The spring of the ninth year of the New Year of Han Dynasty.
On the streets of Luoyang City, the cries of newsboys were clear and sweet. In the teahouses and restaurants along the way, the voices of singers and storytellers mixed together to form a symphony.
There were envoys wearing clothes from other countries on the road. They looked left and right, and it was extremely novel. Apparently in their eyes, this was a scenery they had never dared to imagine before.
Nowadays, Luoyang City, as the capital of the Han Dynasty and the seat of the Emperor, is developing and prospering with each passing day. Various shops on both sides of the road sell goods from all corners of the world. These are enough to make people linger.
Little did they know that the eyes around them were also falling on them.
In today's prosperous age, the power of the Han Dynasty spreads to all directions, and naturally there are more and more foreign envoys. After the imperial court conquered Japan, Japan even sent out thousands of envoys to learn the advanced culture of the Central Plains.
Anyway, those islands are already their own territory, and the major academies in the Central Plains naturally welcome this.
Zhengchou didn't know how to respond to the imperial court's call for cultural export, but someone came to visit him. Isn't it a good thing?
However, apart from being shorter in stature, Japanese people are not much different from Han people. Therefore, those with different skin colors are more eye-catching on the street.
So in the eyes of countless Han people, these guys who have never seen them before are not a sight to behold.
At least now in Han Dynasty, apart from a few important towns along the coast or on the border, only Luoyang can see this scene.
Because today is the day before the Cold Food Festival, thousands of households are preparing twice as much food. Firstly, they have to eat better today because there will be no hot meals to eat tomorrow. Secondly, they naturally have to prepare food for tomorrow and sacrifices for the Tomb-Sweeping Festival.
Fortunately, the weather has warmed up, otherwise it would have been cold all day long, and there are still many people in the pharmacy who can take medicine.
It used to be that seeing a doctor and getting medicine when you were sick was a luxury that only wealthy people could enjoy. But now, pharmacies are everywhere. You can see one at almost every intersection on this street. No matter how big or small, there is always one.
As long as you can earn a living in Luoyang city, you can always afford medical treatment.
What's more, the imperial court has been implementing medical reforms for many years. Seeing a doctor may be a little more expensive, but taking medicine according to the prescription is already very cheap.
"Look at the day, it's gloomy. I'm afraid it's going to rain heavily during the Qingming Festival, and people on the road are dying." In a roadside teahouse, a middle-aged man was holding herbal tea in one hand and snacks in the other, shaking his head.
Call it a comfort.
Cold Food Festival and Qingming Festival are one of the holidays established by the imperial court last year. Everyone from the imperial government departments to private workshops, shops, etc., enjoy this holiday. The holiday lasts for three days, which is completely in line with His Majesty's bad taste of copying later generations.
Of course, restaurants, tea shops, etc. all adopt high salary incentives or a shift system to ensure that they can open their doors and operate.
After all, during these festivals, there are many people who take advantage of their free time to go shopping, eat and drink. Especially during the Qingming Festival, most people have to go home to worship their ancestors, so they have to go out to eat and drink before going out.
Let’s enjoy the process of drinking tea and listening to storytelling.
"Your Majesty's poems are recited all the time, and they always feel appropriate." A young scholar next to him couldn't help but sigh.
"There are twenty days left until spring this year. Do you want to take the exam?" asked a local middle-aged man next to him.
The young scholar nodded repeatedly.
"Where are the guests coming from?"
"Chengdu Academy!" The scholar raised his head proudly.
Chengdu Mansion, the land of Longxing; Chengdu Academy, the first academy established in the history of the Han Dynasty. The first mountain chief, Duke Xiaomu, Xu Ling, was once the leader of the world's scholars. His Majesty treated him as a teacher.
"He's from the land of Qianlong, he's very arrogant!" the local uncle laughed.
The tea patrons next to him also smiled.
In the capital of Luoyang, visitors from all over the world gathered, and they saw a lot of people of all kinds. Even His Majesty, the charioteer, often saw that His Majesty, the Han Dynasty, was just a majestic middle-aged man. Take a look at two more
Eyes, everyone can draw a portrait of His Majesty even if they don't have enough.
The Chengdu scholar couldn't help but said coldly: "This spring, I should let everyone hear my name!"
"Little brother, you still don't know about the debate in Longmen Academy, right?" The uncle said with a smile, "Why not give it a try when it reopens in two days? Now, the little brothers in Longmen Academy are not old enough to be crowned, and their knowledge is already far away.
Better than others, there is also Brother Xiao who comes from the south of the Yangtze River. After all, he is from Jinling Academy. He is better than the younger brothers from Gao! If you want to make a name for yourself, why not give it a try first?"
The scholar's eyes suddenly lit up: "May I ask the names of these two noble people?"
"Brother Gao is the brother-in-law of the current governor of Hexi Province, Changsun. At a young age, he was able to conquer Jincheng alone as his brother-in-law. He is an expert in both literature and martial arts." A tea guest next to him naturally said, "And Xiao Xiao
Brother, he is the younger brother of Xiao Shan, the head of Jinling Academy. He has an elegant temperament but is talented and knowledgeable. Even if he talks about the general trend of the world, he is quite reasonable. Who wouldn't praise him?"
Another tea guest explained: "Right now, Longmen Academy is taking advantage of the opportunity before the Spring Festival, when scholars from all over the world gather in the capital, to set up an arena and invite scholars to compete. It is said that the final results of the competition will be informed to His Majesty, as His Majesty will evaluate the examination papers."
reference."
The Chengdu scholars' eyes immediately lit up. Gao Shilian, the younger brother, naturally came to represent Chang'an Academy, and Xiao Yu, the younger brother, naturally came to represent Jinling Academy. These are the best among the new graduates.
The name and resume have long been spread throughout the world through newspapers, and are also regarded as enemies by other academies. How could he not know?
Since these two academies have shone so brightly, Chengdu Academy cannot lag behind others!
The scholar waved his sleeves, put down some copper coins, turned around and left.
"Hey, there shouldn't be any competition during today's holiday!" an uncle said kindly.
"Longmen Academy, I have been yearning for it for a long time. Today is the time to go and find out!" The scholar said loudly, submerged in the crowd on the street, but his voice could still be heard faintly, "Let the heroes in the city know about me, Liu Wenjing!"
(Author's note: Liu Wenjing, whose father Liu Shao died in the battle of Xiao Shilian's attack on Tongguan in this book (Chapter 1654). Wenjing was the orphan of a martyr and was sent to Chengdu Free School and later admitted to Chengdu Academy.
It was a small foreshadowing that I later found useless.)
The uncles in the teahouse obviously didn't take Liu Wenjing's matter to heart.
With so many people living in Luoyang, those suffering from secondary disease are not a rare species.
"Read the newspaper, read the latest articles from Qixia Sanren, it is not advisable for the imperial court to conquer Tianzhu!" The newsboy had already rushed into the teahouse, causing a sensation immediately.
"Give me a share quickly!"
"Come on, let me see what this Qixia fan said."
"Speak nonsense, speak nonsense!" A grumpy old man had already slapped the table and said, "The imperial court has pacified the southwest, since there are southwest and northwest, it is necessary to protect the sea routes. Isn't it for the sake of the future that Qixia Sanren said that we waste people and money?
"
"In the final analysis, is it worth it or not? And I think what the San people said is right. When the imperial court has limited troops and conquests, the world is so big. Do we, the sons of the Han family, have to conquer it generation by generation? This road is in the wilderness.
, are there really minerals underground? Otherwise, what is the use of these barbaric places?"
This is someone calmly expressing their opinions.
"It is said that this Qixia Sanren is Yang Jian from the previous dynasty."
This is where the soul of Bagua is burning, and you can always find a different entry point from others.
"Why do Yang Jian, a traitor from the previous dynasty, have the guts to publish such an article? It turns out that I thought it was written by His Majesty himself to remind the ministers!"
"As His Majesty's father-in-law, Yang Jian lives in seclusion in Qixia Mountain. Why can't he write such an article?"
"That's right." Everyone suddenly understood.
However, everyone's focus was not on the gossip, and soon their attention returned to the matter itself.
Seeing that there was going to be a quarrel in the teahouse, I suddenly thought of a carriage and the sound of "get out of the way" outside.
A motorcade passed by, the royal red and golden dragon flag fluttering in the wind.
"Is this... Yuchi Xiurong returning to Beijing?" someone said uncertainly.
"Counting the days, today is the day!"
"We have been waiting for seven or eight days, and it is finally here."
One by one, heads lifted up from behind the newspapers, and then one after another stood up.
On the street, there was solemn silence.
Everyone looked at the motorcade with surprisingly respectful expressions.