Qin Official

After being repeatedly criticized by Heifu and Gong Ao, Zhang Bo ended up asking for trouble...

He had no choice but to clap his hands, reveal this scene, and ask the servants to serve the dishes quickly!

The maids in green clothes wearing pure white socks came in one after another. Although these women were not very beautiful in the eyes of Hei Fu, in the eyes of several noble Qin soldiers who came with him, these maids were the most beautiful they had not seen for a long time. The beautiful woman swallowed her saliva immediately.

The maidservants looked at the wide-eyed group of Qin soldiers and soldiers, and either frowned or covered their mouths and smiled. They placed the dishes and drinks on the tables in front of everyone one by one, then bowed and walked backwards down the hall. .

Hei Fu took a look and said to himself: "Mr. Zhang really spent a lot of money today."

But I saw that in addition to rice, there was a lot of meat on the table. The meat with bones was placed on the left, the large pieces of cut meat were placed on the right, the meal was placed on the left hand of the person, and the soup was placed on the right hand of the person. Besides, there are vegetables on the outside and condiments such as scallions and dipping sauce included, which is for convenience of eating. The wine pulp is placed in a pot on the side, and chopsticks, daggers, forks, knives and other items are presented.

When Heifu was the director of the pavilion, he visited several county officials' homes and attended several banquets. So he knew that during the Warring States Period, Chinese people had to pay attention to various rules when eating, especially the banquets held by scholar-bureaucrats in the Central Plains. Moreover, not only chopsticks were used on the dining table, but spoons, knives, and forks were also common tools.

That's just the Qin State. The Wei State is located in the Central Plains. It not only has a long history, but also has a prevalent Confucianism and is heavily influenced by the culture of ritual and music. The Zhang family in Fuxiang also claimed to be a doctor of the Spring and Autumn Period. He had poems and books in his home, and many of his children studied with Confucian scholars. Therefore, although he was just a local sage and rich man, he also regarded himself as a family of etiquette and music, and he had to pay attention to everything.

As the saying goes, at the beginning of husband's rituals, food and drink begin. In the culture of ritual and music, eating is not only a meal, but also a ritual.

Confucians even debated with people, which one is more important, etiquette or food?

The Confucian answer is yes: "Of course it is due to courtesy!"

Because they knew Zhang's rules, the wise elders at the east banquet were very careful: before entering the banquet, they should be calm and calm, their expressions should not change, their hands should hold their clothes one foot off the ground, and they should not lift their tops. Don't stamp your feet and make a sound. When serving food, the dishes should be placed in an orderly manner during the meal, and people should be considerate of others when eating...

In addition to polite behavior, the skillful use of various tableware is also part of the "eating etiquette".

Let's just say that the name of the wooden table spoon in front of me in this era was "dagger" or "spoon". Table spoons and chopsticks are usually used together and usually appear on the table at the same time. However, the division of labor between daggers and chopsticks is quite clear and the two cannot be mixed.

On the east banquet, everyone first raised their chopsticks, picked up vegetables from the plate, put them into their mouths, chewed them in small bites, and after swallowing, they put down their chopsticks, picked up their spoons, and put the hot porridge and rice into their mouths... …

This is exactly what "Book of Rites, Qu Lishang" says: "You don't need to use chopsticks for rice and millet", and "If there are vegetables in the soup, use chopsticks; if there are no vegetables, don't use chopsticks."

On the teacher's side, except for Heifu and Gong Ao who knew some eating etiquette, the rest of the Qin soldiers and soldiers did not understand at all. Some used chopsticks all the time, some used spoons all the time, and some even used their hands to eat! They had worked hard in the camp for too long, and they were eating so much at the moment that they couldn't care less.

The same is true when eating meat. A bone fork with a double-tine and thin handle is paired with a short and thin copper knife, all wrapped in silk fabric. Therefore, the wise elders at the East Banquet, like later generations eating Western food, cut large pieces of white meat with knives. This is what Confucius said in those days: "If the cut is not correct, then it will not be eaten." Then they use a fork to fork the meat Put it in your mouth, close your eyes and have endless aftertaste...

The Qin soldiers under the teacher were very different. They all ate very recklessly, or just held the meat and bones in their hands and gnawed them, swallowing them whole. Their mouths were full of oil, and they wiped them casually with their sleeves. They made a lot of noise while eating soup. After eating, they laughed even more and threw the bones out to the dogs in the yard. Then they picked their teeth in public and commented loudly on the food while picking them back...

These are all prohibited behaviors in the meal ceremony. This scene made the few virtuous village elders on the east table who were chewing their food slowly dumbfounded. The maidservants serving in the hall were whispering and snickering. It also made the black husband just say something. Zhang Bo, who was slightly shocked, showed contempt again.

"Sure enough, they are a group of Qin people who share the common customs of Rong and Di! They don't know what etiquette is!"

Heifu, however, looked normal and ate in his usual way, not feeling any shame in it.

I was eating in separate portions, and had to lift the chopsticks, put down the wooden spoon, put it down, and lift it up again. It was really tiring. As for the two tools, the fork and the knife, they are special items for the upper class and are the exclusive preserve of "meat eaters", so they are unlikely to be very popular. As "Huo eaters", the Qin soldiers did not need to buy special meat-eating forks and knives in their daily lives, because there was no meat in their food, and naturally they did not know how to use them.

So, is it to blame that they came from a humble background and did not have the opportunity to learn aristocratic etiquette while working hard all day in farming and fighting?

Shang Jun said it well, etiquette is the way to facilitate things!

The so-called etiquette means from complex to simple, which is to make it convenient for the people. The knives and forks used by the upper class in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period were gradually eliminated from the dining table by the Han Dynasty, because the former Guizhou mud-legged men had overthrown the blood nobles, sat in high positions, and created the situation of common people. . They also simplified and simplified their complicated set of rituals. Only some old Confucians clinging to the customs that have been out of touch with social culture and trying to restore the long-dead Zhou rituals.

After stripping away the red tape, the essence is just eating, drinking and sleeping!

The etiquette that is limited to a small circle and allows a few well-known and powerful people to show off is a false etiquette; the etiquette that can be spread throughout the world and benefit the majority of people is the true etiquette!

Of course, Heifu is not making excuses for himself and his colleagues' "illiteracy", he just feels...

"If the rule of the Wei State passes by, it will be absolutely impossible for the heads of Guizhou and the local sages, the untouchables and the nobles to dine in the same dining room."

Besides, if we really want to talk about nobleness and inferiority, the people at the east table must be more noble than the Qin soldiers at the west table?

If you want to count blood ties, family background, and mastery of rituals and music, of course this is the case.

But now this place has surrendered to Qin, and the way Qin calculates wealth is very different from that of the Six Kingdoms.

Our Qin country counts titles, and the dozen or so people brought by Hei Fu, without exception, were all beheaded and promoted in the last battle of Waihuang. They were either Shangzao or public servants. On the other hand, except for Zhang Bo and Zhang Fu, the rest of the people at the East Table can only be regarded as soldiers!

Which one is more expensive? Which one is mean?

Eastern Xixi and Xixi, Shandong and Qin, two understandings of etiquette and customs, two ways of thinking that distinguish between high and low. There is a huge gap between the two sides, and there is almost no common language. There are countless conflicts just on this small dining table.

The winner has his own set of rules and will not easily believe in the loser's etiquette, and the loser will not easily give up what he has insisted on for hundreds of years.

Hei Fu thought to himself: "This is just the beginning of the conflict between the etiquette and customs of Qin and the Six Kingdoms. The days to come will be long..."

The integration of different countries and the exchanges of different classes cannot be achieved by simply killing all those who are different from oneself with swords, nor can it be solved by a decree of "the same car and the same track and the same text".

The Qin people who were promoted from the head of Guizhou to the title of nobility and were sent to the hometown of Shandong as officials in the Six Kingdoms needed to carefully learn Eastern etiquette and integrate into the new cultural circle so that they would laugh at themselves less and less.

The nobles and sages of the Six Kingdoms also need to learn. Under the oppression of power, they must learn the laws and rules of the Qin State, learn not to pay so much attention to the old etiquette and customs, and hold their noses to live in peace with the Qin officials they despise. After all, the family still needs to survive. .

If there is not enough time left for integration and the power of power suddenly ceases, then the next step will be resistance and collapse.

Fortunately, not everyone on the east side despised the rudeness of the Qin people. Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Zhang Xiu, the third elder in the village, stepped forward to smooth things over.

He raised the wine cup and said with a smile: "Don't be too busy eating. Today, You You are here to go to work. I specially take this wine as a companion to express our sincere welcome and wish You You a long life..."

Zhang Fu then looked at the Qin soldiers who had stopped eating and stared at him, and said bravely: "I wish you all a long life, too."

After the three elders started, Zhang Bo reluctantly raised his wine cup, and everyone at the east table also stood up and raised their glasses.

If it were a normal banquet, the teacher's guests should immediately bow down and say they dare not, and then drink the wine respectfully.

However, today's Qin soldiers were unmoved. None of them raised their glasses, but all looked at Hei Fu.

Firstly, they didn't understand what these Wei people were talking about. Secondly, the Qin army had strict orders and prohibitions. They were not even allowed to drink wine. Everyone smelled the aroma of wine, and although they were already very greedy, there was no order from Hei Fu. But still dare not taste it secretly.

"Today is a special case. It doesn't hurt to drink a little."

After Hei Fu said this, the eyes of the Qin soldiers were all bright. They immediately picked up the wine cups and drank all the little wine while sitting down without standing up or shying away from the table!

The guests at the east table looked embarrassed. They felt that they had been insulted and cursed in their hearts. Just when they were about to sit down angrily, they heard Mr. Hei say to the maid down the hall: "Pour some wine!"

The maids were stunned and looked at their master. After getting Zhang Bo's consent, they quickly came over and filled the empty wine cups again.

Heifu looked at the robes who hadn't had enough and smiled, then ordered: "Second and third sons, please stand up and offer a toast to the master!"

As soon as he finished speaking, ten Qin soldiers stood up in unison! At the same time, he raised the newly filled wine cup!

At the east table, everyone whose buttocks were touching their heels realized what was going on, and had no choice but to get up and avoid the seats again.

"Thank you for the host's hospitality and wish you a long life! I also wish General Wang to conquer Daliang as soon as possible and destroy Wei Sheji! Raise the white flag!"

"Best wishes to the king! I also wish General Wang to conquer Daliang as soon as possible and destroy Wei Sheji!"

Following Heifu's words, after shouting this slogan with all his strength, more than ten people uniformly picked up the wine cups and drank them all in one gulp! Then he showed the bottom of the cup to the people at the east banquet. This is the white cup.

I did it, what about you?

Zhong Ming continued to translate as usual. After hearing this, the Wei people at the east table looked at each other and had no choice but to shout "Longevity for the king" under the leadership of Zhang Bo and Zhang Fu. But when they thought that they had been replaced by a king in the blink of an eye, they still felt weird. As for the sentence "Destroy Wei Sheji", it made them feel a little lost. The more they thought about it, the lower their voices became...