On the occasion of the Emperor's birthday, a large banquet was held in the palace. All of Su Nanting's family attended. Linlang was pregnant and was recuperating at home. In the evening, she made hot pot and sat around with Amu and the others. The food made her feel warm and comfortable.
Mo Er said as he ate, "Our hot pot is much better than the palace banquet. Many of the dishes at the banquet are cold, and eating them will give you a stomachache."
Linlang thought about it and it made sense. It was such a large space, being transported from the imperial kitchen to the banquet hall. It was freezing cold, and even if it was covered with something, it would get cold in a short time.
"Well, it's more lively here. We have vegetables and meat, and it's comfortable to eat." Linlang took a piece of mutton hotpot, and the fragrance lingered on her teeth and cheeks, leaving a long aftertaste.
Ah Mu and Xiao Yujian had both attended palace banquets before; they were boring, uninteresting, and left them hungry, so they weren't looking forward to it at all. Only Rong Yi hadn't been to one. He really wanted to see what a palace banquet was like, but he wondered if he'd ever have the chance to attend one in his lifetime.
Mo'er saw Rong Yi's curious expression and said, "Actually, the palace banquet isn't anything special. It's just packed with people: royal relatives, ministers, and their families. There are also many envoys this time, so there will definitely be a lot of singing and dancing. Most importantly, there will be a lot of fighting. With Northern Qi people here, everyone will be the butt of the punch."
After saying this, he shook his head like an adult. "They're too powerful. They bully people everywhere, and we can't resist. It's depressing just thinking about it. So, it's better not to attend a palace banquet like this if I can."
Rong Yi asked curiously, "Will anyone die?"
Ah Mu told him with certainty, "Yes, they will be bullied to death by Northern Qi. No one can complain to them. So everyone will be like quails tonight and reduce their presence."
Speaking of this, Linlang and the others began to worry about Su Nanting. He has an impatient temper and cannot stand being provoked.
Ah Mu comforted everyone, "It's okay, father-in-law knows his limits. At most, he can just say a few words to you. If we really fight, with my father-in-law's strength, he won't suffer any loss. Besides, my eldest brother and the others are watching, and the emperor won't let my father-in-law suffer any loss, so don't worry."
Xiao Yujian continued, "There's even less need to worry about my father. Nothing can upset him, and his martial arts skills are superior to my uncle's, so he won't suffer any loss. He's also the emperor's uncle, so no one dares to bully him."
Fortunately, Su Nanting was not there when he heard this. If he had heard it, he would definitely have challenged Xiao Zhensheng to a kung fu competition. How could his kung fu be weaker than Xiao Zhensheng's?
At this moment, the palace was brightly lit and a celebratory banquet was being held with singing and dancing, loud gongs and drums, making it extremely lively.
The weather was cold in winter, so the Imperial Household Department in the palace took this into consideration and lit a ground heating stove to prevent the emperor and his guests from freezing. A few cold dishes were served at the beginning, and to ensure that the Northern Qi delegation had a good meal, several whole roasted lambs were specially prepared to be eaten while being roasted.
In addition, a number of small copper pots were prepared, and a special eunuch was on hand to serve the hot dishes. Guests were not allowed to eat cold dishes. This method was learned from other restaurants. Eating from hot pot is the warmest in winter.
The ministers, their families, and other envoys from the Jing Dynasty all thought the dinner was excellent; being able to enjoy hot dishes was better than anything else. Furthermore, the heating on the floor was warm, so watching the song and dance performances didn't chill their hands or feet at all.
The old lady of the Anchang Marquisate sat with the other ladies, chatting cheerfully, most of the time focusing on her granddaughter, Linlang, the county lord and a genius doctor. Song listened, and whenever the old lady was about to agree to something, she would intervene.
She couldn't come to a palace banquet and cause Linlang so much trouble. If she wanted to see Linlang, she should send an invitation directly instead of saying it at the banquet. Song couldn't stop the old lady from talking, but she could stop her from making a promise.
Seeing that everyone was there, only the Northern Qi delegation was still not showing up. Everyone present began to talk about it. The emperor asked officials from the Ministry of Rites to invite them again and again, and finally sent the crown prince to go together. Only then did the Northern Qi delegation reluctantly come to the banquet.
The emperor gave the Northern Qi delegation the best seats, but they were still dissatisfied. They saluted the emperor perfunctorily with a cold face and sat in their seats. As soon as Qi Luhar sat down, he saw Sunanting across from him, poured himself a glass of wine, and drank it while staring at Sunanting.
Then he poured himself another glass, raised it sarcastically towards Su Nanting, and drank it, full of provocation.
Su Nanting said to himself, don't be angry, don't be angry, I will beat you to a pulp soon and make you piss and run away.
The emperor also noticed it. Although he was angry in his heart, he still said a few polite words to welcome Northern Qi on the surface, and then the banquet officially began.
The emperor drank a few glasses of wine with the Northern Qi envoys and said, "Seventh Prince, General Qilu, to welcome you, I have specially prepared roasted whole lamb for you. These lambs were purchased from your country to ensure a consistent taste and make you feel at home."
The eunuchs from the imperial kitchen cut the best meat and presented it to the emperor and empress, followed by the Northern Qi envoys and other delegations, and finally the ministers and their families of the Jing Dynasty. The aroma of the roasted whole lamb filled the air, making everyone's mouths water. After thanking the emperor for the gift, they prepared to enjoy the delicious food.
Qiluhar took a bite and spat it out. "You're trying to imitate Northern Qi, but you're still a little short of the mark. I heard you have a saying in the Central Plains, 'Dong Shi Xiou Pin,' doesn't it mean to make a fool of yourself?"
All the people from Jing Dynasty present could not eat, but the envoys from other countries were secretly laughing and eating with relish.
Qiluhar took another sip of wine and said, "Jingchao's wine is no good either. It's just like the men in your country, soft and weak. They can only surrender on the battlefield."
He grabbed the maid next to him and hugged her in his arms, "The woman is quite good. Emperor Jingchao, this time you have to choose a beauty from Jiangnan for us. If she is not from Jiangnan, we will not accept her."
The emperor still smiled politely, "Very good, very good. As long as the general wants it, we will definitely prepare it for you."
"Well, you're aware." Qiluhar kissed the maid on the cheek with satisfaction and threw her out. "You are a vassal state and should have paid tribute long ago. The Emperor of Jing Dynasty has been slow to act and even organized a birthday celebration. Emperor Jing Dynasty, you don't really think we're here to celebrate your birthday, do you?"
The Seventh Prince deliberately scolded, "General, today is the Emperor of Jing Dynasty's birthday. You can't speak rudely. You have to give the Emperor of Jing Dynasty a decent look. Look, everyone here are envoys and officials of the Jing Dynasty. You are embarrassing him by saying this."
It would have been fine if he hadn't said anything. As soon as he did, Qiluhar stood up and said, "Your Highness, the tribute cannot be postponed for even a single day. They're actually still in the mood to hold a Longevity Festival. They're showing disregard for our Northern Qi. In my opinion, they've forgotten the misery of seven years ago. Let's light a few fireworks for the Emperor of Jing Dynasty to help him remember."
Everyone was shocked. Northern Qi actually brought thunder bombs to the capital. What did they want to do?
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