The next day, before dawn, Zhao Jun was woken up early by Wang Huaien.
"Your Majesty, it's getting late, it's time to go to court!"
Zhao Jun vaguely heard Wang Huaien's voice, and although he didn't want to, he still resisted the sleepiness and got up.
There is no way, this is no longer Yunzhou County, and the person who calls the shots here is not himself.
In Yunzhou County, as long as I didn't want to get up, the civil and military officials would have to wait for me in the council hall, but now I am not that comfortable anymore.
Fortunately, he asked Wang Huai'en to wake him up in the morning before falling asleep yesterday. Otherwise, how could he wake up when he was already used to the sun rising?
Today is my first court meeting since returning to Beijing. According to the rules, after reporting at the clan mansion, I will report to the current emperor at the court meeting on the second day and tell him that I am back!
He was also telling the officials that he, the prince, meant to return to the capital. This was called the return of the sage to the capital.
So even if he wanted to go back to sleep again, Zhao Jun forced himself to endure it. Business was still more important.
Under the yawning service of Wang Huai'en and Qing'er, who was already familiar with his daily routine and rested at the same time as his own, Zhao Jun quickly put on his royal crown robe, and the straw sandals he had worn all year round were replaced with moiré patterns. He then took his own wat board and inserted it into his waist. Wang Huaien took the lantern with two big characters written on it, King Yun, and strode out of the house.
Instead of riding in a carriage, he and Wang Huai'en rode on two horses and headed towards the outer city gate.
Speaking of this horse, the Zhaoye Jade Lion under Zhao Jun's seat is all white and has no trace of variegated colors. Feiyun Trading Company specially went to sea to bypass the influence of the Da Yueshi, and spent a lot of money to bring it back from the Western Regions. A thousand-mile horse.
It is estimated that there is only one horse in the entire Song Dynasty. It can be said to be the best among horses. It is the same breed as the mount of Zhao Yun, the famous general in the Three Kingdoms in the previous life.
After Zhao Jun got it, he liked it very much and often went hunting on Liuyun.
And Liuyun is the name of this shining jade lion.
drive! Drive!
Two war horses were galloping along the street in the early morning. There were few people on the street at this time. Only the vendors who got up in twos and threes to sell breakfast had opened their doors. The rest were only the exhausted patrons who had just spent the night in the brothel. We walked weakly towards home on the street.
After crossing this street, we came to Qinglong Street, which is closest to the outer city gate. The scenery here is one of the best every day.
Different from the previous streets, the sky was still gray at the beginning of the morning. Most of the people on both sides of Qinglong Street were ordinary people. Most of them were not awake yet, which made the street almost pitch black. one slice.
However, when Yinshi comes, Qinglong Street will light up with sparks, and middle and low-level officials carrying lanterns will light up the entire Qinglong Street like two rows of street lamps with two cars on the street.
If it's foggy, you can even see the dreamy lights and shadows in front of you from behind.
In the middle of the road is a lane reserved exclusively for high-ranking officials. Carriages carry high-ranking officials one after another. They catch up on their sleep amidst the creaking of the carriages. When they wake up, they have already arrived at the palace gate. outside.
Everything was carried out in an orderly manner and according to the previous rules.
Officials in cars and officials on foot are clearly distinguished, and each walks on its own path.
suddenly!
tap! tap! tap!
The sound of rapid horse hooves came from a distance and got closer and closer. Officials walking on both sides of the road turned back and looked curiously.
Soon the owner of the sound of horse hooves appeared in front of everyone. The snow-white war horse galloped all the way, like a white horse galloping away from everyone. No one even had time to see clearly whether the person sitting on the horse was a man or a woman.
After the white war horse, there was a black horse following closely behind, but this time everyone could see the face of the knight clearly.
With a pale face and no beard, he was dressed in a eunuch's uniform and chased the white horse galloping away in front of him.
"Your Majesty! Wait for me, slave! I can't catch up!"
The distant voice of the Black Knight reached everyone's ears.
Listening to this, the white horse in front is actually a prince!
The middle and low-level officials on both sides suddenly started talking, discussing which prince came to attend the morning court?
They were discussing nothing here. Zhao Jun, who was riding a flowing cloud in front of him, rushed to the outer city gate from the vicinity of Zongren Mansion in less than a quarter of an hour.
At this time, it was almost the fourth quarter of the Yin hour, and a bunch of officials had gathered outside the outer city gate, waiting for the door to open.
When Zhao and Jun arrived, they happened to encounter the city gate wide open and went in without delay.
After entering the inner city, the two of them continued to gallop directly towards the Forbidden Palace, and the carriages behind them also followed closely towards the Forbidden Palace gate.
The two of them rode their horses to less than a mile away from the Forbidden Palace, stopped their horses, dismounted, and then led the horses forward.
There is a rule in the inner city that prohibits anyone from galloping on a horse within one mile of the palace. Violators will be captured on the spot by the patrolling imperial guards.
Unless you have a gold medal of amnesty from the emperor and are allowed to ride a horse within a mile of the palace or even inside the palace, you must abide by this rule even if you are the prime minister of the dynasty.
Naturally, Zhao and Jun did not have a gold medal for amnesty, so they both dismounted their horses and walked obediently after arriving at the one-mile forbidden area. The two of them led the horses and carried lanterns and gradually walked toward the gate of the forbidden palace.
After the two of them walked forward for a period of time, the group of officials who had just followed them on the bus also arrived in front of the restricted area one after another. Several elderly people in their fifties got out of the car with a sigh. With the help of others, he carried a white lantern with his official position written on it and headed towards the forbidden palace gate.
As for the carriage, the carriage was left where it was, and the horse continued to move forward with the things.
After walking for about two-quarters of an hour, the master and servant Zhao Jun finally arrived in front of the Forbidden Palace. The time had not yet come, and the doors of the Forbidden Palace were still closed, so they could only wait outside.
Wang Huaien took out two pieces of cake from the bag hanging on the horse and handed them to Zhao Jun. At the same time, he said: "Your Majesty, this will have to wait until the quarter past ten o'clock. You'd better eat something to fill your stomach quickly?"
Zhao Jun was not pretentious. When he took the pancake and started eating it, he got up a little too late and hurried over without even having time to eat at the house.
Now he is already hungry.
While the two were feasting, the first group of officials finally arrived in front of the Forbidden Palace one after another.
In front of each person's horse head was hung a white lantern depicting his or her official position. For a moment, the front of the Forbidden Palace, which had been dark just now, became slightly brighter. At least everyone could see each other's faces clearly.
Time passed little by little, and soon the group of officials on foot arrived in front of the Forbidden Palace one after another.
Hundreds of white lanterns gathered together to form the most famous fire city phenomenon in front of the Forbidden Palace.
Everyone also began to look around for familiar officials and started chatting, waiting for the arrival of the last moment of Mao Shi.
Time passed, and suddenly two carriages drove majestically to the front of the Forbidden Palace, but the patrolling Forbidden Army turned a blind eye to them.
The officials who gathered in front of the Forbidden Palace were still talking a lot, but after the arrival of the two carriages, they all stopped talking, and for a while they were so quiet that you could hear the drop of a pin.
Zhao Jun took a quick look and saw that the official positions of Prime Minister and Taiwei were written on the lanterns in front of the two carriages.
Now Zhao Jun finally understood why the other party was able to drive here. They are the only two people in the Song Dynasty who have amnesty gold medals!
…
(End of chapter)
