Kingdom of Heaven and Han

Chapter 687 Zhang Zeduan

"If you ask about the ups and downs of the past and the present, please only look at Luoyang City."Luoyang has been the imperial capital since ancient times, and has witnessed countless ups and downs in history.When it was in its prime, princes and princes gathered in Luoyang City and built gardens here, which was a grand sight.When it declined, the people fled and it was deserted.

The original name of Lake Garden is Jixian Garden, which is the garden of Pei Du, the prime minister of Tang Dynasty, in Jixianli, Luoyang.In the Song Dynasty, it was passed through the hands of many people, and it has always been a famous garden in Luoyang.During the Jingkang Rebellion, the owner fled and was never heard from again.Over the past few years, the garden has been overgrown with weeds and has become a residence for foxes and rabbits.

It was here that Wang Xiaolie set up the Academy of Painting and Calligraphy to take in scattered court painters.

Li Tang took Li Di around the lake garden from south to north, from east to west.Finally, standing on the Shuixin Pavilion, looking at the vast Pingjin Pond, he sighed and said, "I have heard that this lake garden has been famous since the Tang Dynasty, and has countless scenic spots. I saw it again today, but I saw weeds everywhere. .”

Li Di said: "Father, after Jingkang, the people of Luoyang fled, and there were not many people in the city. Without people, wouldn't this garden be barren?"

"That's right, during the Jingkang Rebellion, this ancient city also suffered a catastrophe. Not only did the people suffer, but the scenery also suffered." Li Di raised his eyes and saw lotus flowers blooming in twos and threes in the Pingjin Pond, and the surrounding buildings had already suffered. The flower garden is full of weeds, and I can't help but feel infinitely emotional.

Li Di said: "Xuanfu made this place a calligraphy and painting institute. We have to work hard on weekdays, so we just need to clean it up again. When we arrive in Luoyang, it is better than in Xiangyang. What is there to be unhappy about? I heard that Luo Li and Yi bream are here. Famous dish, let's go out and taste it later."

Li Tang laughed when he heard this: "You are still young, and you think about these things quietly every day. Let me tell you, when you arrive in Xijing, don't rush to eat those famous delicacies. Instead, you should find a clean and elegant restaurant, and you need two catties of beef. A few vegetables. While drinking wine, look at the scenery of the motherland."

Li Di said: "Since Dad said so, let's do it. It's almost noon, let's go out and see if there is a suitable place."

Walking out of the lake garden, seeing the few pedestrians on the street and most of the shops on both sides being decayed, Li Tang sighed: "When I was young, I was living in Xijing, selling paintings for a living every day. Luoyang at that time was so prosperous! It’s not as lively as Kaifeng City, but the road is shaded by trees, and the scenery is even better. Inadvertently, there is a restaurant on the street. Go in and have a few drinks, and your life is like a fairy.”

Li Di said: "I am young, such a peaceful life, it is a pity that I have not lived for a few years."

While walking, I saw a wine flag sticking out under the big locust tree beside the road.There is a cage in front of the door, and a few chickens are locked up, cooing non-stop.

Li Tang said: "After walking for a long time, this is the only shop that sells wine. Let's go, let's have a drink."

After finishing speaking, he and Li Di took big steps and entered the restaurant.

A boy was lying on the counter bored, when he saw Li Tang and Li Di coming in, he hurried up to meet them.Said: "Two guest officers, hurry up and invite inside."

Li Tang chose a seat and sat down, looking around.This restaurant is not big, there are only seven or eight tables, and there are currently two tables of guests sitting.

Li Di said: "Do you have good wine for sale in this store?"

The servant smiled and said: "Guest officer, since Wang Xuanfu came to Luoyang, wine has never been the same as it used to be. There are special wine shops selling wine. Here, the famous wine Jinsha Spring is the most powerful. There are also local wines, which are all sent by the supply and marketing cooperatives, not self-brewed."

Li Di said: "You and we are not ordinary people, of course we want to drink good wine. Jinsha Spring is famous far and wide, so I brought two bottles. - By the way, I heard that this wine has been aged for several years, don't use others to fool us! "

The boy smiled and said: "Guest officer, how can a small shop like ours have wine that has been aged for a few years? You will settle for some."

After hearing this, Li Di waved his hands: "Forget it, it's not aged wine. I can't drink that wine. Just take a bottle of ordinary wine."

The boy turned around with a smile, and couldn't help muttering in his heart.This guest officer, since he has no money and can't drink good wine, why ask so many.

Not long after, the servant brought up a bottle of wine and a plate of sauced beef.After placing a few more seasonal vegetables, they retreated.

It is customary for such a small shop not to sell hot dishes.If you want hot food, you order it and he will buy it for you.Only in the Xiangyang and Dengzhou areas, the new habit brought up by Wang Xiaolie, the tavern also sells hot dishes.Even common noodle restaurants and dumpling restaurants cook a few simple dishes.

After pouring the wine, Li Tang took a sip.Sighed: "Luoyang is the capital of the world, and it is so much worse than Xiangyang at this time, it is really lamentable."

As soon as he finished speaking, a man at the table next to him suddenly turned around.Looking at Li Tang, he said, "So it's Li Daizhao! I haven't seen you for many years, how are you doing?"

Li Tang took a closer look and saw that the man had a beard and a lot of dust on his face.It took a long time to recognize it, and said: "Zhang Daizhao, is it really you?"

Traditionally in China, a beard is also called "beautiful beard".Some people even collect the lost beard as a treasure.But in the Song Dynasty, many scholars before the age of 40 did not grow beards.The man in front of him looked young and had a beard, just like a coolie.

The man nodded: "God see you! We will meet again one day!"

Li Di got up, walked in front of the man, looked up and down, left and right.Said: "My God, it's really Zhang Daizhao! I met Li Di a few years ago, don't Daizhao remember?"

The man looked at Li Di carefully, and said, "So it's Li Di! You've grown up a lot these past few years, and you didn't recognize him for a while."

Li Tang saw that there was only a jug of bad wine and two peaches in front of the man, so he quickly asked him to come to his table.He said to him: "Where have you been all these years? I have also traveled to many places, and there is no news of you."

The man sighed and said: "The city of Kaifeng was broken, and I fled with the people. It was a coincidence that I was hit by the Jin army. They saw that I was young, so they dragged me to bear the burden. Later, I moved to Longde Mansion, where Stay here. Most of the people there have fled, and the rest of the food is not enough to eat. Who will buy paintings? There is no way, so I have to do some odd jobs to make a living. A few months ago, Wang Xuanfu's army went north and recovered Longde Mansion. I thought I couldn’t stay there for long, so I went back to Zhongyuan.”

When Li Tang heard this, he couldn't help but sigh.

The man's name is Zhang Zeduan, and he has a great reputation in later generations. In this era, he is just a waiter of the Academy of Painting.He is a colleague of Li Tang, Li Di and others, of course they know each other.When I came back to Luoyang City recently, I wanted to find something to do, but I didn't expect to meet Li Tang and Li Di.

If you ask Wang Xiaolie, he doesn't know who Li Tang and Li Di are, but he knows who Zhang Zeduan is.After all, although Li Tang and Li Di are famous artists who left their names for later generations, Zhang Zeduan's famous paintings have been included in the textbooks of Gongshi. As long as they are Chinese, there are few people who have never heard of them.

(End of this chapter)