By nightfall, the atmosphere of the Qiqiao Festival has enveloped the entire city of Chang'an. Looking down, the towers, pavilions, streets and markets are all hung with colorful tassel lanterns, and the green trees by the Qujiang River are also hung as beautiful as clouds.

Colorful silk, because it is August, the osmanthus and drunken hibiscus are blooming all over the city. The drunken hibiscus is as red as a beauty's face, accompanied by the fragrant and elegant fragrance of the sweet-scented osmanthus, attracting passers-by to stop for a long time and refuse to leave.

Under the sweet-scented osmanthus trees, children in new clothes showered each other with sweet-scented osmanthus flowers. The rice petals fell on the clothes and sleeves of passers-by, and the fragrance spread for ten miles.

In order to show the kindness of the emperor who enjoys the joy of the people, Emperor Yuan Cheng set off a big torch outside Chang'an's Zhuque Gate tonight, lighting up the sky and the earth, stretching for eight miles. He also set up a theater and invited the most fashionable troupes in Chang'an to perform folk songs that the people loved.

The sound of the play and the scraping of gold and stone can be heard dozens of miles away.

As the drums sounding the time in the city, the gentle moonlight slopes down like a silver gauze curtain on flowing water, falling on the brightly lit and noisy Chang'an City. Under this quiet moonlight, the southeast corner of the Daming Palace looks like a

Shining like a pearl at night, it turns out that Emperor Yuan Cheng had ordered the Ministry of Industry and Shang Gong Bureau to build a Qiqiao Tower with colorful brocades here half a month ago. At this moment, hundreds of red and white damasks were hung outside the Qiqiao Tower.

The realistic scene of the Moon Palace and the Tianhe River appeared. Li Sui leaned on the railing and looked out. Cranes spread their wings under the hot spring waterfall outside the building. Several peacocks were stretching their tail feathers by the bamboo forest. In the meantime, the beautiful figures of palace maids and servant girls were shuttled back and forth, their dresses trailing on the ground. Suddenly,

It seemed like I had really sleepwalked to the Moon Palace.

"Chang'an is so beautiful tonight."

Hearing this, Li Sui turned his head and looked at Baoying who was sighing to himself. He smiled and then turned his gaze back to Anlefang outside the palace and murmured: "Perhaps I haven't seen Chang'an like this in a long time."

In the previous life, Chang'an experienced dynasty changes and emperors changed frequently. It seemed that Chang'an was still the same Chang'an. However, at that time, Chang'an had already experienced a sharp decline in the national treasury and poor people's livelihood. It had lost the prosperity of the past where gold and jade were piled up and all nations came to visit. So when she

When he moved into the Zhong Palace and stood at the top of Chang'an, the first thing he did was to issue an order to advocate income and economy. From the time he established the palace, his monthly salary and meals were gradually reduced. Not only did he cut the palace banquet by more than half, it was also the largest banquet of the year

Important festivals never allowed such extravagant ostentation. Later, she frequently recommended capable ministers to Yang Yan and advocated drastic changes.

However, when everything was gradually on track, she ignored that as the king of a country, Yang Yan was naturally elegant, fond of poetry, music and dancing. These ultimate enjoyments were also his lifelong pursuit.

Over time, the contradiction between the two of them became intensified and deepened bit by bit, like a cocoon peeling off a cocoon. At that time, she tried her best to dissuade Yang Yan and reduce Yang Yan's running expenses, but Yang Yan regarded her as incomprehensible to her style. In addition, under the changes, she

The stubborn old minister repeatedly admonished Yang Yan, pointing out that her thoughts were far from just a small harem, but the whole world.

Those admonitions piled up on Yang Yan's court like snowflakes. At first, Yang Yan still trusted her, but as time went by, it accumulated until one day she once again dissuaded Yang Yan from building a large-scale construction project and was eager to build a villa in Luoyang.

When many new ministers unanimously supported him, what they received in return was Yang Yan's private complaints, or words of suspicion, to his confidants.

"The queen's power is growing day by day, and all the courtiers obey her orders. I am the emperor, and I own all the world, but I can't be free."

From then on, those old ministers who strongly opposed her privately criticized her with "Lü Huo's style" unscrupulously. Under their verbal and written criticism, she had already become a minister of the imperial court, controlling the government and restricting the emperor's empress Lu.

However, how many people in the world know that after Daliang made some efforts to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, when Yang Yan died and the new emperor ascended the throne, the national treasury was so full that all the seven major granaries in the world had more than one million dan, not to mention the contents of other granaries, which was the national treasury.

The money is enough for twenty years.

However, Yang Yan couldn't see all this, let alone those stubborn veterans who opposed her.

Perhaps, at that time, if she had been willing to give up assisting Yang Yan and work hard to govern, instead of pursuing the ambition of opening up a prosperous age, and was willing to retreat to the harem and become a virtuous empress who would do everything in her power, there would not have been those voices of opposition, and there would not have been Yang Yan's suspicion.

There won't be an ending like that.

But if that were the case, would she still be her like that?

This answer couldn't be more clear to Li Sui.

"Aman——"

Hearing the low voice next to him, Li Sui looked around and saw Baoying glance at the main hall behind him with a smile on his face and said: "The palace banquet has begun."

Li Sui smiled back, nodded and went in hand in hand with her. After a moment, Empress Yang was supported by Jiamo and came out of the back hall. When they were seated and everyone returned to the table, Empress Yang saw Li Sui at a glance and waved immediately.

: "Aman, come."

In the eyes of everyone, Li Sui stood up demurely and smoothed the tail of her skirt. Then he walked to Queen Yang and knelt down beside her. Queen Yang naturally held her hand, turned to look at the crowd and said, "Today

It is Your Majesty's holy grace to invite you all, so there is no need for you to be formal, just enjoy yourself."

After saying that, Empress Yang picked up the pomegranate juice in her hand and invited her from a distance. When she drank one, the stage outside the building suddenly went out. Just when everyone was surprised, one palace lantern after another was picked up by the beauty holding the lantern. In a moment,

A "bright moon" loomed brightly outside the building. In the admiration of everyone, many beauties were already dancing in the moon, bringing this fairyland to the extreme. When the vocal music gradually became lower and the beauties receded, standing on both ends of the white gauze

The young men and women looked like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl waiting by the Milky Way, so much so that everyone almost forgot to even touch their hands.

When the appreciative sounds of Emperor Yuan Cheng and his ministers came from downstairs, the ladies upstairs came to their senses under the care of Empress Yang.

"This dance is exquisite and perfectly matches the scenery tonight. Shangguan Zhaoyi, you did a great job in hosting the Chinese Valentine's Day banquet today."

When she heard Empress Yang's compliments, the young beauty in palace attire on the right stood up immediately, walked gracefully and gracefully, bowed and saluted in a neither humble nor arrogant manner, and said: "I am satisfied if I can make His Majesty and His Highness smile. I will also lend flowers to the Buddha tonight."

, with this song and dance, I wish the sea and the river to be clear, and I wish your Majesty and His Highness a long and prosperous life."

Listening to these polite words of flattery, Li Sui looked at the Shangguan Zhaoyi in front of him. He had a beautiful appearance. Although he was not as beautiful as his sister, he had a certain charm of his own.

In this harem, Shangguan Zhaoyi is as understanding and smart as her grandfather, so she can stand firm both inside and outside.

When the banquet was over, Li Sui saw the maids setting up seven-hole needles and silk threads of various colors. Li Sui glanced at everyone, pretended to be indifferent, covered his mouth with a silk handkerchief and yawned quietly. Queen Yang noticed it and thought about it.

Then he looked at Baoying who was sitting next to him and said: "Tonight, the Chinese Valentine's Day, the city of Chang'an is also busy. It's a rare visit for the two sisters from Uncle Hongnong's family. Ah Man, please do your best for me as a landlord and take them to see Chang'an."

’s night shop.”

After hearing these words, Baoying and Hongying hurriedly stood up and went to thank Empress Yang. Li Sui heard what he wanted, and the next moment he nodded and smiled.

"There are so many people in the house tonight, it's not safe for my little lady's house -"

Hearing the words spoken by his aunt Li who was sitting at the banquet, Li Sui naturally understood the meaning. As expected, Li immediately said, "Let Erlang and Silang accompany their sisters."

As soon as she finished speaking, before Empress Yang could speak, the Lord of Rongan County beside him couldn't sit still, and immediately started to act coquettishly and make a fuss as well.

In this way, the original trip of only three people turned into six people. If it weren't for the eldest son Yang Jin and the third son Yang Che who went to the southwest to suppress the rebellion, I am afraid that two people would be missing. When Li Sui and his party left the palace city,

The horse-drawn carriage drove leisurely among the endless flow of people, and the noise of people was heard in the ears, making it very lively.

When the carriage reached Changxingfang, it was no longer possible. Li Sui and Baoying, who were riding in the same carriage, got off the carriage and saw that the Lord of Rongan County and Hongying were already standing beside Yang Yan. Yang Yan was surrounded by the two of them.

He wanted to say something to Li Sui, but when he saw the crowd, he finally swallowed it and just said: "There are many pedestrians here, so the carriages and horses have to stay here, let's just walk over."

Li Sui naturally nodded in agreement. Seeing Yang Yan, Rongan, and Hongying walking in front, Li Sui held hands with Baoying and walked behind. Silang Yang Zhen walked one step away from Li Sui, but he was always good.

Yang Zhen, who was lingering in the singing and dancing studio, was thinking about where he was at the moment. He had already flown to Pingkangfang, but Yang Yan was here, so he could only look around absently, thinking about how to find an excuse.

Because of this, Yang Zhen naturally didn't notice that Li Sui inadvertently pulled Bao Ying to talk, but the two of them gradually fell behind. Just as the performers in front of them attracted everyone to stop, and they were rubbing shoulders with each other more and more, Bao Ying suddenly realized that

Li Sui dragged her towards an alley beside him. When she was surprised, Li Sui made a silent gesture and whispered: "Follow me."

When the two of them took Huirong and Yunu and ran all the way to the carriage in the alley, Li Sui got on the carriage without hesitation, turned around and stretched out his hand to Baoying. Although Baoying was full of confusion, she saw Li Sui's smile and was quite surprised.

It looked like it was a little secret, so he didn't ask any more questions, happily handed it over and followed.
Chapter completed!