Hanjing, west side of the Dali Imperial Palace.

Inside a magnificent palace with a plaque named "The Splendid Palace".

There was a palace banquet being held.

The young Emperor Dali entertained the Confucian scholars who came from afar to attend the Fengshan ceremony at Linlu Academy. High-ranking civil and military officials of the fifth rank and above in the Li court, as well as nobles above the rank of Viscount, were all present to welcome Zhao Rong, Gu Yiwu and other Confucian scholars.

When Zhao Rong entered the palace in the evening, he did not bring Xiao Qian'er and Fairy Su with him, but only Li Bai.

The latter disguised himself as a guard and went into the palace together. Zhao Rong knew that he liked to drink, and there would be plenty of Dali's fine wine tonight. In Li Bai's words, "You have a little conscience."

Gu Yiwu and the students of Zhengyi Hall did not bring any female relatives with them.

At that time, they were thinking about the social activities of men, and it would be inconvenient to bring their female relatives along.

However, after arriving at the scene, Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu looked at each other in bewilderment.

At the banquet in the Weiyang Palace, except for the unmarried little emperor and the stern regent Li Mingyi, most of the civil and military officials brought their wives, children and other family members.

Moreover, Zhao Rong had just started the banquet when he felt that the atmosphere in Dali seemed quite open...

But it didn't matter, because at the subsequent banquet, they were accompanied by beautiful women who were good at dancing and served them wine.

However, at the banquet in Weiyang Palace, the Dugu who was behind the government did not attend.

It makes sense. As a widow and the queen of Dali, she should try her best to avoid such lively social banquets.

In addition, you should avoid being alone with strong men in any occasion, just like when you greeted Zhao Rong and others outside Hanjing at noon today.

It is said that there is a lot of trouble around a widow.

Zhao Rong said secretly.

Well, a beautiful widow is even worse, and a beautiful widow who is rich or powerful... Zhao Rong would like to call it a sure kill.

From his experience in reading history, he knew that in any dynasty, both ancient and modern, men would show great interest in any gossip about widows.

Therefore, if a widow like Dugu was even a little careless, such as accidentally closing the door when summoning a military general or minister for a talk.

If some suggestive gossip were to leak out, it would probably spread throughout the capital overnight and cause heated discussions among the people of Dali.

If this incident happened to Empress Dowager Dugu, it would definitely be recorded in unofficial history and would be a topic of conversation for future generations in Dali.

By then, countless little stories will probably be imagined behind the closed door.

The story was so vivid and colorful, this is what they call "three people make a tiger."

Well, even if the time to close the door is very short, we can still get the job done, right?

Zhao Rong couldn't help but nodded.

My goodness, if it is like this, the ministers in the court would probably be afraid to talk and meet with Dugu. They would be terrified. If they are not careful, they would be associated with a word about speed. Maybe they could even make an idiom out of it and go down in history?

At this time, Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu looked at each other because Dugu was not present, then looked away and went to take their seats.

They are not in a hurry.

The matter of Fengshan was strongly promoted by the Empress Dowager. Time is pressing. If we invite them here tonight, we will definitely meet and talk.

At this moment, facing this group of Confucian scholars, the young emperor seemed particularly enthusiastic. He called them "sir" all the time and asked Zhao Rong and others to sit very close to him.

Especially Zhao Rong.

The highest seat in the hall was of course occupied by the little emperor, and to the lower left of the seat was Zhao Rong's seat.

Opposite him, that is, to the lower right of the little emperor, sat Li Mingyi, the regent of Dali. He was tall and burly, with a square face that exuded a sense of majesty without even showing anger.

Soon, the dinner began and graceful dancers slowly entered the venue.

Zhao Rong, Gu Yiwu and other Confucian scholars drank and ate while being served by beauties.

No one started to talk about the Fengshan ceremony. It seemed as if everyone had forgotten about it and was only focused on the dinner.

It is said that the women of Li are beautiful, with slender waists that are famous throughout the world and are the best among all the countries living under the mountain. Most of the women of Li with slender waists are also good at dancing, and the dancers trained in the Dali Palace are even more outstanding.

Even the "righteous" Gu Yiwu opened his eyes wide like copper bells to admire Li Nu's dance. Although he already had a maid named Li Nu, the dancers and singers specially raised in the palace of this secular dynasty were sometimes something that even the immortals on the Mian Mountain could not enjoy.

Zhao Rong couldn't help but take a few more glances. Speaking of the woman's dancing posture...

Qingjun's waist is also very thin, so she should be able to dance well, but she doesn't seem to have learned much, so she's probably not as good as her cooking skills. As for Xiaoxiao, uh, dancing? Does jumping count? She's quite good at jumping, and she likes to kick the quilt when she sleeps, and kick him...

The young Confucian scholar secretly thought about these women he cared about, compared them, and felt a little regretful.

But despite this, he didn't care much. He still thought that the girls in his own family were better. Besides, dancing seemed to be very tiring for the feet, so Qingjun Xiaoxiao also wanted Qian'er and the others' beautiful feet... Zhao Rong was reluctant to let them go.

Just like that, inside the Weiyang Palace.

Music and singing, gorgeous clothes, beautiful women and fine wine, poetry and songs.

For a moment, it was bustling and lively.

However, Zhao Rong didn't drink much. He tried his best to stay sober and observed everyone in the hall.

Although the banquet was noisy at this time, he found some scenes quite interesting.

For example, the little emperor sat in the first seat, wearing a purple five-clawed dragon robe, and often spoke to liven up the atmosphere at the banquet, like a little adult. The civil officials who were born as Confucian scholars also cooperated very well, but most of the nobles and military generals dealt with it absent-mindedly.

Li Mingyi, who was sitting at the bottom, was wearing a simple dragon robe and didn't say much. He just brewed wine by himself.

But in the hall, many eyes involuntarily fell on Li Mingyi, especially those of the nobles and military generals.

Sometimes when the little emperor was speaking, he couldn't help but glance sideways at Li Mingyi to gauge his facial expression and reaction.

It's just that the latter is usually very serious, except for occasionally glancing at Zhao Rong...

"Mr. Zhao." At this time, the little emperor raised his glass and said with concern: "You have worked hard on this journey. I toast you with this glass of wine on behalf of the people of Dali."

He is young and still speaks with a childish tone, looking immature and green, but his little face shows seriousness.

Zhao Rong nodded, took the wine glass handed to him by the beautiful woman, clasped his hands together, and said in return, "I don't deserve it. It's just my job."

The little emperor seemed to have thought of something, and couldn't help but said: "Mr. Zhao, your two poems have spread all over the capital. I... I have read them many times, and the more I read, the more I am amazed."

As he spoke, the young emperor could not help but put down his wine glass, raised his head slightly, looked upward, and chanted: "... I have searched for him among the crowd for a thousand times... Suddenly I turned around, and there he was... there he was in the dim light... in the dim light..."

The little emperor sang in a voice that was suitable for singing along to poetry, and his face showed admiration for every word.

At this moment, he happily turned his head and stared at Zhao Rong who was raising his eyebrows. "Mr. Zhao, the artistic conception and rhythm are too beautiful. Many poems I have read before can compare to this. Is this... the legendary Nanshan Appreciation of Poetry?"

Zhao Rong did not answer immediately, but focused his attention elsewhere.

He looked at the excited young man in front of him, and then at the expressions of the ministers in the hall. It seemed that everyone knew about the poems he had written.

Spread throughout Hanjing?

Zhao Rong suddenly realized, was this done by that Dugu family, or was it done by Li Mingyi to help him become famous?

No wonder he was so popular when he came into the city today. It turned out that it wasn’t just because of his handsome face.

The young scholar rubbed his face and coughed. He shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind. I just happened to have some inspiration because I stood on the shoulders of the predecessors who I admire so much."

The little emperor shook his head. "Mr. Zhao is too modest. The teachers are all amazed by your poem. I heard from the people below that you wrote this poem for the famous fairy Su in Ziwei Pavilion. That fairy is so lucky to have Mr. Zhao's favor."

Zhao Rong lowered his head and drank.

However, the little emperor continued to sigh: "The lights, moon, fireworks, and flutes in the first stanza of this poem interweave into a joyous scene, and the dazzling groups of beautiful women in the second stanza are all designed just for that one person."

"Hiss, looking back suddenly... in the dimming lights..." He analyzed it in a serious manner, and said with emotion: "Besides, if there is no her in the dimming lights, what is the meaning and fun of everything!"

"Mr. Zhao! Is this the profound meaning you wanted to express when you wrote this poem?" The handsome and thin little emperor's face turned red with excitement, and he looked at Zhao Rong with admiration in his eyes.

Zhao Rong: “…”

He couldn't help but look at the little emperor's expression and wanted to say... uh, not really.

But it stopped.

I can't help you guys who like to imagine so much.

"Ahem." He didn't say much, but just bowed slightly to the little emperor and the ministers.

"Oh, right, there is another poem about a beautiful lady." However, the little emperor did not let him go and continued to recite excitedly: "A beautiful lady from the north...her eyebrows and eyes are as beautiful as the crescent moon..."

Zhao Rong felt a little embarrassed. How could a nice dinner party be turned into an idol meeting?

Well, "About the fact that the little emperor of Dali is my little fanboy"?

He suddenly understood a little about his past life. Why were poets like Li Bai and Su Dongpo considered the stars of their time? These great poets and lyricists were indeed like superstars in an era when entertainment was scarce...

so.

Take it.

Nowadays, Zhao Rong has also become a "superstar" in Dali, and he is always in the spotlight...

The little emperor reached out to grab Zhao Rong's hand with enthusiasm and excitement, but Zhao Rong was very experienced in this and had already sensed something was wrong, so he retracted his hand without making a sound.

However, the young man was in high spirits and didn't care much about it. He continued:

"Mr. Zhao, you don't know that this song Li Meiren is very popular in the music department privately, and it is very popular with those Sisters Xianyue... the female officials."

The little emperor was halfway through his speech when he realized that his words were inappropriate for an emperor and quickly changed his words.

After he finished speaking, he glanced sideways at the emperor's uncle.

The latter was lowering his head again, pouring wine and picking up food. There was no follow-up reaction, and the young man breathed a sigh of relief.

Faced with the little emperor taking the lead in chasing stars, Zhao Rong had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Afterwards, the former toasted him enthusiastically.

All the ministers at the banquet also responded by praising the two poems and toasting Zhao Rong frequently, making the banquet very lively.

Zhao Rong, who didn't want to drink, couldn't refuse the hospitality and accepted all the drinks.

Fortunately, he had the physique of a warrior, so the wine didn't cause much trouble.

What made Zhao Rong speechless was that it seemed that it was not just the young and naive emperor who was idolizing him, many of the female relatives brought by the ministers and generals at the banquet also cast admiring glances at him, and some even... flirted with him.

Moreover, among these female relatives, there are several who seem to be ladies of high rank. They looked mature and dignified before, but now... ahem.

My goodness, is the atmosphere in your circle so open? Your man is right next to you now... um, well, he seems to be drunk.

Zhao Rong's eyes twitched twice, and he lowered his eyes, avoiding the admiring and teasing gazes of these ladies.

In his heart, he mourned for his fellow Confucian scholars in Dali for half a second...

Tonight, the little emperor seemed very happy. He couldn't help but see his idol. His mother was not present at the dinner, and his uncle did not stop him from getting close to Zhao Rong.

So the thin young man in the dragon robe couldn't help but drink a few more glasses of wine.

He couldn't help but recite Zhao Rong's two poems that seemed to describe the charm of women, with a look of longing mixed with drunkenness on his face.

Some of them were immersed in it.

Amazing, Mr. Zhao's exquisite descriptions of beauties...

At this moment, the palace beauty sitting next to the little emperor reached out and poured wine for him.

He took it, glanced at something frosty and slender, and suddenly stopped.

The little emperor stared at the beautiful sister's hands and thought they were very beautiful, just like the lines in Mr. Zhao's poem.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to recite a poem.

But the little emperor was still very young and had not spent much time studying, so he could not come up with any exquisite words at once and had to give up in frustration.

However, the feeling of appreciation and closeness for beautiful things still remains in the boy's heart.

The little emperor couldn't help but reach out his hand, and curiously and ignorantly pinched the jade hand of the beautiful woman who was serving wine.

The latter was stunned, then smiled.

The little emperor was a little dazed, and he felt his body gradually becoming strange, but the feeling was also very good.

The next second, as if awakened by the noise, the boy blushed and quickly retracted his hand.

Zhao Rong, who was standing next to him, happened to see this scene and couldn't help laughing.

The little emperor was always paying attention to Mr. Zhao. At this moment, he noticed the smile on his face and became even more embarrassed.

The young man hurriedly drank to cover it up, but choked several times. The beauty who poured the wine patted him on the back.

Zhao Rong laughed and shook his head... This boy is kind of cute. He is obviously the emperor of Dali and is almost at the marriageable age in this era, but he is so shy and ignorant even when touching a woman's hand. Is this his first time?

"Mr. Zhao...Mr. Zhao." The little emperor looked embarrassed and stuttered.

Zhao Rong smiled and turned around, his tone was 'curious': "I just remembered something happy and was distracted. Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

The little emperor looked at the young scholar pretending to be stunned and shook his head quickly, "No, nothing."

The next second, the two people who met for the first time today smiled at the same time.

The young man in the purple dragon robe only felt that the young Confucian scholar whose mother could influence his throne and who he had been trying hard to get close to was really getting close to him.

On the side, Li Mingyi, who was wearing a dragon robe, sat upright, seemingly not noticing any of this, and said nothing...

Half a quarter of an hour later.

As the banquet was drawing to a close, Li Mingyi suddenly put down his wine glass and stood up.

"Mr. Zhao, Mr. Gu, please move to the back hall."

He spoke calmly, then stood up and led the way to the back hall of the Weiyang Palace.

Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu looked at each other, stood up and followed...

Many people in the hall noticed this scene, but they did not react and continued to enjoy the dinner.

On the other side, Zhao Rong and Gu Yiwu followed Li Mingyi for a while and entered a hall with bright lights and open doors and windows.

As soon as the two of them arrived outside the door, they saw a thin purple bead curtain blocking the top seat in the hall.

Behind the purple bead necklace, a woman in white clothes and a white veil can be vaguely seen sitting and waiting.

…