Father can be an enemy country

Chapter 471 Four dishes and one soup, simple hospitality

Nanchang City Official Ship Wharf, with loess pads, clean water sprinkled on the streets, gongs and drums blaring, and colorful flags waving, it can be seen that it is welcoming important people.

Today is the day when Shen Liben, Minister of the Ministry of Justice of the Imperial Envoy, arrived. Xiong Qitai, the chief envoy of Jiangxi Province, Zeng Tai, the envoy of the procuratorate, and Wang Bi, the chief envoy of Jiangxi Province, led a group of officials from the provinces and cities to wait at the pier early to welcome Qin Dajia.

Amid the sound of playing music, Shen Liben, who was wearing a scarlet official robe, walked down the gangway at a leisurely pace with Chang Sui's support.

"Your Majesty, welcome to the imperial envoy." Xiong Qitai hurriedly led the crowd to salute.

"Stay flat, everyone." Shen Liben's eyes slowly swept across the field, and he said in a loud voice: "It's been a long time."

Behind Xie Enping, Xiong Qitai smiled and said: "The department hall is back in Nanchang, and the elders in Jiangxi are all very happy, as if seeing their parents again."

"Haha, Uncle Xiong Mu is serious. It is my honor to revisit the old place." Shen Liben smiled lightly.He was the last governor of Pingzhang of Jiangxi Province, and Xiong Qitai was his subordinate at that time.Later, the imperial court withdrew the province and set up three divisions, Shen Liben went to Beijing as an official, and Xiong Qitai became the first Jiangxi chief envoy.

Therefore, Shen Liben was not only Xiong Qitai's old boss, but also his court backer. This time, he came here as an imperial envoy, and Xiong Qitai of course wanted to entertain him with the highest standard.

"The lowly ones prepare a little wine in Tengwang Pavilion to cleanse the hall, and I invite Wanwang to appreciate it."

"Didn't you break the rules?" Shen Liben asked lightly.

"There are only four dishes and one soup, which is completely in line with the emperor's rules." Xiong Qitai laughed.

"Then respect is worse than obedience." Shen Liben said with a smile: "But this is the only meal that cannot be refused. From now on, the old man will not accept banquets."

"Yes, yes, the hall is as clear as water and as honest as a mirror. It is really a role model for us as officials." Xiong Qitai and others were full of flattery.

"Please please."

"Please."

All the officials watched the imperial envoy get into the carriage, and then rode their horses to the Tengwang Pavilion.

~~
Tengwang Pavilion is located at the confluence of Ganjiang River and Fuhe River, which is the symbol of Nanchang City.The lower part is a three-foot-high pedestal symbolizing the ancient city wall, which is divided into two levels; the main pavilion above the pedestal has seven floors, divided into three bright floors, three dark floors and an attic.

Although the building adopts the Tang system, it looks new.

Because the Tengwang Pavilion in front of me is no longer the one when Wang Bo wrote "The sunset and the lone bird fly together, and the autumn water is the same color as the sky".

Tengwang Pavilion was destroyed by swords and fire several times in the past dynasties.But because of its special status in the hearts of literati, it is quickly rebuilt every time.

In fact, it can be said that this building is only the carrier of "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng".It doesn't matter what it looks like, as long as it is called Tengwang Pavilion, it is the holy temple in the hearts of literati.

The banquet to welcome the imperial envoy was held in the attic on the top floor of the temple, where you can enjoy the magnificent landscape in the Preface to the Pavilion of King Teng.

After being seated, the beautiful maid took off the plate, and the strong man brought the main course.

Shen Liben looked at it for a moment, and saw that each of the dishes was too big, and the smaller round table would be full with just one.No wonder it has to be served by a big guy.

It wasn't until the oversized plate with exquisite patterns was placed on the table that Shen Liben saw that there was a cross-shaped ridge in the middle of it, which divided it into four fan-shaped plates that were not connected to each other.Each fan-shaped dish contains a dish.

For example, in the first big dish, there are four famous Nanchang dishes of 'Hongya Danjing', 'Xishan Jicui', 'Tengge Autumn Breeze' and 'Zhangjiang Xiaodu'.

In the second big dish, there are 'Longsha Xizhao, Nanpu Feiyun, Iron Pillar Fairy, Supu Spring Vegetables', and four other Nanchang famous dishes.

The same is true for the other two large plates. The four dishes are different, and the amount of each dish is much more than the normal one.

Even the big soup urn served at the end contains four different soups, 'five yuan dragon and phoenix soup', 'hollow fish ball soup', 'navel orange and old duck soup', 'old ginseng and tiger whip soup'...

Nuo Da's round table was filled to the brim with these four dishes and one soup.

"What are you doing?" Shen Liben seemed a little displeased.

"Bu Tangrong, this is the most popular dish in Jiangxi. For example, this dish is called 'Nanchang Four Scenery', just like there are four lines in a poem, and there are four seasons from time to time. They are all one dish. "Xiong Qitai hurriedly explained.

The people below also echoed: "Yes, this is the way we eat in Nanchang. I heard that there is still a pot of stew in Liaodong. Let's do as the Romans do."

"Oh, I really can't do anything about you." Shen Liben looked helpless, picked up the wine cup and said, "This is not an example."

"The next one is not an example, the next one is not an example." Everyone hurriedly laughed and toasted Shen Butang together.

After a few glasses of wine, the atmosphere in the banquet became warmer, and Shen Liben no longer put on airs as an imperial envoy, and said to Xiong Qitai: "Xiong, I haven't seen you for a few years, and you can play tricks like this."

"Oh, my lord knows me, little bear, so I'm the most honest and heartless." Xiong Qitai said with a wry smile:
"However, if there are more than a dozen people at our large table, if we completely follow the rules of four dishes and one soup, it will not even be enough to plug the gaps between our teeth. Do I still have a conscience to entertain the boss like that? Why don't we just jump into the Ganjiang River."

"That's right." All the officials echoed: "It's not a meal at home, how can four dishes and one soup be on the table?"

"So, you all came up with this idea?" Shen Liben laughed and said, "It seems that there are more countermeasures than policies."

"Even if it is the emperor's will, he has to be at the right time," an official said angrily, "It's like the yellow book that Liu Lian pushed out wishfully. , we have to clean up the mess for him!"

"Why, do you have a big opinion on the yellow book?" Shen Liben asked expressionlessly.

"Of course, can it be small? Qingzhang's fields are already enough to disturb the people. After the yellow book is made, the townships and villages have to be broken up and reorganized. What kind of lijia system is there? Those local gentry and elders If you risk your life to oppose it, and go to the yamen to make trouble every day, isn’t that putting us on the stove?” the official said angrily.

"Hey, I'm going to welcome the minister today. I only talk about love and moon, not serious business." Xiong Qitai then pretended to stop the conversation.

"It's the lower official who was angry for a while, and talked too much." The official hurriedly pleaded guilty.

"It doesn't matter, I came down this time not only to investigate the cause of Liu Canzheng's death, but also to understand all aspects of the situation." Shen Liben waved his hand generously, and said to the official, "What's your name?"

"Go back to the Ministry Hall, I will be the next official, Li Da, the prefect of Nanchang." The official hurriedly leaned back to report.

"It turned out to be Li Fuzun, post a post another day, let's talk carefully." Shen Liben said softly.

"Of order." Li Da hurriedly replied respectfully.

"Come on, let's toast Butang again." Seeing this, Xiong Qitai pulled the banquet back into a lively atmosphere.

After drinking for three rounds and halfway through the banquet, the guys came up again, removed the 'four dishes and one soup', and replaced it with another 'four dishes and one soup'. The rules were still the same, but the dishes were all changed.

This time, Shen Liben didn't even put on a show, and enjoyed the "simple entertainment" of Jiangxi officials calmly.

(End of this chapter)