Go back to the Song Dynasty as a broker

On the tower of Xuande Gate, the main entrance of Donei, there is a guard standing every other battlement.The sergeant was wrapped in thick clothes, wearing armor, holding a red-tasseled spear, standing upright like a pen, looking down at the city with focused eyes, guarding the imperial city.

Li Zao and Xiao Tong stood in front of a city wall far away from the soldiers, overlooking the fiery red sunset in the sky.

Li Zao said sharply with a straight face, "Xiao Silang, don't think you don't know the truth, it was you who bewitched Che'er, and she was so reluctant to go back to the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Although the person in front of him is the prime minister of a country and holds a high position, but what he did to his wife and daughter is no different from a heartless man in the world. Xiao Tong looks down on him from the bottom of his heart, so facing his threatening words, he is calm in his heart, With no fear on his face, he smirked and said: "Master Xiangguo's words are really flattering the grassroots, but he also underestimated Qinghu! She is the one who pleases me, how can I bewitch it?"

"If Qinghu has the right to independently decide on marriage matters, I think she will consider Mr. Xiangguo's proposal."

Li Zao snorted coldly, "Children's marriage is the order of the parents and the words of the matchmaker! Let her choose freely, choose you, a businesswoman?"

He turned his head to look at Xiao Tong, his eyes were full of sarcasm, and he suddenly thought of something, and said, "Che'er just strayed into the world by mistake, and the people she saw and the people she chose were narrow-minded, so she fell in love with you. After she returned to the Xiangfu , the truth can give her a better husband, do you think she will still like you?"

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What Li Zao meant was that Si Qinghu worked as a geisha in the street, knew few high-level celebrities, and liked her because of his narrow vision.In Xiao Tong's eyes, this kind of thinking is too naive, taking Si Qinghu too lightly?

I don't even think about who Si Qinghu's fan club is!

Xiao Tong didn't want to argue with him on this point, he was fearless, and deliberately said confidently: "The grass people can't let her go back!"

"You..." Li Zao pointed at her, choking with anger.

He tried his best to calm down, put down his hands, took a deep breath, and calmed down, and said: "Now you are helping the Jiaofang Secretary to prepare operas. If you perform well on Xinglong Festival, the officials intend to appoint you as the deputy envoy of the Jiaofang. As long as you persuade Che'er Go back to the prime minister's mansion, and the truth will help you."

Ha ha, Xiao Tong sneered in his heart, he could not be hard but soft, he gave both kindness and power.

"Master Xiangguo's kindness has been appreciated by the people. I am in love with Qinghu. How can I be like a heartless man in the world who betrays her affection because of a high official and generous salary?"

Li Zao's face turned livid with anger at these words, and the hands hanging by his legs were clenched into fists.

Not only did Xiao Tong not accept his good intentions, but he also satirized him with barbed words!

"Stubborn little bastard! Don't think that you are working in Da Nei now, the truth can't do anything to you. I'll deal with you after the official's birthday is over!"

After finishing speaking, Li Zao left angrily.

Xiao Tong smiled meanly, and waved at him, "My father-in-law, go slowly!"

This "father-in-law" yelled obediently and cheaply, Li Zao's steps froze, his hands clenched into fists again, his body became hot and trembling with anger.

Looking left and right, there were still many imperial guards around, so Li Zao let out a breath, suppressed his anger and left.

It's not too late to clean up after she leaves Ouchi!

Two days later, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the official birthday banquet was held in the Jiying Hall. In the early morning of that day, Xiao Tong brought the geisha performing operas from the Jiaofang Division to the outside of the Jiying Hall.

The hall outside the hall has already been crowded with people, and various officials, foreign envoys, imperial guards, dancers and geisha performing are looking for corresponding positions.

In the middle of the hall sits the official family. Only the prime minister, forbidden servants, clansmen and other officials above the level of observation envoys, and envoys from various countries can sit in the hall. Wooden pier covered with red cloth.

The performers in charge of banquet performances and playing music had no seats, so they could only line up next to the white jade steps outside the hall according to the rules, and they would enter the venue to perform when their turn came.

Xiao Tong wore a blue brocade dress, tied his hair and wore a crown, and was well-groomed. He led more than a dozen opera geisha who had already put on their costumes and put on makeup. The boy wears a square cloth hat, and the girl wears two hair buns. They were all selected from the market in the capital. They wear hairpins and wear red, green, purple and blue cloth shirts. They look very cute and festive.

It is said that nine cups of wine are drunk at the banquet, and each cup has a performance. From Si time to You time, there will be a short break in the afternoon.In previous years, there would be two rounds of performances of zaju, after the performances of boys and girls. This year, a new art opera was released, and the officials replaced the monotonous zaju with opera.

Today at Maoshi, when it was still dark, Li Zao, as the head of all the officials, led the senior officials of the fifth rank and above in Beijing to Xiangguo Temple to worship Buddha and worship gods for the officials.

Enter the venue just before the banquet begins, and sit in the Jiying Hall.

When the time came, there was silence inside and outside the palace.After a while, I only heard the chirping of birds, chirping, and the sound became louder and louder, and there were more and more types of bird chirping, playing the melody of a hundred birds singing in harmony, which has a beautiful meaning of gathering of luan and phoenix.

Xiao Tong knew that there was this link, and looked up at the pavilion with colored strips on the hall, where the musicians of the Jiaofang Division imitated the singing of birds.

Then, everyone bowed down to the officials, shouted "Long live" in a grand manner, and after thanking the officials, all the officials sat down.

Music sounds.

The people in front of Xiao Tong are all boys and girls, much taller than them, and you can see the band opposite is playing, including piano, drum, erhu, and big konghou, etc., the sound is joyful and festive.She listened with gusto, and thought to herself, if Si Qinghu was around to watch such a grand event, it would be great!

When Huaelou invited Si Qinghu to play the role of Wang Zhaojun, apart from worrying that she would be too tired to juggle both sides, they also worried about her identity.She knew that there must be Li Zao at the banquet, since she is Li Zao's daughter, performing as a geisha in front of her own father, in front of officials and officials, isn't it equivalent to Ling Chi her?

When she performed in the Prime Minister's Mansion, she didn't know the truth and let Si Qinghu perform in front of her own father, which still makes her feel ashamed.

She watched and thought, and soon the sun was overhead.

Fortunately, it is winter and it is warm.

After drinking the third cup of wine in the hall, the two hundred boys in front of them left in an orderly manner and entered the hall.And she also led the nine geisha performing "Zhang Xie Zhuangyuan" to the jade steps facing the gate of the palace, waiting to enter.

The heavenly sound of the boys chorus came from the hall. After about two quarters, the music stopped and the boys walked out slowly.

After waiting for a while, under the instructions of the servant, Xiao Tong walked in the front, bowed his head, and led the nine geisha slowly into the Jiying Hall.

With such a solemn banquet, today is the day ahead, Xiao Tong is somewhat nervous, his heart beats half a beat faster, and he is cautious not to raise his head.

When she arrived at the palace, she led the geisha to pay homage, greeted the officials with a birthday speech, and after the officials replied, Xiao Tong said again: "Xiao Tong, a grass-roots man, brought the opera "The Number One Scholar of Zhang Xie", I hope the officials will be happy and in good health! "

I only heard a clear and bright male voice from the hall, "Okay. You are all free from courtesy, and you raise your head for me to see."

Xiao Tong led the geisha to stand up, slowly raised their faces, but still did not dare to look at them.She was indeed curious to see what the Emperor Benchao looked like, but she couldn't raise her face too high, and couldn't look directly at the official, so she couldn't see clearly.

After the opera started, she stood behind the seats of the ministers and clan relatives before she dared to look at the emperor on the dragon chair.

The emperor is dressed in the clothes of the emperor, and under the crown is a young and handsome face, with a stunning appearance.Watch opera seriously, always with a smile on your face.

In order to cater to the festive atmosphere of the birthday banquet, this "Zhang Xie Zhuangyuan" has added honest official elements to the theme of heartbreak, and the lyrics and performances are also in a humorous style.Whether it's officials, hundreds of officials, or foreign envoys, they all watched with joy and laughter.

Except for Li Zao, of course.

Zhang Xie, a scholar from Shu, felt like he was satirizing himself when he won the first prize and failed his wife.

Hearing the laughter around, even the officials laughed without knowing why, Li Zao felt his face was burning hot, he rubbed the wall of the gold cup with his index finger and thumb, and stared sharply at Xiao Tong who stood at the end opposite.

Xiao Tong caught his gaze, pursed his lips, looked left and right, and put on a nonchalant look.

The two priests of the teaching workshop stood on both sides of His Royal Highness and were in charge of watching the cups, that is, before the maidservant poured wine for the prime minister, the Duke of Chu and other officials, he sang, "Sui Yu wine!"

A maid suddenly appeared in front of Xiao Tong holding a tray with half a glass of wine on it.Xiao Tong was a little surprised, she can also get imperial wine from the government?

Looking at the official, the official gave her a slight nod. She first bowed to the official, and then took the imperial wine and drank it down.

Chu Guogong, Li Zao, Xuan Huishi and others all looked at this cup of imperial wine, and each had their own thoughts in their hearts.

Xiao Tong is just a commoner who brings a geisha into the palace to perform, and the treatment should be equal to that of a geisha.The official gave this glass of wine, presumably out of satisfaction with opera.

Since he was satisfied, wouldn't the position of deputy envoy of Jiaofang be expected to fall into Xiao Tong's hands?

Due to the large number of performances at the official birthday banquet, this opera is not like "Mulan", which lasts for an hour and a half, but only about four to ten minutes.

After the opera ended, Xiao Tong returned to the hall and stood in front of the geisha.

The official Long Yan was very happy, and proudly said to the ministers and foreign envoys: "Have you seen it, this is the new art opera that has become popular recently in the Song Dynasty."

Because of the birth of new art, the officials present congratulated the officials one after another.Foreign envoys from Korea, Dongying, and Daliao also stated on the spot that after the banquet, they would write notes and return to their home countries, so that the monarch would send geisha missions to observe and learn opera.

The official turned to look at Xiao Tong, smiled peacefully and said, "It's a wonderful opera, which made me and all my lovers very happy to watch. Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Tong."

Xiao Tong said: "The official's words are serious."

The official said again: "I have long heard that you produced the first opera "Mulan" in the Goulan. As a woman, Mulan is loyal and patriotic. Sir, I am very pleased."

"It is indeed a rare talent to present such a wonderful and interesting "Zhang Xie Zhuangyuan" today. The sun is shining outside, so you stay in the hall! Come, give Xiao Tong a seat and a banquet."

Xiao Tong was overwhelmed by the flattery, and quickly kowtowed to thank him.

The officials were full of praise for the opera "Mulan" that catered to the New Deal, and paid special attention to the founder of this opera, Xiao Tong, and did not hesitate to keep her in the palace.

Sensitive old party personnel have already sniffed out the clues.

Chu Guogong sat in the first row on the right, with a gloomy face, and winked at an official in the second row opposite.The official understood, and immediately stood up and bowed: "Officials, this person is just a merchant, and I'm afraid it's against the rules to keep her in the palace."

The official sees that he is the minion of the Duke of Chu. Among the officials of the fourth rank, he has the right to refute the government decree and the imperial decree. He is the most difficult old party member besides the Duke of Chu.He frowned, then returned to his smile in an instant, and said politely: "The Qing family's words are wrong, you have seen this opera just now, its exquisiteness is recognized even by foreign envoys, Xiao Tong is a literary talent , is it not just a merchant? The Song Dynasty has always loved talents, why can't Qing tolerate a Xiao Tong?"

Speaking of the last sentence, the official looked at Shizhong with a smile, like a smiling tiger, a little creepy.

During the matter, he bowed to agree with the officials, and after sitting down, he gave Chu Guogong a look.Both of them understood, standing up to refute the matter was just testing the official's attitude, and they never thought of successfully obstructing it.

After Xiao Tong sat down in the imperial seat, he remembered the confrontation between the official family and the family just now. He was friendly on the surface, but he always felt that the official's words were thorny.

She suddenly had a bad premonition, and her back shivered with fear.

The officials kept her in the palace, maybe they planned to push her to the forefront and become the target of the old party's public criticism?

The author has something to say: Another chapter where Baby Qinghu doesn't appear, miss her!

Note: The description of the official birthday banquet in this article refers to the "Tokyo Menghualu" written by Meng Yuanlao.