Emperor Que Shaohua

For the past few days, it has been raining continuously in Luocheng, and Luo Pingyuan has almost toured the city, so he didn't go out, and read and write in the side yard of Dingjianhou's mansion every day, and then talked with Lin Chen. Be quiet.

However, Lin Chen has a flamboyant temperament and loves to be lively. After a few days of silence, he couldn't sit still in the mansion. As soon as the weather cleared up, he came to drag Luo Pingyuan out.

"The streets and alleys are almost familiar, and there is nothing to see or buy," Luo Pingyuan closed the book and said, "It's no fun to go out, why don't you just stay in the mansion, have dinner later, and you and I will play two games of chess."

"Let's play chess again tomorrow." Lin Chen has been with him a lot, and he has already become familiar with each other informally. "I will take you to a good place. If you miss tonight, you will definitely feel regretful in the future." As he spoke, he winked at him blink.

Luo Pingyuan saw that his face was mysterious, and he seemed to be harboring ulterior motives, so he couldn't help laughing: "What exactly do you want to do? If I'm honest, I'll think about it, otherwise please, don't disturb my reading."

Lin Chen saw that he had a travel book in his hand, and said with a smile: "The Grand Scenery of Jinghua, you only see the appearance, but you haven't appreciated the style. I will take you to a place tonight, and it will definitely make your trip worthwhile. Maybe I will linger and forget to leave after I go, and I am reluctant to leave." As he said, he hugged the fluffy little fox Zhenshi lying on King Ning's lap, scratched its neck and small ears, and Zhenshi used a black jewel-like With his eyes, he stared at the visitor who appeared every day, twisted his chubby little body, broke free from his hand in a flash, slipped back to King Ning, and climbed directly onto his shoulders.

Luo Pingyuan thought about it for a while, thinking that Lin Chen had mentioned a famous garden called Qinfang Garden, saying that the pear blossoms and peonies in it had bloomed very well recently, and he hadn't been there yet.However, ever since he saw the peony in Prince Jing's mansion that day, he didn't really want to see this kind of flower, no matter how bright and beautiful it was, it also carried a certain kind of desolation.He shook his head and said: "If you go to Qinfang Garden to enjoy the flowers, you can avoid it. I have seen many of them in the past few days."

"Who said you're going to Qinfang Garden?" Lin Chen said with a smile, "Although the flowers there are good, they are only ordinary. Today I will show you the famous flowers of Luocheng." The book was spread out again, as if he didn't want to pay attention to him anymore, and he finally stopped being a secret, and said: "That location is exactly what it is. Whose family is a boat tonight, where is Acacia Mingyue Tower."

When Luo Pingyuan heard the poem, he thought of a line that Lin Chen's friend from a certain family had mentioned, and he understood in his heart: "Are you talking about Yuelou?"

"You actually know, it seems that you are not too ignorant, and there is medicine to save you." Lin Chen praised, "Tonight is the day when Miss Bai Ruohan plays the piano and sings. Feixue, the lonely water, the clear water, the beauty of everyone, in my Yu Zhou, perhaps only Jiang Wanli from Hangzhou can match. She only comes out once every ten days, if you miss tonight, you will have to wait another ten days. "

According to rumors in the world, there will never be a shortage of beauties. Luo Pingyuan has a vague impression of the names of the two beauties that Lin Chen said.But seeing him speak so smoothly, I couldn't help but glance at him, "You're quite familiar. If you know anything else, let's hear it."

"Of course I know, otherwise I will be ridiculed by Zhou Yuyang and his gang when I go out." General Lin Shao shook his robe, sat down suavely, and told King Ning about the origin of Mingyue Tower.

Mingyue Tower was originally a brothel on the bank of West Lake in Hangzhou. Except that it occupies a bit of the beauty of the West Lake due to its location, it is not much different from Qinlou Chu Pavilion in other places of fireworks.However, five years ago, Mingyue Tower seemed to have changed the master behind the scenes, and then changed its tune. The girls in the building either practice silk and bamboo rhythm, or master dance skills, and those with higher talents can play piano, chess, poetry and painting; they no longer sell themselves when accompanying guests. If the two love each other, they can naturally communicate, but it has nothing to do with business.This kind of practice can be said to be noble, but it is easy to be arrogant, but the owner of Mingyue Tower doesn't seem to care about how much money he makes. After a few years, he has become famous in the south of the Yangtze River for his elegant style, and has become a frequent place for literati and scholars. It is also often chosen here.There is a lot of literary spirit in the south of the Yangtze River, and I don't know how many excellent works have flowed out.In Mingyue Tower, Jiang Wanli is good at Danqing lyrics and music, and Bai Ruohan is a master of rhythm.Two years ago, Bai Ruohan took the piano to the north and built another Mingyue Tower in Luocheng, still following the rules of Jiangnan.She is outstanding in both appearance and talent, and after two years, there are many crowns gathered in the Mingyue downstairs.But Bai Ruohan likes to be quiet, even though there are many people who come here for fame, she still only shows up once every ten nights, and only sings two songs each time.

Hearing this, Luo Pingyuan saw that Lin Chen was very excited, and teased: "You have seen this white girl before, and you are very yearning? Are those two songs so beautiful?"

Lin Chen blushed because of his teasing: "You don't know, these two songs are very particular. If within ten days, Los Angeles comes out with a good lyrics, and is selected by Miss Bai, he will sing it that night. Come out. Once she sings, it will be praised all over the city immediately, and many people will become famous in one fell swoop. She has always treated the poets equally regardless of their status, whether they are high-ranking officials or poor students, and only look at how well they write. Sometimes there are no good words. , the first song only sang famous lines from the previous dynasty. So many people wrote poems and sent them to Mingyue Tower, hoping to be seen by Miss Bai."

Luo Pingyuan laughed and said: "In this way, if you are not a talented person, it would be boring to go there."

Lin Chen said: "Mingyue Tower has also considered this point, so there is a second song, which is reserved for the guests who went to listen to the song that night. When you arrive at Mingyue Tower, write a poem and send it to the inner room, and Miss Bai will choose one at random. .”

At this point, he poked Luo Pingyuan, "His Royal Highness Ning, I really should have asked you to write a poem a few days ago. With your calligraphy, even if it is not the best, maybe you can be praised." Selected. But being drawn is also very good, Miss Bai will invite you in to talk about hospitality. This is a good opportunity, such a peerless beauty, I haven't heard of anyone until now, maybe it is destined for you."

As he spoke, he jumped up, pulled Luo Pingyuan and headed towards the door: "Let's go, let's go, although Jane is very cute, there is no need to tease it all day long. I see that you are in a bad mood recently, go to relax, you are always bored What to do in the room. I have already booked a seat, first go to Yixiangxuan to have dinner, and then go to Mingyue Tower to listen to music. As the saying goes, a young man is wasted if he is not romantic!"

Luo Pingyuan was confused by him, thinking about nothing else, he got up and went out.He didn't feel that he was in a bad mood, but in the past few days, sometimes when he thought about King Jing, he would feel uncomfortable. Could it be so obvious that even Lin Chen could see it.

When the two arrived at Yixiangxuan, Lin Chen made an appointment with two friends earlier. Luo Pingyuan met Zhou Yuyang, the eldest son of the Shangshu family of the Ministry of War, and Qian Zhan, the second son of the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs.Several people were of the same age. Although Luo Pingyuan was the prince, he was not involved in political affairs and had no pretensions. There was no pressure when everyone spoke, they couldn't help laughing and just wanted to be happy.

During the dinner, they talked about Bai Ruohan from Mingyue Tower, and Luo Pingyuan realized that although these guys were talking about hype, none of them had seen their true faces.

Zhou Yuyang said: "Every time Miss Bai played the piano and sang, she was behind a gauze curtain, her shadow was so vague that she couldn't see it clearly. When she came out from behind the curtain, her face was covered with a veil, but even though she was looking at flowers through the fog , It can also be seen that it is graceful. Only those who are drawn can be invited in to see it. Our brothers are only a little educated and not lucky enough, so no one has seen it."

Luo Pingyuan was annoyed and funny when he heard it, it turned out that they spent a lot of time talking and dragging themselves away, but they could only listen to two songs and see one figure.This white girl is really clever, the more she is like this, the more itchy and curious she is, if she always shows her face easily, no matter how beautiful she is, she won't be so yearning when people talk about it.

He knew that several young masters with Lin Chen had good family education, and some of them already had wives. Although they often came out to play, they were all in moderation.

Seeing him smiling and not speaking, Qian Zhan said in order to save face: "Song Xuhuai has seen her before. In my opinion, although his poem is not bad, it can't be said to be very good, and it is very good-looking. After struggling to get up, Miss Bai actually chose it. Song Qianzhi was so happy that night that he was dizzy. After drinking two glasses of wine, he heard Bai Ruohan say that Luocheng was too cold in winter and missed Jiangnan, so he gave her a piece of warm jade that he had with him. I almost made Song Taifu mad."

Lin Chen smiled and said: "I've heard that too. I've seen Qianzhi's piece of jade before. It's a family heirloom. It's in the shape of an orchid. There are seal characters carved on both sides. It seems to be something like the sun and the moon. He gave it away like this. , no wonder Taifu Song is angry."

"Actually, there's nothing to be angry about," Zhou Yuyang interjected, "Miss Bai didn't want him for nothing. I heard that she gave Qianzhi a Ye Mingzhu in return. It's not considered a covetous thing from him, but she didn't sing again after that." His poems made him unhappy for a while, and now he is shut up at home studying hard."

Song Xuhuai's character is modest, Luo Pingyuan met him once, he is a gentle scholar, never thought that there would be such an anecdote.

He said casually: "It's okay if I don't see you tonight, just go to listen to the music. Sometimes when I think of Brother Si Huang's appearance, I feel that there are beauties with both talents and looks in the world, but they may not be as good as him."

The other three laughed immediately, thinking about King Yun, they all thought that this statement was very reasonable, but they didn't open their mouths to tease like Luo Pingyuan.

Lin Chen said: "Pingyuan, when I first met you, I thought you were taught to be rigid in the Hanshan School. After hearing this, I realized that you have not changed."

Zhou Yuyang said: "In recent years, although there are rankings of beauties in Jianghu, the number one position is always blank. It is said that the master of Pavilion Xuanji intends to reserve this position for King Yun."

"That's possible." Luo Pingyuan smiled, "Fortunately, the Four Emperors guarded the border and kept our Yuzhou border peaceful. Since ancient times, a famous general is like a beauty. No matter how you look at it, he is worthy of it." Several people laughed again and nodded.

Qian Zhan said: "But I have never heard people say that No. 1 should be Yun Yu, the owner of Cangshan Yunbao."

Luo Pingyuan didn't answer. He had seen Su Lingxue and Yun Yu, so he didn't want to comment lightly.These aristocratic children are in the capital, so they naturally have limited knowledge of martial arts, but when it comes to the affairs of the court, including the factions, they are all familiar with it, this is another world.

Mingyue Tower is located in the southwest of Luo City. It is not just a building, but a garden.When Luo Pingyuan and his party came here, they saw a lot of cars and horses parked outside, most of which were luxuriously decorated.They got off their horses and walked into the garden.As far as the eye can see, every stone and tree is elegant and unique, and the pear trees are in full bloom.Not far ahead, I saw a gurgling clear stream, along with the sound of water, there was also a faint music, which was clear to my ears, as if inviting visitors to go deep.

"This place used to be the residence of Zhang Yuandao, a scholar of the Lingyan Pavilion in the past. Later, his family was demoted from the capital, and the garden changed owners several times. The buyers did not manage it properly. It was not until Bai Ruohan came that the old view was restored." Qian Qian Zhan pointed and said, "This water is imported living water, which is connected to Luoshui outside the city. It is said that sometimes outsiders put lotus lanterns in Luoshui to make wishes, and they will float into the garden along the water."

Luo Pingyuan saw moss marks on the rockery by the water, and the green grass by the water, he wandered around, and could vaguely imagine the scenery of the past.Zhang Yuandao was full of economics. He used to be the teacher of King Jing, but he lost his official position and died of illness in a foreign land. Unexpectedly, the garden in his home is now the location of Mingyue Tower.

The guests who entered the garden came one after another, in twos and threes. From time to time, some people greeted each other, or stopped to chat. They obviously knew each other, but they were not noisy.

Walking along the cobblestone path for a while, passing several pavilions, the water turns around a three-story pavilion with cornices and painted walls, and a large piece of Xiangfei bamboo on the side.

Luo Pingyuan couldn't help but praised: "It's really extraordinary."

Lin Chen's face was full of color: "It's been said that you will make this trip worthwhile, and what I said will never be ignored."

Luo Pingyuan wanted to reply too much, but he was touched by the quietness in the garden and didn't want to make trouble with him, so he smiled and said nothing, and they walked into the building together.

On the first floor, running water is introduced between the seats in the building, and it is arranged in a pattern of flowing cups and curved water. Lin Chen said with a smile: "Let's go to the private seats on the third floor." He took out a few green invitation cards and handed them to the welcoming maid.Seeing the blessing of Cambodian, the maidservant said, "Please come with me, honored guests." She led the way ahead.

Luo Pingyuan had already heard from Lin Chen that the supply of the third-floor private seats in Mingyue Building was always in short supply, unless it was the guests invited by Bai Ruohan, who wanted to listen to the music here, and each person needed ten taels of silver, which had to be booked in advance. green card.

There was a bead curtain hanging in front of the door on the third floor. The maid opened the curtain, invited them in, and then went back downstairs.Another maidservant came over from inside and invited the young masters to sit by the window with a smile.

Luo Pingyuan stared at it, and saw that the surrounding space was much larger than it looked from the outside, with carved beams and painted buildings, dozens of tables of rosewood teahouses were sparsely arranged, and many people were already sitting, drinking tea and chatting.The tables and chairs are separated by carved wooden frames, and the orchids are placed in random places on the frames, which are fragrant and enveloping.

Lin Chen pointed to a gauze curtain not far away: "In half an hour, Miss Bai Ruohan will be singing behind the curtain."

The maidservants on the third floor are all fifteen or sixteen years old, with delicate features, all dressed in green clothes, wearing double-ringed buns, with green ribbons hanging from the buns, and they seem to be flying when they walk around.

Two girls came over, holding the Four Treasures of the Study, "Do you guys want to write poems?"

"I want it," Lin Chen said immediately, and winked at King Ning again: "I hope to have a good fortune tonight."

The four of them spread out paper and wrote poems.Luo Pingyuan was holding a pen in his hand, and it happened that the music wafting from outside turned around, it was a song "Jianjia". He looked out of the window, and there was a water pavilion across the water outside Mingyue Tower, surrounded by white gauze curtains. As the wind blows, you can vaguely see several slim girls wearing pink and white dresses, sitting and playing among them. He wrote "Jianjia" in his own pen.

The maid waited for the four of them to finish writing, and then took away the manuscript.

Shaoqing tea and fruit products were placed, and a few people were sitting idle. Someone behind him let out a soft beep. Luo Pingyuan turned his head and saw Luo Junping in red and another young man in a brocade robe and jade belt. After the officials.

King An greeted: "It's really a coincidence, I didn't expect the fifth younger brother to be so elegant."

Luo Pingyuan smiled and stood up: "This is each other." But in his heart, he felt that it was too coincidental, so he glanced at the people around him calmly.Lin Chen and Zhou Yuyang were obviously a little surprised, only Qian Zhan looked calm, but his eyes flickered slightly.

King Ning was displeased, and the interest he had just mentioned disappeared halfway, and he still smiled and said: "Third brother, come and sit together."

Luo Junping nodded happily: "Alright."

King Ning and the people around King An inevitably had to salute the prince, but it was a little inconvenient in Mingyue Tower, King An said: "No courtesy, whatever you want." Everyone quickly put the two tea tables together and sat down.