Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 93 The Slavishness of the Aristocratic Families

Beneath the curtains, more than twenty maids were busy like butterflies, spreading the red brocade with dark patterns on the long table. Their fingers were gentle and agile, carefully smoothing out every wrinkle on the brocade.

Bronze wine jars with coiled dragon patterns and wine cups with feathered cups are displayed in sequence, and the incense of sinking water in the gilded Boshan furnace is rising.

Several strong servants carried a rosewood screen over a meter long to surround the prince's main seat on three sides. The screen was embroidered with cloud and dragon patterns with gold thread, and it shone dazzlingly in the sunlight.

After the eunuch Zhao You finally confirmed that the venue was arranged properly, he ordered the eunuch to open the gate of the mansion.

At that time, the streets outside the mansion were already blocked by cars.

Pi Qin, who was riding in the carriage, carefully adjusted his clothes in the carriage, and then held a bronze mirror, carefully looked at his face, gently stroked his beard, making sure that every hair was neat and tidy, then got off the carriage, and entered the courtyard with a group of wealthy families, led by a group of eunuchs and servants, and each sat down according to his seat.

Not long after, with Zhao You's clear and loud voice of "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived", Liu Bian walked into the courtyard in a black casual suit.

In an instant, all the noble families hurriedly stood up and bowed in greeting. Even several hunchbacked old men over seventy years old holding royal staffs bent their backs and saluted the Crown Prince, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Liu Bian had a faint smile on his face. He raised his hand slightly to support everyone, then waved his sleeves and sat down at the table.

As the prince and a group of wealthy families took their seats, the maids who had been prepared long ago, dressed in colorful clothes, came in with light and graceful steps, carrying dishes.

There was fish sashimi that was chopped as white and translucent as a cicada's wing, there was a delicious beef soup in the pot, a whole suckling pig was stewed in a copper tripod that was also bubbling, and there was a whole lamb roasted with golden oil, the fat dripping down the body and crackling on the charcoal fire, sprinkled with some dogwood, and the spicy fragrance wafted in the wind, attracting the yellow dog guarding the yard outside to circle and bark wildly.

Liu Bian said to the crowd with a smile, "Today's banquet is intended to appease the people. The long-term defense of Xindu City is primarily due to General Lu."

"Do you have any objections?"

"We have no objection. Lu Jizhou works hard day and night, and the people of Jizhou have witnessed it."

Led by the five major aristocratic families, a number of wealthy and powerful families echoed the prince's words.

Not to mention that Lu Zhi really had outstanding achievements. Even if he had no merits, he was still the prince's teacher. If you stand up and oppose him at this time, are you forcing the prince to slap you when he is happiest?
Liu Bian nodded slightly, then slowly stood up and took the copper ladle of wine from the maid. Seeing this, Lu Zhi hurriedly stood up and wanted to take the copper ladle from Liu Bian, but saw Liu Bian gently push Lu Zhi's hand away and pour Lu Zhi a full cup of golden wine.

"Today, not only is the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty toasting the Governor of Jizhou and the General of the Northern Army to congratulate them on their military achievements, but I, your student, am also offering a toast to the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor, who has worked so hard to live up to my earnest expectations."

"Teacher, you have worked hard."

Liu Bian slowly leaned over to Lu Zhi, startling him so much that Lu Zhi tried to move aside, but Liu Bian held him down and said, "Teacher, you should accept this respect."

The Han Dynasty was not an era where ministers were completely enslaved. It was not uncommon for kings to salute their ministers to show their gratitude and favor. If we go back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, kings still had to salute their ministers before the court meetings began.

Lu Zhi reluctantly accepted the prince's gift, then quickly drank the wine in the cup to prevent the prince from having any new tricks, and then raised the cup upside down to show that he had finished drinking.

"Mr. Zigan is so heroic!" Listening to the praises from the aristocratic families, Lu Zhi smiled bitterly in his heart.

Your Highness, you have really caused me so much trouble!
This was not part of the original plan!
Of course, people often say one thing and do another. Even though Lu Zhi felt that the prince was being overly courteous to him from the perspective of etiquette, the smile that unconsciously appeared on the corners of his mouth and the blush on his face could not conceal his inner joy.

All the aristocratic families in the courtyard were moved by the prince's courtesy towards Lu Zhi. They had always heard that the prince respected the virtuous and loved talented people, and today they knew that what he said was true. He was truly a virtuous prince!

"Good. There's a man in my palace who's good at poetry and prose, the Prince's groom, Chen Kongzhang. He's always been a mentor to me." Liu Bian took the wine cup from Zhao You and drank two in a row. Then, he raised the third cup and paced around the courtyard, saying with a smile, "Today, I'm drinking with other scholars in Xindu, and I'm writing this down from my heart."

Upon hearing this, Pi Qin quickly stood up, his movements so hastily that he almost knocked over the table in front of him. He stood in the courtyard and leaned forward, saying, "Excuse me, but I would like to offer my support by beating the drum for Your Highness's excellent work!"

The poems performed at banquets during the Han Dynasty were called "song poems", which are what later generations called Han Yuefu poems. They had to be sung to music, and Pi Qin did not hesitate to seize the opportunity to play music for the prince.

Hey, musicians have a lowly job because they play music to make a living, which secularizes and monetizes rituals and music, making them tainted with the smell of money.

However, these scholars and officials who owned vast acres of fertile land played music to cultivate their minds and sentiments. It was a noble and elegant thing, so they naturally had no qualms about it and instead took pride in it.

"You old thief are so shameless!"

Feng Qi, who sat after Pi Qin, was immediately furious. As descendants of the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai, the Feng and Pi families had been friends for generations, but this old man Pi Qin saw the opportunity and was so flattering.

The most important thing is that he didn’t even invite me to join him!
Feng Qi, who had been secretly cursing Pi Qin for his shamelessness, also hurriedly stood up and stumbled into the courtyard. He glanced at Pi Qin standing beside him, bowed and said, "I am also willing to play the zither for Your Highness!"

"I, the humble servant, am also willing to ring the bell for Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will grant me this."

"I can play the qin for His Majesty!"

"I'm good at playing the sheng!"

Liu Bian was about to agree when he saw the heads of the four families, Feng, Guo, Xindu and Zhao, also stood up and asked to perform poems for him. Even Liu Bian was a little confused for a moment.

Most of the people in Luoyang City were high-ranking nobles who had served as court officials for generations, so there was no need for them to be so flattering. As a result, at one point even Liu Bian almost forgot the lowly and servile nature in the bones of the wealthy and aristocratic families.

What does "After entering the Pass, there will be great scholars who will debate the classics for me" mean?
The emperors of the Central Plains approached the wealthy and powerful with poems and books to ask for donations to cover military expenses and defend their country, but they were extremely tough. However, when the Hu king held a scimitar to their necks, even without asking, they were willing to offer all their property and even their wives and concubines, groveling and doing anything.

In order to further develop their families or to revive the glory of their ancestors, these Xindu nobles did not hesitate to use their thick skin like a city wall to please him by taking the opportunity of feasting with him.

The remaining aristocratic families knew that it was impossible for them to compete with these five families for the position, so they could not help but sit back down from their half-squatting position in disappointment.

Then they all laughed secretly in their hearts and ridiculed those people who lost their composure in order to flatter. After all, they were the ones who didn't get the chance.
Behind the screen under the prince's tent, the historian held a white brush in his hand and recorded all the ugly and filthy behaviors of these wealthy and noble families.

(2070 words)
(End of this chapter)