At the emperor's sacred banquet, officials of the fourth rank or above in the capital were allowed to bring their families.
In the afternoon, officials and their families entered the palace one after another.
After arriving at the palace, Grand Tutor Cheng and Jiao's mother went straight to the East Palace to find the throne.
Having not seen Jiangshan for many days, Jiao's mother was extremely worried.
Jiang Shan had made detailed arrangements for everything, and the rest of the time was spent accompanying Jiao's mother to the banquet.
When Jiang Shan moved from the East Palace to the Chengde Hall, he saw the little eunuch An San walking towards him.
She moved over discreetly and whispered a few words to An San.
With the Crown Prince and Crown Princess by her side, her safety was not a concern at all.
The hidden three has another important use today.
These past few days, An San has been moving around the palace like a ghost, secretly planting many spies, all for the sake of a smooth transition today.
The Chengde Hall was brightly lit, and the guests began to find their seats as soon as they entered the hall.
But the eunuchs waiting at the door smiled and led them to their seats.
"Huh? Isn't my seat at the front? Why are you moving me to the back?"
"Lord Cao, you always sit there at banquets, surrounded by the same few faces. Aren't you tired of it?"
"I am a second-rank official, so sitting there will be closer to His Majesty!"
"You see the Emperor every day, you know better than His Majesty himself how many whiskers are on his face, so missing a day or two won't make a difference, will it?"
"Hehehe, you old geezer, what exactly are you planning to do? Tell me the truth now!"
"Don't worry, it's nothing bad! Everyone sitting here shares your ancestral home, regardless of their official rank, just so you can enjoy the taste of your hometown on His Majesty's birthday!"
"Is that really true? Oh dear, Lord Wu, what are you doing here?"
"Lord Cao, my ancestral home and yours are both in Shandong, separated only by a river! I've never had the chance to catch up with you before, but thanks to His Majesty, this is truly wonderful!"
"Haha, that's for sure!"
"Lord Cao, come quickly! I heard this wine is peach blossom wine from our hometown. Would you like to try it and see if it tastes the same?"
"Okay, okay, I'll try it!"
...
Inside Chengde Hall, scenes of people "looking for fellow villagers" are everywhere, creating a lively atmosphere.
This is completely different from previous palace banquets!
That's so amazing!
Whether it's a man or a woman, the scene behind the screen is exactly the same.
The people sitting next to me were no longer familiar faces, but familiar accents. Although we didn't know each other, the moment we opened our mouths, it was already a feeling of hometown affection and kindred spirits.
Before the banquet even started, the main hall was already incredibly lively, with everyone excited.
The dining table in front of me was no longer a long, rectangular table, but a round one. On the table were familiar fruits, drinks, and snacks that I hadn't seen in a long time, all named "Longing."
Especially when the cold dishes were served, some officials' eyes widened in surprise.
When has a palace banquet ever featured cold dishes? Although the dishes served were all cold, they all understood that cold dishes served before the meal and hot dishes served after they had cooled down were two different concepts!
Moreover, these cold dishes don't look like they came from the imperial kitchen; they're not as elaborate as those from the imperial kitchen, but they smell so good! They're like hometown food!
An elderly official was sitting there sobbing uncontrollably, and several people were comforting him.
Jiang Shan sent a palace maid to inquire about the matter.
The young palace maid went over to ask, and returned with a sigh, saying, "This Lord Li lost both his parents at a young age, and has almost no relatives left in his hometown. He hasn't been back for over ten years and has almost forgotten the taste of his hometown. The cold shredded vegetables in front of him are his favorite dish from his childhood, but he hasn't been able to eat it since he left home. Lord Li is just too excited!"
Jiang Shan smiled but didn't say anything.
Jiao's mother asked a few more questions in a low voice, then smiled with her lips pursed.
A figure rushed past Jiang Shan, then suddenly stopped and turned around.
"Boss Jiang! County Princess of Guyang, where shall I sit?" Imperial Censor Wu wiped the sweat from his brow, extremely anxious.
His tastes are all over the place, it feels like he's at a disadvantage no matter where he sits!
Jiang Shan looked around and said, "If Lord Wu doesn't mind, would you like to sit with us? I have elderly and young family members here, so their tastes won't be too strong."
"Not at all, not at all!" Imperial Censor Wu was quicker than his mouth, and he sat down next to Old Master Fu with a wide grin.
The tables on Jiangshan's side were not separated by gender; the seats closest to the throne were specially arranged for the Crown Prince and his family.
When Minister Qin arrived with his wife and daughter, he hesitated for a while before having his wife forcefully pull Qin Yao to another table.
There's nothing I can do; I'm not qualified!
He just saw Princess Liyang outside, and she was still talking about this county princess!
The Qin family of three had just left when Li Yang arrived.
She waved for the eunuch to leave, walked straight to the dining table where Jiang Shan was, and plopped down without a second thought.
Rong Yue followed suit and sat down next to him.
The Duke of Rong, who had been held back by a military general, was a step too late and no longer had a place.
Jiang Shan looked at him with a troubled expression, but before she could speak, Jiang Huai stood up.
"Godfather, let's go together!"
He strode over, took Rong Guogong's hand, and stood next to Sanlang. He whispered to Sanlang, "Uncle, can you sit with me? We can both sit down!"
Sanlang readily stood up and invited Duke Rong to sit down, then took Jiang Huai's little hand and said with a smile, "Huai'er is so sensible!"
The chairs at the palace banquet were all very large; two smaller stools could easily have been provided for Sanlang and Jianghuai.
Duke Rong smiled with satisfaction: "Huai'er is such a good boy, your godfather has not spoiled you for nothing!"
Jiang Huai smiled and said, "My godfather, godmother, and the big pot are all family with Huai'er!"
Li Yang, itching to try it, said, "Huai'er, why don't you come sit with your godmother? There's room for both of us!"
Rong Yue also called out, "Huai'er, come over to the big pot. The big pot has gotten thinner and won't take up your spot!"
Jiang Huai frowned slightly, looking somewhat troubled.
Jiang Shan watched Jiang Huai with great interest, wanting to see what choice he would make.
Everyone was looking at Jiang Huai, with expressions of anticipation and excitement.
Jiang Huai sighed like a little adult, looking helpless, "Godmother, I'm afraid Huai'er can't stay with you!"
Just as Li Yang was wondering what was going on, Li Yu skipped over and gently patted Jiang Huai on the shoulder. "Huai'er, what are you doing here? Come on, my brother and I are over there!"
So they've come to kidnap someone!
The princes and grandsons of the emperor have their own places, why are they here to join in the fun?
Just as Li Yang was about to ask a question, Li Yu chuckled and said, "There are so many delicious dishes today that we've never tried before. We'd like to ask Huai'er to introduce them to us. Aunt Jiang, may I bring Huai'er with me?"
Can the country oppose this?
How dare Li Yang try to steal someone from his grandnephew?
Li Yu wins decisively!
It turns out Jianghuai was just there for show.
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