Chapter 373 Meeting with Prince Huai'an
Capital city!
As winter approached, the whole city became colder and colder day by day, and even the plants in the imperial garden began to wither.
The gardens that were once full of colorful flowers and competing for splendor now look desolate at a glance.
Today, Xu Zhenguan finished handling government affairs as usual, and then went to Xiuwenguan to inquire about the follow-up of several matters.
After Mr. Zhengyang left Beijing, the debate over her right to the orthodox doctrine was replaced by the struggle between the School of Mind and the Old School.
The capture of a group of scholars who were secretly recorded and arrested by Zhao Duan also made the attack from Yunfu Daomu Palace fail.
In addition, what the government and the public are most concerned about is naturally the opening of Nanfang Lake Pavilion.
Although they were thousands of miles apart, overtly and covertly, the eyes of all the important figures in the government and the country were fixed on the lake pavilion in the south.
Waiting for the final result.
“Rustle…”
In the Imperial Garden.
While Zhao Duan was shamelessly writing love poems in his memorials, Xu Zhenguan, the Empress of Dayu, was standing quietly on a stone bridge over a stream in the garden.
She wore no makeup, and her face, as cold and pure as an angel's, was quietly lowered as she looked down at the dead leaves floating in the stream under the bridge.
Occasionally it spins, as if this simple scene contains the great Dao of heaven and earth, and infinite mysteries.
"His Majesty."
In the distance, Mo Chou walked towards them.
When the weather turned cold, the empress was not afraid of the cold due to her powerful cultivation and still wore the same outfit, but the other female officials in the palace all changed into thick clothes.
Mo Zhaorong was wrapped in a winter coat, and her figure looked a little plumper. Perhaps she was saddened by what she saw, and she said softly:
"Since winter has arrived, the entire garden has become desolate and unsightly. Your Majesty has no place to enjoy the scenery. How about I go to the Heavenly Master's Mansion and invite a priest specializing in the 'God of Spring' to come and reverse the seasons in the palace?"
A few years before the old emperor's death, perhaps he had a premonition that his time was running out. Every time the dead of winter came, he would be displeased to see the desolate palace.
Every time, a priest would be summoned to call upon the "God of Spring" to descend upon the palace, causing the flowers in the imperial garden to bloom and the grass to turn green. Although this scene did not last long, it was indeed a rare and beautiful sight.
Xu Zhenguan shook his head slightly and sighed:
"Reversing the seasons is also a serious blow to plants. Plants and trees are like the people. A single thought from the king can affect the fate of countless people. The ancients advocated governing by inaction and resting to recuperate. While I don't completely agree, there is some truth to it."
Mo Chou said seriously:
"Your Majesty's benevolence is a blessing to the people of the world. Opening the market this time is a policy that benefits the people. For the Great Yu Dynasty, even if it causes some disturbances, it is a good thing."
How could she not hear the meaning behind the empress's words just now?
Xu Zhenguan smiled and asked:
"Has there been any news from Huting?"
Mo Chou shook her head and said, "Not yet."
Xu Zhenguan was not surprised and said softly:
"According to the date, Zhao Duan should be arriving soon. I wonder if this trip will go smoothly. My uncle Wang is not an easy person to deal with. And that Xu Jinglong..."
When she mentioned this name, disgust flashed in her eyes and she said:
"I wonder what kind of weird things he's going to stir up next."
Mo Chou rarely spoke up for Zhao Duan and said angrily:
"With Lord Zhao's talent and skill, he will surely not suffer any loss. It is Xu Jinglong who should just wish for the best."
As the personal maid of the Third Princess, how could she not know the bad nature of Xu Jinglong, a hypocritical man who disregarded etiquette and wanted to marry the Emperor's sister?
"Let's not talk about this person anymore," Xu Zhenguan changed the subject and asked with a smile:
"Are you here for something?"
Mo Chou nodded, took out two letters from her sleeve, and said:
"This letter was sent from Xipingdao. It says that the Dharma King of the Western Regions has sent a team through the pass. If nothing unexpected happens, they are heading for the Shenlong Temple."
Xu Zhenguan was not surprised.
The last time Prajna Bodhisattva visited Zhao's house at night, he had already exposed the current anxiety and tension in Buddhism.
The conflict between the ancestral temple of Buddhism in the Western Regions and the Shenlong Temple of the Dayu Dynasty, a branch of the sect, has a long history.
From the perspective of the imperial court, the Xu Dynasty was actually happy to see the division of Buddhism.
"The following letter contains some news from within Shenlong Temple, concerning Nagarjuna Bodhisattva and Master Dajing."
Mochou explained:
"Unlike Prajna Bodhisattva, these two have long been in charge of Buddhist temples outside the capital. This time, they must have been affected by the actions of the Western Region Dharma King and have also made some unusual movements. The shadow guards report that both have left their temples and their whereabouts are unknown."
The so-called "missing" does not mean that they have really disappeared out of thin air.
But the Jianghu Shadow Guards were not able to track down these two powerful beings in the Shenlong Temple, who were only below the "Heavenly Realm" abbot Xuan Yin and were on par with the female nun Prajna.
"Did they leave?" Xu Zhenguan seemed to be thinking about something, but he couldn't find out their specific movements, so he could only say:
"Keep watching."
"I obey your orders."
Xu Zhenguan raised his head, looking at the huge spire of the Shenlong Temple outside the imperial city with a slightly melancholy look, and said softly:
"I am now completely focused on the new policy. As long as you don't interfere with the secular world, you can fight as much as you want. But if anyone insists on being dishonest, don't blame me for taking sides."
…
…
Lake Pavilion, Humble Administrator's Garden.
After Zhao Duan finished writing the letter to the empress, dusk fell.
The sun sets in the west, and then the sky and the earth gradually darken.
Zhao Duan walked out of the room, called Haitang and others, and went out to keep the appointment together.
He turned down the request from Feng Ju and other officials to host a banquet for him tonight, and instead accepted the invitation from the princess to let the princess, the "host", lead him to appreciate the night view of the city.
The group met at the gate of Humble Administrator's Garden. Xu Junling led a group of people and went shopping on foot in plain clothes without even taking a car.
After all, Huting is only a "county town" in size, and the main city is not big.
Just go to the most bustling and prosperous areas, and walking alone is enough.
"It's so lively. There are more people here at night than in Beijing."
Zhao Duan walked on the street, looking at the quaint buildings hung with lanterns.
The streets and shops are bustling with people coming and going, just as busy as during the day.
Xu Junling smiled and said:
“Although the capital is the best place in the world, it is still too solemn. There are too many places with curfews at night. However, this Ten Mile Lake Pavilion is the place where merchants and goods gather, so naturally there are many businesses.
Moreover, merchant ships on the canal can dock at any time, day or night. However, it has never been this busy before. It's mainly because the imperial court is about to open the market, and there are too many wealthy people coming to the city recently."
Zhao Duan nodded.
They walked on the street, and although there were guards around them to separate them from the crowd, they attracted some people's attention.
But perhaps it was because too many important figures had come to the city recently, and it was dark at night, so the men and women on the street were not surprised by the presence of such people.
I just thought it was another young man or young lady from a big family out for fun.
"You said you wanted to treat me to a meal. Where?" Zhao Duan asked with a smile.
Xu Junling raised his hand and pointed to a tall building in the distance that was also very eye-catching in the night and was hung with lanterns. He smiled and said:
“The most magnificent view of the lake pavilion lies in the mist-shrouded lake, and the only place in the city that can overlook the magnificent view is Dafeng Tower.”
…
…
As the highest-standard restaurant in the entire Huting, Dafenglou ranks among the top five restaurants in the entire Huaishui River area.
The restaurant is in the shape of a tower, with six floors.
Except for the top floor which is for decoration, the five floors below can be used for banquets.
Especially from the fifth floor, you can see the magnificent scenery of Hu outside the city shrouded in smoke from inside the city.
In addition, the chef in Dafeng Tower is well-known in Huaishui. He was once the imperial chef in the palace and is particularly good at cooking fresh fish.
However, today, in the evening, Dafeng Tower hung up a closing sign, and many strong servants gathered around.
The owner of Dafenglou personally stood at the door of the building and apologized to each guest who had reserved a table, refunding the money.
At this moment, a group of wealthy businessmen who had booked a private room two days in advance were standing at the foot of Dafeng Tower with unfriendly expressions.
"Shopkeeper," the middle-aged man with an extraordinary demeanor who was in the lead said with a frown:
"From today's scene, we can see that some important figure must have reserved the entire place, forcing Dafenglou to break the rules and refuse us entry. We are not ignorant of tact.
But this Dafeng Tower has five floors. I have some status in the Huaishui Road, as the president nominated by the Chamber of Commerce, so I think I have some face. Could you please tell me who is hosting us tonight? If I know him, I can go up and visit him, or even ask for a floor down."
The other merchants also spoke up and expressed the same idea.
The shopkeeper of Dafeng Tower hesitated and sighed:
"Please don't ask, President Li. I'm afraid you don't have enough face to host the banquet today. It's the Prince of Huai'an, who wants to personally entertain a distinguished guest. As for which distinguished guest... hehe, you are all well-informed people, and you should know which immortal is entering the city today."
The Huaishui Dao Merchants Guild President's expression suddenly changed, and his voice even changed:
"Could it be that Zhao..."
"Shh, don't call him by his name!"
Chairman Li held his breath and concentrated, and the other merchants behind him also fell silent.
President Li was silent for a moment, bowed respectfully towards the Dafeng Tower in front of him, and then turned and left.
Horrified in my heart:
Prince Huai'an wants to personally invite King Yan of Zhao?
What kind of signal does this send?
…
The second floor of Dafeng Building.
"Your father wants to see me?"
When Zhao Duan was halfway up the stairs, he looked at the princess beside him in surprise, extremely surprised.
(End of this chapter)
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