Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 243 A Great Wind Rises, Clouds Fly High; I Have Valiant Warriors to Guard the Four Directions! (Bonus Chapter, Requesting Monthly Tickets!)
From Wanshou Pavilion to Xia Gate in the north of Luoyang City, a mere ten miles, the Crown Prince's carriage slowly traveled for nearly half an hour before arriving.

After entering the city, the Crown Prince insisted on personally escorting each of his ministers home. The Crown Prince's carriage circled the city several times, and almost all the people of Luoyang witnessed the extraordinary sight of the Crown Prince personally driving for his meritorious officials.

After the meritorious officials returned home to bathe and change clothes, and had a brief one-hour reunion with their families, they were summoned to the palace for a banquet.

Tonight's banquet is nominally a celebration of the victories of the armies that quelled the rebellions in Bingzhou, Liangzhou, and Yanzhou, but no banquet has been held for the officials.

Those invited were all high-ranking members of the Crown Prince's faction, giants of the classical literature school, and former and current officials of the Crown Prince's court. Except for a few people such as Zhu Jun and Cao Cao who were unable to participate, almost all of them gathered in this Yuntai Pavilion.

Therefore, all the guests invited by the Crown Prince understood that this banquet was indeed a victory celebration, but it was not to celebrate military achievements. Instead, it was to celebrate the Crown Prince's upcoming ascension to the throne and the merits of everyone present who had supported the Crown Prince since his time as a prince!
The venue for tonight's banquet was also quite special, as all the carriages were driven to the Hanxing Palace in Nangong.

This Hanxing Palace was originally supposed to be called Changxin Palace, and it was the new sleeping quarters of the Crown Prince.

As the future emperor who was about to ascend the throne, Liu Bian's residence naturally had to be moved in advance, and in order to encourage himself not to forget his original intention, he named it "Hanxing" (meaning "the rise of the Han").

When the North and South Palaces were first built, each had four main palaces: the East Palace, the West Palace, the Changle Palace, and the Changxin Palace. These were the emperor's court palace, the emperor and empress's sleeping quarters, and the living quarters of the empress dowager and the grand empress dowager, respectively. However, the actual allocation depended on the emperor's wishes. Liu Hong once considered moving the sleeping quarters to the Jiade Hall of the Changle Palace, where the court palace is now located. Empress Dowager Dong even lived in all the palaces of the North and South Palaces.

After the Later Han Dynasty established its capital in Luoyang and built the North and South Palaces, the emperors of the Later Han Dynasty were somewhat homeless, frequently moving between the two palaces a total of eleven times.

Four of these incidents were due to palace intrigue, one was due to a fire, four were because the living conditions in the North Palace were superior to those in the South Palace, and the reasons for the other two are unknown.

In terms of area, the Southern Palace was much larger than the Northern Palace, making it suitable not only for setting up guards to protect the emperor's personal safety, but also for handling state affairs and serving as the imperial palace.

Therefore, the emperors who were ruled by the empress dowagers moved to the North Palace, leaving the South Palace, which truly symbolized legitimacy, to the empress dowagers.

If there is an emperor with ambition, he will stay in the North Palace to avoid the eyes and ears of the relatives in the South Palace, and take the opportunity to cultivate his confidants and henchmen, plotting to regain power.

If an emperor had no ambition, he could simply retire early in the North Palace and enjoy a comfortable life of strolling in the garden every day.

However, in terms of comfort, the North Palace is far superior to the South Palace, with more gardens and ponds, including large gardens and ponds such as Zhuolong Garden, Fanglin Garden, Zhuolong Pond, and Tianyuan Pond.

However, the magnificent grandeur of the Southern Palace was something the Northern Palace lacked, which was why Liu Bian ultimately chose to reside there.

The Eastern Palace within the Southern Palace, where Liu Bian originally resided, was actually the emperor's court palace.

During the Han Dynasty, "Donggong" became a synonym for the crown prince, but the palace where the crown prince actually lived was actually called "Yong'an Palace".

Because Yong'an Palace was located on the east side outside the North Palace, almost right next to the palace wall, it was an independent palace separate from both the North and South Palaces and served as the residence of the Crown Prince.

Because it was located to the east of the emperor's sleeping quarters, it was also known as the "Eastern Palace". Therefore, the Crown Prince's Palace and the Crown Prince's Palace were also called "Eastern Palace" and "Yong'an Palace" during the Han Dynasty.

Liu Bian resided in "Yong'an Palace," which was actually the "front hall" of the true East Palace within the South Palace. However, wherever His Highness the Crown Prince was, that place was both the "East Palace" and "Yong'an Palace."

As for Changxin Palace, the predecessor of Hanxing Palace, which was Liu Bian's new residence, it should have belonged to the Empress Dowager, but the Later Han Dynasty did not actually have an Empress Dowager in the real sense.

Even the Empress Dowager's palace, Changle Palace, and the Grand Empress Dowager's palace, Yongxin Palace, in the North Palace were merged into Yongle Palace, which became the Empress Dowager's residence, and Zhuolong Garden and Zhuolong Pond were built.

The Changxin Palace in the Southern Palace was also used for other purposes, such as becoming the sleeping quarters of Emperor Guangwu and Emperor Xiaoming, and the Yuntai Pavilion within it was designated as a place for small-scale meetings of officials.

Therefore, Changxin Palace in Nangong actually possessed the regulations and grandeur of an imperial bedroom.

The carriages of the officials entered through the Lecheng Gate, passed through the Lecheng Palace and the Lingtai Hall, the Crown Prince's sleeping quarters, and finally arrived at the Yuntai Pavilion, the venue for the banquet.

Yuntai Pavilion is a two-story building, that is, a ground floor plus a second floor. It is about 13 zhang (30 meters) wide from north to south, about 22 zhang (50 meters) long from east to west, and about 8 zhang (18 meters) high. The ground floor will be the office of the subordinate officials, and the second floor will be the office of him and his close ministers to handle government affairs.

When the officials stepped into the Yuntai Pavilion, almost everyone held their breath and stood still, their eyes falling on the twenty-eight huge portraits hanging on the surrounding walls, unable to take another step for a long time.

Illuminated by the bright candlelight, the figures in the portrait are lifelike, clad in armor, with resolute expressions, displaying their majestic and heroic bearing.

If one could have a photograph taken in the pavilion like the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, then one would truly die without regrets!

The Crown Prince walked from the second floor to the first floor to greet his ministers. Seeing that everyone was staring intently at the portraits of the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

No wise minister could resist the temptation to paint in the pavilion, which is why he arranged the banquet in Yuntai Pavilion instead of Lecheng Hall.

Even though Gao Wang coughed repeatedly and reminded everyone to go upstairs for the banquet, the group still moved slowly, frequently turning back to look at the huge portraits.

After everyone was seated, the palace maids moved gracefully, and gilded wine goblets swished among the tables, displaying a dazzling array of fine wines and delicacies.

Needless to say, the wines and spirits, as a grand imperial banquet, naturally gathered the finest wines from all over the country.

Liu Bian leaned against the jade armrest, gesturing for Tang Guancheng to stay, and said with a smile, "Wait a moment!"

Although the title of Tang Guan Cheng was Tang Guan, he was not in charge of the emperor's soups and stews, but rather the emperor's wines and beverages.

"You all enjoy drinking wine, so let me try to describe it!"

Liu Bian, holding ivory chopsticks, pointed to each of the ministers and said, “Master Lu is fond of Baiweizhi; Duke Ciming is fond of Guanzhong Baiyi; Duke Bojie has lived in Wu County for a long time and enjoys drinking Wucheng Ruoxia wine with Sun Wentai; Huangfu Yizhen is fond of Yicheng Laoli; Dong Zhongying still remembers the chrysanthemum wine I once bestowed upon him; Zhong Yuanchang is fond of Longtan Huangjiu, which is good for health; Lü Fengxian has lived in the cold and bitter Bingzhou for a long time and enjoys drinking Jiaobai wine, which warms the body.”

"Jia Wenhe once asked Gu for two cartloads of Zihong Huaying wine; Cheng Zhongde drank a dou of Lansheng wine every day; Dong Gongren and Liu Xuande both liked sweet things, the former preferred to drink grape wine, the latter preferred to drink Jinjiang; Gao Xiaofu loved Cangwu Qing wine; Huang Hansheng never parted with Hongliang wine..."

Following the Crown Prince's instructions, Tang Guancheng served the corresponding wines one by one. Looking at the surprised or moved expressions on the faces of the named officials, it was clear that the Crown Prince's words were absolutely correct.

Your Highness, do you call this a trial speech?
However, while the faces of those ministers who were particularly close to the Crown Prince and often participated in banquets at the Crown Prince's residence were filled with emotion, the faces of those ministers who had never participated in banquets at the Crown Prince's residence were filled with more astonishment, panic, and fear.

The former is naturally because this move shows great favor. Even if the information was not obtained by the Crown Prince himself, but was collected by the eunuchs, the fact that the Crown Prince could speak of it so fluently shows the effort he put in behind the scenes.

Such a skill in winning people's hearts is rarely matched throughout history.

Moreover, how could one not be moved by a king?
But in the latter's eyes, the Crown Prince's still gentle smile was like a knife stuck in their hearts, making their hearts pound and their breathing heavy. Had the Embroidered-Robe Envoys' spies even infiltrated their residence?

The thought of this fills one with immense fear!

Liu Bian observed the reactions of the crowd without making a sound; this was a subtle warning he was giving to certain court officials.

Don't think that you can be arrogant just because you have helped me. This includes the giants of the ancient literature school. I can help you rise to power, and I also have the ability to support the modern literature school and replace you.

After a brief reprimand, Liu Bian ordered the Left Vice Minister of the Imperial Kitchen, who was in charge of the dishes, to present the dinner menu.

The grand feast is naturally indispensable, and then the final dish served is the Eight Treasures Feast!

The Zhou Li (Rites of Zhou), in the section on the Heavenly Officials and the Steward, states: "The king's meals consist of six grains for food and eight rare ingredients for special purposes."

The Eight Delicacies are: Chun'ao, Chunmu, Paotun, Paozang, Daozhen, Zi, Ao, and Ganliao.

Chun'ao is rice topped with fried meat sauce and lard, while Chunmu is rice topped with millet.

Paotun is a piglet stuffed with red dates, then boiled in a large pot of water for three days and three nights, and served with meat sauce and vinegar. Paozang is made by replacing the piglet with a female lamb.

Daozhen is made by removing the tendons and ligaments from the tenderloin of animals such as cattle, sheep, elk, deer, and roe deer, cooking it, and then mashing it into a paste for consumption.

Tsuke is made by soaking thin slices of fresh beef in wine overnight, then seasoning them with meat sauce, plum sauce, vinegar, and other condiments.

Ao is made by pounding beef, venison, minced meat, or roe deer meat, removing the skin and membrane, spreading it on reeds, and sprinkling it with seasonings such as ginger, cinnamon, and salt before eating.

The liver is made by wrapping the dog's liver in the dog's intestines and fat, moistening it with rice flour paste, and eating it with a thick rice porridge made from chopped wolf chest fat.

Although these eight delicacies are not rare delicacies, they represent the ultimate standard of banquet.

If the Tai Lao Banquet is the highest-level banquet for officials and common people, then the Ba Zhen Banquet is a court dish that only the emperor can enjoy!

When His Highness the Crown Prince placed these eight delicacies on everyone's table, the immense favor bestowed upon them was self-evident!

Liu Bian raised his wine cup and drank three large cups of the hundred-flavored wine in succession. After each cup, he turned the cup upside down to show that he had drunk it full, and said with a smile to his ministers, "Let us all drink together!"

"Your Highness, drink heartily!"

After several rounds of drinks, the Yuntai Pavilion was filled with clinking glasses and constant laughter.

Liu Bian looked around at his ministers and saw that all the wise ministers and generals were gathered together. He felt that the country was about to be revived, and he also thought of the beautiful women in the harem who were eagerly waiting for him.

He further thought that he would officially ascend the throne as emperor in a little over a month, and there was no greater joy in life than this!

Suddenly filled with heroic spirit, he burst into song and dance.

His bold and unrestrained dance moves were so impressive that no one would doubt that the Emperor Taizu Gao possessed him. Even though the ministers wanted to uphold the distinction between ruler and subject, there were still those who pointed at the crown prince's dance moves and clapped and laughed.

The crown prince was not angry. He simply pulled up the people who were laughing from their seats one by one and ordered them to sing and dance together.

Lu Zhi clattered his ivory chopsticks, while Huangfu Song and Dong Zhuo slammed their hands on the table, accompanying the Crown Prince with music.

Even the usually respectful and courteous Zheng Xuan, the gentle and refined Xun Yu, the composed and measured Zhong Yao, and the taciturn and expressionless Xun You were all laughing, singing, and dancing. Almost all of them had their hats askew and their beards were covered in wine stains.

Cai Yong was completely drunk, and it was unclear how many jugs of wine Dong Zhuo had poured for him. As a result, his music became out of tune, and the Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither) emitted wild and chaotic sounds, which in turn gave it a unique and unrestrained charm.

However, the most eye-catching thing is the Han Dynasty's song and dance troupe!

Led by the Crown Prince, the rest of the attendants included Liu Yan, Minister of Works; Liu Yu, Minister of the Imperial Clan; Liu Tao, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat; Liu Kuan, Grand Master of Ceremonies; Liu Ai, Commandant of the Imperial Carriage; Liu Hong, Commandant of the Imperial Carriage; Liu Biao, Gentleman of the Palace; Liu Yi, Granary Director of the Crown Prince; Liu Dai, Tutor to the Crown Prince; Liu Yao, Grand Master of the Crown Prince's Palace; and Liu Bei, who had not yet taken up his post as Governor of Jiangxia. All the Han imperial relatives who were close to the Crown Prince danced. Although their dance was not particularly graceful, it fully displayed the style of the Liu family!
The Liu family may not be good at dancing, but they definitely love dancing!
As Liu Bian danced to his heart's content, he even took off his shirt, revealing his rather muscular physique, a body that was usually hidden under his clothes.

Emboldened by the wine, he ordered a zither to be brought over, and he played it while singing loudly.

"The wind is blowing and the clouds are flying!"

"My might extends throughout the land, yet I return to my homeland!"

"I have brave warriors guarding the four directions!"

The melody was powerful and the singing was passionate.

No one corrected the use of the word "朕" (zhen), as if it were the most appropriate form of address.

After the song ended, Liu Bian casually tossed aside the zither in his hand, looked at the nameless historian in the corner, laughed loudly, rushed up to him, and pulled him into the chaotic dance of demons, forcefully pouring wine down his throat.

However, this historian was clearly not good at drinking. After only a few sips, he was already drunk and forgot all about the "historical records and white hairpin pen" he was talking about. He insisted on dancing with the prince!

No one in later generations knows exactly how wildly the celebration lasted that night. It is just strange that the Records of the Han Dynasty describes this extremely joyous victory banquet with the following sentence: "The emperor was very drunk and had a dance contest with the emperor, and so-and-so won."

(4012 words)
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P.S.: I had hot pot for dinner tonight, and the homemade hot pot broth simmered over low heat is indeed delicious, so I'm in a particularly good mood and will add another 2000 words!

A total of 3500 extra words were added today!
Dear readers, please shower me with monthly votes in recognition of the extra 3500 words I've added today!

(End of this chapter)