It was getting dark, and Wang Wan and others came out of the palace after having discussed the dispatch of troops with Dou Jiande for a whole day.
Standing at the entrance of the palace, several people bowed their hands and saluted each other, then got into their respective carriages and left one by one.
Qi Shanxing was the last one to leave.
No one knows!
Dou Jiande, who always showed an expression of joy in front of him, said goodbye to his colleagues and lowered the curtain of the carriage.
His face has changed suddenly!
Even his loyal servant who had driven his carriage for decades had no idea of Qi Shanxing's performance at this time.
Pulling back the mounting stool, the loyal servant gently shook the horse's reins.
The docile draft horse pulled the carriage and started walking slowly.
"Master, are you going back home?" asked the loyal servant sitting in front.
Qi Shanxing's calm voice came from the carriage: "Well... I won't go back for now. I am happy today! Have a drink and then go back!"
"Okay, sir, please sit tight!"
After hearing the master's instructions, the loyal servant shouted and cracked the whip in his hand. The draft horse pulling the cart changed from a slow walk to a trot, carrying Qi Shanxing all the way to the south of the city.
Having followed Qi Shanxing for decades, the loyal servant knows his master's hobbies very well.
In the past, my husband's favorite place was Lihuachun at Lao Suntou's house in the north of the city. It was close to home, and he would go there for a drink almost every day before returning home.
However, since a new wine shop selling Yujingchun opened in the south of the city last year, the master has refused to go to Lao Suntou's place to drink Lihuachun, always saying that Lao Suntou's wine is adulterated with water.
Conscience of heaven and earth!
Everyone in the city knows: Lao Suntou’s family has been brewing wine since his grandfather’s grandfather. How can it be possible to add water to a sign that is hundreds of years old now?!
Besides, Lao Suntou is just treating ordinary people with water!
He would never dare to confront his own master! This imperial official, who was born in the second rank and was a minister, had his wine mixed with water!
"The master must have been smitten by Yu Dongchun's landlady, yes, that must be the case!"
Thinking about how I sent the master to Lao Suntou before, I could always drink a pot of wine to relieve my fatigue.
But since the master moved to Yurangchun in the south of the city, he couldn't even get in. The loyal servant couldn't help but feel a sense of dissatisfaction in his heart!
Isn’t there just a good-looking boss lady?
Lao Sun had a painful experience and learned from it. He bought several wine concubines, but why couldn't he attract the master's soul?
The two people in the car had their own concerns and headed south of the city under the influence of the horses.
During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, all imperial palaces were always located in the north of the city!
I don’t know who said it, but sitting north and facing south is the best sign for the emperor!
Since then, this rule has never changed.
Qi Shanxing spent a lot of time all the way from the north of the city to the south of the city.
By the time they arrived at Kangjianfang in the south of the city, the sky above their heads had completely darkened, and only the lanterns hanging under the walls were swaying gently in the night wind.
Guangping Fucheng, like Chang'an Luoyang, also implements a curfew at night.
It's just that the curfew here is much more relaxed than that in Chang'an!
Qi Shanxing ran here openly and openly, but no one even asked him a question!
If this were placed in Chang'an, it would be almost unimaginable!
You must know those Wuhou who are on night watch in Chang'an City.
After the curfew, even the prime minister’s carriage dared to be stopped for inspection!
Wen Tingyun, a famous figure in the Tang Dynasty, was wandering on the road after getting drunk.
As a result, he was unfortunately caught by Marquis Wu. He didn't agree with his words. He was immediately pushed into the corner and whipped, and two of his teeth were knocked out!
The next day after Wen Tingyun sobered up, he went to the patrol department to file a complaint. He refused to punish the perpetrators on the grounds that it was official business. This also shows the strictness of the curfew system in the Tang Dynasty.
(This is a real thing. It is recorded in history books: a beggar made money from Yangziyuan, got drunk at night, and had his teeth broken by a gangster)
Of course, a curfew is a curfew, but it is wrong to think that there will be no one left after the curfew.
After all, it is before the flowers and under the moon, so it is the right time, so sleeping is really a waste!
Therefore, in some places, people can still move around as they please, but the scope of their activities cannot be too large. As long as they do not go beyond that scope, the night watchman Wu Hou will not care.
Kangjianfang in the south of the city is such a place.
This neighborhood has always been famous for its many wine shops.
So even though the curfew drum has finished ringing, the place is still bustling with people, and from time to time you can still see drunkards who can't go home sleeping in the streets.
Carefully avoiding the drunkards, Qi Shanxing's carriage wound its way to a small courtyard with a simple and elegant appearance before stopping.
A signboard hangs above the small courtyard, proving that it is also a wine shop.
It's just that it's different from the chaos and bustle of other wine shops. This small courtyard with two clumps of bamboo planted at the door looks more like a bookshop than a wine shop.
"Master, we're here!"
The carriage stopped, and the muffled sound of the loyal servant in front could be heard.
Qi Shanxing, who was wandering in the carriage, came back to his senses, rubbed his face, and walked out.
"I'll reward you with a small amount of money. Buy yourself something to eat, but don't run too far!"
After giving simple instructions to the servant, Qi Shanxing opened the door alone and walked into the wine shop.
Today, it is the willow branches above the moon.
There were also three or five tables of guests sitting in the quiet little courtyard, but just by looking at the clothes of these people, you could tell that they were all poetry-readers.
Even when they talk to each other, they speak softly. They will never jump on the table, bare their arms and shout and punch like in other restaurants!
I stood in front of the yard and looked around.
Qi Shanxing didn't find anyone he knew, and just as he was about to move forward, a graceful woman came out from inside like a willow blowing.
"Ah! Mr. Qi is here? I didn't greet him from far away. It's really rude! Come on, sit down in the private room. Waiter, go to the kitchen and get Mr. Qi a piece of mutton!"
The lady boss, who had an affectionate look on her face, smiled coquettishly and stepped forward to hold Qi Shanxing's arm.
Then, like a little bird, she clung to Qi Shanxing's body and led him into the house, not caring that there were many outsiders here.
When the surrounding drinkers saw this scene, they seemed not to be surprised. Those who did good things just laughed heartily.
Anyone who is a regular customer here knows this:
This charming boss lady is a rose with thorns!
It's okay to take advantage of it and play with the ambiguity.
But if you want to go further, it will be harder than reaching the sky!
Qi Shanxing was unexpectedly pulled by the landlady, and felt that his arms were trapped in two lumps.
Even though he has reached the age of forty, there is still a smug look on his face.
This appearance of being drunk before drinking even made the drinkers laugh even louder.
"Go, go, go! Drink your wine!"
The landlady's face turned red, perhaps because she was laughed at by the drinkers. She waved a silk handkerchief in the air a few times, and then quickly hugged Qi Shanxing to the private room in the main room in the courtyard.
