The Moon Over Tang Dynasty Chapter 39

Chapter 39 Chengtianmen is high and Xianchi is far away

 After an autumn rain that lasted for two days, the autumn mood in Chang'an suddenly became thicker. The cool autumn wind blows, and the withered yellow locust pods fall one after another. A thick layer of them is piled up on both sides of each avenue in Chang'an City, mixed with the mud that has not yet dried up, and the wheels of the oxcarts walking along the roadside. From time to time, there were creaking sounds under the feet of pedestrians.

The carriage Liuli was riding in was walking in the middle of the road. The loess there had been dried by the sun. The carriage was traveling fast and steady, and the wheels raised flying dust wherever they passed. Not long after, a tall palace wall appeared outside the small window on the left side of the carriage.

This was the first time for Liuli to be so close to the palace. She couldn't help but go over and take a few more glances. She felt that the earth-yellow palace wall, which was more than ten meters high, had an indescribable sense of oppression. Thinking of what was coming next She may have to spend most of the next year or two within this high wall. Even though she has done enough mental construction in the past few days, she can't help but feel a little confused at this moment. Mrs. Wu, who was sitting opposite her, asked, "Liu Li, have you ever been here?" She came back to her senses and shook her head honestly.

Today Mrs. Wu is wearing a crimson mud-gold hibiscus blouse and a crimson halo flower silk shawl. Her complexion is fresh and she is obviously in a happy mood. She smiled comfortingly at Liuli and said, "When I first entered the palace, I thought the palace walls looked so forbidding and scary. I'll get used to it."

Liuli could only nod in agreement, but saw Xiao Yueniang, who was sitting next to Mrs. Wu, looking at him with a smile. She couldn't help but make a face at her and smiled, which made her feel more relaxed.

The carriage walked along the palace wall for two or three miles before stopping outside a single-arched gate with the words "Yanxi Gate" written on it. The guarding imperial guards came up and asked a few questions before waving their way and the carriage walked in along the doorway. The doorway was more than ten meters long. Thinking that this was the thickness of the palace wall, Liuli couldn't help but feel a little horrified.

After entering the doorway, there was a long and wide street going west, with high palace walls on both sides. Mrs. Wu pointed to the palace wall on the right and said, "This is the East Palace, and after passing the East Palace is the Tai Chi Palace." Pointing to the left, "That's the imperial city over there, the inner square of the East Palace, the Yamen of the three provinces, and the garrison of the Forbidden Army."

Liu Li nodded secretly, and after the carriage and horses had gone another two or three miles, Mrs. Wu suddenly smiled and said, "You might as well lift the curtain and take a good look, the Chengtian Gate is in front of you."

 Chengtianmen? Liuli hurriedly moved forward, lifted the curtain and looked out, and saw a large bluestone-paved square in front of the carriage, facing the unusually majestic city gate tower on the right. The gatehouse is nearly 70 meters wide, with the middle gate being eight or nine meters wide, and two side gates about six meters wide on both sides. Its scale is not inferior to that of the Tiananmen Gate Tower in later generations, but it is more of a kind. Simple and pure momentum. Above the city gate is a tall building with two-story cornices and red walls and black tiles, which outlines a simple and powerful silhouette under the high and clear autumn sky. There is also a well-regulated court hall on the east and west sides of the city gate, which makes this the first gate of the Tang Dynasty even more majestic.

Liuli held her breath and watched everything in front of her. It wasn't until the Chengtianmen gate tower had completely disappeared behind the carriage that she lowered the curtain and let out a sigh of relief. After walking forward for about a few hundred meters, the carriage slowed down. Mrs. Wu smiled and said, "We're here!" As soon as the car stopped, the two maids Cuimo and Xiangyu who were sitting in the car behind had caught up and opened the car curtains. Liuli lowered her head and got out of the carriage first, stepped on the step stool and jumped off, The nurse followed behind with Yueniang in her arms, and finally Mrs. Wu helped Cuimo get out of the car.

In front of you is another city gate, which looks similar to the structure of Chengtian Gate. It also has a tower on the top and bluestone on the bottom. It is very solemn and steady, but the regulations are smaller. There are only three doorways, and there are no palaces next to it. It looks like It is far less spectacular than Chengtian Gate. The plaque on the city gate has three characters "Yong'an Gate" written on it. Mrs. Wu then smiled at Liuli and said, "Whenever a woman from an official family enters the palace, she enters and exits through Yong'an Gate. However, only the queen can access the main entrance."

As soon as Mrs. Wu finished speaking, she saw three eunuchs coming up quickly. The first **** had a handsome face and saluted Mrs. Wu, "Madam, you are here very early."

Mrs. Wu smiled and said, "Liu Kang, how are Zhaoyi these days?"

The **** named Liu Kang nodded and said, "Everything is fine. I just miss you and the old lady all the time." Then he directed the other two eunuchs to unload the luggage from the carriage.

Mrs. Wu took Liuli's hand and walked to the side door on the left, and whispered with a slight complaint, "Normally, the harem relatives like us can go straight in by car, but Mrs. Liu never gets off here, but Mei Niang and mother are both. Neither left nor right is allowed, so we can only go inside to change the carriage in the palace. "

Liuli nodded secretly in her heart, this is the smart thing to do! She smiled at Mrs. Wu and said, "Zhaoyi and the old lady have thought carefully. Although it is a little more troublesome, it saves people from talking." Mrs. Wu gave her an angry look and said, "It's strange that mother likes you. You are really with her all the way." of!"

Liuli smiled and said nothing, thinking, I only saw ghosts when I was with her! She looked around for a few times, and caught a glimpse of the **** named Liu Kang giving the head guard who was guarding the door a money bag that looked quite substantial. The guards suddenly smiled. Liu Kang chatted and joked with those people for a few more times before rushing over.

This Yong'an Gate doorway is also more than ten meters long. When he walked inside the door, Liu Kang led a few people to three carriages that were already waiting. Several carriages were hung with green curtains and harnessed to ponies. The carriages looked extremely small and light. Mrs. Wu pulled Liuli into the first one, the wet nurse held Yueniang into the second one, and Cuimo Xiangyu got into the second one. I squeezed into the third carriage with my luggage.

Liuli got on the carriage and found that the interior of the carriage was also very simple. There was only a new tooth mat covered with green brocade mattress, which was just right for the two of them to sit down calmly. After a while, the wheels began to roll. I don't know whether it was because the ground in the palace was exceptionally flat or the carriage was finely made. It was three points more stable than the magnificent carriage of the Wu family. Looking out from the small window of the carriage, one could see a carriage from time to time. Seeing a majestic palace or pavilion, Mrs. Wu told Liuli, "This area is the front dynasty, and inside the wall over there is the Zhongshu Province. Do you see the cornices in the distance? That is the Taiji Hall..."

After sitting in the carriage for two full cups of tea and passing two palace gates, the wheels stopped. Liu Kang smiled outside and said, "Madam, please get out of the car and change the eaves." Mrs. Wu smiled and relaxed He said, "Only when we enter the Huizheng Gate can we reach the inner court. We don't have to be trapped in this palm-sized carriage anymore!"

Liuli followed Mrs. Wu out of the car and walked into Huizheng Gate. She immediately discovered that the scenery around her was completely different: the broad bluestone road was lined with greenery, flowers and trees, and several pavilions with exquisite pink walls and black tiles. The people coming and going are no longer the eunuchs with low eyebrows, but palace maids wearing half-breasted skirts and high-waisted silk skirts. Even the breeze blowing in the face seems to have a scent of powder.

Liu Kang waved, and an eaves carried by four people rushed over. Liuli had occasionally seen this kind of Tang Dynasty sedan chair in the market. Some were carried on the shoulders, and some were carried by hands as in later generations. However, there were only a few symbolic narrow curtains hanging on all sides. Although the view of the people in the sedan chair is almost unobstructed, they can only sit upright with a solemn expression. Even sneezing can attract onlookers, which is not very comfortable.

 At this time, it was exactly such a shoulder-shaped hat that came over. The top was shaped like a pavilion with four cornices and several vermilion veils hanging down from the four corners. When they arrived in front of Mrs. Wu, the four eunuchs who carried the emperor respectfully lowered the eaves. Mrs. Wu turned around and led Yueniang to kneel down on the eaves. Then the four eunuchs raised their heads and started to move very smoothly.

Liu Li and Cui Mo followed on the left side of the eaves. Cui Mo had a very peaceful temperament and had become very familiar with Liu Li in the past few days. At this moment, he whispered the names of the palaces and pavilions along the road to Liu Li. After Mrs. Wu entered the inner court, she stopped joking and occasionally only gave Yueniang a few words or looked at Liuli with a smile. However, I met many palace maids along the way who seemed to know Liu Kang. Many of them would joke with him before saluting Madam Wu. Liuli paid attention to their behavior and found that they were not necessarily very formal, and the details of their outfits were often unique.

This way we passed Baifu Hall, passed Yuehua Gate, and walked west for a while. We saw a long verandah on the left hand side, with red balustrades and green tiles, stretching endlessly. Liuli asked hurriedly, "Is this the Thousand-Step Corridor?" Cuimo smiled and said, "Of course, if it's a rainy day, this corridor is very convenient." Then he sighed, "After passing the Thousand-Step Corridor and Shu Jingdian is Xianchidian.”

Liuli nodded. He had been walking for at least a quarter of an hour, and it looked like there was still a long way to go. She couldn't help but murmur in her heart, living in this courtyard that was several times larger than the harem of the Forbidden City, if they didn't ride horses or sit in sedan chairs, the emperor's concubines would have to run around on two legs to hook up or fight with each other. If I fight, that would be too cheating... Just as she was thinking about it, Cui Mo grabbed her arm tightly and whispered, "Oops!"

Liuli was taken aback and asked quickly, "What's wrong?"

Cuimo pointed forward with his chin. Liuli took a closer look and saw a group of palace people suddenly appeared at the corner in front, with a shoulder-shaped carriage in the middle. The golden top and purple curtain of the shoulder carriage are very gorgeous, and there is a beauty in purple sitting vaguely inside. Liuli's heart moved and she quickly asked, "Is it the queen?"

Cuimo frowned and said softly, "It's okay if it's the queen, it's Concubine Xiao Shu! We all have to be careful!"

 Concubine Xiao Shu? Is Concubine Xiao Shu difficult to deal with? No matter how difficult it is, what does it have to do with people like them? Liuli hurriedly raised her head and glanced at Mrs. Wu, only to see her staring blankly in front of her, her left hand holding the handkerchief clenched into a fist.

The team of palace maids arrived in a moment. The four eunuchs here had already put down their eaves. Mrs. Wu's carriage was standing on the roadside. When Concubine Xiao Shu's carriage came three or four steps in front of her, she bowed her head and performed a blessing ceremony. Liuli also felt deeply moved. Although she was quite curious, she didn't dare to look inside the carriage.

But I heard a soft voice coming from the shoulder carriage, "Hey, I have never been dazzled by this, have you? Isn't this Mrs. Wu?" The group of palace attendants immediately stopped, and two fluttering purple gauze were falling. Less than two steps away from Liuli.

Mrs. Wu's body was slightly stiff and she whispered, "I have met Her Royal Highness Concubine Shu."

Concubine Xiao Shu suddenly smiled sweetly, "What concubine? Madam is too out of touch! I wonder what your purpose is, Madam? Oh, just pretend that I haven't asked, I am really stupid, why do you need to ask? Zhaoyi is now I'm not in a good condition, so of course Madam is here to serve Zhaoyi..." He smiled and suddenly raised his voice and asked, "Are you right?"

Liuli had her head lowered all the time, but suddenly she felt several eyes falling on her. She couldn't help but raise her head, and saw a slender jade finger pointing directly at her through the purple gauze curtain of the shoulder bag.

  p.s. The first day a new book is put on the shelf is like the first day working in a new company, I feel uneasy. Please support us with pink votes. This month, Alan needs pink votes very much...

 (End of this chapter)

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