20demayo Chapter 424 This banquet wasn't a waste of time; isn't this the most important news?
Chapter 424 This banquet wasn't a waste of time; isn't this the most important news?
After eating until he was about three-tenths full, Liu Peng led his colleagues and friends, Jiang Xiaoqi and Xiao Ming, to the head of the table to toast his grandfather.
Of course, I also took the opportunity to toast Minister Wang, who was sitting at the same table as my grandfather.
Minister Wang raised his eyelids slightly, probably not taking those juniors seriously.
Jiang Xiaoqi even felt that if Liu Peng hadn't brought him and Xiao Ming along, this Minister might not have given them any face and wouldn't have even picked up his wine cup.
No wonder, no one else has come up to offer help or support for so long.
When I sat down again, I was surprised to find new dishes on the table.
Jiang Xiaoqi sensed some unusual activity in the space, so she took the opportunity while drinking to probe her thoughts into it.
"Host, it smells so good! Can I have some, Master?"
It turned out to be a newly served dish, which even had fresh tropical fruit as a side dish. Does Tongzi like to eat fruit?
"Okay, I'll try to smuggle one in for you. Stop jumping around, you're making me dizzy."
"Thank you so much, Host! You're handsome and kind-hearted, the best host in the world!"
The system showered the system with compliments as if they were free, but Jiang Xiaoqi was completely immune to them; no matter how nicely it was said, she could only offer one yuan.
Who knows if a physical system can actually consume fruit? If it gets sick, wouldn't you have to spend your own points to fix it? It's better to be cautious.
After all, points don't just fall from the sky, so there's no need to tell the system administrator, lest the other party become petty.
While Xiao Ming and Liu Peng were chatting, Jiang Xiaoqi secretly slipped a piece of fruit that looked like a pineapple into the space.
The system had been waiting with its mouth wide open, and sure enough, the fruit fell right into its mouth.
It was so delicious that I was stuffed, but there was only one piece left. Jiang Xiaoqi wanted to observe whether Tongzi would get food poisoning.
"By the way, Mingfei, Guangcan, my grandfather will have a private chat with everyone after the banquet. You can come with me to wait outside the study to avoid queuing until dark."
"Isn't this inappropriate? After all, we received your invitation, not the one the Prime Minister originally intended to invite."
I presume that none of you gentlemen are here just for eating and drinking; you are here for the Prime Minister's final few words of guidance.
We shouldn't steal other people's opportunities; that would be going too far.
Jiang Xiaoqi explained that Xiao Ming also felt that what Jiang Xiaoqi said made sense. Based on their official positions and seniority, they would not have had the opportunity to attend today's small banquet.
Being able to get up close and personal with a first-rank official in the imperial court, the head of all officials, and even toast him, is already an incredible opportunity. One shouldn't ask for anything more.
Seeing his two friends like this, Liu Peng admired their character even more. With such friends, what more could one ask for?
He knew that the two of them didn't want to put him in a difficult position or cause him any trouble. But they didn't realize how much he meant to his grandfather.
Not to mention bringing two or three close friends to meet his grandfather, it wouldn't be impossible for him to even ask his grandfather to give them a hand in marriage. Of course, he felt that his friends would never accept that.
After all, neither of them wanted to be allowed to skip the queue to see their grandfather, so why would they accept any extra help?
His two colleagues and friends were not the kind of people who were short-sighted and only cared about gains and losses; they cared about their friend and valued this friendship.
"Sigh~ Alright then, since that's the case, I won't make any special arrangements. However, you can't just leave after eating."
Come to my yard later; I have some paintings there, and we can admire them and have tea together.
“That’s impressive. Brother Liu’s collection of paintings must be extraordinary. We should definitely learn more about them.” Xiao Ming’s words made Liu Peng a little proud.
Hehe, although his painting skills are just average, his appreciation ability has been praised by his own grandfather. Those paintings were not gifts from others, nor did they belong to the family.
He acquired it himself from the common people, and most importantly, he didn't spend too much money on it.
He finally found an opportunity to show off. Although his cousins were not illiterate, very few of them were interested in calligraphy and painting.
Some of my cousins like doing business, some like studying astronomy and geography, and others like studying food.
Several of the new dishes at today's small banquet were created by my cousin, who is obsessed with cooking.
The three of them were having a good time, but the second son of the Minister's family, Wang, had already drunk several jugs of wine in a huff.
The people at the table were all familiar with each other, and they each found topics to chat about, mainly about the imperial court and their children's studies and examinations.
These are precisely the things that Young Master Wang is not interested in. Why not talk about the most famous courtesan in the capital and the largest and best teahouses and restaurants in the capital?
These officials are all hypocrites. Do you really think they don't like beautiful women and delicious food?
If you really don't like it, then why are all these chopsticks acting like they have springs on them, constantly picking at things? You must know your stuff.
He can't join in other people's conversations, and he can't find the right time to start a new topic.
He could only ease the awkwardness by drinking one glass of wine after another. There was no other way; the Second Young Master Wang was still a man who cared about his reputation.
Although he made a fool of himself in the flower hall at the beginning, he was, after all, the son of a high-ranking official, so people still had to give him some face on the surface.
However, when people drink too much alcohol, they lose control of their thoughts, and their brains become more sluggish.
At this point, not only was Wang Er's mind slow, but his eyesight also became poor.
The faces of the three adults in front of me inexplicably turned into those three people's faces. Strange, did my grandfather not want to stand it anymore and moved me to the front table?
Hmph, I knew my grandfather wouldn't abandon me, but I don't care to sit with these three.
Are officials of the sixth or seventh rank really that high-ranking? Hehe~
"Hmph, don't be so smug. Who knows who will be the most powerful family in the Great Zhou in the future? You're officials today, but whether you'll still be... hiccup... yes, officials, who knows... hiccup..."
Wang Er was drunk, and his words were mumbled, but everyone present was shrewd enough to guess what he was saying.
Jiang Xiaoqi hadn't been paying attention to what was behind her, but her hearing was now so incredible that it seemed to be cramming all sorts of information, useful or not, into her ears.
Jiang Xiaoqi: 'Could it be that the Wang family harbors rebellious intentions? I'm not sure, let me hear more~'
Silver, the richest man, soldiers, weapons...
Whether others heard it clearly or not, Jiang Xiaoqi heard every single word.
Hey! This banquet was definitely worth it! Isn't this the most important information?!