This year's annual banquet was very simple, held in the inner room. Instead of cold or hot dishes, they served hot pots, with eight people sitting at each table.
In the past, no one touched the food at the palace banquets. Either the meat was greasy and jelly, or the food was cold and would make you feel sick when you got home. Today, the aroma of the hot pot made everyone pick up their chopsticks and eat a few more. Some people sitting in the back were already full.
This pot was different from the previous ones. It wasn't mutton or venison, but chicken. The broth was clear and sweet, and the palace attendant who served it said it was coconut chicken. Each pot was filled with coconut broth, and once it boiled, fresh chicken was added. Once the chicken was cooked, it could be eaten as well as other dishes.
There was also a coconut milk cake on the table, a favorite of the women. The hot dishes on the table included vegetables only found in the winter greenhouses. Two plates filled with lamb slices, along with radish, bean sprouts, tofu, and fried food. Naturally, there was also some braised meat on a plate and some snacks.
Everyone had only seen coconuts when they were served. They were round, like a watermelon, but without the pulp. They only released a clear, watery broth. There were also small, white strips in the pot, which I heard were coconut flakes. They tasted quite crispy.
These coconuts were picked from overseas islands a few months ago. A small boatload of them was brought back to Beijing. Empress Jing'an took some out to hold this banquet.
Besides eating, drinking and watching performances, the annual banquet also saw ministers toasting the emperor, empress and crown prince to express their loyalty. Halfway through the annual banquet, the emperor led Empress Jing'an to withdraw.
Those who had only touched their chopsticks a moment ago now began to eat. The sweet pot was paired with rice wine, and the women were very happy to eat it.
At the Crown Prince's table, Sheng Shu and Yu Jiaxing naturally accompanied him. After the Sixth Prince toasted once, he lowered his head to eat. The Crown Prince, Sheng Shu, and Yu Jiaxing occasionally exchanged a few words.
Now that the topic of Yu Jiaxing's marriage came up, the prince turned to look at Sheng Shu and said, "Zhongqi, there's no rush for your marriage."
Sheng Shu bowed and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am still young, and my family hasn't mentioned this matter."
Yu Jiaxing put his arm around Sheng Shu's shoulders and said, "You kid, if you don't get married and have children soon, my son will be working in the fields and your son won't even be born."
The prince smiled slightly and said, "Yunfeng, you are having a good time after your marriage. It would be good if you could have a child soon, so that in the future..." He thought that the child would be a companion to his son in the future, but then he thought that his marriage was not yet decided, so he said it was too early.
Sheng Shu quickly took over and said, "Just let me have a few more years of freedom."
The Sixth Prince looked up and said, "Your Highness, it's time for you to choose a Crown Princess this year, right? Your Highness, your son has already started playing around."
After hearing this, everyone laughed.
After returning to Fengyang Palace, Empress Jing'an also discussed the Crown Prince's marriage with the Emperor. As the Crown Prince was the heir apparent, the selection of a Crown Princess required extreme caution. The Emperor asked Empress Jing'an to review the first-rank officials and marquisates in the capital, and after a thorough selection process, he finally ranked them.
Empress Jing'an, recalling a dynasty somewhat similar to the present, where the women in the harem were daughters of commoners or minor officials, decided to include the daughters of third and fourth rank officials. The most important thing was to satisfy the Crown Prince. While she didn't expect her son to be completely devoted to the Crown Princess, she did hope that the two could get along harmoniously.
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