the dishes and bowls of noodles on the table. After taking it out, the silver needle did not change color, so he put it away.

Seeing the curious look of Luo Yunhou beside him, he explained;
"My Lord, this is the palace's rule. The food that is delivered needs to be tasted before it can be served."

"Butler Dai is really thoughtful. It was the kid who was careless."

Isn't it just a poison test? The eunuchs in the palace just pierce the person with silver needles a few times before the person eats it. The emperor eats the leftovers in the end.
This is also easy.

Zhang Jinyu picked up the chopsticks and, under the gazes of several people, took out some noodles from the bowl in front of Emperor Wu and Empress, put them into his own bowl, and slurped them up. Then, he took a lot of the dishes on the table and put them in his bowl, and put them directly into his mouth, smacking his lips. The taste was okay. He spoke incoherently before he had even swallowed the dishes.

"Master, sir, it tastes okay and is edible. It's a little hot, but it shouldn't be poisonous."

Dai Quan, Chun He and others beside him were dumbfounded. Marquis Luo Yun was really loyal. Maybe it was Zhang Jinyu who took the lead, but they were eating with relish. People at several tables started to eat with their chopsticks. Even Emperor Wu and Empress Jiang started to eat out of curiosity.

What they didn't know was that Qian Hua, the steward of Rongguo Mansion, had brought servants in several times to deliver food and dishes. He repeatedly passed by the table of Zhang Jinyu's group and felt that the people eating noodles there looked familiar. Coincidentally, when Zhang Jinyu drank a sip of soup and raised his head to pick up a piece of meat with chopsticks, Qian Hua saw him.

After all, when I first met Marquis Luo Yun in Fuling County, I was deeply impressed. But how could it be possible that Marquis Luo Yun actually came here to eat a buffet? These were for the common people outside. How could a dignified Marquis of a prefecture eat these?
Qian Hua was a little skeptical, but he could not mistake that face. If it was the Marquis who came here, who were the people around him?

With a bit of caution, I looked around and found that although the people at the tables around me were dressed simply, they were all burly and did not look like ordinary people. I secretly kept my eye on them.
When he took the servants down to carry the dishes, he told them to continue delivering the food, and he ran towards the Pear Garden alone.

When we got to the yard,

Qian Hua panted, raised his arm, wiped the sweat from his forehead, hurried into the yard, ran to the door of the main house, and knocked on the door;

"Second Madam, I have something to report."

inside the house,

Wang Xifeng sat on the stepping stone of the bed in the inner hall, letting Ping'er pound her shoulders from behind. Ping'er gently kneaded them and advised:

"Grandma, you should rest more these days. Your health is important."

"I want to rest, but who will take care of all the big and small things in the mansion? It just so happens that there is a big wedding in the palace, so how can I not be busy these days."

Wang Xifeng raised her eyebrows, put her hands on her hips, and spoke in an anxious tone. In fact, she was not anxious about these things, but the money that was being spent like water in the mansion. The money that was received last year was only May, and almost all of it had been spent. How would they get through the second half of the year?
I was hoping to earn more money from this celebration. This is obviously an opportunity, so how can I just ignore it?

Ping Er was not angry at being scolded by her grandmother, and replied:

"Grandma, I know you've worked hard, but your body is your own, and I just feel bad for you."

"Hmph, you're so distressed. I can see that you're hoping that I'll be gone so that you can take my place."

I don't know where the anger came from today. Wang Xifeng had nothing nice to say. Ping'er stood there being scolded, feeling extremely aggrieved.
"Grandma, I don't think so."

"Whether you think about it or not, you know it yourself."

Just when she was about to vent her anger on Ping'er again, there was a knock on the door, causing Wang Xifeng to frown.
"Go and see who's here,"

"Yes, grandma."

I sent Ping'er over to take a look, and I felt much better.

Ping Erh endured the grievance and went to the outer room. She opened the door and saw that it was Manager Qian standing there. She asked:
"Manager Qian, why are you here if you're not helping out in the yard?"

When Qian Hua saw Ping'er opening the door, he knew that the Second Madam was in the room, so he quickly said:
"Miss Ping'er, don't you have something urgent to report to Grandma?"

"Oh, what are you in a hurry to say?"

Just as the two of them exchanged a few words, Wang Xifeng came out from the inner room. Seeing that it was Manager Qian, she did not give him a good look.

Qian Hua saw that it was the Second Madam coming out from the inner room, and he did not dare to act rashly or be impolite, so he replied carefully:
"Second Madam, I am not being lazy. I really have something to do. Just now, when I was helping out in the front yard, I passed by a few tables in the corner and I seemed to run into Marquis Luo Yun, who was having a buffet with his people. I was afraid that I was seeing things wrong, so I stopped and looked several times on purpose. I think I am right."

Qian Hua also thought for a while before he was sure that it was the Marquis. After all, those people had extraordinary demeanor, but their faces were extremely unfamiliar. He thought they were also nobles, but he didn't know why they came here, so he came to the Pear Garden to pass on the message.

"Oh, this is strange. They didn't eat the formal meal in the inner courtyard, but went to eat the buffet instead. Whose habit is this? What's their plan?"

"Yes, grandma."

Ping'er responded with a strange look on her face. The buffet was for the common people. Marquis Luo Yun was of noble status, so how could he eat those meals?

Wang Xifeng sat there and pondered for a while, wondering if it was Luo Yunhou who came here to look for his eldest sister-in-law. But then she thought that it was not the case. If you were looking for your eldest sister-in-law Li Wan, you should come here alone, instead of bringing people here to eat and drink for free.
"Hurry up, let's go and take a look together!"

(End of this chapter)