At noon in the morning, Zhao Jun did not enter the palace today.
It was already December 28th, the last day of the year, and the Chinese New Year would come in two days. The entire court had entered a state of rest.
The holidays in the Song Dynasty were very long, starting from the winter solstice and lasting until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the following year. The intermittent holidays lasted for a month, with only about ten days of working time in between.
The reason is that Song Taizu Zhao Kuang's father died on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month. After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, it was stipulated that there would be a three-day holiday around the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, and this became a custom.
During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, because his mother's birthday was the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the court stipulated that three more days of holiday would be given. This was equivalent to one golden week due to the combination of a death anniversary and a birthday. Starting from the beginning of December, there was a seven-day holiday.
This break lasts until the Lantern Festival, and in the Song Dynasty, the Lantern Festival was also considered part of the Spring Festival, and there was also a seven-day holiday.
That is to say, from the winter solstice at the end of November to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month of the following year, in less than two months, the Spring Festival holiday at the end of the year in the Song Dynasty lasted for thirty-three days, which was a very long rest time.
However, this was not the end of the story. Before these two holidays, there was also the Winter Solstice, and the court stipulated a seven-day holiday. The Winter Solstice plus these two holidays would make it the Chinese New Year in a few days, lasting until the third day of the first lunar month.
The problem is that during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song, it was rumored that a heavenly book had descended to the earth, so he issued an edict to designate the third day of the first lunar month as Tianqing Festival, allowing officials to take an extra five days off.
For a time, the entire court became empty, and all government agencies in Bianliang were in a state of silence and shutdown.
Zhao Jun's carriage slowly drove towards the residence of Li Zi, the new Minister of Industry and Commerce.
We are currently in the Spring Festival holiday period, and including the Tianqing Day, we won't be back to work until the ninth day of the first lunar month.
Therefore, only one prime minister was on duty at the Constitutional Court every day. The same was true for each department, with the Shangshu and the left and right vice ministers taking turns to handle emergencies. The rest of the time, everyone went home to celebrate the New Year.
The Tian Chang in the story is actually from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. His main business is not only in Bianliang, but he also has branches of his Tian’s Tea Shop in various places.
According to convention, Tian Chang should have returned to Jiangsu and Zhejiang with this year's payment for goods. After the Chinese New Year, he would start collecting next year's spring tea there.
Li Zi personally greeted him outside the door.
There were more than a dozen businessmen coming with him, including the big tea merchant Tian Chang, the big salt merchant Kang Xi, the big grain merchant Meng Chengqi, etc. They were all top businessmen in various industries in Bianliang.
Zhao Jun's carriage stopped outside Li Zi's residence. Li Zi looked much better. He was only fifty-five years old, and grass would have grown on his grave by then. Fortunately, Amoxil was quite effective. After taking two pills, his illness was cured.
Seeing Zhao Jun get off the carriage, Li Zi went to greet him and said with a bow, "Greetings to the Magistrate."
But at this moment he has been staying in Bianliang because of the earthquake in the tea market in Bianliang, so he has to stay here. He can only let his eldest son handle the affairs in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and he himself handles the tea business in Bianliang.
I sent the spring tea to Bianliang in May and haven't returned for half a year.
Zhao Jun also bowed in return, then said, "I am sorry for disturbing you today."
Li Zi, having been saved by Zhao Jun, was already extremely respectful to him. He smiled and said, "It is a great honor for you, Master, to visit my humble abode. How could I bother you? Please come in."
"Meet the Magistrate!"
"Prime Minister Li is polite, everyone is polite!"
Entering the palace, there is a large front yard with shrubs and bushes, various rare flowers and plants, and towering trees in the yard. The main hall is magnificent, with archways and corridors on both sides.
However, Li Zi did not take them to the main hall, but took them directly to the backyard through the corridor of the side door. This was a more grand way to entertain guests.
Everyone surrounded Zhao Jun and walked in.
As the former deputy privy councilor, Li Zi's previous salary could reach more than 20,000 strings of cash a year. He was born into the Xinyu Li family, a descendant of Li He, the Duke of Zhao in the Tang Dynasty. His family was well-off. Although his mansion was in the outer city, it was spacious and luxurious precisely because of its location.
There is a pavilion next to the big tree. There is no ice on the surface of the pond not far away, and there are red carps swimming in it. Occasionally, they jump out of the water, causing ripples on the surface of the pond.
The courtyards of these wealthy and powerful families are indeed luxurious, with pavilions, towers, carved beams and painted buildings.
Normally, entertaining guests in the main hall is more formal. But leading the guests to the back hall is a sign of the guests' noble status. Even the more private backyard is open to the guests. This shows that Li Zi still has great respect for Zhao Jun.
The group arrived under an old ginkgo tree in the backyard. The tree was lush and leafy. Although it was deep winter, the leaves were golden and fell all over the ground. A small part of the leaves were still on the tree, rustling in the wind.
The furnishings in the main hall are different from those in the front hall. There is a square corner table facing the door, with an armchair on each side of the table. Then there is a row of chairs on each side under these two chairs, with more than ten seats.
Obviously, this position was also carefully designed. Otherwise, although Li Zi was the host, it would not be appropriate to let Zhao Jun, his boss and savior, sit below him.
Although it was winter, there were still many evergreen plants growing, and the servants in the mansion shoveled snow and cleaned the place, so it didn't look like there was only a sea of white.
Li Zi led everyone past the old ginkgo tree and into the main hall in the backyard.
Then the two of them sat on the left and right respectively, and Li Zi asked all the businessmen to sit according to their seats.
Among them, Tian Chang and Kang Xi sat in the lower left and right positions. One of them was the largest tea merchant in Bianliang, and the other was the largest salt merchant in Bianliang. Both of them were quite wealthy.
"Come, Dean, please take a seat!"
Li Zi extended his hand to invite Zhao Jun into the hall. Zhao Jun did not hesitate and replied "please", and then they walked into the hall together.
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