Chinese dining table

Chapter 1248: Li Zhi Returns to His Original Nature

Since ancient times, the most beautiful scenery in Chang'an is Chang'an under the moon.

Chang'an is lonely and quiet under the waxing moon, with stars dotted like a river. A young child points to the Milky Way in the distance and listens to his mother telling old stories from the sky that can never be finished and never get boring.

During the full moon in Chang'an, the ground was covered with silver frost, and the sounds of pounding clothes and rice could be heard in the ears from thousands of households. Occasionally, a woman at the well would sing a song she had overheard from a brothel while washing clothes. Although she did not sing well, many playboys were willing to listen.

Only the waning moon is the most solemn, shining its cold light on the iron armor and the sharp blade, with a gleaming cold light. There is no sound of Hujia in Chang'an, only the warm lights of thousands of homes behind the cold light and iron armor.

The moonlight is bright today. When the huge pale yellow full moon rises from the East Mountain, the huge phoenix at the gate of Jinchangfang begins to shine. Its colorful wings flicker with the light, as if it has come alive and is about to sing.

Under the moonlight, the originally dark east side of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was covered with a layer of frost, making this tall tower, which had been criticized by the people of Chang'an for a long time, look like a half-rusted spike, pointing straight into the sky.

The flame on the Tianshu of All Nations' Praise was still burning, but the light it emitted was too weak and was easily suppressed by the bright moon, like a candle flickering in the cold wind.

When the candles in Xingqing Palace were lit, Chang'an immediately came alive. The bright candles and the bright moon in the sky shone together, like a dialogue between the human world and heaven.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, how high is the sky?"

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, the sky is nine stories high!"

"Alas—Alas—Where is my emperor?"

"Alas! — Alas! — Our Emperor is even higher up in the Ninth Heaven!"

"Alas! — alas! — the bright moon is the candle, the thunder is the drum."

"Alas - alas - the wind is like a palm-leaf fan, and the rain is like nectar.

"Alas! — alas! — the earth is the platform, and Chang'an is the plate."

"Alas! - Alas! - Dragons and phoenixes for food, rivers for drink."

"Alas! ---Alas! --- scoop a spoonful of Dongting water and congratulate our emperor."

"Your Majesty's life span is three thousand years, and the country's fortune is ten thousand miles long."

"Your Majesty's life span is three thousand years, and the country's fortune is ten thousand miles long..."

When the ceremonial officer led a group of officials to chant eulogies to welcome the emperor, Yun Chu was standing at the very edge, so he saw it very clearly. When those officials were chanting the eulogies, they really hoped that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty would live long, and that the Tang Dynasty would prosper for a long time. At least, that was what they thought and did at that moment.

A golden bell rang, and eight strong men holding ceremonial guards appeared and stood on both sides. Not only were they tall, but each of them looked to weigh three hundred pounds.

Next came eight pairs of palace maids in gorgeous palace costumes, carrying lanterns, golden cups, incense burners and other ceremonial objects. They walked so lightly that your feet could not be seen, and the whole body looked like they were gliding on the smooth ground. Yun Chu estimated that each of them was at least 1.8 meters tall.

Amid the welcoming music, eight eunuchs wearing black clothes and tall black hats appeared, with swords on their waists. They each held a red lacquered wooden tray covered with dark brocade, so it was unclear what was on the trays. However, from their vigorous steps and thick joints, Yun Chu realized that these should be eight castrated super masters.

When Emperor Li Zhi, who was wearing a fur coat without patterns or tassels, came out leading a giant black and white bear decorated with gold and jade, the two wing screens behind him were deliberately held very low by two palace maids. This made Li Zhi, who was walking in front, look extremely tall, and the giant bear, without the screens behind him, did not look that big. However, the giant bear walked with Li Zhi, and from time to time it rubbed against Li Zhi affectionately, as if he were a god.

Since Li Zhi didn't sit down, no one else could sit down. As for Yun Chu, who had sold his seat for a good price, he could only stand against the pillar.

Li Zhi sat down, and the giant bear lay at his feet. People who came to the banquet were still not allowed to sit down. Both men and women began to dance. After three times, Li Zhi whispered through the gap in the crown bead curtain: "Sit down."

The ceremonial officer immediately shouted that the ceremony was over, and everyone bowed and stepped back, slowly moving back to their seats relying on memory.

When Li Zhi spoke, everything was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

"I am very happy to return to Chang'an. Seeing that the whole room is filled with loyal ministers and filial sons of our Tang Dynasty, I am particularly happy. Today's banquet is called the Bright Moon Banquet. My heart is like the sky, and my dear ministers should also have a heart like the bright moon. You can speak freely and have fun at the banquet. Don't worry about anything else."

After saying this, he raised the wine jar in front of him and said, "My dear ministers, drink a lot."

Li Zhi lightly touched the wine bottle with his lips and put it down. All the guests, both men and women, drank it all in one gulp.

Without waiting for the drums and music to start, Wei An, the head of the Wei family, who was sitting in the first seat on the left, stood up tremblingly with a wine jar in his hand and said, "The bright moon is in the sky, shining on the vast land. The Tang Dynasty is peaceful and the people are prosperous. I congratulate Your Majesty."

With Old Wei taking the lead, everyone stood up again and shouted: "Congratulations to Your Majesty..."

This scene looks beautiful, but unfortunately, it is just the fantasy of Yu Wenjing, the Minister of Rites...

In fact, Li Zhi was wearing a simple purple robe, his hair was casually tied up with a green jade hairpin, and he was wearing a pair of soft shoes. He was followed by a giant bear whose fur was not smooth at all. The giant bear would often stuff its huge head between Li Zhi's legs, making it difficult for Li Zhi to walk, and he had to push the giant bear's head aside from time to time.

There were no 300-jin strong men clearing the way, no 1.8-meter-tall palace maids presiding over the ceremony, and no eight or eight strong men without balls guarding the left and right. There was only an unrefined emperor, stumbling out from behind.

The emperor used to be a person who paid great attention to etiquette and pomp, and he especially liked the grand scene of all nations paying homage. At that time, even if there were no all nations, the Ministry of Rites would inform the border troops to find a way to gather all nations to come to Chang'an for homage.

At that time, the emperor's every move was of supreme honor. His clothes and hats had to be luxurious, the ceremony had to be grand, the number of participants had to be large, and even the sound of his voice could be made into a polite voice.

Since when did the emperor start to not care about these things?

Yuwen Jing believed that it was after the emperor's Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai.

Before the Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai, there were always a few strange-looking Hu people or wretched-looking foreigners in the court. At every court meeting, the emperor would even specifically call on these Hu people or foreigners and ask them to talk about the solutions to the same problems encountered in their country. As a result, every time their answers would bring laughter to the whole room.

After the Fengshan Ceremony at Mount Tai, there were basically no foreigners in the court. The few remaining Japanese officials also disappeared from the court. When the emperor rarely attended court and the crown prince and the empress were in charge of the government, there were more officials who looked like foreigners, and most of them belonged to the empress's camp.

The emperor had fewer and fewer opportunities to wear the fur crown. Even during the grand ceremonies of spring and autumn festivals, the emperor never appeared in formal attire.

However, when the emperor came out, everything was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Yuwen Jing thought that this was a reflection of the emperor's greatly consolidated power. Looking into the distance, he saw only ministers and captives. Who would he show off to by wearing the fur coat and crown?

His Majesty the Emperor no longer needs these external things to embellish his honor. His mere appearance is the supreme honor for his subjects. Wherever he is, that is the center of heaven and earth.

Li Zhi finally came to the seat of honor, and threw his heavy body onto the wide couch. He grabbed a bottle of wine with his slender white hands and took a sip. Then he said to Yu Wenjing, the Minister of Rites, "Let's begin."

Yuwen Jing just knocked the golden hammer, and the golden bell made a buzzing sound. Then a group of women in palace dress holding feather fans came out from behind the huge pillar. One feather fan covered their face and the other covered their abdomen. The feather fans trembled continuously as they danced the welcoming spring dance.

Yun Chu looked at Wei An, who seemed very impatient because he couldn't speak, and felt very anxious for the old man Wei. If he couldn't communicate with the emperor, the thousands of acres of land he used to buy the seat would really be wasted.

There are certain rules for the palace maids to perform the Welcoming Spring Dance. This dance can only be seen at the emperor's banquet in early spring. Whenever the dance begins, some high-ranking officials will come on stage to dance with them. If the official's status is very high and the emperor values ​​him very much, the emperor will occasionally come off stage to dance with him surrounded by the palace maids.

Wei An and other old ministers got up from their seats and began to dance with their old waists to celebrate the New Year to the emperor.

The emperor did not move, but just patted the giant bear's head twice. The giant bear twisted and turned and walked into the dancing crowd, stood up, and jumped up and down.

Under Yun Chu's worried gaze, the emperor waved to Wei An, who was dancing breathlessly. Wei An hurriedly walked through the dancing crowd, came to the emperor's feet, and bowed.

Li Zhi held the wine jar in one hand and leaned forward. At this time, the sound of dance and music gradually became smaller and almost inaudible.

Even so, others still could not hear what the emperor said to Wei An. The old Wei An had already prostrated himself on the ground and paid homage to the emperor. From his surprised look, it could be seen that the old guy had benefited a lot this time.

Although everyone was dancing, their eyes were fixed on Emperor Li Zhi. Some were like Wei An who was moved to tears of gratitude, while others were like Du who was terrified. Overall, after each song and each stick of incense was spent welcoming the spring, the joys and sorrows of the people on the stage were different.

Li Zhi sat on a high seat with a majestic horse and a golden sword, holding a wine jar in his hand. He took a sip of wine and looked at the people off the field with a smile, like a satisfied old shepherd checking his sheepfold.

Lu Zhaolin came quietly to Yun Chu with a bottle of wine and whispered, "Your Majesty's power is unmatched."

Yang Jiong also took the opportunity to whisper: "I thought these people would take advantage of the emperor's presence in Chang'an to make some demands, but I didn't expect that in front of his majesty, they are really like cattle and sheep to be slaughtered, let alone put forward conditions... hehe..."

Yun Chu also said with emotion: "The aura of the emperor who has surpassed the Qin and Han dynasties has been formed. Whoever touches him will be unlucky."

Lu Zhaolin said: "I'm afraid that Emperor Taizong did not have such power in the past."

Yang Jiong said: "During the reign of Emperor Taizong, the Tang Dynasty was surrounded by wolves. Tubo and Goguryeo were both great enemies. Now, one of these two great enemies has fled to Nepal, and the other has destroyed the ancestral temple..."

While Yun Chu was whispering with Lu Zhaolin and Yang Jiong, Wu Chengsi was sitting in the most inconspicuous seat in Hua'e Tower, drinking cup after cup with his brother Wu Sansi.

Even though Yun Chu was extremely powerful at the moment, the brothers were not envious at all and even wanted to stay away from Yun Chu.

Wu Chengsi has always believed that it is not easy to take advantage of the royal family. Even though you are taking great advantage now, you will inevitably pay an equally tragic price in the future. This is the royal family's way of balance. It is allowed for each of you to be in the limelight for three to five years, but if you dominate for decades, then you are immature.

Wu Chengsi's gaze passed through the dense crowd of people, and the emperor in the distance was already out of reach.

Wu Sansi took a sip of the wine, shook the bronze wine jar in his hand, and said to Wu Chengsi: "Today's wine seems to be a bit too strong."

Wu Chengsi smiled and said, "Yun Chu said, 'It's not the wine that makes people drunk, but people make themselves drunk.' This is the moment."

Wu Sansi laughed and raised the wine bottle, saying: "This cup is full of strong power, and the strength of alcohol increases by three points. Brother, drink this cup to the full, and add more life and happiness to my brother."

Wu Chengsi was a less alcoholic, so he drank up the wine in his glass, slapped the table and sang in a low voice: "The day we left, the snowflakes were flying again..."

Without waiting for him to continue chanting, Wu Sansi, who still had some tolerance for alcohol, covered Wu Chengsi's mouth and scolded him in a low voice: "Brother, do you want to be beaten by Yun Chu?"

(End of this chapter)