Chapter 172: Gathering People
Gu Jing lived for more than sixty years and served as an official for forty of them.
Because he was always marginalized, he attended very few palace banquets in his life.
If you really count on your fingers, there are only two times.
One time was forty years ago when he had just passed the imperial examination. The late emperor held a banquet in the palace and invited the top scholars to come into the palace.
He was young at the time and was very excited about the palace banquet.
Those sitting in the front of the palace banquet were all high-ranking officials and nobles, and these students were seated very far back.
Although the dishes and drinks were exquisite, they were all served cold.
From a distance, I couldn't see the emperor clearly, nor could I hear what he was saying.
Only when the emperor summoned them to his side to encourage them would he have the opportunity to see his face.
Then, he returned to his last position.
But even so, they were a bunch of young people very happy back then.
Shortly after the palace banquet, the Ministry of Personnel issued a transfer order, transferring him to a remote rural area to serve as an official.
In the following years, he could hardly remember what Chang'an City looked like, let alone the palace banquet.
The second time I went to a palace banquet was more than ten years ago when the new emperor ascended the throne and all officials came to pay homage to him.
Gu Jing's seat at the banquet was still very far back. The dignitaries sat inside the hall drinking and making toasts, while they, the unwelcome ones, sat outside the hall and blew in the cold wind.
The dish tasted like ice knives in my mouth and I couldn't taste anything.
Gu Jing had just returned to the capital after a long journey, exhausted. Then, Gong Yan sat in the wind for two hours, exposed to the cold wind.
After he returned home, he suffered from vomiting, diarrhea and fever, and had to lie down for several days before the fever subsided.
From then on, Gu Jing figured it out: it would not be his turn to get any good things in the palace, and if it were his turn, it would definitely not be anything good.
Over the years, the emperor rarely gave him the opportunity to come to Beijing to report on his work during the New Year.
This time, it was because Xunzhou took on the task of making uniforms for the Northwest Army that he, the governor of Xunzhou, finally had the opportunity to come to Chang'an during the New Year.
After he came back, he was not included in the New Year’s Eve banquet, Lantern Festival banquet and other banquets in the palace.
He didn't want to stay in Chang'an for long.
His hometown is not Chang'an, and his family is all there. No matter how prosperous Chang'an City is, it will be boring to stay there for a long time.
It is already early spring. Gu Jing has ordered his servants to pack their luggage in the past two days and is about to return to Lingnan.
But at this time, an invitation was sent from the palace, saying that a spring banquet would be held.
It makes me feel chilly just listening to it.
People like him just want to gather numbers.
But he couldn't refuse the invitation sent by the palace and had to go.
"It's really killing my old bones."
Gu Jing sighed and went out to have tea with an old friend.
He Mansion.
"The palace sent an invitation saying they're hosting a spring banquet, inviting officials of the fourth rank and above to attend with their families."
Mrs. He held a note and said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Our two daughters will be coming of age in two years, so they should dress up nicely for this Spring Festival feast. We should also open our eyes and see which boy is more handsome."
The He family's grandson is still young, and it is not time to get married yet, but Mrs. He's two granddaughters are already thirteen years old after the New Year, so it is time to start thinking about marriage and try to get engaged before they reach the age of marriage.
"Yes, mother." The two daughters-in-law said yes in unison.
Mrs. He looked at her two docile daughters-in-law and thought of the obedient Dalang and Erlang at home. She felt relieved but also inevitably annoyed.
Sanlang ran away last year and has not returned home yet.
A few months ago, someone reported that Sanlang was seen on the way south by the King of Yue.
But later they got separated again at the Lingnan border.
Mrs. He was very worried, and He Tingfang also sent people to Lingnan to look for him.
But Lingnan is so big, how can it be found in an instant?
He Tingfang angrily said, "If we can't find him, forget it. Just pretend that we don't have this son. Just pretend that he died outside!"
Mrs. He couldn't bear to hear such words and was sad for a while.
Later, He Yan came to the He Mansion and comforted Mrs. He, who felt a little relieved:
"Mother, Sanlang is very stubborn. The more you look for him, the less likely he is to come out. He's in Lingnan. If anything really happened, he would have asked the Lingnan officials to send someone to report it long ago. As long as he says he's from the He family, who would dare not help him? There's no news from him now, so he's probably living comfortably somewhere."
Life has to go on. With so many people and so many things to do at home, Mrs. He has to stay strong.
"Madam, the princess is here." A maid came in to report.
When Mrs. He heard that her granddaughter had arrived, a look of relief appeared in her eyes: "Let Wan'er in quickly."
"Grandmother, eldest aunt, second aunt." Murong Wan was wearing a brocade spring jacket with clusters of peach blossoms embroidered on the hem. Butterflies were outlined with gold thread among the flowers and moved with the hem.
After the New Year, Murong Wan was one year older, more beautiful and clever, and she was pleasing to the eye.
Mrs. He narrowed her eyes and smiled:
"Come, Wan'er, come and sit next to me."
Murong Wan sat beside Madam He's couch, and the maid had already brought her tea and snacks.
Murong Wan: "What is grandma talking to my aunt about?"
Mrs. He pointed to the post on the table:
"Speaking of the Spring Appreciation Banquet, Wan'er knows about it, right?"
Murong Wan's eyes passed over the red invitation with gold sprinkled on it:
"Mother told me that this spring banquet will be held in the peach blossom forest in the palace. I heard that Concubine Shu has a unique idea and wants to hold the banquet outdoors in the forest."
"I've been to palace banquets many times. Although the imperial garden is large, I've never seen a peach blossom forest. Where is this peach blossom forest?" asked Mrs. He.
Murong Wan: "It's in the southwest corner of the palace, few people know about it."
The peach blossom forest is a forest in the southwest corner of the palace. It was planted by the late emperor in his early years. Not many people go there on weekdays, and not many people know about this garden.
Murong Wan knew this because once, Tutor Zhang took the students of Lihe Hall to the peach blossom forest to recite poetry.
"Mother asked me to tell my two aunts that since the banquet is outside the house, it would be best if my cousins wear clothes that are easy to move around in."
The two young ladies of the He family said after hearing this: "The princess is very thoughtful."
Madam He brushed aside Murong Wan's hair:
"Wan'er, why didn't your mother and Ming'er come?"
Murong Wan frowned for a moment and then relaxed:
"My brother made a mistake again recently and made Mom angry, so Mom punished him at home."
The nine-year-old Murong Wan was more generous and outstanding, but her twin brother Murong Ming was more naughty.
He was so naughty and naughty that even the dog in Prince Gong's mansion disliked him.
He was scolded by the Grand Tutor in Lihe Hall and punished by his parents at home, but once no one was watching him, he was completely free and easy.
"Ming'er was beaten? Did your mother hit him hard?" Madam He felt sorry for her grandson. "The child was just a little noisy when he was young. He will be sensible when he grows up."
Murong Wan didn't say anything. She looked down on her brother from the bottom of her heart and felt that he was embarrassing her.
People like my brother probably won't be much better when they grow up.
"Grandma, Wan'er has recently learned a new set of sword dance." Murong Wan changed the subject.
Madam He: "Okay, Wan'er, dance for me."
Murong Wan took out the new sword she had acquired during the Chinese New Year this year.
The sword was light and delicate, its blade as white as frost, and its hilt inlaid with turquoise, reflecting a shimmering azure hue in the sunlight. She had practiced sword dancing for two years and was making some progress. Her movements were no longer as awkward as when she first started. Her steps were light, and her body and wrist movements were much more fluid.
She always took leave from General Yuan's martial arts classes in the palace and practiced sword dancing in her mansion.
The one who taught her was the most famous sword-dancing lady in Chang'an - Gongsun Da Niang.
He Yan offered a huge sum of gold as a betrothal gift to Gongsun Da Niang, and asked her to live in the mansion and teach Murong Wan.
The dance that Gongsun Da Niang recently taught Murong Wan is called Flowing Cloud Dance. Gongsun Da Niang has taught this dance to many disciples, but not everyone can learn it well.
Murong Wan is considered to have learned quite well.
"Wan'er has practiced well. I've seen other ladies perform the Flowing Cloud Dance before, but most of them couldn't perform as well as Wan'er."
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