Section 20 The Banquet of Watching the Boat (Part 2)
When King Shangfeng saw that the guests had already sat down, he gave a few instructions to Cai Jian, the Purple Gold doctor. Cai Jian smiled and bowed to Zhao Yanhao and the others: "In the past, most people from the Ming Dynasty could only watch the boats during the Double Ninth Festival. Sir Envoy
It's the right time to come to our country. Before today's boat viewing, Your Highness has arranged a drama for you to enjoy, and there is also a five-stage banquet for Gotori, so please take advantage of it."
"Thank you King Sun Yat-sen for your kindness, but I don't smoke..." Zhao Yanhao said as he looked across the way and saw several Ryukyu smoking guns sitting across from him ready to puff out smoke. They all looked depressed - since they started smoking
After the Portuguese visited Ryukyu and brought tobacco, the Ryukyu people became quite fond of smoking. Even though the Edo shogunate repeatedly issued smoking bans, the Ryukyu kings only banned smoking in the palace for fear of setting the palace on fire. Up to Shotoyo
The king himself went down to the imperial court to smoke, and he still enjoyed it. However, since the envoy did not smoke, the high-ranking officials in Ryukyu naturally did not dare to make any mistakes, and they all quietly put out the smoke with aggrieved faces.
"Although I don't smoke, I have Australian cigarettes for you to try." Zhao Yanhao changed his tone and motioned to Zheng Jue to bring out the cigarettes.
Cigarettes are currently one of the Senate's key products to promote exports. The reason is simple: the profits are too high.
Tobacco has become popular around the world in the 17th century, but tobacco is still a "crude product" packed in barrels, and only a few refined "nasopharyngeal" products are considered high-end products. Although the Senate does not grow tobacco, the profits from this area have always been on the mind.
Cigarettes are an important breakthrough. When Zhao Yanhao came to Ryukyu this time, he heard that smoking was very popular in Ryukyu, so he specially brought various specifications of cigarettes to sell.
Zheng Jue understood and soon brought several kinds of cigarettes on a tray.
The most popular ones are naturally the highest-grade cigarettes sold by the monopoly bureau: Golden Holy Boat. There are also slightly cheaper Red Holy Boat and White Holy Boat.
Zhao Yanhao distributed the cigarettes to several senior Ryukyu officials present who were smoking.
"Our Shengchuan brand cigarettes are among the most advanced in the world in every aspect... We have a slogan, which is user first, quality first, sales volume first! Now it has been marketed all over the world.
There are many big cities in the Song Dynasty. We are also preparing to break out of Asia and enter the international market! Our Holy Ship brand cigarettes are going to be sold to England, Scotland, Milan, Venice, the Netherlands, France, Florence, Spain, Portugal, and the Ottomans
..." Zheng Jue directly used a cross talk he heard from Wang Degang to brag about himself.
King Shangfeng looked at the so-called "Australian cigarettes", but they were white strips of paper with shredded tobacco wrapped inside, and came with a small bamboo tube made of a cigarette holder. Seeing the Australian Ryukyu interpreter taking the lead in demonstrating, although he felt that this messenger
It was suspicious that he didn't smoke, but King Shang Feng still ordered the female officials around him to light up the cigarettes. He imitated Zheng Jue by holding it between his index and middle fingers and took a deep breath. He felt that the smoke was soft and not bitter.
The spiciness is much stronger than dry tobacco.
In fact, Zhao Yanhao still has Chuqing Edition cigars that he got from Wu Nanhai. Although he doesn't smoke them at all, Zhao Yanhao still wants to use them to "entertain" other elders - many people still firmly believe that this is for girls.
It was rolled, but Zhao Yanhao felt that Chu Qing was so busy at work that he had no time to roll so many cigars. The cigars in the farm's cigar factory were all made by a group of local aunts.
Seeing that everyone had a good response after smoking, Zhao Yanhao continued to promote the Senate's "Cosmic Cigarettes", boasting that the cigarettes were unparalleled in the sky and unparalleled in the earth.
The profit is huge. Not only can it be used as consumer goods for kings and nobles, but it can also be sold to the people to obtain profits.
At that moment, people brought out mid-range and low-end cigarettes for the monarchs and ministers to try. They carried out a demagogic promotion campaign.
In the past, most of the imported products in the trade between the Ming Dynasty and Ryukyu were for the Ryukyu nobles, and ordinary people could afford very few things. Cigarettes are a commodity that has a wide audience and is widely used by people. Whether they are high-ranking officials or wealthy people,
Smoking is a habit that is easy to develop among peddlers and peddlers. If it is supplemented by certain marketing measures, it will definitely sell well.
Not only can the Senate obtain a large amount of benefits, but the Ryukyu people can also obtain huge taxes through this.
This paragraph was so eloquent that the kings and ministers of Zhongshan nodded frequently. Zhao Yanhao was overjoyed and felt that this was a good thing. If it can be promoted in Ryukyu, and with the help of the trade relationship between Ryukyu and Satsuma, a large number of cigarettes can be sold to Satsuma.
This is much faster than sales in Sakai.
During the Tokugawa shogunate period, although there were some signs of a unified market, due to the different economic conditions among the vassals, the "prince economy" was also quite popular. Each vassal had its own trade protection measures, and some even had their own trade protection measures.
Issuance of feudal documents. Without certain "necessity", it is difficult for foreign goods to flow smoothly into the markets of each feudal clan.
Zhao Yanhao looked at the opposite table and found that Xi'an was actually holding a cigarette and arguing with Yi Xuan in Japanese in low voices.
Yi Xuan said: "Amitabha, Master Xi'an, this 'Tamba wild rice' makes the body smell bad, adds karma, and is not good for practice!"
Xi'an wondered: "Master Yi Xuan is astonished! Among these five meats, is there any 'Tamba wild rice'?"
Yoshinori said again: "Regardless of the smell of smoke, the re-inhalation after inhalation is the worry and greed that hinders meditation."
"This is the smoke given by an angel. How could it be called greed?"
"Ignoring this, there must be a reason why the shogunate and the Satsuma feudal lord strictly prohibited smoking."
He clapped his hands and laughed happily: "Master Yi Xuan has not been to Japan for a long time. Because of Daochun's bad habit of smoking, last year we got the general's approval to open the 'Tamba Seat' in Sanming Fan..."
Zhao Yanhao thought to himself: "If you open a mountain and build a temple in the future, the name of the mountain will be called Hongta Mountain Yuxi Temple."
Next was a "drama" performed by Ryukyu aristocratic children wearing masks. Zhao Yanhao took a look and saw that it was Sarugaku (Noh) from Japan. The repertoire was nothing more than the most classic "Anzhai", "Dojoji Temple", "Night"
Several plays of "Tosoga" - Ryukyu's own drama "Buyu" was invented more than half a century later, so naturally it cannot be seen now.
After the aristocratic children finished playing Yuanle, King Shangfeng turned aside and gave Cai Jian a few words. Cai Jian stood up and bowed and said: "Our country has long admired the legend of our country. If you don't mind it, sir, can you please give me some advice from all the 'cadres' here?"
"Why don't you watch a part of the performance?" Zhao Yanhao looked back at the several naturalized cadres sitting in the lower seats.
Several naturalized citizen cadres whispered to each other, and finally Zheng Jue and Xu Liang volunteered to perform the previous section as representatives.
"Chief, how about we perform a drama version of "The Test"?" Xu Liang asked.
"Okay, okay, I even participated in the rehearsal for the cultural festival in Fangcaodi!"
"Since the chief has agreed, let's start acting." Several naturalized citizens chose the "Secret Discussion" scene in "The Test".
Zheng Jue first briefly introduced the background of the story to King Shangfeng and others in Ryukyu dialect, and then suddenly smiled lewdly: "In addition to the extra Liao salary, your Excellency also added a portion of fuel consumption," and then gave a thumbs up, "High, really.
It’s high!”
Xu Liang also raised his voice an octave and sneered: "Poor people are like pebbles, and they have to squeeze out three ounces of oil. If we don't kill the poor people, how can we eat meat! This matter of rent collection was messed up by the scholar last time."
I'm sorry, I hope you will take action this time, sir."
Zheng Jue laughed flatteringly again: "I am the best at grabbing mud from a swallow's mouth, and sharpening iron with a needle. I am the best at finding things out of thin air. Don't worry, sir, this trip will be an immediate success. Such a poor person must be beaten hard."
obedient……"
"Which part of your performance was bad..." Zhao Yanhao couldn't help but cover his face.
Although Elder Zhao was speechless, the princes and ministers of Ryukyu watched it with great interest and did not involve themselves in the role at all, which surprised him.
Several Ryukyu officials who understand Chinese couldn't help but feel that this Song Dynasty drama is very unique: there is no singing, science, or dancing throughout the whole process, only large dialogues. Only speaking and concise movements create two characters.
Although I always feel something strange about the image of corrupt officials in the Ming Dynasty, something is wrong in my heart.
While everyone was whispering and discussing the content of the "Test" just now, several maids brought up the trays containing "Ichinozen". Ichinozen was still mainly appetizers: a small bowl sprinkled with bonito.
Some noodles with dried fish, a bowl of pork soup topped with white miso, and a small plate of anchovies.
The next "second meal" is to fill your stomach - white rice and four meat and two vegetarian side dishes to eat with the rice: placed in the center of the tray is boiled boneless pork trotters with skin, fat and
It's not greasy, melts in your mouth, and goes very well with rice; one dish is sugar-colored simmered beef, which is both fat and lean, fragrant, and the meat quality is even comparable to beef. It is made from selected Agu pork produced locally in Ryukyu; and there is a bowl of radish.
Green vegetables are cooked into soup; and finally there is a vegetable platter called "Five Sheng" - carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts, black fungus, antlers, and delicacies from all over the world.
Although it seems that there are a lot of dishes, the portions are very small. Since the delicious food is in front of you, there is no need to be too polite. Everyone here eats with great enthusiasm, and everything is cleaned up in a moment like a wind and a lingering cloud.
.
When everyone had almost eaten, the chief priest on duty, Mao Taiyun, ordered the tableware to be changed, and the maids divided the "three meals" into two trays and put them out together with awamori wine. The "three meals" were all
The snacks served in small plates and small bowls: Zhao Yanhao thinks he can recognize the pig ear strips, peanut tofu, fried bean dregs with pork belly, ham, broad beans, and some indescribable ones - fried tofu with some kind of leaf vegetables.
Pork belly with skin, fish cake fried with seaweed, pork giblets and dried bonito, kelp juice, and a strange-looking mashed potato and potato stems fried with mushrooms and pork. There are so many varieties that it's really overwhelming. This chapter has been completed!