The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

The two hurried to the outside of Xuande Gate and got off their horses. The inner guard who guarded the gate was still waiting to check the number plate. An inner servant inside had already turned around in a hurry. Several times, you are still here to delay their time."

The inner guard hurriedly let them go, and Fu Bi led Su Jin to follow behind the servant, and hurriedly walked inside through the wide aisle between Daqing Gate and Chongwen Gate.

Fu Bi said: "My lord servant, didn't you say that you are in the Daqing Hall? Where is this going?"

The waiter said: "My lord, the emperor is in the imperial study of Jingfu Palace."

Fu Bi was startled and said, "Why is it there? I haven't got permission from the official. Do you want to retreat first?"

The waiter said: "The emperor said, after you bring the person, wait outside the hall. The rich man is not an outsider, but you can just drink a cup of tea from the old slave in the side room and wait slowly."

Fu Bi hurriedly said: "Yes, thank you, my servant."

Su Jin was confused, and asked Fu Bi in a low voice, "Why, is there any problem?"

Fu Bi said in a low voice: "Jingfu Hall is where the emperor's imperial study is located. It is only separated from the harem by a wall. Even important officials are not allowed to enter without permission. The emperor received you in the imperial study. It seems that you have a lot of face, and you may If there are things that outsiders can't listen to, I have to talk to you alone, so you should be careful."

Su Jin said in his heart: He doesn't know me at all, so he can tell me any confidential things, it's just to ask whether the Taizu's dream is true or not, and it's the strategy of raising food; these two things have long been There is a plan, but there is nothing to be afraid of.

The three of them entered the Xuanyou Gate, and the inner guards all knew the white and fat servant, and they all nodded their heads in greeting. There is a small gate at the gate of the courtyard, and five or six guards walked around the gate with swords in their arms. When they saw Su Jin and others, a guard came forward and said, "Hello, Eunuch Huang, is that them?"

The servant smiled and said, "Exactly."

The guard said: "Have you checked the body?"

Fu Bi hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Don't worry, my lord, how dare you bring in prohibited items."

The guard said: "Since that's the case, put your belongings in the corner room and go in quickly. Your Majesty is in a hurry."

Fu Bi hurriedly asked Su Jin to take out the things in his bosom and hand them over to the guards for safekeeping. Su Jin had nothing else on him, only a cloud brocade handkerchief given by Yan Biyun, and his clothes and the big three-yuan jade pendant on his belt.

After tidying up, Eunuch Huang beckoned, and Su Jin followed him into the small gate, while Fu Bi could only stay in the side room to rest.

Su Jin stepped into the small gate, and his eyes suddenly opened up. It turned out that inside the gate was a large square, and a magnificent palace stood fifty steps away to the right. The three big characters of Jingfudian shine brightly in the sunlight.

Entering the hall, Su Jin unexpectedly saw several officials in scarlet official robes, one was handsome, one was short and fat, and one was dark and thin; the three looked at Su Jin in unison, and the short and fat Yan Shu hurried forward Said: "Why did you come here? The emperor is waiting for you in the study."

Su Jin said: "I galloped here on a horse and didn't delay. Could it be that I have wings and can fly here?"

Yan Shu rolled his eyes and said, "Stop talking, go in quickly, remember the etiquette I taught you, be careful when dealing with it, and don't talk nonsense."

Su Jin said: "Understood, won't you go in?"

Yan Shu said: "It's you the emperor wants to see, not us. Didn't you see Lu Xiang and Du Shumi sitting around there?"

Su Jin thought: They know me, who knows them.

Eunuch Huang waved at the aisle beside the curtain on the side of the hall and said, "Scholar Su, please follow me."

Su Jin took a breath, calmed down, bowed to Yan Shu, and walked away; after a while, the two disappeared behind the curtain.

The handsome Lu Yijian and the dark and thin Du Yan looked at each other, pointed to the direction Su Jin entered and said, "Master Yan, is he the one the emperor wants to see?"

Yan Shu smiled and said, "It's him, Su Jin, a student of Yingtianfu Academy."

Lu Yijian frowned and said, "Is that the Su Jin that the great grandfather entrusted to him?"

Du Yan interjected, "It's still the same Su Jin who wrote "Magpie Bridge Immortal" and "Shui Tiao Ge Tou"."

Yan Shu said: "My lords, you can't tell that a hero is a boy."

Lu Yijian snorted and said: "I don't understand the truth. The Yangzhou mob's riot is very critical. The emperor only saw me and waited for half an hour. Why are you so anxious to see this Su Jin? Could it be that this will be written?" Is Su Jin of Ci more capable than me in this matter?"

Du Yan said: "That's right, I'm also wondering why Su Jin came to the capital, we don't know anything about it."

Yan Shu said: "I was the one who brought him to the capital according to the emperor's oral order. Your majesty... the emperor may want to ask him about the Taizu's dream."

Lu Yijian sighed: "Why are you asking those questions now? There must be a countermeasure for Yangzhou's affairs. I really don't know what the emperor thinks."

Yan Shu said seriously: "Lu Xiang, the power of the sky is unpredictable, why say these things, the emperor told me to wait outside to wait for the second summons, maybe there is another reason, even if it is not urgent to go to prison at this time."

Lu Yijian choked for a moment, staring at Yan Shu, Du Yan hurriedly said: "Both adults, sit down and rest for a while, Jingfu Palace is not a place to bicker, and it's not too late to go back to the court room to argue slowly, the emperor is in the study Here, I will ask the guards to make tea, and the three of us will wait here."

Yan Shu and Lu Yijian then returned to their seats, each with their own concerns, sitting quietly and waiting.

……

Su Jin followed Eunuch Huang through the corridor. The Jingfu Hall is in the shape of a square. There are houses on the outside, but there is a garden in the middle. The early winter sun shines on the garden, and the late chrysanthemums are shining brightly, and the green trees are shining. It is a beautiful scene. The sunlight shines on the white stone passage through the railings between the pillars, reflecting the gloomy corridor with brilliance.

There were not many people coming and going in the corridor. Occasionally, two court ladies holding teacups and fruit boxes walked by lightly, without squinting, silently, like ghosts drifting by, and seeing Eunuch Huang was also a half-squatting blessing. He walked away with a blessing, but Eunuch Huang ignored him and walked forward quickly; it seems that this Eunuch Huang is quite high in the palace, and so far, he has not seen anyone who does not salute him.

At the end of the corridor, there is an exquisite house with a golden door curtain, two servants, two guards, and two court ladies are separated on both sides.

Eunuch Huang came outside the curtain and said loudly: "Your Majesty, the person you want to see is here."

There was silence behind the curtain, and after a while, a woman's voice said: "The emperor invites student Su to come in."

Eunuch Huang winked at Su Jin, Su Jin nodded, straightened his clothes, stroked his hair, and let out a sigh of relief, two maids raised the curtain, Su Jin lowered his head and got in.

Cigarettes are blown from the mouth of Ruishou copper incense burner. Two pots of plants are placed on two corner cabinets, one high and one low, one pot of begonia and one pot of evergreen; It is as luxurious and beautiful, but it reveals a sense of elegance and elegance.

Su Jin scanned around and didn't see anyone. Just wondering, he heard a gentle male voice ask from the side: "Are you Su Jin?"

Su Jin turned her head and saw that there was a bead curtain hanging on the left side, and there was an inner room behind the bead curtain. The bead curtain was swaying, and a vague figure inside seemed to be floating in the water, so she couldn't see clearly.

"The emperor asked you something, Su Xuezi." A female official raised the beaded curtain, her beautiful and childish face was serious.

Su Jin said: "Su Jin, a grassroots man, sees the emperor." After speaking, he followed Yan Shu's previous instructions and performed the royal ceremony.

"Pingshen, come in and talk." The gentle male voice said.

Su Jin lowered his head and entered the inner room, and stood with his head down, feeling a little nervous. This was the first time he saw an emperor in two lifetimes. This kind of thing was in the past. Whoever said that he could face the ancient emperor, Su Jin is definitely a big one. The slap was slapped in the past, but now, all this is really happening, and the dreamlike sense of unreality once again filled Su Jin's heart.

"Casual, don't be restrained, I'm not a man-eating tiger." The man said with a smile.

Su Jin hurriedly said: "The grassroots are afraid of breaking the etiquette, so they dare not make mistakes."

Zhao Zhen chuckled, and said to the female officer beside him: "Give me a seat for Su Xuezi, make a cup of my Longjing tea to quench Su Xuezi's thirst, and then...you all leave."

"Yes." The female officials sat down and made tea as promised, and then retreated lightly. Only Su Jin and Zhao Zhen were left in the imperial study; Eyes popped out.