Chapter 285: Time Will Pass Quickly
In the military, it was customary to hold a banquet to celebrate a victorious battle. Given such a resounding victory, it was only natural to host a grand feast.
Although Song You was not a warrior, he did not decline the invitation.
The living conditions in the military were simple, yet the banquet was almost as formal as a banquet.
What constituted a banquet?
In ancient times, people did not use tables and chairs for meals. When hosting a banquet, a layer of coarse woven fabric would be spread on the ground as the yan[1], followed by a layer of finer woven fabric as the xi[2], combining to form what we now call yanxi[3]. However, in modern times, most people in Great Yan use tables and chairs or low desks for dining, making traditional yanxi arrangements largely obsolete.
However, in modern times, most people in Great Yan dined using tables and chairs or small desks, so the use of traditional mats had become rare.
The military, being less formal, still followed the older customs and used yanxi for their feast.
They chose a large room and invited the generals who were not on duty, the strategists under the commander’s banner, and the officers who had distinguished themselves in battle. The room was then filled with wine and meat for a grand meal.
Song You and Lady Calico sat at the seats of honor, constantly approached by others who respectfully offered them toasts.