As the dignitaries from the capital arrived and settled in, the garden villa area of Nanwan Lake, which was originally a little deserted, immediately became lively. Although it was inevitable to be busy, the popularity was suddenly enriched.
That is to say, the nobles have servants to accompany them, otherwise Shenzhou will collapse just by providing reception. Shenzhou does not have enough service personnel. It is not a shortage of people, but a lack of sufficient "professional quality".
The gardens and courtyards built in Shenzhou are all single-family houses built along the lakeside, dotted for dozens of miles. Although they are not as colorful as the lakes and mountains during the day, the dense lights and colorful colors at night are still eye-catching. In the Northeast
A house in Xiaozhuyuan in Wanjiao is the residence of Li Yu, the Marquis of Ping'an.
Among the people accompanying this southern tour, there are also some people with "special status", that is, the separatist regimes that were wiped out during the Qianyu era have been conquered. The world has gone through vicissitudes. Over the past few decades, the legacy of the former kings and hegemons has long since disappeared.
The emperors and kings have basically disappeared from the memory of the officials and people of the Han Dynasty.
When the old emperor brought Li Yu, Meng Chang, and Liu Yu along with him, it was obviously not because he had any fear of them. It was more likely that he just wanted to show off his power.
Speaking of these surrendered lords, as long as you can relax your mind during the years after entering the Han Dynasty, life will not be difficult, and you can even live a happy life. In the past thirty years, the separatist monarchs in the south have basically had a good death.
For example, Gao Baorong, Qian Hongchu, Chen Hongjin.
There are also some who have a place in the military and political circles of the Han Dynasty, and even hold important positions, such as Meng Xuanzhe, the former prince of Shu, and Zhou Baoquan, who has now been appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff of Yanshan South Road, and has completely integrated into the Han Dynasty.
Of course, in terms of fame, it must belong to Li Yu. His widely circulated poems have almost spread his fame to the entire Han Dynasty. This kind of influence is much greater than his original identity as the "Jiangnan Kingdom"
.
Many people cannot imagine that the gentle, delicate and sentimental talented man in the poem is now just a rotten old man with a big belly.
The house is close to the water, and there is only one pavilion in the courtyard. Fortunately, it is located high enough to enjoy the night view. Li Yu is still the same, with a pot of wine and a pen, life can be "wonderful".
In the pavilion, Li Yu just stood there with his belly bulging out, holding a wine bottle in his hand. The small courtyard where Li Yu was placed was remote, but quiet enough. The night breeze brought the coolness of the lake, and the active movement of fish and shrimps could also be felt.
To the northeast, the bells of Xianyin Temple can be heard slowly, and you can feel for yourself that everything is so pleasant and beautiful.
However, at this moment, Li Yu's expression was unprecedentedly calm, and his usual carelessness had receded. Li Yu had not been so serious in nearly thirty years.
In the past thirty years, as a descendant, Li Yu's freedom has not been greatly restricted, and has even been relaxed. However, Li Yu is still "enlightened" and has always stayed in the capital and never refused to go beyond the limits.
With one step of thunder, he would be where the imperial court was, and he would confine himself to the capital.
Therefore, this southern tour is the farthest Li Yu has ever traveled in thirty years, and it is also the closest to the south and the closest to his "motherland".
After Shenzhou, there is Guangzhou to the east and Qizhou to the south. These were once the territory of the Southern Tang Dynasty and were the territories of the fourteen states in Jiangbei that were forcibly captured by the Han Dynasty.
For a "Southern Tang person", especially the former ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty, mentioning the fourteen states in Jiangbei will bring unspeakable pain in his heart. After all, the Battle of Huainan was the beginning of the decline and demise of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and also the beginning of the Northern Han Dynasty.
A sign of complete rise.
Looking back, the historical significance of the Battle of Huainan cannot be overestimated. Just through the war itself, the Han Dynasty, which was extremely poor at the time, squeezed a large amount of wealth and resources from the Southern Tang Dynasty, and
For a long time afterwards, the two Huaizhou counties provided 20% or more of the imperial court's tax revenue.
Naturally, things are no longer the same now as before. There are constant disasters in the Huaihe and Huaihe regions, but it is still the Daosi administrative region ranked first in the Han Dynasty. The Huainan salt alone is a huge profit for the world, providing the court with a lot of finance and taxation, and guaranteeing harvests during droughts and floods. Huainan,
Especially the Huaidong area, its value to the imperial court can be imagined.
Of course, Li Yu's feelings for his motherland were not completely outburst at this time, but some "fear of hometown" emotions were at work. After all, he had not breathed the air of the South for thirty years, and those long-term memories that had been sealed suddenly emerged, and
Some are unstoppable.
Unlike Liu Yuan who was careless and careless about Guangdong, Li Yu was a talented man with rich emotions and always had more and more detailed ideas. At this time, he rarely thought seriously about what he had seen along the way.
The face that had long been disconnected from Junxiu even showed a mocking expression, and the corners of his mouth seemed to be arrogant.
Regarding the fall of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Li Yu also suffered from heartache and painful experience. After many years of introspection, he finally came up with an answer that he could accept. He blamed the powerful man for being so powerful and domineering for taking away the Li family's inheritance, and he also blamed himself for being weak and incompetent.
, he didn’t even have the courage to die for his country.
When it comes to politics, Li Yu is really not a material, and even his reflections can only remain superficial. However, he has still awakened to some superficial things.
At least, he was deeply ashamed of his father and son's greed for pleasure and lack of concern for people's livelihood. The memories of those romantic days were still tingling on his nerves.
And the object of his ridicule at this time was naturally the old emperor who was aloof and destroyed his country. Until now, Li Yu didn't have too much hatred for the old emperor, or he didn't dare to hate him. After all, he still wanted to live in peace.
drag on.
During the most prosperous ten years of Kaibao's heyday, Li Yu, who was accustomed to life in the capital, even developed a deep respect and admiration for the old emperor, which was somewhat like Stockholm Syndrome.
But in recent years, this feeling has gradually changed. Although he is not able to access some confidential affairs of the upper echelons of the Han Dynasty, even as a civilian, combined with his vision as the "lord of a country", he can see to some extent
Ask questions.
Not to mention the great affairs of the court, the conquest and destruction of the country, nor the suffering of the people's livelihood, and the worries of the common people, let's just talk about personal enjoyment, scenery and wonders. In these aspects, Li Yu has some experience.
Of course, due to his short reign and the long-term instability of the country, Li Yu did not enjoy much as the leader of the country, at least not enough time. However, following his father Li Jing, he could fully experience the palaces of the Southern Kingdom.
Gorgeousness and extravagant enjoyment are the causes of a country’s downfall.
Until now, when he stayed in this small bamboo garden and stood by the Nanwan Lake, Li Yu suddenly realized that the old emperor's actions today were no less generous than the enjoyment his father and son had in Jinling back then.
It's just that the old emperor didn't indulge in women, didn't like singing and dancing, and didn't like poems and articles. However, once he did it, he was able to do big things that wasted people and money. It was not uncommon for the old emperor to drink.
He also held banquets and parties frequently.
In terms of ostentation, their father and son are far inferior. This is also normal. How can a small king in a separate kingdom be compared with the unified Chinese emperor. The accompanying team of more than 20,000 people, the dignitaries gathered, and the servants and shadows
With tens of thousands of elite soldiers guarding the scene, this scene can be evaluated as extravagant.
As for Taikang Palace, although I have not seen it yet, from the past rumors and my experiences along the way, I can imagine what a luxurious and magnificent palace it is.
They had never done such a thing before, taking 20,000 followers with them and traveling more than 700 miles south to escape the summer heat in one month.
After such a comparison, both of Li Yu's eyes turned red. He was excited. Thirty years later, he finally discovered that the old emperor was not so holy or wise. He would also grow old and faint when he got old. He was so happy with his achievements.
Their selfishness is no better than their arrogance and extravagance.
It's a bit funny to say that Li Yu actually felt like he had gained enlightenment. For a moment, the world was clear, the world was awake, and his mind was infinitely broadened.
As soon as the mood came up, Li Yu couldn't help laughing at the bay outside the pavilion. While laughing, he poured wine into his mouth and said "Have a good time". Such a performance was not surprising to the servants who were accompanying him.
I just thought that the owner was suffering from another disease, or that he felt honored to accompany him, or that he was very interested in writing poems.
The servants really guessed something right. At least Li Yu was in a mood for poetry at the moment. The words in his mind were automatically arranged and combined into beautiful sentences. However, despite the excitement, he still maintained a trace of sobriety and read the words before him.
The urge to sing was suppressed.
After all, the words and sentences in Li Yu's mind at this moment are all taboo things, which are more straightforward and emotional than the song "Poppy Poppies" back then.
It can't be said, it can't be said. Li Yu suddenly dropped the wine bottle. The sound of breaking was a little refreshing. He looked like his hands were itchy. He rubbed his hands. Li Yu even suppressed his smile.
Silently reminding himself, be careful, don't be careless, you shouldn't even smile, at least not like this. Thinking like this, Li Yu's expression gradually became serious, and his eyes became calm again, but the joy in his heart
However, the meaning will not fade away in a short time.
In just a moment, Li Yu felt at a loss. He could neither sit nor stand. His hands were "itchy" and trembling, and his mouth and tongue were dry.
"Come here, serve me some wine!" Li Yu couldn't help it, he burst out laughing again, and ordered the servant outside: "Let's drink all night long!"
How to relieve worries, only Du Kang; how to add joy, only Du Kang.
Li Yu's alcoholism has been developed for a long time. It can be said that he is not happy without alcohol. If he doesn't drink a few taels a day, he will feel extremely uncomfortable. This time he is accompanying him on his southern tour. He does not need to take his wife with him. There are only three people in his entourage.
It doesn’t take much to drink, but it’s enough to bring a car full of wine.
To enjoy the fun tonight, he also wanted to drink good wine, which was the royal wine given to him by Wu Gong Liu Hui. Li Yu just drank cup after cup, and his hearty laughter echoed in the pavilion from time to time, until everyone was gone.
Until his death, Li Yu had a smile on his lips. It was a happy and relaxed smile that he had never seen in thirty years. That smile was even a little proud.