Three days later, as New Year's Eve was approaching, the cold air came again. This time there was no snow, but the north wind blew, and the temperature was very low when it was cloudy.
On the other hand, Chang'an City is still very lively. New Year's Eve is coming in two days, and preparations for the New Year are happening everywhere in the city.
Zhang Yang bought some vegetables and was walking on Zhuque Street. He heard the bell on the bell tower ringing. He looked up and saw a eunuch standing in the bell tower. He shouted towards the street the decree of the Khan today.
When they heard that the curfew in Chang'an City had been lifted for three days, the streets cheered again.
Vendors can set up stalls at night, and wine shops can stay open until dawn.
There are also more and more outsiders in Chang'an City. Some are envoys following envoys from other countries, and some are people from the Western Regions who come to do business.
As soon as I walked out of Dongshi, I saw Cheng Chu sitting silently on the street corner.
Zhang Yang asked curiously: "Brother Chu Mo, what happened to you that makes you so sad?"
Cheng Chumo sighed and said, "We are not from a wealthy family yet. Have you heard about the daughter of the Cui family?"
"I heard about it, but I wonder what happened next?"
"A certain person asked his subordinates to inquire. They said that the daughter of the Cui family was captured and the servant who eloped was beaten to death."
Zhang Yang was also in a daze for a while.
Cheng Chumo frowned and said: "They said it was just a servant who died. This kind of servant dies when he dies. He was a bought servant in the first place. His life is worthless, but why..."
First, he took a deep breath, then Cheng Chumo held his chest, "Because I heard this news and heard them say this, I still feel so uncomfortable. What happened to a servant? Is his life so casual?"
Zhang Yang patted his shoulder and said with emotion, "Chu Mo, actually you are not the only one who feels this way. I feel quite uncomfortable too."
"Really? Why do so many people think this matter is nothing?"
He always thought that Cheng Chumo was careless, but he didn't expect that he also had such a sentimental side. Zhang Yang said helplessly: "Because some powerful people have become separated from the masses."
Cheng Chumo whispered: "Zhang Yang, you said we wanted to punish rape and eradicate evil. The Cui family beat a servant to death, but nothing happened. They are still willing to publicize it in a big way."
Zhang Yang put down the vegetable basket, "I didn't think so before. That's because you haven't been exposed to such ugly things before. Now that you have been exposed to it, the more you do to punish rape and eradicate evil, the more you realize that there are some unjust things."
Things are so inconspicuous in the eyes of some people.”
"Can you teach the Cui family a lesson?"
"According to the law, if the Cui family beats a servant to death, the government will at most ask for questioning or pay some money to settle the matter. If Brother Chu Mo rushes in and beats the person, he will most likely be taken away by the government. The family
They are all landlords and old wealth."
"Someone knows how to exercise caution. He will not go there himself. He will let his subordinates handle the matter, and he will make them restless."
Cheng Chumo stood up and walked away angrily.
Zhang Yang sighed and got up to leave.
It's New Year's Eve soon, and there will be a big banquet in the palace. This year's taxes are very good, so Li Shimin's banquet should not be so instigating.
Zhang Yang returned home to cook.
Li Yue is also preparing to go to the Great Court this time. He didn't go before because the princess had no sense of existence. Now that there is such a big family fortune in Lishan, Princess Runan's status in the clan will naturally be higher.
, and more people are paying attention.
It is also a very honorable thing to show up in front of so many people this time.
Xiao Wu was helping to sort out the cloth, while Li Yue was cutting clothes.
After dinner, Li Yue and Xiao Wu, master and apprentice, were very happy holding the lit fairy stick in the yard.
I don’t know how Xiao Wu lived in the past, or whether he was ever so happy.
In history, Wu Zetian's power reached its peak, and she was also a very ruthless woman. What kind of things did a person go through to become like that?
Listening to the laughter of Li Yue and Xiao Wu, I always felt that everything was going well.
Zhang Yang kicked away the little bear that was trying to climb onto the workbench. It rolled on the ground, and its fat body made it very inconvenient for it to move.
Next time I continue to grind it, it’s time to lose weight. The more I eat, the more fat I get. Is it because my wife feeds it a lot of snacks?
After writing a note, Zhang Yang handed it to Aunt Wang, along with a large box of things, "Aunt Wang, please give this note and this box of things to Niu Chuang."
Aunt Wang nodded and went to do it.
Early the next morning, Zhang Yang wore new clothes made by Li Yue. Today was New Year's Eve, and it was also the time for a banquet in the palace. At that time, the powerful clan and royal relatives, Li Shimin's brothers and sisters, and ministers of the court, including envoys from various countries,
Everyone will be present.
After turning around in front of Li Yue, Zhang Yang smiled and said, "How is it?"
Li Yue's expression was very satisfied, "My husband, like me, prefers to dress more plainly and look better."
Xiao Wu's clothes are much more luxurious. She wears beautiful new cloth shoes, and her dress is decorated with many floral flowers in various colors.
The daughter-in-law is a rich woman, and the disciples brought out by the rich woman are naturally better dressed.
Aunt Wang hurriedly came to report, "Your Royal Highness, Princess Luling and Princess Anping have sent good congratulatory gifts."
Li Yue frowned and said: "Tell the person who came, just say that the two aunts appreciate it, but the gift will be taken back."
Aunt Wang went out again to tell the story, and then came back and said: "When people come, they don't take away the gifts. They leave the gifts at the door."
"Just leave it there and don't come into our house."
"Here."
After another half an hour, Aunt Yang hurried over and reported to Li Yue, who was trying on new clothes, "Your Highness, Princess Changguang's people sent congratulatory gifts. They also said that the princess's child Zhao Jie is in the East Palace, please take care of Master Zhang."
.”
My daughter-in-law has quite a few aunts, and the reason... I have to convince Li Yuan.
Zhang Yang thought that Zhao Jie was Li Chengqian's bodyguard in the East Palace and was in charge of more than a dozen of Prince Zuo's bodyguards.
Noticing Li Yue's puzzled expression, Zhang Yang coughed, "This gift-giving is specifically about looking for connections, and these people will take advantage of loopholes. Zhao Jie is indeed a guard of the East Palace, but I am not familiar with him, so this gift does not need to be given."
receive."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Li Yue asked curiously: "Didn't Princess Changguang marry Yang Shidao? What happened to Zhao Jie?"
Aunt Yang explained: "This matter starts from the time when Jinyang launched an army. At that time, the emperor had a capable minister named Zhao Cijing, so he betrothed him, and then he had his son Zhao Jie, but later he became famous because of it.
After he died young, the Supreme Emperor changed his title and married him to Yang Shidao, the youngest son of Yang Xiong, the former Sui clan."
"Zhao Jie has been raised by Her Royal Highness the Princess, and then joined the East Palace as a guard."
It sounds dizzying. Basically, Princess Changguang had Zhao Jie with her ex-husband, and then remarried Yang Shidao with her son Zhao Jie.
This family relationship is really complicated.
Li Yue nodded and said: "So that's it. Since you and your husband are serving in the East Palace together, why don't we accept it?"
"Don't!" Zhang Yang interrupted quickly: "Since one family won't accept gifts, other families won't accept them either. Why don't we let the other families lose their face? We need to be firm in our stance. We won't accept gifts during the Chinese New Year this year. Then
I don’t accept any gifts from anyone.”
Li Yue smiled and nodded, "It all depends on your husband's arrangements."
Aunt Yang nodded and said, "I'll give you the order now."
Even after doing this, there were still many people coming to give gifts, ranging from Li Shimin's elder brothers and uncles to the royal cousins and uncles.
It is a headache to eliminate the royal relatives, and the daughter-in-law has a lot of uncles and aunts.
Aunt Yang came in a hurry, "Don't you accept the gift from the Supreme Emperor?"
"I won't accept it." Zhang Yang replied without hesitation. Then he remembered that it was Li Yuan's gift and said again: "Just accept it. It's a great honor for the Emperor."
Aunt Yang came in with a small box. Li Yue opened the box and looked at the pile of gold objects in it, from gold spoons to gold bowls, as well as gold bracelets and gold hairpins.
After just one glance, Li Yue hurriedly covered the box and carried it back to his room.
I have never seen Li Yuanduo look rich, but I didn't expect that the royal family's wealth was quite rich. This old guy was so secretive that he might even have a small treasury of his own.
Zhang Yang sighed: "The Emperor still loves his granddaughter very much."
Li Yue came out again, "Grandpa Huang treated us very well in the palace."
In the past, the clan members were indifferent to this poor relative of ours, as if the clan had almost forgotten that there was such a princess.
Now her identity has changed, and Li Yue is also a princess who owns more than 600 acres of land in Lishan Village, all of which were rewards from Li Shimin.
There are not many people in the clan who own more than 600 acres of land.
Only the founding heroes of the DPRK had more fiefdoms.
Li Shimin treated his heroes generously, but was stingy to his relatives.
The entire fiefdom is the property of Li Yue. It used to be a run-down village, but now the output value of this run-down village is close to 100 yuan a month, not counting the income from distribution by Li Tai and Cheng Chumo.
In this way, Li Yue is one of the richest, if not the richest, in the clan.
Being a princess with status is one thing. If you have status and power, others in the clan will naturally not dare to look down on you.
But now that you have status, money, and can help the country, people in the clan will look at you differently.
In the evening, the couple took Xiao Wu out of the house, but in the afternoon the door of their house was filled with a mountain of gifts.
"It seems that after this snow disaster, many people are thinking about us."
"I don't like these."
Li Yue's expression showed some disgust.
Aunt Yang and Aunt Wang discussed it and left Aunt Yang to look after the house while Aunt Wang came to escort her into the palace.
The solitude of the alley is in sharp contrast to the bustling Zhuque Street.
When he walked out of the alley, he saw the lively crowds and shouts and shouts on Zhuque Street. Seeing this scene, Xiao Wu was not as excited as ordinary children, but a little timid.
The couple led Xiao Wu all the way to Zhuque Gate.
At this moment, many people have already walked in front of the Zhuque Gate. Those who can walk into the Zhuque Gate at this time are not only rich but also nobles.
As soon as I reached the Zhuque Gate, I saw Li Tai and Li Xiaogong standing in front of the door.
Li Xiaogong stepped forward first and said, "It's your first time here as a couple. I'm afraid you won't get used to it, so I'll wait for you here."
Li Tai said unhappily: "Uncle Wang, we juniors can do this kind of thing. You, the elder, don't have to do this."
Li Yue bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Uncle Wang."
Li Xiaogong waved his hand and said: "Don't bother me. Who else here besides me can take care of you? Go in first and we are all ready."
Follow Li Xiaogong into the Zhuque Gate, and then walk all the way to Chengtian Gate. After walking into Chengtian Gate, you can see the Tai Chi Hall.
It was originally the center of power in the Tang Dynasty, a place that should be serious, but now people were moving around.
All the way to Tai Chi Hall, Li Yue was also looking at the people around him.
Zhang Yang whispered: "Do you feel that these people are different from ordinary people outside?"
Li Yue wondered: "What's the difference?"
"Everyone is peaceful outside, but the atmosphere in the palace is a bit dull. Do we often feel this way when we observe people? You find that ordinary people have a kind of vitality."
Li Yue nodded in agreement, "That's true."
"Look at the people in front of you again. They don't have so much life or vitality in them. They are not as beautiful as the sentient beings outside. On the contrary, ordinary people have all kinds of strange personalities, and they are full of swear words and jokes.
It looks like you can't see these things in the palace."
Li Yue whispered: "Yes, the life of the powerful is so monotonous and boring."
Li Xiaogong, who was leading the couple, heard these words in his ears and had mixed feelings in his heart. The words woke up the dreamer. The dignitaries here revealed a kind of boredom and hypocrisy everywhere.
These people couldn't see the vitality. Li Xiaogong asked in a deep voice: "How did you see it?"
Looking at Li Xiaogong's back, the steps of several people did not stop. Zhang Yang explained: "Prince Hejian, I am just a country boy. I have seen a lot of ordinary people's scenery. The ordinary people outside are fighting hard for their lives and their future.
The vitality and vitality displayed are very beautiful, but what I see most among these people is that they are drunk and dreaming of life and death."
"Hahaha!" Li Xiaogong smiled heartily, "What a drunken sentence."
Just as he was about to reach the Tai Chi Hall, a woman walked quickly, followed by Zhao Jie, the guard of the East Palace, behind her, Zhang Yang knew who the woman in front of him was as soon as he thought about it.
"Yue'er, have you grown so big?"
Hearing a greeting, Li Yue looked at the person in front of him.
Zhang Yang saluted and said, "This must be Princess Changguang."
Zhao Jie stood upright with a serious look on his face, "I have met Mr. Zhang."
"No need to be polite." Zhang Yang kept cupping his hands.
Li Yue bowed slightly.
"Just call me aunt, our two families are very close to each other." Princess Changguang's face was full of melting. "My husband is temporarily acting as the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. He often talks about Zhang Yang as a very talented and learned child. Zhao Jie is also here."
As I serve in the East Palace, our two families will have to move around a lot in the future."
Li Yue saluted and said, "That's what my aunt said."
Zhang Yang also cupped his hands and said: "Our family is used to being quiet and we don't usually move around..."
Just as she was about to say something else, Princess Changguang looked at Xiao Wu with a surprised look on her face, "What a handsome little girl, your child is already so old?"
Xiao Wu held Li Yue's hand and hid behind him, watching the woman warily.