I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 353: The Royal Banquet, where the monarch and his subjects were drunk together, a famous scene from the Song Dynasty!
On the fifth day of November, the weather was sunny and cold.

The headlines in the tabloids on the streets of Bianjing City were all about the news that Zhao Zhen had rewarded Su Liangfei with a white letter.

Su Liang originally thought that he would be known as "Zhang Zifang of the Great Song Dynasty", but he never thought that people would prefer to call him: Tiaohe Yushi.

He jumped.

Not only did it make the policy of cutting officials go smoothly, but it also made every tile in Bianjing City completely popular.

Inside the hooked railings.

Whether it is storytelling, singing, talking nonsense, or performing cross-dressing, shadow puppets, or burlesque.

As long as the performance content is related to Su Liang.

The venues were all sold out and it was hard to get a ticket.

Even the girls who perform arts and physical labor in brothels can get an extra reward if they chat with customers about the details of "Su Liang jumps into the Bian River".

Officials usually have a reason for setting up banquets.

It's nearly noon on the eighth day of November.

……

Wang Yaochen, the envoy of the Third Secretary, even said with a smile: Su Jingming's jump can increase the commercial tax of Dongyue in Bianjing City by at least 30%.

The reason for this banquet is quite different.

Different from the formal palace banquet, the Quban banquet is not rigid in form, the atmosphere is lively, and all the officials can speak freely.

Local officials are very honest.

To put it bluntly, it is a casual gathering.

When Wang Anshi heard the name "Bamboo Shoots and Fern Wonton Banquet", he couldn't help but be a little confused.

The so-called Quyan refers to the emperor's private banquet.

The literati of the Song Dynasty have always loved to play word games.

What makes the officials of the Reform Department happy is——

……

The two of them did not expect that Wang Anshi, who has always been smart, would be stumped by such a simple question.

On the one hand, detailed rules for the layoff of local officials began to be drawn up.

Most of the participants are court officials, relatives of clan members, generals who have made great achievements, etc.

Wang Anshi has never been particular about food and clothing, and the bamboo shoots and fern wontons have touched upon his intellectual blind spots.

When speaking and writing, you always have to make some detours and guess riddles to add some elegance.

Tonight, the official family will hold a banquet in Jiying Hall to entertain the ministers.

For example: flower appreciation and fishing feast, book appreciation feast, calligraphy appreciation feast, rain shower feast, snow appreciation feast, harvest viewing feast, etc.

The reform of the imperial examination system and the regulations on door-to-door examination were permanent changes.

at the same time.

It’s called: Bamboo Shoots and Fern Wonton Feast.

At the banquet, the king and his ministers chatted freely.

Bamboo shoots and fern wontons are common people's daily food. In the restaurants next to Zhouqiao, you can get a big bowl for fifteen cents.

So far, there has been no incident of officials gathering to cause trouble or causing unrest.

The news that the Reform Department promulgated the "Provincial Official Directory Bianjing Chapter" and the imperial court's collapse of "the conspiracy of officials to drown themselves in the river to oppose the policy of sacking officials" also gradually spread to various state capitals.

If you don't know the theme of the banquet, it will make people laugh.

The reduction of officials throughout the Song Dynasty will last for at least two years.

The two of them thought about it for a moment and thought it was normal.

Su Liang and Sima Guang were both stunned.

Su Liang and Sima Guang looked at each other and smiled, preparing to tease him.

He looked at Su Liang and Sima Guang standing aside.

Within the Reform Department.

Kings and officials are no exception.

Sima Guang took the lead and said: "Jiefu, if others can't guess such a simple metaphor, it's fine. I don't believe you can't guess it. Are you deliberately teasing me?"

The prime ministers of the two prefectures and three divisions, the chief admonishment officers Tang Jie and Ouyang Xiu, the officials of the Reform Department, and Bao Zheng of Kaifeng Prefecture received the official instructions.

Officials from the Reform Department learned about the feedback from local officials through the mailbox of the post station and road officials in various places.

"Jingming, Junshi, although it is the winter moon and the winter solstice is approaching, it's time to eat wontons, but it shouldn't be that simple for the officials to name the feast like this!"

The imperial court suppressed those who opposed the reduction of officials in Bianjing City and sentenced Cui Hong, the judge of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and Qiu Yu, the chief minister in the palace, to beheaded.

The official named Qu Yan Banquet of Bamboo Shoots and Fern Wontons. Obviously, it was not as simple as treating the ministers to a bowl of Bamboo Shoots and Fern Wontons.

"I...I really don't know!" Wang Anshi spread his hands helplessly.

Su Liang smiled and said: "Jiefu, don't be in a hurry, you will know it in the evening!"

After saying this, Wang Anshi became even more anxious.

"You two, speak quickly, speak quickly, or I won't be able to eat at noon!" Wang Anshi thought for a while, and then said: "When I take a rest next time, I will invite you two to Linji to have a meal at the Bo Xia Gong. How about it?" "

Bo Xia Gong, that is, rabbit meat hot pot.

Su Liang and Sima Guang were immediately happy and nodded.

It is not easy for Wang Anshi to treat guests to dinner.

Sima Guang immediately explained: "Winter bamboo shoots are as thick as an arm, but most of them have redundant old skin on the outside. Only one-tenth of the edible area can be used. If you want to eat them, you must first remove the redundant skin."

"The same is true for bracken. The only edible parts are the young leaf buds on the thin stems, and the rest must be discarded." Su Liang added.

Wang Anshi suddenly understood.

"I understand, winter bamboo shoots and bracken are actually ingredients that can eliminate redundancy and retain essence. The bamboo shoots and fern wonton feast is the official celebration banquet for removing redundant food."

Su Liang and Sima Guang smiled and nodded.

now.

The Great Song Dynasty has taken the first step in reducing officials and eliminating redundancy. This is also a very important step in the reform process of the entire Song Dynasty.

The officials were happy, so they invited Su Liang and other meritorious officials to the banquet.

This kind of banquet.

Su Liang was still happy to participate.

Good food, good wine, and free speech are very helpful in bringing the relationship between monarch and ministers closer. The closer the relationship is, the easier it will be to communicate about reforms.

……

Near dusk.

The invited ministers came to Jiying Hall one after another.

Jiying Hall is one of the forbidden banquet halls, and many banquets are held here.

After a while, Zhao Zhen walked over with a smile on his face.

All the ministers bowed their hands.

"My lords, this is my private banquet. No formalities are required. Please take your seats!"

Immediately.

Groups of maids came in carrying drinks and food.

The dishes are all palace specialties and are all served on silver platters.

The wine is lamb wine.

Except for a pot on the table, though.

There is also a large ten-pound jar of lamb wine placed on the leg of each table.

The officials obviously wanted the ministers to stay drunk tonight.

Wang Anshi and Sima Guang, who never drank, had teapots on their tables.

As much wine as others drink, the two of them will drink as much tea.

This rule was set by Ouyang Xiu for the two of them at the end of last year.

Everyone thought it was good and continued to use it.

This resulted in the two of them always having a full cup of tea every time they got together.

After the dishes were served, Zhao Zhen looked down and said with a smile: "My lords, since tonight is a bamboo shoot and fern wonton feast, let's have a bowl of wontons first to warm our stomachs, and then have a drink, how about it?"

"Very good!" All the ministers nodded.

Less than a moment.

Bowls of steaming bamboo shoots and fern wontons were brought to everyone's table.

Zhao Zhen picked up the wontons and said: "You should know that I am asking you to eat these wontons. Save the trouble and save the essence. May the Song Dynasty become more prosperous!"

After saying that, Zhao Zhen took the spoon and started eating.

All the ministers also picked up their bowls.

This bowl of bamboo shoots and fern wontons is of great significance and everyone ate it very deliciously.

There were only a dozen or so small bowls of wontons, and within a short time, everyone had finished the wontons and soup. The maid on the side quickly poured wine and tea for everyone.

At this time.

Zhao Zhen stood up with a cup in one hand and a wine bottle in the other.

The ministers also wanted to stand up, but Zhao Zhen reached down and stopped them.

"My lords, continue to sit. Tonight, I will propose three glasses of wine!"

"The first cup I give to Taizu, Taizong, the late emperor and the Queen Mother Zhang Xianmingsu. Without them, there would be no Song Dynasty today, and without them, there would be no current me!"

After saying that, Zhao Zhen poured the wine in the cup onto the ground.

"Second cup, I want to pay tribute to all of you. Without you, there would be no achievements in the reform of the Song Dynasty, no prosperity of commerce, and no living and contentment of the people of the Song Dynasty!"

The moment Zhao Zhen picked up the cup, all the ministers stood up and drank it all at the same time as Zhao Zhen.

immediately.

Zhao Zhen poured down a third glass of wine.

"The third glass of wine, let's toast together to the officials and people who worked hard for the reform of the Song Dynasty. The road has been long and difficult, but now we are going very well!"

Immediately, Zhao Zhen and the ministers drank again.

Then, Zhao Zhen sat down.

He looked at the cup in his hand and said to the chamberlain on the side: "The cup is too small. Please change it to a bowl for me and your ministers."

Soon, the waiters replaced the wine glasses with small bowls.

The bowl is not big.

But it's still worth four small cups.

Wang Anshi and Sima Guang poured tea into small bowls and looked at each other.

They all showed a wry smile.

The two of them thought that during this banquet, they would definitely talk about the upcoming layoffs. After all, the local layoff policy had not yet been formulated!
Before the two came, they had prepared a lot of ideas. They were even worried that they would be thirsty after talking, so they drank more than half a pot of tea in advance.

But the officials at the moment are so heroic.

It won't be long before everyone is tipsy.

The two guessed that tonight would most likely be a chat session.

Followed by.

Zhao Zhen picked up the wine glass again.

"Today, I would like to praise two people, one is Su Jingming and the other is Wang Jiefu. When it comes to the crisis of the policy of cutting officials, we should all learn from them. They taught us that when we encounter problems, we must rush forward. Solve the problem, not the person who raised the problem. This attitude should be adopted for all difficulties faced by the reform movement throughout the Song Dynasty. Only in this way can we overcome any difficulties!"

……

Immediately, Zhao Zhen and the officials raised their glasses to Su Liang and Wang Anshi.

Su Liang and Wang Anshi were both a little shy. They picked up wine and tea respectively and drank them all in one gulp.

……

After the monarch and his ministers drank a few more glasses of wine, Zhao Zhen said again: "My lords, let's not talk about political affairs anymore. We can talk about hobbies, family, and interesting things happening on the streets of Bianjing. You can also How about complaining to me, but don't talk about business, or get drunk or go home?"

immediately.

Zhao Zhen looked at Wang Anshi and Sima Guang.

"Jiefu, Junshi, although you two don't drink, you still need to drink enough tea."

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help laughing.

The whole Song Dynasty's political reform put a lot of pressure on everyone, and it was really time to relax and relax.

Then everyone started chatting.

At first, everyone was quite reserved, but as the drinks became more and more, everyone started to relax.

Ouyang Xiu went to Fu Bi and Wang Yaochen to share the wine with him.

Liang Shi and Zeng Gongliang approached Zhang Fangping and prepared to get him drunk.

Wen Yanbo came over to apologize because of his quarrel with Wang Anshi that day, and Wang Anshi also admitted that he was at fault.

The two black-faced officials of the Song Dynasty, Tang Jie and Bao Zheng, were chatting and laughing and clinking glasses.

Zhao Zhen, Fan Zhongyan and Su Liang also chatted happily.

Wu Yu put his arm around Sima Guang's shoulders and asked him about the details of how he smashed a vat to save people when he was a child.

……

this moment.

Except for Zhao Zhen, what no one has noticed is——

Outside the main hall and in the side halls on both sides, several painters were looking at the scene, some were thinking, and some were painting quickly.

……

An hour later.

Wen Yanbo was already staggering as Wang Anshi drank tea instead of wine; Zhang Fangping had been drunk by Liang Shi and Zeng Gongliang half an hour ago and was lying on the table.

Wang Anshi and Sima Guang have drank four pots of tea and gone to the toilet seven or eight times; Ouyang Xiu has clinked glasses with the people in the hall twice while holding a jar of lamb wine, muttering: Who else is there?

Zhao Zhen and Su Liang sat on the ground, listening to Fan Zhongyan talk about the past events in the northwest; Bao Zheng and Tang Jie put their arms around their shoulders and said they must sleep well tonight.

Song Xiang dipped his fingers in wine and wrote poems on the table; Wang Yaochen leaned on the table and read Li Taibai's "The Wine Will Come in".

……

And this moment.

Zhang Mao stood in front of the palace gate, looking at this joyful scene, and couldn't help but shed tears.

He has been in charge of hundreds of banquets, and he has never seen such a scene.

He knew very well what these people in the palace had done for the Song Dynasty, and how difficult it was.

About a quarter of an hour later.

Zhang Mao saw that everyone was drunk, and Wang Anshi and Sima Guang seemed to be in a trance due to the smell of alcohol.

He first ordered his chamberlain to send the officials to the side hall to rest, and then ordered the officials in the imperial city to send everyone back home.

After all these things were done, Zhang Mao came to the side hall, looked at the painters, and asked: "Everyone, can you complete the painting before noon tomorrow?"

"No problem." A painter said firmly.

……

Inside Su's house.

Su Liang had never been so drunk before.

Tang Wanmei quickly asked someone to make him a bowl of hangover soup.

After the sobering soup was ready, Tang Wanmei shouted, Tang Ze shouted, Su Liang's son Su Zimu shouted, and his daughter Su Qin shouted.

After shouting for a long time, Su Liang was not awakened.

Finally, Su Qinyi's little hand twisted Su Liang's ears, and the latter slowly woke up.

After Su Liang woke up, he smiled brightly.

He pulled Su Qin for a kiss, pulled Su Zimu for a kiss, and pulled Tang Wanmei for a kiss.

Then, he pulled Tang Ze and kissed him hard on the forehead.

The strength was so great that Tang Ze couldn't resist at all.

After the kiss, Su Liang walked toward the bedroom with a smile on his face.

Tang Wanmei was about to pick up the sobering soup and chase after her.

Tang Ze said: "Meier, there is no need to sober up the soup. I have never seen a good husband so happy. Let him sleep!"

Tang Wanmei put down the sobering soup and walked towards the bedroom. Tang Zimu and Su Qinyi quickly followed behind.

……

The next day, it was nearly noon.

Inside the Chui Gong Hall.

A scroll nearly three meters long with still wet ink appeared in front of Zhao Zhen.

This painting is called "Winter Moon, Bamboo Shoots and Fern Wonton Banquet" and is the joint effort of twelve palace painters.

The people who had the banquet yesterday are all in the painting.

Zhao Zhen raised his glass and looked at Su Liang with a smile on his face; Ouyang Xiu held a jar of wine and was drinking with Fu Bi; Wang Anshi and Wen Yanbo, one holding a wine glass and the other a tea cup, were clinking glasses.

Tang Jie and Bao Zheng, who had always been serious about their words, put their arms around their shoulders and laughed; Song Xiang dipped his hands in wine and wrote poems on the table; Zeng Gongliang rolled up his sleeves and drank with Wu Yu.

……

After reading it, Zhao Zhen was very satisfied and said: "The painting is very good! Everyone painted very well!"

"Quickly copy several copies and give one to each courtier present. In addition, make several rubbings and spread them among the people, so that the people of the Song Dynasty can see what it means for the king and his ministers to be happy and harmonious, and what the prosperous age of the Song Dynasty was like!"

Zhao Zhen ordered people to paint "Winter Moon, Bamboo Shoots and Fern Wonton Banquet". On the one hand, it was a consolation for Su Liang and others' hard work in the reform.

On the other hand, he also wanted to tell the world through this painting that the emperor's favor was still great, but only ministers who had contributed to the country could enjoy it. The imperial court's decision to lay off officials was not an act of kindness and unrighteousness, but for the sake of the long-term prosperity of the country and the country.

This painting proves that the removal of officials will not cause a rift in the relationship between monarch and ministers. As part of the Song Dynasty's reform, it will surely become a famous painting handed down from generation to generation.

(End of this chapter)