Seeing that everyone had arrived, Zhou Wenzhi said: "Everyone, please take a seat quickly?"
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen beautiful maids filed out from both sides and led everyone into the banquet hall.
Song Xin looked at the banquet hall. On the north side of the hall was the host's seat. Two to the west and one to the east, Zhou Wenzhi sat on the side near the east. Tonight, there are two guest seats on the west side that are vacant, but no one is there yet. There were several musicians waiting next to the main guest seat. There is a table near the door with a copper pot of wine on it. Several beautiful women were kneeling aside, holding lacquered wooden spoons, waiting. There is an incense burner in the center of the hall, and the agarwood inside is exuding a light fragrance.
On the east side are the Cao family and Xiahou family, as well as the sons of Xun Yu and Jia Xu. Behind him is Yu Gui, and on his left and right are two children of aristocratic families. Because they all came from noble families in Yingchuan, Qiao, and Pei, and had higher status around Cao Cao, they were all arranged to sit on the east side.
What Zheng Yue and Liu Mi didn't expect was that Song Xin, who was of humble origin in their eyes, would be placed in the chief position on the west side of the hall, near the guest of honor table, by Zhou Wenzhi. Although this position is not as prestigious as the guests on the east side, it can still be regarded as the chief among the guests on the west side. Looking to the right, there are all people whose official positions and family status are not as prominent as those on the left.
The guests on the east and west sides also formed a sharp contrast. Those members of the prominent families on the east side seemed very proud and chatted with the people around them. The guests on the west side were much more low-key. They just sat silently in front of their tea tables and whispered to their neighbors. The voices on both sides seem to reflect their status.
Next to Song Xin was the Liu Mi who had made the rude remarks just now, and there were other strangers who looked at Song Xin curiously. They didn't know what the origin of this young man was, and he could actually sit in the chief seat of the guests on the west side. Someone who recognized Song Xin whispered. Some people's faces immediately showed disdain, but due to etiquette, they did not say it in person. While they were talking, they glanced at Song Xin who was sitting upright from time to time, feeling jealous and contemptuous.
Liu Mi tilted her body and tilted her head to look at Song Xin sideways, as if she was very concerned that he was sitting in front of her. Originally he thought that position was his.
songs Instead of making friends, I was pitted against these dudes and offended them all. What a deep scheming..."
In this era, in any banquet, seating is equivalent to showing status. A person's origin and family background determine where you can sit. Sitting in the wrong seat is trespassing.
After Song Xin figured this out, he sneered in his heart.
"Zhou Wenzhi's methods of building relationships are indeed much better than mine. Not long after he came to Xudu, he was able to establish relationships with so many high-ranking people..."
After everyone was seated, several maids came in with copper basins filled with water. They first asked Zhou Wenzhi and the guests on the east side to rinse the wine glasses and then clean their hands, and then it was the turn of the guests on the west side. After Song Xin washed his hands first, the maid came to Liu Mi carrying a copper basin.
Liu Mi raised his eyebrows and asked loudly: "Mr. Zhou, this water is too dirty. Can you change it to a different basin?"
As soon as he said this, everyone on the west side looked at Song Xin, looking gloating at his misfortune. Zhou Wenzhi said with a half-smile, "Oh, that's true. Why don't you go get Mr. Liu a basin of fresh water?"
Song Xin lowered his head and looked at the table quietly without speaking. There was also a hint of unhappiness in my heart, but my concentration was very good and I didn't get angry. If it were an ordinary young master, he would probably drag him into a sword duel.
Song Yu said angrily: "This person
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How shameless, who is he? He dares to humiliate you like this. "
"Okay, let's ignore this villain for now." Song Xin was not angry. It would be a waste of time for such a person to look at him more than once.
Zhou Wenzhi saw that Song Xin's face was calm and not angry, and he couldn't help but admire his good concentration. In order to alleviate the embarrassment, he raised his glass and said: "Today is a good day for a banquet, and all distinguished friends are here at my humble residence. The writing is straightforward and crude, and there are no beautiful words to express my gratitude, so I will toast you with a thin glass of wine. Everyone, please."
"I am humble enough to accept the fine wine." Everyone raised their glasses and said, and then took a small sip of the wine.
Zhou Wenzhi also took a sip of wine and said, "Present food."
At this time, several maids came out from the east side, carrying meals and distributed them to each guest. Then they went to bring some roast lambs and placed them on the table in the southeast corner. A cook skillfully divided the lambs into pieces with a knife. The portions are divided equally and served to the guests by the maids.
Naturally, the guests on the east side get meat from better parts, while the guests on the west side get slightly worse. But no one here thought anything was wrong, everyone seemed to be used to it.
When the cook walked up to Song Xin, Liu Mi greeted him loudly, just like greeting the waiter in a restaurant. Song Xin waved his hand and asked him to go and offer food to Liu Mi and the others first. The food he had eaten in Fairy City was much better than here. Liu Mi was making such a fuss like a child, which made him feel a little funny.
At this time, Cao Ren's son Cao Tai saw that Song Xin was being squeezed out, so he called his maid, pointed to the meat on his plate, and asked her to serve it to Song Xin.
This time Liu Mi and others did not dare to say anything. And Zhou Wenzhi saw all this and had no intention of stopping it.
Everyone had meat in front of them, so they stood up and thanked them:
"Thank you for your hospitality. I'm sorry to accept it." After that, they all started to eat. Song Xin also ate the mutton and other dishes. At this time, Zhou Wenzhi clapped his hands, and the musicians next to him began to play music. As the music started to sound, the atmosphere of the banquet became lively. Everyone was no longer as restrained as before, toasting each other frequently, and the maids on the side kept refilling their wine glasses.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, someone asked: "Brother Zhou, the main guest table is empty today. Are there any important guests who have not arrived?" Zhou Wenzhi said: "There are indeed guests who have not arrived tonight, but he wants to I'm a little late. Dear guests, I have prepared a pot-throwing game, and I would like to invite you to play."
"Brother Xiahou, would you like to be the scribe (pronounced "righteousness") in the pot throwing tonight?" Zhou Wen looked directly at Xiahou Chong and asked.
"I will never give up my love, and if I am not talented, I am willing to serve as a commander." Xia Houchong said.
As he said this, he stood up and took the ball from the servant, which is an instrument for placing chips in the pot throwing game, and then stood on the west steps. Zhou Wenzhi asked a servant to stand next to Xia Houchong holding a pot.
Zhou Wenzhi asked: "I have a crooked arrow and a crooked pot. I hope everyone can have fun."
"I entertained you with fine wines, and now you are entertained with entertainment. I really don't dare to accept it."
"Crooked arrows and crooked pots are not worthy of your polite rejection. Please accept your favor."
"I've already entertained you with fine wine and delicious food, so I don't dare to accept it."
"A crooked arrow and a pot with a crooked mouth are really not worthy of polite rejection by the guests. Please be sure to accept them with honor."
At this time, all the guests said: "If you refuse repeatedly and refuse to obey, then you have no choice but to obey your orders respectfully." After saying this, they stood up and saluted.
Zhou Wen said directly: "No etiquette, no etiquette."
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After completing this set of complicated etiquette, Xia Houchong stood up and said the rules loudly: "Tonight's pot throwing show, the arrow is thrown into the pot, and the host and the guests throw in order. One party cannot throw continuously, otherwise it will not count. .”
"The winner must pour a cup of penalty wine for the loser to drink. After the loser drinks the penalty wine, a winning chip must be placed in it for the winner. One party gets three chips first, and the other party must drink a cup of celebration wine. . Are the guests clear?"
"Clear." These guests obviously often play this kind of game, so they all know it. Except for Song Xin, it was his first time to attend this kind of banquet, and everything was new.
These people need so many rules to play a game, but for wealthy people, these games are just social means. Anyone who makes a mistake in etiquette will become the laughing stock of everyone the next day. At future banquets, he will be repeatedly teased.
Then Xia Houchong told Zhou Wenzhi the rules again. Zhou Wenzhi also said: "Clearly."
Then Zhou Wen said directly: "Today we will slightly change the rules. The guests on the east side will form one team, and the guests on the west side will form one team. The two teams will compete to see who has more chips in the end. How about it?"
Everyone's eyes lit up and they all found it new. Usually the pot throwing game involves competition between the host and the guests. Today, it is also very interesting to let the guests compete with each other.
Xia Houchong nodded in agreement, and then ordered the musicians: "When playing the music of "Raccoon Head", the speed must be consistent."
The musician nodded in agreement and started playing. This song "Raccoon Head" is very interesting and humorous, and is used as the rhythm of pot throwing. Guests must throw arrows according to the beat of the music. If they fail to keep up with the beat or keep up with the music, they will be laughed at and lose face.
Of course, not everyone can keep up with the rhythm, but watching those people look clumsy and embarrassed is also a fun part of the game.
The guests on the east and west sides went up, stood on the left and right of Xia Houchong, and threw them one by one in time with the beat of the music. When it came to Song Xin, he took an arrow and, at the first beat of each line of music, shot it about a foot down the steps. He threw the pot, but unfortunately he missed.
Liu Mi happened to be standing behind Song Xin, and said deliberately and contemptuously: "I can't even throw the pot, and yet I say that I have made military exploits. Hmph!"
Some aristocratic princes were also displeased with Song Xin sitting at the head of the west side, so they started laughing together.
At this time, Guo Yi on the opposite side said: "Tossing a pot is a joke. Why did Mr. Liu say this?" Then he took a short arrow, walked to Song Xin's side, and threw it lightly, and the short arrow hit the pot. .
Song Xin laughed, drank a glass of fine wine, and placed another chip in the middle for Guo Yi. Seeing his calm expression, Guo Yi nodded.
After the last pair of people voted, Xia Houchong began to calculate the scores.
He first picked up the chips from the guests in the west and counted them. "Two chips are one 'pure' and one chip is one 'odd'. The guests in the west get two pure and one odd, totaling five chips. The guests in the east get three pure and one odd." Seven chips. The guest from the east wins, please pour a penalty drink for the loser."
Several maids began to fill the loser's glass with wine. At this time, the loser walked up to the winner and bowed and said: "Thank you for the wine." The winner also said: "Please drink the wine to the full."
Everyone played another round, and this time Song Xin's guest from the west won, and those from the east came to drink as a penalty. Everyone was very happy after drinking wine, and the relationship between them became closer. At this time, Zhou Wenzhi felt that the atmosphere was almost over, and suddenly said: "Everyone, please be calm, tonight's important guest is here."
(End of chapter)
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