The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it’s almost dusk.
——Li Shangyin in "Le Youyuan"
…
The preparations for the military supplies came to an end, and Bai Fu finally breathed a sigh of relief. He slept peacefully for a day and a night.
Early the next morning, Princess Qingluan came to the Bashu Guild Hall.
Princess Qingluan frowned and looked unhappy. Bai Fu cared and comforted her and asked why.
Princess Qingluan muttered: "Brother Fu, didn't the emperor reward you with a mansion? The emperor's decree was very straightforward and asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to handle it as soon as possible.
I never thought that the eunuchs from the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not open their eyes and actually reward Mrs. Guo Guo's mansion in Xuanyangfang."
Bai Fu thought to himself: "Didn't Mrs. Guo's mansion be sold to Xuanzong through Alberts and the hands of several Hu merchants? How could it be transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs again?"
Princess Qingluan saw Bai Fu's confusion and explained: "This mansion was eventually sold to General Youwuwei Dou Rubin. Dou Rubin participated in the rebellion of Siqi King Li Zhen, Dou's mansion was ransacked, and the mansion was confiscated
, returned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
Bai Fu suddenly realized.
Princess Qingluan said: "Mrs. Guo's mansion is in an excellent location, covering a vast area, with pavilions and pavilions, decorated beams and painted buildings, and the back garden is full of lush trees, lakes and mountains, and is extremely beautiful.
However, the Yang family was brutally exterminated. Mrs. Guo's mansion was regarded as ominous, and the people of Chang'an were afraid to avoid it.
After receiving the imperial edict, the Ministry of Internal Affairs deliberately rewarded you with this mansion, with bad intentions!"
Bai Fu's mind changed and he knew the reason. Li Fuguo, the chamberlain's eunuch, must have been causing trouble.
However, Bai Fu's view of this mansion was different from Princess Qingluan's.
Mrs. Guo's residence was originally the residence of Princess Taiping, and was designed by her mentor, Master Qingxuan. Not only is the layout magnificent, the pavilions gorgeous, but the underground secret passages are also unique and ingenious.
At the beginning, if it were not for the purpose of attracting Xuanzong to Huhu, Bai Fu would not be willing to sell it.
Nowadays, Xuanzong has been placed under house arrest in Taiji Palace, and this mansion has completed its mission. Returning it to its original owner is also a beautiful thing.
When you get married in the future, you will no longer be able to live in the Bashu guild hall. You should also have your own mansion.
Bai Fu smiled at Princess Qingluan and said: "The Yang family brought trouble to the Tang Dynasty, which is why they ended up like this. We cannot be the same. We Ji people have our own destiny.
If you are still not at ease, I will carve out two courtyards from the southeast corner of this mansion and donate them to the adjacent Fengci Temple, and ask eminent monks to stay here. What do you think?"
Donating the mansion to the temple to eliminate disasters and pray for blessings is something that high-ranking officials in Chang'an often do. Princess Qingluan felt relieved.
Princess Qingluan said: "Brother Fu, this is a good idea. If you didn't have the above concerns, I would also like this mansion very much.
Now that I have dispelled this concern, I want to renovate it, renovate it, and build it into the Palace of the Duke of Wei.
In the future, when I get married, we will stay together here forever, watching spring flowers and autumn moon, and having children and grandchildren..." At the end of the sentence, Princess Qingluan's cheeks were red with shame, and her voice was low and inaudible.
The two looked at each other, affectionately, and hugged each other tightly...
…
The decision was made, and Princess Qingluan became more motivated.
From this day on, Princess Qingluan left the palace early every morning and returned late every day, busy with the renovation of the mansion. Princess Qingluan commanded the maids and servants in the mansion, as if she was a royal wife.
Hearing that Bai Fu wanted to build the Palace of the Duke of Wei, Liu Yan of Jing Zhao Yin requested an imperial edict and ordered that several small gates with inverted monuments be added to the walls of the square to serve as side entrances to the Palace of the Duke of Wei, making it easier to enter and exit.
When this kind of inverted stele door is opened, instead of being pushed left and right, the entire door panel falls forward and is laid flat on the ground. The two sides are pulled by iron chains and can be retracted. Because it looks like a stele falling to the ground, it is named
.
After several side gates were built, the north gate of Duke Wei's Mansion is adjacent to Pingkangfang, the east gate is only one step away from the East City, the west gate is closely connected to Chongyifang, and the south gate is wide open, facing Anlu Mountain in front of Qinrenfang.
The residence has very convenient transportation.
Hearing that Princess Qingluan wanted to build a garden, Emperor Suzong gave his permission and ordered Zhang Xuan, the general who built the Daming Palace, to assist Qingluan in renovating the palace of Duke Wei.
Beihai Gang leader Jia Chang volunteered to help Princess Qingluan build her mansion.
From the first day of construction of the mansion to the purchase of various equipment after completion, Beihai Gang leader Jia Chang did it personally and kept a close eye on it.
Jia Chang said to Zhang Xuan, the master craftsman of the general: "The Duke of Wei only wants to be magnificent and does not need to care about financial resources. All the dues will be borne by our Beihai Gang."
After the completion of the Weiguo Palace, it was extremely luxurious and extravagant. In addition to the utensils of the Tang Dynasty, there were also treasures from the Qin Dynasty, Dashi, Persia, Samirhan and other countries in the Western Regions. Even the royal objects in the Ming Dynasty Palace
, and may not be comparable.
Beds, tables and chairs, curtains and all kinds of daily furniture are fully furnished: sandalwood beds inlaid with white jade and precious stones, embroidered tents with gold and silver threads, lacquer screens inlaid with ivory and amber...
Even the pots and pans in the kitchen, the sieves, baskets and other items in the stable are made of gold and silver: rice urns made of pure gold, rice washing basins made of pure silver, baskets made of gold wire, silver wire
Braided fence...
The two brothers, Li Qiu and Li Yan, the king of Siqing, laughed at Jia Chang's extravagant spending and his vulgarity, so they sent all kinds of priceless antiques and jades, rare treasures from the Western Regions, famous calligraphy and paintings to decorate the halls of the palace:
The dove-egg-sized luminous pearl hanging on the dome of the study, the thick and luxurious Persian carpet, various bookshelves made of yellow pear flowers and rosewood...
The shelves of the bookshelf are neatly arranged with Samarkand gold vases, Khorasan sun diamonds, Yue King Goujian's sword, Fan Li's handwriting of "Wenzi", Liu Hou Zhang Liang's handwriting of "Sushu"...
Pipa masters Mu Yunyi and Cao Huashang of Yunshangfang sent thousands of pieces of precious silk, Shu brocade, Su embroidery and several extremely precious guqins.
Li Zuo, King of Gaoyi, the general of Zuo Qianniuwei, Li Fu, the king of Jiyin County, and Li Jin, the Duke of Chu State, were sent by Zhonglang to send more than a dozen fine Dawan horses and luxurious carriages.
…
In addition to the utensils, Xiong Badou, on behalf of the Chang'an underground gang, sent dozens of dark-skinned, tall and muscular Kunlun slaves; nearly a hundred Qiuci Leji with high noses and deep eyes, blond hair like waterfalls, tall and slender, graceful figures, strong waists and chests
Orchid dancer...
Bai Fu originally thought that Princess Qingluan would be unhappy, but he didn't expect that Princess Qingluan wouldn't mind at all. After all, she was a princess of the Tang Dynasty. She was well-informed and magnanimous. She not only accepted it, but also personally practiced the orchestra and arranged songs and dances.
Seeing Bai Fu's surprise, Princess Qingluan smiled and said: "It's rare to see such a strange thing! Kunlun slaves, Qiuci Le Ji and Orchid dancers, these are the standard equipment of the wealthy families of the Tang Dynasty."
…
On the day when Duke Wei's mansion was completed, Emperor Suzong rewarded him with many treasures, utensils, wine and food, and personally wrote the words on the plaque of the mansion.
Even the arrogant and domineering Empress Zhang sent several boxes of palace clothes, clothes and accessories.
…
Leyou was originally the highest point in Chang'an City. The terrain was so high and vast that from a distance it looked like a hill rising out of thin air.
When you climb the original mountain, you can see from afar. The surrounding area is spacious. The capital city looks like the palm of your hand. When you look at the Qujiang Furong Garden and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, it feels like you are right in front of you.
Every spring in March and Double Ninth Festival in September, there is an endless stream of people coming here to enjoy the scenery. The curtains are covered with clouds, the incense carts are filled, and the talented ladies enjoy the flowers, go for an outing, and climb up to the heights.
In order to climb up and enjoy the sights, Princess Taiping built pavilions here, creating the largest private garden in Chang'an besides the royal garden - Princess Taiping Manor.
After Princess Taiping rebelled, this garden was confiscated, and Xuanzong gave it to the four kings Ning, Shen, Qi, and Xue.
Later, when King Ning saw that Mrs. Guo was favored, he donated his garden to Mrs. Guo. Mrs. Guo made great efforts to build it and built it into what it is today.
Today, this is the back garden of Duke Wei's mansion.
Standing on the pavilions in the back garden, you can overlook Qinren, Anyi, Xuanping, Xinchang and other villages. The gray-white walls of the buildings stretch along the hillside, and the corners are planted with green bamboos and willows. It is very romantic in spring and summer.
In the courtyard of the pavilion, Princess Qingluan ordered the gardener to transplant several green pines and cypresses from the royal garden. She hopes that in the future, these pines and cypresses will be surrounded by people, and the pavilions will be like a canopy.
Princess Qingluan chose a suitable location near the square wall and planted several Xinyi flower trees with her own hands. She told Bai Fu that in the future, the Xinyi flowers would bloom, the clouds would be like brocade, and the flowers would be as heavy as the city of Chang'an. From the Daming Palace on Longshou Plain
You can see the Weiguo Palace at a glance.
One day I miss Bai Fu, and I can stand on the attic of the dormitory and look out at this place.
…
In the center of the back garden is a vast and open lake, with vast misty waves that can be used for long boats and boats. At sunrise, the mist rises from the lake, making it beautiful.
Along the lakeside, there are long pavilions, arched bridges, and countless stacked rocks. They are planted with peonies, peonies, white lotus, laurel and weeping willows, and there are also many rare birds such as egrets, mandarin ducks, swans, and red-crowned cranes.
After cleaning up the mud in the lake, Princess Qingluan was surprised to find a spring in the middle of the lake, which gushes out all year round. The spring water is clear and crystal clear, sweet and delicious.
Afterwards, when the sun set and the sky was filled with colorful clouds, Bai Fu and Qing Luan took a small boat and came to the center of the lake, scooped up a few ladles of clear spring water, boiled water and made tea, enjoying themselves.
Or, the moon is above the forest tops, admiring the moon in the middle of the lake, letting the boat float. Qingluan burns incense and plays the harp, Bai Fu plays the jade flute horizontally, the moon shadow is slanted, and he listens drunkenly to the falling flowers.
…
One day, Zi Chesi returned to Chang'an from Heyang. Bai Fu entertained Zi Chesi at a pavilion by the lake.
Seeing the fairy mist lingering in the lake and the sweet spring gushing out in the center of the lake, Zi Che Lai had a thought in his mind, and consciously or unconsciously repeated the sentence: "The dragon's energy rises from the blue pool, and the heart of the spring reflects the heart of the sky."