"Dream of Tokyo" records the detailed process of birthday banquets in the last years of the Northern Song Dynasty, while "Dream of Liang" records the birthday banquets in Song Taizong and South Song Taizong, which are actually consistent and unchanged. Meng Liang clearly stated that "at the beginning of the country, everyone kept the ceremony, and when he was tired, he dared not change it"-the rules set at the time of the founding of the People's Republic were never changed again.
So, what is the specific scene of the highest-standard birthday banquet in the palace handed down from generation to generation? Take Song Huizong's birthday party as an example. According to Dream in Tokyo, the 10 day of each year is Tianning Festival-that is, Hui Zong's birthday. However, officials attended the birthday party on the first day 12. Before the monarch and his subjects "enter", Hanlin Division, Chef and other departments specializing in catering for the court should arrange tables, chairs and props at the banquet site, and the specific arrangement clearly shows the hierarchy:
Of course, the throne of the emperor is located in the middle of the temple, in front of which is the "imperial tea bed", that is, the dining table. The dining table is decorated with artificial flower branches made of jewels, several plates of exotic fresh fruits, and fruit bowls for viewing only. Plates are pagodas piled with candied fruit and carved fruits.
Opposite the throne, there are four rows of seats. The first row are high stools and brocade seats. A low table is set in front of each seat, and a fruit plate with carved flowers or candied fruit is placed. The Prime Minister, the Prince and others, as well as the envoys of Liao, Korea and Xixia all sat down. The next three lines were changed into low stools, and three people shared a low dining table, all of whom were important officials of the imperial court.
The seats of ministers and junior attaché s from other countries are all outside the main hall, and under the eaves of temples on both sides, there is a table for three people. The "Kanpan" decoration made of ring cakes, oil cakes and jujube towers on the dining table is purely for decoration and is not allowed to be eaten. In addition, there are junior officers who set up seats behind the "mountain building". It was really the emperor's treat and threw himself at the banquet. There were a large number of people and the scene was particularly huge.
The duration of the whole banquet is so long that it must be divided into two parts, called "before the banquet" and "after the banquet". I drank five cups in the first half and four cups in the second half. Each round includes three glasses of wine, and the head of a * * * department first toasts the emperor, accompanied by ministers; Then, accompanied by the emperor and ministers, propose a toast to the prime minister; Finally, symbolically propose a toast to the officials of other departments, and everyone cheers together.