People in the Song Dynasty were lawless

Chapter 508: Tribute from All Nations (3)

Bianliang does not seem bleak in late winter.

Because there are too many people.

From the moment you enter the city through Nanxun Gate, you're greeted by all kinds of smells.

There is the smell of fresh fish caught from the Bian River or the Yellow River in winter, as well as various spices shipped from the warehouse in the south city.

But the most important thing is the delicious food shops and the aroma of food in people's homes.

Early in the morning, no matter whether people live in the city or outside the city, everyone starts their day with breakfast.

People got up from bed before dawn, opened the bottom cover of the coal stove that had not been extinguished the night before, and then added a new piece of coal into the stove using tongs.

Wait for the fire to be lit, boil some water, quickly wash your face and brush your teeth, then prepare today's breakfast.

Bianliang is located in the Central Plains and gathers delicacies from all over the world, including southern rice noodles and northern noodles. A bowl of fragrant boiled noodles in the morning can provide carbohydrates for the whole morning.

If time is limited but money is sufficient, people will choose to eat out.

The Imperial Street was built from the Xuande Gate, the south gate of the imperial palace, all the way south to the Zhuque Gate, the south gate of the inner city, then crossed the left and right night markets and continued south for several miles to the Nanxun Gate.

After entering from Nanxun Gate, there are many shops on both sides of Imperial Street, with various restaurants and hotels located every few shops.

Shops that serve breakfast will open their doors, and there are also small stalls on the street that specialize in selling breakfast.

At this time, the yamen runners on duty on every street in Kaifeng Prefecture would act as urban management officers, requiring these vendors to set up stalls on fixed streets and near the city gates to maintain order.

As a result, the most common smell at the city gates in the early morning is the aroma of breakfast.

Various delicacies from all over the country converge here, including porridge, wontons, steamed buns, dumplings, sesame cakes, fried dough sticks, etc. Porridge is also divided into millet porridge, rice porridge, red bean porridge and other flavors.

In the past, wontons, steamed buns and fried dough sticks were foods for rich people. Because wontons and steamed buns were stuffed and fried dough sticks required a lot of oil, ordinary people could not afford them and could only eat steamed buns or sesame cakes to fill their stomachs.

But nowadays, the production of vegetable oil has grown explosively, dozens of times that of the Jingyou year. Meat has also increased with the development of animal husbandry. Oil and meat have gone from being luxuries to entering thousands of households, enriching the dining tables of the people of the Song Dynasty.

So when you first enter Nanxunmen, the first thing you smell is the fragrant oil.

When the convoy of carriages carrying so many foreign envoys slowly entered the Nanxun Gate, the fragrance near the city gate quickly spread towards them.

"What does it smell like?"

"These are the people of Song Dynasty setting up stalls on the street to sell food, and there are also restaurants."

“It smells so good, I really want to try it.”

"Emissary, please don't be anxious. His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty has prepared a banquet for you. You can go for a walk after the banquet is over."

"Hmm."

Many messengers in the carriage opened the curtains and looked out, curiously observing every detail of the Song Dynasty.

In fact, they were already shocked when they arrived in Guangzhou.

The six- or seven-story buildings and the huge cannon standing near the dock and port, which was taller than a two-story building, all opened their eyes.

This situation continued until we arrived in Xiangyang and got on the train, when the shock reached its peak.

Even many messengers made jokes. When they saw the whirring train coming, they thought it was some horrible monster eating people everywhere. They were terrified and wanted to run away.

However, it was not until they arrived in Bianliang that they realized what a truly powerful country was.

The current urban area of ​​Bianliang has expanded several times. Before Zhao Jun left the capital for patrol in the ninth year of the Qingli period, the city's area reached 382 square kilometers.

Now, four years later, the area has reached more than 500 square kilometers.

Although it is not even a fraction of the 1.64 square kilometers of Beijing in later generations, the main old city area still remains at around 50 square kilometers.

But this in itself means that under the construction of industrial civilization, the city of Bianliang developed extremely rapidly. In a few decades, it might reach the same overall area as Beijing in later generations.

The area of ​​today's Western countries, including the so-called capital of the Roman Empire, is probably not even one-tenth the size of Bianliang today.

So when these foreigners saw these things, they were filled with an indescribable sense of shock.

Great Song.

Too strong.

For a moment, many messengers sat in their cars anxiously.

I was thinking about how to gain benefits for my country in the Song Dynasty.

The carriage continued to move north.

The old city of Kaifeng in the Northern Song Dynasty was about 7 kilometers from north to south, extending from the later Tokyo Avenue all the way south to the Kaifeng Airport area.

The new urban area continued to extend five to seven kilometers to the southeast, northwest, and northeast, which greatly expanded the area of ​​Bianliang, but in fact a lot of land was in the wilderness and was not considered an urban area.

Outside the city are often industrial areas, school areas, warehouses, docks, stations, etc., which are similar to the new districts in later generations. There are those tall buildings, but they are not closely connected.

But it is different in the urban areas. The closer to the imperial city, the more compact the houses become.

The outer city is relatively good, with a large amount of vacant land and abandoned houses - these abandoned houses were either the former garrisons of the imperial guards, or government offices that had moved to other locations, and because they were not allowed to be bought and sold, they were waiting to be developed by the court.

The inner city is much smaller, only 2-3 kilometers long and wide, with a total area of ​​about 5-6 square kilometers. There are so many people living in it, which makes the houses extremely compact and crowded.

When the convoy entered the inner city, everyone was shocked by the prosperous scene of the inner city.

Although it is winter, all kinds of exquisite pavilions and towers stand tall, many of which are hung with colorful ribbons. Dragon flags on the city walls flutter in the wind, magnificent lanterns are hung high, and the crisp sounds of wind chimes and bamboo horses can be heard.

It was still early in the morning, not long after daybreak, but the bustling Imperial Street was already bustling with numerous small vendors setting up stalls on both sides of the street, and a constant stream of pedestrians coming and going.

"Dear Saladin, you have lived in Song Dynasty for many years. Have you been here before?"

In the carriage, the Abbasid envoy asked the translator Saladin, and even without realizing it, he had used the honorific.

Saladin smiled and said, "Of course I have been here."

"Have you ever seen so many people in the capital of Song Dynasty before?"

The messenger asked in shock.

"I have seen it. In other words, there are fewer people at night and in the morning. Only at noon will you know how many people there are in the capital of the Song Dynasty."

"My God, is there still a small crowd at this time? There may be more people here than in Baghdad."

"Otherwise, why is Song the most powerful country in the world?"

Saladin had already settled in Guangzhou and had come to Bianliang to do business, and his language was full of pride.

"Alas, the Abbasid state has just recovered, and the people are affected by the war and suffer from hunger and cold. It would be great if we could live and work in peace like the Song Dynasty."

The messenger sighed.

The Arab Empire was once a powerful empire with vast borders and a huge population.

But today the Abbasid Caliphate only has a small area in the central heart of the former empire.

Although this area has fertile soil, is located on the Mesopotamian Plain, has abundant grain production and a large population, it may be able to regain its former glory if it is properly managed.

But compared with the Song Dynasty, it is like a poor countryman meeting a wealthy businessman. There is absolutely no comparison between the two sides.

Entering through the inner city's Suzaku Gate, the envoys took in the prosperity of the inner city as if they were taking a quick look.

Everyone showed shocked and envious eyes. What surprised them most was that the guides and translators told them that this was when there were few people.

If it was noon, they might not be able to get from the train station to Xuande Gate in half an hour, because at that time most of the streets in the inner city would be blocked, with crowds of people as far as the eye could see.

This is the prosperous Bianliang, whose population exceeded three million in the ninth year of the Qingli period. By the end of the twelfth year of the Qingli period, its population is approaching five million.

At the beginning of the morning, which was around 7 o'clock, the Western envoys, who had just woken up after a whole night's sleep on the train, finally arrived at the Song Dynasty Palace with shocked eyes.

The towering palace walls, the exquisite and beautiful carvings, and the various buildings with brackets and flying eaves are dazzling.

The strict guard also made everyone feel afraid.

There were guards patrolling at the foot of the imperial city and on top of the city walls, looking sternly at everyone who passed by.

There is a huge square outside Xuande Gate. It turns out that this square was the Imperial Corridor. To the east is the Jingling East Palace, and to the west is the Secretariat. The area is very large, even larger than Tiananmen Square.

Later, when the imperial city was expanded, Xuande Gate was demolished and rebuilt, and it was expanded to the area around Baoci Temple north of the Bian River. The square was a little smaller, about 800 meters long from north to south and about 500 meters wide from east to west, basically the same size as Tiananmen Square.

Not only was the imperial corridor in front of the gate paved with marble, but water was also diverted from the Bian River to circle the square. More than ten white marble arch bridges were built outside. Court officials would walk through here on their way to the Chuigong Hall in the morning.

At this moment, the square is full of people. Today's court meeting is cancelled. The Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have invited all envoys from various countries who have arrived in the Song Dynasty to attend a banquet in the Changqing Hall of the Changqing Palace.

This was not a formal celebration, just a banquet.

But even so, there were kings and envoys from more than 60 countries, together with their accompanying guides and translators, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Rites, a total of more than 200 people, and the momentum was quite grand.

Soon everyone arrived. Under the arrangement of officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, many kings and envoys stood in the square outside Xuande Gate and lined up in an orderly manner.

There were also various whispers at the scene, but since the countries did not speak the same language, it was basically the kings and envoys of each country talking to the translators or accompanying officials, asking questions and the like.

"Open the palace door!"

On the Xuande Gate, the eunuch shouted in a loud voice.

“Crunch, crunch, crunch.”

The majestic and tall central gate of Xuande Gate slowly opened.

Then teams of guards came out and formed a line outside the door.

Then there were dozens of loud "bang bang bang" noises, and fireworks shot straight into the sky, blooming with brilliant colors.

That is to say, it is already early morning and daytime, so the beauty of the fireworks cannot be seen very clearly. If it were at night, it would be very beautiful.

"please!"

The salute welcome ended, and amid the shocked eyes of the kings and envoys, Zhao Jun, Fu Bi, Wen Yanbo, Han Qi, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Rites and others led the crowd into the palace.

Unlike the officials of the Song Dynasty who walked forward with dignity, the king and the envoys still had their eyes wide open, looking around, and walked in cautiously.

Enter from Xuande Gate, go straight to Youque Gate, and then go forward about 200 steps to reach Changqing Gate.

Behind Changqing Gate is a huge palace complex, which is the preserved building of the original Jingling East Palace. It is full of lush flowers and vegetation, beautiful gardens, countless pavilions, as well as ponds and lakes.

Palace lanterns lit up the darkness in every palace. These palace lanterns were no longer candles, but light bulbs connected to electric wires, illuminating the entire palace with light.

Including the guides and translators, even though they were merchants from various countries in the Song Dynasty and had seen a lot of the world, they were still shocked by this huge palace.

"Ding!~"

"Boom boom boom boom!~"

The sound of magnificent musical instruments suddenly appeared.

Outside the palace, there are more than a dozen huge loudspeakers.

Beautiful music came out from it, shrouding the entire Changqing Palace in solemnity and dignity.

This piece of music, called "Floating Light", is found in Zhao Jun's notebook.

Zhao Zhen liked it very much.

So the court musicians were asked to learn the tune, and eventually it was played on instruments such as the pipa, chimes, flute, and dulcimer.

It just so happens that today, there have been new developments in electromagnetism, which amplifies sound through electricity. The emergence of loudspeakers has made it possible to play it, making it even more full of historical vicissitudes.

Even though many kings and envoys were powerful people in their own countries, they had never seen such a magical thing.

Everyone was stunned by the solemnity and majesty of the scene. For a moment, they felt their hearts filled with admiration. Such music and such a majestic and magnificent palace made them unforgettable for the rest of their lives.

Entering through the palace gate, there is a long corridor in front. More than 200 people are walking slowly in the corridor. Because the corridor is wide, it does not seem crowded at all.

In this solemn atmosphere, everyone slowly came to the even taller and more majestic Changqing Palace.

This hall has two floors, but the first floor alone is three zhang high, which is about ten meters. It is magnificent and covered with golden glazed tiles. The four corners are raised high and the brackets are densely packed.

The surrounding foundations were not dug into the ground, but on the ground, paved with three or four meter high marble. There were white marble stairs going up, and there were three floors of stairs alone. Each floor was surrounded by a circle of marble fences with exquisite carvings on them.

As the gate of Changqing Palace opened, kings and envoys from many countries walked up the stairs. Walking in the front were the two closest allies of the Song Dynasty, King Duan Silian of Dali and King Wang Hui of Goryeo.

The two were also kings in their own country, but compared with the imperial city of the Song Dynasty, even if it was just one of the palaces in it, their palace was no different from a brothel in Bianliang.

Such a solemn and dignified feeling is unmatched by any other royal palace in any country.

Everyone was led to the platform. The gate of Changqing Palace was opened and everyone filed in. They saw that the space inside the palace was very large, probably as large as half a football field. It took a full fifty meters to walk from the door to the high throne at the end.

The two sides are also very spacious, with many tables and chairs placed on them, and they are single tables and chairs. Behind each table and chair there are two small tables and chairs, arranged in a V-shape, which are used to accommodate envoys, translators and accompanying officials.

"His Majesty is here!"

At this moment, Wang Shouzhong's loud voice sounded again.

Zhao Zhen entered from the main gate on the right side of the palace, walked slowly up to the throne on the high platform.

The room was brightly lit, and everyone saw a middle-aged man with a solemn face standing majestically, overlooking the area below.

That is the emperor of the Song Dynasty!
Zhao Jun and others slowly walked down to the stage, clasped their hands together, bowed, and saluted.

Envoys from all other countries, including the kings of neighboring countries and even the envoys from the once-mighty Liao Kingdom, bowed and clasped their hands in such solemnity.

"See Your Majesty!"

Some people bowed with their right hands on their chests. Some raised their hands to their foreheads and bowed slowly. Some people imitated the etiquette of the Song Dynasty and saluted with their hands clasped.

At the same time, "Floating Light" reached its climax, and the melody suddenly became more grand and solemn.

Zhao Zhen stood on a high platform in front of the dragon throne, with his long wide sleeves draped over his back, overlooking the envoys and kings of many countries below.

There was a microphone in front of him.

After everyone saluted respectfully, his originally serious face melted like ice and snow in an instant. He raised his hands slightly, opened his mouth slightly, and spoke softly into the microphone.

"No gift!"

In an instant, the sound spread throughout the hall.

The nine heavens closed the palace, and all the nations wore their hats and worshiped them!

this moment.

All nations come to court!

(End of this chapter)