Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 105 0100 [Has it reached the emperor's ears? 】

Two years ago, Kaifeng held the Lantern Festival for five days and five nights, which was very lively.

In the early morning of the next day, auspicious clouds floated over Bianliang, and a group of cranes flew around Xuanhe Hall, arguing and answering, and they stayed together for a long time.

Song Huizong was overjoyed to see it, and painted the famous "Ruihe Picture" with his own pen.

With this auspiciousness, the scale of the Lantern Festival last year and this year has become bigger and bigger each time.

The heavy snowstorm in winter almost froze all the beggars in the city to death, but it did not affect the prosperity of "Fengheng Yuda" at all.

Just looking at the lights all over the city tonight and the crowds of people crowding each other, one can see how prosperous the Huanghuang Song Dynasty was!
On the imperial tower, Song Huizong was watching the lanterns.

Pointing to the 50-meter-high and 500-meter-wide Aoshan lantern, he smiled and said to his attendants: "During the Han and Tang Dynasties, was there such a big lantern?"

"It has never happened before," the eunuch Yang Jian said flatteringly, "The wealth of this dynasty has never been seen in ancient times, and it all depends on the presence of a saint."

Yang Jian was appointed as the Jiedu Envoy of the Changhua Army, and he was about to establish a guard army for the emperor to travel. He was also an eunuch holding military power.

Not to be outdone, the eunuch Yang Qiu quickly flattered and said: "The civil and martial arts of the official family can directly catch up with the ancient sage kings, and they are the current Yao and Shun."

"Haha," Song Huizong laughed and said, "This is too much. Compared with Yao and Shun, I am still far behind."

Yang Qiu said again: "Then he is no match for Tang Taizong. Although Tang Taizong's martial arts are high, he is not as good as the official martial arts. When the Holy Dynasty pacifies Xixia and accepts Yanyun, then the official martial arts will be world-class, and even Tang Taizong can't compare with it." .”

Of course Song Huizong could hear such obvious flattery, as if joking with his servants: "You old bastard, you actually said something flattering to me, I won't give you a reward."

Yang Qiu bowed and bowed: "Share the sorrows of the saints, and don't ask for rewards."

Song Huizong smiled even more happily, and continued watching the lanterns with the royal family and palace people.

At the beginning of his succession to the throne, he accepted advice with humility, made great efforts to govern, and reconciled party disputes. He was also a wise monarch.

This state only lasted for less than two years, and then he lost his patience.

The old and new parties played out their brains and were often disobedient, which made Song Huizong in a dilemma.Cai Jing took advantage of the loophole to ascend to the throne and found out the emperor's mind. The two monarchs and ministers began to clean the court.

No matter what new party or old party, as long as they sing against the emperor, they will all be labeled traitors!

Moreover, the party has been set up, and even the descendants of the "treacherous party" are not allowed to stay in the capital, let alone the imperial examination to be an official.

Due to the raging criticism from the ruling and opposition parties, Song Huizong and Cai Jing had to make superficial concessions, and even Cai Jing was demoted from the capital for a time.

Last year, when Cai Jing returned to the prime minister, he summed up the experience of failure and made two adjustments.

First, buy the officials with high officials and rich salary.This has made the phenomenon of redundant officials even more serious. There are hundreds of officials from the three provinces above the fifth rank, and some even receive more than ten salaries alone.

Second, Cai Jing's suggestions and suggestions were all played to Song Huizong in secret.Song Huizong bypassed the center and directly issued a command to the relevant departments.The two monarchs and ministers joined forces to disrupt the governance process, and thus completely controlled the court.

And the eunuch Yang Qiu, who accidentally became a celebrity, almost became a "eunuch holding a pen" - he can imitate Song Huizong's handwriting!

Many imperial edicts were written by Yang Qiu, Song Huizong didn't know about it.

A large number of noble and close officials followed Cai Jing's example and secretly gave gifts to Yang Qiu.After Yang Qiu received the money, he dared to wholesale imperial pens and hand edicts to help those honorable and close ministers with their affairs.

Cai Jing was completely confused by this. Why did the exclusive toilet that he built become a public toilet?

On the imperial tower, a group of imperial concubines ran and laughed, pointing at the colored lights below the city.

Zhao Fujin was eight years old this year. He came hopping up and down with a lantern in his hand: "Daddy, Daddy, this is the lantern my mother gave me! Isn't it beautiful?"

"Very beautiful, as beautiful as Fu Jin!"

Song Huizong smiled dotingly. This is his most beautiful daughter and his favorite daughter.

Hearing his father's praise, Zhao Fujin was even more joyful. He held the lantern and circled around in place, running and jumping around the palace people.

Song Huizong was in a good mood, and seeing that the city was full of bright lights, he couldn't help writing two poems on the spot.Looking at it horizontally and vertically, he was not very satisfied, and said to his attendants: "Such a grand scene, there should be good words to accompany it, and Wan Qiyong and Chao Duanli are called to go to the imperial building to write lyrics!"

"Officials, Mr. Chao has died of illness." A eunuch reminded.

Song Huizong was stunned: "When did it happen?"

The eunuch said: "Recently, it snowed heavily for several days, Mr. Chao fell ill and died."

"It's really bad luck," Song Huizong was affected by the mood, and ordered, "Call Wan Qiyong, and fill in a good poem with a little festiveness."

After Cai Jing took control of the court, Su Xue was officially banned, and there was only one school of Ci in the entire Huizong Dynasty: Dasheng Ci.

The writing characteristics of Dasheng poets are: praising the emperor's virtue, singing about peace, romance, and lamenting life. The words are extremely elegant and the rhythm is particularly harmonious.

And Wan Qiyong and Chao Duanli are the best among them.

The former was recommended by Zhou Bangyan, and the latter was recommended by Cai Jing, who had to accompany Song Huizong to compose lyrics and have fun every month.

……

In the streets farther away, Cai Jing was also admiring the lanterns, accompanied by many cronies, one of them was Liu Siming, the Imperial College Jijiu.

A few months ago, Liu Siming was just a small job.He helped Cai Jing to impeach his political opponents, overthrew the right prime minister Zhang Shangying, and instantly took charge of Guozijian and Taixue.

But Zhang Shangying is one of the leaders of the new party.

At this time, in the Great Song Dynasty Hall, there was no longer any party struggle between the old and the new, but only a pure power struggle.The struggle between the new party and the new party is the most intense, because the old party has become weak.

"Grand Master," Liu Siming stooped to follow, and said closer, "I'm so close, but it was written about the Lantern Festival."

Cai Jing smiled and said, "Come and listen."

Liu Siming immediately sang: "The east wind blows flowers and thousands of trees at night. It blows even more, and the stars are like rain. BMW carved cars are fragrant all over the road..."

Cai Jing clapped his hands and praised: "It's a good word, but who wrote it?"

"Zhu Chenggong, a scholar of the Eighth Route of Lizhou Road," Liu Siming said sideways, "Kang Guogong and Lizhou Tixue both recommended him to study in the Imperial Academy. I don't know whether to approve or not."

Cai Jing was quite magnanimous: "The people Qian and Lu are interested in, let's give them some face. Let's record it first."

If you register first, you can give Zhu Ming a student status, but there will be a gradual rotation, after all, the number of students is limited.

Since he had just been dismissed as prime minister, Cai Jing is now playing hard and soft, resolutely cracking down on political opponents with clear positions, and wooing the rest if he can.For example, Lu You's father, strictly speaking, belonged to the "Danggu" children, and did not even have the right to live in Bianliang, but Cai Jing allowed him to be a minor official in the capital.

"I also know about Zhu Chenggong's poems," Wang Fu said, "In just one month, there are many sung in Tokyo. The phrase 'Given talents come out from generation to generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years' is very true. Do my best."

Cai Jing laughed loudly: "When you hear this sentence, you know it's a crazy ear."

Feng Xizai quickly flattered him: "The grand master's eyes are like a torch, this person must be a madman."

Liu Siming, Wang Fu, and Feng Xizai are all upstarts promoted by Cai Jing.

Especially Wang Fu, who had passed the Jinshi examination for a few years, had become Cai Jing's absolute confidant because he helped Cai Jing regain his prime minister and attacked the right prime minister Zhang Shangying.A mere school secretary, in less than two years, was promoted to Yushi Zhongcheng like a rocket.

The group of people were chatting and watching the lanterns, but they saw a horse galloping, and the eunuch shouted on the horse: "Get out of the way, get out of the way, where is Wan Qiyong? Where is Wan Qiyong..."

Wan Chengyong was admiring the lanterns with his family at the moment, and when the eunuch found him, his voice was already hoarse.

"Mr. Wancheng, you make our family easy to find. Get on the horse quickly, don't make the officials wait too long!" the eunuch said anxiously.

Wan Chengyong had no choice but to leave his family and ride on the same horse with the eunuch.

Wine was placed on the imperial tower, and the emperor and empress were having fun while watching the lanterns.

Panting, Wan Qiyong ran upstairs: "I pay my respects to the officials and my empress!"

Song Huizong said with a smile: "Sit down quickly, I am waiting for your words. The pen, ink, paper and inkstone are all set up, and I will write a poem to celebrate the Lantern Festival."

Wan Chengyong was conceiving all the way, and now he sat down with a calm breath and wrote with a pen:
""Drunk Penglai": Positive wave spreads silver Han, leaking copper pot, Shangyuan is beautiful. Crimson candle and silver lamp, like starry stars. The bright moon chases people, dark dust follows the horse, all the nobles of the five tombs. The temples provoke dark clouds, skirts Dragging the Xiangshui, whose family is so beautiful."

"To the south of the Golden Palace, to the north of the colorful mountain, there is Luo Qi on the ground, singing songs from the boiling sky. The screen of six songs opens, and there are three thousand pearls and emeralds. The music of the emperor is deep, the smoke of the phoenix furnace is blowing, and Wang Shunyan is looking forward to the ceremony. Peace is all right, and the monarch and ministers are feasting. , the Li people are rejoicing."

After Song Huizong watched it, he immediately clapped his hands and praised: "There is nothing wrong with it, the monarch and ministers feast and enjoy, and the people are happy and drunk". It really fits the scene of today's prosperous age!"

Wan Qiyong clasped his hands and said: "When the saint is in court, the world is naturally peaceful and happy. Your Majesty loves the people, how can all the people not sing in unison?"

"Wan Qi Xianqing knows me," Song Huizong said with a smile, "Since I came to the throne, I have been determined to innovate and advocate new laws in order to make the people of Li people rich. Love you and drink with me!"

Empress Zheng personally poured wine for Wan Qiyong, Wan Qiyong quickly confessed and drank a glass carefully.

Scanning the new lyrics, Empress Zheng was a little worried.

She was born as a court lady, her family has long since declined, and she belongs to the pawn placed next to Song Huizong by the Empress Dowager Xiang.Because she was born beautiful, well-behaved and sensible, she could also help the emperor deal with memorials. When the queen died of illness, she was promoted to be a queen.

This is a talented empress. Due to the emptiness of the national treasury, even her queen's crown dress is remade from the old imperial concubine's crown dress, just to save a little money.

When she was a noble concubine, Zheng Juzhong, a new Jinshi, claimed to be her clan brother.Although this relative has many twists and turns, she still recognizes it and cooperates internally and externally to consolidate her position.

Now, Zheng Juzhong and Cai Jing are getting together, and the court is full of anger and hatred.

Empress Zheng felt that this was a way to bring disaster, and she had already figured out a plan, that is, to throw her own father and clan brothers out of the court on the grounds that her relatives were not allowed to interfere in politics! (Historically, this saved the lives of the whole family. She persuaded Jin Bing not to arrest her natal family because no one in the Zheng family was an official.)
What do you mean by peace and tranquility, monarchs and ministers having feasts, and the common people getting drunk?

Empress Zheng, who has suffered a lot in the folk since she was a child, knows what is going on at the bottom of the Song Dynasty.But the emperor in front of him, as well as his imperial poet, are here to praise the prosperous age.

If Song Huizong died at this moment, and Empress Zheng led the little emperor to listen to the government behind the curtain, it might be another scene.

Song Huizong tasted that poem repeatedly, and the more he read it, the more he liked it, and said: "I don't know how to drink a poem. Today is a lively day. I love you and fill in another poem to add to the fun."

Wan Qiyong thought hard for a long time, but he had no idea for the time being, so he had to cup his hands and said: "The officials are good at writing lyrics, and I dare not perfunctory them. Writing mediocre words will only pollute the eyes of the saints."

Song Huizong didn't force it, but just sighed: "Qing and Chao Duanli used to be by my side, one person and one word, complementing each other. It's a pity that he died and didn't survive the heavy snow. I don't know when someone will make up for it. "

Suddenly, a nearby eunuch said: "Officials, the word sung in Bianliang recently is also about the Lantern Festival."

"Oh, come and listen." Song Huizong was very interested.

Song Huizong liked art, and the waiters around him were also talented. The eunuch immediately recited "Sapphire Case·Yuanxi".

After Song Huizong heard this, he immediately praised: "What a talent, who is this person?"

Wan Qiyong said: "I have also heard about it. It was written by Zhu Chenggong, a scholar from Lizhou."

Song Huizong immediately said to Yang Qiu: "You come to write the edict and call Zhu Chenggong, a scholar from Lizhou, into the Dasheng Mansion!"

Dasheng Mansion is an institution specially set up by Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty to collect, organize and create lyrics and music.

Once he enters the Dasheng Mansion, and he has no fame, he will have to write lyrics for the emperor for the rest of his life.

Zhu Ming came here after his brain was flooded, and he must find a reason to shirk.

(End of this chapter)