Chapter 4 first quarter

June twenty-fourth.To the west of Bianjing City, about a mile outside Wansheng Gate, is Guankou Erlang Temple. "This Guankou Erlang Zhenjun Temple used to be a very prosperous place in Bianjing..." Jin Lan seemed to be an expert in Bianjing at this time, and introduced the customs of Bianjing to her sister, the princess of Koryo. Favor.In the sixteenth year of Xining, the former king of Koryo, Wang Hui, died of illness, and the crown prince, Wang Xun, succeeded to the throne. Within a hundred days, he died suddenly.With the support of the King of Koryo, the ministers, the envoys and the army of the Song Dynasty, Wang Yun, the Duke of Guoyuan, succeeded to the throne, and was canonized by the emperor of the Song Dynasty and recognized by the Liao Kingdom.One year after Wang Yun succeeded to the throne, he sent Princess Jin Zhi and Prince Wang Yao to Song Dynasty to congratulate Empress Dowager Gao on her birthday.At this time, it was still too early for Empress Dowager Gao's birthday on July 16, so the Empress Dowager and Empress issued a decree to order Princess Qinghe and Jun Jinlan of Cheng'an County to accompany Princess Gaoli to watch the scenery of Bianjing.

"Zhenjun Erlang is extremely effective. He not only prayed for water to heal the sick, but also responded to the Xixia invaders during Renzong's time. He also showed his power. He used a heavy snow to drive back the Xixia people and kept Yanzhou. Therefore, the court named him Zhaohui Lingxian King. "Erlang God" is actually just a common name among the people. According to legend, today is the birthday of Erlang Zhenjun. All walks of life in Bianjing, shops, restaurants, princes, nobles, and government offices all come to offer sacrifices, let alone ordinary people in the market. Today It can also be regarded as a lively festival in Bianjing..."

While listening to Jin Lan's introduction, Jin Zhi quietly opened the curtain of the carriage and peeped outside.When she arrived in Hangzhou from Kaijing, she felt that the prosperity of Hangzhou was almost like a paradise on earth. After arriving in Bianjing, she realized that Hangzhou was actually just a small city.At this time, all she could see was crowds of people bustling everywhere, even the entire Kaijing people gathered together, it was not as lively as the temple here.If there were no honor guards to clear the way, she really couldn't imagine how to squeeze into the temple.

"The Kaifeng mansion has been preparing for sacrifices since yesterday. According to legend, as long as the first stick of incense can be burned until the fifth watch, one year's peace can be kept. Last night, I don't know how many people lived in this temple. As soon as the fifth watch arrives, we will scramble to burn that stick of incense—the first stick of incense last year, I heard that the Taifu Temple snatched it..." "Is the government coming to fight too?" Jin Zhi looked at Jin Lan strangely.Jin Lan said with a smile: "Why don't you fight? The prince, the prime minister, and even the embassies of various countries will send people to fight for burning this incense stick, each according to his own ability. A guild won it the year before last. But no matter how ordinary people are, If we can’t compete, we have to start offering sacrifices at dawn. Madam, look there——” Jin Lan pointed out the window, attracting Jin Zhi’s gaze, “Madam, look at the terrace, the pile of things that look like hills are all All kinds of sacrifices..."

The carriage moved forward slowly, and Jin Lan kept introducing to Jin Zhi what she had seen in the carriage.There are people jumping rope, there are sumo wrestlers, and there are zaju performers, people called fruits, people who look like students, people who pretend to be ghosts with knives, and people who make jokes... I saw a variety of dramas in front of this temple, It seemed that all the artists in Bianjing had arrived, and Jin Zhi was dazzled and dazzled. "In addition to praying for water to cure diseases and protecting the country and the people, this Erlang God is also a play god, so..." Jin Lan was talking, when he suddenly heard Jin Zhi screaming in surprise: "Then... what is that?" Looking in the direction of her finger - she saw two flag poles that were tens of feet high in front of the main hall of the temple. The entertainer was dancing on the crossbar and exhaling fireworks, which caused the people below to scream again and again.Yin laughed and said, "I don't know how many people come here every year just to see this."

The Jinlan sisters reunited after many years, even though they couldn't speak their own words across Qinghe, they still had endless things to say.But Qinghe seemed bored, just answering a sentence or two.Hanhua was originally the fashion and necessary self-cultivation of nobles in Goryeo. Although Jin Zhi's official dialect had a Hangzhou accent, Qinghe could still understand it.It's just that she really lacks interest in Erlang Temple.This Erlang God was originally a god of Shu, and was originally the god of protecting the country of the Later Shu Kingdom. He had an indistinct relationship with Meng Chang, the Queen of Shu. In the dynasties, the worship of this god was strictly prohibited. It was not until the Song Dynasty's rule in Shu was stabilized that it was gradually relaxed. It was not until Song Renzong that the Erlang God slowly spread to the whole country, and the stories of various gods were gathered together. Even the name of Erlang God has been changed several times, and finally there is the "King of Zhaohui Lingxian" Zhao Yu at this time.Although these changes, even the locals who have lived in Bianjing for a long time, can't explain clearly, Jinlan is even less likely to know, but Qinghe once heard Mrs. Shi Sangzier say that once the origin of the gods is traced back to the source , the sense of mystery is gone, and the feeling of awe will naturally be diluted a lot.However, what made her really absent-minded was the rumor she overheard in the palace yesterday - His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had contracted a cold again.

Since Di Yong's death in battle, Qinghe has put almost all her trust in her son Di Huan.For the sake of her son, Qinghe took great pains. She, who originally deliberately stayed away from court battles, had to redouble her efforts, not only to win the favor of Empress Dowager Gao and Empress Xiang, but also to marry Concubine Zhu, so as to create more opportunities for Di Huan to get close to him since childhood. Sixth Brother Zhao Maid—Although the child has no father since birth, this relationship will be the guarantee of Di Huan's life.But the health of this His Royal Highness is really worrying. Within a month, he can be sick three or four times, which is far worse than his other younger brothers.And her emperor's elder brother, the body is also suffering from many disasters...

"Princess, do you want to worship Erlang God too?" Jin Lan's humble voice interrupted Qinghe's thoughts. All the Taoist priests in the village greeted him at the archway, and the roadside was crowded with people watching the fun. Qinghe smiled slightly and said softly: "The people outside are all here to see the princess of Korea. I feel a little unwell. So I won’t get out of the car. Please ask my sister to accompany the princess for me.” Jin Zhi laughed quickly and said: "If the Princess is not feeling well, why don't we go home. Anyway, I had a good time today." Although it was clear that Qing He's attitude was just socializing, she didn't dare to mind it.After all, the one sitting opposite her was a real golden branch and jade leaf.She had already heard that the number one beauty in the imperial clan of the Great Song Dynasty was only a princess, but she was a princess who eats the salary of a princess, and all treatment is equal to that of the eldest princess.Ordinary concubines in the inner court of the Great Song Dynasty all respected the mistress of Jingyuanzhuang who was very good at life.

"How can I spoil everyone's happiness because of me alone." Qinghe said with a smile, "I hope the princess will not blame you for being rude." She watched the Jin sisters get off the carriage with a smile, and was surrounded by a group of people again As he entered the temple, he suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but sighed faintly.This Jinlan, I'm afraid she doesn't know that her husband caused a catastrophe in Shaanxi, right? the next day.Inside, Baoci Palace. Empress Dowager Gao, who will soon be fifty-two years old, leaned on the couch in the warm pavilion with her eyes closed, and Qinghe stood beside her with a round fan in her hand, gently fanning her, while whispering to Empress Gao about the past. day passes. "After going to Erlang Temple, I went to Jinming Pond. Yunluo heard what Princess Gaoli said, and seemed to want to go to the zoo. Because after Jin Mingchi came out, it was getting late and it was not on the way, so she didn't mention it..."

"You can accompany her to have a look some other day. She has come from afar, and she should do her best as a landlord." Empress Dowager Gao ordered. "Zeng Bu and Xue Yi returned to Beijing from Ling Yamen to report on their duties, and bought four white elephants from the Zhunian Kingdom. The princess of Gaoli has never seen it before..." "Yes." Qinghe replied quickly, thinking of this, he felt it was funny again, and couldn't help covering his mouth and laughing, "That white elephant is indeed a rare thing, they brought it back from thousands of miles to offer it to the Queen Mother to celebrate her birthday - I heard That Zhuan Kingdom is Tianzhu—I never thought about it, but I was scolded twice by the Queen Mother and the Emperor, each was fined a month's salary, and in the end I did a lot of work for the zoo."

When Empress Dowager Gao heard this, she opened her eyes and glanced at Qinghe, and said with a smile, "Zeng Bu and Xue Yi, one is a minister of the imperial court and served as the third envoy; the other is a general of the imperial court, commanding the South China Sea Navy. It is a town of princes. The court wants them to serve the country loyally, not above. This is what the maids should do, not the ministers. Zeng Bu should learn from Han Qi and Sima Guang; Xue Yi should learn from your Di Lang ...Those four white elephants were transported thousands of miles from Zhucharian Kingdom, how much money would it cost? How much manpower would it cost? I want to accept this gift from them, and the local officials will compete to follow suit in the future, and the country should produce traitors. Eleven Niang, you are also a frequent reader, you must have read the sentence 'The king of Chu is so thin, the city starved to death', the palace is so luxurious and entertaining, it is often the beginning of the country's subjugation." "These words of the queen mother should actually be written down, just like "Women's Rules", to set an example for future generations." Empress Dowager Gao smiled faintly, and sighed slightly, "Empress Changsun wrote "Nvrui", and before the ink was dry, there would be the disaster of Wu Zhou. The sage Confucius has exhausted the truth. "Although it cannot be said that it is completely useless, we can only rely on loyal ministers to deal with traitors. Can "Nv Ze" make the Wu family correct? The world is different, and the reason is the same. Yesterday, it was said that there was another mutiny in Shaanxi—— Did you say that the imperial court did not establish a law of three feet? But in the end, it was up to loyal ministers and good generals to put down the mutiny..." Empress Dowager Gao seemed to be talking casually, but when her topic brought up the Weinan Mutiny, Qinghe couldn't help but thump in his heart.Although the imperial court tried its best to block the news, most people in Bianjing were still unaware of the forbidden army rebellion that took place in Weinan, Shaanxi Province in early June, but it was impossible to hide it from everyone.Qinghe also heard some rumors. First, Zhang Dun urgently reported the Weinan Mutiny, and then the Privy Council suddenly became busy. Everyone from the Privy Council envoys stayed in the confinement overnight. .Within a few days, the emperor's mood improved obviously, and his face became much calmer. Then Qinghe heard that the Weinan Mutiny had been put down—there were rumors that Tang Kang was good at mobilizing the imperial army, and...for some reason, Qinghe felt so It was like a mess, although on the surface it looked like nothing was wrong, but she always felt blocked, as if something was wrong.The Empress Dowager loves her second brother Zhao Hao the most, and that is well-known throughout the world. After her eldest brother Zhao Xu came to the throne, that is, in the early years of Xining, Zhao Hao still lived in the palace. Even after her fourth brother Zhao Kai left the house, Zhao Hao asked to go out one after another, but Zhao Xu never agreed because he was concerned about his mother's feelings.For this matter, since the time of the first emperor, there have been criticisms in the court.After several years of procrastination, the empress dowager ordered Zhao Hao to build a palace near the palace because of no other choice. Not only that, Zhao Hao was also allowed to visit him once a day, which was unmatched among all the kings.It wasn't until the emperor's sudden illness in the ninth year of Xining, which caused a big disturbance, that the emperor became suspicious and found an excuse to order Zhao Hao to be banned from visiting once a day to once every three days.Even so, the emperor still cared about the feelings of the empress dowager and his brotherhood, and he loved this younger brother very much. Not only did he relocate him many times and enshrine his sons, but he also knew that he liked rare books and was good at riding and archery and calligraphy. Every time he gets an isolated or rare copy, he must first give it to him to copy it; if there is a good bow and a horse to offer, he will pick it first.In the past few years, Zhao Hao has also been known as "filial piety". Confucian scholars who come to the government to give lectures are all treated with courtesy;But he never made friends with the ministers in the court, and those who could enter the palace were all in white clothes; and Zhao Hao was not like in the early years of Xining, who often advised and criticized the empress dowager, empress dowager, and emperor in private. The new law actually never talks about political affairs, but only fulfills filial piety and accepts joy at the knees.Whether it is in the palace or in the people, when mentioning King Yong, they all praise him and promise him as a "virtuous king".But why did this "virtuous king" suddenly talk about the Weinan mutiny to the empress dowager?Is this just an unintentional mention, or is there another meaning?Qinghe just felt that there was no clue to find out about this matter, she only knew about the cause and effect of the Weinan Mutiny, but looking at the expression of the Empress Dowager Gao and listening to her tone, there was obviously a hidden meaning... In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Qinghe's mind, but he pretended to be extremely surprised, opened his mouth wide, and said in amazement: "Shaanxi mutiny?" "Ten thousand forbidden troops mutinied in the hinterland of Shaanxi!" The Empress Dowager Gao shook her head and said, "Fortunately, it has been calmed down." "It's settled?!" Qinghe seemed to be hearing the news for the first time, and said in a low voice, "Amitabha, this is truly a saint blessed by God..." "This is the blessing of the ancestors." Empress Dowager Gao said, "But it is also because of loyal ministers and good generals who are desperate to put down those rebels who have no father and no king in time, and eliminate the disaster..." Qinghe listened carefully to Empress Dowager Gao's words, vaguely feeling There was some unusual meaning in her words, but Empress Dowager Gao seemed to feel a little tired when she said this, she suddenly smiled and said: "I have talked too much today. Discipline with foreign ministers." Hearing these words, Qinghe had a hint of admonishment, and hurriedly leaned back and said, "Yunluo understands." "Among so many princesses and princesses in the clan, only the Kingdom of Shu and you are the ones who know the most. It's a pity that the Kingdom of Shu..." When the Empress Dowager Gao said this, her eyes immediately turned red, and tears flowed out uncontrollably.Qinghe recalled that she had a very good relationship with the eldest princess of the Kingdom of Shu, but the eldest princess of the Kingdom of Shu died of illness because of the untimely death of her beloved son. At the end of the day, I couldn't help feeling sad, and sobbed softly.

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