The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 163 Chinese New Year
The austere Ganlu Temple has been given a brand new look.

In the inner court of Taiji Palace, the fairy palaces of various shapes are connected with silk and silk, and craftsmen are moving around like a stream. The Foguang Temple, Guizhen Temple, Nanhai, Ziwei, Qianqiu Wanchun, and Zhaoqing Palaces that were damaged in the war are being repaired in full swing. Except for the Ganlu Palace near Yongxiang, which may be used for court performances in the future, the other areas are the concubines' rear bedrooms.

When the Western Palace is initially completed, some of the female family members will move in. It is really inappropriate for the emperor and his family to be crowded in the Daming Palace.

As for the three main halls of Liangyi, Taiji and Wude Outer Court, which were used for important ceremonies and for the storage of the bodies of emperors and queens, they were nowhere to be seen at the moment.

This is not the building of the rear chamber, the scale is very large, once the construction starts, the cost is not small. The sage does not want to be accused of indulgence, and is still arguing with the officials in a hypocritical "rejection".

In the Hall of Eternal Life, Qin Tai was very proud: I made a lot of money from him! Fearing that he would be discovered, he started to knock and bang to make noises, pretending to be very busy, so that the officials would know that he was not slacking off.

His task today was to install and organize the curtains, beds, desks, paintings and other sundries in the inner room. However, he was careful and cut corners on one of the key steps - he made a gap in the floor tiles at the foot of the bed attached to the upper corner - and then he stood up seemingly exhausted.

Sit down on the dragon bed and try it.

As soon as my butt landed, I heard a crunching sound.

The angry scene of me holding some beauty, rolling around twice and then standing up emerged in my mind.

Humph, let me see how you sleep!
"Qin Tai?" At this time, Du Yuhou's impatient voice sounded outside.

"Hey! Here we come!"

That evil beast Yin Shouzhi was transferred away, and it was said that he was impeached by the Sili Xiaowei. The new villain of the left wing, Du Yuhou, was a civil servant. Although he didn't have a good face for them, he wouldn't hang them up and kill them with a knife, or drag them to dismember them like Yin Gou did. Qin Tai respected him very much, stood respectfully, and saluted: "Feng Yuhou."

After all the villains named arrived, Feng Xian flipped through the files and said sternly, "It has spread. It's a blessing for you. Chang Geng is with the moon, and the officials have decided to change the year to New Year's Day. Taiwei Lai accepted the favor, and the wife of Xinqin County gave birth to a son. The court reduced the death row to exile, and allowed some villains to return home to reunite with their wives and children and spend New Year's Eve together. You are among them, and your shoes, money, and dry food have been sent to the Discipline Department together with the travel permit."

It happened a few days ago. Deputy Privy Councilor Yang Kezheng suffered from severe bleeding during childbirth, and the emperor wanted to pray for the mother and child, so he agreed to the request of the Grand Marshal and other ministers and granted the emperor a new reign title; the notice was just issued.

"Let me remind you. Don't think about running away, be on time..." Feng Xian slowly stated the precautions.

In the dead silence, this great news that made all the villains present extremely excited was transmitted silently through their eyes. Although he was mentally prepared, Qin Tai still felt a sore nose and red eyes after hearing it with his own ears.

"Since God's grace has been bestowed upon us, from now on, we should try our best to serve the court. If we can make new achievements in the future, you dozens of evil people may be able to escape from the slavery..." Wearing a hat to cover his bald head and a rag to wrap his face tightly to avoid exposing the tattoo, Qin Tai no longer thought about the pie in the sky painted by Du Yuhou. He pulled the little Tubo and lowered his head as he shuttled among the crowd.

It was already the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, but there was still a market in Yongcheng. Men and women were shoulder to shoulder, bustling with activity. A sad-faced charcoal seller was pulling his granddaughter, a fortune teller was drooling, a sly-looking clerk was looking for the next blackmail target, a warrior in fine clothes and on a horse, a little mute beggar who was half-breathed sleeping in a corner... There were all kinds of people. The stalls and shops were spread all along the street to the Wenwang Temple. There were many people selling chips at the door, bells were ringing in the temple, and pilgrims were praying for divination devoutly.

"What is that?" The little Tubo squeezed at the door and looked for a while, then asked Qin Tai.

"King Wen's Temple. There are huge words hanging there. Are you blind?"

"I can only speak Chinese, I can't write or read. Who is the Wenwang Temple dedicated to?"

"King Wen."

"Who is King Wen, and why are we offering sacrifices to him?"

"Saint Ji!" Perhaps because he felt that such a tone was not good, Qin Tai softened his tone a little: "...Saint Ji Chang." Then he raised his eyebrows again, feeling inexplicably irritated, and waved his hand: "You don't understand, shut up! Your question makes me angry. What do you, a captive, know about the Central Plains? I will also go in and tell you a fortune, and let the old man tell you when we will be pardoned. Come here! Stand behind me."

Seeing his fierce look, the little Tubo dared not ask any more questions. All the way to Youfufeng, Brother Qin's mood became more and more unstable. Especially when he entered Yongcheng, he was shy like a girl, and he didn't even look up, as if he was afraid of being recognized. The little Tubo tugged at the bag on his back and followed him with a grunt: "Commander, where is your home? Can you find it?"

"Almost. Can you still walk?"

"Twenty lashes won't hurt me. I have plenty of strength." The little Tubo was worried that Qin Tai wouldn't want him, so he straightened up quickly.

"Give it to me."

"what?"

"Fuck you——" Qin Tai pretended to hit him, then put his hand down, glared at him, snatched the bag containing the two people's belongings and put it on his shoulder: "The Tibetans are just tough, they can't beat them by force, and they can't carry them on their backs. I didn't expect that we could survive until now. The oxen pulling the shafts and the horses carrying the carts are not as good as us... Well written... Who dares to ask the people here..."

Qin Tai muttered incoherently.

The fireworks were bustling, and the snow was falling. The streets, the air, the fields, everything around him was new. This was the first time Qin Tai felt his heart beat faster. He was not so nervous even when he was rebelling... He was not so nervous when he was facing arrows. Maybe he was afraid of seeing the deserted horses in front of his house, or maybe he was afraid of the disappointed eyes of his family. How should we talk when we meet later?

After wandering around for about half an hour, Qin Tai finally arrived at the ancient mansion full of trees that he had been dreaming about. It had a kind of intimacy that made Qin Tai secretly happy, but also a kind of alienation that made him heartbroken. The stone beasts in front of the door had been removed, and the familiar flowerbed had been filled in. Through the gap in the lacquered door, he saw the maid standing on tiptoe to slowly hang the red cage, talking and laughing loudly. The kitchen was busy, and the smell of chickens and sheep wafted.

There were also several brothers chasing and playing with their pigtails. It seemed that they were celebrating a pure year together. Among them was a boy and a girl. The boy was dressed in gray and stood quietly by the side with a smile on his face, watching his younger siblings. The girl was jumping around and her missing teeth were visible when she smiled.

Vague memories come to mind.

At this moment, it seemed as if I had returned to the past.

"Will Qin Tai come back? Has he been arrested and imprisoned by the saint?"

"Axin, I heard that Zhu Wen died in the river when he attacked."

"He's dead, so he's dead. Madam is ashamed to be the wife of an evil man and is about to remarry. What if he comes back? Didn't you hear what Grandfather said? Even if the body is brought back, he is not allowed to be buried in the Qin family tomb. It brings shame to our ancestors! In my opinion, it's good for Yanei, a lawless killer, to die! Even the emperor dared to call for his death, who else would he not dare to kill?"

"Let's count, from Li Changyan to Li Changfu, and then to Li Maozhen, Li Jikan, Wang Xingyu, Yang Shouliang, Han what... Hey... I saw this military commander and that military commander like an ant. But they are all black-hearted and blind. After more than ten years of killing, what good did they get... Woohoo... They captured my man... I had no choice but to hide in the mountains, so they handcuffed him in the middle of the night and sold him for three hundred coins based on his fatness... Woohoo... You are young and have no experience in the world... Bah! Qin Tai and those yamen were divided up by the emperor, and it was not in vain that I burned incense in the temple of King Wen!"

"Don't cry, my wife. The sheep just slaughtered in Xing the butcher's shop smells foul. They are Tibetan sheep driven back by the Wujunwei of Yincheng. The governor of Jincheng drove them back once before the winter solstice. I think the price of sheep will have to go down. Oh, and the price of salt has to go up too. The salt shop has removed its sign. The old official on duty next door said that the government wants to change the new salt law in half. The current price is 280 coins per bucket, so half of it should be... Never mind. The court is so unkind. Pfft."

……

Things are people and things are not everything!
Qin Tai leaned against the lacquered door and slid to the ground. An indescribable emotion made him dizzy. It would be better not to show mercy. If he stayed in the evil army, he would have a few days of full meals during the New Year... If he didn't see these, didn't hear these, at least he still had hope... Suddenly, a gentle young woman's voice that he was familiar with sounded from inside the lacquered door: "Qiu Niang, stop making trouble and go back to the room to practice the piano. Wife, after lunch, go and clean up the side room. I will leave after New Year's Eve. I have made an agreement with my two parents..."

Then there was another round of conversation.

Qin Tai perked up, lying outside the door with his eyes narrowed, observing intently.

The young woman, Yan Huan, was thin and plump, with a haggard appearance, about 31 or 32 years old, and looked withered. Qin Tai opened his eyes wide and stared at Dai. From head to toe, from eyebrows to ears, from chest to legs...he wanted to find some trace of his wife's voice and appearance in his dreams at midnight.

"Fat."

"Why do you want to remarry all of a sudden?"

"Hey, uncle, you don't even try to persuade me. You have such a heartless heart."

...

Qin Tai smiled and muttered to himself, as if this would make him feel better. When two burly old men slowly came into view, Qin Tai was no longer alive. He stood up, his nostrils twitching, and the awkward smile on his face could no longer be maintained. When did Grandpa become so old? His mother walked by feeling the wall, maybe she had cried herself blind. He did not scream, but let the big sour tears fall.

Finally, after wiping his eyes and taking another hard look at his parents, his two children, and Dai, Qin Tai staggered down the stairs: "Little Tubo, let's go."

As long as the family is well, he will feel relieved.

I hope Madam will choose a good family and not find a thief to marry into the army.

laugh.

"Aren't you going home for the New Year?" The little Tubo opened his mouth timidly. He could sense that Brother Qin was very sad.

"Let's go to the hayfield. I built it when I was the commander of the cavalry in the yamen, in charge of 2,000 cavalry." Qin Tai patted the little Tubo's bald head and forced a smile: "The hayfield is very warm. Let's get two gourds of wine, buy some cooked meat, and eat and drink happily around the campfire at night. Wait, let me count the money given by the Discipline Department to see if it is enough to buy other things..." As the little Tubo jumped for joy, two figures, one tall and one short, disappeared in the wind and snow.

The first year of Qianning is approaching.

The imperial edict to change the name has been sent to the Secretariat and is awaiting execution tomorrow.

At midnight, a large-scale ritual to exorcise evil spirits was being held at the Zichen Sect. In front of the blazing fire, the masked and red-robed Yin-Yang Master, the black-painted Taifu wizard holding musical instruments, the roaring female emperors, eunuchs, and warriors gathered in a team and slowly passed by. The strange sound of flutes, the exciting drums, the crisp sound of whips breaking through the air, the sound of teeth grinding, and laughter intertwined in this cold winter night.

"The ghost is seen beating drums and blowing flutes in exorcism rituals, with his face dyed and only his teeth white. He is tugging at a straw whip in the dark, and walking barefoot in a red shirt with a sad look. They look at each other and laugh so loudly that the courtyard is filled with fire, and he cries alone when shooting arrows with a peach bow." The Privy Councilor leaned on the railing, moved by the scene, and recited Meng Jiao's "String Song" word by word.

The saint has learned something new.

It turns out that the Tang people also performed shaman dances during the New Year!

(End of this chapter)