The cold wind rustled, and the palace lanterns swayed.
The sky had just darkened, and the gates of the Imperial City closed at around nine o 'clock. There was still plenty of time.
Xu Buling was just going through the motions when he entered the palace. He had no intention of having a long talk with the Empress Dowager. He would come out after a meal. He might even go to the Immortal House to buy some rouge.
It was not that Xu Buling wanted to use it himself. He had felt that there was something wrong with Lady Lu this afternoon. With Lady Lu's skills, it was impossible for her to make such an ugly robe for him to wear, and she had taken it out before he entered the palace to see the Empress Dowager.
Although he did not understand the reason, based on Xu Buling's experience, Lady Lu would definitely be resentful for a few days after this. It would be difficult for him to escape if he did not prepare something.
As his thoughts ran wild, Xu Buling got off the horse outside the Imperial City. There were palace maids waiting outside, and there was a carriage beside them.
Xu Buling handed the horse to the palace guards, got on the carriage, and let the eunuchs carry him into the palace …
…
The Imperial City occupied one-fifth of Chang 'an. There were probably nearly ten thousand officials, palace maids, imperial concubines, guards, and so on. Naturally, the Empress Dowager could not live in Song Ji's harem. Changle Palace was located on the east side of the Imperial City. It was an independent group of palaces, and it was also known as the East Palace.
Changle Palace occupied a large area, but because the Empress Dowager had no children, it looked desolate in the winter.
Compared to the corridors of the palaces that looked like giant beasts, a carriage with two or three palace maids looked very small. From a distance, they were just small dots moving slowly on the white stone road.
The tallest building in the Imperial City was Taiji Golden Palace. On the eaves of the golden palace was a thin old eunuch. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and his eyes were half-closed. He was like an auspicious beast carved on the roof of the golden palace. He did not move at all.
After watching the carriage enter Changle Palace, the old eunuch in a red robe silently disappeared from the top of the golden palace. With a few leaps, he arrived outside the emperor's study. He bowed slightly to the figure who came out of the window.
"Your Majesty, Prince Su has gone to Changle Palace."
The light in the study was dim. There was only one lamp in front of the table, and there were three incense sticks under the portrait of a woman on the wall.
Dressed in casual clothes, Song Ji sat in front of the table, and looked at a poem in his hand. He seemed to be reminiscing..
Upon hearing Eunuch Jia's voice, Song Ji returned to his senses. He put down the manuscript and said calmly,
"So be it. Empress Mother has yet to take charge of the Xiao Family and doesn't know much about the current affairs of the court. Perhaps she has stayed in the palace for too long and wanted to find someone to chat with …"
Eunuch Jia nodded slowly. He hesitated for a moment and said softly, "Consort Xian and Consort Shu have also stayed in the palace for a long time …"
It was a friendly reminder.
A few years ago, the Empress died of illness and Song Ji did not have an empress. Although he had two princes, his mother's birth was not considered good, so it was difficult for her to have an empress. "Concubine Xian and Concubine Shu were born in prestigious families. If they gave birth to a son, they could naturally be crowned as the Crown Prince. The Courtiers would be at ease, and they would not know who they should support in the future."
Unfortunately, Song Ji did not order Eunuch Jia to inform the two concubines who had been waiting for him. After a moment of silence, he suddenly recited softly,
"Ten years of life and death. I do not think about it, but I will not forget it. "Thousands of miles of lonely graves, there is no place to talk about it. "Even if we meet, we do not know each other. Our faces are covered in dust, and our hair is like frost … Night comes, and we suddenly return to our hometown. "We look at each other without words, and only tears flow …"
Song Ji's voice was steady and heavy. When he recited, his voice could not be heard clearly. There was only a faint sigh left.
Eunuch Jia narrowed his eyes. He had been by the emperor's side for many years, and he naturally knew what Song Ji remembered. After a moment of silence, he bowed and sighed.
"Your Majesty, this poem is unique in the world."
"Yes …"
In the imperial study, Song Ji looked at the painting on the wall with a calm expression. He tapped the table with his fingers and was silent for a long time before he continued, "She used to like poems, but unfortunately, I am mediocre in poetry. I often do not understand the meaning of it, and I can't even talk about it …"
Eunuch Jia shook his head, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I have served three emperors one after another. There are some things that I have become indifferent to after a long time. Hmm … The literary talent of this poem is extraordinary, but there is a sense of sadness between the lines. It is a little petty and does not seem like what a real man would do …"
These words were also to persuade Song Ji not to sink into the melancholy of the past. As an emperor, he was originally a loner. How could he be reluctant to leave the world of mortals and love?
However, after a moment of silence in the imperial study, Song Ji's voice was heard again,
"I watch the sword by the lamp when I am drunk, and I return to the camp of the horn in my dreams. Eight hundred miles away, the sound of fifty bowstrings being turned on the wall, and the soldiers on the battlefield in autumn … The horse is fast, and the bow is like a thunderbolt. Completing the affairs of the emperor, and winning his reputation in life and in death. What a pity! … Is this poem still petty? "
Eunuch Jia was stunned. He stood under the window and thought for a long time, "The 'Lu' should be the name of the horse. I have never heard of such a good horse … These two poems, were written by the same person?"
"On the poem draft, I am afraid so, but there is no name … Just these two poems are worthy of the word 'talented'. Could it be that under my rule, there are still 'pearls covered in dust' in Chang 'an?"
After Song Ji succeeded the throne, he paid great attention to the poor. Otherwise, he would not have asked the great Confucian scholars to hold a poetry meeting and personally appraise the poems. It was difficult to stand out in Chang 'an, but it was even more difficult to not stand out if one was truly capable.
Eunuch Jia thought for a while and said, "There are hundreds of thousands of households in Chang 'an, and there are countless people from all over the world who come to the capital to seek fame. Since this person has submitted the poem draft, but there is no news of it in the marketplace. I think he is also seeking fame and waiting for the emperor to open his golden mouth to find him … Most of the masters and hermits are like this. If they go to the emperor themselves, they feel that they are degrading their status. Those who are truly capable will most likely come to the emperor's door three or four times before they can come out. Otherwise, how can they be called masters … "
Song Ji chuckled and said indifferently, "Why would I care about lowering my status for a capable official and a famous scholar? I am just afraid that this person is only talented in poetry, but has no real knowledge, making me happy for nothing."
Eunuch Jia shook his head slowly and said, "The story of establishing a pole as a token of faith and buying a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold has long existed. Since the emperor is sincerely inviting people with real knowledge, there will naturally be people with lofty aspirations who will accept the invitation."
Song Ji pondered for a while and was quite satisfied with this suggestion. He said,
"Alright, after the court meeting tomorrow, prepare a banquet for the officials. Tell them that I am very happy to have found such a talented person. Then, let that old man Qi know. Tomorrow, he will scold me for being frivolous and losing my will. I should not have made such a big fuss over three poems, and my reputation will be spread …"
Eunuch Jia bowed and said, "Yes! … There are three poems? "
"Withered vines, old trees, dusky crows, small bridges, flowing water, people, old roads, west wind, thin horses. As the sun sets in the west, the heartbroken man is at the end of the world. "
"Hmm … these few poems of this person have vividly displayed the feeling of 'not achieving one's ambition'. If it was really written by one person, then his talent should not be underestimated. It is just that he might be a little old …"
"Jiang Ziya is already so old, but he is already a Prime Minister. Age is not a problem. I am just afraid that he does not have real ability …"
