Chapter 4: Morning

Cheng Qianli was promoted to prime minister and held a tail-burning banquet at home, which specially invited the emperor and Princess Taiping, and also entertained relatives, friends and colleagues who came to congratulate him.

Although their hometown is Jingzhao Prefecture, it is not in Chang'an City. Fortunately, the Cheng family's ancestors were rich and there were two ancestral homes in Chang'an.

One is in the north of the city where every inch of land is valuable, but the family has been sold when it falls; the other is not very valuable in the south, but it is still there. Cheng Qianli had no time to take care of his ancestral home in the south of the city.

Chang'an City is polarized, with the north of the city close to the concentration of palace yamen and the east and west cities, and it is extra prosperous and crowded; while the south of the city is nothing very desolate. During the Ruizong period, the Tang Dynasty tries to establish a market in the south of the city to develop the economy in the south of the city, but soon it failed due to the deserted business. Now it has been abandoned there and has become a place for beggars and dilapidated houses to shelter from the wind and rain.

The reason is that Chang'an City covers a wide area, with a long journey from south to north, and there is no public transportation. Except for the wealthy and wealthy families, not everyone has horses and cars to ride. The common people rely on walking or donkey carts to transport, so the south of the city is so depressed.

It was very far from the Anyifang where Xue Chongxun was located to Tongshanfang where Cheng Qianli's family was located in the south. He had to take a car and there was another team of cavalry guards of the Flying Tiger Regiment.

When his team first left Anyifang, he saw a familiar figure through the gap in the bamboo curtains in the car window.

The people all avoided the road, among which there was a woman riding a horse. Although she was wearing Hu clothes and dressed as a man, Xue Chongxun recognized that it was Yuwen Ji at a glance.

He remembered again that after he came back, everything was busy and he had never taken the time to go to Yuwen's house to check it out.

Yuwen Ji looked a little sad, but she just looked at the chariot and horse team silently.

The arrogant Flying Tiger Knights all had bright armors, sat upright on the horse, and were marching neatly with long weapons in their hands. There was also the low-key pine wood carriage, which attracted much attention.

Someone next to him whispered: The Prince of Hedong has made great contributions in Longyou, and he will catch up with the prince at this moment...

Yuwen Ji thought sadly: Have he forgotten me?

When I just thought about this, I suddenly heard someone say: Is the little lady from the Yuwen family?

When she looked back, she saw a middle-aged man in blue, with a white and fat smile, not wearing a hat, and was inserted into a wooden hairpin on his hair bun.

You are... Yuwen Ji said in confusion.

The white and fat middle-aged man smiled very kindly: Here is Xue Liu from the Hedong Prince's Mansion, you are just an old servant. I have met my little wife several times, but my little wife must have not paid attention to me, so I can't recognize her.

What's up?Yuwen Ji's tone was a little cold.

Xue Liu carefully held out a purple sandalwood box from his arms and presented it with both hands: Since he is the real master, please accept it.

Yuwen Ji hesitated for a moment and took it over. She was already Xue Chongxun’s woman, so there was no need to make anger in front of a slave.

Just as he was about to open it, Xue Liu hurriedly said: Don’t open it, this place is full of people, take it back and take it to see it.

Who has the ability to steal it from me? I want to see it. What baby, can you be so nervous?

Yuwen Ji smiled and opened the box.

Suddenly, a golden and red light flashed, and amid the uproar around him, they turned to look at Yuwen Ji's hand.

Yuwen Ji was also very surprised and stared at the thing in this ordinary-looking purple box.

Inside is a fine necklace made of millions of small red gold, with a red gem in the middle. The gem does not look like a dead object, but is moving like a flame like a living...

After a closer look, I found that it was because of the reflected sunlight, and the reflection from different angles made it seem like it was burning.

Yuwen Ji forgot to be angry with Xue Chongxun for a moment and blurted out: So beautiful!

Xue Liu hurriedly stepped forward, closed the box, and whispered: Don’t show your wealth, just talk with me.

Yuwen Ji found it funny and gently covered her mouth, thinking that this old slave is really a wealthy lover.The two left the street with them. When Yuwen Ji looked back, Xue Chongxun's convoy was gradually moving away along the long street.

Xue Liu walked for a while before he stood still: This thing is valuable. After my husband conquered the Tuyuhun Khanate, the two countries and two armies attacked Shibao City... Have you heard of Shibao City?

Yuwen Ji said: Just finish your words in one go, I am not as ignorant as you think.

Xue Liu hurriedly apologized with his fists and continued: At that time, the King of Tuyuhun Khan Murong met with his husband. The gift he gave was a rare thing.The husband said that there will be a banquet next time when you go back to the royal palace, and it will be just right for you to wear.

Yuwen Ji felt beautiful, but she still said angrily: Is it so precious to me?Can't bear it.

I don't know this, I just ordered to do it.

Yuwen Ji asked again: How do you know I am here?So how can I come out with this thing to find someone?

Xue Liu said shamelessly: The treasure will naturally not be on me, and I don’t know that the little lady is here.It was only after the husband gave the order to me and pointed out where you were.

So he can see me?Yuwen Ji smiled.

Xue Liuyi slapped his head, by the way, there is another thing.Today I am Prime Minister Cheng... The man who just returned from Longyou with Langjun was promoted to prime minister and held a banquet at home for a banquet. Langjun originally wanted to take you there, but Concubine Cheng was the prime minister's niece. It is more suitable to take her on such an occasion, so he went there with Concubine Cheng.The husband first returned to Chang'an and was busy with everything. He went to your mansion after two days.There is another saying: If the love between two people lasts for a long time, how can they stay day and night?

If the love lasts for a long time, how could it be day and night... When Yu Wenji recited this poem gently, she gently held the treasure box in her arms with a delicate hand, and her voice became lighter and lighter.

……

The tail-cooked banquet held by Cheng Qianli's family invited the emperor and Princess Taiping to cook it extra finely, with fifty-eight dishes on each table.

Many of the imperial chefs in the palace and the chefs in the restaurant were invited to come.

The aristocratic families and bureaucrats in Tongshanfang are constantly in exchange for each other, and the area in the south of the city has never been so lively.

The table is full of delicacies.

There are cold dishes, such as Wuxing and ginger; there are hot stir-frying, such as Jaeweng sauce; there are barbecue, such as Jinling roast and Guangming shrimp roast; in addition, soup, desserts, and pastries are also available.

Some of the dishes have a rather inspiring name.

For example, Guifei Red is a refined red pastry with flavored red pastry; sweet snow is frying the noodles with honey; white dragon is a mandarin fish shredded; snow baby is a hot pot with frog meat wrapped in bean flour; Yuhuang Queen Mother rice is a rice made of meat, eggs, etc.

When the wine was good, Xue Chongxun was thinking about the Flying Tiger Regiment, so he asked the Imperial General Chang Yuankai to replenish supplies and establish the system.

Chang Yuankai was a princess Taiping. He fought side by side with Xue Chongxun during the coup. Of course, he had nothing to say. He agreed to establish the system and put the imperial guards on the head, so the supply of military supplies would naturally be allocated from the imperial guards.

But although Chang Yuankai was happy, his mind was not confused. He said seriously: The Flying Tiger Regiment is a formal cavalry equipped with two gears of armor, with long armor and long soldiers and bows and crossbows. The number of guards is as large as one regiment. At the foot of the emperor, only the prince is qualified to have such a guard.

Xue Chongxun moved his seat and said, "When my mother lived outside the Daming Palace, the emperor agreed to set up a palace guard. Outside the Taiping Princess Mansion in Zhenguo, there were five steps, ten steps, and one whistle, all with imperial guards."

Chang Yuankai smiled bitterly and said: This matter must be settled by the emperor today. Brothers have no choice... But the prince is a sensible person. Your prince could have done that at the beginning, because she is a princess and a woman, so the prince is different.

After hearing this, Xue Chongxun felt something was right and said: Then we should transfer the Flying Tiger Regiment to Xuanwu Gate to serve as a service. General Chang will help arrange this matter.

Chang Yuankai picked up the wine glass and said: There is a small matter, and I have no choice but to do it.

At this moment, Princess Taiping, who was in power, asked with a smile: Chongxun, what are you and General Chang whispering?

Xue Chongxun shook his head and said: It's okay, just chat for a few casual words.

He did not tell the story of having a guard and let his mother treat it specially...

Sometimes it is better to be low-key, but it is too ostentatious and criticized.

In addition to congratulating Cheng Qianli on his reverence for the prime minister, his colleagues also congratulated Xue Chongxun on his appointment as the king at the dinner table, and made an appointment to visit him to congratulate him.

Of course, Xue Chongxun did not refuse, and he would hold another banquet at that time.

This is the habit of life in Chang'an, and it is better to have peace and prosperity, and it is full of wine and meat every day, and it is beautiful to sing and dance every night.

Toasted and slapped horses came one after another. As the cups and cups intersected, Xue Chongxun drank in a daze, his face flushed, and his body was filled with alcohol.

But after the banquet, there were singing and acting to set up a stage to make people have fun.

Xue Chongxun was drunk and wanted to take a shower, but everyone was in high spirits and he couldn't leave the table early, so he had to sit there while drinking tea and watching the show.

It was a coincidence that I was performing military dramas on stage. This humorous and funny program was very happy and was one of the common hobbies that officials and people in the Tang Dynasty liked.

In Xue Chongxun's opinion, the military drama is a bit like modern crosstalk, and two people talk nonsense on the stage.

There must be two characters in the military drama: Jun and Cangxiao, and there are many props that are never seen in modern times, such as the wooden hammer that is wrapped in soft cloth to beat the head of the military.

When Xue Chongxun looked up, he saw a man in the middle of the stage, looking like a scholar in a Confucian clothes and a philosophical genius sitting alone, while another in a Taoist robe sat in the corner.

He saw it and felt it was a little novel, so he turned to Cheng Ting next to him and said: Today's military participation show is unique, and I haven't seen military participation or Cang Falcon.

Cheng Ting said very well: This is "The Three Educations Lunheng", which is very funny, you can tell by looking at it.

I could only hear the person sitting in the corner asking: Since the sir is well-versed in the three religions, who is Shakyamuni Tathagata?

The scribe said to him: Woman.

The questioner was surprised and said: Why?

The scribe said calmly: The Diamond Sutra says: I sit down while I am sitting.If it is not a woman, why bother the husband and the son to sit?

The audience burst into laughter.

The person in the corner of the stage asked again: Who is Taishang Laojun?

Wen Shi said: It’s also a woman.

The questioner was disgusted, but he heard: The Tao Te Ching says: I have great troubles, but I have a body.When I have no body, what are the troubles I have?If you are not a woman, why should you be pregnant?

At this time, Emperor Li Shouli also understood and laughed with his hands.

The questioner asked again: Who is King Wenxuan (Confucius)?

Tao: It’s a woman.

The questioner said: How can you know it?

Tao: The Analects of Confucius says: How about you!How about it!I am waiting for the price.What if you are not a woman, why should you marry?

Brother Fen, Li Shouli, found it very interesting and immediately said loudly: Well said, give the person wearing long clothes a reward!

The bureaucrats looked at each other, and finally someone spoke softly in front of the emperor: Your Majesty, the officials of the court cannot be rewarded randomly. If your Majesty thinks it is good, you can reward some gold and silver.