Chapter 8 Chapter Eight: The Rain Is Coming

The front hall of Weiyang Palace was newly decorated for the New Year's Eve celebration. Because at the beginning of the founding of the Han Dynasty, Xiao He once said to Liu Bang that "the emperor's home is everywhere, and he can't be majestic unless he is spectacular", "If you don't see the emperor's residence, you can know the emperor's dignity?" Wen Jingshi was frugal to the point of being stingy, but the royal family celebrations were not in the slightest. The same is true for this celebration, Liu Fuling's daily life is very simple, but the annual banquet follows the old system, but the decoration style of Emperor Wu was not used, but the layout of Emperor Wen and Jing was used.

Danzhu in the atrium and lacquer in the hall.Bronze is the stack, and white jade is the order. The pillars are painted with gold, on which is a picture of nine golden dragons soaring clouds and rain, and on the eaves is a picture of five grains drawn with gold powder, praying for good weather and a good harvest in the coming year. Liu Fuling also wanted to wear the most luxurious dragon robe today. Yu An and the three eunuchs worked for half an hour before they put on the dragon robe and crown for Liu Fuling. The shoulders of the dragon robe are woven with patterns of the sun, moon, and dragon, the back is woven with patterns of stars and mountains, and the sleeves are woven with patterns of fire, Chinese insects, and Zongyi.

On the dragon crown hangs the same color of East China Sea dragon beads, each with twelve prongs, and two hundred and eighty-eight ones at the front and back, each one is exactly the same. Yun Ge thought to himself, I don't know how many thousands of pearls are needed to find so many dragon beads of average size. Liu Fuling's eyes were half-hidden behind the dragon ball, so he couldn't see his expression clearly, only when he moved occasionally, the curtain of the dragon crown and beads shook slightly, so he could catch a glimpse of the dragon's face, but the precious light reflecting his eyes made people feel more and more blurred .

When he stood still, he was majestic and dignified like a god. He only felt that he was infinitely high, but those who looked at him were infinitely low. Yun Ge propped his chin, staring blankly at Liu Fuling. Only at this moment did he truly understand Xiao He's intentions. Liu Fuling's majesty and dignity at this moment cannot be imagined unless he witnessed it with his own eyes. When he stepped on the jade steps and stood at the highest point in the front hall of Weiyang Palace. When all the officials knelt down together. When the whole Chang'an, the whole big man, and even the whole world are under his feet.

Dominate the world! Yun Ge truly understood the power and momentum represented by this word. as well as…… that far away. Yu An reported: "Your Majesty, everything is ready. Longyu is ready." Liu Fuling lightly raised his hand, telling him to step back. Walking up to Yun Ge, he pulled Yun Ge up: "What are you thinking?" Yun Ge smiled, and stretched out his hand to remove the bead curtain hanging from Liu Fuling's dragon crown: "I used to look at the portraits of your emperors of the Han Dynasty, and often thought, why do you hang a row of bead curtains? Doesn't it affect the sight? Now I understand Yes. With this, the emperor's mind is even more unpredictable."

Liu Fuling was silent for a moment, and said: "Yun Ge, I want to hear you call my name, just like I call you." Yun Ge half raised her head, staring at him in a daze. Because the distance between the two is very close, the precious light shines brightly without being blurred, on the contrary, every tiny expression of Liu Fuling is clearly reflected.The things contained in the dark eyes are what she is familiar with and what she understands, he... Not far away. Outside the house, Yu An whispered, "Your Majesty, the auspicious time is coming. All the officials have gathered in the front hall. Si Tianjian will offer sacrifices to the gods at the auspicious time."

Liu Fuling ignored it, and only called out softly: "Yun Ge?" Yun Ge pursed her lips, and called out somewhat hesitantly: "Liu...Liu Fuling." The name that no one dared to call came out of her mouth, and her previous nervousness and discomfort all disappeared suddenly. She laughed, "I'm not used to calling you that, Brother Ling." Liu Fuling held Yun Ge's arm and went out: "The person in charge of the celebration banquet this time is a new talented person from the Ministry of Rites. I heard that there are many new tricks, and the cook is also a famous chef recruited by the world. You won't feel that boring."

After Yun Ge heard it, she really became interested immediately, and her face was full of surprise: "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" "I told you earlier, I'm afraid that if you run to the imperial dining room every day, I will worry about receiving memorials every day." Yun Ge was puzzled: "What?" "At the banquet, not only my court officials, but also the envoys from all over the world who came to pay their respects, there must be no mistakes. The busyness before the banquet is extraordinary. You go to pester the cook to talk, and the Ministry of Rituals should not give it to you every day. Did I reprimand you in the Daoist scriptures?"

Having already walked in front of Longyu, Liu Fuling could no longer walk with Yunge.But he didn't get in the car for a long time, just staring at Yun Ge quietly. Yu An hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, don't worry, the servants have already made arrangements, and Liu Shun and the others will definitely take good care of Miss Yun." Liu Fuling knew that he couldn't delay any longer, so he stroked Yun Ge's cheek affectionately with his hand, turned around and got into the car. Yun Ge also had a feeling in his heart that he couldn't explain clearly, but he didn't notice Liu Fuling's movements.

Since their reunion, the two have always walked together and faced each other day and night. This is the first time that they are in the same hall, but they are separated abruptly. Glancing at Matcha who was at the side and winking at her, Yun Ge realized that Liu Fuling's actions just now were a bit frivolous on such occasions, as if they were not in line with the majesty of the emperor. Yun Ge blushed slightly, and said to Liu Shun and Fu Yu: "Let's go! Let's go to the front hall, without matcha." Matcha hurriedly trotted after her: "I don't dare anymore, I must listen to Miss Yun's words from now on. Miss Yun can only laugh when she makes her laugh. If Miss Yun doesn't let her laugh, she must not laugh. At most, she secretly laughs..."

Yun Ge didn't pay any attention to Matcha's teasing anymore, she was only in a trance. What will it be like to leave when the one-year agreement is over? Si Tianjian rang the bell. Rows of bells rang one after another, and spread along the corridor of the front hall to the nine streets and ten alleys outside Weiyang Palace. The bell is ringing to tell the world that the old year is coming to an end and the new year is coming. The sound of joyful drums promises and hopes to all beings that the new year will be happy, healthy and joyful. Yun Ge looked up at Liu Fuling slowly climbing up to the Tianming Terrace in the front hall, and in the eulogy of the Si Tianjian, he first worshiped the sky, then the earth, and finally worshiped people. Harmony between heaven and earth and people. All the officials knelt down in unison. It was not the first time for Yun Ge to attend a royal banquet, but it was the first time to experience such a grand etiquette of the Han family. Matcha tugged her lightly, Yun Ge finally realized, and hurriedly knelt down with everyone, but it was already a step too late, the eyes of the people around were all over her. Among all kinds of eyes, Yun Ge bumped into a pair of familiar beautiful eyes, the eyes were like sharp needles, which made her shiver slightly. Huo Chengjun and Yun Ge looked at each other through the shadows of Mrs. Gaoming and the daughter of the boudoir. Was it me who broke her happiness?Or did she shatter my happiness?Yun Ge couldn't even give herself an answer. Neither of them smiled. They looked at each other for a moment, then looked away from each other, but they both moved to the side at the same time, as if looking at the other person unintentionally. Meng Jue ranks among the top officials, so his position is special, and his appearance is outstanding, so there is no need to look for him. With a quick glance, he has already been seen. The official uniforms of the Han Dynasty, with broad robes and wide sleeves, and high crowns and belts, are solemn yet elegant, which sets Meng Jue in a state of mind, relaxed and high-spirited. I have heard about Meng Jue's name for a long time, but there are many boudoir daughters who have never met. At this time, many people are secretly looking at Meng Jue.Even the matcha next to Yunge was fascinated, thinking to himself, so this is the man who is not afraid of the Huo family, and under such a gentle and jade-like appearance, he is actually strong and strong. After kneeling down, Meng Jue glanced sideways while standing up. He seemed to have known where Yun Ge was. Among the thousands of people, his gaze fell on Yun Ge without any deviation. Yun Ge didn't have time to dodge, and bumped into him, only feeling that somewhere in his heart was still bursting with soreness. How can you still feel sad after trying so hard to forget? In a daze, she didn't notice that everyone had stood up, but she was still kneeling on the ground blankly. Matcha was careless for a moment, she had already stood up, she couldn't bend over to drag each other, she was too anxious to think deeply, she kicked Yun Ge under her skirt, Yun Ge woke up with a start, and hurriedly stood up. The thick black color in Meng Jue's eyes lightened a little, and she looked a little happy. The lengthy etiquette is about to end, and the night banquet is about to begin. After kneeling down again, everyone will enter the banquet according to their respective identities. This time, Matcha didn't dare to be careless again, staring at Yunge, raising points with every movement.Thinking that she dared to kick Yunge, Mocha felt that she was tired of life.But Yunge has a kind of magical power, which makes people who get along with her often forget their own identities, and do things unconsciously according to their heart. The male guests and the female guests sat in separate seats, each seated one by one under the guidance of eunuchs and maids of honor. After what happened just now, Yun Ge felt a little sluggish, and wanted to go back to rest, but by accident, he saw Liu's illness at the end of Baiguan, so he got excited again. Liu Bing smiled and nodded at her from afar, Yun Ge also smiled sweetly, and quietly asked Matcha: "Is it true that as long as the officials come, their wives will also come?" "That's generally the case. But apart from the royal family, only the official family is eligible to attend this banquet." As soon as the matcha finished speaking, I wanted to bite off my tongue. Fortunately, Yun Ge was so busy looking for Xu Pingjun that he didn't pay attention to what Matcha said in the second half of his sentence. Yun Ge saw Xu Pingjun standing alone, no one around answered her. It was the first time she attended such an occasion, and she was afraid that something might go wrong and add trouble to her and Liu Bing's already difficult fate, so she was very nervous, always observing every move of the people around her, not daring to do more than one movement , I dare not do less than one action. Many ladies beside her saw Xu Pingjun's shabby look, they all covered their mouths and sniggered, doing some meaningless actions on purpose. They should have left, but they stopped deliberately, causing Xu Pingjun to stop hurriedly, and was scolded by the woman behind him. They were supposed to be sitting, but they deliberately stretched their waists, as if they wanted to stand up, causing Xu Pingjun to think that he was sitting wrongly, so he quickly stood up, but unexpectedly they were still sitting. They exchanged glances with each other, overjoyed. Xu Pingjun became their entertainment at the banquet. Yun Ge originally only wanted to say hello to Xu Pingjun. In the past, Xu Pingjun was very envious of those ladies and wives who sat at the official banquet, Yun Ge wanted to see if Xu Pingjun was in a happy mood today from being the one who admired others to being the one who was admired? Unexpectedly, what he saw was such a scene. Forcibly suppressing the anger in my heart, I said to Matcha: "I don't care what method you use, you either let me sit with Sister Xu, or let Sister Xu sit over, or I will go to Sister Xu by myself." Seeing Yunge's resolute attitude, Mocha knew that there was no room for maneuver in this matter, so she could only quietly call Liushun, and muttered about it. Liu Shun followed Yu An's side, and saw a lot of wind and waves, and what was embarrassing in Mocha's eyes was nothing in his eyes, so he said with a smile: "What else should I do, so it's just such an idea! I'll do it, you First add a couch next to Miss Yun." As expected, Liu Shun moved neatly, and I don't know how he told the people in the Ministry of Rites. Anyway, after a while, he saw a little eunuch leading Xu Pingjun over. Xu Pingjun is a smart person, he already felt that the wives and young ladies around him were teasing her, but there was nothing he could do about it, why did she come from a poor family and knew nothing, hadn't seen anything before? He was worried all night, when he saw Yun Ge, his nose turned astringent, and he was about to cry, but his heart and guts immediately returned to the original place. Yun Ge picked up a plate full of delicious food, and handed it to Xu Pingjun with a smile: "I think my sister hasn't eaten a bite yet, so eat something first." Xu Pingjun nodded, and immediately started eating. After eating a few chopsticks, he suddenly stopped: "Yun Ge, is it right for me to eat this way? Show me how many chopsticks you eat." Yun Ge almost laughed out loud: "Sister Xu, you..." Xu Pingjun's expression was very serious: "I'm not joking with you, I'm already sick and now I'm working for the emperor, I think he likes it very much, I've known him for so many years, I've never seen him as serious as he is now. I'm afraid there will be various banquets, I don't want others to laugh at him because of me. Yun Ge, teach me." Yun Ge was moved by Xu Pingjun's painstaking efforts, and quickly suppressed his smile: "Brother is really lucky. I will teach my sister carefully, so that no one can make mistakes. Fortunately, I have read a lot of books during these days, and there are still people around me. There is a learned person, otherwise..." Yun Ge stuck out his tongue and started to speak slowly, "The word rites has a long history, ranging from national codes to ancestor sacrifices. It is definitely not something that can be finished in a short time. Today I can only briefly talk about it. And basic banquet etiquette." Xu Pingjun nodded, expressing his understanding. "After Han Gaozu founded the country, he ordered Xiao He to set laws and decrees, Han Xin to set military law and weights and measures, and Shusun to set etiquette. The etiquette of this dynasty is based on the Qin system, combined with the teachings of Confucian Confucius..." Teachers put their heart into it, and scholars put their heart into it. Although the two caring people were inside the banquet, they inadvertently temporarily separated themselves from the banquet. Although the younger sister is a queen, but this time she still couldn't sit with Liu Fuling. The emperor sat alone on the upper seat, and the younger sister's phoenix couch was placed under the right head. Huo Yu muttered dissatisfiedly: "I used to say that my younger sister is too young to be a phoenix in the world. But now that my younger sister is about to be fourteen years old, is she still not even qualified to sit with him? Sit next to him, waiting for someone else? What is father thinking in his heart? He looks not in a hurry." Huo Yun hurriedly said: "There are too many people, so don't say a few words, my uncle has his own ideas in his heart." Huo Yu glanced across the banquet, and everyone who saw him bowed his head. Even the prime minister would smile at him as a salute, but when he saw Meng Jue, although Meng Jue smiled and bowed his hands in salute, his eyes were calm and calm, neither humble nor overbearing. Huo Yu got angry, sneered, and looked away. Although he was arrogant, he was very afraid of Huo Guang. No matter how annoyed he was, he still didn't dare to disregard Huo Guang's order to touch Meng Jue. He had to suppress his anger, but the more he thought about it, the more depressed he became. Feeling useless.Accidentally caught Meng Jue's gaze, seemingly unintentionally sweeping across the mat, he asked: "The woman over there looks unfamiliar, whose daughter is it?" Huo Shan glanced at Huo Yun, not knowing. Among the three, Huo Yun, the one with the deepest palace in the city, said: "This is the woman brought into the palace by the emperor, named Yun Ge. Because my uncle ordered me to investigate her background, I know more about her than the two elder brothers. This woman is helpless. She is an orphan who cooks for a living in Chang'an City, and she is a famous "Ya Chu". The woman next to her is Xu Pingjun, the wife of a cockfighter in Chang'an City, but that person does not know what kind of luck , I heard that because he looks a bit like the emperor, and he fits the emperor's eyes, he was favored by the emperor and made a small official. This is Liu Bingji who is now working with his uncle. Yun Ge and Liu Bingji, Xu Pingjun, Meng Jue Their relationship is not shallow, they are probably the only people Yun Ge is close to. It seems that there are still some unclear things between this girl and Meng Jue." Huo Yu heard this for the first time: "Does Cheng Jun know?" Huo Yun said: "Brother, if you pay attention to Cheng Jun's expression, you will know it. I think Cheng Jun already knew about this woman." Huo Yu looked at Meng Jue, looked at Liu Fuling, looked at Yun Ge and laughed: "Interesting." Huo Yu saw Huo Chengjun smiling slightly, and poured himself a drink. But he is Huo Chengjun's elder brother with the same father and mother, and he has always loved this girl, so why can't he see the gloomy mood under Huo Chengjun's smile?She couldn't help cursing with hatred and distress: "Useless girl, there is no way to take an orphan girl. It's really useless to live in Huo's family!" Huo Yun hurriedly said: "Brother, don't mess around with this matter, otherwise uncle will know..." Huo Yu laughed: "Who said I was going to mess around?" Huo Shan smiled knowingly: "But we can't stop others from messing around." Huo Yun knew that Huo Yu was already full of anger because he couldn't move Meng Jue, and sooner or later he would have to blow up. Rather than knowing where the blowup would be difficult to control, it would be better to blow it up on that woman. Meng Jue played with Huo Shi in the palm of his hand, and he was no less angry than his elder brother. What's more, Huo Yu is the uncle's only son, even if something goes wrong, uncle can't really do anything to them with Huo Yu around. Huo Yun was still weighing in his heart, Huo Shan said: "Brother Yun, why are you thinking so much? This girl is just a court lady now, even if things get serious, that is, if something happens to a court lady, the emperor can still treat us for a court lady. The Huo family turned his face? What's more, this matter kills three birds with one stone, it's really done well, and it saves uncle time." Huo Yu sneered disdainfully.The entire military power of Chang'an City is in the hands of the Huo family, he really didn't take Liu Fuling seriously. Huo Yun felt that Huo Shan's words were very reasonable, so he smiled and said, "Then the younger brother will accompany the two elder brothers in a play." Huo Yu gave Huo Shan careful instructions for a while, Huo Shan got up and left the table, and said with a smile, "Eat slowly, I've drunk too much, I'll go change." Huo Yu stopped him and said in a low voice, "Be careful with the people under An Nasi." Huo Shan smiled: "For tonight's occasion, envoys from the Xiongnu, Qiang, and countries from the Western Regions have all come. The eunuchs Yu An and Qixi must concentrate on protecting the emperor and have no time for him. Besides, I am a dignified general, Wei Young The imperial guards in the palace are all ours, if he has a plan, I will have a wall ladder, brother, don't worry." Yun Ge briefly explained to Xu Pingjun the origin and development of etiquette in the Han Dynasty, the arrangement of utensils and chopsticks at the banquet, and demonstrated to Xu Pingjun the sitting posture, the posture of toasting and drinking, and the exquisiteness of serving dishes... By the time they finished speaking, they had already had several rounds of wine at the banquet. At this time, there were folk artists performing on stage, and envoys from various countries came to visit Liu Fuling one after another, sending congratulations and special products from various countries. Matcha took a dish from the little eunuch, put it in front of Yun Ge, and said with a smile: "Miss Yun, this is a delicious dish that the emperor tasted, and ordered the manager to share some of each dish and bring it here." Although it is said that all officials are celebrating together, in fact, the whole banquet is divided into ranks according to the ranks of the officials, regardless of the seats, the dishes, and even the tea and wine.Many of the dishes presented to the emperor were not available at Yun Ge's table. Yun Ge looked up at Liu Fuling. Liu Fuling was talking with the Dawan envoy. Because of the distance, and separated by the shadows of people and the loud drum music, Yun Ge actually couldn't see Liu Fuling's expression clearly, but she knew that he knew she was looking at him, and even knew that there was a calm and warm smile in his eyes at this time meaning.I can't explain that feeling, but I know it in my heart. Knowing this, the two of them seemed to be very close, and they were not separated by the crowd. Yun Ge pursed her lips and smiled, turned her head to Xu Pingjun and raised her hand in a standard "please" gesture. Xu Pingjun also thanked him gracefully, raised his chopsticks, rolled up his sleeves, and picked up vegetables, his movements were no longer cramped and unconfident as before. Xu Pingjun swallowed the food in his mouth, picked up the teacup again, half covered his face with his sleeve, took a sip of tea, and then touched his lips with a silk handkerchief. Seeing Yun Ge's approving smile, she smiled with a sense of accomplishment.