Li Siye was about to fall asleep with his arms on his head, but Mei'er pushed him awake.
"Brother, please continue to tell me about Li Twelve Niang."
"There's nothing to say. She just dances beautifully with a sword and looks pretty."
"Just?"
"Yes, that's all."
"Brother, what are you thinking about."
"Well, I was wondering, you are already fourteen years old. Shouldn't you sleep with your brother anymore? You should have your own boudoir, with your own dressing table, bronze mirror, comb, and rouge and gouache."
Meier suddenly frowned, covered her lower abdomen with both hands, and shouted uncomfortably: "Brother, my stomach hurts so much."
Just as Li Siye was about to help her sit up, he saw that her undergarments were all bright red. As an elder brother, how could he handle such a matter personally? He quickly ran to the door of the west wing and patted the door panels of two old maids: "Aunt Wu,
Mrs. Chen, get up quickly! My aunt Mei'er is here, you two can help her clean up!"
The old maids opened the door, and Madam Wu looked toward the courtyard door: "Who is here to visit relatives at night? How can your aunt get in now that there is a curfew outside?"
"Hey! That's not what I'm talking about!" He pointed toward the main hall: "Mei'er, she has a stomachache now. Come over and have a look."
The two old maids hurried over and exclaimed, "This is Kuishui." They extended their hands to Li Siye and said loudly, "Alang, don't worry, don't come over, we will handle it!"
Li Mei'er went to the wing with the support of two old maids. She was surprised and asked with tears in her eyes: "Old mothers, what's wrong with me?"
"It's not a disease, it's just growing up."
She turned around and saw the bucket beside the well, and said, "Can you get a bucket of water for me to wash myself in?"
"Ouch, you can't use cold water, you'll get sick! I'll boil some hot water for the eldest lady later, and prepare some breathable and soft cloth."
Li Siye stood under the eaves and looked over there. The two old maids were yelling, heating water, and rummaging through boxes and cabinets. He couldn't help but muttered: "What are you doing? It's like giving birth to a child."
Aunt Wu shouted to Li Siye who was standing under the balcony: "Alang, don't just stand there, go chop wood quickly!"
"oh."
Yan Xiaosi came out of the room at some point and went around looking for an axe. Li Siye pushed him away: "Don't get involved in this matter. Go back to your room and sleep."
Li Siye was naked, split the firewood into sections, and carried him to the kitchen. Aunt Wu boiled a large pot of water, scooped some hot water from the wooden basin she usually used for laundry, put a sheep towel on her shoulders, and hugged her with both hands.
She got into the side room with a basin. Mrs. Chen sat on the edge of the well and washed Mei'er's clothes in the wash basin.
"Can't you soak it first and wash it tomorrow?"
"No, if I wash it tomorrow, the scabs will form and won't come off. Good clothes can't be ruined like this."
It was late at night, and the Li family's small courtyard was still dimly lit. The dark green umbrella formed by the leaves of the mulberry trees blocked the dim light in the courtyard, and not a trace penetrated outside. Green smoke curled out from the mud chimney.
Mixed into the boundless night.
…
In the Calyx Xianghui Tower of Xingqing Palace, light yellow palace tents are hung on both sides of the rows of pillars. Emperor Xuanzong is sitting on a high platform, with two maids behind him holding peacock feather palm fans. Below, a group of maids holding fan
Gilt-covered plates were used to serve fine wine and delicacies to the heroes and officials sitting on both sides.
The dishes at the palace banquet were also quite simple, consisting of sesame cakes, secret mutton, chopped vegetables, and melons and fruits presented from the imperial garden.
Although Gai Jiayun is today's number one hero, he can only be ranked at the top left. Sitting at the top right is Li Heng, the crown prince of the East Palace, followed closely by Li Linfu, the Zhongshu Ling who leads the Anxi Protectorate, and then Niu Xian.
Guests and court officials who were summoned to accompany the banquet.
On the Anxi side are Gai Jiayun, Fumeng Lingcha, Yang Zhilie, the fire-spitting immortal khan who went to the capital for a crime, and his younger brother Jie Aboyehu.
The calyx building is twelve feet high, overflowing with light, graceful and luxurious. There are countless pillars in it, and there are many layers of peaks. The upper and lower floors have conference venues, banquet venues, and venues where Xuanzong and his brothers performed music and dance. The banquet venue on the top floor is half
It is open and the terrace extends beyond the palace wall. During the Lantern Festival and Qianqiu Festival, His Majesty the Emperor goes up to the top floor to watch the lantern festival in the square in front of Xingqing Palace and enjoy it with all the people. The crowds of people admiring the lanterns in front of the square can witness it with their own eyes.
Emperor Tianyan shouted long live and shed tears of excitement.
Gao Lishi, with his stomach puffed out and a whisk in his hand, shouted loudly with a rich voice: "Let's have a banquet!"
The palace maids wearing crimson draped gauze and pleated skirts lined up and sat down in front of the tables one by one. They took off the gold-plated covers on the plates, held up the chopsticks with both hands, lifted the jade bottles and poured wine into the glass cups. Then they poured wine into the glass cups.
He stood up with a bow and slowly stepped aside, waiting to be served at any time.
"Toast!"
Li Heng was the first to pick up the wine cup and congratulated the emperor from afar: "Congratulations to my father for pacifying the Tuqi Shi Shi civil strife, bringing stability to Qixi, and making hundreds of countries in the Western Regions submit to the mighty power of the Tang Dynasty."
Li Linfu raised his wine cup and faced the emperor, but glanced at Gai Jiayun and said: "Gai Zhongcheng, on the day you went out to attack the cavalry, your majesty was worried about the outcome and couldn't sleep at night. Today you have won and returned to the court. Finally, your majesty
His Majesty can now rest easy for a matter that is on his mind."
Gai Jiayun quickly raised his wine cup and saluted Li Linfu and the Crown Prince twice, and then saluted Li Longji from a distance: "When I was fighting all night outside Suiye City, I was thinking of His Majesty's entrustment, so I worked harder and harder.
And every time when the battle situation is unfavorable, His Majesty's teachings always come to my ears, which makes me work hard and not be afraid of powerful enemies, so that I can defeat them in countless battles. Without Your Majesty's encouragement, how could Gai Jiayun be as successful as I am today."
Li Heng secretly admired what Gai Jiayun said so beautifully. I couldn't think of such words.
Li Longji smiled heartily, stroking his long beard gently on his chin, picked up the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp. Facing Gai Jiayun, he pointed at the prince and said: "Gai Jiayun, you have only been in office as the governor of Qixi for only one year, and you have made great achievements."
, I am very relieved. Today I have called the prince to be your companion, and asked him to toast you, the hero, a few more glasses of wine to show my comfort to you."
Li Heng stood up from his seat and held a wine cup to salute Gai Jiayun. Gai Jiayun did not dare to neglect and quickly stood up, holding the wine cup in front of him. The two drank together before sitting down.
Li Longji squinted his eyes and looked ahead, and suddenly asked: "Where is the fire-breathing Khan?"
At this time, the fire-breathing Immortal Khan, who was wearing a round collar robe, and his brother Abo Yehu behind him, quickly stood up from their seats, knelt down in the middle of the hall, rubbing their sore knees, and spoke in panic: "
The bones of the guilty minister will be knocked before His Majesty the Emperor."
Aboyehu bowed down behind his brother, hesitant and did not dare to speak.
Li Longji picked up the wine cup and took a sip. He raised his eyebrows and looked from the center of the wine cup. This gaze seemed even more majestic. The fire-breathing immortal prostrated himself on the ground, with his butt raised high and not daring to raise his head at all.
.
"In the past, your father was guilty of half of my Tang Dynasty crimes, and his crimes were not as great as those of his son. I will not mention them here. Now you are fighting with the black and yellow surnames of the Tuqishi tribe. I support the Huang surname and increase the crime on you. Do you have any complaints?
?”
Gu Chuo raised his head slightly and quickly knocked his head on his hands: "This is the crime of delusion in my heart. I have no complaints. Please judge by His Majesty."
The emperor nodded with satisfaction, and then spoke in a long tone, as if a mysterious sound was floating on the top of the building: "Gushu, although you are guilty, I remember the two generations of your father and son who expanded the soil and guarded the border, and I also express my gratitude to Tuqi Shihei.
It’s not easy for people with this surname to rest, I..."
Li Longji suddenly paused, turned around and said to Gao Lishi: "I ordered someone to bring me some pen and ink."
The maids removed the dinner plates from the emperor's desk and replaced them with flower curtain paper and inkstone ink tubes.
He held the pen in his hand, thought for a moment, and then began to write rustlingly on the paper. Gao Lishi read loudly at the side:
"Virtue is based on softness and distance, and soldiers are used to intimidate the enemy, obeying and surrendering, this is the ancient system. The sudden cavalry uses the fire-spitting immortal Khan Bone Sip, and his younger brother Ye Hujie Abo and others ride on the side with their backs, blocking the troops and relying on the crowd.
The ants gather into stalks,...or they are divided into thatched soil and laid out in rows. The bone sips can leave Jinwu's guards to the outside of the general, and he will still be named King of Xunyi; Jie Apo can leave the military guards to the outside and become the general."
After hearing this, Gu Chui was surprised at first, and then his eyes were full of joy. He quickly got up and bowed to the ground three times: "The sinful minister Gu Chui and my brother Jie Abo entered the court with guilt. I didn't expect that Your Majesty would give us such great kindness. Gu Chui shed tears of gratitude. I wish to live in Chang'an for the rest of my life."
Serve His Majesty."
Li Longji stroked his beard and nodded: "It's a very commendable thing. You two brothers can sit down at the table."
The emperor was very happy today, and waved his hand to Gai Jiayun and said: "Your Majesty, the soldiers of Qixi worked tirelessly and served on the battlefield, which is why they have achieved today's victory over the enemy and the rebellion. I know that you have already written a memorial to commend your merits and submitted it to you.
Come up and have a look with me."
Gai Jiayun quickly took it out from his arms, stood up from his seat and presented it with both hands. Gao Lishi came down, took the memorial, walked up the steps and handed it to Li Longji with both hands.
The emperor took the paper and read it briefly from beginning to end. Except for the first meritorious service and the second meritorious service, he did not recognize any of the many secret names on the back. They were like a string of emotionless symbols.
But behind these names are people of flesh and blood.