I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 106: Private Banquet at Huitong Hall! In the Name of Learning, Stealing for One’s Own

On the fourth day of October, night fell.

On the north side of Yuhe Bridge West Street, in front of the South Hall of Huitong Hall, Ma Ziqiang and Shen Nian, dressed in casual clothes, got off a carriage and went to a private banquet hosted by Cui Gaiguo, the Minister of Korea.

Huitong Pavilion.

These are the post houses where the Ming Dynasty received the princes, envoys and tribute envoys from the neighboring vassal states. There were two post houses in the north and south, with six in the north and three in the south.

The building in front of us is the residence of the Korean delegation.

Cui Gaiguo knew that Ma Ziqiang and Shen Nian both disliked the restaurants in Yanhua Hutong.

So we chose to hold the banquet here.

He declared: Although the banquet was held in the Daming Posthouse, it would feature authentic Korean food, Korean wine, and Korean songs and dances.

He held this private banquet.

He wanted his two sons to learn more about the art of compiling history in the Hanlin Academy, such as the recording method of daily notes, the editing techniques of the National History Code, and the disassembly and compilation of the Collected Statutes.

It is more similar to the Ming Dynasty.

If the Korean civil servants could learn all the skills of the Ming Dynasty's Hanlin officials, it would be equivalent to having one foot halfway into the Uijeongbu (equivalent to the Ming Dynasty's cabinet).

Ma Ziqiang and Shen Nian just arrived at the gate.

Then a middle-aged man in a embroidered green robe walked towards them quickly with a smile on his face.

This person was none other than Choi Gaeguk, the Minister of the Joseon State.

"Master Ma, please come in quickly. I have been waiting for you!" Cui Gaiguo smiled broadly, then looked at Shen Nian and said, "This must be Editor Shen, the most distinguished person in the Hanlin Academy. I see you today and you are indeed extraordinary!"

Hearing this, Shen Nian bowed slightly towards Cui Gaiguo.

Those who can serve as envoys are all very sweet-mouthed, and their praises are always based on quantity rather than sincerity.

Ma Ziqiang smiled and said, "Counselor Cui, you are too polite! As a pillar of the Joseon Dynasty, your sons must also be outstanding people. I have never met the two young masters before, and I must meet them tonight."

Ma Ziqiang said so.

In fact, he was accusing Cui Gaiguo's two sons of being rude for not accompanying their father to welcome the guests.

The purpose of tonight's banquet is to allow the two to get acquainted with Shen Nian so that they can enter the hotel. They should go out to greet them.

This made Ma Ziqiang unable to help but argue.

Cui Gaiguo smiled awkwardly and said, "My son has just arrived in the Ming Dynasty and is a little shy. Later I will ask them to toast to Master Ma to apologize, and I will also toast Master Ma twice more!"

Ma Ziqiang no longer cared and immediately strode into the house.

Shen Nian followed closely behind.

Just now in the carriage, Shen Nian had gained some understanding of Cui Gaiguo through Ma Ziqiang.

This person is a typical smiling tiger.

He greets everyone with a smile, but if practical interests are involved, he will immediately change his expression.

For example: If the court refuses to let his two sons study in the Hanlin Academy, he will definitely let the neighboring countries know quickly that the Ming Dynasty is narrow-minded and petty and is not fit to be their suzerain.

……

A moment later, the three of them arrived at the backyard banquet hall.

Choi Gae-guk's two sons, Choi Yun-hyuk and Choi Yun-jun, walked out quickly.

Both of them are older than Shen Nian.

The elder brother Choi Yun-hyuk is thirty years old and the younger brother Choi Yun-jun is twenty-seven years old. Both of them are of medium height, with average looks, and a hint of pride between their eyebrows.

"Yunhe, Yunjun, come and meet Master Ma and Editor Shen!" said Cui Gaiguo.

Cui Yunhe and Cui Yunjun immediately bowed to Ma Ziqiang and said, "Master Ma!"

Then, they looked at Shen Nian, bowed slightly, and said, "Editor Shen."

Ma Ziqiang smiled and nodded, and Shen Nian also politely bowed and returned the greeting.

"Mr. Ma, Editor Shen, please take a seat quickly!" Cui Gaiguo said with a smile.

The moment he finished speaking.

Several young and beautiful Korean maids sitting at a large round dining table not far away quickly pulled out chairs for everyone.

Shen Nian originally wanted to sit down.

But when he saw a maid in a red skirt pulling a chair for him, he couldn't help but frown.

The seating arrangement is unreasonable.

If it was an ordinary gathering of colleagues, Shen Nian would not care about the seating order at all, but now both sides represented the Ming Dynasty and Korea respectively, and the seating order determined one's status and national dignity.

At banquets and gatherings, people always sit facing south as the seat of honor, with the east seat higher than the west, the north higher than the south, and the west guest presiding over the east host.

now.

The south-facing seat is left empty, which means it is reserved for the emperor as a sign of respect.

Ma Ziqiang sat in the west of the hall as the main guest; Cui Gaiguo sat in the east of the hall as the main companion.

In this position, Cui Gaiguo is slightly higher than Ma Ziqiang, but after all, the other party is the master, so we can let him go.

But there is a problem with the arrangement for Shen Nian!

Shen Nianying should sit as the second guest, next to Ma Ziqiang.

But the position where the maid in red skirt who pulled the chair for Shen Nian sat was for the lower guests, that is, where the younger generation sat.

Choi Yun-hyuk, Choi Yun-jun and Shen Nian's positions are almost opposite each other and are also at the bottom.

This means that Shen Nian is a generation younger than Ma Ziqiang and Cui Gaiguo, and is of the same generation as Cui Yunhe and Cui Yunjun.

Shen Nian was naturally not happy with this arrangement.

If he is simply called Ma Ziqiang's junior, he won't mind.

But he was going to take Cui Yunhe and Cui Yunjun to study in the academy next. He would be their teacher for seven days. In addition, Shen Nian was also the lecturer of the imperial lectures. If he was one generation younger, it would be against etiquette and would weaken the national prestige of the Ming Dynasty.

The Kingdom of North Korea has always liked to make a big fuss about such trivial matters to highlight the authority of its own kingdom.

At this moment, Ma Ziqiang also noticed that there was something wrong with the seating arrangement.

He didn't sit down either, and then looked at Cui Gaiguo.

"Counselor Cui, how was the seating arranged? I'm a colleague of Shen Bianxiu's, so why was I assigned to a lower seat?"

Cui Gaiguo took a closer look.

"Ouch, wrong, wrong! Editor Shen should be sitting next to Scholar Ma!" Cui Gaiguo glared at the maid pulling the chair and said, "Get out! Someone else should serve!"

Shen Nian looked at Cui Gaiguo's expression, which didn't seem like an act, but seemed like a misunderstanding.

Ma Ziqiang frowned slightly.

The seating arrangement is the first thing the host must pay attention to when entertaining guests, otherwise he will offend everyone.

Especially at a banquet like this held in the imperial court, there must be no mistakes, and it is definitely not something a maid can make the decision on.

At this time.

Cui Yunhe suddenly said, "Dad, that's right, isn't it? Shen Bianxiu and I are both from the sixth rank, and he was also a Shujishi taught by Ma Xueshi, so he should be of the same generation as us!"

"Yeah! He is just a third-class Jinshi, and he is younger than us!" Cui Yunjun muttered in a low voice.

It is clear.

The two of them knew Shen Nian but their knowledge was limited, and they were very reluctant to let Shen Nian become their "seven-day master".

They must have been the ones who made the seating arrangements.

"presumptuous!"

"How can your sixth rank compare with that of Editor Shen? Editor Shen is the emperor's daily lecturer. Who do you think you are?" Cui Gaiguo said with a glare.

Cui Gaiguo saw that Ma Ziqiang had a gloomy face and was about to leave.

He immediately put on an extremely angry expression. Then he quickly pulled the chair next to Ma Ziqiang away and said to Shen Nian with a smile, "Editor Shen, you should sit here. Later, I will punish myself by drinking three cups!"

After saying that, Choi Gae-guk glared at Choi Yun-hyuk and Choi Yun-jun.

He is much smarter than these two sons.

His purpose was to learn from the Hanlin Academy. As long as he could learn something, he didn't mind bowing and apologizing to the Ming Dynasty.

Immediately, all five of them sat down.

Cui Gaiguo smiled and said, "Master Ma, I was deeply moved by the discussion of politics at the Meridian Gate last month. Especially after hearing Editor Shen's "On the National Disease," I felt that it would be of great use to our national politics. I heard that this idea was also thought up by Editor Shen. He is truly a promising young man!"

"I wonder if the Hanlin Academy can allow me to copy a few official documents about the Hundred Schools of Thought so that I can preach them after returning to the country and promote the power of the Ming Dynasty!" Cui Gaiguo suddenly changed the subject.

Countries surrounding the Ming Dynasty came to pay tribute.

Most of them have the mentality of taking advantage of the rich, and every time they come to the capital, they have to shamelessly take away some good things.

"No problem! But the Hundred Schools of Thought has just ended, and the content has not been sorted out yet. Once it is sorted out, I will personally send someone to send it to Korea!" Ma Ziqiang agreed verbally but did not do it. After all, this was said at a private banquet.

Cui Gaiguo looked helpless, he knew that this was just an empty promise.

At this time.

Ma Ziqiang added, "However, given the talents of the two young masters, if they study diligently under Editor Shen, they will surely grasp the essence of the Hundred Schools of Thought within seven days!"

Hearing this, Cui Gaiguo's eyes suddenly lit up again.

He looked at Shen Nian and said, "Editor Shen, as a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, Korea has always been respectful to the Ming Dynasty. You...you must not hide your incompetence!"

"Don't worry, Judge Cui. I will do my best to teach you."

As soon as Shen Nian finished speaking, Ma Ziqiang said, "Counselor Cui, since Editor Shen wants to teach, he can't teach without a name. Although it's only for seven days, it can be regarded as the seven-day teacher of the two young masters!"

Cui Gaiguo instantly understood what Ma Ziqiang meant and immediately stood up to express his opinion.

"Yunhe, Yunjun, stand up immediately and pour wine for Shen Bianxiu. For the next seven days, he will be your teacher. You must address him as teacher when you see him. If he asks you to do some odd jobs, you must obey!" Cui Gaiguo glared at his two sons.

Cui Yunhe and Cui Yunjun were still very afraid of Cui Gaeguk. They immediately raised their glasses and bowed, saying, "Sir, please drink!"

Shen Nian felt very happy at this moment.

Ma Ziqiang's move was to punish them for their mistake in arranging the seating arrangements.

Just then, the dishes were served one after another.

Although it was Shen Nian's first time eating Korean food, he didn't have any expectations.

He was certain that the official cuisine of North Korea was definitely not as good as that of most small restaurants in the capital, let alone the imperial banquets prepared jointly by the Guanglu Temple and the Shangshenjian.

On the table.

First, a plate of yellow croaker with vinegar sauce was served, followed by a plate of beef slices drizzled with honey.

After that, there is a mixed vegetable dish with vermicelli, mushrooms, tofu, pork, etc., and a thick soup with shrimp and crab.

Mainly seafood.

There are also staple foods such as pancakes, glutinous rice cakes, and medicinal fruits.

The drink is very traditional rice wine, which is cloudy and tastes very ordinary.

Soon more than thirty dishes were served.

But the portions were small and the taste was pretty average.

The only good thing is the presentation.

Celadon and white porcelain plates are used, and the "five elements and five colors" are used as the basis for the arrangement of dishes, which makes people feel happy and enhances the taste of food.

Everyone chatted while eating.

Not long after.

Shen Nian then understood why Ma Ziqiang didn't want the Koreans to learn anything in the Hanlin Academy.

Cui Gaiguo ate and boasted at the same time.

It is clearly the specialty cuisine of the coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty, but he insisted that it was a special delicacy developed by their ancestors through years of research.

It was obvious that he learned and improved the tea drinking method of the Song Dynasty, but he insisted that it was a unique tea ceremony of Korea and even spread it to the capital of the Ming Dynasty.

It was clearly the current wine-making method of the Ming Dynasty, but he insisted that this wine was only available in Korea and could only be brewed with Korean grain and water.

……

They are so shameless that they steal things for their own benefit in the name of learning.

However, as the father and his two sons spoke, they still showed a hint of pride on their faces.

At present, the Korean nation as a whole is still relatively respectful and obedient to the Ming Dynasty, and the trade cooperation between the two sides is very frequent. The King of Korea even regards the Ming Dynasty as his king and father.

But there were always some Korean officials who were unwilling to be vassals of the Ming Dynasty forever and tried hard to prove that they were the orthodox after the Han and Tang Dynasties.

Cui Gaiguo is a typical example, who was only superficially submissive to the Ming Dynasty.

at this time.

Cui Gaiguo continued, "Master Ma, Editor Shen, please enjoy our unique Joseon court dance, the Lotus Platform. This dance was choreographed by our king himself, and embodies the long-standing court culture of our dynasty. It's like a dance from heaven..."

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Cui Gaiguo clapped his hands, and more than ten Korean women in long skirts ran out from behind.

Then they started singing and dancing.

Ma Ziqiang and Shen Nian had never expected that there would be such a program. The Korean delegation actually brought a dance troupe to the capital.

If the food is not good, the dancing should be good.

The two of them moved their chairs and began to appreciate it.

But they hadn't appreciated it for long before Ma Ziqiang and Shen Nian discovered that this so-called Korean court dance was nothing more than a hodgepodge of Tang Dynasty court dances. Their only original creation was to translate Chinese into Korean.

And the quality is average.

Such programs are everywhere in the Ming Dynasty Jiaofangsi.

At this moment, Shen Nian felt that he must not let Cui Yunhe and Cui Yunjun learn real things in the Hanlin Academy.

Otherwise, in two years, the Joseon national history might record: Ming official Shen Nian worshipped Choi Yun-hyuk and Choi Yun-jun as his teachers, bringing their "On the Disease of the State" and "On Waste" to Ming, and that Ming's historical writing techniques were largely derived from the ancient techniques of the Joseon Chunqiuguan...

While Ma Ziqiang and Shen Nian were watching the dance, Cui Gaiguo was staring at them.

On the one hand, I want to see wonder and envy in their eyes, and on the other hand, I particularly hope that they will fall in love with one of the dancers.

Cui Gaiguo knew a lot about some of the unspoken rules in the Ming Dynasty officialdom.

At some banquets, if an official kept staring at a dancer or suddenly asked her how old she was or where she lived.

What the host has to do is to quietly send the dancer to the official's carriage after the banquet. If there is a contract of sale, it would be even better.

Unfortunately, he was disappointed.

After watching this so-called Korean court aristocratic dance, the two of them felt neither amazed nor envious, nor did they stare at a particular dancer.

……

Half an hour later, the private banquet ended and Ma Ziqiang and Shen Nian left quickly.

The two returned to the carriage and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Ma Ziqiang shook his head helplessly and said, "If we continue talking, I wonder how many things in our Ming Dynasty still belong to the Kingdom of Korea!"

Shen Nian smiled slightly.

"It's okay, as long as Korea belongs to our Ming Dynasty in the future!"

Hearing this, Ma Ziqiang's eyes suddenly lit up.

The Korea that Shen Nian mentioned belonged to the Ming Dynasty, so it was naturally not a vassal state, but Korea became a part of the Ming Dynasty's territory.

"This is really inspiring and satisfying to hear!" Ma Ziqiang stroked his beard lightly, and his mood became cheerful.

(End of this chapter)