The important affairs of the country are in the sacrifice and the Rong.
On the day of Zhengdan, ordinary people like the Cui family want to worship their ancestors, and the royal family naturally also wants to worship their ancestors. The emperor Chenghua went to Fengxian Hall to offer sacrifices in person, saluted his mother, the Empress Dowager Zhou, and then went to Fengtian Hall to be worshipped by foreign ministers and envoys from the four barbarians.
Just last year, I summoned the chief officials of the prefecture and county for the pilgrimage, and it will take three years for them to enter Beijing next time. As for Cui Ju, the advisor was not a shepherd, but a second official. After a few more years, it would not be his turn to go to Beijing to report on his work. He would only be assessed by his superiors with a single page for evaluation.
This year, since there are no major plans for the capital investigation, and no earthquake disasters, floods and droughts have been reported—except for the red meteor falling in the west, the thunder-like sound for a long time is an ominous omen. Courtier, no more troubles. The Son of Heaven has nothing to worry about, and the Secretary of Jiaofang is even more flattering to the holy will, "into the hospital every day", the half-month-day rest during the New Year's Festival is constantly performing fashionable plays, and the celebration dramas on Zhengdan and Lantern Festival are also performed. Newly written book.
When performing these plays, the actors of the Jiaofang Division also borrowed the popular makeup and stage arrangement in Beijing today. They were filled with cigarettes when they went on stage, and they were all blurred and faded by layers of veils when they appeared and exited. All of them used this technique. When Eunuch Gao accompanied the emperor to watch the play, he could not help but sneer when he saw that they were serious, as if they had learned some clever technique.
This technique outside the palace was developed by his son, and now their father and son are too lazy to use it!
However, the more ordinary the New Year's Day congratulations, the daily Zaju and the happy things during the New Year's Day, the better his new play will be. Eunuch Gao had a charcoal-like mind in his heart. One day, the Tianjian watched the rehearsal of the Bell and Drum Division, and finally waited until the Lantern Festival.
After dinner that day, the royal driver took the prince and the kings to enjoy the Aoshan Lantern Sea, which was made in-house, and then went to the theater to enjoy the new Lantern Festival by the Bell and Drum Division.
Before the play started, the heavy and light veils on the stage fell to the ground. The surrounding circles are burning the tower incense with slightly dark smoke. Because there is no wind in the room, the smoke will sink for a while before it will disperse, which makes the table look like a fairyland.
When the emperor first saw this arrangement, he was willing to praise it, but now he is used to it, just nodded and ordered people to start.
Bells and drums rang out, and gauze curtains rose up in mid-air—the curtains were not like those in Jiaofang Sixian’s plays, which were hung on the pillars on both sides with ropes, sometimes covering the stage.
This is not a big change, except for a person like Emperor Chenghua who likes to watch dramas for many years, several young princes did not notice the difference.
However, the veils rose layer by layer, and the thinner the veil, the more people felt strange. Originally, after the veil was lifted, the dark wall and the door to the stage should be seen, but this time, the last layer of veil was lifted. , it looks faintly white inside.
The emperor finally felt something special, and watched the last curtain rise, revealing a snow-colored world inside. The background is a snow-watching pavilion where paintings are collected. In the distance, there is an immortal palace, and the mountains are covered with snow. Goose feathers are falling on the stage. The ground is covered with a snow-white blanket, and Taichung is surrounded by a white jade-like Hualang carved pillars.
An immortal wearing a lotus crown, a crane cloak, a jade guild, a jade badge on his waist, and a ding dong ring walked out of the snow, and behind him led two little gods with flags and swords, standing in the heavy snow. The Chinese and Korean audience said and read the white: "The cultivation of medicine is too clear, and the Yuxu Palace is in the purple night..."
As soon as he entered the field, the snow on his head gradually stopped, and the snowflake did not bully him or the little god behind him, but a warm yellow light shone down from above, as if the sun was shining out of the clouds for the immortals, and it shone on his body. .
It's not unusual to read Bai Bai, this appearance is really a bit fairy-like. Emperor Chenghua smiled, and slowly spit out a "reward", and the palace servants sprinkled the money on it.
The eunuch on the stage was rewarded, and acted more and more attentively. The voice fell a little, and the snow behind which could not be seen as a wall or a curtain was broken, and a young immortal who was sitting cross-legged on the crane came out.
The crane's wings were pierced from the hem of the fairy's clothes, and they could flap as they traveled. There were a few chirps on the stage, which woke up several of the little His Royal Highnesses who were listening to the play and were drowsy, and laughed lowly.
Although there are fake sedan chairs and cloth-clad rockeries in the palace, there are really no such realistic cranes. The Jiutian You Yishi went up to the stage and told Bai He to fold his body. He stood up by himself, and the legs that were crossed on his body were even put away. Jiutian You Yishi wore a wide robe and walked to Master Yuxu to receive the decree. He also ordered to invite the immortals.
At this time, the veil was heavily veiled, enveloping the white piece of snow. Taking a closer look at his face and figure, it is the eunuch A Chou who was the favorite of Emperor Chenghua.
Just seeing him like this, the emperor couldn't help laughing and said "good". A few little princes couldn't understand anything else, but they felt good when they saw the crane, and they clapped their hands to be rewarded.
Eunuch Gao was on the side of the king, his eyes were lowered, and his eyes secretly turned around the audience. Seeing that the emperor and several young masters were staring at the stage, even the prince, who was usually not good at entertaining, was very fascinated. So beautiful that he was full of sweetness, and secretly glanced at Liang Fang who had stole his limelight a few times.
Liang Fang was also staring at the play in amazement. He didn't pay attention to him as usual, and quickly gave him a wink.
The eunuchs waited in the building, Jin Yiwei was on duty outside the hall, and Xie Ying was standing under the corridor, but could not see the show. Although he couldn't see it, Cui Xie told him all the songs and lyrics of the play in detail, and he also came up with ideas for many sets, but when he heard the Xianlu tune inside, he could Knowing where the repertoire is sung, I guessed that the scene was like a living fairy palace on the stage.
This fold is in the Immortal Palace of Master Yuxu, and after the next fold, it is time to go to the Wenchang Emperor's Palace.
Xie Ying sang a song in his heart, "Follow the decree of the Yuanshi Xianzun, and all the saints go down." He smiled and looked at the lights in the courtyard, as if he saw the Lantern Festival outside the palace full of lanterns, Cui Xie was there. Walking through the lights, watching the lanterns and guessing the riddles.
I don't know what kind of lights he lit in those shops, and what new drama he played...
He was secretly thinking about the "oil gourd", and the stage had also changed a scene: the background was a verdant landscape painting painted on a broad white cloth, the ground was still covered with a snow-white blanket, and the smoke screen around it created a cloud effect.
The saints were surrounded by white clouds at their feet, and behind them were tall flower trees. The ceilings fell and covered the ground. The green hills on the screen extend to the vicinity, and a large stone-shaped wax sculpture is attached. The wax oil on the surface is sprinkled with grass dust when it is still dry, and it is fluffy like moss sticking to it. There is also a waterfall made of silk cloth between the mountains and rocks. There is a human blower blowing down at the back. The surface cloth is undulating, and there is a piece of light on the head hitting the silk cloth. The brilliance flows, and it looks like running water.
Sanguan Shangshen and Emperor Wenchang sang diligently together to celebrate the Lantern Festival in the lower world, but it was the first time that the emperor Chenghua, the prince, and the princes in the audience had seen this kind of 2D3D combination, and they didn't even bother to listen to the lyrics. Squinting to appreciate the stage effects carefully.
After the play was sung, the green mountains and clear waters were hidden behind the scenes, and the nine-day You Yi envoy dressed as A Chou rode a crane and stood in front of the veil and read aloud. , told a few jokes.
The emperor likes to listen to his jokes the most. At the beginning, when he played tricks on the stage to criticize Wang Zhi and manipulate power, the emperor didn't think his play was bad. On the contrary, he became sparser after that and still favored him. But today, the emperor saw the discoloration inside through the curtain, so he was anxious to know what was set up on the stage. He didn't even bother to listen to jokes, and asked Gao Liang in a low voice: "Why, it's been so long, it's not open?"
Eunuch Gao quickly explained in a low voice: "Isn't this to make the emperor look good, do they have to arrange it? The emperor relaxes and listens to A Chou's jokes, and when the curtain opens, the emperor will see something different. Lingguan Great Emperor Palace."
The emperor waited patiently, and the veil was finally pulled up slowly, revealing a pure black palace. In front of the hall stood upright pillars painted with vermilion lacquer and gold, with tulle curtains tied between the pillars, and the bright tile lamps above the head were as round as the stars, and the stars were dotted on the wall, converging into the nine-day Milky Way.
The five emperors, Guangji, Guanghui, Guangyou, Guangze, and Guangcheng, came on stage with ghost power and judges. These underworld kings do not ride on the white clouds, but place many spherical lamps made of bright tiles on the ground where they do not obstruct their feet. dimmed.
The scenes were changed so quickly and complicatedly that the audience was overwhelmed, as if they had changed palaces after the immortals.
The last fold is that all the gods fall into the palace, enjoy the sea of lights on Aoshan Mountain in the palace, and celebrate the boundless birthday of the Son of Heaven.
The big male protagonist, Yu Xu, and Xiang Xuantian, the Great Emperor, made several folds of soy sauce, and finally stood up at this moment! He sang a piece of "Good Wine" by himself, and after singing "Congratulations to the world of Tang and Yao", when he read "All the gods will meet and wish my emperor a long life and peace", he suddenly took out a golden elixir from his sleeve and wanted to offer it to him Son of Heaven.
The emperor of Chenghua liked this idea, so he asked someone to pick it up, but Eunuch Gao had already arranged it, and asked the little eunuch to take a red tray and take the golden pill.
Yu Xu, the teacher, stopped the eunuch again and said, "This golden pill is not an ordinary pill, and it should not be moved lightly. I will cut it open and present it to the Holy Emperor."
As he spoke, he flicked on the pill, and the golden pill shattered into two halves, and a piece of gold dust spilled out from it. Emperor Chenghua couldn't see clearly from below and asked, "What?"
The eunuch Gao beckoned from below, and the little eunuch shook the plate and turned it to the front to show it to the emperor. On the bottom of the plate, someone was asked to write with glue in advance, and in a flash, the gold powder spilled from the golden dan stuck to the glue, and the excess gold powder fell, leaving only the bright four characters "Longevity without borders".
Emperor Chenghua saw through his little heart, but he couldn't help but rejoice, and praised: "Well done, you have a heart."
This is much stronger than offering Jindan to the emperor to eat. Eunuch Wynn breathed a sigh of relief quietly, and the prince also felt that Gao Liang was a person who knew his senses.
He followed the father and the younger brothers and praised "Okay", but he nodded but couldn't help sighing: "These lights, curtains, flowers and trees, how much manpower and material resources will it take..."
Eunuch Gao was worried that he had nowhere to show his merits, and when he heard that the crown prince thought he was throwing too much money, he quickly explained: "Don't worry, young master, these things don't cost much. The old slave has been taught by the emperor for many years, how dare he make fun of these things Spending money from the private treasury? That tree, mountain, jade column carved in the fairy palace... It looks like a delicate fairy family thing, but in fact it is made of thin bamboo strips, with a layer of skin oil rolling on the outside. That skin oil is only worth a penny or ten jins. It looks good, so the people below me have to carve out the style and paint it, and it will never waste people's strength."
The leather oil was also wrapped with colorful silk ribbons, and he never mentioned that the gold oil was applied.
Hearing the price, the crown prince felt slightly satisfied, because his father was very lively and he liked to watch dramas, and he was afraid that he would be dissatisfied if he talked too much, so he smiled and nodded: "Panpan Gao is indeed a safe one. people."
The fourth prince, Zhu Youzhuo, asked, "How did the crane do it? Can it really carry people around?"
This matter is not only the little prince who is under ten years old, even the Chenghua Emperor wants to know.
Gao Liang felt a burst of pride in his heart, and he lowered his head and smiled and replied: "That is the silk crane made by the craftsman called the lantern, with an empty piece in the middle, which can make people stand up. It looks like it has crossed legs, but it is not. The legs are instead a petticoat made of ponytails. The bottom of the petticoat is tightened and the legs are hooped. When the crane is pulled down to the waist, the petticoat is like a lantern, and the petticoat is covered by a robe. Like the top."
This is because when he saw the rehearsal, the crane had a pair of artificial legs on it, which was unnatural, and he asked the actor to think about it.
The emperor of Chenghua praised: "It should be rewarded. Go back, Secretary Bell and Drum, you can point it out..."
Eunuch Gao immediately thanked the emperor for his kindness, and asked for the reward for his son: "How can this old slave come up with such a fashionable stage trick at this age? Most of it was done with the help of my adopted son. If I can get the emperor and the young gentlemen Praise is also the glory of his life, the old slave will tell him when he goes back."
The Emperor gave an "oh" and asked Gao Su's name, age, and where he was on duty. I heard that he was only a household with a salary of 100, and he did not take on a real job, so he asked Qin Chang to go to Gaofu another day to teach him, and asked Gao Su to go to the former office to be a household with a real job.
The former Xie Qianhu also had some connections with their family, and he was a decent person who could do things without taking credit. In the future, when Gao Su entered, he would be able to take care of him.
Eunuch Gao was satisfied, thanked the emperor for his nephew, and even remembered the benefits of Cui Xie.
He and his nephew have both benefited from the benefits, so Cui Xie can't even drink some soup, can he
He served next to the Emperor Chenghua, and it was very easy to say a good word or two. The first two months he took over the Bell and Drum Division were a bit busy, so he couldn't take care of Cui Xie for the time being. When the people below were straightened out and the space was freed, he found an emperor who was in a good mood without serving him. At that time, he mentioned: "Last year, the emperor asked the slaves to stare at the prodigy Cui Jiansheng, and the slaves took it to heart every day and did not dare or forget them. Now his younger brother is staying at home, he is about to take the exam, the emperor wants to listen. Are you listening to his family?"
It's not worth mentioning this matter. When he mentioned it, the emperor was really curious and asked, "His brother is back? How is he doing at home?"
Eunuch Gao wiped his eyes and said, as if he was touched: "The emperor's eyes are like torches, then Cui Jiansheng is not only filial to the second old man, but also well-intentioned to his younger brother! The old slave makes people look at his family's affairs. , when his younger brother came back from the south, he was seriously ill, and he was rescued by asking people to ask for medicine. He also taught his younger brother to read, posed questions and revised papers, and he dared to play tricks in front of Jin Yiwei. His younger brother taught him to be a good boy who was knowledgeable and polite."
Emperor Chenghua asked: "He is, how to teach?"
Eunuch Gao made preparations early, and asked the little eunuch to take a pen and paper and write down a few pre-prepared fill-in-the-blank, choice, and true-false questions to present to the emperor.
The topics are all long, and regardless of the content, the number of words shows sincerity. The emperor tried it himself, and he felt that it was not out of the way. They were all must-read hadiths of the ancestors and articles of scriptures and meanings. The emperor nodded and asked, "Sure enough, you love the younger brother. This is, just for the second brother, or..."
Eunuch Gao said: "This is all for his second brother. Why should he worry about that little brother studying with a Juren? Just this second brother was in bad health when he first arrived home and couldn't go out. Cui Jiansheng was busy with his studies. , I still have to stay up all night to teach him questions - now that the child is in good health, I asked him to read with Mr. Juren, and he didn't stop writing questions for him."
Yes, the more worry-free the child, the more the father... the elder brother will take care of him. The emperor nodded, looked at the paper and said, "Like a scholar... Someday, let him enter the palace, and give it to my prince, and teach the "Poem"."
Even though Eunuch Gao recommended Cui Xie, he was a little surprised when he heard that the Son of Heaven looked at him so highly.
Emperor Chenghua glanced at him and said simply: "Just like the story of Li Dongyang."
Li Dongyang was a prodigious boy when he was young, and he was called into the palace twice to teach the "Book of Documents". Is it because he was at the same level as Hanlin when he was five or six years old? The same is true of calling Cui Xie into the palace to teach books, but to ask him to enter the palace to give a lecture, to encourage this studious boy... and also to ask the prince to meet talents other than the lecturer in the East Palace.