The song of colorful feathers was still playing, and the fairyland-like music sounded in my ears. Yang Yuhuan and several of Gongsun's disciples, dressed in gorgeous Tang brocade, were fluttering on the stage like butterflies.
However, no one in the audience paid attention to them anymore, and the traditional banquet repertoire of the Tang Dynasty had begun.
No banquet in the Tang Dynasty would be complete without poems, especially banquets organized by the royal family.
Although Li Longji did not say what the theme of the banquet poem was, he gave this order during the performance of Nishang Yuyi, coupled with Yang Yuhuan's sensitive identity, it was already obvious what the other party wanted to express.
"Is there any more! Are there even half a poem left?"
Zheng Shuqing's pen was scribbling on the paper, and he only hated Fang Chongyong for not saying more. He can't write poetry, but his appreciation level has been developed since he was a child!
Zheng Shuqing knew very well the level of the two sentences that Fang Chongyong had just written: He had been writing poetry all his life, but he could not write such a sentence, not even a single sentence!
"Is it really just two lines? It's best to have a rhymed poem. If not, even a quatrain will do! What's the use of just two lines of poetry?"
Zheng Shuqing roared in Fang Chongyong's ear, and the blood in his body was about to boil.
"Master Zheng, why don't you understand the principle of "too much is not enough"? If I finish writing a whole poem, do you dare to write it?
Is this your true level?
If the saint asked you to write another song of poor quality for fun, would you be able to write it? "
Fang Chongyong asked angrily.
Lao Zheng's habit of getting hot-headed when he got excited happened again.
"I'm just asking..."
After Zheng Shuqing heard what Fang Chongyong said, he was instantly frightened.
"Then what do you want to do?"
Lao Zheng is good at this. He knows that he cannot listen to others' advice and will not act recklessly.
What Fang Chongyong said makes sense. Good cards need to be played by masters. If you are not careful, it is often the case that a good card will be broken into pieces.
"When the song of colorful feathers stops, you can immediately take these two poems and rush towards the saint while shouting."
Fang Chongyong said thoughtfully.
In fact, according to the normal process, Gao Lishi would come to collect the poems in person. If he saw something that caught his eye, he would take it away. If he didn't like it, he would naturally be grateful and insensitive. It was impossible to take it away to stain Li Longji's eyes.
Just imagine if a certain old man wrote a sentence such as "The sea is full of water, the toad has four legs" and the like were read by Li Longji, wouldn't it ruin the saint's elegance?
He is the emperor, not the Chinese teacher responsible for correcting elementary school compositions!
So in the end, a small part of the poems should be sent to Li Longji. However, this "small part" is probably dozens of articles.
Although these two sentences by Qing Pingdiao are very good, they are easily buried.
If you want to attract attention, you can’t follow conventional routines!
Zheng Shuqing gritted his teeth and nodded fiercely!
Although there were many banquet etiquettes in the Tang Dynasty, they were not subtle. On the contrary, if you didn't go to the banquet, it was disrespectful to the host.
It is common for guests to drink and get high, and to sing and dance with the singers, and they will not be treated as a joke afterwards. Zheng Shuqing's behavior of rushing to show off his poems in front of the saint must have been disrespectful in the Han Dynasty, but in this era, it happened to be in line with the customs.
You can be crazy, as long as you are crazy enough to have something in your stomach, this is the stage for you to become famous.
Of course, if you don’t have enough money in your stomach and still show off like this to embarrass yourself, then I’m sorry. You will definitely become a laughing stock afterwards, and you may even be punished!
While he was thinking, the song of colorful feathers ended, and Yang Yuhuan also left the stage with Shi Shiran, several of Gongsun's apprentices.
"Don't miss this opportunity. It will never come back. Come on!"
Fang Chongyong said to Zheng Shuqing nervously.
…
Li Longji's main purpose for this banquet was to strip Yang Yuhuan from her status as "Princess Shou" in the eyes of outsiders and become a "free person".
Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing wanted to "get out of the trap" so that Li Longji would no longer hold grudges about not giving Yang Yuhuan Tang Jin.
In addition to them, there was another person at the banquet who also had his own little plan. This person was Princess Yuzhen.
This person is Li Longji's half-sister and is extremely favored, but now she has become a female Taoist priest.
Of course, the female Taoist priests of the Tang Dynasty were not pure-hearted people, at least most of them were not. With the status of a "Taoist priest", you can get rid of the shackles of the world, and you will not have any restrictions when meeting men.
Otherwise, whether it is a married woman or an unmarried woman, dealing with a man who is not related to her will always cause some criticism.
"Li Taibai, you must seize this opportunity."
Princess Yuzhen, wearing a Taoist robe, said to a middle-aged man beside her. This person was none other than Li Bai, who had met Fang Chongyong and the others outside Chang'an City!
No wonder that when Li Bai heard about Zheng Shuqing's position as governor, he didn't want to have a close relationship with them at all. It turned out that he had already found a way.
No matter how good Zheng Shuqing is, can he be as good as Princess Yuzhen?
Li Bai's connection is Princess Yuzhen, who has been favored by the Holy Family for a long time! Li Longji is really kind to his biological sister. Of course, that is also because Princess Yuzhen has never asked about government affairs, and she has the same father and mother as him.
"I've already thought of it. I'm still a little bit closer."
Li Bai bit the hairless end of the brush and thought hard. Many times, writing poetry is like a person walking in circles in a mountain forest full of dense fog. He cannot get out at all. He needs the guidance of light.
That light is inspiration.
"Saint! Saint! I have it! I have it!"
Li Bai didn't pay much attention when he heard a middle-aged man wearing a strange and gorgeous brocade robe running towards Li Longji's location.
He had just written the word "cloud" on the paper, and was interrupted by the shouting. The feeling was like being thrown to the ground by a horse while riding a horse.
"The clouds are like clothes, the flowers are like faces, the spring breeze is blowing on the threshold, and the dew is thick!"
The man danced and handed the paper with the poem to Gao Lishi.
Bah!
Li Bai's pen fell on the desk, and he rubbed his hair with painful hands, feeling extremely regretful!
"Why didn't I think of it? The clouds are like clothes and flowers are like looks! Why didn't I think of it!"
He banged the desk and muttered to himself dejectedly.
"Li Taibai, are you feeling unwell?"
Princess Yuzhen asked with concern.
"It's okay, it's okay. What I said just now is really good, really good."
Li Bai forced a smile at Princess Yuzhen, saying that it was okay to put on a show, but not in front of his nobles. Otherwise, who will recommend me in the future?
"Do you have a good poem for the occasion? As for the sentence just now, Pindao also feels that there will be no poem that can surpass it at this banquet."
Princess Yuzhen said with a slight frown.
Such a vulgar person actually danced and offered such two otherworldly verses. It was really a waste of nature.
Princess Yuzhen is not the only one who feels this way. Li Longji, the person involved, is also confused. Zheng Shuqing was a "technocrat" who had some expertise in arithmetic. His specialty was making money, not writing poetry.
"Zheng Aiqing, are these just two sentences? Even a quatrain is not enough."
Li Longji asked with a smile.
"Saint! Weichen is a wooden fish head. To come up with these two sentences, he has already used up all his life-long poetic talent! Where can I find the following two sentences!"
Zheng Shuqing firmly remembered Fang Chongyong's instructions, and he must not stand out when he shouldn't act blindly.
To avoid being beaten into a pig head by Li Longji.
"Lishi, go and ask if anyone can catch these two sentences and continue writing them. By the way, whoever can catch them will be honored by the Hanlin Academy!"
Li Longji frowned slightly and whispered to Gao Lishi, who was leaning over.
Gao Lishi walked to the center of the stage and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"The sage said that whoever can catch up with these two sentences will be honored by the Hanlin Academy.
The clouds are like clothes, the flowers are like faces, the spring breeze is blowing the threshold, and the dew is thick! Whoever can pick it up will be sent over immediately! "
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Bai stood up excitedly, rushed to the stage and shouted to Li Longji:
“I got it, I got it!
If we hadn't met at the top of Qunyu Mountain, we would have met under the moonlight at Yaotai! "
Li Bai had no time to write, so he almost blurted it out.
Gao Lishi was used to seeing such madmen, he frowned and said calmly: "Go to the saint and write down the two sentences just now."
"Okay, okay!"
Li Bai stepped forward, danced like a dragon and a phoenix, and wrote down these two lines of poetry. When he finished writing, he felt refreshed and all the suffocation in his heart was gone!
"Aren't you...Li Bai?"
Li Longji remembered who the person in front of him was.
When he visited Luoyang, Li Bai once dedicated "Mingtang Fu" to himself, and later presented "Da Hunting Fu" to himself. But Li Longji always believed that the court's trouble lay in insufficient income and that what was needed were financial management talents.
As for the rest, just follow the rules of the three provinces and six ministries. As the emperor, there is no need to interfere.
Therefore, Li Longji was not very interested in literati like Li Bai who were good at writing poems and songs. Besides, the court at that time already had literary figures such as Zhang Jiuling and He Zhizhang. People like Li Bai who presented poems to seek official positions can be said to be like crucian carp crossing the river. They can be found everywhere.
The only difference is talent, there is absolutely no shortage of quantity!
Things are rare and valuable, and no matter how good Li Bai's poetry is, he is still buried among these vulgar people, so he has never been able to seek an official position.
"You are considered talented. From today on, you will be enshrined in the Hanlin Academy. You can live with me and write poems and poems for me."
These four lines of poems flattered Yang Yuhuan and made Li Longji very comfortable. Of course he didn't mind leaking a little bit of leftovers from between his fingers to send away people like Li Bai who were seeking official positions.
"Thank you saint for your grace! Thank you saint for your grace!"
Li Bai withdrew with great gratitude.
Zheng Shuqing also withdrew, returned to his seat, looked at Fang Chongyong who was enjoying the food and asked in a low voice: "How was it? Was your performance okay just now?"
Fang Chongyong made an "OK" gesture and continued eating, ignoring Zheng Shuqing at all.
It's probably okay.
Zheng Shuqing knew that everything was alright just by looking at Fang Chongyong's leisurely look. At this time, he noticed that Wei Jian, who was sitting next to him, was looking at him with strange eyes, so he defended guiltily: "I was excited just now and couldn't hold it back, hahahahaha. "
"Those two sentences are really good."
Wei Jian said meaningfully and glanced at Fang Chongyong thoughtfully. He had just seen that Fang Chongyong had written on the paper and Zheng Shuqing had come to copy it. The Chang'an prodigy is indeed well-deserved, and he is also very low-key, actually hiding himself.
Fang Youde's son... seems to be a wonderful person too.
Wei Jian calmly remembered Fang Chongyong in his heart.
The performance ended and the drinking session of the banquet began. The palace people placed jars of wine one after another in the center of the stage and piled them up.
Guests scattered around can take whatever they want without having to place a lot of wine jars at their tables.
Fang Chongyong suddenly realized why the bureaucrats who drank so much in the Tang Dynasty did not drink at the banquet just now, and the official did not provide alcohol.
It turns out there is an ambush here.
Soon, the drinking ceremony began. Li Longji, the representative of Gao Lishi, announced that three people, Mingfu, Lulushi and Gonglushi, would be selected from among the guests to be responsible for maintaining the order of drinking.
"Mingfu" is the honorific title given to the county governor Mu Yin since the Han and Wei dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, it mostly referred to the county magistrate. Since the banquet is equivalent to a group, it is necessary to select a highly respected person to maintain order, so it is nicknamed "Mingfu".
Everyone unanimously recommended He Zhizhang, who usually drinks very good wine and loves wine like his life, to take charge.
The lülushi must be someone who knows the rules of drinking, understands the music, and has a large capacity for drinking.
For legal records, you need to prepare a "longtai" (also called a longtai). The longtai is a drinking utensil made of silver. There are twenty lingtai, twenty lingqi, and twenty lingzhu (lingqi and lingzhu) inside. , a commanding chip shaped like a flag or a banner, which is called a punishment chip, just like the commanding arrow in the army).
The Lu Lu Shi determines the rules and rhyme of the drinking order, and determines who will be rewarded with wine and who will be punished with wine.
Unexpectedly, Li Longji asked Li Bai, who had just made a big splash, to serve as the legal clerk. I don’t know whether it was to give face to my younger sister, Princess Yuzhen, or if I wanted to promote a scholar to make him famous.
Gong Lu Shi is also called Penal Lu Shi and is responsible for law enforcement. Probably on Li Longji's orders, Gao Lishi directly pulled out Zhang Shougui, who had just been appointed as the left prime minister, to be the kicker.
He Zhizhang, Li Bai, Zhang Shougui.
Does this combination imply something?
Fang Chongyong watched this grand banquet with cold eyes. Some were depressed, some were bold, some were sad, and some were happy. The colorful and gorgeous stage, intertwined with the banquets and tables, are like a prosperous scene like a blazing fire cooking oil.
The people here are so talented that they are not afraid of being ruined tomorrow, as long as they are happy today.
Inside and outside the venue, underneath the gorgeous appearance, everything is wrapped up in the core of cannibalism.
Fang Chongyong didn't dare to think about where these countless things at the banquet came from, and he didn't have to think about it.
The food, clothing, and use of the dignitaries of the Tang Dynasty naturally came from the people's wealth and anointment. They dug out the money, silk and grain from the mouths of the people to pursue their own wealth and enjoyment.
These people are not engaged in production themselves, so of course they cannot eat themselves.
Fang Chongyong suddenly thought of the farmers with tumors on their backs by the Kuizhou River who had to drink water from the Yangtze River because they could not afford mountain spring and well water, and worked hard to reclaim wasteland along the Yangtze River.
Those people are human beings, and so are the powerful and senior officials here. It’s just that people are born different and not equal.
"Can I leave early?"
Fang Chongyong felt that he was a little out of tune with everything he was seeing, so he pulled Zheng Shuqing's sleeve and asked in a low voice.
"Of course that's not possible. Don't saints want to lose face?"
Zheng Shuqing scolded in a low voice.
"yes."
Fang Chongyong sighed with emotion.
"It's not easy being a dog."
he muttered under his breath.
"Who says it isn't?"
Zheng Shuqing also agreed and continued: "But dogs can still eat some bones. If they become ants, they will be slaughtered by others. Do you choose to be a dog or an ant?"
