Although Hai Rui's episode spoiled the fun a bit, the atmosphere was soon livened up by the Duke of Wei and other officials. The Duke of Wei and other officials, who were good at making friends, flattered Chen Hong and other eunuchs so much that they were all beaming with joy, and their smiles were as big as chrysanthemums.
It was about four hundred meters from Chaotian Palace to the Banquet Restaurant. The trees on both sides of the road were decorated with red silk, and the roads were under martial law by police to prevent ordinary people from colliding with Chen Hong and others. As for those who wanted to file a complaint with the emperor, forget it, as they could not even get within a hundred meters.
A group of officials surrounded Chen Hong and others, walking on a road decorated with red silk, just like walking on a red carpet.
Zhu Ping'an was too lazy to join in the fun, so he walked at the back, keeping quiet and looking at the people in front of him leisurely.
Chen Hong and other eunuchs who announced the imperial edict were the well-deserved C position. People with high official positions such as Duke of Wei were next to Chen Hong and others and were the second C position. Other officials were ranked in order of their official positions. However, there were also some officials with low official positions but high scheming who took the lead in talking and came up to Chen Hong and other eunuchs and showed themselves actively.
This is just like modern celebrities and internet celebrities fighting for the center position.
Watching a group of officials trying their best to compete for the C position, Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but pull the corners of his mouth and reveal a smile.
Where there is a C position, there is a marginal position.
The officials who were punished by the imperial edict today but not demoted are in marginal positions, and the most marginal one is Zhang Jing, who was dismissed from his official position.
Walking on the road, Zhang Jing felt a mixture of emotions.
Looking at Chen Hong, Duke of Wei and others who were surrounded by the crowd in front, Zhang Jing couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
An hour ago, on the way from the Ministry of War to welcome the angel, I was the one surrounded by a group of officials.
Now, only an hour had passed, and everything had changed. The person being surrounded by the crowd had changed.
As for me, there is no one around me, I feel lonely and alone, and the only things surrounding me are the cold wind and the fallen leaves flying in the wind.
It's so realistic.
It's really like the tea gets forgotten when people leave.
Haha, it's his fault that he was fired. I'll just get used to it. Zhang Jing curled the corners of his mouth and walked forward slowly.
In fact, he is not willing to join in the welcoming banquet. He would rather go home and have a home-cooked meal with his old wife, and then have a good sleep in his study. However, after all, he was only dismissed from his official position, but not demoted, and he still has one foot in the official circle. It would be difficult for him not to go to this banquet, otherwise, it would seem that he, Zhang Jing, has no magnanimity and cannot afford to lose.
Let's go. I, Zhang Jing, still have this kind of magnanimity. I, Zhang Jing, can still bear it even if people leave and the tea gets cold.
The distance of four hundred meters is actually not far. It didn’t take long for everyone to reach the restaurant.
The entrance of the restaurant was decorated like a wedding room, with big red flowers hanging at the door. The restaurant chef, maids, and waiters were already ready, and they rolled out a red carpet at the door from a distance, welcoming everyone in.
Zhu Ping'an walked into the banquet and couldn't help but smack his lips.
Rosewood tables and chairs, ivory chopsticks and luminous cups, four screens embroidered with gold thread, and the floor is covered with fine wool carpets... ...
Cold dishes have been placed on the table. The ingredients are absolutely fresh, all of them are freshly killed. There is everything you can think of, including those that fly in the sky, swim in the water, and walk on the ground. The variety is dazzling, and the tables are filled to the brim.
For this banquet, the restaurant slaughtered a cow, two pigs, three sheep, thirty wild geese, thirty ducks, thirty geese, fifty chickens, fifty three-jin large sea bass, fifty Yellow River carp... ... and purchased thirty jins of sea cucumbers, thirty jins of shark fins, one hundred jins of abalone, two hundred jins of eggs, and hundreds of jins of various fruits and vegetables.
The banquet was seated according to rank.
Naturally, Chen Hong sat at the head seat at the main table. The other four eunuchs who announced the imperial edict were surrounded by bigwigs such as Duke of Wei. They were accompanied by the six ministers of Yingtian, the Censor Zhang Nietai, the Provincial Governor, the eunuch He who guarded Yingtian, the Marquis of Linhuai, the Inspector Hu Zongxian and others.
As the first contributor to the Japanese invasion, Zhu Ping'an was also arranged to sit at the main table. With so many bigwigs at the same table, Zhu Ping'an naturally sat at the bottom. Zhu Ping'an sat opposite Hu Zongxian, who also sat at the bottom.
However, Zhu Ping'an was not the last seat. The one sitting at the last seat was Zhang Jing.
Although Zhang Jing was dismissed from his official position, he was the former Minister of War after all, so he was also arranged to sit at the main table.
Zhang Jing felt the reality further at the main table, and felt that people had forgotten about him after he had left.
The seats at the main table were arranged first, with Chen Hong and other eunuchs who announced the imperial edict, then the Duke of Wei and other bigwigs, and then the officials who accompanied him. He was not seated until the end, and he sat at the last seat...
When the waiter poured tea, he was the last one to pour it for him. Fortunately, the tea was not cold yet...
Everyone rushed to serve food to Chen Hong and others, rushed to talk to Chen Hong and others, surrounded Chen Hong and others to toast, and scrambled to compliment Chen Hong and others. Zhang Jing seemed to be forgotten and could only drink by himself... ...
"Master Zhang, I offer you a toast."
Just when Zhang Jing felt the coldness of people's attention, a voice sounded in his ear. He looked up and saw Zhu Ping'an.
Zhu Ping'an held the wine glass in both hands and toasted to Zhang Jing with a smile.
Zhang Jinglie felt comforted. It was rare for someone to toast him at this time. It was really not easy.
Well, Zhu Ping'an, he's a good young man. I have a good impression of him. He is capable, knowledgeable about military affairs, and now it seems that he has good character as well. I am a dismissed person, and he can toast me at this time. He is not the kind of person who curries favor with the powerful.
"Sir Zhu, why doesn't he toast to Eunuch Chen, but instead toasts to me, the man who was dismissed from his post?" Zhang Jing said self-deprecatingly as he picked up the wine glass.
"I congratulate you, sir. Congratulations to you, sir." Zhu Ping'an held the wine glass in both hands and toasted with a smile.
Damn!
The self-deprecating smile on Zhang Jing's face disappeared in an instant.
I had a very favorable impression of Zhu Ping'an, but after hearing what he said, my favorable impression of him instantly turned into negative.
Congratulations to me?!
I've already been fired, and you're still here to congratulate me?! Are you trying to make fun of me and mock me, Zhang?! Are you here to step on me and wag your tail to beg for mercy from someone?! Although I, Zhang Jing, have been fired, not everyone can take advantage of me! If you want to step on me to get to the top, you've got the wrong person!
Zhang Jing was already in a bad mood after being fired. On the way, he personally felt the coldness of people leaving his post. At the main table, he felt the coldness of people leaving his post even more. His mood became even worse.
The reason why he could still sit here, without showing any expression and seemingly calm, was entirely due to his profound Qi-cultivation skills.
As a result, Zhu Ping'an's words directly broke Zhang Jing's defense.
Sometimes it is like this, a sentence happens to be the straw that breaks the camel's back, a sentence happens to stir the heart, a sentence happens to touch the reverse scale and make people break down.
"Oh, the champion is trying to make fun of me, Zhang? I didn't expect the champion to be this kind of person. Please forgive me for not being able to enjoy this glass of wine."
Zhang Jing pulled a face, sneered, and put down his wine glass.