Since the emperor's banquet is a national etiquette, of course, there are no rules. According to the Ming system, it can be divided into big banquet, middle banquet, regular banquet and small banquet. Generally, only in the spring, Lantern Festival, April 8, Dragon Boat Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Laba Festival and other festivals, or when temples and palaces are built in the suburbs, will there be a chance to hold a "grand banquet". As for the specifications below the big banquet, "Where is Barachiel, Fangze, praying for the valley, farming day and night?" C. After the feast day, the East Palace talks about reading and gives meals. Pro-silkworm, give rice to domestic and foreign women. The compilation and arrangement of books, the opening of the museum and the completion of the book were all given banquets. "At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, both Zhu Yuanzhang and Judy held a' big banquet' in the Fengtian Temple to entertain officials, but after Xuande, they were all held at the meridian gate. Of course, sometimes the emperor suddenly wants to' salute' and just find a suitable excuse. " "Ming History" records that in the winter of Xuande for five years, "it doesn't snow for a long time, but it snows heavily in December. The emperor showed his ministers the poem "Happy Snow" and gave them a snow feast. The princes entered the peace chapter, and the emperor chose to record it by police, which was an order. "
Shang Baosi is responsible for the preparations for the grand banquet. First, the memorial was erected on the temple, covered with Huang Hui, and Jin Wuwei had 24 guards to stand by. The teacher's workshop department set up nine music songs in the hall, set up a happy hall outside, and the dance troupe waited outside. There is a wine pavilion in the west of Guanglu Temple throne, a dining pavilion in the east of the throne, and a rare and delicious pavilion on the east and west sides of the wine pavilion (originally an ancient word, so it is difficult to write). The royal banquet is placed in the east and west of the throne, the crown prince sits in the east and west of the throne, and the kings sit from south to east and west. Ministers with more than four products are in the hall, while those with less than five products are entertained outside, and a group of cooks, drinkers and diners are arranged to wait on them.
At the banquet, the ceremony invited the emperor to ascend to the throne. When the emperor went out, the big music played immediately. After the emperor ascended the throne, the music stopped. Then firecrackers sounded, and the crown prince and the prince went to the temple in turn. After that, civil and military officials above level 4 entered the hall from the east and west, and those below level 5 only stood in your highness. After the ceremony, Guanglu Temple filed in and played again. They stopped when they arrived at the headquarters. Then Guanglu Temple held a banquet to drink, and first proposed a toast to the emperor. During the first round of drinking, the teacher played "Song of Inflammatory Essence". Everyone kneels when they are happy, and of course the workshop department should also kneel to play. The emperor raised his glass and finished the wine. The officials knelt down, saluted and took their seats. In the second toast, the band played "Song Against the Wind" and the music began. Guanglu Temple drank for the emperor, and ministers drank in order. After the emperor raised wine, the ministers also raised wine. Next, the soup is served, and the drum music leads the way. Guanglu Temple went outside the temple and the missionary work stopped. The hall was full of music and the ministers stood up. The officials of Guanglu Temple served the soup to the emperor, then the ministers sat down again and gave them a lesson. At this time, the emperor raised chopsticks, and the ministers also raised chopsticks. This is also a special thing, called Zanzhuan. Next, the dance comes on stage. The first type is generally martial arts dance, which is called "the dance to pacify the world" according to modern parlance. Further down, in the third round, the band played "Song of Ming Taizu as soon as possible" and danced "Dance of Four Yi People in Fuan". In the fourth round, I played Legend of Heaven and danced Dance of Che Shu. In the fifth round, I played "Song of Emperor's Program" and danced "Hundred Dances". In the sixth round, I played "Song of Jinling" and danced "Eight People Offering Treasures". In the seventh round, I played the Song of Yang Chang and danced the Dance of Picking Lotus Team. In the eighth round, I played Fang Yi's song and danced Yu Garden Dance. In the ninth round, play the Song of Driving Six Dragons. Every toast, the ceremony is the same as the first round, and it is done the same. After nine rounds, Guanglu Temple received the imperial knights, and the preface class received the lamps of the ministers and served the soup. By this time, it is estimated that all the people are hungry, and it is finally their turn to have a big meal. Daqu played, the ministers stood up, Shane sat down, and the preface class began to serve.
The raw materials of banquet food are exotic and sent to Beijing from all over the country. Some fresh food is sent by express mail. Chef chef carefully cooked, of course, are top grade.
The feast is over. Quit the dinner, and finally come to a dance "Hundred Flowers Dance". In the light song and dance, Guanglu Temple withdrew the imperial case, and the order class withdrew the minister case. After the dance, the ministers stood in the east, west and north directions. For the last tribute, the etiquette department told the emperor that the banquet was over and the sacred driver invited me back. After the emperor got up and left, the banquet ceremony officially ended.
After eating this meal, manpower, material resources and financial resources are hard to calculate. On the whole, the scale of court banquets in Ming Dynasty was not as good as that in Song Dynasty and Qing Dynasty. You can imagine the momentum of the emperor's invitation to dinner. To paraphrase the personal feelings of the ancients, it is "Lishan Building is extremely luxurious".