On the night of the Lantern Festival, the city of Chang'an was brightly lit, and millions of people poured into the streets to watch the lanterns and celebrate the Lantern Festival.
To the southwest of Xingqing Palace, there is the tallest building in Chang'an City - the Huacalyx Xianghui Building.
The Huacaixianghui Building was built in the second year of Kaiyuan (714) and expanded in the 24th year of Kaiyuan (736). The main building, courtyard, sub-buildings, mansions and other buildings together cover a total area of more than 100,000 square meters.
With an area of more than 90,000 square meters, it is the first of the five famous buildings in the prosperous Tang Dynasty and is also known as the No. 1 building in the world.
Zhou Jun stood at the gate of the courtyard, first handed over the fish talisman, then checked his belongings, and finally followed Wu Wei into the front yard of Huacalyx Xianghui Building.
Among countless palace lanterns, Zhou Jun passed through an open courtyard, walked through a long corridor, and finally arrived in front of a towering building.
Arriving in front of the palace door on the first floor, Zhou Jun handed the fish charm and other items to the chamberlain in front of the door.
When the chamberlains saw Zhou Jun's name, they compared it with the Kan book and said, "Please ask Supervisor Zhou to go up to the second floor."
Zhou Jun was stunned when he heard this.
There are three floors in the Huacaixianghui Building. Depending on the status and grade of the visitor, the floors that can be accessed are also different.
Zhou Jun originally thought that with his current official rank, he might only be able to attend the banquet on the first floor, but unexpectedly, he was arranged to go to the second floor.
Entering the main hall on the first floor, I saw that the hall was full of embroidered clothes, delicacies, famous dishes, singing and dancing, and hundreds of operas, all competing with each other.
Among the hundreds of guests, there were officials from the Tang Dynasty, envoys from foreign countries, palace servants, and waiters walking among them. Everyone was singing and dancing, playing with swords and swords, playing horses and fighting cocks, and it was very lively.
Zhou Jun climbed up the stairs and entered the second floor.
Compared with the first floor, it is obviously quieter here.
In the huge hall, the royal family, relatives, and guests of the princes and noble families were divided into several areas, where they sat and talked and laughed.
In the center of the main hall, there are nearly a hundred Liyuan palace dancers, decorated with pearls and emeralds, and clothed in brocade, beating drums and performing "The Music of Breaking the Formation".
Zhou Jun was wearing a blue official robe, a pair of yellow necklaces, a small tuft of silk ribbon, and a silver belt. Anyone with a discerning eye could quickly tell that he was an official of the sixth rank.
It was interesting to see that an official from the sixth rank could reach the second floor, and people couldn't help but take a few more glances.
Zhou Jun didn't want to attract too much attention, so he followed the wall to the side seats and found his seat.
Before Zhou Jun could sit down, someone walked up to him and said, "Zhou Jun."
Zhou Jun turned around and saw King Shou Li Hao, whom he had not seen for a long time.
Compared with the previous meeting in Bachuan, Li Hao now has the haze between his eyebrows almost gone, his whole body is a little fatter, and there is even some fat on his chin.
Zhou Jun quickly sang "O" to King Shou.
The latter waved his hand and said: "I've always wanted to meet Zhou Erlang, but by some strange combination of circumstances, I couldn't meet him. Today I finally met him."
Zhou Jun looked at Li Hao and saw that his expression was no longer as miserable as before, and said sincerely: "Compared with all the burdens he carried before, King Shou has finally let go now."
Li Hao laughed loudly and said to Zhou Jun: "You know me, Erlang... A long time ago, I wanted to recruit you into the palace. Later, you made great achievements and got promoted successively. Now it seems that I want to recruit you but I can't."
It’s difficult.”
Zhou Jun knew that the other party's words were half sincere and half playful, so he laughed it off.
King Shou said a few more words and then left. Zhou Jun thought to himself that he should be able to sit down now.
Before he could bend down, Zhou Jun saw a figure walking towards him again.
Zhou Jun took a closer look, and when he saw the person clearly, he immediately opened his eyes wide, braced himself to greet him, and said in a low voice: "Jun has seen the right prime minister."
Li Linfu looked Zhou Jun up and down, nodded and said with a smile: "A young man is like a jade in the rough. He must be tempered before he can become a useful tool."
Zhou Jun lowered his head and said he didn't dare to take it seriously.
Li Linfu smiled again and said: "Lin Fu once told Pang Gong that when Zhou Lang went to Hexi, he would definitely make great achievements. Looking back now, it turns out that a certain statement has become a prophecy."
Recalling the letter from Li Linfu before leaving, Zhou Jun, who had doubts in his heart, asked tentatively: "Jun doesn't understand what the right minister said."
Li Linfu lowered his voice: "Hexi's military and political affairs were in trouble. Zhou Lang helped Wang Zhongsi promote the tax reform. It was a great achievement for Hexi, the Tang Dynasty, and even Lin Fu."
This statement sounded really weird, and Zhou Jun always felt that there was some profound meaning in it.
Li Linfu's face was full of smiles, and he said to Zhou Jun: "Nu Yalang is in a lowly profession, and if he wants to be promoted, there will be a lot of resistance. Tuesday Lang was promoted to three levels in a row and became a mutual market supervisor. Not only was he
The imperial court is thinking of your merits, and it is also Lin Fu who cherishes your talents. From now on, Zhou Erlang will always have an idea of where to go."
After saying that, with the surrounding guests watching, Li Linfu patted Zhou Jun on the shoulder and left with a smile.
Zhou Jun stood there, still thinking carefully about Li Linfu's words. At this moment, a woman's singing voice came from the hall on the second floor, and it was just like "a warble in the throat, echoing across Jiumo".
When the voice fell, the guests were shocked by the woman's voice that pierced the clouds and broke through the sky, and they all fell silent.
At this time, another chamberlain sang an announcement, and His Majesty Emperor Kaiyuan Shenwu entered the palace.
Surrounded by a group of palace maids and chamberlains, Zhou Jun saw a man and a woman slowly walking in from the main entrance.
The man is about sixty years old, wearing a red and yellow banquet suit, a nine-ring belt, Liuhe boots, and a majestic face. He is none other than the Emperor Li Longji.
The woman is in her prime, with picturesque features, graceful figure, and stunning beauty.
Zhou Jun was amazed at the beauty of the woman, and felt that she had seen her figure before somewhere.
When Li Longji took the woman to the main seat, Zhou Jun saw Gao Lishi taking the play cards and called the woman "Concubine" again.
Li Longji took the play card from Gao Lishi, turned it over at will, and then handed it to the woman next to him.
The woman took the play cards, first smiled and called her "Sanlang", and then ordered a song and dance play.
Seeing this scene, Zhou Jun finally realized that the nobleman he met twice in Luoyang Bieyuan and Bachuan Market was none other than Concubine Yang in front of him.
After a while, hundreds of kabuki dancers filed in. The woman in the lead was graceful and dignified. When she opened her mouth, she sang a song that was sometimes high-pitched and sometimes crisp, like birds singing in a quiet forest or springs ringing in a quiet mountain stream.
Zhou Jun only heard one sentence and recognized the identity of this woman. She was one of the three most beautiful women in ancient chants, Xu Hezi.
The song "Shangyuan Music", with Xu Hezi's singing, brought the atmosphere of the Shangyuan Festival dinner to a climax.
Zhou Jun was sitting in the Calyx Xianghui Building, looking at the scene of blooming flowers in front of him, feeling inexplicably moved in his heart.
The Shangyuan Festival in the sixth year of Tianbao was perhaps the most glorious day in the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty.
Everything is so magnificent and beautiful, it makes people feel like they are in a dream, which seems a bit unreal.
Zhou Jun turned his head to the window of the second-floor hall.
Huayexianghui Building is adjacent to Anxingfang. Sitting upstairs, you can see everything in the market.
The lanterns are like a river, and all the people are rejoicing.
This is not only the center of the Tang Dynasty, but also the center of the world. It is the epitome of a civilization that has reached its peak of prosperity.
Just when Zhou Jun was feeling this scene, the song and dance came to an end, and a sudden voice suddenly sounded in the hall.
"I am An Lushan, the envoy of Fanyang Festival. Today is the Yuan Festival. I boldly invite you to perform the Hu Xuan Dance to entertain Your Majesty!"
The wine glass in Zhou Jun's hand trembled, and some wine spilled on the table.
He looked towards the main seat in the palace and saw a fat Hu man wearing a silk robe, facing the emperor and the noble concubine, singing a song.