Chapter 15

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Preparation for the Baekgwan Hweui banquet began almost as soon as the announcement of the gantaek was made public and weeks before Soo-yun had been chosen. It wasn't every day that the Crown Prince finds a bride, especially with the continuous delays that the queen had caused. The royal kitchen was determined to make this night perfect.

Special care was also taken to make certain that the ingredients came from all the territories of Joseon and were of the highest quality. Using these fresh seasonal ingredients, local specialties of seafood, meat, vegetables, and grains from all eight provinces would be served to the royal family. It was said that a King could understand the state of health of his subjects and the seasonal conditions of the regions without leaving his palace in Hanseong by merely tasting the food from those provinces.

The vegetables and fish were all inspected to make certain that none of them looked irregular or deformed. Only the finest parts of each ingredient would be used in order to highlight the best taste and quality of the various styles in hopes that the king would govern justly. Strong seasonings were not used in the food preparation, in order to deliver the natural taste of the ingredients used in the meal.

A variety of cooking methods were used to bring the best balance and harmony to the dishes; vegetables were served either served fresh or steamed while the first main course consisted of cooked meats and fish served cold. Between each course, either hot or cold noodles would be served to refresh the palate before the final main course of roasted beef, this time served hot. Countless side dishes of fried abalone, soft-steamed chicken, pickled radish and ginger, fish and crab pancakes, slices of boiled beef, poached eggs, dried meat, fresh sashimi, seasoned rice cakes, and a variety of kimchi were spread among the tables.

Several stacks of food were placed around the dining area as decorations. Each stack was 24-inches tall and constructed of tteok rice cakes in a variety of colors and styles, hangwa confectionery, and colorful fruits to make unique patterns. The towers presented on the table were only for appearances and not actually eaten; instead, they represented the wishes of prosperity and longevity of the Crown Prince and his bride.

Every court maid and eunuch that were not required for the personal care of the royal family had been assigned a task to accomplish for the banquet. Table clothes were washed and pressed, courtyards were swept free of even a speck of dust, and decorations had been hung high. From the lowest nain to the highest sanggung, everyone had a role to play on this historic night.

Numerous colorful paper globe lanterns were strung along the paths and bridges leading to the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion. The brightly-lit, two-story wood structure sat on an artificial island in the middle of a man-made pond. Hundreds of lit lotus lanterns had been set free on the pond to transform the surface into a glittering, earth-bound constellation as the lanterns lazily shifted and swirled across the water.

Ministers debated and jockeyed for positions closer to the royal family in the hopes of getting a good word in with them during this festive time. Nobles from all over Joseon had eagerly waited for their invitations to arrive, signifying that they had found favor with King Kang-dae or some other high-level official. Neighboring foreign dignitaries had traveled for weeks to give their well-wishes to the future king and queen.

Court maids would check each guest's invitation at the bridge that crossed the pond to the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and escort them past the forty-eight stone columns on the first floor which symbolized each yearly astronomical event to the stairs that led up to the second floor. The royal family would be seated in the center bay of the pavilion as the sun that the rest of the kingdom orbited around. Around them were twelve bays, one for each month of the year, that the highest-ranked officials would sit in. The minor officials and guests would be seated along the edges of the pavilion in the twenty-four outer bays that represented the twenty-four seasonal subdivisions.

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