novelAbuy Chapter 106 A Feast for the Senses
Chapter 106 A Feast for the Senses
When the Gao family arrived in Luoyang in late April, they were greeted by a sea of peonies in full bloom.
The peonies of Luoyang are a vibrant tapestry of yellow and purple blossoms, like clouds spreading across the ground. The two beauties vie for attention, their splendor layered upon layer. The beautiful flowers, paired with elegant ladies in flowing robes and long skirts, create a vivid and enchanting scene of appreciating the peonies of Luoyang.
"Sister, get off the bus and come see! It's so beautiful!"
The car curtains were rolled up, and Gao Huaixuan said with a smile, "Just looking at it like this is enough. The peony is gorgeous; it truly deserves to be called the king of flowers."
"When all the last petals have fallen, it begins to bloom, and is called the King of Flowers."
Gao Huailiang said excitedly, "Sister, let's recite poems about peonies!"
Seeing her younger brother's excitement at arriving in the capital and encountering such beautiful scenery, Gao Huaixuan smiled and agreed, "Okay."
"Sister, I'll go first. She boasts of unparalleled beauty and possesses the most exquisite fragrance in the world."
"The heart of the flower is breaking with sorrow; how can the beauty of spring know its heart?"
"Who doesn't love the peony, which monopolizes all the beauty of the city?"
"Last spring, the flowers withered in late spring; tears soaked the red paper, lamenting our parting."
"The most beautiful woman is Xi Shi, and among all flowers, the peony reigns supreme."
"Today the flowers bloom like snow, but I have wasted my life trying to appreciate them."
Gao Huaide listened from the side, unable to get a word in edgewise, and could only stare blankly. Finally, he managed to find a way to speak: "Sister, why do the poems you recite sound so sad?"
"Yeah?"
Gao Huaixuan smiled and remained silent, turning her gaze to the roadside.
Looking out of the narrow car window, a young man could be seen not far away, walking briskly in the same direction as his own group.
The boy was about sixteen or seventeen years old. He was wearing a light brown round-necked robe with slits on both sides, suggesting he was an ordinary citizen. He was carrying a yellowish bamboo box that was about two feet long and wide, containing something unknown.
The boy also noticed Gao Xingzhou's ceremonial guard. Looking over, he saw a beautiful young woman sitting in the carriage. Their eyes met, and he was momentarily stunned.
Gao Huaide noticed the boy and his sister looking at each other, snorted, spurred his horse forward, and stood between the two.
At this moment, the leading group of riders suddenly changed their route and veered to one side of the road.
"We've encountered the Prime Minister's entourage. Young master, let's make way for them."
According to the Tang Code, when officials meet on the road, those of the fourth rank or below meeting a first rank official, officials of the Eastern Palace of the fourth rank or below meeting the Three Masters, and officials of various departments meeting the Prime Minister, must all dismount.
Several years ago, the late emperor issued an edict ordering the erection of steles along roads, promoting the ritual, and informing passersby.
Today, in the three capitals and various prefectures and counties under their jurisdiction, stone tablets with four characters are erected at the gates and bridge pillars of the city.
"The lowly avoid the noble, the young avoid the old, the insignificant avoid the important, and the departing avoid the arriving."
The subtle details reveal their thoughtfulness. The late emperor and his minister Feng Dao truly did many seemingly insignificant things that benefited their contemporaries and future generations.
Gao Xingzhou sighed softly.
He held the official position of Grand Tutor, though not a formally appointed one of the Three Masters, and was not required to dismount. The reason he avoided the prime minister was out of respect for the court; if it were an arrogant military leader, he would have charged at me without hesitation, and what could he have done to me?
However, the current situation is quite unusual. A group of officials in green robes are blocking the road, daring to openly intercept the imperial procession!
"The Ministry of Personnel's assessment was biased; give me justice!"
"I've endured so many years of hard work and have reached the required seniority, why haven't I been promoted!"
"Please, Prime Minister, do us justice!"
How could such a thing happen?
When Gao Huaide returned to the capital, he found everything strange and unbelievable. Did these officials have no shame or decorum?
"His Majesty issued an edict the day before yesterday, prohibiting officials from petitioning in public streets. Are you not aware of this?!"
The chief minister's guards began to disperse the crowd blocking the way: "For matters concerning promotion, go to the Ministry of Personnel. If you have anything to report, present it to the Secretariat and Chancellery according to the facts. Do not obstruct our path!" (Note 1)
Whips and sticks flew everywhere, beating the officials so badly they fled in terror, while passersby suffered collateral damage.
Gao Huaide was so engrossed in watching the excitement that he didn't notice the boy who had been pushed and shoved. He stumbled and crashed into the carriage carrying Gao Huaixuan, causing the bamboo box on his back to fall apart and spill its contents all over the ground.
The boy quickly bent down to tidy up; it turned out to be several tea utensils and tea cakes wrapped in silk paper.
People in the Tang Dynasty loved tea, and it was common for them to travel and enjoy tea. This bamboo basket, used to store various tea utensils, shows that this young man was quite a refined person.
By this time, the prime minister's entourage had already passed, and the Gao family's procession was about to depart. With each turn of the wheels, the tea utensils and tea leaves were about to be reduced to dust.
"Stop. Don't go yet. Let's wait until this young man is ready before we set off."
Gao Huaixuan, being kind-hearted, immediately instructed the driver to stop the carriage and not proceed.
The boy thanked them repeatedly as he tidied up the items one by one.
Seeing how flustered he looked, Gao Huaide dismounted, squatted down to help tidy up, and didn't forget to say something.
"You're just lucky to have met my sister, who's kind-hearted. Otherwise, she wouldn't care about anything else and would have just pushed through."
The procession was quickly organized, and the Gao family's procession resumed its march.
The young man bowed deeply and said, "Guo Rong of Xingzhou thanks you!"
……
Gao Huaide naturally didn't take the minor incident to heart.
Upon arriving in the capital and settling in, he immediately acted as if he knew the place well, becoming a tour guide for his sister and brother, completely forgetting that he himself had only been there once before.
They had only glanced at the peonies briefly before arriving, not having had time to admire their full glory. On this day, the three siblings arrived at the Shendu Garden in the west of Luoyang.
This place was once the Western Garden of the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Yang Guang of Sui expanded the area by 200 li and ordered the presentation of rare and exotic flowers from all over the world.
Among them, twenty boxes of peonies were transported from Yizhou, including precious varieties such as Zuiyanhong, Tianwaihong, Yifuhuang, Yan'anhuang, Xianchunhong, and Chanfengjiao, making it a famous spot for flower viewing in Luoyang.
In the early Tang Dynasty, Xiyuan was renamed Fanghuayuan. Empress Wu Zetian renamed Luoyang as Shendu and then renamed it Shenduyuan.
An Lushan captured the two capitals and plundered civil and military officials, palace maids, musicians, and knights. He captured hundreds of people at a time and sent them to Luoyang with strict guards.
Whether it was to humiliate Emperor Xuanzong of Tang or not, An Lushan paid special attention to musicians, seeking them out with great eagerness. He obtained hundreds of disciples from the Pear Garden and forced them to play music for his amusement at Ningbi Pond.
As the music began, the old members of the opera troupe couldn't help but sigh and weep together. The bandits all drew their blades and glared at them, but their grief was overwhelming.
A musician named Lei Haiqing threw his instrument to the ground, faced west, and wept bitterly. The rebels then bound him in the Xima Hall, dismembered him, and displayed him to the public. All who heard this were deeply saddened.
When Wang Wei was imprisoned in Bodhi Temple, his friend Pei Di came to visit him. When they talked about this, Pei Di was filled with grief and indignation and wrote a poem.
The poem has a long title: "At Bodhi Temple, Pei Di was forbidden from visiting. He said that the traitors were making music at Ningbi Pond. The people who offered their prayers immediately burst into tears. I secretly composed this poem and recited it to Pei Di."
Ten thousand households grieve as smoke rises from the wilderness; when will the officials again pay homage to the emperor? Autumn locust leaves fall in the empty palace; music plays by the jade-green pond.
After experiencing war, the once magnificent Shen Du Yuan was no more, and it has become a place where fishing and woodcutting are allowed, and anyone can come and go as they please.
"Only the peony is truly a national beauty; when it blooms, it stirs the capital."
Gao Huailiang then recited another line of poetry praising peonies.
Gao Huaixuan frowned: "Liu Yuxi's poems are generally excellent, but I don't like this one."
Why did you say that, sister?
"Tell me, what are the first two lines?"
Gao Huailiang thought his sister was testing him, so he immediately recited: "The peony in front of the courtyard is charming but lacks elegance, the lotus on the pond is pure but lacks emotion. What's wrong?"
"Even though the peony is the most beautiful flower in the world, why belittle other flowers and elevate your own?"
Gao Huaide, whose knowledge was extremely limited, quickly chimed in, "Exactly! He finds this one too flashy and tasteless, that one not charming enough. This old man is very picky."
"I originally studied 'The Humble Abode Inscription' and thought it was elegant and refined, but now I realize that it was actually a grumbling remark made by someone who had been demoted."
Gao Huailiang understood and joined in the criticism: "They not only associate with the uneducated, but also despise those without official rank; they are not burdened by official duties, yet they hold positions without doing any work and are complacent. Since only virtue is valued, why not simply refuse the court's salary as well?"
"Indeed, we martial artists are simple-minded, we believe in a straight line: if you're right, stand up; if you're wrong, lie down. Scholars, on the other hand, are cunning, glib, and prone to verbal attacks; they're quite insidious."
"Alas, Emperor Wen of Wei once said: 'Scholars have always looked down on each other. The integrity of scholars today is far inferior to that of the Wei and Jin dynasties.'"
The two brothers took turns making sarcastic remarks about the ancients, which Gao Huaixuan couldn't stand, so she quickly interrupted, "Alright, alright, I just mentioned it casually, but you two kept spouting nonsense. Just focus on admiring the flowers."
The three siblings admired the beautiful scenery of blooming flowers for a while, but felt that something was missing.
Gao Huailiang tilted his head and asked, "Bai Juyi wrote a poem that goes: 'Flowers bloom and fade in twenty days, and the whole city goes mad.' Why don't I feel that way?"
Hearing his younger brother say this, Gao Huaide also felt that ever since he returned to the capital, he could never fully enjoy himself no matter where he went for sightseeing, and it felt as if a stone was weighing on his heart. It was like the weather was clear and sunny, but he was worried that a thunderbolt might strike at any moment and a torrential downpour might begin.
He tilted his head, pondering. Could it be because he overheard the emperor and his father talking on the Lantern Festival?
No, the imperial court has a well-planned strategy; what is there to worry about? Even Fu Yanqing said that even if the Khitans intervene, there is still an 80% chance of victory.
But why do I still feel vaguely uneasy?
Gao Huaide shook his head. "World affairs are none of my business."
He decided to stop thinking about it, found a patch of grass, lay down, crossed his legs, put his hands behind his head, looked up at the slowly drifting clouds in the sky, and became lost in thought.
Gao Huaide can easily let go, but Gao Xingzhou's problems are not so simple.
Li Congke originally intended to appoint him as the Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry, but the new appointment was delayed due to various unforeseen circumstances.
This matter cannot be rushed. Since there is no official duty for the time being, Gao Xingzhou spends his days accompanying the officials to court, supervising his son's martial arts practice, and observing the court's movements with a detached eye.
As April draws to a close, it has been exactly two years since Li Congke ascended the throne.
April 29th, Dinghai year.
An imperial edict summoned Gao Xingzhou to an audience at the Yanying Hall.