Starting from the second half of the fifteenth year of Ankang, the business of restaurants and boats in major cities throughout the Ming Dynasty was very good.
An old era is coming to an end, and a new era is coming.
When the times change, it is the most lively time when people of all kinds come on stage and give guidance to the country.
The things they will discuss include but are not limited to the selection of the year name for the coming year and whether the new majesty will completely mess up the world.
And whether the new emperor will return Du Shuntian Mansion, and whether basic wages will continue to rise in the future.
It even includes whether His Majesty the new Emperor slept with the Princess of Prussia and the King of France, etc...
Yingtian Mansion is located in the south of the Yangtze River. It was originally a place of great wealth. It was the capital of the Ming Dynasty and the Qinhuai River.
This is a place where talents from all over the world gather, so it is even more lively.
In the old city of Yingtianfu, in the lobby on the second floor of a high-end restaurant on the bank of the Qinhuai River, a group of young people with different appearances gathered together.
What they are doing is tasting wine, discussing poetry, enjoying singing and dancing, and giving advice on the country.
Of course, there is more importantly, listening to specific broadcasts and exchanging respective news and analysis.
The layout of banquet halls in high-end restaurants is basically in the form of traditional aristocratic banquets in the Ming Dynasty.
Each guest has a separate set of seats, sitting in three directions of the hall.
It is left open in the direction of the door to facilitate people's entry and exit.
The middle of the banquet hall is also freed for singing and dancing performances or speeches to the surrounding guests.
However, as people's preferences change and new technologies continue to emerge, the middle performance area has evolved into a small stage.
The stage is slightly higher than the surrounding area by two or three steps, so that people around can see the whole body of the performer.
There are usually electric speakers around the hall, and there are usually relatively simple lighting systems above the stage.
However, the lighting is not the dazzling form of later generations. It is mainly used to light the people in the middle of the stage.
It makes the shapes and faces of people on the stage more beautiful, and also allows the surrounding guests to see more clearly.
There are seven dancers performing on the stage today, all wearing classical-style costumes.
It's just that compared to ordinary people's normal clothes, they are obviously specially adjusted according to work needs.
The material is thinner and has a vague feeling of transparency, but if you look closely, it is actually completely opaque.
The neckline is wider, vaguely revealing the collarbone.
The waist and abdomen are obviously very elastic and almost fit the waist perfectly.
The sleeves are large, like traditional costumes, and can be fluttered outwards.
The skirt is not long, only reaching above the knee.
But they didn't have bare legs, but wore white pantyhose that hugged the body.
But none of them were wearing shoes.
In the beautiful music, seven dancers danced on the small stage.
Among the surrounding guests, some were sipping wine and watching the dance intently.
But there are also people who are not interested in dancing at all and are focused on discussing or even arguing with the people around them.
There are also people who eat and drink with their heads down.
The atmosphere at the scene was a bit chaotic, because many of these people met for the first time.
Some people are still thinking about how to find a place to cut into the topic.
However, at this kind of banquet, most of them are extroverts, and some are absolute social nerds...
So the ladies on the stage were dancing, and a loud comment suddenly burst out from the seats on the east side:
"To this day, I know the true meaning of the wonderful dance on the lotus platform that Empress Li observed!"
This person spoke very loudly, but no one answered him, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward for a while.
However, Sheniu is Sheniu after all. If no one responds, just continue:
"Empress Li built a lotus platform and ordered Lady Yao to wrap her bare feet in white silk and dance on the lotus platform.
"Later generations therefore believe that the practice of foot binding among women in previous generations was started by Empress Li and Yao Niang.
"However, I think that the key point in the love between Yao Niang and Empress Li is the silk rather than the wrapping."
When it came to this, someone finally couldn't help but said:
"Why did this brother say this? Why did Empress Li let the dancers dance with their feet wrapped in silk? What does it mean that the emphasis is on the silk but not on the wrapping?"
The man immediately continued to explain:
"Why Empress Li did this, I think you don't need to explain it when you look at the dance in front of you.
"As the saying goes, the nature of food and color is the same in ancient and modern times.
"I think the beauty of the dancing girl's feet being wrapped in silk is self-evident.
“It’s just that traditional silk is slippery and does not bear force. If you want to prevent it from falling off, you need to wrap it tightly, so future generations misunderstood it.
"Now that there is magical artificial elastic silk, you and I are lucky enough to understand its true meaning today!"
Although this statement is very true, it is still not easy to follow.
People who dare to say that they are lustful and like white silk stockings in public were also social cows in Zhu Jingyuan's previous life.
In this era, he is no longer an ordinary person.
However, today's banquet was quite high-end, and there were also talents from all walks of life attending.
After a brief silence, someone took up this topic from a very clever angle:
"'Xiao' means deep eyes, which is the appearance of the Hu people from the countries of Tianzhu, Western Regions and Western Taipei.
"Empress Li's daughter, Yao Niang, is said to have been the Uighur envoy in the late Tang Dynasty, who is now Hu Ji...
"As the saying goes, no coincidence can make a book..."
The man said a few words, leading the conversation to a relatively elegant place.
But it turned out that the man didn't seem to appreciate it at all, and suddenly jumped in excitedly and added:
"Yes, what a coincidence, this elastic silk was created by Jin Shang in the Great Food Country.
"It is rumored that the monarchs of the Ottomans, Taishi and other places were often worshiped as orchids at that time..."
This time it almost went cold.
Although the control of public speech in the Ming Dynasty is now very loose, this topic is somewhat sensitive.
It's not that he is worried about being sanctioned by the court, but because Zhu Jingyuan has a high reputation among the people, and most people will not spread gossip about him publicly.
It was also in the room, where three or two real good brothers discussed and admired each other.
So, the person just now came to the rescue again:
“In terms of being elegant and suave, Empress Li’s people are not as good as Wan Yi today.
"When it comes to the hegemony of kings, the Tang Dynasty and Han Dynasty are not as good as those of today.
"What I said is that there are no coincidences, not the coincidence about Yao Niang and Hu Ji.
“But the elastic stockings worn by these dancers are actually traditional Thai clothing.
"It's just not for women, it's the formal clothing for local men."
At this moment, everyone was surprised.
"Men's clothes? This is outrageous!"
"Isn't this impossible? Do Thai and Western men wear this to follow the legacy of the Wei and Jin Dynasties?"
"I seem to have seen images of Thai and Western men in newspapers. The men there do dress like this..."
The man who introduced these strange news spoke out again at this time:
"I happened to have just returned from Thailand and the West, and here are the photos I took personally to prove it..."
The people around him were immediately shocked again.
The carefree person with a loud voice immediately asked:
"May I ask this brother's name?"
"The source of Xia Wei is the source of living water."
Wei Yuan is a young man in his mid-twenties, with a rather stout body and a slightly red face. He looks a bit like a sailor who often travels on the sea.
And his image really adds to the persuasiveness of his words.
The group of people around them stopped watching the singing and dancing, and stood up one after another and came to Wei Yuan's side.
I want to see a peep show and see how Thai and Western men wear women’s clothes.
Wei Yuan opened the satchel next to him and pulled out a stack of photos from several travel journals.
Distribute it to the guests around you.
The scene soon erupted with sounds of surprise, followed by uncontrollable laughter.
"These Thai and Western men are so funny, hahaha..."
"They wore women's socks and tied their legs like frogs..."
"Women are okay. I heard they have bigger breasts. The key is that most of them are very sexy..."
Wei Yuan wanted to say that those stockings were originally the clothes of Thai and Western men, and the dancers of the Ming Dynasty only started to wear them in the past few years.
I don't know where a dancer took the lead and found that the effect was unusually good, so it quickly became popular on romantic occasions.
There are also many men from wealthy families who buy them for their families to wear at home.
Moreover, the way Ming Dynasty dancers dress is completely different from the way Thai and Western men dress. It has only become popular in the past few years.
But the people around him didn't take it seriously at all, they just thought the Thai man was funny.
At this moment, on the seat next to Wei Yuan, a young man who had not moved had a wine glass and raised it to Wei Yuan:
"Brother Wei, don't take it seriously. People don't really care about how Taixi people dress.
"In fact, no one cares at all whether the socks of the dancers are the original clothes of Thai and Western men.
"Everyone is just having fun watching it. Even if Brother Wei explains it clearly, no one will take it seriously."
Wei Yuan sighed helplessly. He felt that what this man said was reasonable, so he simply didn't explain it. At the same time, he asked casually:
"I ask myself, after traveling thousands of miles and traveling around the world, I still can't see as clearly as my brother. I dare not ask him his name?"
The man also raised his hands very politely and said:
"It was an unintentional remark. I dare not take Brother Wei for such praise. I am Gong Zizhen, a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang."
Wei Yuan and Gong Zizhen chatted casually for a few words, and they felt that they liked each other, so they went to the table to talk.
After a few words of foreshadowing, Wei Yuan first asked about the "business"—initiating a political invitation:
"Brother Gong, what do you think the general trend of the world is like now?"
Gong Zizhen said without hesitation:
“The prosperous age of our Ming Dynasty is truly unprecedented.
“The territory is ten million, and the people are hundreds of millions.
"There are two out of three parts of the world. This is a great martial art that has never been seen in ancient times.
“But it’s also a regret that’s hard to let go of.
"Today, all the people in the world have made great contributions, and their nature is unparalleled in kindness and love. This is a great blessing for the Ming Dynasty.
“But it’s also another regret.
"The chance of Ming Dynasty truly becoming one of the world's leaders is really slim..."
As Gong Zizhen said these words, she couldn't help but pour the wine into her stomach.
Obviously, I really feel very sorry, and at the same time I am worried that I will never have the chance to see the Ming Dynasty unify the world in this life.
It's just that this world is the whole world, not the land of China anymore.
Compared with the ancient Jianzheng people, this kind of regret is already a happy and sweet regret.
Wei Yuan nodded slightly after hearing this:
"I mostly agree with what Brother Gong said.
"But I disagree with Brother Gong's conclusion.
"The opportunity for Ming Dynasty to dominate the world may be just around the corner."
Gong Zizhen felt that Wei Yuan was bragging, but he still asked naturally:
"How can I see it?"
Someone expresses an opinion, and before you want to object, at least you have to let someone finish what you say.
If you don't finish what you said, you won't be able to find an entry point to refute.
Wei Yuan immediately continued:
“Although His Majesty is unparalleled in benevolence and never seems to be interested in war, he has never relaxed about war.
“In fact, all the instruments and tactics used by the armies of the Ming Dynasty were researched and created by His Majesty.
"The Ming Dynasty's three armies were able to control the world, so Xiaoxiao did not dare to make any rash moves. This was the first step in the plan laid out by His Majesty.
"Then, His Majesty was able to use money, technology, systems, and culture to infiltrate the European and American countries without any scruples, and capture the hearts and minds of the people of the European and American countries.
"Over time, the common people and elites of the European and Western countries all lived under the wings of the Ming Dynasty's overseas manufacturers, and even became accustomed to it.
“Once there is turmoil in the countries of Europe and the West, these common people’s elites can threaten the country and attach themselves to the Ming Dynasty.
“Sun Tzu said, the whole country is the first, and the destruction of the country is the second.
"The first step is to attack the enemy's strategy, the second is to attack the enemy, and the second is to attack the army. Subduing the enemy's troops without fighting is a good thing.
“And this is obviously His Majesty’s strategy for Europe and the West.
"So I think that in as little as ten years or as much as twenty years, I, the Ming Dynasty, can stay in the country without a fight."
Gong Zizhen was a little confused after hearing this, and subconsciously wanted to refute, but couldn't help but keep her mouth shut.
Mainly because of Wei Yuan's image, he should have really completed a global trip, and he must know the situation in Taixi better than himself.
So Gong Zizhen continued to ask:
"In Brother Wei's opinion, the countries in Taixi are about to be in civil strife?"
Wei Yuan also drank a glass of wine:
“In my opinion, in as little as three to five years and as many as seven or eight years, the West will be in chaos.
“The imperial courts of various countries in Europe and the West did not understand the way of harmonizing yin and yang, and blindly allowed manufacturers to expand production capacity.
“Not only did it squeeze out all the remaining wealth of the people, it even left most of the people in debt.
"The key point is that these Thai and Western people are also ignorant. They just sit there and eat their food for the sake of immediate enjoyment.
"Brother Gong, can you imagine that he would take out a loan to buy a washing machine just because he doesn't want to wash his own clothes?
“Not to mention that in order to compete with the aristocrats and wealthy businessmen, they would rather sign a three-year contract to buy a car.
"In the next three years, most of their income will be used to repay the loan...
"This kind of thing is very common in the countries of Thailand and Spain now...
"Almost all of them borrowed money, except for workers in manufacturers directly invested by Ming Dynasty."
Gong Zizhen was stunned for half a second:
"I really can't imagine that I can buy a washing machine or a car without taking out a loan..."
Gong Zizhen knows how to chat.
Speaking of which, he laughed and said:
"If what Brother Wei said is true, then the countries in the West really don't need our Ming Dynasty to take action, they will have to make chaos on their own.
"When the time comes, as long as I, the Ming Dynasty, use some means, the countries in Thailand and the West will really be able to conquer them without occupying them.
"Then your Majesty is now the number one divine king who can conquer the world without fighting!"
Wei Yuan also nodded, feeling that it was quite opportunistic for him to talk to Gong Zizhen.
Gong Zizhen thought the same way, and her original plan to fight with Wei Yuan was gone.
The two of them continued to discuss this topic while drinking wine.
On the other side, people who were looking at Wei Yuan's photos gradually lost interest. Someone collected the photos and gave them back to Wei Yuan.
Most people were ready to go back and continue enjoying the singing and dancing, since it was still early today anyway.
At this moment, the music in the speakers around the hall suddenly stopped.
A voice with a clear voice and an ups and downs tone sounded:
"Daming Broadcasting is now broadcasting an important news. Today, His Majesty the Emperor officially signed a new calendar and vacation plan.
"The details are as follows..."
This is the restaurant that forwarded the imperial broadcast.
According to the regulations of the Ministry of Rites, this kind of restaurant must have a public address system.
When the Ministry of Rites deems it necessary, it needs to cooperate in broadcasting the court's orders and news to the public.
But obviously, in most cases, the court will not do this.
Now that it is actually used, it means something really big is going on.
The dancers immediately stopped singing and dancing, and Wei Yuan, Gong Zizhen and other guests also stopped talking.
The new calendar and furlough scheme are indeed big things.
It can even be said to be more important than the emperor's ascension to the throne.
(End of chapter)
