Chinese dining table

Chapter 1210: There Are Some Changes After All
So many people died in Luoyang City, but it was not as important as a royal breakfast.

Neither the Queen, who suffered a great loss, nor the Prince, who suffered a passive loss, mentioned what happened last night, as if last night's bloody night had nothing to do with them.

After breakfast, Li Zhi called Ruichun.

"The Crown Prince wants me to go to Chang'an to recuperate for a while. What do you think?"

Ruichun whispered: "Chang'an is a good place."

Li Zhi sneered and said, "The phoenix lands in a treasure land, and the dragon can only go to high mountains and large swamps!"

Ruichun looked around, then continued in a low voice: "The Queen will not go to Chang'an either."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "It seems that Chang'an now belongs to the prince."

Ruichun thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, I thought Chang'an belonged to the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Zhi glanced at Ruichun and asked, "What do you mean?"

Ruichun said: "Your Majesty can go to Chang'an. After your Majesty goes to Chang'an, Chang'an belongs to your Majesty. The Queen can also go to Chang'an. After the Queen goes to Chang'an, Chang'an will respect the Queen as the most respected. The same is true for the Crown Prince."

Li Zhi was surprised and asked, "How did you come to this conclusion?"

Ruichun said: "The governors of Chang'an are well-behaved. They recognize the legitimacy of the Tang Dynasty. Even if Your Majesty appoints a beggar as the governor of Chang'an at this moment, the officials in Chang'an will recognize this new governor and will not reduce his due respect or power. Even when the officials carry out the orders of this beggar governor, even if they are the most absurd orders, the officials there will definitely turn this absurd order into a good thing that benefits the country and the people."

"Whatever the order?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, for ten years, all the decrees issued by Chang'an have been good decrees to rest the people."

Li Zhi glanced at Ruichun and said, "You urged me to embarrass the officials in Chang'an? You will be punished with twenty strokes of the cane when you return."

Ruichun agreed with a smile.

Li Zhi shook his head and said, "I will not go to Chang'an."

Ruichun said quickly: "Your Majesty's concerns are justified."

Li Zhi smiled and said, "What you think I am worried about is not the same as my real worry. I tell you, if I go to Chang'an, I will definitely be a hundred times more comfortable than in Luoyang.

Everywhere you look, you see prosperity; everywhere you hear, you hear peace and prosperity, and a good harvest. Even if there is a conflict on the border or a rebellion in the country, the Tang army can quickly put it down.

Besides, Yun Chu, this idiot, is a man who can talk and do things, he will definitely serve me comfortably.

Don't think that he is doing this to flatter. Let me tell you, as long as I am in Chang'an, he will carry out the policies he hopes to formulate without any scruples, and will unscrupulously integrate his ideal Chang'an with the current Chang'an.

In the whole world, only because I am in Chang'an, he dares to vigorously promote the construction of Chang'an.

You only know that I can live comfortably and intimately in Chang'an, but you don't know that once the emperor falls into the land of beauty, his death will come.

Which emperor who wanted to make a difference did not walk out barefoot from a thorn forest?
Now is the best time for the Tang Dynasty. I want to enjoy it for two more years. I cannot enter Chang'an, this land of peace and tranquility.

Get ready. I will move to Jiucheng Palace in three days!"

It takes an ordinary person nine days to walk from Luoyang to Chang'an. However, this is only a rough estimate. The actual time required may vary depending on the season, weather, road conditions and means of transportation.

The Yun Chu family's convoy used a marching method, so in just three days, the Yun family's convoy had passed Tongguan.

After passing Tongguan, you will enter the Guanzhong Plain and go south along the Wei River, and you will eventually arrive at Chang'an.

In the past, Tongguan became the most important barrier in Guanzhong because of its dangerous terrain and easy defense but difficult attack. Now it is different. Since the emperor moved the capital to Luoyang, this majestic pass of Tongguan has gradually declined due to political factors. In addition, the Yellow River has been constantly cutting through Tongguan, causing the collapse of two walls of Tongguan, and it has not received proper repairs to date.

In other words, the imperial court was no longer prepared to repair Tongguan. Once the walls of Tongguan collapsed completely and the surface of the Yellow River gradually dropped, the decline of Tongguan became irreversible.

It is very sad to see Tongguan gradually withering. After all, Zhang Yanghao has not yet composed the immortal poem "Shanpoyang·Tongguan Nostalgia".

Standing on the ruined city wall of Tongguan, looking at the peaks and rivers that were like gathered peaks and raging waves, Yun Chu pondered for a long time, and finally gave up chanting such a famous line from ancient times as "When a country prospers, the people suffer; when a country perishes, the people suffer".

It’s because he doesn’t have the same position as Zhang Yanghao.

It has not rained for half a year since May, which has had a huge impact on Guanzhong. Signs of drought are everywhere, and there is even half a foot thick fine dust like water on the roads.

The Yellow River water under our feet became turbulent after September. However, although there seems to be a lot of water in the Yellow River, its help to Guanzhong is very limited, because the river is located in a deep canyon and the water in the Yellow River cannot serve as a source of water to irrigate the plains.

Even on the plains, the Yellow River will naturally cut down and hide itself in deep ravines.

Although it was a year of severe drought, the people seen along the way did not show the panic that one would expect in a disaster year. It was because there was little water and they rarely washed their faces, so everyone looked gray. However, judging from the millet buns in the hands of a group of dirty children, they should still have a lot of food stored in their homes.

If there was not enough food in stock, why would there be children running around with millet buns? They would have already become big-headed babies with big bellies and thin limbs due to drinking too much porridge. How could they have the energy to spit at the Yun family convoy just because the dust raised by the passing convoy got all over their heads and faces?

"It has rained in Guanzhong in the past five months. There have been two rains, but they were both small and only moistened the ground. They were of no use in alleviating the drought."

After hearing what Yin Erhu said, Yun Chu took the initiative to ask the old man who was squatting against the wall to bask in the sun.

"Old man, do we have enough food to last until next summer's harvest?"

The old man with mucus in the corners of his eyes looked at Yun Chu, who was dressed in brocade, in confusion, and his face immediately changed. He snatched the millet steamed bun from his grandson's hand and put it in his arms, and said to Yun Chu tremblingly: "Sir, there is no extra food at home. The little food in my grandson's mouth is what I saved from my own mouth for him.

Look at this kid, he is so hungry that his bones are just skin and bones. He is already eight years old."

Yun Chu looked at the little kid in front of him who looked only four years old. Not only was he as strong as a calf, but he was also very brave. He had nothing to do so he wanted to touch the sword on Yin Erhu's waist.

I know that it is okay to give these people food, but it is pure dreaming to take food away from them.

Since he couldn't get anything out of his questions and didn't get a favorable response from the other party, Yun Chu naturally lost the desire to visit the poor and inquire about their hardships.

As soon as Yun Chu left, the old man stuffed the millet bun hidden in his arms back into his grandson's hands, and slapped him on the butt and said, "You bastard, you only know how to show off. If the government knew that we have enough to eat, they would definitely collect more taxes this year...hide it and eat it in the future."

It would be more accurate to say that the old man was speaking to the official Yun Chu rather than to his own grandson, because he had a very loud voice and did not conceal it.

Yun Chu was furious. He snatched half a millet bun from the child and took a bite. He angrily said to the old man, "You know I'm an official, but you still don't know how to hide it."

The old man glared at him, and Yun Chu felt relieved.

Millet steamed bun is very solid. It is made from whole millet and nothing else is added. It is just half a bun made of pure grain. It is very filling after eating.

His family can make such solid steamed buns. If the family’s stored food cannot last for two years, Yun Chu can give him his head as compensation.

Yun Chu munched on a millet bun as he walked away, ignoring the thunderous curses behind him.

Tongguan is considered a poor place in Guanzhong. If you want to see a better life for the people, you have to look to the Wei River Basin.

After turning from Tongguan to Weishui, Yun Chu couldn't help but sigh. The water of the Wei River, which was once turbulent, is now only 40% of what it used to be, and the river water also emits an unpleasant smell.

There is no way around it. When the Wei River was abundant in water, the sewage discharged from Chang'an City into the Wei River had no time to dissipate the smell and was sent into the Yellow River. Now that the water is insufficient, the Wei River has turned into a stinking ditch.

Yun Chu was even certain that at least one-tenth of the water flowing in the Wei River now was domestic sewage from Chang'an.

It can be said that it cleans the people of Chang'an and stinks the people of the three hundred miles of Wei River.

It is said that rivers in nature have self-purification functions, but Yun Chu did not see this on the Wei River.

After smelling the stinky water of the Wei River for two days, Yun Chu and his family finally returned to Chang'an.

Like all officials returning to Chang'an, no one greeted him and no one paid special attention to him. Only when he entered the city from Mingde Gate did a few gate officials who were just there for show recognize Yun's groom.

When they were about to reach Chang'an, all the members of the Yun family took the initiative to remove their armor. Wearing armor to enter Chang'an City was a very troublesome thing. No matter who you were, the bad guys would register the number of armors, check whether the armor was in compliance with the regulations, whether the length of the weapon exceeded the standard, the origin of the crossbow, whether the bow force exceeded four stones, and whether the arrows were military standard...

Therefore, when the Yun family withdrew all their minions, their caravan was almost the same as those of ordinary noble families. This was too common in Chang'an. After all, all the remaining noble families in Chang'an lived here.

After returning to her home in Jinchangfang, Yun closed the door to visitors for three days.

It's not that Yun Chu doesn't want to grasp the current situation in Chang'an as soon as possible, but the old immortal has important things to arrange. The Buddhist and Taoist debate conference at Louguantai is about to begin. The old immortal hopes that Yun can devote himself to this matter and not be confused by the bald monk Xuanzang.

Yun Chu didn't care much about the Louguantai Debate Conference. It was a matter between Yun Jin and Wen Huan. As for himself, he went to the Da Ci'en Temple to pay a visit to Xuanzang.

This has nothing to do with whether Xuanzang is his father or not. The main thing is that Master Kuiji believed that the money that Yun had borrowed had already passed the three-year deadline, and it was time to repay it anyway.

Yun Chu washed off the dust from the journey, put on a grey monk's robe, tucked a packet of homemade sliced ​​thousand-layer cloud cake under his ribs, and left through the back door and entered the Da Ci'en Temple.

"You were away this year, and the Indian water lilies in the lotus pond bloomed 108 flowers in 18 colors."

When Yun Chu arrived, the one who greeted him was naturally the abbot, Master Kuiji.

"Are you sure you didn't pull out some or transplant some? There are only 108 flowers in bloom, and they are 18 colors. With these two conditions combined, I can only say it's impossible!"

"Buddhists do not tell lies."

"When I was in the southwest, the great Buddhist master Du Hai would not speak unless he told a lie!"

"He just lied too much, so he was called back by the Buddha to continue practicing, not to mention crossing the sea. Are you ready to pay back the money?"

Yun Chuyang raised the sliced ​​cloud cake in his hand and said, "Let's go see Master Xuanzang first."

Kuiji said viciously: "Even if Master Xuanzang agrees not to pay back the money, you can't get past me. Three million strings of cash is a lot. Do you know how many mendicants it would take many years to get it?"

Yun Chu grinned and said, "Master Xuanzang is a true monk who regards money as dirt. But you, an old monk, have been practicing with Master Xuanzang for such a long time, but you still haven't figured out your view of money."

The machine-peeping master stopped and asked, "Are you going to blackmail me?"

Yun Chu stroked Master Kuiji's broad back and said, "How is that possible? The money will definitely be repaid. It depends on how it is repaid. I heard that the Louguantai Debate Conference is about to begin. Sun Shenxian, who never paid attention to these things before, now takes it very seriously."

Master Kuaiji did not feel nervous at all when he heard this. He put his hands together and said to Yun Chu, "Amitabha, it's just a verbal dispute. What if I win, and what if I lose?"

While they were talking, the two arrived at the monastery where Master Xuanzang practiced.

Having not seen each other for more than two years, Yun Chu was stunned the moment he saw Master Xuanzang. He could never have imagined that Xuanzang, who had already looked very old two years ago, was now wearing a white monk's robe, standing on the lotus platform in the monastery with a smile on his face, and actually had a hint of youthful charm.

(End of this chapter)