It was night, Jiang Tian rode his horse on the street in Mingyi Square in the south of Luodu City; in front of him was He Si, a local who was responsible for leading the way, and behind him was Li Huan who was riding a donkey as his companion; as for the other Xuan He was promoted from Zhang Wu because he had other tasks and went to Jinwu Guard to establish relations.
But at this time, compared to the seasonal sophora flowers in Chang'an City, the night flavor mixed with the fragrance of golden peaches and apricots, the air in Luodu is faintly scented with the fragrance of osmanthus, mixed with the fragrance of phoenix from time to time. There are faint fragrances of peonies, peonies, roses, etc., seasonal flowers and trees.
As the saying goes, "Flowers fly everywhere in the Spring City", it certainly describes the grand flower market in Chengdu in the southwest; but among the world's most famous cities, Dayi has the largest number of flowers planted, cultivated, used and fought with flowers, and leads the trend. There is no doubt that he is number one in Shenjing/Luodu.
From the emperors, generals and ministers, to the nobles and nobles, to the common people, all three religions and nine streams participated in it. This formed a large-scale production, supply and marketing system that has been used as a business for generations, cultivating and enjoying one-stop production. Therefore, Bai Juyi once said in a poem: "A clump of dark flowers is filled with people from ten households."
He also said: "People who travel around the capital have been selling peonies for more than 30 years. Every spring and evening, the carriages and horses are so crazy that it is a shame not to stop playing. I hold gold to Zhaopu and plant it around the palace to see the temples for profit. Every book is valuable. Tens of thousands." "Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty". It describes the unprecedented grandeur of the divine capital in all seasons.
Therefore, in this season, the fragrance of flowers after nightfall in Luoyang is undoubtedly better than that in Chang'an. On the other hand, it seems to be due to being away from the power center of the court for a longer period of time; the night ban in Luoyang City is obviously more relaxed than that in Chang'an.
Therefore, except for the imperial city in the west city north of Luoshui and the dozens of nearby city squares with high gates and armory, the curfew was relatively strictly enforced. In other places in Luodu, even in the streets after dark, the lights are still brightly lit and there is an endless stream of pedestrians.
To the south of Luoshui, which is the central axis of the city, there is a noisy scene of dilapidated city squares and illegal buildings occupying the roads. In particular, the tall neighborhood walls have been opened up, demolished and transformed into shop buildings open day and night.
Although the imperial courts of all dynasties issued repeated orders: Streets in Zhufang City were invaded and built with walls, and houses built with eaves attached. The first punishment is to disable everything and order it to be demolished. However, the huge interests of all parties represented behind these all-night long day and night markets almost made this edict useless.
It is said that the tax collected is no more than the income of one of the three major cities in Luodu. In the past dynasties, Henan Prefecture and Luoyang County relied on this to provide money for public servants and miscellaneous expenses, and to support countless public servants. Therefore, south of Luoshui after nightfall is also the place where the whole city celebrates.
On certain festivals, when the emperor was patrolling the city and driving in and out, he would order everything to be temporarily closed for a few days in advance, with a little cover-up. Mingyi Square, located in the southwest of the city, is even more extraordinary. It is ranked as the first-class place among the 103 squares.
There is not only the Kuiyuan, the former residence of the former Sui and Shu King Yang Xiu, which was transformed into a public garden; there is also the old residence of Zhang Shigui, the founding father of the early Tang Dynasty, who came to Anju Temple with alms; , the home of Wei Anshi, who has worshiped the prime minister four times and is known as the "true prime minister".
But the most famous one among them is undoubtedly the leader of the two capitals, Dongdu Zuojiaofangsi. And it was derived and prospered along with the Jiaofangsi. The Qingyu Water Park surrounding the west gate in the south of the fang, which looks like a crescent moon, is commonly known as the wind and moon resort and prosperous Shuli in the Yuepei area.
It was also the place where Jiang Tian was invited to attend the banquet. However, compared to the invitations from his nominal colleagues in the Jinwu Guards and Yushitai, or the private invitations from the General Affairs Department and the Ministry of Justice, what he accepted this time was a private reward banquet.
Yes, he was one of the only few survivors of the robbery in the wild store; Wei Xinping of Gaoan County, Hongzhou (now part of Yichun, Jiangxi Province), and his friend and fellow traveler, who was born in the same class, Luling, Jizhou The county captain Cheng Shilian showed his gratitude and hospitality to the landlord.
Because both of them were from Luodu, they had just passed the official release examination from Chang'an and received their official certificates and official titles. As a result, this kind of thing happened in Yedian, so Shangshu Province ordered them to delay letting it go on the pretext of cooperating with the follow-up investigation, and left it to Luodu to prepare for danger.
Among them, Xin Gongping, who was quite public-minded and righteous, was descended from Xin Yunjing, a branch of the Hexi clan and a native of Jincheng, Lanzhou (now Lanzhou, Gansu). He once served as the governor of Hedong and concurrently as the Yin of Taiyuan; but he was demoted because of his disagreement with the hero Pu Gu Huai'en. According to legend, it has long since declined.
The family conditions of the other Cheng Shilian were undoubtedly better. It is said that he mastered the classics of Taoism in the early Tang Dynasty, studied deeply in the study of text exegesis, and was granted the title of "Master Xihua". He became a member of Xuanying's clan. From generation to generation, he has been a wealthy and well-known family in the capital city.
However, when Jiang Tian arrived at Ye Dian, Cheng Shilian happened to be drinking and sleeping soundly on the bamboo couch in the tent; he missed the opportunity to meet him for the first time. Later, the group of Yunmeng thieves cooperated inside and outside, pretending to be traveling accomplices, and killed the guarding man in a sneak attack.
Faced with the mass killing by the Yunmeng thieves who tried to silence them, Cheng Shilian, who was awakened, jumped out of the tent and drew his sword to help. Together with Zhang Wusheng and others who were under siege, they persisted until backup arrived. Therefore, Cheng Shilian was actually the host this time.
But this time, the place to treat guests was not a romantic place, but Duanpinglou, a famous spot/restaurant located on the east bank of Yuepei. According to He Si’s successive introductions along the way, this Duanpinglou is not just a place to go, but is the product of Yao Yizhi, a contemporary food expert with a large background.
The title of "Eating Envoy" comes from the ninth year (750) of Tianbao, the reign of Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty (Li Longji). At that time, the nobles and relatives competed with each other to provide meals to the emperor, so the eunuch Yao Siyi was appointed as the food inspector, who was in charge of collecting water and land treasures. The main responsibility is to taste and appreciate the rare ingredients presented as tribute by all parties.
To use the contemporary storybook "Part of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty" to describe it, it is roughly similar to the role of the Jingtan envoy in it. After the Anshi Rebellion and the Taiping Restoration, it has been followed to this day and became the legacy of the Yao family of the great eunuchs; and the Yao family Generations of people have developed a "magic tongue" that can taste all kinds of flavors.
Therefore, the restaurant run by the Yao family, who has been eating for generations, is undoubtedly one of the main trendsetters admired by the catering industry in Luodu in terms of the source of ingredients and flavor. It is said to have exhausted all the treasures in the world; and Duanpinglou is just One of the branches, but it shows its sincerity.
While Jiang Tian was thinking, he looked at what he saw along the way. As the weather got hotter, the women and men on the road were getting thinner and bolder in their clothes. Suddenly, the front suddenly opened up, revealing a patch of sparkling moonlight. Mirror-like open water.
On the shores of the Great Lake, there are all kinds of places with fragrance flowing, lights and feasting, and various places with graceful figures looming between the flying curtains. Obviously, Yuepi has arrived.
In fact, compared to the lively entertainment methods of this era, Jiang Tian, who already had food reserves at home, was more interested in food, customs and other elements. This is also the main reason why he is willing to accept this invitation.
