"The public obeys and leads, the road is filled with light, and among the officials, Si is the strongest." Han Palace Yi
The fourteenth day of the seventh month in the third year of the Han dynasty.
Although it has already entered autumn, the weather in Chang'an City is not cold at all. The rare rainstorms are deliberately playing tricks on people, and they stop for a while. The autumn tiger is raging in Guanzhong, and a red sun hangs.
In the sky, the ground is curled up by the sun. The roads in Chang'an City are as if they have been scalded with fire, and when a ladle of water is poured on them, a burst of white steam will rise.
The hot temperature in the afternoon makes people feel restless.
"Quick! Pour another ladle of water!"
The Mingguang Palace, which Emperor Xiaowu built specifically for the purpose of seeking immortality, is now in ruins. Except for a few gates and platform foundations, there is no trace of the place where two thousand beauties from Yan and Zhao lived.
After learning that the emperor was going to arrive on another day, Chang'an ordered Wang Ling to recruit nearby civilians early in the morning to clean up the ruins and temporarily build simple houses on tall platforms.
Until early this morning, everything was ready. Wang Ling and the local pavilion chief were cleaning the streets that they would pass through. However, in this scorching sun, people had to keep spraying water on the bluestone roads.
Keep it moisturized. Otherwise, when a car drives by, it will raise dust all over the sky, which will damage your appearance.
Those servants who sprinkled water were temporarily recruited by the Chang'an government office. There was one every twenty steps. There was a bucket beside him and a ladle in his hand. He was constantly scooping up water and sprinkling it on the road. Sprinkling water is not just a splash.
The problem can be solved by neither flushing out the soil from the cracks of the bricks nor leaving any gaps on the ground, but spreading it evenly and cleanly.
The most important thing is that the sprinkling of water cannot be stopped before Luan Jia arrives, and the ground cannot be restored to dryness. This is an extremely strenuous and hard work that everyone avoids, but among them there is a burly young man who does not think it is hard and does it better than
Everyone works hard. The road surface he is responsible for is kept moist at all times, and there is no accumulation of water or mud. It is cleaner than anyone else's.
The dark blue stone road was washed and shiny by him, as if it could reflect the clouds suspended in the sky and the young man's resolute and steady face.
This young man's name is Bao Chu.
"Wencai, you have the strength after all. This morning, if it were your brother, I'm afraid he wouldn't even be able to lift his hands at this time." A skinny old man beside him effortlessly poured water from a ladle and said to Bao with a smile.
said.
"Bao Cheng is weak and it's his turn to serve this time. My family has no money, so I have to come and serve." Bao Chu said calmly, staring at the road he was responsible for.
"I remember when Bao Cheng was still hanging around me, asking me to beat dates for him to eat, he grew so big in a blink of an eye." The old man is a fellow villager of Bao Chu and a draftee from nearby Xinfeng County. He recalled the past.
, suddenly seemed to remember something, looked at Bao Chu, and inquired: "I heard that you have been away from home in the past few years."
"The time is coming, do your work well and don't gossip here!" Qin Yi, the northern Chang'an captain who was responsible for the cleaning, walked to the roadside wearing clean shoes and said arrogantly: "You are lucky enough to be close to the emperor today.
They all knelt on the ground for a while, and no one was allowed to look around!"
Bao Chu couldn't help but frown, as if he couldn't stand the villain's triumphant expression, but the old man on the side was splashing on the road honestly, turning a blind eye to it, as if he had seen too many people like this.
"Wash away my footprints!" Qin Yi gave instructions one by one along the road, and finally left with these words.
Being interrupted like this, the old man took back what he wanted to ask and said no more.
Bao Chu also enjoyed his leisure time, sprinkling water and thinking about his thoughts. But he kept repeating the same work, almost getting bored.
Finally, when the first cool breeze blew on the road, the sound of horse hooves could be heard coming from far away, and a procession came from the end of the road.
Bao Chu saw the opportunity quickly, poured out the last gourd of water, and then knelt down on the roadside with everyone.
A man in embroidered clothes, leading four knights in red clothes with strong armor and bows and arrows hanging from their waists, rode a tall horse and galloped past on the road. He lay on the ground and quietly looked at the dirt deliberately splashed on the road.
The water reflected the attire of the five knights. The crowns on their heads had eagle tails on the left and right sides, with green turbans and a knot on their chins.
Hebei are birds of prey, ferocious and violent. The two fight each other and often end up dead. Therefore, the tails are inserted on the left and right sides of the crown to show bravery. The three ministers of the imperial court, Hu Ben, and Yu Lin all wear this crown.
Bao Chu knew that the He Guan had always been worn by military attachés. When he saw this group of people, he knew that they were the forerunners of the emperor's grand drive, which meant that Luan Jia was already behind.
The entire road became silent for a moment, with only the sound of horse hooves approaching from far away. First, the magnificent Tiqi cleared the way, then the mighty and neat soldiers cleared the way, and the noble Lang Wei crowded around Luan Jia, and finally
Inside are the many followers of Huangmen who are directly led by eunuchs.
These teams, together with several supporting vehicles and auxiliary vehicles, together formed the emperor's army. They passed by one after another, and the horses' hooves stamped on the ground like thunder, causing ripples in the water on the road.
It was the first time for Bao Chu and others to see such a spectacular scene, and they did not dare to express their anger. He secretly looked at the reflection of the puddle of water until the guards and Chang'an orders who were driving the car appeared one after another, which meant that Bao Chu and the others
These warriors will have to retire one by one.
The crisp sound of horse hoofbeats was mixed with the footsteps of soldiers and the friction of clothes and armor. "Swish, swish, swish" produced an extremely even and harmonious rhythm. Bao Chu was gradually walking away, although he had already seen it.
I can't see this magnificent scene, but I can still imagine it through the sound.
After walking out for a long time, Bao Chu finally came back to his senses. He first went to the Chang'an government office to finish his duties. After getting the voucher, he walked towards Xuanping nearby.
The magnificent traveling team from before left an indelible impression in his mind. The gorgeously dressed Jinwu Tiqi and the neat and orderly Habayashi Lang all fascinated him. One day, when will he be able to
Get on a high horse and return home in fine clothes?
In the past, I didn't think there was anything wrong with settling into poverty. It wasn't until today that I saw this big scene by chance, and I realized that my previous thoughts were too childish.
Just when I reached the gate of Xuanpingli, before I entered, Li Zheng walked out of the gate: "Stop, where did you come from? Who are you looking for?"
Bao Chu woke up suddenly, recovered from his fantasy, and replied smoothly: "I'm looking for Li Yi."
"Do you know where this place is? Xuanping Guili! In the entire Chang'an City, except Weiyang Palace and Beique Jiadi, there are many dignitaries here. I have never heard of a person like Li Yi you just mentioned.
"Li Zheng waved his hand politely and said, looking at Bao Chu, his eyes suddenly became wary: "To be honest, what do you do?"
These chapters are all intended to set the stage for the subsequent plot, so they may seem boring. I apologize to everyone, and please understand that this is by no means meaningless.