Gu Qingci

"Xiao Xiang!" Shouted, Xiao Xiang came out from the side hall and knelt down in front of her.

"This is Xiao Xiang, a good seedling discovered by Wei Chen from Qingzhou. He is now Shengqing Lou Ming's treasurer. At the same time, he is also the cousin of Zhen Guo's great general Xiao Chu." Introducing to the emperor, Liu Yueying took mine. Lu Ruyi looked at it for a while and handed it to Liu Yuehua.

"It seems that I know about Shengqinglou, and I can't hide it from you."

"Your Majesty, you don't need to hide anything. I have never dared to underestimate the capabilities of the Fengqi Army. Sheng Qinglou's foundation in Qingzhou has been firmly established. I brought Xiao Xiang to the capital to develop this power in Rongcheng. So Big news, if the Wind Banner Army doesn't know about it, then the humble minister should be worried for the emperor."

Liu Yueying chuckled, and said slowly: "I accept this birthday present. I am very satisfied."

If it is said that I invite her to Yang Mansion for lunch, it is in the name of my servant; then I will transfer the token of Shengqing Tower to her, and it is in the name of my servant.How could she not understand the difference?

Entrusted by Yangzhi, I asked Xiao Xiang to ask the other two young apprentices of Master in Shengqing Tower, and they said that they had recently received a letter from Master.In this way, he went back to Yangzhi with peace of mind - the master didn't reply to her messages, maybe he was lazy, he was used to being unrestrained.

After Liu Yueying's birthday was over, it was time for the solar terms to snow heavily, and the weather gradually turned cold, and the flowers of the osmanthus trees fell all over the ground.

The red lanterns in the palace are hung all over the eaves one by one, and the red light is reflected on the vermilion lacquer coiled dragon pillars, making it more vivid, silently waiting for the snow at the beginning of the new year.

In the fifth and sixth years of Tianjia, the emperor did not hold a state banquet on New Year's Eve, because Daxing and the Northern Qiang were facing each other heavily, and the situation was extremely tense. There were prominent people in the capital, and no one was in the mood to celebrate the Spring Festival.

This year is different.

The canal was well supplied, and General Xiao Chu used his troops flexibly. He had already driven the Northern Qiang to the grassland area, and wiped out half of their main force.

Therefore, news came out from the Ministry of Rites and the Inner Palace this year that they would hold a state banquet for all the ministers, and invite many folk artists to perform unique skills in the palace to make up for the regrets of last year and the year before.

Sometimes passing by the big square of the outer palace, you can still see people from the Ministry of Rites approving programs in batches.It seems that this year's New Year's Eve must be very lively.

Once I was in the mood to watch the rehearsals of the actors in the outer square, and suddenly a white carrier pigeon flew in the sky, which seemed a bit familiar.But the attention at that time was all attracted by the acrobatics, so I didn't pay attention.

I still remember that the first year I participated in the palace banquet was the New Year's Eve of Tianjia's second year.At that time, I was just an unpopular little person in the cabinet, and I couldn't even enter the Hall of Taicheng.

But now, I am sitting in the very front of Taicheng Hall, under the emperor's throne, with Xu Wei on the left and right.Behind me are a group of maids, and behind them are the civil servants and their families.

This year, Liu Yueying broke the rules and allowed the chief assistant of the cabinet to enter the Taicheng Hall for dinner. Yang Zhi, as Yan Xi's wife, was named the first-rank imperial wife by Liu Yueying, and sat behind Yan Xi.

So, sitting next to me was the Eldest Princess Liu Yuehua.

It could be seen that Liu Yueying was in a good mood today. Before the banquet started, she said a lot, and then raised a wine glass to toast the officials, symbolizing the official start of the banquet.

Looking up at her, she is so magnificent.When Liu Yueying raised her wine glass, her eyes flicked to me, and then she looked forward again.I noticed this brief moment, like eating honey.

The person who was far away in the past is now within reach, her eyes will stay for me, and her warmth will only bloom for me. What an honor this is.

I picked some peanuts and chewed them in my mouth. There are many big dishes at the back.

"Yang Li, drink." Liu Yuehua couldn't stay idle, and would toast me before he had eaten a few mouthfuls of food.

"What's the rush, eat something first, or you'll get drunk quickly."

Liu Yuehua propped her head on her left hand, held her wine glass in her right hand, and said dissatisfiedly: "You have been prime minister for some years, and you have made so many political achievements. Now you have won the hearts of the people and gained prestige, and you don't take me seriously. gone."

"How could it be?" She was not pleasing to the eye at first, but as she grew up in the past two years, I found that the eldest princess is not as bad as I imagined - she is still organized and able to endure hardships.

"Why not? If you give me face, drink this glass of wine. None of the current officials dare to toast to you. It's not fun."

Speaking of this, I can only take the glass and drink it down.Seeing that I was so talkative, Liu Yuehua's smiling eyes became fascinated.

I wanted to have a good meal after dismissing her, but Xu Wei, who was opposite, stood up and toasted me from the air.

"You Prime Minister built a first-line canal in Qingzhou, led the people to make wine, and solved the problem of timber. It can be said that he is dedicated to the people. This cup, the old minister respects you."

He complimented me so much in front of so many officials, I had to drink this glass of wine, so I quickly drank it and showed him the empty bottom of the glass.

Originally, the officials at the back couldn't figure out my attitude, and they were still watching. Seeing the Eldest Princess and the Prime Minister Zuo toasting to me one after another, they instantly became more courageous.Those ministers who had been in office for less than a year were gearing up and bombarded me one after another. Glasses of wine were drunk like water, and the alcohol got on their brains and their bodies warmed up again.

"I know all the ministers are happy today, but you can't just stare at the right minister all the time." The one above finally spoke for me, and the ministers who hadn't had time to toast me immediately turned their backs and turned to the left minister. Xu Wei went.

He took a long breath, rubbed his swollen eyes, and looked at the throne. Seeing that the emperor looked unharmed, he gave Liu Yuehua a warning with his eyes, and the eldest princess shrank her neck like a frightened tortoise.Hey, Liu Yuehua meeting Liu Yueying is always like a mouse meeting a cat.

He drank too much alcohol, propped his forehead to hangover with tea, ate a lot of dishes, and shook his dizzy head.At some point, a song and dance performance started in the center of Taicheng Hall.

The most famous folk dance workshops and band workshops were all on the show, and the dancers began to dance with the flying sky. The blue, purple and yellow water sleeves were shaken into waves, and pairs of dexterous feet jumped on the narrow columns.

Liu Yuehua became restless again, always thinking about talking.

There was no one around her, only me, and we knew each other's virtues thoroughly, so we stopped putting on airs and dragged me to discuss the costumes, accessories, and fabrics of the sleeves of those dancing girls.

I don't know much about these, so I should sell her an ear.Liu Yuehua talked about the texture of the clothes, the bells of the accessories, and those Shu brocades. I listened and watched the dancing girls in a daze.

The more she talked, the more excited she got, and she got closer: "Hey, are you listening to me?"

Suddenly, I felt a line of sight hit my head like an ice knife, I shivered all over, and my drunken head was half sober, pushing her away a little.

"Listen. Liu Yuehua, why are you talking so much today? Could it be that you were drinking? I thought you had made progress, but in the end your attention was still on these colorful things, so you can't care more about government affairs?"

Liu Yuehua seemed to be fascinated by what he said, and didn't feel the emperor's eyes wandering over our place at all, so he pouted to himself: "Yang Li, you are really getting more and more boring!"

She lowered her voice and continued: "Is it because you have been with Sister Huang for a long time that you even speak exactly the same words as Sister Huang, it's really boring."

I turned my head and took a quick look at Liu Yueying's expression, it was a bit uneasy.She shook the wine glass slightly, as if she was watching a performance in the center of the stage, but the corners of her mouth were obviously pressed down.

Quickly pushed Liu Yuehua further away, and said with a stern face: "Look at how respectful you are to the emperor, every mouthful of an imperial sister, it turns out they are all fake, how dare you say that about her in private."

"No way!" Liu Yuehua's eyes widened suddenly, and her eyebrows raised high: "Don't provoke my relationship with Huang Jie! I really like her, but... her life is really boring. If I did, I'd be insane."

Seeing this little ancestor turn his back on me, I finally felt a lot more at ease.She didn't drink less today, and she said such straightforward things, how could she say it normally?

Liu Yuehua finally put her elbows on her own low table, then turned her head and said to me in a bad tone: "Hey, don't talk nonsense to Miss Huang! She is so powerful, she can think of everything, and she even treats those annoying people The courtiers are all obedient and obedient, and it is too late for me to worship her, so why would I speak ill of her!"

The tip of her small nose was a little red from drinking too much wine, after all, she was still a child.As for her worship—a very familiar word.

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at her. Why should she worship her?It seems that I hate her a little bit.He picked up his glass and took another big sip.

The show is coming to an end, and it is another year when the fireworks bloom.

Liu Yueying walked down slowly from the high platform with the help of the attendant, and the officials bent down to greet her. Then, the outermost officials went out, and we, the high-ranking ones, followed behind the emperor.

After Liu Yueying came down, her footsteps paused beside me, signaling me to follow her.Although drinking a lot, you still have to stay sober at this time.

My steps are always half a point behind hers, this is the duty of a courtier.With so many people watching, these etiquettes cannot go wrong. Even if the emperor doesn't mind, the eyes of those censors are everywhere.

Liu Yueying didn't see me coming to her from the corner of her eyes, she turned her head slightly back, and the golden steps on her head swayed in a small arc, only then did she see me behind her.

She and I walked out of the Taicheng Hall with the officials and walked to a high platform, below which were the rest of the lower-ranking officials.

Liu Yueying stood still, and with a bang, the night sky was filled with colorful lights, illuminating the outside of Taicheng Hall.

Peeking at her noble profile, her heart skipped another beat.Once upon a time, I was a small official under that platform, and I could only see her surrounded by people, far away from each other, so far away.And now, I'm standing half a step behind her, and I can touch her arm as soon as I raise my hand, so close.

Just as she was secretly sighing that it seemed like a lifetime ago, Liu Yueying suddenly turned her face, and our eyes met.Her usually cold lips slowly lifted up, her eyes were gentle, revealing a bright smile.

The fireworks are not good at all.