After the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, officials can prepare for the New Year at home instead of attending official offices. Even those who have received gifts will mostly go to the palace to discuss matters with Emperor Tianyou to reminisce about old friendships, talk freely, or receive more gifts.
Return the reward.
Unless there are any special emergencies, officials will take the longest vacation of the year until the Lantern Festival; of course, the social interactions among officials also reach their peak at this time.
Since Tianyou defeated the Liang army that invaded the south in Shouzhou in the eighth year of Tianyou's reign, the Liang and Jin countries have fought fiercely in Qingzhou, Weizhou and other places in the past few years. As a result, the Chu State, which occupies the Jianghuai River, has not had any major wars for several years.
The national treasury is not as tight as in previous years.
On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, His Majesty also planned to reduce or reduce several miscellaneous donations at the last court meeting in the twelfth year of Tianyou's year to show his intention to support the people.
It was still dark, but the houses in the city, large and small, couldn't wait to put up lanterns and streamers, and the sound of silk and bamboo began early, which seemed to fully demonstrate that Da Chu had entered an era of peace and prosperity.
Han Qian delayed entering the city until late in the evening. Surrounded by Zhao Kuo, Zhao Wuji, Lin Haizheng and Fan Dahei, he went straight to the Linjiang Marquis Mansion for a banquet.
Dusk is closing in, and snowflakes are falling from the gloomy sky.
Han Qian rode into the city and was sweating all over. When the cold wind blew, his face felt as if it had been cut by a knife. He raised his head and looked at the sky, thinking that if it was cold for a few days after the snow, the weather would get warmer.
Arriving in front of the Linjiang Marquis Mansion, he saw several guards from the Marquis Mansion dragging a ragged old man and a skinny young man into the alley next to him. Han Qian thought they were driving away beggars, and listened to the alley
There was a sound of punching and kicking mixed with a hint of wailing, and I felt strange in my heart. I thought to myself that even if the guards of the Hou Mansion were in a bad mood, they could just drive away the beggars when they saw them in front of the house, instead of dragging them into the alley and beating them up.
pause.
Han Qian waited hesitantly for a while. When several guards came back, one of them was wiping the blood off his hands with a white sweat towel and asked, "Who is that old man?"
"The old man from the Zhaocang family has somehow brought along a young man and a half in the past few days. His grandfather and grandson came into the city to complain, and they pestered him endlessly." The guard said nonchalantly.
When Han Qian first heard the name Zhao Cang, he stepped through the door and suddenly thought that this person was the guard who Shen He and Guo Rong judged to have conspired with Zhao Shunde, the chamberlain in green clothes, to assassinate His Highness the Third Prince.
Han Qian then remembered that after the clumsy "assassination" incident of the third prince Yang Yuanpu, no one in the Linjiang Marquis Mansion seemed to care about the innocent guard who was implicated in the assassination because his sword was stolen by the third prince Yang Yuanpu.
, what was his fate after being brought to the palace for business by Shen He.
Neither did he.
This guard named Zhao Cang seems to be just a prop that has been left in a corner. No one cares whether he is broken into pieces or whether he has his wife and children.
Han Qian stood there in a daze. He turned around and saw that in the dim street, the old man was about to crawl out with his face covered in blood. However, he saw several wolf-like guards still standing at the gate.
In front of him, he was frightened and pulled back into the alley by the thin young man.
When Han Qian was about to bravely walk in, he suddenly stopped and ordered the guards: "Pull those two people over."
Han Qian is now not only the companion of the third prince Yang Yuanpu, but also an employee of the Marquis Mansion and General Longque Mansion. Even if few people know that he is the real direct descendant of the third prince Yang Yuanpu, even the guards below will not know how to order such a trivial matter.
Against his wishes, the old man and the young man were immediately dragged over.
At this time, an unpretentious carriage rolled over the stone road and stopped in front of the gate of the Hou Mansion. The curtain of the carriage opened a corner to reveal Yao Xishui's charming face, looking at the gate of the Hou Mansion with interest.
everything that happened.
Han Qian glanced at Yao Xishui who was sitting in the carriage, ignored her, and directly pulled the beaten old man over, found the photo ID from him, and tore it into pieces.
Not to mention Zhao Wuji, Lin Haizheng and others around them, several guards of the Hou Mansion were dumbfounded. They just held down the old man and the young man with hatred in his eyes to prevent them from offending Young Master Han Qian.
Without a photo ID to prove your identity, you are a refugee - there are many refugees outside the city, and there are many hungry people. Without a photo ID, you will not be arrested as a spy, but don't even think about entering the city again.
Han Qian threw the torn photo stickers into pieces, as if they were integrated with the snowflakes, and said to Fan Dahei and Lin Haizheng behind him: "You two, drive these two annoying guys out of the city.
Those who are celebrating the New Year, don’t see any bad luck.”
Fan Dahei and Lin Haizheng couldn't bear it, but strangely enough, they didn't know when they started, and they no longer dared to disobey the young master Han Qian's power, so they had to bite the bullet and untie the horse from the horse-tethering stone again, and pulled the old man and the young man away.
Both of them got on their horses, and while the city gate was not yet closed, they whipped out of the city.
At this time, Yao Xishui was followed by two maids from Wanhong Mansion, holding a pile of boxes; the two coachmen were sitting quietly on the carriage, waiting for things to go away before taking Yao Xishui back to Wanhong Mansion.
Han Qian, as the prince's companion, works in the Hou Mansion. Zhao Kuo and Zhao Wuji, as soldiers of the Han family, have already registered with the Hou Mansion, so they can come and go freely, and they can also bring swords and bows inside.
As a dancer who was invited to perform, Yao Xishui found it difficult to enter the Hou Mansion, especially after the assassination incident.
Although the Marquis Mansion has eight musicians gifted by His Majesty, Yao Xishui also brought a guqin and swords needed for the sword dance, which need to be handed over for inspection.
Moreover, the sword must first be given to someone in the Hou Mansion for safekeeping, and will be returned to Yao Xishui when needed.
Han Qian did not have the authority to order the guards to skip this step directly. He just watched with interest as the maid from the Hou Mansion came to search Yao Xishui.
Yao Xishui was wearing a snow-white fur robe. After unbuttoning the fur robe, the skirt she was wearing was relatively thin. When the maid of the Hou Mansion searched Yao Xishui, she could still see her tall figure, which reminded Han Qian of that night in the Red Mansion.
Wrestling with this little bitch.
At that time, I was anxious to escape from the clutches of this little vixen, but I didn't think of feeling the amazing touch in detail. When I think about it now, my impression is very blurry.
"Master Han is so cruel. He tore people's photo albums into pieces and drove them out of the city in this cold day. Are you not afraid that on this cold night, two more innocent souls will freeze to death in the world?" Yao Xishui stared at it with wonderful eyes.
Han Qian asked with a charming smile in his eyes.
"Miss Yao's dance tonight will definitely shock the heavens and make the gods cry. How could two dirty guys disturb her?" Han Qian put his hands into the wide sleeves of his robe and stared at Yao Xishui indifferently.
Although Yao Xishui's dance performance today was not beyond Han Qian's expectation, Yao Xishui's calm appearance made Han Qian feel that this little shrew was not simple.
It can be said that the three princes, Yang Yuanpu, had repeatedly treated him several times before, which could be said to have been caused by the influence of Li Chong and others.
Although the third prince Yang Yuanpu may not like his attitude of being arrogant based on resentment and arrogant based on talent, he will hate Li Chong and others for misleading him in his heart.
In the future, as long as he can be a little more restrained in front of the third prince Yang Yuanpu, but he will continue to secretly provoke Li Chong and others from time to time to make them resent him, it will only completely destroy the third prince Yang Yuanpu's trust in them.
I just didn't expect Yao Xishui to show up tonight, but he didn't show the reaction he wanted. It's really boring.
Yao Xishui glanced at the distant street with her beautiful eyes. In a moment, the sound of the horse's tracks had disappeared, and the traces of people and horses disappeared into the night.
"Master Han, please go first." Yao Xishui calmly asked Han Qian to go first.
Han Qian worked in the Marquis Mansion, and although he was a low-ranking official, he was considered to be an official. Yao Xishui was in Leji, so he naturally had to be called "Sir" and take the post behind him.
Linjiang Marquis Mansion was full of the eyes and ears of Anning Palace and the prince. The third prince Yang Yuanpu was not too eager to treat Han Qian, but after Yao Xishui followed Han Qian, he saw Yang Yuanpu standing behind the hanging flower gate in the front yard looking at Han Qian.
His eyes were shining brightly, and he sighed secretly in his heart. When he retreated to the side courtyard to prepare for the performance, he whispered to a maid accompanying him: "Go out of the city immediately, find the old man and the girl who were expelled by Han Qian, and pick up Qiu Yu.
Please settle down in the pavilion. Don’t disturb Madam about this matter."
"Is that young man disguised as a man?" the maid asked in a surprised voice.
"Han Qian is blind, are you blind too?" Yao Xishui glanced at the maid and told her to go out of the city to do things quickly. Don't wait for the city gate to close. It will take too much effort to get out of the city.
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Shen Yang, Guo Rong, Chen De, Li Chong, Li Zhigao, Chai Jian, Guo Liang, Zhang Qian, Feng Yi, Kong Xirong, Han Qian and other generals and officials who were nominally affiliated to Linjiang Hou Mansion and Longque General Mansion successively
After everyone arrived, the banquet officially began; the female official Song Xin waited on one side, directing the servants, and the palace maids waited on everyone to enjoy the banquet, and arranged musicians and kabuki performers to perform one by one.
No matter how ulterior motives everyone usually harbors, after more than a dozen glasses of wine, the atmosphere in the scene gradually became lively.
Yao Xishui made her final appearance. She changed into a colorful dress with long water sleeves. She stepped out in style and looked stunning. She immediately compared herself to the pretty musicians raised by the Hou Mansion. She held a bladeless sword in her hand.
A short sword, with silk shoes on his feet, holding the sword and dancing slowly.
When Han Qian was in Xuanzhou, he heard that Yao Xishui was famous for his sword dance in Wanhonglou and was one of the six leaders, but he never had the chance to watch it. At this time, he saw Yao Xishui holding the sword and stretching it in a slow posture.
Extremely beautiful.
"The little girl you are interested in has really beautiful skin. Look at her ass. It's so tight and round. If you pinch it, a drop of water will come out!" Feng Yi drank wine and sat down next to Han Qian drunkenly, acting unscrupulously.
He was so critical of Yao Xishui.
Feng Yi wanted to communicate with Han Qian in a low voice, but he had been drinking and his tongue was a bit loud, so he couldn't control his voice. Han Qian believed that Guo Liang and Zhang Qian sitting opposite them could hear him, but Yao Xishui in front of them was still silent.
I woke up and thought to myself that this little shrew has a good temper towards others.
"There are slow and fast sword dances. My slave also learned a kind of splashing sword dance. The sword is very fast, so I specially presented it to Your Highness for viewing." Yao Xishui stopped the slow dance and knelt down in front of the court and said.
"Okay!" Yang Yuanpu said.
Chen De still stared at Yao Xishui with a leering look; Guo Rong motioned to the two guards to stand in front of the third prince Yang Yuanpu. It was okay to watch the sword dance, but safety could not be ignored.
Yao Xishui changed her sword and walked up to Han Qian and Feng Yi; Han Qian had to admit that Yao Xishui was indeed very attractive under his attire.
After glancing at Han Qian, Yao Xishui asked Feng Yi, "Slave, please ask Master Feng to hold this sheath!"
"Okay, okay!" Feng Yi said with a light weight. He seemed to have completely forgotten that Yao Xishui was the girl Han Qian first fell in love with. He took the scabbard and stood up to the sky as Yao Xishui said.
Yao Xishui shrank back, his figure was as fast as a phantom, and the sword light scattered out like heavy snow, filling the courtyard.
During this period, Han Qian practiced sword and bow assiduously. He was deeply influenced by the dream. He completely abandoned fancy tricks and focused more on practical skills. But at this time, he had to admit that Yao Xishui's splashing sword dance was truly exquisite.
The poets of the previous dynasty said that the masters of sword dance "dance vigorously and wonderfully, shining like Yi shooting down the nine sunsets, as powerful as emperors flying dragons, coming like thunder and gathering wrath, ending like rivers and seas condensing clear light" and other poems, which can be used in Yao Xishui's poems
On the body.
The more this happened, the more Han Qian felt afraid of hugging Yao Xishui that day. It was so dangerous. If he missed it, he didn't know how he would be humiliated and tortured by this little shrew.
Feng Yi was even more dumbfounded. Finally, he saw Yao Xi escape with the dagger in his sailor. It was like a white bolt flying into the air for dozens of feet. It turned and descended. The light of the sword came like lightning. There was a "clang" sound, but Feng Yi didn't know it.
Before he could react, the dagger had already been inserted into the scabbard he was holding.
Feng Yi broke out in a cold sweat and sat down on the ground. Hearing the thunderous applause from others, he didn't come back to his senses for a long time.