Sitting here, it was as if her whole body was integrated into the mysterious night sky. The wind around her made her feel as if she was flying. She could let go of her princess status and be free. She didn't have to remember her husband's tragic death. She didn't have to feel as if she was walking on thin ice. Although there was a thin 'leaf' under her buttocks, could it be more dangerous than the Li Tang royal family?
Princess Taiping breathed freely. She looked around happily for a long time. Then she turned her head to look at Yang Fan. She patted her side and said, "Come, sit down!"
Yang Fan walked to her side and sat down. He said, "Princess, you must be careful. Don't slide down. This place is a hundred feet high. If you slide down, you will be finished."
Princess Taiping laughed. Her laughter was a little presumptuous. Perhaps she hadn't laughed so freely for a long time. "That's why I asked you to sit with me. If I slide down, I will pull you down with me."
Princess Taiping said with a smile. She pulled back her legs and curled up. She hugged her knees and rested her chin on her knees. She looked at the lights for a while. Then she tilted her head slightly and looked at Yang Fan. "Tell me about you."
Yang Fan asked curiously, "About me? What about? "
"Everything!"
Princess Taiping said, "There are too many curious things about you. I want to know all about you."
Yang Fan was silent for a while. He smiled and said, "I was originally a beggar …"
Yang Fan started his story from the Guangzhou Prefecture. It seemed that for as long as he could remember, he was already a child beggar who roamed the streets and alleys. He said that he was taken in by "Nanyang merchants" and returned to Luoyang after he came of age. Although he had already concealed many things in his story, it was already a very fresh story for this high and mighty princess who had never known the affairs of the common people.
She listened carefully. Her long eyelashes blinked for a long time. In the starlight and lights, her eyes were bright and resplendent. After Yang Fan finished his story, Princess Taiping nodded slightly. She said thoughtfully, "So you are an orphan …"
Yang Fan said sadly, "Yes! An orphan with no one to rely on … "
Princess Taiping was silent for a while. She smiled and said softly, "Actually … I am also an orphan."
"Your Highness … is an orphan?"
Yang Fan looked at her in surprise. Princess Taiping was looking at a lantern three feet away from her feet in a daze. She said faintly, "That's right. You have been an orphan since you were young. Perhaps you are very pitiful. But after you became sensible, you watched your family leave you one by one until you were all alone. That kind of loneliness was even more unbearable. "
Yang Fan looked at her and did not speak. Princess Taiping pointed to the endless stream of people on the street and said, "I am very envious of these people. You've grown up, so it's easy for you to blend in, but I can't. You're like water, and I'm like a drop of oil. No matter how hard I try, I can only float on it all by myself … "
She sighed and hugged her legs even tighter, as if she couldn't stand the cold. "Originally, I was a little angry at you for rejecting my good intentions time and time again. Instead, you went to hug Xue Huaiyi's thigh. Hmph! Even if you have Xue Huaiyi to protect you, I still have a way to deal with you. "
She turned her head and looked at Yang Fan. There was a hint of mischief in her eyes. "However, seeing that we are in the same boat, I will spare you."
Yang Fan smiled bitterly. He cupped his hands in obeisance and said, "Your Highness is magnanimous. I can't thank you enough."
Princess Taiping's pretty face turned serious. She said, "However, I can let this matter go. But tonight, you spouted arrogant words, saying that you want this consort to kneel at your feet. What do you mean by that? "
Princess Taiping turned her head and looked at him. Under the light of the tree, the two of them were sitting among the 'leaves'. Under the cover of the stamens and branches, the people below couldn't see them, and the light couldn't directly shine on them. However, their facial features were still very clear, and they looked even more gentle.
Her eyebrows were long and delicate, her phoenix eyes were big, the corners of her eyes were slightly raised, the black and glossy eyes made the black and white of her eyes even more distinct. Her eyes were charming and beautiful, but also as clear as water, there was the fragrance of a young married woman in the charm, and there was the innocence of a young girl in the clarity. Under the hazy light, there was a kind of blurriness that seemed right but was actually not. People couldn't help but think of a phrase when they saw it: charming eyes. Princess Taiping's charming eyes were not only charming.
Yang Fan felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by this pair of eyes. His face showed a little embarrassment. "Uh … at that time … I was just arguing with Miss Ah Man, so I casually talked big. So … So Your Highness was there at that time and already heard it …"
A handsome young man showing such a bashful and bashful look, in Princess Taiping's eyes, she did not know why, but her heart fluttered. She unexpectedly leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.
Yang Fan was stunned. When Princess Taiping moved her pretty face away shyly, there was still a kind of soft feeling on his lips that made people tremble. His first kiss was inexplicably snatched away by Princess Taiping!
So, this was the feeling of kissing. He tried hard to recall it, but he couldn't capture that kind of feeling that was both real and illusory. He couldn't experience that kind of ecstasy. His body was on the flower tree in the air, but his soul seemed to have floated in the air.
Princess Taiping let go of his lips and her face became hot. She was so shy that she almost couldn't show her face. She didn't know what kind of medicine she had taken to make such a bold move. This … this was too slutty, right? So shameful! For a moment, Princess Taiping only felt that her lips and face were as if they were smeared with chili. It was numb and hot.
Yang Fan looked at her in a daze. Her smooth and delicate chin was facing the light. It was soft and delicate, beautiful beyond compare. Under the light of the colored lights, one side of her face was bright and the other side was dark. At the border of light and dark, there was some shyness, some panic, some complacency, some overbearing, and some inexplicable joy. There was a kind of indescribable beauty that made Yang Fan have an impulse to kiss her again.
Princess Taiping slightly tilted her head. Her fleeting eyes evaded, evaded, and evaded again. Yang Fan was still looking at her. Li Lingyue had nowhere to hide, so she suddenly raised her head, widened her almond-shaped eyes, and fiercely said, "Look! What are you looking at! If you dare to say a word about what happened tonight, I will castrate you! "
Yang Fan was dumbfounded.
…
The royal family was especially busy during the Lantern Festival.
The nominal emperor, Li Dan, was also invited to accompany the Empress Dowager to participate in all kinds of celebrations.
The day before the Lantern Festival, which was the 14th day of the first month, the emperor held a 'Clan Banquet' and invited the Empress. All the members of the royal family were present.
On the day of the Lantern Festival, the emperor and the Empress Dowager summoned all the nobles, local officials, and foreign envoys who came to the capital to congratulate them. It was called the 'Imperial Banquet'. During the banquet, the palace dancers performed large-scale court dances, and the musicians played large-scale court music. The emperor and his ministers rejoiced together, symbolizing peace and prosperity. During the banquet, the Empress Dowager and the emperor gave rewards and consolation to the foreign envoys and the nomads who submitted to the Tang dynasty.
That night, there was a royal banquet. Just like outside the palace, the royal family also had to hang up colored lights and watch hundreds of plays. The Empress Dowager and the emperor also had to bring the concubines up to the Gate of Heaven to accept the worship of the common people. During this period, the princes, dukes, ministers, and foreign envoys were all invited to watch.
Princess Taiping was also invited. She could not stand that kind of formal celebration, so she used the excuse that her son wanted to have some fun. After reporting to her mother, she took them to Ding Ding Street for a tour. She did not expect that this night in Shangyuan was really a romantic memory. Every time she thought about it, Princess Taiping could not help but feel her eyes and ears redden, unable to control herself because of her impulsiveness and forgetfulness.
On the second day of the Lantern Festival, the Empress Dowager and the emperor had to formally meet the civil and military officials in the capital and accept their worship. Because there were many civil officials in the capital, the Shanghai Wan'er would be the host. She would hold a choir and everyone would recite poems to celebrate the prosperity of the Tang dynasty. At the same time, they would invite senior monks to the palace to preach.
Xue Huaiyi knew this, and Wu Zetian also knew that he could not be truly proficient in Buddhist scriptures. Therefore, they invited the real senior monks of Buddhism, Lao An and Shinsyu. These two monks also solemnly recommended the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, Master Huineng, to the Empress Dowager. As the saying goes, "If you want Buddhism to flourish, monks must praise monks." These monks understood this very well.
However, Huineng knew very well that Empress Wu believed in Buddhism and placed great importance on Buddhism. Using Buddhism to suppress Taoism, which Li Tang believed in, was a great opportunity for the rise of Buddhism. However, if it failed, it could also bring disaster to Buddhism. He was the highest representative of Buddhism in the Tang dynasty. As long as he did not show up, Buddhism would not be too deeply involved in the political struggle. Therefore, if the Wu family failed, there would still be room for negotiation. Therefore, he declined the invitation with the excuse of his weak health.
All kinds of grand palace banquets were basically held in the afternoon of the second day of the Lantern Festival. At this time, all kinds of entertainment events such as cuju, bowing, and sumo wrestling began one after another.
The first event held in the afternoon of the second day of the Lantern Festival was sumo wrestling. It was the event that Princess Taiping's residence was best at.
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