Chapter 216 Palace Banquet
Emperor Wu, who witnessed this scene from the Imperial City Tower, was also filled with emotion.
Emperor Wu raised his hand to suppress the noise, and after waiting for it to subside, he said a few words: "Today, I am fortunate to receive gifts from the Ten Elders, and it is a blessing for the Great Tang Dynasty! On my birthday, I will share the joy with the people. Today, the curfew will be suspended for one day."
After speaking, Emperor Wu looked at the cheering crowd below, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and then quickly lowered them.
Wearing such a heavy imperial robe, well, I still have to go back to Taiji Palace. There's a palace banquet that Emperor Wu must attend.
The people gathered around Suzaku Square were overjoyed to hear that there would be no curfew today!
Before everyone could exchange information about which place in Chang'an was the most interesting, the official on the high platform announced loudly, "Tonight at 7:00 PM, fireworks will be set off in the imperial city for the people to enjoy."
"Hey, this is even more interesting than the Lantern Festival!"
"It's still a bit lacking. There were three whole days without a curfew during the Lantern Festival."
"Haha, you really know your stuff, brother. How about we go for a stroll with the West Market opera troupe today?"
"Hehe, brother understands me. I heard there's a new little bear cub here."
The news of no curfew tonight spread rapidly outwards from the center of Zhuque Square as people gathered and dispersed. Even Li San Niang, who was talking with her parents in the main hall of her house, heard about it from Li Gui, the gatekeeper of the front hall.
"There really is no curfew tonight!"
Li Erxiong said happily, then turned to look at his father and said, "Father, let's close the shop this afternoon and let Li Gui's family have some fun. Let's go to the West Market. Didn't Qiu Niang and Tuva say last time that they had a lot of new things to offer? Let's all go and take a look together?"
Behind Li Erxiong, four people—from Li Dalang to Xiao Silang—all stared at Li's father with longing in their eyes.
Especially Xiao Silang, who followed like a searchlight, as if he wanted to set Li's father on fire.
Mr. Li was very good at keeping people in suspense; instead of answering directly, he stroked his beard.
"Father?" Li San Niang also wanted to go out and play. The Lantern Festival was still more than three months away, so it would be best to enjoy herself now.
Li's mother patted Li's father, disapproving of his arrogant way of "bullying" the child.
"Haha, haha, alright then, let's all go to the West Market and have dinner out."
At this point, only Li Dalang still had a conscience. Li Dalang was happy, but he still worried about his father: "Alas, Father will never come back."
Sister-in-law Li didn't feel anything was wrong. Over the years, she had long been used to the fact that she couldn't spend such a reunion day with her brother Li.
"It's alright, we'll buy an extra portion of whatever's good to eat and save it for your dad later."
While the Li family was still discussing what to see, eat, buy, and do at the West Market, Emperor Wu was changing his clothes with the help of Wang Da Dang.
Those must have been more than ten heavy imperial robes. Even Emperor Wu, who was a person who got up early every day and could run two laps around the palace square and practice boxing for half an hour every day, found it hard to bear.
It's really thick and heavy, and not breathable at all.
Aside from being aesthetically pleasing and imposing, it really has no other redeeming qualities.
After changing into a new black ceremonial robe with subtle patterns, and removing his crown, Emperor Wu only wore a gold and jeweled headdress to tie his hair up. Only then did he feel more at ease.
After taking his sword and crossbow back with him, Emperor Wu headed towards the Taiji Palace.
Emperor Wu's birthday banquet was held in a large hall in the Taiji Palace. Officials, nobles, and people from various small states and tribes had already taken their seats according to their ranks, waiting only for Emperor Wu himself.
Following the procedures planned by the Ministry of Rites, Emperor Wu made a grand entrance at the end, said a few polite words, and then it was time to present the gifts to Emperor Wu.
First, Prince Xiang appeared with a hundred different calligraphic styles of the character "寿" (longevity), followed by a piece of embroidery by Princess Taiping, wishing the pine tree of Nanshan Mountain to live as long as he did.
The gifts from princes and nobles were nothing more than rare stones and precious jewels; those with a refined taste might give calligraphy, paintings, writing brushes, inkstones, and the like.
It was only when the gifts were presented to the smaller states and tribes that they became somewhat interesting.
For example, the envoy of the Eastern Turkic tribe, which had just experienced a Turkic rebellion a few months ago, said that he wanted to present Emperor Wu with five hundred tall horses, three hundred of which were male horses that had not been castrated.
Of course, the horses are still on their way, and it depends on how Emperor Wu decides to allocate them before they can pass through the checkpoint.
Emperor Wu nodded and said a few polite words, but in his heart he was thinking, "Well, they're scared now and know how to curry favor with me."
The newly supported king of Goguryeo, however, received not only some local specialties as gifts, but also a handwritten letter.
Wang Da Dang presented the letter, delivered from afar by the Goguryeo envoy, on a tray. When Emperor Wu unfolded it and read the opening salutation, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
Xiao Wang, having listened to someone's advice, began his birthday letter to Emperor Wu with, "Your Majesty, I am pleased to receive your letter. Your younger brother respectfully submits..."
Today is Emperor Wu's fiftieth birthday. That little prince, who is far away overseas, is only eight years old this year. He's practically Emperor Wu's great-grandson.
Emperor Wu was slightly taken aback. He quickly read through the letter, finding it to be of some quality, likely due to instruction from a minister he had sent.
He began by offering greetings and birthday wishes, then mentioned the gifts he had given, and finally added at the end that the neighboring Baekje and Silla kingdoms were causing trouble and bullying him.
Using the birthday celebration as an excuse to report on neighboring countries, excellent, that's exactly what I want.
After reading the letter, Emperor Wu nodded, indicating that he understood, and moved on to the next one.
The Annamese envoy was no longer the one who had urinated and defecated in the camp outside the capital that morning; he was now a younger man.
Of course, after the praise and eulogy, the envoy presented local specialties, but he added, "Your Majesty, my king has another mineral to offer you. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years."
Hehe, I don't know if others are secretly criticizing Emperor Wu, but she certainly is. If it weren't for the gunpowder explosion that morning that scared them, this mine probably wouldn't have been added to the tribute at this time.
The next activity is watching a song and dance performance.
The Ministry of Rites was quite clever in organizing things. Emperor Wu thought that women would be the first to perform, but the Ministry of Rites came up with something quite amusing.
A group of men with an average height of six feet (180cm) took to the stage to perform martial arts. Emperor Wu watched from the head of the table and saw that they were really fighting, with every punch landing hard.
Instead of the sounds of string and wind instruments, the sound of military drums could be heard.
After the fight, the burly men were soaked with sweat from their already thin clothes, and the bulging muscles beneath their clothes were quite a sight to behold.
The opening went quite well. The Minister of Rites, sitting in his seat below, quietly glanced up at the head of the table and saw that Emperor Wu's expression seemed satisfied, which put his mind at ease.
Ha, a bunch of people who don't understand women's hearts, the Minister of Rites thought to himself, quite pleased with himself.
The opening act of this burly man's martial arts performance was his insistence on being the first to perform. No matter how old the Empress was, she was still a woman, and what woman wouldn't enjoy watching men, let alone young men with good physiques?
These men were specially borrowed from the Imperial Guard; the main event for the Music Bureau will follow.
The screen was removed, and a group of more than ten palace servants waited to the side with various musical instruments. Then, nine young women dressed in light clothing appeared.
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