I was a god in the 18th century

Chapter 541 Imperial Banquet
The imperial curtain is circular, with a large space, and is supported by several columns. Various patterns are painted on the columns, which must be the work of a master, and are all plated with gold, giving people a sense of splendor.

The hanging draperies, lanterns, tassels and other items, as well as the wool carpet on the floor, are all exquisitely crafted, and it is obvious that a lot of effort was put into their production.

As for other furnishings, such as tables, chairs, and wooden furniture, they are either made of huanghuali wood or golden nanmu, and are extremely noble.

The entire curtain, from color to light, was carefully designed and considered. Everywhere the eyes of mortals can see, it is magnificent beyond imagination.

Xia Qingdai has seen a lot. She has been to modern shopping malls, the British royal palace, the castles of old nobles, and the palace of the Holy Roman Emperor in Vienna. But compared with Qianlong's imperial curtain, it can't be said to be a sure win!

This is just a summer resort. I really don’t know what kind of luxurious scene is inside the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City in later generations is no longer as magnificent as it once was, and many of the treasures on display are gone.

The luxury of the Chinese emperors is far beyond that of European royal families.

This can be seen from the demeanor and expressions of Macartney and others.

Xia Qingdai withdrew her gaze and looked at the neatly lined crowd. It was obvious that everyone was arranged according to their official rank.

At this time, Qianlong took the handwritten letter from the King of England handed to him by Macartney, but did not read it. He casually gave it to Heshen who was standing next to the throne.

Like Heshen, the eighty-year-old Qianlong looked much younger than his actual age. Xia Qingdai thought he looked like a modern sixty-year-old retired man, in good spirits, with a sacred and inviolable majesty between his brows.

Even though he spoke in a flat voice, it was more effective than others shouting loudly.

Because when he spoke, you could hear a pin drop, and everyone held their breath. Even in Britain, people didn't dare to take a deep breath in such an atmosphere.

Then the gifts began to be awarded. In addition to the jade ruyi given to the King of England, there were also jade ruyi given to Macartney and the two deputy envoys Owen and Staunton.

Perhaps in the Qing Dynasty, jade ruyi was very valuable, but Xia Qingdai saw that it was not made of real jade, but carved from agate. Its own value was probably not worth much, and it was more of a symbol of honor bestowed by the emperor.

Macartney took out two gold watches inlaid with diamonds and presented them. This was taught by Wang Wenxiong and others, saying that they could not meet Qianlong empty-handed. State etiquette is state etiquette, and private etiquette is private etiquette.

Although Macartney and others did not understand why this was necessary, they still had to follow local customs for such trivial matters.

Staunton presented Qianlong with an air rifle of average power, while Owen gave him in return the latest model of gun produced by the East India Company.

Macartney didn't expect Owen to give this, and he couldn't help but glance at him sideways.

The expression on Owen's face was indifferent, and no emotion could be seen at all.

Under normal circumstances, everyone tacitly agrees to give away slightly more backward technological products.

Although they thought Owen's behavior was strange, the British delegation maintained special respect for him and did not make any comments on his behavior.

After all, this earl has the support of the true God and should not be taken lightly. Let him do whatever he wants.

After the envoys had met the emperor one by one, they were led to sit on the brocade cushion on the left side of the throne. The Qing officials, starting with Heshen, sat on the brocade cushion on the right side according to their official rank.

There was a food table in front of the mat, covered with a lid, and a similar table was placed in front of Qianlong. After everyone was seated, a eunuch-like person opened the lid of the food table, revealing a variety of cold dishes.

Xia Qingdai was invisible, so naturally no one prepared a portion for her. She sat next to Owen, trying to get a share of the state banquet.

This banquet was also different from what Xia Qingdai had imagined. It shouldn't be filled with singing and dancing, laughter and conversation as it appears on TV, but in reality it was unusually quiet and solemn from beginning to end.

The eunuchs served the dishes in order, with a respectful look and perfect movements. The other guests were also silent. Because everyone was so quiet, the British dared not speak.

There were at least dozens of people eating here, and not even the sound of chewing could be heard. The food was mainly Huai cuisine, which had few bones or fish bones to spit out. Everyone was elegant, which deeply interpreted the highest realm of eating without talking.

In such an atmosphere, Xia Qingdai lost her appetite. She had witnessed with her own eyes the awe that feudal society had for the emperor.

The kings and bishops in the Western world certainly cannot enjoy such treatment. Perhaps only Jesus can receive the same courtesy.

About half a minute later, there was a sound of stringed instruments outside, and Xia Qingdai ran out to see that a play was being performed. However, the distance was quite far, and even with her eyesight, she could only see a silhouette, not the face, let alone the person inside.

She thought they were just eating, but there was a show. But she didn't watch it for long, as she had no interest in drama, so she turned around and went back to Owen.

Owen silently picked up some tender bear paw meat from the plate in front of him. Seeing Xia Qingdai kneeling down beside him, he quietly moved in front of her and smiled slightly.

"Hey, what is this?" Xia Qingdai asked curiously.

Owen whispered back, "Honey bear paw."

"(⊙o⊙)Wow!" Xia Qingdai quickly put it into her mouth. Bear paw, it was really a torture. She had to eat something quickly to calm herself down.

At this time, Qianlong was looking up and waving at Macartney, Owen and others, preparing to give them imperial wine, but he saw a piece of bear paw meat flying up next to Owen and quickly disappeared!

Qianlong: “!!!”

Everyone whose minds were not on the food but on the old man noticed Qianlong's sudden change in expression and felt their scalps go numb.

He looked quietly in the direction of Owen, and roared in his heart: What happened to this red-haired Jili! How did he make His Majesty the Emperor stop? Help!

The tribute envoys from ethnic minorities such as the Huihui at the banquet dared not even breathe, fearing that the etiquette would be compromised. In just a few seconds, they were covered in sweat.

On the other hand, Owen, who was being stared at by Emperor Qianlong, had a calm expression on his face and could even put fruit into his mouth easily and leisurely.

With an invisible god by your side, who would still be afraid of the emperor on earth?

Are all the people here enough to hit his goddess? It would be strange if he was afraid.

Seeing that she was being targeted, Xia Qingdai stopped eating. If she scared Qianlong to death, the consequences would be unpredictable, and Owen and the others would certainly have no chance of escaping.

After all, here, she turned into a villain, and even if she was invisible, she could not defeat the layers of sword-wielding guards around Qianlong. If she turned back into a giant, she could not see the situation below.

So it’s better to keep a low profile and wait until her other villain Wen Ren Yi can overturn the court.