The dawn of Chang’an City always comes especially step by step.

At five and three o’clock, the layers of double eaves and corners of the Tai Chi Palace were just outlined by the morning light into countless silhouettes under the dark blue sky. The first morning drum sounded on the gate of Chengtian Gate on time. Immediately, on the six main roads facing the city gate, dozens of street drums were beaten one after another.

In the faint light of dawn, Chang’an City was like a giant beast waking up from a deep sleep, shaking its body amid the rumbling of drums: more than a hundred squares of squares that were divided into vegetable borders opened their doors almost at the same time , The twenty-five Fangwai Avenue where the curfew had been for one night also reappeared with carriages, horses, and pedestrians; and at the gates of each block, the sound of selling sesame cakes one after another, the enthusiastic tone and steaming stove made this world universal The unparalleled Xiongcheng gradually had the aura of human fireworks.

It was only in the early morning of the first day of the first month (the last day), when the Chang’an people opened the door amidst the lingering rhyme of the three thousand morning drums, and what they saw was the gloomy sky and the fine snow particles coming over, they complained The sound suddenly rang out in chaos, and was blown far away by the howling cold wind.

The Obscure Day is the first big day for a group outing in the empty alleys of Chang’an every year. However, the snow and the clouds in front of you have transformed the atmosphere of the early spring into a scene of severe winter!

Chonghuafang in the west of Chang’an City is close to the West Market, where the Hu businessmen lived. In an inconspicuous small courtyard in the workshop, 15-year-old Kudi Liuli was also standing at the door of his cabin, looking up at the sky blankly. A gust of north wind blew by, and she subconsciously stretched out her hand to close the jacket on her body, her neckline was tight, but her cuff showed a small half of her arm. In the chilly dim morning light, the patchy azurite cuffs lined with the thin white wrists that were blown slightly blue by the cold wind soon, making people feel chills when watching.

The servant woman who was sweeping the floor in the yard glanced at her. She trembled several times, and then she hurriedly lowered her head and muttered to the sound Buddha: What a crime! This is supposed to be the eldest daughter of the family. The mother has been dead for three years, so she still falls into this field? Not only is the life not as good as the slaves, but I have heard that I have to be sent to that kind of place early in the morning…

Kudi Liuli didn’t even feel pityed at all at this time. She didn’t even feel the coldness on her fingers. She had only one thought in her heart: How could it be this kind of weather?

“How could it be this kind of weather!” A crisp voice suddenly rang from the diagonally ground, causing Liuli to wake up a spirit, only to see a younger sister who was only a few months younger than her at the entrance to the main room of the West Wing three steps away. Coral also looked up at the sky, paused for a moment and then shook his head back to the house. From the tall green door curtain, there was a crisp command, “Aye, find my new jacket soon!”

When he went out again, Coral had put on a new cluster of apricot-red winter jacket with narrow sleeves and a deer pattern with beads. The color was so gorgeous that it could almost brighten up half of the yard. She lowered her head and pulled the corners of her clothes a few times, then took another two pats. Then, her eyes fell on Liuli’s body along the bridge of her nose, and stopped at her broken cuffs, showing the most familiar look on her face: the brows were raised. The corners of her mouth curled down, and her voice seemed to bend twice in her nose, “Oh, Sister, it was so easy to go out today, how can she not change her clothes?”

Go out? Can you still go out in this weather? Liuli opened his eyes slightly, and his heart jumped wildly, but he dared not show on his face, his expression became more and more dull.

Shan Shan glanced at her diagonally, raised her head and laughed , “Looking at my memory, I forgot that Sister’s new clothes are going to be used tomorrow!”

This was originally Coral’s favorite talk in the past few months. Seeing Liuli quickly lowered her eyes and bit her lips as usual, her laugh could not help but add a bit of real pleasure. Just wanted to add a few more words. The curtain of the door was raised, but father Ku Di Yanzhong and mother Cao led their six-year-old brother Qing Lin out of the door. Shan Hu’s smile suddenly became brighter and brighter, “Grandpa, A-niang, I’m not very angry today. I’m afraid that the wind will be stronger by Qujiang, but I need to wear more to go out. Qinglin needs to wear thicker ones. I’m going to school in two days to enlighten Mongolia, and I must not freeze today…

Her lively laughter echoed in the small courtyard, mixed with the low voice of Ku Di Yanzhong instructing the preparation of the car, the soft voice of Cao complaining about the weather, and the clear voice of Qinglin protesting the dressing. There was a kind of saying no. Out of harmony. The three or four servants of Kudi’s family who were waiting and watching also energized their own spirits, coming in and out, and arranging various objects that the host family would prepare for today’s spring outing.

No one noticed that Liuli, who had been standing there for a long time at the entrance of the corner house of the West Wing, had bowed her head sadly, her eyes drooping, and her eyes were covered with relief.

Until Kudi’s ox cart swayed for more than an hour, he finally walked from Chonghuafang in the northwest corner of Chang’an to Qujiang, the first outing resort of Chang’an outside the southeastern city, and has been silently shrouded in the colored glaze beside the car curtain. Lifting his eyes, before the car stopped, he consciously jumped out of the car first. Only after landing, she glanced at the front at random, but almost staggered out.

The scenery in front of you is really unexpected!

It is said that the spring grass is blue and the spring water is green, the famous Liuli of Qujiang Chunjing has long been familiar. But at the moment, the spring water in the distance hadn’t thawed, and the spring grass in the near ground hadn’t germinated. The north wind blowing from the river surface made it more and more cold.

However, in such a bald and gray background, what unfolded in front of her was clearly a picture of a prosperous and enthusiastic spring outing—when you look at it, you can only see the world between the earth and the river, but everything The places where a few trees and stones are densely packed with felt tents of various colors, many places are still covered with elegant six-curved screens, and a few slightly higher hills are blocked by colorful embroidered curtains.

It’s a serious one; on the several riverside roads, there are endless horses and scented carriages on the wall, and in various places, there are groups of people dancing to the bright rhythm of music…

Liuli rubbed his eyes involuntarily. It turns out that people who are not from the Kudi family are particularly fond of spring outings. Looking at the posture in front of them, at least half of the Chang’an people are determined to run to this place in this kind of weather and drink happily. On the northwest wind!

The Kudi family was obviously late, and the bullock cart zigzags along the river for more than a quarter of an hour, but did not find a suitable place to stay among the tents in Mizaza. After Liuli was shocked, I looked around, and gradually saw some doorways: the places surrounded by the green curtain and the noisy singing and dancing, most of the people who came and went were wealthy and famous women with veils covering their faces. They said they were enjoying the spring, except for the beautiful curtain.

I can’t see it; the screen is half-concealed and the case is a little low. The literati who is traveling with a sword sits in a state of intoxication while drinking and chanting poetry to the north wind. It’s more worth seeing than the spring light in front of me; as for those three to five groups, freshly clothed angry horses, roaring and talking and laughing, they are naturally the dudes who are walking in Chang’an.

They want to enjoy the spring and let people watch them. How to appreciate the spring, but also to appreciate the beauties who appreciate the spring, one by one is too busy to wish that eight eyes grow on their heads; of course, the most are ordinary people like the Kudi family who ride in ox carts and carry felt tents, and the whole family travels. It is here to appreciate the spring and people, and it does not matter if it is not rewarded. The so-called expensive is blending…

Liuli looked more and more interested, and was about to look at the green curtain not far away, but a cool voice rang in her ear, “Sister is in good spirits, why is it that she has never been to Qushui? ?”

Liuli’s heart was stunned, and she turned her head and looked at the coral she was squinting at her. Before she could speak, Coral had already covered her mouth and laughed, “Why did I forget it again? Naturally, sister Qujiang also came often. I just want to come here again after today, I’m afraid it won’t be easy! Sister, don’t you think it is?”

She wore a seven-leaf tortoiseshell gold on her head, and the fine gilt leaf petals quivered with laughter, making the sneerful blue eyes brighter and brighter for a while. Somewhat ecstatic.

Yes, or not, this is indeed a problem.

According to the soul, she is indeed the first time to come to Qujiang, the first time in her life. Whether the former Kudi Liuli came often, she didn’t know: she only knew that when she opened her eyes three years ago, she became a crooked little girl. In the past three years, she had hoped countless times that this was just a nightmare, but unfortunately it was because she complained several times when she wrote her graduation thesis about the lack of information in the Tang Dynasty, or clamored that she was too tired to lose weight twice or was it cool to be a Tang Dynasty woman. God actually sent her to do fieldwork… to be exact, it should be a test! Because what was assigned to her was a mess that couldn’t be more messed up:

The mother of this body has passed away, and the father does not exist. The siblings in the family are all born to the concubine, and the servants are all bought by the concubine. Even the relatives who walk around are mostly from the concubine’s side, plus this cheating ancient Changan dialect sounds Just like Niaoyu, she could not figure out the situation for several months, and then it took more than a year before she dared to speak again, but at this time the trend was over, and she had completely fallen into a person with no backing, no helper, no freedom and no future.

Siwu youth, even the status of a good citizen is about to be lost! Shanhu’s so-called “today” is not just to remind her that this spring outing is not about three years of labor and sentence, but an authentic meal of decapitation? But… Liuli looked at the concubine in front of her quietly for a while, and smiled, “Sister said yes.”

Shanhu visibly froze for a moment, as if she didn’t understand how Liuli could laugh, and raised her eyebrows.

“Chi” laughed out, “Sister really is a heart-minded person, it can be seen that it is someone who wants to climb high branches, but how did I hear that the high branches there are not so easy to climb! When you enter, you must first serve those who have Senior aunts, if one doesn’t pay attention…”

Before she finished speaking, there was a low drink from behind her, “Coral, don’t just talk and laugh, and remember to take care of your brother!”

Shan Hu was taken aback, and turned around to meet Cao’s stern eyes, and his heart suddenly burst—Mother had repeatedly explained that she couldn’t say something to Liuli, let alone let her father hear. Forget that today’s father is behind you? After taking a peek at Ku Di Yanzhong’s face, Coral’s heart couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. He gave Liuli a vicious look, turned his head and grabbed his brother Qinglin’s hand.

The Cao family stared at Coral with hatred for iron and steel, and took two steps to smile at Liuli: “Don’t listen to your girl’s nonsense! What can she know! Those who are making things difficult are all imperfect palace people, how can they be with you? Than? Now your uncle has done everything up and down, and you are a good family. Naturally, you will be a member of the inner courtyard. After a few days of study, you can get to the front. Who dares to show your face?”

She smiled kindly on her face, but Liuli didn’t dare to neglect, she secretly stirred up twelve spirits, and after hearing her finish, she let out a sigh of relief, and bowed her head softly as before, “My daughter saves it.”

Cao’s eyes showed satisfaction, and smiled and held Liuli’s hand, “Don’t worry, your grandfather loves you the most. Naturally, everything will do a good job for you! You also know how much the family has spent this year. It’s only with strength to find this way! After entering, there are endless wealth and leisure, not to mention, there is more opportunity to rise to the sky! I only hope that you will be successful in the future, and don’t forget to pull the two unworthy…”

Cao’s hand was cold and greasy. When she was squeezed by her, Liuli’s arm couldn’t help but shudder, her face became more and more well-behaved, and she gently pulled the corner of her mouth without making a sound. Cao didn’t expect anything from her, but sighed and patted her hand, “You are too weak. Fortunately, your uncle and aunts are taking care of…”

Liuli still bowed his head and said nothing, listening to the Cao family read another big story about how their Cao family was respectable over there, and how they did their best to help this time. It wasn’t until Ku Di Yanzhong took a fancy to a place slightly far from the river bank that the Cao family let go of the colored glaze, and stepped forward to direct the servant woman Aye and Shibu Qingquan who came with the car to spread the felt tent and lay the food table.

Liuli secretly breathed a sigh of relief, took two steps back and turned to look at Qu Jiang in the distance. Her face was still calm, but her eyes were full of mockery: What is eloquence? That’s it! Anyone who listened to Cao’s rhetoric would think that she had found a good place for herself, but how could she have thought that this good place for “rich, noble and leisure” in her mouth is actually the Jiaofang, and it is the most abnormal palace. Inner teaching workshop! But unfortunately, Cao probably didn’t know: she tried so hard to speak, but her baby girl was the one who looked down upon herself the most, and she had already ridiculed countless truths for months-

That Jiaofang was an out-and-out fire pit. Once selected, he would have to spend his life in the court, and would no longer be able to leave the cage for half a step, even inferior to the palace maid, because even if he had luck, he was already a lowly citizen! In Datang, the hierarchy between Liang and Jian is the most severe. Just like Cao, because she was born under the family of Jiaofang, she should never want to be the wife of a serious family in this life. Now she can do whatever she wants at home, but the dead family An family has already fallen out with her family. The beautiful Kudi family is also withered, no one cares about her!

As for the small chance of being favored by the emperor when performing an art, let’s not say that she herself is not interested in becoming a supernumerary sleeper of the Datang court. Even if she is aspiring to the great cause of palace fighting, she will never forget that it is the fourth year of Yonghui. The eternal emperor Zetian is already precious to Zhaoyi, and immediately wants to go to the world. At this time, go to sleep with the future emperor and the current emperor. She might as well find a rope and hang it clean… After she speaks again , she will be put in such a “use”, should she pretend to be dumb for a lifetime? It’s just that she can’t pretend to be deaf and dumb to beg her for life, after all, she has to bet on this…

Liuli raised her head in a daze, looked at the singing and laughing crowd not far away, and sighed silently.

The two servants of the Cudi family set up the tent not long afterwards, and the prepared buttermilk and buttermilk biscuits were quickly put on several dining tables in the account. Spring outing for a picnic was originally a graceful act, but drinking sour buttermilk and chewing cold sesame cakes in the felt canopy poured into the north wind from time to time, this graceful colored glaze is really unbearable. After finally boiled for more than half an hour, laughter and singing came from time to time outside the account, which had hooked Shanhu and Qinglin early. Liuli just continued to remain dull, thinking silently about what to do later, and thinking about it the third time, Kudi Yanzhong’s voice suddenly rang in her ears, “Go get the coral and them back, and Good to go home.”

I? Liuli looked up at Ku Di Yanzhong with some surprise, and saw that he nodded, only to press the food table in front of him with both hands and stand up. The cold wind outside the tents became more and more biting, Liuli tightened the cold jacket on her body, and looked up, only a large circle of people surrounded a clearing to the east, and she hurriedly walked over.

Naturally, she didn’t hear it. In the tent, Kudi Yanzhong whispered to Cao’s family: “Some thinks about tomorrow…If Liuli is really allowed to enter the workshop, it will save some chewing, our family’s reputation must be unpleasant. Anyway, she is fifteen this year, so it would be better to marry someone who doesn’t want a dowry. Isn’t that too much work?”

The Cao family was startled for a moment, and sighed softly, “I’m afraid it’s not easy to regret this matter now. At the Taichang Temple, Brother Nujia has entrusted someone to take care of it. They will not be easy to be humans in the future. Besides, Liuli looks like this, how can ordinary people afford it? If they are allowed to be random, they may not know what will happen in the future! Although the reputation of Jiaofang is not very pleasant, it is extremely affordable. With the opportunity, the future is boundless. We can’t delay our daughter’s future for the sake of fame…”

Ku Diyanzhong opened his mouth, but he still didn’t say anything. After a while, he lifted the drink in front of him and drank it with his head up.

Outside the tent, Liuli had already reached the crowd gathering place, and saw people on the third and outer floors. There were vigorous flutes inside, and there were cold swords spinning above the heads. It was a rare occasion to see someone performing. No wonder everyone was attracted to the sword dance.

Because Taichang Temple chose female performers to take care of demeanor and talent in addition to their appearance, the Cao family had asked people to simply teach Liuli some music and dance etiquette. She knows a thing or two about the popular soft dance and healthy dance, but she has never seen this sword dance. She hurriedly lifted her toes and looked in, but she could only see the back of the head of the sword dancer accidentally exposed and the sword light that was sometimes like a dragon, and sometimes like a full moon.

After watching for a while, Liuli couldn’t help but squeeze in through the crevices. Then he saw that the sword dancer was a very tall man. The sword light roamed like a living creature, and the dancers came and went like the wind. , Swift and thunderous, but with one move and one move clearly and clearly, he is a good player, the flute player is also a young man, with several patches on his winter robe, but his expression is extremely calm and comfortable.

When the sound of the flute was blown to the most agitated point, the sword dancer’s long sword suddenly took off and flew up, threw it high into the air, and then fell down like lightning. Everyone took a breath and just wanted to exclaim, they heard it. With a soft sound, it turned out that the sword had fallen into the scabbard held by the dancer, and the surroundings suddenly burst into flames.

Liuli couldn’t help but was dazzled. Only then did he see that the person of the sword dance was not too old. There was no one standing there proudly, but he turned his head and arched his hand at the piper, “Thank you!” The piper smiled and replied. : “Happy!” The two didn’t know each other, but they smiled at each other, and each went away.

The onlookers slowly dispersed. Some took out the flute, flute and pipa, and danced again. The music is melodious, the dance is cheerful, and the loud singing of “Buy a new five-foot knife, hanging on the beam”, although the cold wind in the afternoon is getting more and more bitter, the warm and willful heat in the crowd can almost go straight into the sky.

Liuli couldn’t help being dazzled for a while, and there seemed to be a small voice in his ear exclaiming: This is Datang! This is the Tang Dynasty like the rising sun… In a trance, someone around him suddenly gave a startled, “Miss Kudi?”