On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, the day of Shangyuan Festival, Lin'an City.
Shangyuan Festival, also called Yuanxi Festival, later known as Lantern Festival, is the largest festival in the Southern Song Dynasty. It usually lasts for about five days, with the fifteenth day of the first lunar month as the main festival, starting on the fourteenth night of the first lunar month and ending on the eighteenth night of the first lunar month. The grandest, most solemn and most lively festival, even the Spring Festival cannot be matched.
It has just darkened, and the sky above Lin'an City is already colorful with fireworks soaring into the sky. Although it was not completely dark yet, the streets were already crowded with people, and the cars and horses blocked the road, and they could not suppress the noisy and lively mood of the people.
Because Lin'an City is dominated by wooden houses and fires occur frequently, most people set off fireworks outside the city, mainly around the West Lake. The area is designated by the government and supervised by officials.
However, in Lin'an Palace, you can set off fireworks at will to have fun with the people and demonstrate the dignity of the imperial power.
In Duke Ji's Mansion, Zhao Hong was sitting in the study. The hustle and bustle outside seemed to have nothing to do with him.
In fact, he is helpless. He also likes to be lively, and he prefers to gather with friends, eat, drink, play, talk happily, and live a free and unrestrained life.
His two friends, Xu Liang and Tian Yi, both had large families and were celebrating the festival together, so he was too embarrassed to disturb others.
On such a lively day as the Lantern Festival, when I go out alone, I always feel that something is missing. But apart from these two people, he couldn't think of anyone else with whom he could drink and chat, he could only be alone.
It's not bad to find some tranquility in the midst of the hustle and bustle.
"Your Majesty, the true lord is here!"
Li Tang entered the study, followed by his former mentor Zhen Dexiu.
"True sir, I should be the one to see you. Ashamed, ashamed!"
Zhao Hong quickly gave up his seat. I just gave him a gift before the Spring Festival. I originally planned to visit Zhen Dexiu, but I was so busy that I never made time.
"Your Highness, you should call me "Gu". There is no need to be polite between you and me."
Zhen Dexiu was still serious and taught Zhao Hong how to behave with a black face.
But judging from his complexion, he was in a good mood.
"Zhen Gong, why don't you spend the New Year's Eve with your family and come here... to be alone? Do you want to be alone?"
The two sat down separately, and Zhao Hong started the conversation.
"Miss you? Is it keeping you awake at night?"
Zhen Dexiu said angrily and laughed himself.
"Your Highness, you have gained a great reputation now, and the officials are very pleased with your actions in the court. Your Highness should still be cautious in your words and deeds in the future to avoid being taken advantage of by traitors."
"You are truly fair and righteous, I am so grateful to you. I really want to... pledge myself to you!"
Zhao Hong said seriously.
He was moved by Zhen Dexiu's sincere love for him.
"Your Highness, you are much more cheerful than before."
Zhen Dexiu said happily, not caring about Zhao Hong's joke.
"Your Highness, a few days ago, the officials summoned me to the palace, and their words revealed that they wanted me to return to the center. I came here to inform Your Highness."
Zhen Dexiu said hesitantly.
This may be the purpose of his coming to see Zhao Hong, to reassure Zhao Hong that he is not struggling alone.
"Zhen Gong, this is a good thing. With you in the court, traitors have to be careful, and it will be much easier for me!"
Zhao Hong became sincerely happy.
With Zhen Dexiu and Wei Liaoweng, the twin stars of the Song Dynasty in the same discipline, escorting him, he felt much more secure.
"Your Highness really still needs an old minister?"
Zhen Dexiu's eyes wandered and she felt a little guilty.
In order to avoid disaster that day, he left the center and left Zhao Hong to fight alone. Now that I think about it, it seems a bit unkind.
"certainly!"
Zhao Hong said decisively, almost saying "of course".
"The whole dynasty is full of people from Shi Miyuan. With you by my side, I feel confident!"
Thinking of something, Zhao Hong asked suspiciously:
"When Mr. Zhen comes back, what if Shi Miyuan causes trouble?"
"Your Majesty has decreed that Shi Miyuan must give in no matter what. Your Highness, please rest assured."
Zhen Dexiu shook his head and reassured Zhao Hong.
In his view, returning to the center of the imperial court was only a matter of time.
"When will Zhen Gong leave, I will arrange it for you to put it into practice for Zhen Gong."
"Old minister, I'm leaving early tomorrow morning. It's better not to make any noise, so as not to cause trouble in the city. Come over tonight and say goodbye."
Zhao Hong's attentiveness satisfied Zhen Dexiu. He picked up the tea cup and solemnly said:
"Your Highness, let's take this cup of tea and cherish each other."
"True sir, cherish me!"
Zhao Hong solemnly picked up the tea cup.
Zhen Dexiu left, and Zhao Hong came back from the door of the house, feeling much more relaxed.
Jin Deok-soo's return to the court is a positive sign no matter how you look at it.
"Your Highness, Miss Yan from the "Yan Family Rice Shop" is asking for an audience outside the house!"
As soon as Zhao Hong sat down, Li Tang's voice sounded outside the door.
"Invite her in!"
Zhao Hong couldn't help but his eyes lit up.
Why did Yan Chun come here at this time? Is it possible that she is also lonely in spring?
The imperial city of the Southern Song Dynasty was bounded by Chaotian Gate and went all the way south, passing through the Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Three Provinces and Six Ministries, and Hening Gate before entering the imperial city. The main street of the entire imperial city is the "Imperial Street" facing north and south. From the south of Chaotian Gate to the outside of Hening Gate, because it is close to the palace, the three provinces and six ministries, the gathering place of the emperor's relatives and civil and military officials, due to its strong purchasing power and high barbaric consumption, there are mostly gold and silver shops, but there are also large rice and meat shops.
The fact that Yan Chun can do business in a land like Qingpingfang in Chaotianmen shows the strength of his family.
When Yan Chun came in, Zhao Hong's eyes couldn't help but light up and he couldn't help but whistle.
A dark blue double-breasted jacket, a purple tube top, a light-colored ribbon around the waist, and a sachet on the waist. Although no powder was applied, the hibiscus was naturally carved, which amazed Zhao Hong.
In addition, the woman is tall, has long legs, and is graceful and graceful. She is simply a gift from God, and her beauty makes people feel ashamed.
"Miss Yan, the moon is above the willow branches, and we meet after dusk. On the occasion of the New Year's Eve, you are not here to see me specifically, are you?"
After suppressing the surprise in his heart, Zhao Hong laughed and said, making a gesture to sit down.
His first wife, Wu, the daughter of Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty and the niece of Queen Yang Guizhi, was arrogant and domineering. She was at odds with the donkey-tempered Zhao Hong. The two couldn't get along. Wu ran away from home and went to Jinling. Do you know where he is? Where is he?
Relying on the power of Queen Yang, the Wu family could not tolerate Zhao Hong doting on his concubine, and often went to the palace to complain to Yang Guizhi. Yang Guizhi rewarded her with a crystal double lotus and asked Zhao Hong to put it on Wu's head in person to encourage the couple to live in harmony. But a few days later, Wu went to the palace to complain again, saying that Zhao Hong had quarreled with her and shattered the crystal double lotus.
As a result, Zhao Hong completely offended Yang Guizhi, and the relationship between the two became alienated and cold to the freezing point.
In fact, Wu broke the crystal double lotus herself out of jealousy. Zhao Hong didn't like Yang Guizhi because it was rumored that Shi Miyuan was banned from entering and exiting the palace, had an affair with Yang Guizhi, and colluded with others to kill Han Guizhi. Some people wrote a poem: "The moon and the moon are lovers, Shu Juan and the sky are also blinded" to satirize. The improper behavior of Shi and Yang.
In the eyes of Gengzhijun Zhao Hong, how could Yang Guizhi and Shi Miyuan, a pair of traitors and adulterers, win his favor?
Whether someone is an adulterer or not is none of your business.
Are you said to be morally obsessive, or are you said to have low emotional intelligence?
You yourself are not even a prince. You spend all your time coaxing and quarreling with heaven and earth. You have lost your throne and your life.
Now, except for the beauties sent by Shi Miyuan as "undercovers", there are no women around him anymore.
It's not that he has a cold nature, but that he really has difficulty developing feelings for this "old friend" in this life.
"No one will date you, you have a deer head and rat eyes, and you look so vulgar. With your behavior, do you still look like a prince of the Song Dynasty?"
Yan Chun glared at Zhao Hong with dissatisfaction, looked around, and sat down unceremoniously.
"You have a deer head and rat eyes, and you look so vulgar. How can you tell lies?"
Zhao Hong smiled slightly and said lazily:
"To tell you the truth, I wake up every day by how handsome I am. Sometimes I often don't wash my face for three days to make myself look less eye-catching."
Zhao Hong's words made Yan Chun stunned for a moment, and he burst into laughter.
"Zhao Hong, is there anyone thicker-skinned than you in this world?"
"Isn't it okay to talk big? I'm just an ordinary person, not a sanctimonious saint. I just do whatever I want."
Zhao Hong laughed heartlessly.
Being ruthless may not be a true hero. How can a man who is not full of emotions and rich in emotions worry about the world.
"Are you going to spend the New Year's Eve like this? Where's that beauty who plays the piano?"
Yan Chun rolled his eyes. This Zhao Hong is just like the legend, he is seductive and shameless, and has no self-awareness at all.
"It's the New Year's Eve, and beauties also have parents and brothers, and family happiness. You, a stranger, don't go back to your hometown to reunite with your family, but stay in Lin'an City, a cold place where materialism abounds. Do you have other agendas?"
Zhao Hong smiled playfully, Yan Chun was startled, and then snorted coldly.
"Only a charming and innocent woman like Xu Ji would be confused by you. It's strange that I know how to play the piano, but I can make her fall in love with a playboy like you?"
Zhao Hong smiled bitterly and shook his head.
Don’t you know it’s hurtful to just tell the truth?
Fortunately, he was a prince, otherwise Xu Ji would never come to him to warm her bed.
"Miss Yan, you don't have to go to the Three Treasures Palace for anything. If you come here tonight, are you saying that those corrupt officials are here to cause trouble for you again?"
Thinking of the past, Zhao Hong asked curiously.
"No. The last time I bothered you, I never came over to thank you."
Yan Chun pointed to the gifts on the table.
"Look, it's interesting!"
"That's interesting! That's interesting!"
Zhao Hong smiled bitterly to himself. This is such a straightforward woman, she doesn't even use the word "thank you" when thanking people.
"Your Highness, in your poem, you praised Genghis Khan as the "genius of the generation". Is that a bit exaggerated? You have never met him. Isn't it just nonsense?"
Yan Chun made no secret and directly criticized Zhao Hong's poems.
"Shopkeeper Yan, Genghis Khan used his troops like a god. The small Mongolian kingdom destroyed countless countries in the western region. He forced the Jin Kingdom to move its capital to the south of the Yellow River, and the Xia Kingdom was in danger. Throughout the dynasties, there has been such a..."
"According to you, Genghis Khan is invincible?"
Zhao Hong's words were directly and rudely interrupted by Yan Chun.
"That's not necessarily the case. For example, the Mamluk cavalry in Egypt are no match for the Mongolian cavalry. These Mamluk cavalry are all slaves and have been training all their lives. They are skilled in riding and shooting. They wear helmets made of stainless steel and chainmail. The equipment is better than the heavy cavalry of the Mongols, and the strong bow has a farther range than the Mongolian bow. The Arabian horses they mount are tall and have long legs, and the sprint speed is amazing. In addition, the sharp Damascus scimitar in their hands can cut the sheep in half! "
Zhao Hong introduced it with great interest and salivation.
"saliva!"
Yan Chun leaned back eight degrees in disgust to avoid the disaster.
"Is this why you said in court that you wanted to smelt iron and forge firearms?"
"You also know these things?"
Zhao Hong asked in surprise.
It has only been a few days, but why have these things in the court spread to the people?
"Iron smelting, firearms casting, and prostitutes and prostitutes coming to collect debts, etc. The tabloids in Lin'an City have long exposed your scandals!"
Yan Chun glanced at Zhao Hong coldly, with great disdain.
"You've been stupid all day long and don't know anything. You've offended so many people and you're still smiling. You have such a big heart!"
"Miss Yan, you came to my house, didn't you come to mock me? My life is not easy!"
Zhao Hong smiled bitterly, but couldn't get angry.
What Yan Chun said was true. Even if he wanted to object, he had nothing to say.
The tabloids are really destroying everything, and their destructive power is huge.
