Chapter 83: A banquet and tit-for-tat
When the mother came to Zhou's house, she heard what she said, smiled and said sorry for disturbing her and left. It looked like she was going to learn everything she said when she got back.
Since there is a divine ear, I think Pei Yanqing and her family background must have been dug up by these ladies. She comes from a humble family. If she makes any mistakes again and these people look down on her, it will be difficult for Pei Yanqing to be an official in the future, and no one will be willing to do any job she is assigned.
Many of the minor officials in the counties around the capital are children of prominent families and are arrogant. Pei Yanqing has no power and no foundation. If he didn't have some leverage over some people, it would be difficult for him to be an official.
Even though he has some leverage over them now, most people still look down on him, because even if he has leverage over them, he has nowhere to turn to. These people don't care about the year-end evaluation, and they just stay here. Even if their term is up, they have a way to stay in office, so they naturally act without any scruples.
Thinking of this, Baozhu asked which people in the yamen should be invited to the next banquet. Pei Yanqing then told her about several people in the yamen who liked to take advantage of their seniority.
Baozhu frowned repeatedly when she heard this.
Seeing that Mrs. Zhou took the initiative to stir up trouble, we knew that County Lieutenant Zhou was no pushover. Now it was County Lieutenant Zhou who was secretly opposing him, and most of the people in the yamen followed him as their leader.
The rest of the wavering fence-sitters could barely be considered neutral, such as County Magistrate Liu.
"County Magistrate Liu has been in the government for a long time, but County Lieutenant Zhou doesn't like him, so he hasn't been promoted in years." Pei Yanqing shook his head. "Even if there's a grudge between the two, County Magistrate Liu won't openly side with me. If he were to side with me, not only would he not be promoted, he'd probably be demoted next year."
Pei Yanqing analyzed the situation in the yamen with Baozhu. County Lieutenant Zhou was just an official recommended by his family, while County Magistrate Liu was indeed a genuine Jinshi. He had been suppressed for many years, but he was powerless and could do nothing about it because he had no power.
"The last county magistrate became a dog of the Zhou family. After two terms, he was transferred to a wealthy village in Jiangnan." Pei Yanqing sneered.
"I've left behind a mess. I've just taken office, and as soon as I enter the city gates, people are crying out for justice. The files of wrongful convictions are piled high as a mountain, and there's a backlog of old cases. Forced taxation is commonplace. And this is right here under the Emperor's feet, yet they're capable of such acts. I can't imagine how corrupt people like that would be if they went to Jiangnan."
The common people knew that the boss of the yamen had been replaced, and victims went to the yamen to kowtow every day. Those lazy and greedy parasites just stood there and watched the fun, wishing that Pei Yanqing would be in great trouble.
He had been at the yamen for a few months, and many of the messes were still unresolved. Baozhu frowned repeatedly as she heard this. This County Magistrate Zhou was a black sheep, working his way around the yamen for over a decade, deceiving his superiors and subordinates, and knowing everything inside and out. Pei Yanqing was new, and he knew the place well enough to first intimidate him and then try to win him over. If that didn't work, there were other ways.
Don't underestimate his position, it's still a high position. No matter how capable Pei Yanqing is, he can only be a nominal county magistrate, and the government will still belong to the Zhou family.
"The lotus flowers in the pond are in full bloom, so I'm using the opportunity to enjoy the flowers and explore the pond."
Pei Yanqing nodded. When he came back, he first invited his colleagues and subordinates to have a drink. Knowing that Baozhu was going to hold a banquet, he drew up a list and wrote the invitations himself.
After all, it is a county in the capital, and it is quite prosperous. In the first two days, I went out with Aman to check out several restaurants in the city. After tasting the food, I felt it was just average. If I neglected others or made a joke when hosting a banquet at home, I would probably be ridiculed. Baozhu invited a chef who specialized in preparing private banquets, imitating the official banquets in Bianjing.
Baozhu found a chef and after tasting the dishes, she asked Aman to send invitations to each family. After the Zhou family decided to come and sent someone back, the other families accepted the invitations.
The courtyard also needed to be decorated. Aman hired a few workers to tidy up the yard, and asked Baozhu to buy some flowers and plants. There are many people who love flowers in this dynasty, and ordinary noble families always like to display flowers. It is even more extravagant for wealthy families to hold flower-viewing banquets.
Baozhu only bought two more expensive pots of flowers, and the rest were ordinary potted flowers and trees. If she really wanted to imitate the wealthy families, no amount of money would be enough. The arrangement of flowers and plants took some effort. One of the hired workers used to work in the flower and bird room of a wealthy family. After Baozhu suggested it, she arranged these new flowers and plants in a staggered manner, which was very thoughtful.
The inner hall was connected to the outer courtyard to form a small garden. There were not many flowers, plants and trees in the garden, but there was a small lake dug in which some lotus flowers and lotus leaves were planted. There were still a few flowers left at this time of year. Since the flowers and plants that Aman bought were not precious, Baozhu asked Pei Yanqing to buy some koi to raise in the lake, and also bought two white swans and put them in to let them swim in the water.
The pink lotus and the white swan complement each other beautifully, and from a distance they look quite elegant. If Baorong saw this, he would definitely paint a picture.
These flowers and plants took some effort, but not as much as the effort spent on the banquet.
The bowls and plates used on the banquet were a set of Ru kiln celadon that her mother had bought for her as a dowry. Nowadays, this celadon was used by the royal family. Although these bowls and plates were inferior goods that could not enter the palace, it was not easy for ordinary people to buy them.
Perhaps they wanted to meet the new county magistrate's wife, or perhaps they wanted to find out more about her. In any case, almost every family responded to the invitation Baozhu sent out.
Since this is the first time to hold such a banquet, it must be extremely particular. Many dishes must be prepared on the first day, and the broth for the side dishes must be boiled a day in advance.
Even meat dishes such as rabbit, quail and mutton were freshly cooked. Several of the hired workers often went to wealthy families to help, and Baozhu had tried them all. Seeing that they knew a lot about banquets, she kept them. It was not easy to find a job nowadays. Baozhu said that if they did a good job this time, she would pick a few of them out and sign long-term employment contracts.
It is not easy to find a job, and it is even more prestigious to work for an official family like this. Even if you only work for a year or two, your status will be raised when you go out. After hearing what Baozhu said, everyone tried their best to show their performance.
On the day of the banquet, someone arrived early in the morning. The wife of County Magistrate Liu arrived neither early nor late, and was not conspicuous. Baozhu greeted her and someone immediately led her into the courtyard and served her tea and water.
Two white swans swam happily in the lake, and sometimes stopped to comb each other's feathers. Many women gathered on the shore to watch the fun, some of whom brought their daughters with them. They all pointed at the two white swans and talked to them in curiosity.
It was not until the sun was high in the sky and the plates of fruits and dried fruits were placed on the table that the wife of County Magistrate Zhou came over, accompanied by a maid. She slowly looked at the flowers and plants that Baozhu had placed, and then came to greet Baozhu.
"Only a lady from Bianjing City could pull off such a grand ceremony," Mrs. Zhou said, her face straining to force a smile. "It's just that these flowers and plants look a little wilted. I know you're new here, so I guess we haven't prepared any flowers and plants at home. I was in such a hurry to leave today that I forgot. I should have brought you a few of the crown-flowering plants from home."
Many people who were originally looking at the white swan turned around to listen to what she said.
As soon as Madam Zhou spoke, the next sentence was immediately followed by the flattery of the people around her. This person first took a deep breath at the flowers and plants in the garden, and then said, "Among us, only Sister Zhou's family has a greenhouse that can afford to raise these precious flowers and plants. I only saw the Guan Qunfang once at the peony banquet at Master Zhou's house last year. It is of excellent quality and is not an ordinary piece."
After saying this, she glanced at Baozhu and said, "Sister Zhen would be amazed if she saw it. I think even in Bianjing City, there are few peonies of that quality. But I think that although you have good intentions, you may not have considered everything very carefully. Sister Zhen has just arrived, and it's a busy time. There is no greenhouse in the mansion. Even if you wanted to send her some famous flowers, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to take care of them."
The ladies who were originally looking at the two white swans in the lake followed the two people's singing and noticed the flowers and plants in the garden. After all, those who came from wealthy families were a minority, so when they saw the flowers and plants, they only thought they were beautifully arranged, but had no idea what kind they were.
Hearing these two people singing in unison and belittling the flowers and plants in the courtyard as if they were not worthy of being on the stage, and acting like the masters of the house, the rest of the people were a little timid and just looked on to watch the fun.
Baozhu smiled, "The lotus in the lake is in its prime, so there's no need for the peony to compete with it. Although the lotus isn't a famous flower, it complements the white swan beautifully. I'm just adding some rustic charm for you all to enjoy. If we put all those famous flowers and precious plants out there, they'll inevitably overshadow the main attraction."
Mrs. Zhou showed disdain. "My sister is a kind-hearted woman. From what you said, I can see that she has some rustic charm."
The woman beside her chuckled softly, "Those who know think it's some kind of wild fun, while those who don't might think it's just that my sister is short of money and can't afford a good feast."
"Be careful what you say—" Baozhu interrupted. "This year there's a drought, and the emperor has said we need to donate silver. The ladies in the palace have all taken the lead in reducing their food consumption. As ministers, we naturally can't hold a lavish banquet. If word gets out, it will be difficult for my husband to hold a banquet."
As soon as these two arrived, they wanted to suppress Baozhu. It would be a joke if their own banquet became the Zhou family's home game.
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd fell silent. Baozhu looked at the two men's faces, only to see that they were pale and pale. Baozhu brushed aside the issue and said to the crowd, "It's better that the weather has been cooler these days. If it's still scorching hot and you get into trouble, it would be my fault."
"Your honored guest is late. Now that Mrs. Zhou is here, it's getting late. Let's take our seats."
Aman added a piece of ice to the ice jar, and the cool air dispelled some of the heat. A group of people were helped to sit at their seats by the maids. I don’t know what Mrs. Zhou was thinking, but she sat in the seat that should have been occupied by the wife of County Magistrate Liu.
Baozhu just played dumb, "Why are the rules in Kaifeng County different from those in Beijing?"
When Mrs. Zhou heard Baozhu's implicit sarcasm that she didn't know the rules, she was so angry that she almost slammed the table and her face looked stiff as if it was about to fall off. After thinking about it, she stood up and gave up her seat. Madam Liu didn't care at first, but Baozhu's actions only brought Mrs. Zhou's anger to her. She couldn't afford to offend both sides, so she felt very uncomfortable.
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