The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 185: White Night Walk (I)

Dark clouds appeared on a blue background, the rosy clouds were scattered, and the faint morning light fell into the bedroom through the slanted lattice windows.

She felt her waist and back with her backhand and turned around twice in front of the bronze mirror to make sure that she was wearing a single garment, a white skirt, a dark blue provincial dress, a square-shaped collar, an eight-buckle stone belt, a crown, and black-head shoes. Then, with a full sense of ritual, Lu Yanrang picked up the dew bag containing sundries on the dressing table and walked out of the room with a slight smile on his face.

It's great to enter the court. The official uniform alone makes me feel refreshed. I wonder what it feels like to wear the sacrificial clothes worn at Yuanqiu, Sijiao, Taiqing Palace, and the clothes worn at Linxuansuizhi, Yuanzheng Chenghe, and Xuanzheng Daichao? I'm looking forward to it.

In the courtyard, two maids who had gotten up early were cleaning up. The house that Lu Yanrang rented was located in Yongleli. The owner was an officer serving in the Imperial Guards Division, and his name was Xiao—Lu did it on purpose. Whether in Fanyang or Jiangling, he only rented houses from warriors.

"Officer."

"Don't be shy, just like in other families." Lu Yanrang nodded with a smile and said gently, "Put the money next to the inkstone in the study. You can buy whatever you want, just don't be extravagant. You don't have to cook for me at noon."

"Yes."

Lu Yanrang walked out of the courtyard slowly, rode his old horse out of the alley, merged into the wide Suzaku Central Axis Road, and headed towards Danfeng Gate.

It was not yet daybreak, but the dim central axis was already bustling with people. Patrolling Jinwu guards gathered outside the stalls, chattering and asking the sweaty women what breakfast they had for sale. Officials from the various departments of the 100 prefectures blended into the crowd and then went their separate ways.

The officials rushed towards the Wannian County Government Office in a hurry, almost losing their hats.

"Your Majesty is about to return to the capital, so quickly mobilize the people to clean up the streets."

"whole city?"

"We in Wannian County are definitely only responsible for Wannian County."

"The Yongling of Youfufeng County has asked our county to borrow some personnel, saying that they have allocated another 1,000 households from Jinzhou to them and they are too busy to handle it. Who of you plans to go?"

"It's too far. I'm not going there anyway."

At the entrance of the East Market, a large group of shifty-looking clerks swarmed in, carrying whips and documents.

"Several groups of Hu merchants from Yiren and Dunhuang counties have arrived. They all have ruddy faces and big ears. They must be wealthy. I'll wait for them to sell their goods and make some money."

"Don't be too harsh, or you'll be reported to the Sili Commandery Commander. Han Yi is an old man, and he's hard to fool."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him. Besides, I'll give some money to the reviewing officials in the office as usual. With the East Market Magistrate protecting us, what can old Han do to us? Don't forget, East Market Magistrate Zhang Ping was appointed by Zheng Xianggong."

"Let's go, let's go. We can't wait any longer."

Hey, these bastards! Lu Yanrang frowned. How did the prime ministers become so powerful? Aren't they all just idling around?
"Zhou..." Coming to the court, Yan Zili stared at the file in his hand, his face flushed red.

"Zhou Xuan." The warrior holding the baby came to the rescue.

"Uh, haha, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"No problem." The warrior didn't care. He winked at the courtyard and said, "Come in and talk."

"No, no, I'm busy with official duties. I'll leave when I'm done." The clerk shook his head, put away his smile and read the official document: "Zhou Xuan, commander of the left flag of the second general of the first army of the Tiance Army, and squad leader of the Purple Palace, has a son. I received a letter from the Tiance Army Department, and the Yanziku will give him one basket of walnuts, dates, and preserved fruits, one liter of sugar, one catty of tea, two catties of mutton, one bucket of mare's milk, eight carps, and two chickens according to the order of the saint."

This is the birth benefit that the saint gave to the central army and the imperial guards. The eldest son will be given to him. It was not available in previous years, and it was not available in the vassal states and Zhu Wen's side. Li Sheng was actually very grateful to these warriors who fought for him in his most difficult time. At the beginning of the year, when he saw that the finances were a little more abundant, he began to implement it.

As he spoke, the clerk beside him put down the bamboo basket he was carrying, took out the gifts and handed them to Zhou Xuan's parents and wife one by one. They were not valuable, but they were thoughtful and made people happy.

"General Zhou, take a look. If there is no problem, please draw your name so that I can report back." The clerk handed over a pen and paper.

"I am ashamed to receive such a generous reward since I have not fought in the battle." Zhou Xuan sighed. He said this, but he was actually quite unhappy. Li Shuai... Bah, Your Majesty is a man who can be dealt with. As long as you are of the same mind as him, he will really remember you if there is anything delicious. Unlike Qin Zongquan and Zhu Wen. They have a full stomach and two cakes in their pockets. You share half a cake and give him one, but he still says he is hungry after he finishes eating.

"General Zhou, if there is any military chaos in the future, please protect us." The clerk smiled embarrassedly.

"Just keep calm. As long as the saint is alive, no one can cause trouble." Zhou Xuan said with a faint smile.

Will the Central Army and the Imperial Guards rebel? Not that they won't, but at least they won't rebel against Li Sheng.

Are there any ambitious people in the Imperial Guards? Yes, there are, but they have to hide their filthiness and behave themselves in front of Li Sheng.

"Zhou Lang, how can you talk like that?" His wife patted Zhou Xuan and said unhappily.

Zhou Xuan then remembered what was wrong with what he said just now: "I was rude." He had no intention of offending the saint, but he would unconsciously speak rudely from time to time. The reason was probably that the majesty of the imperial power had been corrupted for too long. With the world so corrupt, it was not easy for the saint to be the emperor.

"General Zhou, goodbye."

"Hard."

At the street corner, Lu Yanrang, who was watching with great interest, did not come to his senses until the two officials disappeared into the depths of the alley.

The clerk of Yanziku is OK. The one who is in charge of the salt and iron rent, transportation, coin casting, and green seedlings and the Yanziku is the Taiwei, right? No wonder. Even prime ministers have their own ranks. Look at Zheng Yanchang, what kind of people are his subordinates?
The saints are also very thoughtful, using this subtle way to please and win people's hearts...

A soldier or a soldier may seem insignificant, but if he perseveres for ten or eight years, future generations will be able to enjoy the coolness. Some people are lost in the pursuit of power, while others get the world without knowing it. This should be the difference. If you don't do many trivial things, and when the time comes, you just talk and spend money, and expect the soldiers to go through mountains of swords and seas of fire for you, who will know you?
After checking his identity and taking a look at the Danfeng Gate, which had been eroded by wind and rain for a long time but still stood tall as before, Lu Yanrang walked into the dark corridor. The first duty of an eighth-rank official of the Tang Dynasty had begun.

Passing through the deep imperial road blocked by the left and right Jinwu Guard Courtyards, we arrived at the Longwei Road leading to the Hanyuan Hall.

But there will be no court today.

Even though he had done all the preparations, Lu Yanrang still felt dizzy as soon as he entered the palace. Standing alone in the huge square, he looked around and saw only rows of red and green pavilions and palaces, reflecting a golden light under the sun. The thick palace walls that were hacked by swords and axes blocked his view. The officials who came and went hurriedly, whispering to each other, without even glancing at him. The guards wearing a full set of mountain-patterned armor and a fiery red cloak, holding long spears, lined up in a mighty row along the ramp. Banners embroidered with black scales, phoenixes, dragons, rhinoceroses, white tigers, and red birds were inserted one after another, whistling in the wind.

"Before dawn, the nine gates were opened, and the five-color banners with golden yellow dragons were painted. Until the silver platform was lined up, the three halls of the saints faced the Western tribes... Wang Jian's palace poems, they really did not deceive me..." Lu Yan got goose bumps. Sure enough, magnificence is not enough to strengthen prestige! I thought the court was declining... Now it seems that if I were standing in the court, I would probably feel good about myself, right?

"How do I get to the Secretariat?" After peeking for a while, Lu Yanrang, like the protagonist of "Super Boy", pinched his nose and asked the guard in a low voice.

"Turn west, enter from Zhaoqing Gate, and then face east. After passing the Outer Courtyard for Women, face the Yanying Hall, and the Secretariat is on the east side. The Censorate is right next to it, so don't go the wrong way, otherwise you will be fined." said the guard.

Forehead…

Worried about making a fool of himself, Lu Yanrang walked away with a small and quick step, with a black question mark on his face. When he found the place while walking and asking, Lu Yanrang was the last one to arrive at the Secretariat, and his face turned purple. Very good, he was late on the first day of work.

The one who "welcomed the newcomers" at the provincial gate was the saint's brother-in-law, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Zhao Jia.

"But is it the former Jinnan Prison Prosecutor - Right Collector of Relics Lu Yanrang?"

"Exactly, exactly."

"According to the regulations of the Secretariat, gossip is prohibited, walking around or going out without reason is prohibited, speaking outside of one's position is prohibited, and reading memorials, petitions, and documents outside of one's position is prohibited. At noon, eat in the corridor and don't run around..." Zhao Jia didn't waste any words, and gave some instructions, then said: "Lu Shiyi is a new official, so just walk around. The West Inner Court is giving a class, you can go and interview them."

"Okay, okay." Lu Yanrang nodded repeatedly, like an intern who had just joined a super company. He felt really bad. At least he had been a judge in Jingzhou for more than a year, and he thought he was used to seeing dignitaries. Who would have thought that when he arrived at the court... Alas! I finally understood why most officials who were transferred from the court to the vassal states had a strong centripetal force towards the court. That was not loyalty, but fear. If you don't climb a high mountain, you don't know how high the sky is. If you don't stand on the edge of an abyss, you don't know how thick the earth is.

……

West Inner Courtyard, West Inner Academy. This was originally the main ball field of Daming Palace. Not only the emperor, but also ten teams of red-dressed girls played ball. - Turning sideways and grabbing the horse's belly, the thunderbolt of the magic pearl was in hand. - Concubines put on round-necked robes, futou, leather boots, holding the crescent-shaped staff in hand, and galloped to compete.

"During the Cold Food Festival, palace maids play football on foot." On holidays, even palace maids would form teams to play football.

The emperor is not very fond of this activity. The main reason is that he doesn't know how to do it, and he is afraid of showing his true colors as a fake. Otherwise, he would have more fun than anyone else. In the harem, except for a few people such as Xianfei, Privy Councilor, Rounu, Wei Yi, and Yang Kezheng, there are not many concubines who have the physical strength and skills to carry out high-intensity sports activities. The Dragon Head Hall in the East Inner Court can meet their needs, so he turned the South Palace of the West Inner Court into a school.

The original intention was to set up a nearby hidden prison to house the nobles and foreign hostages, in order to brainwash them. At the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Rites reported that the effect was good, so some sons and nephews of generals, warriors, and ministers were gradually added. It was also at that time that the name was changed to "Western Inner School" to decorate the facade.

"Dong, dong..." With the ringing of ten heavy bells, the whispers, laughter and noise disappeared from the dark and spacious Taiping Hall, followed by a noise of people sitting down, flipping through books and opening drawers.

Lu Yanrang stood at the back door with his hands crossed behind his back, revealing half of his face, quietly peeking at the scene inside. On the smooth wooden floor, there were cushions arranged in a chessboard pattern, with about 300 children ranging from seven to eleven or twelve years old kneeling on them. They all wore scarlet plain clothes and headbands. Although they were dressed in Chinese style, many of the children had typical barbarian looks.

Could it be that the rumors about the imperial court's recovery of Guanxi are true? Well, most of these kids are the descendants of Lun Jiqiong, Gadbei, Yeshi Changming, Murong Cong, Helian Jingqian, Amonan, Ashina Luoxue, and Mo Zangqiqi. There should also be orphans captured as prisoners of war on the battlefield.

"Three thousand people are subject to the five punishments..." An old voice sounded in the Taiping Hall.

Lu Yanrang's eyes widened. Perhaps it was too early and they were still asleep, so the children's voices were a little scattered, not even as loud as the teacher's. "There are three thousand types of the Five Punishments."

Bang! The old man suddenly got angry and threw a ruler on the table: "Didn't you eat?"

Lu Yanrang's face twitched when he heard this.

"There is no greater sin than being unfilial..." After scolding, the old man returned to his Sima face.

"There is no greater sin than being unfilial!" The children's voices were now noticeably louder and more uniform.

“Those who are not saints…”

"The one who needs a king is supreme! Those who are not sages have no way! Those who are not filial have no relatives!" After a few sentences were read aloud, more than 300 young children were holding their books and reciting in unison. Especially in the solemn Taiping Hall, the reading sound became grand and profound with the rebound of the four walls. The scene was very shocking.

After reading a section of the Classic of Filial Piety, the old man, perhaps satisfied with the performance, asked the children to take a break. The children chatted in groups of three or four, while the old man sat on the table and talked freely.

"Duke Heichi Changzhi of Yan was a native of Baekje and was appointed as the Grand Administrator of Yanran Road."

"Gao Xianzhi, a Korean, holds the title of Anxi."

"The court official Zhong Man, a Japanese, became the Chief Censor and the Jiedushi of Jiaozhou."

"Ashina Simo, a Turk, was buried in Zhaoling Mausoleum. Li Yansheng, a Arab, became a Hanlin scholar. Bai Xiaode, a Kucha, was a respected Taibao. Li Guangbi, a Khitan, was the most meritorious in the Restoration War. Hun Yu, a Tiele, was enshrined in the Dezong Shrine."

After talking about the distant things, he talked about the nearby things.

What prime minister Liu Chongwang is of Xiongnu descent, Ashina Luoxue is a Turkic, and served as a general of the imperial guards, Lun Jiqiong is a Tibetan, and served as a town commander under the defense of Dengzhou. Li Keyong is a Shatuo, holding the imperial seal of Hedong, and ranked first in terms of merit in pacifying Chao, and his daughter became a virtuous concubine. Tuoba Sigong is a Dangxiang, and ranked second in terms of merit in collecting Chang'an. These words made the children excited, and they were eager to fight and exclaimed one after another.

OMG!

"The saint has some good tricks." Lu Yanrang smacked his lips twice.

If these children continue to be brainwashed like this, and are taught the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues, Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, Parents and Teachers all day long, will they still miss their tribes when they grow up? There may be a few, but definitely not many. When their next generation grows up, I am afraid they will have almost forgotten about the Tanguts, Turks and Tubo. That's right, the education of the tribes must start from the children, and it can only start from the children.

"In matters of life, when advancing, be loyal; when retreating, make amends. Love it with your heart, and you will never say anything. Keep it in your heart, and when will you forget it?"

"It's about matters! Think deeply... Keep it in your heart! Never forget it!" The rumbling sound of reading aloud once again resounded through the gloomy Taiping Hall.

Lu Shiyi had enough of the interview, so he walked towards the History Museum with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune. This court is interesting. Let's take a walk around and get familiar with it.

(End of this chapter)