Chapter 134 Chapter 134 New Year's Eve Family Dinner
The New Year of the Jinghe year was the first New Year after Lin Si ascended the throne.
In the past few years, the people suffered from wars, natural disasters, and famine. The New Year could not be a synonym for beauty. Instead, the alternation between the New Year and reality made the people even more sad.
But this year's New Year is different. After more than a year of hard work, people have stored potatoes and sweet potatoes at home. Even if they can't eat anything good during the New Year, they won't starve like in previous years.
What's more, many people have already made creative cooking using potatoes and sweet potatoes. When Lin Si went out of the palace in disguise last time, he saw people making and selling sweet potato cakes. Others steamed potatoes, cut them with a little oil, and added some strong seasonings to make a dish.
The people want to celebrate the New Year, so Lin Si naturally wants to celebrate the New Year too.
The Ministry of Rites has been waiting for the New Year for a long time. In the past, banquets were held for such important festivals, but since Lin Si ascended the throne, he advocated frugality and omitted many unnecessary banquets.
After the envoys from Nanzhao and Xiping left, the Ministry of Rites had no major work to do. Therefore, this time, taking Lin Si's style into consideration, they arranged a simple family dinner, with dishes tailored to Lin Si's wishes. It was supposed to be a hot pot and roasted meat, but the idea of a self-service buffet was completely new to the Ministry of Rites.
There were quite a few people at this banquet.
In addition to Lin Si, some concubines of the former emperor and prince also lived in this palace.
Since it’s the New Year, the entire palace has to participate together, and Lin Si’s brothers and sisters have to come as well. In the end, it’s a whole family.
Lin Zhi gave birth to a baby girl last month. She suffered a lot during the delivery and almost died of a hemorrhage. It was only at five o'clock in the morning that the person in charge of monitoring her sent back the news, and Zhu Shixi rushed to save her and the child's lives with the female doctors who were studying in Anjing.
When Lin Zhi woke up, she undoubtedly felt like the sky had fallen.
First, she was rescued, which means that she was transparent in Lin Si's eyes from beginning to end. No matter whether she pretended to be sick and stayed at home, or changed into a loose dress, it was all in vain. She was busy for a long time and looked like a joke!
Secondly, she did not give birth to a son, but a daughter, and the famous doctor was not optimistic.
Lin Si had neither the time nor the energy to visit her, so he just sent someone to tell her that she could name the child whatever she wanted, but the child must have the surname Lin and could not take the surname of the deceased prince consort.
Lin Zhiyu was originally sure that she could give birth to a boy. If it was a boy, he would have to take her surname. How could a person with a different surname inherit the throne in the future?
But since this was a daughter, Lin Zhi no longer had such thoughts. She only wanted to take the surname of the deceased prince consort, which was also a kind of sustenance.
After all, she and her husband have some feelings for each other.
But Lin Si actually refused!
All these things were enough to break down Lin Zhi's psychological defenses.
Lin Zhi looked at the tiny, wrinkled baby in the cradle. The more she looked, the angrier she became. She even had the urge to throw the child to death.
Such a useless baby girl couldn't even have the name she wanted.
She had already experienced the horror and fear of childbirth, and she almost lost her life. Now she would never dare to go through it again.
Lin Zhi stared at her child. She had never thought about what it would be like if it was a girl, so naturally she had not prepared a name.
Lin Zhi said in annoyance, "Call her Lin Ying over there."
There was nothing special about this name; it was just a word she had just thought of on the spur of the moment.
Lin Zhi had just given birth and it was inconvenient for her to go out, so she did not attend the family dinner during the New Year.
Unlike Lin Zhi, she was looking forward to this family dinner because it was one of the few times she could see Lin Si.
Lin Xun and Lin Jiang both had special teachers arranged by Lin Si to give them extra lessons. Although it was not expected that these two people would have a high level of knowledge, they still had to understand the basic knowledge.
Lin Xun studied very hard and made a notebook for herself, which was filled with her notes.
At the New Year’s Eve family dinner, Lin Xun and Lin Jiang went to the palace together.
In the past, New Year banquets were basically whole lamb banquets. They had been eating those dishes since they were young, and they were no longer new to them. Lin Xun and Lin Jiang thought that this year's family banquet would probably be similar.
Then when they walked in, they looked at the layout of the banquet hall in confusion.
The people from the Shangshi Bureau were still busy. The banquet hall was filled with large plates. The two of them could already see that these plates were filled with raw meat.
The toffee who arrived earlier than them asked them to find their seats.
The concubines explained to them, "This year's family banquet is a buffet style ordered by His Majesty. They say we'll have hot pot and roasted meat. To avoid extravagance and waste, you can only take as much as you want. If you take something and don't finish it, you'll have to pay for it."
Lin Xun and Lin Jiang nodded, seemingly understanding. Then they saw cut fruits, baked snacks, and cups of milk tea being brought up.
Liang Nian and Zuo You always spend the New Year's Eve together with Lin Si, and this year is no exception.
Lin Xun looked at Liang Nian curiously. She knew the legendary experience of Liang Xiang and couldn't help but admire him. She was curious about what Liang Xiang looked like to be able to disguise himself as a man for so many years without being discovered.
Lin Si was the last to arrive, and her seat was at the top.
Everyone in the banquet hall knelt down and greeted each other, and only returned to their seats after Lin Si said "Stand up".
As soon as Lin Si sat down, the food bureau and the eunuchs and palace maids immediately brought several small stoves and small baking trays to each person's table.
Lin Xun looked at the red oil and chili peppers in the small stove. She knew about chili peppers because, thanks to Lin Si, she could sometimes eat dishes with chili peppers.
Lin Si made a few brief speeches, saying that today was just a family dinner, so everyone should be casual and not restrained, and eat and drink.
The eunuchs and palace maids lit the charcoal in the stove and grill tray, and then the people from the Shangshi Bureau told them how to eat, saying that if they wanted to shred or grill meat, they could just go and get it themselves, and the same went for fruit drinks.
Chunyi always knew Lin Si's preferences, so she took the lead in picking up some meat from the plate.
Only after the senior palace maid beside the emperor moved did the others dare to move.
Chunyi stood aside and grilled meat for Lin Si. She wrapped the grilled pork belly with lettuce and then handed it to Lin Si. Only then did everyone understand the purpose of the lettuce on the table.
There are several types of meat, and the types of meat and the parts of the meat are specially marked.
Lin Xun let his maid take whatever she wanted.
The maidservant would come forward with a plate to get the meat. If the meat was empty, the people from the Shangshi Bureau would cut it on the spot and serve it.
Lin Xun put a few slices of meat in the hot pot and roasted another slice in the oven.
Lin Xun followed Lin Si's example and wrapped the roasted meat with lettuce and put it in his mouth. He didn't expect it to be so delicious.
Lin Jiang let the servant beside her grill and shabu-shabu the meat while she wiped her glasses.
"This way, we can take as much as we want, so there's really no waste. Besides, the hot pot and roasted meat are both delicious."
Lin Si was a practical emperor who particularly hated the drinking culture, so he said that people should just eat and not make any toasts.
It really delayed her from eating.
Lin Si was tired from eating, so he asked Chunyi to get a plate of cut fruit to slow down his pace. Chunyi also got a cup of milk tea.
The concubines were very satisfied with the meal. There was no sense of oppression in this family banquet. It made people feel that they were here just to eat...
A toffee ate three plates of small cakes and fruits in one go, then rubbed her stomach. "Why is it that after eating this sweet food, I feel like I can keep eating after a break?"
Liang Nian, Zuo You and Lin Si have been dining partners for many years and are very good at eating. They even know the principle of the sweet and salty perpetual motion machine.
Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Lin Si was very tactful and asked the palace maids and eunuchs to check if there was any waste. After the check, everyone could go home.
Everyone took as much as they could eat, and there was no waste.
Lin Xun always stays up all night to celebrate the New Year with his mother, and this year is no exception.
She had never been favored before, so naturally she had no right to spend the New Year's Eve with her father. That was a treatment only Lin Zhi could have.
Speaking of Lin Zhi, Lin Xun told his mother about Lin Zhi giving birth.
"She really doesn't like her own child. I can see that."
Lin Xun's mother snorted and laughed, "In the past, she relied on the late emperor's favor to bully you since you were a child. It was only because you were kind that you were willing to go and see her. She must be very angry that you didn't give birth to a son."
Lin Xun lowered his head and said, "Even if she gave birth to a son, what good would it do... Your Majesty, how could you not see through her little tricks? Why would you change the situation just because she gave birth to a child?"
"Yes, but sometimes people involved are more confused than bystanders. If she doesn't understand, what can we do? You should have less contact with her in the future, so as not to displease His Majesty."
Lin Si had a very enjoyable meal today. Because it was New Year, he didn't have to continue reviewing memorials after the meal. It was a rare break, so Lin Si naturally chose to have a rest.
Lie down.
Zhong Diyan had just rushed back from the fifth watch. He only scheduled a shift for himself on New Year's Eve, saying that everyone should have a rest.
The people at Wugengtian were unaware of the situation and praised him as a good leader.
Lin Si slowly opened his eyes, "You're back so soon?"
"Well...at five o'clock in the morning, we all had a meal together, and then we went to see the children in the reserve force. There wasn't much else to do."
Zhong Diyan saw Lin Si open his eyes, and knelt carefully in front of the bed and spread out his palms. Lin Si saw a copper coin strung with a red rope.
Lin Si was puzzled.
Zhong Diyan replied, "This is the New Year's money. I remember the first New Year I spent in Li County, the New Year's gift was the New Year's money given by Your Majesty. So I also want to give Your Majesty the same New Year's gift."
Lin Si sat up and picked up the string of centenary coins. "Then I'll accept it, but you won't have any New Year's gifts this year."
Lin Si felt that if she hadn't been so busy this year, she would still be willing to spend a little time preparing a gift for this diligent and responsible male favorite, but she really couldn't remember it!
"I do not want any gifts. Being able to accompany Your Majesty like this is enough for me."
"Then let's wait and see the New Year together."
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