The children's competition was quite successful. Although all the civil and military children of the dynasty participated, due to age restrictions, the number of people in the end was not too many.
Xian Ruxing, as the boss of publishing and printing, was also invited to be one of the judges. Together with Zhang Chong and others, he read several children's articles every day and wandered in the children's words, and his whole person was sublimated.
However, there are also many things that make people speechless. Perhaps because they want their children to win too much, many parents choose to go into battle in person. Many articles use words and sentences that look like adults. Regarding this kind of vanity ghostwriting behavior, Xian Ruxing said
Absolutely not lenient, not only canceled the results, but also criticized them by name.
When the final selection results came out, the nobles had tears in their eyes. Unexpectedly, one of them came in third place! Although they did not win the first place, they were satisfied to beat the civil servants. So they all expressed their hope for their children.
Xian Ruxing was so frightened that he could continue to accept the teachings of Master Xian that he refused again and again.
Although she quite likes children, teasing them once in a while is fine, but just thinking about being surrounded by children all day long is already scary. Besides, she has so many things on her hands, not only does she have business to be busy with, but she also has
I have to continue writing new picture books and flashcards.
If the popularity of picture books was anticipated, then the literacy cards were a complete surprise. Nowadays, even the peddlers in Beijing have many of them. The reason why they are so popular is that they are cheap, cheap, and still cheap!
The picture books only cost three to five words, and the brand-new literacy cards only cost one penny. They are rich in pictures and text, printed clearly, and the paper quality is good. There is nothing more suitable than learning seven or eight words for one penny.
As for why it is so cheap, the main reason is that Xian Ruxing was trying to improve her reputation at the beginning and had no intention of making money. In addition, mimeographing saves money and effort. For convenience, she also opened several paper mills not far from the capital.
Instead of using traditional rice paper technology, bamboo is used as the raw material. The paper produced in this way is relatively hard and difficult to write with calligraphy, but it is suitable for making cards. In this way, the cost is reduced.
At this time, the daily vocabulary was only three to five hundred. After a period of hard work, it is no exaggeration to say that at least the average cultural level of the people in the capital has risen to a higher level.
Xian Ruxing didn't feel much about this, but Zhu Houcong was honored when he found out about it. At this time, he felt quite proud and proud when facing the courtiers. He has always smiled when he went to court these days.
However, at this stall, there were still some people who couldn't stand it and caused trouble for the emperor. Mainly in their eyes, it was the duty of scholars to educate the people. As a result, Xian Ruxing, a female Taoist priest, interfered back and forth, which was really degrading to politeness, so they collectively submitted a letter. Of course.
Yes, these people also have brains and know that they cannot use this as an excuse. They simply use their power to compete with the people for profit. As a result, all the money earned by those who run the factory goes into their own pockets.
Although there were only a few people shouting, the little emperor was almost furious. He not only had a violent attack in the court, but also continued to curse after he returned.
"Okay, let them talk. Just those few people. Now the common people think well of me and praise Your Majesty for your sharp eyesight in recognizing heroes. Don't be angry. Don't be angry." Xian Ruxing comforted him at the side.
Zhu Houcong didn't say anything. He sat in the chair and was silent for a long time. Then he said to Xian Ruxing: "Don't you feel aggrieved? You have done so many good things for the country and the people, but those people are talking nonsense about you just because of your status. Just wait.
Come on, I will deal with them severely when I have free time!"
Xian Ruxing was stunned for a moment, smiled and shook his head, "So what, if you do everything without hesitation, there will be no one to do anything in the world. As for cleaning things up, there is no need. You see, no one in the court agrees with them. Those
Just let the idle talk go away with the wind."
Zhu Houcong's eyes sparkled after hearing this. Although he was small-minded, he felt inexplicably proud to see Xian Ruxing being so broad-minded.
Yes, his immortal master is upright and upright, naturally different from those gang of villains. He is sent by God to assist him, and as long as he lives, he will definitely protect him.
Zhu Houcong automatically put on eight hundred layers of filters and made a decision in his heart.
It happens that there are only ten days left for the Tiankuang Festival, which is the Taoist name. Hundreds of years ago, Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom signed the "Chanyuan Alliance", which was humiliating and humiliating the country. The people were all resentful, and in order to stabilize the country, they said
God saw that he was a benevolent king and gave himself a heavenly book. He also forcibly designated June 6th as a holiday. Over time, everyone got used to it.
On the Tiankuang Festival, because it is about to reach the Slight Heat, the weather is hot, and there is a lot of rain in the south, so the people are used to taking out their clothes and books to dry. In addition to drying books and clothes, the palace also has a dojo to pray for the safety of humans and animals.
.
It stands to reason that the Tiankuang Festival is just a small festival, but as it is a rare event where Xian Ruxing can show his face openly, Zhu Houcong said that it must be held! It must be a big one! He called all the officials to the palace to hold a banquet.
If he wanted everyone to see Xian Ruxing's heroic appearance presiding over the ceremony!
Xian Ruxing declined this several times, but seeing that the other party was so excited, it was difficult to dampen his interest. Anyway, the government and the public had been uneasy since Yang Tinghe left, so he just took this opportunity to calm them down.
So she began to coordinate with the people in Guanglu Temple and the Imperial Kitchen. Fortunately, these two departments were acquaintances. Speaking of which, this was the first time Jiajing hosted a banquet for hundreds of officials. Although she had been on the throne for more than a year, because she was still in power
During the filial piety period, even though the emperor could be less strict, Zhu Houcong still insisted on observing full filial piety.
When Shen Shangshi saw Xian Ruxing, he seemed to see a life-saving straw, and hurriedly greeted him, "Fortunately, the immortal master is here, otherwise I would not know what to do here. You are the Guanyin Master who saves the suffering! Little one
Hey guys, please help your grandma Xian to sit down quickly!"
After that, a group of little cooks swarmed up, those who moved stools, those who served tea, and kept saying something nice, until the whole room was filled with water.
"Well, I'm a Taoist priest..." Xian Ruxing responded weakly, but was soon lost in the crowd. After finally struggling out, he said to Shen Shangshi with lingering fear: "If you have something to say in the future, just say it directly, but don't do this.
.”
"Okay, I know there's nothing we can do about it, right?" Shen Shangshi said sarcastically. The emperor has not hosted a banquet in the palace for three years, and she has just been separated from the Guanglu Temple. According to convention, every day
Every time there was a palace banquet, the Ministry of Rites would first draw up the list and the number of food and drinks, and then hand it over to Guanglu Temple for detailed arrangements. Now she is in charge of the imperial dining room and directly communicates with the Ministry of Rites. Those people have eyes as high as the sky, and Shen Shangshi is also violent.
They had bad tempers, and they started to choke each other when they got anxious. In the end, they just threw away the list without even mentioning a single word.
Seeing that the day is getting closer day by day, my mouth is filled with anxiety.
"From now on, be careful what you say. There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the palace. Maybe one of them will stand up one day." Suffering.
Shen Shangshi stretched out his finger to assure, and then looked at her eagerly.
Xian Ruxing sighed, asked for a list of dishes, and started checking them bit by bit.
The emperor of the Ming Dynasty hosted banquets with ministers more frequently than in any previous dynasty. In addition to the three major festivals, the Spring Festival, the Winter Solstice, and the Longevity Festival, other symbolic gatherings such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and Laba Festival were also held. Tiankuang Festival is not a big day, even if If the emperor wanted to do so, the banquet would be a small banquet at most, and only officials of fifth rank or above would be invited, and there would be about 400 tables. According to the official position, the banquet would be divided into four levels, and the dishes of each level would be slightly different, but the difference would be the same.
Every table basically has banquet dishes such as fried fruits and fried chicken with stick bones. However, these dishes were mainly prepared in the past. Now Xian Ruxing has given so many vegetable seeds, some of which are even eaten by ordinary people. It doesn't make sense for it to be so monotonous.
"This is the first banquet in three years. Although the scale is not large, we must pay attention to it. However, His Majesty has always advocated frugality, and since he has just become a filial piety, if it is too extravagant, it will make Banzai unhappy." Shen Shangshi He said with a sad face.
Xian Ruxing didn't say anything and continued to study the menu. After a long while, he responded: "Indeed, as you said, too much waste is not good, so this banquet must pay attention to the word "fresh". I see you put the double stick bone Replaced with fish dumplings?"
Shen Shangshi nodded, "I thought it's June now and no one will eat the greasy stick bones, so why not get some fish and shrimp."
"Change it," Xian Ruxing crossed it out involuntarily, "Your idea is good, but after all, raw food is not widely accepted by the public, and quality control is difficult to control. It is a hot day in June. If you are not careful, it will go bad. By then, you will not be able to eat it." It’s not good if you have a stomachache.” So even though Japan often ate raw food in its previous life, French food was still served at the state banquet.
Shang Shi nodded solemnly, then felt a little embarrassed. She had even bought fish, and kept nearly a thousand of them in the kitchen just waiting to be killed. It would be a pity not to use them now.
"It's okay. You can debone the fish and slice it into slices as planned, and then wrap it with cucumber, water, radish and egg shreds with a special transparent crust. Let's make spring rolls." This kind of spring roll is also called Vietnamese spring roll, and it's simple to make. The color is pretty good. Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia, which is hot and humid. The dishes there are quite suitable for summer.
I learned about how to make spring roll wrappers with Shen Shangshi, and asked her to add more dipping sauces. This thing tastes like seasoning. Then I thought about it and said, "The tomatoes are almost ripe, so we can make them." Chengjiang, let’s have some crystal sweet and sour pork, it’s sour, sweet and quite appetizing.”
I just happened to think of French food, and wine-braised chicken is also a famous dish in French food. People in the Yuan Dynasty liked wine very much, and even common people brewed it at home. The Ming Dynasty inherited the Yuan system and accepted the wine well, adding several seasonings in it. Switch to the Chinese version and add special bacon, the flavor is very unique.
Finally, I picked out the vegetables that had been recently grown and added two dishes, and the banquet was finally finalized.
In addition to eating and drinking, the rest is singing and dancing. At this time, the etiquette at the banquet is very strict. For example, if it is the emperor's birthday, then when the ministers drink the first round of wine, they must play "The Song of Longevity", civil and military
Two teams of dancers danced "Dance to Peace the World". However, the original rules that had not changed for thousands of years had almost disappeared by the Zhengde Dynasty, because the late emperor liked these and followed his wishes. A large number of musicians and dancers were recruited into the palace, and every banquet
, doing somersaults and doing tricks was so lively. At first, the courtiers submitted letters, but then they gradually became numb.
After Jiajing ascended the throne, many musicians were dismissed, and the once bustling Jiaofangsi suddenly became deserted. When they saw the famous people around the emperor coming to see them, they were immediately excited and said that they would cooperate well!
So after many preparations, the first banquet of the Jiajing Dynasty officially began.
…
On the day of Tiankuang Festival, Jiajing, who had gone to court early, led all the palace officials to participate in a large-scale fasting ceremony hosted by Xian Ruxing.
The Dharma conference was arranged in the Dagaoxuan Hall. I forgot to mention that this was also the dojo requisitioned by Jiajing for Xian Ruxing. It was originally a high platform for viewing, because Zhu Houcong felt that this place was high and closer to the immortals, making it easier for Xian Ruxing to "communicate" with the gods.
, so it was directly changed to a Taoist temple.
Xian Ruxing wears a pure hibiscus crown on her head, and wears a yellow robe given by the emperor. The robe is embroidered with exquisite patterns such as cranes, lotus flowers, and precious gourds. When the sun shines on her body, she has a forest-like appearance and a fairy-like figure.
This is also the first time she has hosted such a large Dharma conference. No matter how strong her psychological quality is, she can't help but feel a little nervous. Fortunately, for such an important event, the Ministry of Etiquette will guide every step, and she can never go wrong if she follows the regulations.
After reciting the "Thunder Jade Sword Sutra" twice in a row and asking for the protection and blessing of the Heavenly Lord, the ceremony finally passed without any danger. After changing clothes, Xian Ruxing and Zhu Houcong appeared in the Hall of Supreme Harmony together. At this time, all the civil and military officials
Everyone has taken their seats, and looking around, it’s very crowded and busy.
Originally, according to convention, foreigners like Xian Ruxing should sit at the end, but Zhu Houcong used the excuse of a Taoist feast today and arranged for her to sit next to him, sitting at the same table with Yang Yiqing and Fei Hong.
Xian Ruxing had no choice but to smile awkwardly at the two old men. Fei Hong pulled a face and ignored her, but he didn't say anything unpleasant. Yang Yiqing picked up a piece of chicken stewed in red wine and ate it happily.
He immediately smiled and said: "The chicken is delicious, with the aroma of grapes and bright rose color. It is a good thing. I heard that Master Xian is very close to the imperial kitchen, so I must have your handiwork on this thing."
Xian Ruxing humbly stated that he was just providing ideas, and that the details were cooked by Shang Shi and the palace servants. Then he pointed at the plate of colorful spring rolls and said: "This dish is very popular in Nanyang. Give it a try and remember to dip it in the sauce."
"
Yang saw that thing early in the morning and wondered what it was. After hearing this, he quickly picked one up and took a bite. It was indeed fresh and smooth. Although it was not a supremely delicious food, it was extremely refreshing to eat at this time.
"Well, the sauce is well mixed."
Xian Ruxing smiled and said: "If the minister likes it, I will write an order and send it to your house later."
Yang Yiqing nodded happily, and just like that, Xian Ruxing introduced and Yang Yiqing ate. The old man and the young man cooperated so well that Fei Hong couldn't stand it and angrily said: "You can't talk when you eat or sleep, you two are finished, right?"
Yang Yiqing rolled his eyes. Unlike Yang Tinghe, who was trying to save his face, he directly replied: "Don't think I didn't see it. You also ate two bowls. Xiao Xian, let me tell you, this old guy
It was the most delicious when he first entered the imperial court in the past few decades. Every time he had a banquet, he had to walk home. Others said he was simple, but they didn't know it was just for digestion. In recent years, his teeth have been failing, and he has begun to pretend that he is not a heavy drinker.
"
He himself was very articulate, but he learned a lot of nonsense in the military camp, which only made Fei Hong so angry that he blew his beard and stared.
Xian Ruxing coughed twice, pretended not to hear, and allowed the two old men to undermine each other.
After drinking for three rounds and the sky was completely dark, Xian Ruxing looked outside and felt that the time had almost passed, so he summoned the waiter and said a few words.
Soon, a group of musicians came out one after another. At this time, the folk music was basically formed, with all kinds of flutes, shengs, flutes and drums. Under the command of Xie Lulang, everyone quickly started playing.
Yang Yiqing didn't pay attention at first. After listening to it for a while, he said "Huh" and said in surprise: "This seems to be a new song. It's not bad. It's pretty good. Xiao Xian, you did it again. It's amazing. And
Not when.”
Xian Ruxing held up his hands and smiled, "I understand a little bit." They were all light music downloaded from the Internet.
"It's neither fish nor fowl, the etiquette in the palace has been ruined by you Taoist priests." Fei Hong snorted.
This is not because he is hostile to Xian Ruxing. The main reason is that compared with the previous dynasty, the court rituals and music of the Ming Dynasty are really unsightly. Zhu Yuanzhang himself was born in a poor family and did not know much about these. When he founded the country, he handed over the rituals and music directly to a Taoist named Leng Qian.
Responsible, this man is also a god. It is said that he lived for more than a hundred years. When reshaping ritual music, he mixed in private goods and directly copied a lot of Taoist music. By the time someone who really knew how to react came to his senses, it was over. So the Ming Dynasty's elegant music
I have always been very casual and can play whatever I want except for the prescribed songs.
A few people were talking, and the originally soft and gentle sound of the piano suddenly became noisy and urgent, like a broken silver bottle, and seemed to have a bit of the crispness of metal collision, which suddenly gathered everyone's attention in the hall.
Suddenly, accompanied by the solemn bells, four graceful figures slowly fell from the sky. At the same time, some of the candlelight in the hall was extinguished. Although it did not affect the line of sight very much, it successfully locked the eyes firmly in the center.
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The women were light in body, dressed in colorful clothes, and covered with feather belts. The thin feather belts flew back and forth with their movements, making the door seem like a living creature in a trance.
"Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady! This is the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady!"
At this time, someone exclaimed, and everyone realized that the shapes of these four women were exactly the same as those in the portraits of goddesses. Jiutian Xuannv, also called Jiutian Empress, is an extremely noble goddess in Taoism, often representing
Justice and mercy are symbols of auspiciousness.
The girls fell slowly. When they were still some distance away from the ground, suddenly, several glowing clouds appeared under their feet. There seemed to be a separate light in the distance shining on a few of them, making their already beautiful faces look white.
Emei, graceful and dignified, makes people want to worship her.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the goddesses, and no one was willing to speak. At this time, the music also became ethereal, accompanied by a burst of green smoke, and the light under the feet became fainter and fainter until it disappeared.
When the music stopped, the women stood up, slowly bowed to Zhu Houcong on the dragon throne, and said in unison: "All living beings hope that the emperor will rest, and all things will open to the sun. I wish His Majesty the Holy Body eternal peace, and I, the Ming Dynasty, will be prosperous all over the world."
Zhu Houcong knew that this was probably taught by Xian Ruxing, so he glanced to the lower left without leaving any trace, and the corner of his mouth curled up. He felt as if he had eaten a ginseng fruit, and his whole body felt comfortable, and he softly said: "Thank you."
In this way, the first banquet of the Jiajing Dynasty came to a successful conclusion!