At the celebration banquet in Jinxiang Hall, as the melody of the musicians' flutes became louder and the strings of the harp became more urgent, the dancers in red dresses showed festive smiles on their faces and moved gracefully. They looked up sideways at the woman with long hair like clouds and faces like peach blossoms above them, and they all shook their heads upwards, and suddenly it seemed as if a morning glow had descended on the stage, gorgeous and beautiful.
The skills of the dancers were not that great. The court dances in Tokyo did not seem to have developed much. They were just old dances left over from the Tang Dynasty in new packaging. Because the emperors of the Central Plains had been fighting for decades, there was no motivation for development. The court singing girls mainly performed for the emperor and the princes. The Imperial Academy was abolished, and only the Taichang Temple supervised these people.
However, Emperor Guo Shao, who was watching the singing and dancing on the throne, and the generals who were attending the banquet did not recommend any kind of dance. As long as the women were pretty and twisted their bodies a few times, it would be fine.
Guo Shao looked around from his seat. The ministers and generals on one side were watching with great interest, while the ladies of honor on the other side were also enjoying this lively and distinguished occasion. He was immediately very satisfied with the banquet.
At this time, a group of palace maids in moon-white silk skirts came over from the side with small steps. They served Guo Shao first, and then served the guests below. Guo Shao looked down and found that it was already cut roast lamb.
A female official took the opportunity to approach Guo Shao, and knelt down to the sound of music and said: Your Majesty, Zuo You, the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple, told the people in the imperial kitchen that when Your Majesty went to the battlefield, he talked with the generals and wanted to eat the roast lamb made in the palace, so we servants specially presented it to you.
Good, good. Guo Shao nodded and praised twice.
He immediately picked up his chopsticks and said: Let the ministers try it too.
I obey your command.
Guo Shao suddenly thought of the life at the front line. The food was very monotonous and bland. A general once said that he would become exhausted if he ate too much. At that time, he really wanted to eat something delicious. People's desires are actually very simple and can be easily satisfied now.
He picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The skin was crispy and the meat was delicious. After chewing it twice, his mouth was full of oil. In such a lively occasion, he didn't taste it carefully. He ate a few pieces and felt it was okay. He couldn't focus on one point. The new dancer was dressed very seductively. Guo Shao couldn't help but take a few more glances.
Those women wore purple light dresses and tube tops, half of their breasts were exposed, and they swayed in front of Guo Shao, making him feel hot. He had not been close to women for a long time at the front line. Although Jing Niang was by his side, Guo Shao could not ask her to sleep with him casually, as it would be bad if the soldiers found out.
Guo Shao was in a very restless mood at this time. He had just returned to Beijing and everything was not settled yet. Various things and people were in front of him like a passing show, and his emotions were fluctuating. Although he was well-mannered and calm, he was actually dealing with things randomly in his heart.
The luncheon lasted until the afternoon. Guo Shao personally rewarded the military officers and soldiers with some saddles, horses, ribbons, gold and silver, etc., and waited for people to express their gratitude before the banquet ended.
Guo Shao returned to the study in Jinxiang Hall and saw a pile of files on the table. They were not memorials, but he flipped through them and found that they were suggestions on rewards and punishments for meritorious service in the Northern Han campaign compiled by Wang Pu. In addition to the names and memorials, the files also contained written military orders from various departments collected by the Qianying Military Office as evidence of rewards and punishments.
The complicated military orders were related to the process of each link in the battle. Guo Shao couldn't calm down to read it, so he threw it aside. He just wanted to calm down and calm down, just like when his family just finished a wedding or funeral and entertained a large number of relatives and friends.
Dongjing Imperial City is now Guo Shao's home, but he doesn't feel at home when he comes back. It feels more like a workplace. A large number of officials, eunuchs and palace maids in the imperial city also use the emperor's living place as their workplace. In the era of family, country and the world, the royal family is not only a home but also a country.
Guo Shao had never lived in a wealthy family in his two lifetimes. At this moment, he had a feeling: the bigger the family business, the more relationships among family members and relatives there were, in fact, more of a resource allocation relationship. Especially for the royal family, almost everyone was involved in this matter.
In the bustling center of the Tokyo Imperial City, Guo Shao suddenly felt a little lonely. No wonder the ancient kings called themselves "I".
Guo Shao put down the file in his hand, stood up and walked to the lounge at the back, and the eunuch Cao Tai on duty followed him in. As soon as Guo Shao walked into the hall, he felt something strange, and soon discovered that this place was different from before, because it was filled with blue and green flowers and plants.
With blue flowers and green leaves, Guo Shao couldn't recognize what kind of plant it was. He had no knowledge of this thing.
Your Majesty, this is Iris. When you were away at war, Empress Duanci was in power here and asked the palace maids to bring it in. Cao Taidao.
Empress Duanci Fu Jinzhan is no longer in Jinxiang Palace, and Guo Shao has not seen her since he came back. He suddenly remembered that when he returned to the court, Fu Ermei went to Xuande Gate to greet him, and then held a banquet for all the ministers, but Fu Jinzhan did not come. It seemed that her status was not suitable for such an occasion.
Guo Shao paced back and forth for a few steps in the fragrance of irises, then turned to Cao Tai and said: Prepare the car, I want to go to Zide Hall to see Queen Duanci.
I obey your order, Cao Tai replied.
Zide Hall is one of the main halls of the harem, built on a high platform on the central axis of the imperial city; the place where Guo Shao and Fu Jinzhan met was the open hall on the west side of the pavilion, which was where they often met before. This place was in a very high position.
Fu Jinzhan sat on the chair very dignified and quiet, as if she was away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd. However, her rosy cheeks, gently trembling eyelashes, and some trivial and subtle movements showed that she was not so calm at the moment. She seemed very surprised that Guo Shao was in a hurry to come and meet her.
Guo Shao bowed slightly and said: The imperial guards returned to the capital this morning. There were many things to do since they came back. I have only now taken the time to ask about the well-being of my sister-in-law. Please don't blame me, sister-in-law.
On both sides and behind Fu Jinzhan stood women in round-necked purple clothes. Her words and actions were also very generous and decent. She immediately said in a relaxed tone: Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. Of course, you should focus on important matters. I understand. I thought it would take a few days before I could see Your Majesty, but I didn't expect you to be so polite. She smiled and said, Congratulations to Your Majesty for conquering the Eastern Han and Northern Han. The great cause of unifying the world is one step closer.
In front of others, she behaved very dignified and upright, and spoke of such lofty matters as the unification of the world. Everyone around her looked at her with awe.
She raised her arm gently and said: Your Majesty, please sit down and talk.
Guo Shao nodded, and took the opportunity to glance at Fu Jinzhan as he was moving more while sitting. Normally, according to etiquette, he couldn't stare at Fu Jinzhan. This is called "don't look without permission", and it is also the habit of men and women in the world when talking. So when men and women talk at this time, they will not look at each other's face. It's not that they are distracted or impolite, but rather it is respectful.
They were very polite to each other, but people's hearts were not restricted by rules. Guo Shao was in the etiquette, his eyes swept across Fu Jinzhan's chest, and under the disguise, he noticed the outline covered by the thin and soft yellow silk, which was full and plump, with natural lines of fat, very beautiful.
He glanced over and immediately noticed Fu Jinzhan's smiling eyes. He felt like he was being seen through and was busy paying extra attention to his words and actions. He was always the focus of attention and sometimes felt quite uncomfortable.
Fu Jinzhan said solemnly: "I have learned that your majesty will return to the court today. I have sorted out all the court affairs and put them in the Jinxiang Hall. Your majesty, please ask about the political affairs of the Political Affairs Hall in the past few months."
I'm sorry to trouble the Empress's wife, Guo Shao said.
There were a few things that Fu Jinzhan pretended to be hesitant to say, and then she glanced slightly to the side. The women around her knelt down one after another and left the open hall.
Soon, Guo Shao and Fu Jinzhan were left alone, but the people standing outside the door could see the scene inside the Chang Palace; and the road outside the Zide Palace could also see this place. This was also the reason why Fu Jinzhan and Guo Shao always met here. Even if they were alone, they would mostly meet in places where people could see them to avoid misunderstandings.
After all, the rumors that had been spread about them before were too easy to arouse suspicion.
The attendants had all left, but Fu Jinzhan didn't mention those things anymore. It was obvious that she had nothing to do and just wanted to find an excuse to be alone. Although it was in broad daylight, there was no one around her, so at least details like her gaze couldn't be seen by others, and no one could hear what she said.
The two looked at each other in silence. It was the only way they could be together again after a short separation.
But this place is very good, the location is high, the open hall is well ventilated, and a cool breeze blows from time to time, the air is fresh and refreshing. The view is very wide, and the brick and stone avenues of the double-eaved palace are in full view. People come and go on the road, which is very popular, but not noisy. No one dares to make noise near the main hall. Tokyo Imperial City is also one of the most prosperous and luxurious places of this era, as if it is the center of the world; such a place without oppression will make people feel different and open-minded.
Guo Shao did feel very comfortable. There was no dirt or dust, no noisy seasons, no cold or hot, and there were no mosquitoes.
Unconsciously, he felt that his impetuous mood was gradually settling down, and the turbulent agitation that was floating on the surface had dissipated, and he had regained his peace and tranquility. And all this happened in just a short while.
Guo Shao looked at Fu Jinzhan's face, her bright eyes, white teeth, smooth lips, and fair skin with a yellow luster, which was the color of the bright sunshine outside. She was beautiful, but very decent and dignified, especially her smile like moonlight, which filled Guo Shao's heart with joy and sunshine, and all kinds of negative emotions were blown away by the wind.
What a happy afternoon, it's great to see Jinzhan, Guo Shao said gently.
Fu Jinzhan said tactfully and jokingly: Even if you haven't seen me, there are still many people waiting for you to see them. I'm afraid that each of those people is no worse than me.
Guo Shao: