Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 1213 Epilogue : Happy Times of Living on Freeloaders

The dog days have passed, but it is still hot and humid.

Xie Yan didn't want to move as he lay at home. He was wearing very cool clothes, just a vest and Song Dynasty pants.

The half-sleeve shirt that was handed down from the Tang Dynasty was developed into a super short-sleeved version in the Song Dynasty, called a "vest".

It is a bit like the short-sleeved shirts of later generations, and the neckline is very low, exposing a large part of the chest, and is only tied with a rope between the chest and abdomen. It is usually tied into a bow, which looks quite cute.

Song pants are double-layered wide-leg flared pants.

The inner layer is a straight-leg open-crotch pants, which is convenient for peeing. Although the outer layer is a closed-crotch pants, it has slits on both sides and is gathered into a trumpet shape. The side seams can also be tied, and the width of the slits can be decided by yourself.

This kind of pants can be worn directly outside without wearing a skirt. When walking, the trouser legs swing, making you look chic and elegant.

The most important thing is that it is ventilated!

Especially when walking, the swinging trouser legs become fans, blowing air in. Plus the inner crotch design, it feels so refreshing, the wind blows directly in there.

"Liulang, the iced grapes are here!" Zhu Tangxi strode over with Qingluan.

The princess was also wearing Song pants today, which were originally women's pants. She wore a tube top and a short shirt, revealing her delicate collarbone and snow-white forearms.

Xie Yan was lying on a deck chair reading a book. He had finished reading "The Analects of Confucius", but could only recite a few famous chapters. He only read the rest several times with reference to the annotations.

Today he was reading "The Great Learning", and he didn't plan to memorize it all, just the first few paragraphs.

Zhu Tangxi had no suspicion and thought her husband was rereading the Four Books.

After all, this stuff is a basic textbook. Generally, students aged twelve or thirteen have already mastered "The Great Learning" and "The Doctrine of the Mean".

Today's philosophy, political science, and economics are all classified as classics.

When studying philosophy, politics and economics, Confucian scholars often like to apply the Four Books and Six Classics in order to make their theories more convincing.

It is a mess, and has spawned a large number of interpretations of classics, which has even had an impact on the setting and answering of questions in the humanities.

"Open your mouth."

Zhu Tangxi didn't mind the heat and half-lay down next to Xie Yan. The deck chair was big enough.

Xie Yan opened his mouth and bit the iced grapes she stuffed into him, and instantly felt much cooler: "Is there any ice left in the ice cellar?"

"I've already used up most of it, enough to last until autumn," Zhu Tangxi said. "When it gets cooler in a few days, I'll take my grandfather, aunt, and younger sister to go around Luoyang."

Xie Yan said: "Let's go together."

Zhu Tangxi was also eating grapes. "The Chunleiqin that my grandfather gave me is indeed the best instrument in the Tang and Song dynasties. I have been playing it very smoothly these days and have mastered the Yangguan Sandie composed by my grandfather. Do you want to learn a musical instrument?"

"Have you learned how to play together?" Xie Yan asked with a smile.

Zhu Tangxi said: "Yes, are you willing?"

"Then I'll learn to play the flute." Xie Yan naturally thought of the harp and flute ensemble, but he always felt that the word "playing the flute" was a bit awkward.

Xie Yan can sing "A Laugh in the Sea", but the lyrics are a bit too plain for ancient times.

But it can still be sung. Song opera has developed to the present day, and has already appeared in the form of Sanqu. The overall development trend is sinking, and many lyrics directly use market slang.

Especially those lower-class people, the songs they sing are not only simple in lyrics, but also vulgar and pornographic. But the common people just like them. If you make the lyrics too elegant, they won't understand.

The real problem with "A Laugh in the Sea" is that its lyrics are neither elegant nor colloquial enough in ancient times. It is very awkward when stuck in the middle, and it feels a bit like a doggerel.

If Xie Yiqin heard this, he would definitely laugh at his son for being ignorant.

Zhu Tangxi stuffed another grape into Xie Yan's mouth and said, "By the way, someone from the palace just came to summon us. We must go to the palace to see the emperor tomorrow afternoon. The wedding has delayed your reading competition. The Queen Mother is asking Your Majesty to study the Records of the Kingdoms of the Mecca seriously."

Well, Empress Dowager Ye and the little emperor haven’t forgotten it yet.

Empress Dowager Ye was born in the Seven Rivers Protectorate. She was happy to see her son familiar with the various kingdoms of Arabia. She thought that motivating her son to study was also a way of education.

Speaking of the emperor, Xie Yan thought of Emperor Taizong again.

Brother Zhu was so funny back then, how come he became so awesome after traveling through time? He was exhausted after dancing with a spear during live broadcast, but when he traveled to ancient times, he could actually lead troops to charge and defeat the enemy.

Does Brother Zhu have a system? Or some kind of cheat code?

Damn, my system and cheat code haven’t arrived yet!
It seems like I can only live off my wife for the rest of my life, and make a little money by inventing something.

The princess’s soft rice is quite delicious.

Xie Yan particularly likes this kind of life. Just look at what the maids are doing now.

Qingluan sat beside them, picking up grape seeds for the two and eating a few herself. Two other maids stood on either side of the lounge chair, fanning them.

Damn, the couple was eating grapes to cool off, and there were three people serving them!

Although the princess wanted to give Qingluan to Xie Yan as a concubine, she was reluctant to let him do it, probably waiting until the princess became pregnant.

"Your Highness, my husband's family wants to see you."

"Please come quickly."

Zhu Tangxi stood up immediately. She wanted to change into a jacket to look more formal. Xie Yan also stood up slowly and changed his vest into a short shirt.

Soon, all the Xie family members came, except Xie Shizhang, and Daiyu and Baochai followed behind Wang Yitong and Xie Wan.

Although the royal family provided a temporary mansion for the Xie family's relatives, they did not provide servants. On the wedding day, there were not enough servants, so they had to borrow servants from Chen Shangshu and Li Yuanwai to make up the number.

Of course, all the borrowed servants were very happy because they could receive rewards.

Xie Yan's four male followers and two maids have been staying in the temporary mansion these days.

Daiyu and Baochai were delighted to see Xie Yan, but they did not dare to come over to talk. They were also very nervous because they would soon move into the princess's residence and were worried that they would be bullied by the princess's servants.

After greeting each other and chatting for a few minutes, they split into two groups, men and women.

The princess took Wang Yitong, Xie Wan, Daiyu and Baochai to visit her own garden.

Uncle Xie Yixin said: "Mr. Li's new cement kiln was repaired a few days ago and has already produced a batch of cement. He also invited some Luoyang builders and craftsmen to demonstrate how high-quality this cement is. It is selling very well."

"Uncle Wu, please stay for a while longer," Xie Yan said, "My cement factory is about to start construction, and you'd better participate in the construction of the cement factory throughout the process. After you are familiar with it, you can go back to your hometown to set up a factory."

Xie Yixin said, "Liulang, my hometown is still too small. I plan to set up a factory in Baoding or Zhending. Not only are there railways to facilitate transportation, but they are also big cities with higher demand for cement. I can also get more raw materials nearby."

"Okay, this is a good idea. But it may be difficult to buy land to set up a factory in another place," Xie Yan reminded.

Xie Yixin smiled and said, "So I finally decided to go to Baoding and set up a joint venture with your grandfather's family. The Wang family is a wealthy family in Baoding, and they have plenty of ways. Besides, you are now a prince consort, so I am not afraid of being suppressed by the Wang family when we form a partnership."

Xie Yan asked again: "What about Fourth Uncle?"

Xie Yilian said: "I will stay in my hometown and take over the family business from your fifth uncle, and continue to run the boats on the Duliu River. When the Xie family has more money, I will also open a cement factory in Cangzhou. The scale will definitely not be as large as the Baoding cement factory."

"Just discuss it." Xie Yan was too lazy to get involved.

The two uncles were very excited. They were not good at studying and could not even pass the examination for a scholar. But they had some business acumen and just lacked an opportunity. Now they could not wait.

Xie Yixin said with great confidence: "Once the two cement plants are completed, our Duliu Xie family will not be short of money. You and your brother are both consorts of emperors and officials, so we will not be short of people in the officialdom. If we purchase more land in the future, the Xie family will sooner or later become a powerful family in Hebei!"

He knew that his biological mother had been a famous prostitute, and that he had been managing the Xie family business, so he would be gossiped about behind the scenes by his clansmen to a certain extent.

From now on, let’s see who dares to gossip again!

After talking about the cement factory, Xie Yiqin, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly asked his son: "What did you tell your grandfather? He wanted to go on a cruise on the Yangtze River, and also go to Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake. He said he wanted to experience the mood of fishing boats singing in the evening."

"Uh..." Xie Yan didn't know how to answer.

Xie Yiqin complained: "He is old, why is he still running around? What if someone... He is not a young man anymore!"

Xie Yan could only change the subject: "Why didn't Grandfather come today?"

Xie Yiqin said: "He was invited by several court musicians to meet friends with his qin. He even went to a brothel yesterday. The book "Du Liu Pu" has spread all over Lan Ruo Yuan!"

"Haha, grandpa is quite cool and handsome." Xie Yan said with a smile.

Xie Yiqin complained: "When he was young, he was a frequent visitor to brothels. Once he went to Hangzhou and stayed in a brothel for a month. Not only did he not spend any money, but a famous prostitute gave him travel expenses!"

"Awesome!" Xie Yan praised sincerely.

It was more than just freeloading. When the old man was in Hangzhou, he used the brothel as an inn. He wandered around collecting music scores during the day and went back to the brothel to sleep at night.

Moreover, he did not sleep in the same brothel all the time, but often went to spend the night in the houseboat of a famous prostitute.

Xie Yixin felt a little embarrassed, after all, his biological mother was a famous prostitute. At that time, she was already 27 or 28 years old, and she had everything she needed, just to have a home, and she almost pestered the old man to get her.

Fathers and sons, uncles and nephews were chatting intermittently.

After a while, Xie Wan was led over by the princess and shouted to Xie Yan, "Sixth brother, do you think my golden hairpin is beautiful? My sister-in-law gave it to me!"

"Very beautiful." Xie Yan said with a smile.

Xie Wan added: "Sister-in-law is very nice to me and gave me something else. I won't tell you what it was, they are all girls' things."

Xie Yan said: "Then you might as well not go back to Huangzhou, and stay in Luoyang to accompany your sister-in-law."

"I actually want to..." Xie Wan looked at her mother.

Wang Yitong has a serious face and is very majestic in front of her children.

Zhu Tangxi smiled and said, "Aunt has already agreed to bring me here to play every day before returning to Huangzhou. I like the gardens here, and I also like the two parrots."

Speaking of parrots, Xie Wan felt heartbroken.

Her sister-in-law said she wanted to give the parrot to her, but just as she was about to agree, her mother coughed a few times, which scared her so much that she quickly refused.

Oh, my sister-in-law is so nice.

She is like a caring older sister and a gentle mother, a hundred times better than my biological mother.

Xie Wan was only taken for a stroll and was coaxed around by the princess.

(End of this chapter)