In this year (85 years of the 8th year of the Dynasty), the summer had passed, and the sound of cicadas gradually faded.
The night was cold and early autumn.One day, the sun had already set in the west; the moment before dusk, the bright reddish purple light was shrouding the Tang Dynasty's Chang'an.
The sound of the evening bell came from the Buddhist Monastery.
It floated past the palace wall of the forbidden courtyard and disappeared in the distant night sky.The western wind blew past the Wei River and blew across Chang'an's two cities, thirty-five streets, and one hundred and ninety-nine workshops.
The thousands of willows on the side of the Tailian Pool blew, causing Xiao Xiao to sway.
It also blew away the remaining heat that lingered in the city, sending a refreshing spring.The dusk deepened.
The streets were already sparse, and the clamoring noises of the city gradually quieted down.All of a sudden a cacophony filled the air, and the birds perched on the old locust trees on both sides of the Heavens Avenue began to flutter in the light.
The citizens of Chang'an knew that this was the old custom passed down by the royal ancestors, the Ming's Oblivion.
All the shops, merchants, cart drivers, and all the other colored people hurriedly packed up and prepared to go home; in a moment, the street drums would ring, and the road would be barred.At this moment, on the main road to the capital's eastern suburbs, a man dressed in a samurai's attire was wearing a fashionable yellow Leycloth and a pair of trousers and black boots that were usually worn by samurais.
He rode on a luxurious horse that was currently galloping towards the city with a whip..The people on the road, seeing the horse coming quickly, all hurriedly avoided one side and cast a surprised look.
Without waiting to look carefully, the horse had already leapt over; only the rolling yellow dust, like a thick smoke, was raised in the air for a long time."Good horse, look at how thick that fat is!" A farmer said as he stood in the field, supporting the plow head."I wish we had such a horse, but I don't know how much use we'll have," said another farmer, who was wearing a thick rope with a plow head on his shoulder."You really want to trip over a piece of gold and think of something good.
This horse is for nothing.
Can you feed it?" said another farmer carrying a hoe."That's right.
I'm afraid that this horse will eat even better than us!" A peasant woman's voice sounded.
She was struggling to carry a bundle of Li Huo, "At present, we can't even eat salt.
It's really hard to make a reverse meal!"When the salt was brought up, it was like a spoonful of water splashed into a boiling oil pan.
Immediately, an explosion of angry curses arose."Don't talk about that salt.
Damn it, it's increased by twenty again!""It's going to take several fights to exchange for a single level of salt!
It's all carried out by those officials and salt merchants.
It's really a scam!
We'll starve to death!""According to the East Village Sect's 'Regardless Garden Book' teacher, during the beginning of the year, the price of salt is only ten coins per fight.
Starting from the Su Sect's Emperor, the salt will be returned to the family's control, and the price of salt will rise year after year.
By the time the Emperor of the German Sect, the price has already risen by more than thirty times, and every time he competes for three hundred and seventy copper coins!
Heh, this is still the price of official value, and it will still double in the hands of businessmen."Now that the price of salt has increased by many times, go and calculate it if you have the ability!""What's the use of it?
I won't eat it if he raises the price.
There are many families in our village who don't eat salt.
""How rare is this?
Isn't it the same for us?
But we don't even have a single drop of salt.
That musty dumpling is really hard to swallow!
I can't believe that people can't eat food, nor can they eat salt.
It makes your body go limp, and you're drenched in sweat.
Many of your legs are swollen.""Huh?
It's been so many days, but why haven't I seen anyone selling illicit salt?
Those people are quite considerate of us.
Selling a few less is much cheaper than an official's price.""Shh!
Lower your voice." An old man waved his hand at everyone and said quietly, "Don't you know?
The patrol has been very strict these days!
Two days ago, someone saw a group of illicit salt traffickers, all tied up and escorted to the willow tree in the West District.
This...Laohan reached out and slashed at his neck.Everyone couldn't help but feel horrified and kept silent.
Suddenly, the surroundings were silent.
There was a gust of wind, passing through the field and blowing all the shriveled leaves of the tall sorghum because of the lack of rainAt this moment, the people and horses that were galloping by just now had already passed the famous Changle Pass and arrived under the Bright Spring Gate of Chang'an.Several Jin Wuwei holding long halberds stood at the gate of the city.
The person on the horse didn't wait for the other party to question him.
He had already turned over and got off the saddle.
He took out a "passage" from beside him and handed it over.What did it mean to pass through?
This was a similar type of pass-by tool that the magistrate had issued back then.
But it wasn't something that ordinary people could possess.
It required a special identity or important official business to receive it.
With it, all sorts of dangers could be taken care of.Jin Wuwei took the "place" and looked at it.
He saw that there was a seal on the three sides "the Imperial Envoy of the Sky Plate", Zhuhong, and saw that the man's clothes and saddle horses were very extraordinary.
Therefore, he only gave the "place" a cursory look and then handed it back.
Then he waved his arms and made a gesture..The man knew that this was a sign to let them go, so he didn't delay.
He immediately jumped on his saddle and urged his horse to go.Into the city, though no more galloping than before, it was still trotted and hurried.
First it went west along the well-known outer wall of the Celebrity Palace, then through the famous bustling city, but now it seemed to be in the coldness of the east city; then it passed the well-known Peace Workshop, where singers gathered, and then they saw a gloom of city, as if a row of jagged teeth were shining into the night sky.So this was Chang'an's imperial city.Although it was the 'Imperial City', it was not the place where the Emperor lived.
One had to pass through the city wall, four or five streets, and when they saw a towering three or five feet tall city wall, it was the 'Imperial City' where the Emperor lived.
However, now that they were at the foot of the Imperial City, although it was far away from the Emperor, it seemed that the security was very strict.The armored and halberd-wielding Jinwu Wuweiqi was patrolling back and forth, as well as the godly strategist with his head held high and his chest puffed out.
He walked past in a line with his sword pointed at him.
When the man arrived here, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
He walked even more cautiously.Thanks to the passing house, he did not spend too much effort on it.
Finally, he walked along the imperial city into Yongxing Workshop, where the nobles and officials were more concentrated, and finally came to the front of a high gate armor.From afar, he could see that on both sides of the main gate, there were eighteen lanterns, one tall and one tall.
That person couldn't help but inwardly call out: "Hah, it's really impressive.
Two more than the first rank!" Then he looked at the large lanterns hanging high in the middle of the main gate, which reflected the bright red words "Tian"."This word seemed to scare people.
That person did not wait for them to get close to the door.
He got off the horse in the distance and slowly moved towards the door.In front of the door, eight soldiers armed with a slightly long army swept over with a dignified gaze.
That person immediately bowed and tried his best to calm himself down.
He tried his best to speak in a clear voice, "I am the messenger sent by the Ministry of Peace.
I have an urgent military situation to report to Lord Tian."After that, he took out a "wood clip" from the leather bag he carried with him and sent it to him.
The so-called "wood clip" is an important briefcase between the two paint boards.A godly strategist received the "wood clip" and immediately turned around and walked through the small corner door on the gate.
Soon, he saw a middle-aged man in a green robe with a black cloth coming out.
However, he was quite imposing.
He turned his head and looked the person up and down.
He asked, "Are you from Huhai Province?" But before the other party could answer, he waved his hand and said, "Come with me!" After that, he turned around and walked inside.That person couldn't help but think to himself, "No wonder he said 'Seventh Grade official in front of the Prime Minister's Gate'.
It seems that his posture is even larger than a fifth rank!" As he thought about it, he hurriedly took a step forward and followed closely behind, walking into a row of houses by the sign gate.When they entered the room and sat down, the person wearing green robes introduced himself, "I am the book office of the Tian Residence.
I have some business in front of this door.
My surname is Li.
What is your surname?""My name is Hu, and my lowly name is 'Rong'." The newcomer replied, and stood up from the chair with a seemingly happy expression.
"Oh, you are Mister Li!
I have long heard of you.
Our Lord Wang asked me to give you this face." After saying that, he took out a small bag wrapped in silk and handed it to the newcomer.This was the so-called 'door bag'.

At that time, he would have to give a meeting gift to a government official in order to meet with a respected official.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to report it in time.
Li Shuban had already seen a lot of such 'door bag', but when he received the 'door bag', he felt that it was heavy.
It was known that the contents were yellow, and the number was not small.Li Shuban immediately smiled and said, "Lord Wang, there is no need for you to be so polite.
You really made me feel guilty and disrespectful."Please have a seat.
Please have a seat.
I'm afraid it must have been hard on the way here, right?"When Zhangjie saw that Li Shuban had already changed his appearance, he hurriedly said, "It wasn't that hard.
However, I really didn't know how to deal with him.
Lord Wang has been taking care of me many times, and he wants to deliver the military letter to Lord Tian.
That's why I didn't dare to waste any more time.
I immediately rushed here as soon as I arrived in the capital.""Oh, I know that.
It's not suitable to stay any longer.
Please rest assured.
You should take a rest and wash your dust." Li Shuban ordered his servants to bring tea and water.
Then, he walked back to the room next door, as though he were giving him instructions.
At the same time, he opened the doorbag and took a look.
It was indeed a pile of shiny, luminous gold.
It welcomed the candlelight, as if it were smiling at him...When Zhangjie finished washing his face and picked up a cup of tea, Li Shuban walked over from the next room and said to Zhangjie, "It's not until midnight that Tiangong's guests will be attending tonight's banquet.
However, I've still done my job for you.
Tiangong's sleep will take at least until noon tomorrow.
Therefore, I'll have to wait until the day after tomorrow before I can respond."You don't have to wait for tonight.
Zhangjie had no choice but to thank him, "Yes, Mr.
Li.
Please take care of yourself.
Things are too urgent, and we'll have to wait.""This, don't worry.
I know it's important, so I should do my best to help.
Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to hear a reply for a month, two months, or even half a year!
Ah?
How much trouble did something happen on your side!
Why did people come here continuously these past few days?
Someone just came to Cao Zhou."...""Ahem, it's a long story..." Zhangjie remembered that Wang Dynasty had taken care of him many times before, and he couldn't casually discuss the situation there.
He wanted to inquire more about the capital city.
Thus, he changed the topic, "I wonder what the capital city is saying?""We have been rumouring about the famine here for a long time, saying that even the leaves of the locust trees have been eaten up.
If not for the fact that Maester Hanlin had said so in the emperor's memorial, we would have thought that it was a praise!""That's not a lie at all.
He's even more powerful than this..." Zhangjie felt that something was amiss, and quickly changed his words, "The maester you're talking about is Old Lu Gelao, right?
I heard that he has a good relationship with Eunuch Tian.""That's right.
But for this matter, our Tiangong..." Li Shuxiu suddenly paused, feeling that it wasn't convenient for him to converse with Zhangjie for a long time.
Just as he was about to use his words to deflect the conversation, he suddenly heard someone outside the window raise his voice, "Who's the one from Yanzhou?
Tiangong wants to meet."Li Shuban was startled.
He immediately responded, "I know.
I'll be there under orders."Then, he turned to Zhangjie, who had already stood up from his chair, "I really didn't expect that there would be an echo so soon, and I also want to see it!
This must be due to the implications of the matter.
But this is also what you think.
I'm willing to help, right?"Just as Zhangjie was about to offer his gratitude with his fork, Li Shuban pulled him to the side and whispered, "I've met you.
Be careful not to panic.
I'm right beside you."After saying that, he led Zhangjie out of the room.
There were already some people waiting there with lanterns in hand.Under the dim yellow light, they walked through corridors and corridors, and then along a flowery wall through a garden gate.
Only then did they arrive at a courtyard with luxurious trees and thick shades.Two godly troops stood guard in front of the courtyard.
Li Shuban stepped forward and greeted them.
Only when a godly army opened the beaded curtains with bells on them did he lead Zhangjie into the doorway.
As soon as he entered the room, he suddenly felt two rows of silver candles in front of him light up.
They burned several rows of silver candles, chairs, treasured dings, silver bottles, embroidered banners, and embroidered silks...
They shined brightly and dazzlingly.However, the room was empty.Even though there was no one around, Li Shuban didn't dare to act rashly.
Instead, he didn't sit down on the empty rose-shaped chairs.
Instead, he pulled Zhangjie to a corner and waited respectfully.The surroundings were unusually quiet, and the sound of bamboo pipe strings could be heard from the backyard.
The soft and low sound was also clearly heard.Li Shuban couldn't help but listen attentively.
He extended his fingers and lightly tapped on the palm of his other hand.
He said in a very understanding manner, "This 'replosion' played quite well.
The following part is even more exciting.
Mm, the banquet is going to be very lively later!
We have to wait a little longer.""..."A moment later, the music came from a high and low, and then came a girl's soft voice.
In the night silence, there was a single word.
It could be heard that the city was full of flowers, and the wind was blowing in the east.
The Hanfu Palace was filled with candles, and light smoke scattered the duke's home.It didn't take long before the singing stopped.
Then, they heard cheers, laughter, applause, clinking cups...
It took a long, long time before they finally calmed down.
Li Shuban couldn't help but nod and smile.
Then, he whispered to Zhangjie, "I just sang the poem of the ten geniuses of the great history, Hanxiong.""Did you know?
Even Emperor Dezong praised this poem!
It could be seen that it was the number one good poem in the world.
Because of this poem, the emperor specifically called him to be the driver of the imperial carriage, and then added a mastery note to it."This time, he went up and became a close subject to the Emperor.
""Drink!
A poem is worth so much?!" Zhangjie exclaimed.
He had forgotten that he couldn't speak loudly here.Li Shuban thought to himself that this person couldn't "have a good time with Yanshi." But he still smiled and didn't say anything.
He wanted to listen to the exciting "replosion" below.As the sound of the bamboo rose, another girl began to sing.
The voice was louder than before, and what she heard was:Chang'an's daughter treads on the spring sun,Where is spring and yang?Wandering sleeves and bending waists,With moth eyebrows and nine autumn frost.The song became increasingly sad and resentful, especially when it was the last word "frost", the voice became louder and louder, as if it had been plunged into the deep night sky; suddenly another turn came to an abrupt end.There was only a moment of silence, and the listeners seemed to have yet to recover from the faded song.
After a while, they heard an even louder applause and applause.Li Shuban nodded in appreciation.
He couldn't wait to rush over and give it a few slaps.