Chapter 19: The Grand Banquet for the Elders
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Chai Xiao was very fond of reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It mentioned that Guan Yu’s beard was very beautiful and he took great pride in it; even Emperor Xian of Han called him the “Lord of the Beautiful Beard.” Cao Cao, noticing how much Guan Yu cherished his beard, ordered a special pouch made from fine gauze and brocade to protect it. Guan Yu was deeply grateful. From this, one could also see Cao Cao’s talent appreciation and care. After this visit, perhaps it was time to present a gift to the teacher as well—not as a mere token of favor, but as an immediate reward upon recognition. Positive reinforcement, after all, isn’t it?
Looking at Consort Yun Shu, her eyebrows were still slightly furrowed, but her expression was no longer as stiff as before. Especially after hearing a deputy chef say, “Emulating the Tang Dynasty makes perfect sense,” she visibly relaxed. There were established rituals and systems to follow—this was no random chaos! The most difficult conceptual barrier had been broken. It was now a matter of proceeding naturally and logically.
Unexpectedly, even the noble Crown Prince Chai Xiao performed a dance movement. He made a small hop with both legs, stepped sideways half a pace, and twirled his right hand twice in front of his chest. Then he bowed slightly, extended his hand forward, and held the pose with great courtesy.
Consort Yun Shu, the Grand Tutor, Zhang Bao, Yi Taihe, and others were stunned. This Ninth Prince had danced before, but it was always wild and unrestrained. He typically used two self-invented moves: one involved cupping his large belly as if it were a belt and swaying side to side, humorously nicknamed “Crab Hiding Claws.” The other involved raising both hands and flailing his whole body, including his head, chaotically, jokingly called “The Fat Ogre Stirring the Sea.” No one had ever seen him perform such a polite dance!
What newfound flair had taken hold of him? Seeing everyone’s stunned faces, Chai Xiao smiled faintly. What he had just done was actually the modern ballroom dance “starting invitation.” Zhang Bao’s “Nuo dance” was difficult to learn quickly, so he could only perform what he already knew. Before crossing over, during his first semester at military academy, he and his dance partner won second place at the ballroom dance ball. They didn’t take first because there were too few girls at the academy. Finding a partner only a day before the competition, they hurriedly trained to build rapport. Winning second place was just one step shy of the much-coveted “Rookie Crown.”
“Second place is fine! That’s still good!” They comforted each other as they stood on the podium together.
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Time flew, and quite a while had passed. Yet the ballroom dance moves they had rushed to learn remained etched in his mind like a brand. So whenever he thought of dancing, he instinctively performed the “starting invitation” gesture—even though the girl was not present and he danced alone. Combining this with Zhang Bao’s “Nuo dance,” it could be called a fusion of East and West.
Of course, the epitome of East-West fusion was the example Zhang Bao gave earlier of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Court banquets at that time truly welcomed guests from all directions. Countries from the Western Regions came in tribute, such as the “Whirling Beauty” from Kang Kingdom.
“She spins her heart to the strings, her hands respond to the drum. At the sound of strings and drums, both sleeves rise, swirling and drifting like snow, turning like a tumbleweed.”
There were also guests from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Arabia—that is, Persia. Even “Kunlun slaves,” meaning Africans, were present.
“Emulating the mighty Kucha horses, offering treasures far and wide to Kunlun slaves.”
Alas, those were days of a bygone dynasty. How fortunate it would be if Great Xu or even Great Qi could once again replicate the glory of the Tang Dynasty! For now, it was best to focus on the present, taking one step at a time.
Using the “starting invitation” gesture as an opening, Chai Xiao asked Zhang Bao, “During the Tang Dynasty, were there other ritual dances?”
In truth, his mind had already leapt away. From Emperor Xuanzong’s grand court banquet, he envisioned another famed ancient emperor’s renowned feast—none other than the Kangxi Emperor’s “Thousand Elders Banquet” of the Qing Dynasty.
Kangxi, the sovereign who begged heaven for five more centuries, held this feast twice to showcase the era of peace and prosperity. The first was at Changchun Garden for his sixtieth birthday, inviting Han officials and elders over sixty-five from the Eight Banners and Mongol clans—five thousand people in total. The second was at the Qianqing Palace for his seventieth birthday, inviting Manchu, Mongol, and Han elders over sixty-five—one thousand people.
During the banquet, guests over ninety were personally served imperial wine by the emperor. The “Zhonghe Shao Music” was performed, and guests enjoyed composing linked couplets together with the emperor. Later generations praised this event for promoting traditional virtues and fostering respect for the elderly and the wise, enhancing national cohesion and expanding external influence.
There were also criticisms that it overly glorified the emperor, was exorbitantly costly, and burdened the people.
How to avoid the negatives and highlight the positives? He already had a plan.
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At that moment, Zhang Bao mentioned another type of ritual dance.
“The Qilin, Lion, and Elephant Lantern Dance!”
“Unlike the ‘Nuo dance,’ which was a formal court ritual, this originated from folk ceremonies in Wan’an County, Yuzhou.”
“They crafted lanterns shaped like qilin, lions, and elephants from fine bamboo strips covered with oiled paper.”
“This dance actually has ties to flood control.”
“At that time, the Hedong region suffered a great disaster, leaving the people destitute.”
“The mountain folk created these three figures based on local legends.”
“The qilin sits atop the roof to suppress evil.”
“The lion guards the main gate, symbolizing prosperity.”
“The elephant enters the home, representing wealth and honor.”
“There was one qilin and one elephant lantern, and two lions guarding the gate on either side, making four lanterns.”
“Four people formed a group, each holding a lantern and dancing back and forth.”
“Remarkably, after the dance, the area enjoyed favorable weather, abundant harvests, and thriving livestock.”
“Over time, this tradition was passed down and became especially popular in southern Great Xu!”
“Clap! Clap! Clap!”
“Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!”
Seeing Zhang Bao finish, Chai Xiao clapped his hands several times, praised heartily, then turned to Yi Taihe.
“Head chef, tell me, how can we arrange this? If we do it, will it work?”
Yi Taihe hesitated briefly but knew that being summoned by the sovereign was inevitable, so spoke frankly.
“Your Majesty, I believe it is feasible. We can alternate court rituals with folk rituals.”
“We’ll serve the food during the performances for everyone to enjoy.”
“If guests have silver or banknotes, they can pay on the spot.”
“If they haven’t brought enough or can’t pay immediately, we’ll record it in the ledger and collect later!”
Chai Xiao nodded but did not give his final word. Instead, he looked toward the Grand Tutor and made a gesture inviting him to speak.
Su Zhongjing pondered for a moment, then muttered to himself:
“This first day—no problem. The first three days—also fine. But if it goes on for ten days…”
Chai Xiao took up the thread.
“Yes! Turning the ‘ritual’ into ‘entertainment’ is certainly possible, but if it continues for ten days, the people will start accusing us of inventing excuses to make money!”
Consort Yun Shu, Zhang Bao, Yi Taihe, and the others all asked, “Then what do we do?”
Chai Xiao rolled up his sleeves and began counting on his fingers.
At just this, Consort Yun Shu, the Grand Tutor, and Zhang Bao all furrowed their brows deeply.
Hadn’t this little scion already been mentally calculating how to save various expenses during breakfast? Why was he resorting to finger counting again?