Qi Xuansu and Liu Hu set off from Longmen Mansion on March 15th, and in the blink of an eye it was late spring and early summer.
Huzhou is located in the south, and it is already a bit hot, so pedestrians have put on light clothes.
In the previous dynasty, the "Da Wei Huidian" made detailed regulations on the clothing of scholars, farmers, industry and merchants. For example, merchants were not allowed to wear silk and satin, and common people could only wear flat-toed shoes, not cocked shoes, or boots. Only Confucian scholars can wear Taoist robes, and Taoist priests can wear robes. For ordinary people, only when they get married, men can wear the bright red Jifu style of the ninth-grade official uniform, and women can wear the phoenix crown and Xiapei of imperial edicts, and so on.
However, in this dynasty, all these rules were abolished, and only corresponding regulations were made on the color of clothing. Black, that is, black, was not allowed to be used casually. Only people from the imperial court and Taoist sects could use it. Instead, the bright yellow quilt that symbolized the emperor in the past was used. Let go of the restrictions and use whatever you want. This is where the name "Men in Black" comes from.
And because it was a peaceful and prosperous time, at a glance, the streets were full of silk and satin. There were many people wearing bright yellow and strutting through the market, and there were also people wearing official uniforms, but there were no animal patches that symbolized rank, and black could not be used. , but it would not be mistaken.
If you look carefully, you can see that there are some businessmen with tall noses and dark eyes, and they are also wearing the clothes of the Central Plains gentry, which is somewhat funny.
This is very different from the scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, people changing children to eat, and scenes of dilapidation in the troubled times.
This is the real reason why Daomen and the Daxuan court have secured the world.
Zhang Yuelu left Shenxiao Temple in a carriage and headed for Taiping Inn.
Taiping Inn is called an inn, but it is actually a restaurant and an inn. The main building is a restaurant and the back is an inn.
Today, Yuan Chongzong, the top gentry in Jiangling Mansion, booked the main building of Taiping Inn to entertain guests.
This is not unusual, but today's banquet is very "plain". In the past, for banquets like this, a few popular women were always invited to "enliven the atmosphere", and maybe an oiran was invited to perform. But today, there are no romantic women in sight, only the Kun Opera troupe specially invited from Jinling Mansion to entertain the distinguished guests.
In addition, the company was not ordinary people, including the local magistrate, Tongpan, Qingluan Guard Deputy Qianhu, as well as a group of gentry, wealthy businessmen, and celebrities from Jiangling Prefecture.
At the end of the morning, carriages were already parked outside the gate of Taiping Inn. Because this dynasty promoted animal power instead of human power, sedan chairs were banned. Young people and military attachés liked to ride horses. Older adults and gentlemen naturally rode in cars.
These carriages are not comparable to ordinary carriages. Influenced by the customs of the Western Continent, carriages with two horses and four wheels are now popular. After the carriage increased in size, it looked like a small pavilion, with carved beams and painted pillars, inlaid with gold and jade, and bells hanging from the four eaves corners, which made a crisp sound when walking. The inside is like a room, with all kinds of furnishings. You can even read, write, and handle official duties. There are also various tea sets and stoves, which are fixed with special buckles. Even if there are occasional bumps, you don't have to worry about it falling over.
Luxurious carriages that are rarely seen on weekdays are gathered together in one place, not to mention those magnificent and famous horses. They are really chatting and laughing, and there are no idle people coming and going, and they are full of wealth and romance.
Compared with these BMW carved carriages, the carriage Zhang Yuelu rode was quite inconspicuous and did not attract attention.
Zhang Yuelu, who was attending the banquet alone, got out of the carriage, looked around, and said to himself: "What a huge battle."
The lobby of the Taiping Inn has been cleared. In front of it is a special screen, like a peacock spreading its tail, with carpets from the Western Regions. It is not hosting a banquet, but is used to welcome guests. After bypassing the screen, there is a staircase leading to the second floor. It is very spacious and can accommodate six people walking side by side without being crowded. The main seats are located on the second floor.
However, at this time, there was no one else on the second floor except for the servants waiting there. Everyone attending the banquet was in the lobby on the first floor. There was also a coffee table with seats. Those who couldn't stand for a long time sat and drank tea while waiting.
Because the two real owners haven't arrived yet.
One is the host Yuan Chongzong, and the other is today's guest of honor, Zhang Yuelu.
Today, Zhang Yuelu was not wearing a Taoist formal suit, but an ordinary woman's casual clothes. Although it was a bit conservative, she did not wear a veil. Zhang Yuelu really doesn't like this. Some women's veils are almost as small as those worn or not. They can't cover their faces. On the contrary, they understand the essence of half-covering their faces while still holding a pipa. What is it that is looming and covering their faces? Or is it seducing? It's really suspicious.
In her opinion, if it is inconvenient to meet people, it is better not to wear a veil, but to use a mask, or to meet people openly.
There weren't many female guests present today, but there were still some. Since the decline of Neo-Confucianism and the rise of Xinxue, plus the Taoist sect's intention to de-Confucianize and attack Confucian ethics, it has become normal for women to show up.
Zhang Yuelu came to the gate and handed the invitation to the steward of the Yuan Mansion who was hosting the guests.
The housekeeper thought it was a rich lady from some family, but after opening the invitation, he couldn't help but be startled.
This is no wonder for him. There are not many people who have seen Zhang Yuelu's true appearance. Most of them have heard about Zhang Yuelu's name for a long time. In the eyes of everyone, how can a small Taoist master who came to Jiangling Mansion in a "Yinglong" be so ostentatious? It would not be surprising if all the Taoist priests from Shenxiao Temple came out, but no one expected that Zhang Yuelu would come alone.
After a while, the housekeeper came to his senses and shouted loudly: "Deputy Hall Master Zhang is here."
Everyone who was chatting and waiting in the lobby couldn't help but be startled, and then stood up one after another.
At the same time, the housekeeper bowed slightly and led Zhang Yuelu into the lobby on the first floor.
Zhang Yuelu looked around. Not only did he not have any stage fright, but he seemed to overwhelm everyone with his aura and turned against the guests.
Many people couldn't help but feel shocked.
The person who came here is not a good person. Deputy Hall Master Zhang is able to hold a high position at a young age. This cannot be explained by the words "good fortune".
There are so many children in the Zhang family, why should a woman from a nearby family come to the top?
So many people died in the Jiangnan case, why was she the one who survived to the end?
There are so many disciples of Master Cihang, why did he choose her?
It can be seen that it is difficult to deal with.
Yuan Chongzong was not there, but his son Yuan Shangdao was. But before the Yuan family master could speak, Zhang Yuelu had already asked, "Forgive me for my blindness, but I wonder who is Mr. Yuan?"
Everyone looked at each other, Yuan Shangdao cupped his hands and said: "My father is old and frail, so he came late. I hope Deputy Hall Master Zhang can forgive me."
Zhang Yuelu smiled: "The guests have arrived, but the host is not here. This kind of hospitality... is nothing. After all, you have to respect the elderly, so I can certainly understand."
After that, Zhang Yuelu walked towards the second floor.
It seems that she is the local owner.
It's not that she doesn't understand the etiquette involved, but she has already understood one thing: what she wants to do is inherently offensive.
The remaining people on the first floor didn't follow Zhang Yuelu upstairs, nor did they stay where they were.
Many people frowned.
This Deputy Hall Master Zhang is too arrogant and arrogant!
It took Yuan Chongzong most of his life to achieve his current status, and it was built through his huge reputation and countless connections.
But how old are you, Zhang Yuelu?
No matter how promising you are, you are still just a fourth-grade wine-provoking Taoist priest, a rising star, and it is not yet time for you to be arrogant.
This is just like a prince who is expected to ascend the throne and proclaim himself emperor, but it does not mean that he can regard himself as emperor now and ignore the important officials of the court.
After Yuan Chongzong got older, Yuan Shangdao was already the head of the Yuan family, and he should have been the one to welcome Zhang Yuelu this time.
Yuan Shangdao is much older than Zhang Yuelu, and is about the same age as Zhang Kuqi. Although he cannot regard himself as an elder, and Zhang Yuelu will not recognize him, it is always difficult for Zhang Yuelu to refuse a friendship between his peers.
In this way, Zhang Yuelu became Yuan Chongzong's junior. After Yuan Chongzong arrived, he took Zhang Yuelu with him to greet Yuan Chongzong with courtesy and favor. Invisibly, the order of seniority was established. Yuan Chongzong took care of the identity of his elder. A lot of things can be said easily.
But he didn't expect that Zhang Yuelu's unruly play would make his plan come to nothing.
In addition, Yuan Shangdao originally wanted to test Zhang Yuelu on behalf of his father Yuan Chongzong. There are only a handful of people in the Taoist sect who can be named after the stars. The famous national teacher Li Changgeng Zhuyu is in front. Yuan Shangdao also wants to see if Zhang Yuelu is really the same. In the legend, the stars in the sky descend to the earth, are they worthy of being famous? Or is it difficult to live up to the reputation?
Yuan Shangdao reached out to the butler and whispered a few words.
Not long after, I saw a luxurious carriage slowly approaching.
Everyone went out to greet him.
Zhang Yuelu stood on the second floor and looked out of the window.
"What a grandeur."
