Chapter 92 Dinner 2

After the emperor wrote the edict to attend Christmas Eve dinner at embassies in various countries, Jinyu Hutong was fully martial law, and even foreigners entering and leaving the embassy were investigated carefully by the officers sent by the Jiumen Admiral and other yamen. By the 24th day of the Gregorian calendar, this investigation became more and more severe. As for the embassy, ​​there were already officials sent by the General Administration Office accompanied by foreigners in the embassy to conduct a comprehensive inspection. ▓: ▓Piaotian Literature Network▓ⓓ▓

When Wah Erchen first heard that His Majesty the Chinese Emperor was going to attend the dinner, he felt extremely happy. However, the various investigations and garrisons that followed made him feel a headache: according to diplomatic practice, the embassy is British territory, including his wife and other family members, as well as many staff members of the embassy, ​​have extraterritorial legal rights and are not bound by the laws of the country where they are stationed. However, this time, this extraterritorial legal rights have become useless when facing the extremely noble identity of the Chinese emperor.

Not only did he feel this way, but the ministers from Russia, the United States, France, the Netherlands and other countries all felt this embarrassment and even humiliation. No one could escape the list of people attending the dinner. They checked the Chinese side and found any doubts. They would pick them out and inform the embassy of the country where the club belongs: "For security reasons, someone cannot be allowed to enter the dinner venue." There is no other explanation except for such an official speech.

Even the staff in the British Embassy informed the Chinese people of the reason that "the person should not appear in the dinner venue" to inform the British ambassador that the person should not appear on the dinner day. Walchen regretted it. If he had known this was the case, he would not have agreed to invite His Majesty the Chinese Emperor to come. But at this point, regret was useless, so he had to make various arrangements according to the Chinese requirements.

On Christmas Eve, the British Embassy was crowded with people. Between the fragrance of clothes and hair, men and women were standing or sitting, gathering together in groups of three or five to stumble. More topics were still centered around His Majesty the Chinese Emperor who would come here tonight. Several ambassadors who had seen him in Lushun that year became the focus of the crowd and gave a simple explanation to everyone.

"Why are there Chinese people standing guard at the door? Is it also preparing for the arrival of His Majesty the Emperor?" A woman in a group of pleated groups with half a snow-white chest, held the arms of the man beside her and asked in a low voice.

She was the wife of MacDonald Burundi, the first-class secretary of the American Embassy, ​​named Sofia. She asked her about the Italian minister Wei Yifan, who smiled and nodded, and said in skillful French, "I am a very young man with the unique appearance of Oriental people, but no humility that everyone else should have."

Amid a chuckle, Sofia Burundi asked again, "Will anyone know why His Majesty the Emperor of China suddenly think of attending such a banquet? Didn't he say he would never leave his palace?"

"Only the Emperor knows this. Oh..." Wei Yifan scratched his head with a smile, "I forgot that the Chinese do not believe in the Emperor, they will only believe in the words of their masters." He turned around and pointed, "You see?"

Sophia looked along his finger and saw that there were a lot of British and Indians in the venue, wandering among the guests. In addition, there were several Chinese in official uniforms, with brilliant feathers and shiny braids standing on the side, "What's wrong?"

"These people are all Chinese government officials. When His Majesty the Chinese Emperor arrives, you will see that no matter how old the officials are, they will kneel down to salute when they see him." Wei Yifan said in a tone that seemed a little envious to Sophia, "That kind of respect and respect is completely from the heart. It seems that His Majesty the Emperor asked them to die, and they would execute it without hesitation."

"how so?"

"That's it." Her husband patted her arm, "The Chinese people's obedience to their emperor's Majesty is a shame for the monarch of any country, and even feel extremely envious."

“Isn’t this a kind of thing for others?”

Listening to the woman's naive words, everyone chuckled again. MacDonald couldn't explain much, "Sophie, this is a Chinese tradition. If you don't understand, you don't need to ask more."

Sophia rolled her eyes and asked again, "Mr. Ambassador, I heard that Chinese men can have many wives. Is that true?"

The words came out, and the few people around him showed extremely envious expressions at the same time. After exchanging tacit smiles with each other, Wei Yifan nodded, "You are right, the beautiful Lady Burundi. But I think that a family with many wives must be unhappy."

"why is that?"

“If Mr. Mike had a woman besides you, would you accept it?”

"Of course not. Updated" Sophia is a righteous god.

"Isn't that all? Chinese people and Chinese women naturally cannot accept it."

Sophia's eyes rolled, "Mr. Ambassador, are you not sour grapes at work?"

On the other side of the venue, Waltchen and Cazel were talking in a low voice, "...Who would have thought that when the battle was declared over in such a short time? It is really regrettable that France suffered such a defeat both locally and overseas at the same time. After the French army, which had the nerves of steel, was occupied by the Prussians by Fuliji and Dongsheli, they were as broken as the sheep driven by Paris when they encountered the attack of the lion?"

"Or, only the Chinese army can withstand the attack from the barbaric Prussians?" Walchen drank the champagne in his glass and placed the empty wine glass in the tray in the hand of the i-speaker. Suddenly, "Mr. Ambassador, have you ever thought about what would happen if the Chinese and Germans met on the battlefield?"

"They are all barbaric and uncivilized races, but I think if there is a day like that, the scene will definitely look good."

"I think that two countries like this can only have more common language to each other?" The two smiled at each other.

As time approached, there were a lot of cars and horses outside the British Embassy, ​​so Wah Chen and others knew that it was the arrival of His Majesty the Emperor of China.

The arrival was a leader composed of the ministers of the Imperial Guard, the former minister, the Luanyi Guard and the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The long rituals were set up in a long street. The headers were the former ministers, the imperial guards, and the Shenji Camp guards. They came to the door of the embassy to dismount and stood in line. The next one was the bright yellow sedan chair that the emperor was riding in. At the entrance of the official corridor, a man wearing a red tasseled hat and a fourth-rank official uniform opened the curtain of the sedan chair. Emperor Xianfeng held the Dongzhu and stepped out.

The British Minister to China Wahlchen, the Russian Minister Ladren, the American Minister Tian Bei, the French Minister Kaizier, the Dutch Minister Rein, and the Italian Minister Wei Weiwen and others had already stood in front of him and looked at him. The emperor wore a fur-smoked sable satin, a bead-top crown of a bead, a blue silk face, a white fox with a blue fox fur and a sesame flower on the end, a blue gold bead, a brass-inlaid ruby ​​glass four-piece tile strap, and a blue satin felt soap boot. The feeling was too cumbersome, "Welcome to your arrival, His Majesty the Emperor of China."

"Thank you." The emperor smiled and nodded, "This time, taking advantage of Christmas Eve to talk to the ministers of various countries, you can also gather with the old rain and new knowledge together, which can be considered a two-way move."

This time, the person who served as the translator was Yung Wing, the Minister of the US Stock Exchange of the General Administration. After hearing the emperor spoke in English, Wah Chen smiled and said, "His Majesty the Emperor condescends the nobles and goes to our embassy to discuss with our country and the ministers of various countries. This is the honor of our country and all the countries attending the meeting. Your Majesty, please allow foreign ministers to guide you."

"His Majesty the Honorable Chinese Emperor arrived" A shout from a concierge official who was heard in film and television works in later generations. The scepter in his hand pounded the ground a few times, making a dull "dongdong" sound. The emperor was supported by Yang Sanxu and entered the embassy.

Under the bright lights, there were long rows of dinner guests. Men and women stood in a row and saluted to the crowded group. When the emperor walked by, the man bowed, the woman squatted, and then raised her head and looked at the foreign monarch with curious eyes.

"Your Majesty, you can attend the reception banquet held on Christmas Eve in Beijing for official business and the honor of all Westerners who are in China, admire Chinese culture and civilization." As a landlord, Hua Erchen delivered the first speech, "The Qing Dynasty was able to accept countries from all over the world with an open arms. From the second year of Xianfeng, it first established a general office, and then allowed traders from all countries to enter the capital of China, and to engage in more and more exchanges with the Chinese people, all of which were facilitated by His Majesty the Great Emperor..."

The emperor sat upright, listening to Yung Wing's translation with a smile, nodding to the men and women from all over the country who were in contact with his eyes from time to time. He didn't listen to the speech of Yung Wing Wing's translation, and looked around. There were so many golden cats? But when he looked at it from a distance, he saw that his skin was rough and his pores were large. However, he was far inferior to Chinese women and Japanese beauties in the palace.

I felt funny in my heart for a moment, and it was not until the applause sounded that he was awakened. I looked up suddenly. Hua Erchen and Kaizier and other ambassadors of several countries, each carrying their wives in the direction they were in. They were close. The couple bowed and bowed at the same time, "I once again express my most sincere thanks to you for your visit."

"No need to do this." He relocated to move his body and energy. In his every move, the demeanor of the family brought out by his family was indeed unique, "What are these?"

"Ah, please allow me to introduce you to me. This is my wife, Helena."

"My honor, Your Majesty." Mrs. Helena politely squatted down and bowed.

“I’m glad to see you.”

"This is Mr. Kezel's wife, Mrs. Guloria."

“…………”

After this, the emperor nodded with a smile and greeted each other. The women knew that the man had something to say, and squatted down to salute as usual, and chose to avoid it. "Once before I came here, Yi and his men kept admonishing me to make plans for my safety, and only said that if I must meet you, I might as well choose a palace in the city and invite envoys from all countries to come, but I rejected it."

The emperor smiled and said, "My Qing Dynasty treated foreign merchants and people with a kindness and righteousness. Everyone has their own hearts. Who would ignore the guidance of thousands of people in the world and would have the intention to harm me? You guys say, are you right?"

How did Hua Erchen and others answer such words? In a bitter laugh, he nodded, "Your Majesty said very well, very well."

"Just like the British, Russian and French ministers, for more than ten years, I have had many frictions between us, but in my opinion, this friction is also the basis for our friendship between the Qing Dynasty and Lieyang. We Chinese say that we will not know each other without fighting, which is the meaning of this." The emperor continued to talk freely, and the spring breeze was blowing in his face. "For the disputes and frictions between us, I believe that they are all based on an identical starting point, that is, to seek the greatest interests for our motherland. Under such premise, or under such conditions, what kind of hatred cannot be let go, and what kind of friendship cannot be abandoned?"

"I agree with what Your Majesty said. As a member of the country, everything about one's own individual should unconditionally give way to the interests of the more supreme motherland."

"I have the same feelings as Ambassador Ladren. This is why in the second year of Xianfeng, for the Qing Dynasty, for the country and the Tianjiaxu regime, I did not hesitate to let go of coastal ports and allow merchants and people from all countries to land and exchange. This is why I have achieved the current situation of the Qing Dynasty's national power day and the clouds are ripe." Although I said this in the British Embassy today, he knew that these words must be recorded in historical records and promulgated nationwide in the future, so I spoke very slowly. "I am not hesitant to reiterate here that for those who come to China with a good attitude, do business and preach, the Qing Dynasty will always be open to the attitude of open arms. This includes the countries present, as well as countries that have not yet established national-level relations with our Qing Dynasty, such as Germany."

He smiled meaningfully, "Mr. British Ambassador, although my Qing Dynasty is located in Asia, I am extremely concerned about the war that took place in Europe. I heard that France and Prussia failed in the war and even led to the unification of Germany? Is that true?"

"This..., yes."

The emperor nodded and continued, "In addition, I also hope that my speech tonight can be passed back to your government through the mouths of the ministers. Any country, if it dares to harm the common people of our Celestial Kingdom due to territory, population, and clan disputes, provoke the Qing Dynasty, and challenge my courage and bottom line, I will definitely not disappoint them."

Hua Erchen and his friends were listening with a smile on their faces, but at the end of their hearing, their smiles suddenly solidified.

"I could have said these words by the General Administration Office as a note, but the opportunity is rare. This is my first time to come to your embassy, ​​so I scattered it rashly regardless of the inconvenience between the times and places - please don't blame me, Mr. Ambassador."

"This is the foreign minister, and the foreign minister does not dare."

The emperor smiled at Kaizier who was on the side of Daili, "Master, we are meeting again."

"Your Majesty." Kaizier bowed respectfully, "I am honored to be here to receive your reception." He said, "Your Majesty, this time China and France are near the coast of Vietnam..."

"Oh, for such a thing, your country and the negotiator sent by our Qing government jointly agreed that today, it is better not to talk about such a disgraceful topic." He said, "This time, I came here, in addition to expressing my concerns to the ambassadors of various countries who have been working hard for many years in Beijing, I just want to taste the authentic Western flavor. You probably don't know that in a year, I also tasted Western food made by Chinese people. Oh, don't mention that it's too bad."

Wah Erchen and Kai Zier each smiled, "If Your Majesty is willing to taste it, it is naturally our honor. However, when it comes to the beauty of food and drink, all countries in the world are nothing better than your country. However, we have been in China for many years and have taken the opportunity to taste the flavor of Chinese delicacies. Speaking of which, is it our blessing to enjoy the glory of His Majesty the Emperor? "Which Majesty, please allow me to recommend it to you."

He led him to the dining table on one side of the venue, and walked and smiled, "Your Majesty, please allow me to say to you, the seriousness and persistence of Chinese officials really convinced us."

"Oh?" The emperor asked with a funny look, "How do you say this?"

"Please look." Wah Erchen pointed to the dining table full of cups and plates, "Do you think there is something missing here?"

The emperor glanced over and said, "Well", "Should there be knives and forks used in Western-style banquets?" Looking back, he bumped into Walchen's smiling eyes.

"That's true," he said. "Your officials let us explain, and they will never allow knives and forks to appear in the venue. So you see? Everyone has to use a spoon as an utensil," said Wahlchen. "Not only are knives and forks in sterling silver, but also the decorations such as antelope horns, deer antlers, boar heads, and bison heads hanging in my office were all taken down."

The emperor smiled bitterly, "I'm very sorry, this is my fault."

"Your Majesty is so serious. I think this is just a difference in the food culture between China and the West, and that's all. In our country, knife and fork are commonly used, but in your country, it may become a person with ill-belief and be used as a weapon to harm Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded, no longer entangled, pointed his hand at a plum-shaped thing on the table, and asked him, "What is this? Is it plum?"

"No, your majesty, this is an apple."

"Apple?" Before Yung Wing could translate, the emperor could hear it, "Why is it so small? And, it looks so shriveled?"

"This is an apple marinated with salt and whey." Walchen explained a few words, pointing to a ball of black stuff and said, "Your Majesty, this is a hard shell made of dried pig blood. Guess what is it inside?"

The emperor recalled it seriously for a moment. He had read some content in this area in later generations, "Is it caviar?"

"Your Majesty is indeed brilliant." Hua Erchen looked surprised, "You are the first person to guess the items stored in it just by seeing this object."

The emperor turned red, "No matter where, I just guessed randomly."

"This is one of the appetizers that I'll wait for a while, and there is also a lichen with dried egg yolks, smoked fish and sour taste with garlic cream. Moreover, this time the ingredients are not ordinary dishes, but flat black stones."

"This is just an appetizer before the meal? What about the main course?"

"The first course of the main course is scallops. The scallops spread on the smoked juniper branches are full and delicate, with extremely fragrant flavor. They are paired with a slightly sour honey wine, and the taste is amazing."

The emperor looked at him curiously, "Listen to the ambassador's words, it's not like he is inviting guests from all countries, including me, to satisfy his cravings?"

With a word, everyone burst into laughter.

In addition to scallops, the main dish also includes prawns with nuts and cod meat. In particular, the latter is a thin layer of honey painted on the surface of the cod, and then roasted in a pan without oil. It is made with turnips, green marsh fruit, duck egg cream sauce and aged cheese that are slowly fried in butter. It is the second delicacy the emperor tasted during this Christmas Eve dinner.

The first dish, and the most fresh and delicious thing, is pure fresh beef bone marrow. This dish first took a few large pieces of fresh beef bones, and then sawed them off with a hacksaw brought by the Chinese side. It was eaten on the spot, and it tasted great.

Compared with these appetizers and main courses, the dessert after meals seems unworthy. The chef of the British Embassy took out all the desserts made by craftsmanship are made of duck eggs and milk, and a layer of raspberry sauce is placed underneath. However, except for the emperor who knows this Western way of eating, the general office knows the details of the relationship center for many years, several others have no appetite to accommodate because they eat too much in the main meal.

The emperor did not use many desserts, and the sand was cold and cold, so it was not suitable to enjoy it in this middle of winter. After barely savoring a few bites, he put down the spoon, and Yang San and Jingyu, who were standing by and serving him, looked at each other, nodded, Jingyu whispered, "Emperor, it's already past the hour of Hai, and it's time for the emperor to return to the palace?"

"Is it already so late?" @ya
Chapter completed!