I don't know if it was a coincidence, but the day when Kong Xinyu confirmed that the Crown Princess was pregnant happened to be the day before the Emperor's official birthday. Li Xian thought about it and decided to hide the news for a while and announce it tomorrow.
You can think of how miserable Li Zhi's birthday was. The reason why he canceled his birthday was not only due to the severe drought in Guannai Road, but the main reason was that he was no longer in the mood to celebrate his birthday.
Celebrating a birthday is originally a celebration of being one year older. However, now that he has experienced a white-haired person sending a black-haired person, he will definitely think of his own children when he celebrates his birthday. The white-haired person is one year older, and the black-haired person is already in the grave. No father can bear such a thing.
However, although Li Zhi announced in the court that he would not celebrate his birthday this year, it was still a big day. Therefore, on the day of his birthday, the morning court was cancelled. Li Xian and Li Xian both received a message from the Queen of Heaven to enter the palace. Having a family dinner together is considered a celebration.
Since it is a family dinner, the Crown Princess and the Princess of England must be brought along.
So, on this day, after getting up early and doing morning exercises for a period of time, Li Xian and Li Xian each took their wives and entered the Daming Palace together.
Not in Jinluan Hall, nor in Mingyi Hall, the banquet was placed in Qinghui Pavilion.
It's a hot day, and it's hard to swallow even the delicious food when you're stuck in the hall.
It is said to be a family dinner, but it is actually a party. It would be too boring if it was just a meal.
In Qinghui Pavilion, Li Zhi was not wearing a dragon robe, but a white suit. Of course, it was not the white of plain clothes, and there were some other colors on it.
Seeing Li Xian and Li Xian coming with their concubines, Li Zhi pointed casually and said, "Li Xian, go sit over there. Prince, come forward."
On one side of the large table shared by the emperor and empress, there was a medium-sized table very close to each other.
Although it was a family banquet, status still had to be distinguished. Li Xian agreed and took Fang Furong to sit there.
There was nothing on the table, and it wasn't until the two of them sat down that the palace maid brought them tea.
Seeing the prince drinking a cup of tea, Li Zhicai smiled and said: "I have explored almost all the functions of the table you gave me these days. To be honest, I like this table very much, especially the chair. , I like it even more.”
You know that it is impossible for an emperor to read instructions. In fact, many people like to explore on their own. If they follow the instructions to find the various functions of a thing, they always feel that a lot of fun is missing.
Li Xian cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Well, Aye, you might as well tell me, what mechanisms have you discovered?"
Speaking of this, Li Zhi suddenly became interested, took a sip of tea, and then said: "First of all, there is the chair. There are three mechanisms on it. One is to adjust the height of the chair, and the other is that there is a folding mechanism under the seat. The backrest can be pulled out to rest your legs. As for the third, there is a mechanism that can control the movement of the backrest. After it is lowered, people can lie on it. Every time I handle government affairs and feel tired, I will lower it down. It, lie down and rest for a while.”
Seeing that the emperor only named three, Li Xian couldn't help but add: "Actually, Aye, there is another mechanism on the chair, which is the cushion behind the head. It can be adjusted up and down, front and back. In this way, it will be comfortable." People who sit down feel more comfortable.”
Seeing what the prince said, Li Zhi curled his lips and said: "Of course I discovered it, but I don't think this mechanism is of much use. It is completely incomparable with the previous three."
"Let's talk about the table. The drawers can be pulled out and locked. Not to mention, there are also grooves on the table top, where you can place teapots and cups to prevent water from soaking the documents if they are knocked over. I am the best at this. I like it. There is also a bookshelf attached, and the height of the bookshelf can also be adjusted. As for the last mechanism, it is naturally a long hidden compartment under the table. After studying it carefully for a long time, I discovered that this is a place to hide a dagger. .”
Li Xian nodded, but didn't add anything more. With the drawings I drew carefully, coupled with the experiments that the director had done for so long, wouldn’t it be too out of line if it only had these few functions?
However, judging from the emperor's previous reaction, if he added anything, he would definitely be unhappy, so let him do his own research.
Looking at Li Xian with a smile, Li Zhi said with a smile: "This is the best birthday gift I have ever received. Gold, stone, jewels and jade are just money. No matter how rare the treasure is, it can only be used for viewing or hidden in a treasure house. Only I can use the table and chairs you gave me, and the materials used are so particular. To be honest, your East Palace spent a lot of money this time. Anyway, it is enough for me to receive your filial piety, Jiang Hao. ..."
Hearing the saint's call, Jiang Hao quickly walked in and waited for the order.
"I ordered the inner government to fund the construction of a set of tables and chairs for the East Palace. The material used should be rosewood."
Although the materials for the tables and chairs dedicated to Li Zhi were all donated by the supervisor for free, Li Xian felt that he should not tell them if he could receive a gift in return for no reason.
Standing up, Li Xian cupped his hands and said, "I thank Aye for your concern."
Li Zhi nodded with satisfaction. It would be great if the prince could see that he was caring for him.
Listening to the conversation here, Li Xian on the other side couldn't help but lower his head, feeling very ashamed.
He didn't think of sending gifts to his father for his birthday. Normally, the chief minister would ask him to do so, but his chief minister was killed. This time, his father said he couldn't give a birthday banquet, so he didn't think of sending gifts.
But compared to Li Xian, Li Dan was even worse.
He cast a pure gold dragon for his father, but his father was not very happy when he received the birthday gift.
Unlike Li Xian and Li Dan, Taiping's gift, like Li Xian's gift, pleased the emperor.
It's a painting, a painting she painted with her own hands.
As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhi was the best person in the world. Therefore, when accepting gifts, he valued his intentions more than the value.
Because of this, the emperor's attitude can be seen from his seat today. On the left, representing respect, the first is Li Xian, and the second is Taiping. On the right, if Li Xian hadn't taken advantage of his brother, he might have sat behind Li Dan.
Seeing Li Dan and Li Xianshuang beating eggplants, Taiping couldn't help but gloat.
As the initiator of today's banquet, the Queen was the last to appear.
Of course, she was not alone, but brought the concubines from the harem together to congratulate the emperor on his birthday.
After the birthday celebrations were over, all the concubines left.
In a "family banquet" like today, they have no place to stand. Facing the Queen, they can't even think of resisting.
After sitting in her seat, the Queen couldn't help but look at her children with a smile.
Three boys and one girl, giving birth to children is the absolute foundation for her status as a queen.
As a mother, she cares most about her children. Seeing that there was no tea on Li Dan's table, she asked the female official to bring tea.
However, in Li Xian's opinion, this tea may not be served just for Li Dan alone. Because, at today's family dinner, Li Dan brought Ming Chongyan with him.
Ming Chongyan was also able to attend the royal family banquet, which shows how favored he was in front of the emperor and empress.
Sure enough, after giving the instructions, she looked at Li Dan's table and asked Ming Chongyan with a smile: "Mr. Ming, I want you to attend the family banquet today, but I don't treat you as an outsider. Now, the drought in Guannei Road , causing panic among the people, I wonder, Mr. Ming, is there any solution?"
Just this sentence left Li Xian speechless for a while.
Drought is a natural disaster, and Ming Chongyan is nothing more than a nagging liar. Rather than asking for a solution here, it would be better to urge the Ministry of Revenue to quickly mobilize food. If the drought continues after the summer harvest, I am afraid that there will be a tragedy in the Guannai Road this year.
Ming Chongyan stood up, saluted and said: "Reporting to the Queen of Heaven, this is a natural disaster, which cannot be resisted by human beings. No matter how boasted about the magic, I am just an ordinary person, how can I control the wind and rain? However, although, although We mortals are unable to fight against drought, but we can prevent it. I have a plan that can prevent next year's drought and also appease the hearts of the people who suffered from drought this year."
Hearing what Ming Chongyan said, Li Zhi couldn't help but wonder: "I don't know what the method is? Just tell me, Mr. Ming!"
Ming Chongyan smiled slightly and said: "Folklore says that the Dragon King of the Four Seas is in charge of the wind, frost, rain and snow in the world. Among them, the Dragon King of the East China Sea is in charge of the rain in Kyushu. Now that there is a drought, we should worship him. Your Majesty only needs to give an order. , sacrificed to the Dragon King of the East China Sea, and allowed the people to follow. I thought that this move could calm the hearts of the people, and also show our respect to heaven and the Dragon King of the East China Sea. Maybe there will be no drought next year. .”
After hearing Ming Chongyan's words, Li Zhi said without hesitation: "In that case, I will order tomorrow that the imperial court will host the Dragon King Festival, and the people can also participate."
"In this way, there is no great goodness in nature!"
"Haha, I'm just doing my best. I hope God can really hear our wishes..."
Here, Li Zhi and Ming Chongyan were chatting happily, but here Li Xian could only drink tea continuously to avoid inadvertently showing contempt.
Therefore, Ming Chongyan is a qualified magic stick.
There is no legend about the Dragon King of the Four Seas in the land of China. Even in the Han Dynasty, people praying for rain and offering sacrifices to earth dragons.
As for the legend of the Dragon King of the Four Seas, it was actually born from the combination of Buddhist teachings and legends from the Central Plains. Since Buddhism established itself in the Central Plains, disputes between Buddhism and Taoism have never stopped. As the fight continued, each other began to shamelessly plagiarize each other's essence. As a result, on the Taoist side, the Dragon King of the Four Seas appeared, and on the Taoist side, Buddhist statues also began to transform in the aesthetic direction of the Central Plains people.
Although Ming Chongyan's behavior was relatively shameless, Li Xian had no intention of stopping it.
Not to mention that Ming Chongyan now relied on his own deception to win the trust of the emperor and empress, even his behavior did have merit.
For thousands of years, the emperors' strategies to fool the people have been very effective.
Folks believe most in these strange gods and monsters. If a locust plague occurs, the locust god will be angry. If a flood occurs, the river god and water god will be angry. Now that there is a drought, except for two spring rains, there has been no rain. Therefore, it is necessary to worship the Dragon King of the East China Sea.
Needless to say, as long as the imperial court comes forward to organize the Dragon King sacrifice, the people will definitely support it. Even if they are hungry, they must sacrifice to the Dragon King first. Although this kind of behavior is a bit like making a big cake, since ancient times, the people of the Central Plains have been the most accustomed to this kind of behavior.
As for Li Zhi...
Li Xian felt that this guy might not really believe in the Dragon King. The reason why he agreed to the sacrifice was mainly for himself.
Now that the drought occurs, the most popular argument among the people is that the emperor has lost his moral character. If the people's attention could be diverted to the Dragon King of the East China Sea, he would be relieved.
Seeing that the conversation between the two could not end for a while, the queen had to order the maids to bring some fruits such as cherries, and summoned a team of dancers to start dancing.
Although the cherries in June are bright red, they still taste very sour. Li Xian only ate a small handful and became extremely sore.
Fang Furong didn't know why, but she liked eating it very much. Normally, she wouldn't dare ask the cook to add too much vinegar to Niangpi, but she had a huge appetite for these sour cherries.
Seeing that she quickly ate her small plate, Li Xian had no choice but to pour his own to her.
After all, she is a pregnant woman, so she still needs to take more care of what she likes to eat.
Naturally, the prince's actions were not hidden from the Queen's eyes. Seeing that the prince and the princess were so in love, she did not intend to pursue the two people's rudeness.
After waiting until the conversation between the emperor and Ming Chongyan was over, the queen waved her hand for the dancer to go down. She could see that no one was in the mood to watch the dance today, so it was better to start serving food as soon as possible.
So, teams of palace maids, carrying exquisite food plates, served dishes one after another.
Because we eat in separate portions, the dishes in front of each person only have a small portion, but there is a full table.
Just seeing that one of the dishes was Liangpi, Li Xian knew that today's dishes were probably all from Donggong's recipes.
I picked out a piece of gluten and took a bite. It was okay. It tasted good. The cooking skills of the chefs from the Daming Palace were indistinguishable from those from the East Palace.
But just when he was about to taste the cold skin, Fang Furong, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but retched.
Putting down his chopsticks, Li Xian asked worriedly: "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Fang Furong tried hard to suppress the feeling of vomiting, pointed to a plate in front of her, and said, "Husband, what are these eggs fried with? I feel like vomiting when I smell this smell."
After taking a look at the dishes, Li Xian couldn't help but smile bitterly.
It's scrambled eggs with stinky mugwort. No wonder, even ordinary people don't like the smell of stinky mugwort, let alone pregnant women.
Seeing the Queen looking worriedly, Li Xian smiled slightly, cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Mom, the Crown Princess is just pregnant, so she has some reactions to some dishes."
"...."
"...."
Li Xian's words made everyone stunned.
The Queen of Heaven stood up without hesitation, pointed at Li Xian, and it took her a long time to hold back a sentence: "What do you mean you are just pregnant? Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing!"
