The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 1 People come like weaving swords and go like lightning

Dawn in Chang'an City always comes in a very orderly manner.

 At three o'clock in the morning, the stacked double eaves and horns of Taiji Palace were just outlined by the morning light into countless silhouettes under the blue sky, and the first morning drum sounded on time from the gate tower of Chengtianmen. Immediately, dozens of street drums were beaten one after another on the six main roads facing the city gate. In the faint dawn, Chang'an City seemed like a giant beast waking up from a deep sleep, shaking its body amidst the rumbling drums: more than a hundred buildings that were divided as neatly as a vegetable patch opened their doors almost at the same time. , the twenty-five avenues outside the square that had been curfewed overnight also reappeared with carriages and pedestrians; and at the gates of each square, the voices of people selling Hu cakes came and went. The enthusiastic voices and steaming stoves made this world-famous city The unparalleled majestic city gradually took on the atmosphere of human fireworks.

It was just in the early morning of the last day of the first lunar month, when the people of Chang'an opened the door to the aftertaste of three thousand morning drums and saw the gloomy sky and the fine snow particles hitting their faces, they complained. The sound suddenly sounded in confusion, and was blown far away by the howling cold wind.

The Hui Ri Festival is the first big day every year in Chang'an City when the streets are empty for collective outings. However, the scattered snow and clouds in front of us actually transform the early spring atmosphere into a severe winter scene!

Chonghuafang in the west of Chang'an City is close to the West Market and is where Hu merchants live. In an inconspicuous courtyard in the workshop, fifteen-year-old Kudi Liuli stood at the door of his small house, looking up at the sky blankly. A gust of north wind blew by, and she subconsciously stretched out her hands to tighten her cross-collared jacket. The collar was tightly covered, but the cuffs exposed a small part of her arms. In the dim and chilly morning light, the patched azure-colored burlap cuffs contrasted with the thin white wrists that had been blown slightly blue by the cold wind not long after, making people shiver just by looking at them.

The servant girl who was sweeping the floor in the yard glanced at her twice and immediately shivered several times. She hurriedly lowered her head and muttered to the Buddha secretly: What a sin! This is supposed to be the eldest daughter of the family. Her own mother died three years ago, so she still ends up in this situation? Not only will the life be worse than that of a slave, I heard that they will be sent to that kind of place tomorrow morning...

Kudi Liuli had no sense of being pitied at all at this time. She didn't even feel the coldness on her fingers. There was only one thought in her mind: How could it be this kind of weather?

"How could the weather be like this!" A clear voice suddenly sounded from the side of the ground, causing Liuli to wake up. She saw her sister, who was only a few months younger than her, at the door of the main room in the west wing three steps away. Coral also looked up at the sky, paused for a moment and then turned back to the house. From the swaying green door curtain, a crisp command came, "Aye, hurry up and find my new coat!"

When he went out again, Hualu had put on a brand-new apricot red winter coat with beaded deer pattern and narrow sleeves. The color was so bright that it could almost light up half the yard. She lowered her head and tugged at the corners of her clothes a few times, and patted them twice. Then her eyes fell on Liuli along the bridge of her nose, pausing at her damaged cuffs, and the look she was most familiar with Liuli showed on her face: her eyebrows were raised. , the corners of his mouth turned down, and his voice seemed to have turned two corners in his nose, "Oh, sister, it's easy for me to go out today, why don't you change into new clothes?"

 Going out? Can you still go out in such weather? Liuli's eyes widened slightly, her heart beating wildly, but she didn't dare to show anything on her face, and her expression became even more dull.

Coral glanced at her sideways, raised her head and laughed, "Looking at my memory, I actually forgot that my sister's new clothes will be put to great use tomorrow!"

This had been Coral's favorite words for several months. Seeing Liuli quickly lowering her eyes and biting her lips as usual, her laughter couldn't help but feel a bit of real joy. Just when she was about to add a few more words, the North Face's Shang The door curtain was raised, but it was his father Ku Di Yanzhong and his mother Cao Shi who led their six-year-old brother Qing Lin out of the room. Coral's smile suddenly became brighter, "Grandpa, grandma, the weather is not very good today. I'm afraid the wind will get stronger by Qujiang River, but I have to wear more clothes before going out. Qinglin needs to wear thicker clothes. He passed I'm going to school in two days to get started, so don't freeze today..."

Her lively laughter echoed in the small courtyard, mixed with Kudi Yanzhong's deep voice ordering the car to be prepared, Cao's soft voice complaining about the weather, and Qinglin's clear voice protesting about adding more clothes. There was a sense of saying no. Out of harmony. The three or four servants of Cudi's family who were waiting and watching also cheered up and went in and out to take care of various items that the master would prepare for today's spring outing.

No one noticed that Liuli, who had been standing at the door of the corner room in the west wing for half a day, lowered her head sadly, and her lowered eyes tightly covered the trace of relief and surprise in her eyes.

It wasn't until the Kudi family's oxcart wandered for more than an hour that it finally walked from Chonghuafang in the northwest corner of Chang'an to Qujiang, the first outing resort in Chang'an outside the southeastern city. Liuli, who had been silently shrinking by the car curtain, finally He raised his eyes and before the car stopped, he jumped out of the car consciously. After landing, she glanced ahead casually, but almost stumbled and fell out.

The scenery in front of me is really unexpected!

It is said that the spring grass is green and the spring water is green and rippled. The name Liuli of Qujiang Spring Scenery has long been familiar to my ears. But at the moment, the spring water in the distance has obviously not yet thawed, and not a single spring grass in the ground has sprouted. The north wind blowing from the river makes it even colder. However, in such a bare and dusty background, what unfolded in front of her was a picture of a spring outing that was extremely prosperous and enthusiastic. Looking around, she could see everything between heaven and earth, and along the river. Wherever there are trees or rocks, there are densely packed felt tents of various colors. Elegant six-curved screens are hung in many places. Some slightly higher hills are blocked by colorful embroidered curtains. There is a tight crowd; on several riverside roads, there are endless horses with carved saddles and oil-walled incense carts, and in various places near and far, there are groups of people dancing to the lively music...

Liuli couldn't help but rub her eyes. It turned out that people who were not from the Kudi family loved spring outings. Looking at the situation in front of her, at least half of the people in Chang'an resolutely ran to such a place in this kind of weather and drank happily. There's a northwest wind!

The Kudi family obviously arrived late. The ox cart zigzagged along the river for more than half a quarter of an hour, but could not find a suitable place to stay among the densely packed tents. After Liuli was shocked, he looked around and gradually saw some clues: in the place surrounded by green curtains and with noisy singing and dancing, most of the people coming in and out were rich and noble ladies whose faces were covered by curtains and hats. It was said that they were enjoying the spring, except for the splendid curtains and other things. You can't even see it; where the screen is half-covered and the table is low, sitting there are literati traveling with swords, drinking and reciting poems in front of the whistling north wind, seeming intoxicated, and their serious spring-appreciation posture is actually... It is more interesting than the spring scenery in front of you; as for those groups of three or five, wearing bright clothes and angry horses, roaring, chatting and laughing, they are naturally the dandies who are running rampant in Chang'an. They want to enjoy the spring and let people watch them. How to enjoy the spring, you should also appreciate the beauties enjoying the spring. They are all so busy that they wish they had eight eyes on their heads. Of course, the most common ones are ordinary people like the Kudi family who ride on bullock carts and carry felt tents to travel as a family. I come here to enjoy both spring and people. It doesn’t matter if I don’t get rewarded. The so-called value lies in blending...

The more Liuli looked, the more interested she became. Just as she was about to take a few more glances at the emerald curtain not far away, a cool voice rang in her ears, "Sister, I'm so interested. Why does it look like I've never been to Qushui?" ?”

Liuli's heart trembled slightly, and she turned to look at Hualu, who was squinting at her. Before she could speak, Hualu covered her mouth and laughed, "Why did I forget? Sister Qu Jiang came here often, of course. It’s just that it won’t be easy to come here again after today! Sister, don’t you think so?”

She wore a seven-leaf tortoise shell gold scratcher on her head. The fine gilt leaves trembled gently with the laughter, making her mocking blue eyes brighter and brighter, causing the glass to dazzle for a moment. Somewhat lost in thought.

 To be or not to be, that is indeed the question.

 In terms of soul, it was indeed her first time to come to Qujiang, the first time in her life. She didn't know whether the former Kudi Liuli came here often: she only knew that she turned into a sickly bearded girl as soon as she opened her eyes three years ago. In the past three years, she had hoped that this was just a nightmare countless times. Unfortunately, she didn't know whether it was because she complained a few times about the lack of information about the Tang Dynasty when writing her graduation thesis, or because she complained that she was too tired to lose weight twice or because she felt better about being a woman in the Tang Dynasty. God actually sent her to do a field trip... To be precise, it should be a test! Because the mess assigned to her was a mess that couldn’t be worse:

The mother of this body has passed away, and there is no father. The brothers and sisters in the family were all born by the concubine, and the servants were all bought by the concubine. Even the relatives who move around are mostly from the concubine. In addition, this deceptive ancient Chang'an dialect sounds like Just like the twittering of a bird, she was completely confused about the situation for several months, and then it took more than a year before she dared to speak again. But by this time, the situation was over, and she had completely reduced herself to a person with no backing, no helpers, no freedom, and no future. There are four young people who can't even keep their identity as a good citizen! Didn't Coral's so-called "passing today" just want to remind her that this spring outing was not a release after serving three years of hard labor, but an authentic "decapitation meal"? But... Liuli looked at the concubine in front of her quietly for a while, and then smiled, "My sister is right."

 Horan was obviously stunned for a moment, as if she didn't understand how Liuli could laugh. She raised her slender eyebrows and said,

She laughed out loud, "Sister, I am indeed a tolerant person. It shows that she wants to climb high branches. But I heard that the high branches there are not so easy to climb! As soon as you enter, you must first serve those who have the ability to climb high branches. Senior aunts, if one of you doesn’t pay attention..."

Before she finished speaking, a low voice came from behind her, "Coral, don't just talk and laugh, you must also remember to look after your brother!" Coral was startled, and turned around to meet Mr. Cao's stern eyes. , a sudden thought occurred in her heart - her mother had repeatedly told her that there were certain things she could not say to Liuli, let alone let her father hear her. That was all Liuli, how could she forget that her father was behind her today? Secretly taking a look at Ku Diyanzhong's face, Coral couldn't help but feel a little guilty. She gave Liuli a hard look, turned around and grabbed her younger brother Qinglin's hand.

Mrs. Cao glared at Hualu with hatred, took two steps forward and smiled at Liuli: "Don't listen to your sister's nonsense! What can she know! Those who are making things difficult are all palace servants with no foundation, how can they be with you? Bi? Now that your uncle has taken care of everything, and you are from a good family, you will naturally be a member of the inner courtyard. You can go to the front after a few days of training. Who dares to show your face? "

She had a kind smile on her face, but Liuli didn't dare to neglect her. She cheered up secretly. After hearing what she had to say, she breathed out a sigh of relief and bowed her head as meekly as before, "Don't worry, my daughter."

There was a look of satisfaction in Mrs. Cao's eyes, and she held Liuli's hand with a smile, "Don't worry, your grandpa loves you the most, and of course he will plan everything for you! You also know how much the family has spent this year. It takes strength to take this path! Not only will you enjoy endless wealth and leisure, but you will also have the opportunity to reach the sky! I only hope that you will be successful in the future, and don’t forget to support those two who are not up to par..."

Cao's hand was cold and greasy. When she held it, Liuli couldn't help but feel a shiver on her arm. Her face became more well-behaved, and she gently held the corner of her mouth without making a sound. Mrs. Cao didn't expect her to say anything, so she just sighed and patted her hand, "You are just too weak-tempered. Fortunately, your uncle and aunts are taking care of you..."

Liuli still lowered her head and said nothing, listening to Cao read a long article about how the Cao family had dignity over there and how they tried their best to help this time. It wasn't until Kudi Yanzhong took a fancy to a place slightly far away from the river that Cao let go of Liuli and stepped forward to direct the servant girl Aye and servant Qingquan who came with the car to spread out the felt tent and lay out the food table.

Liuli secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She took two steps back and turned to look at Qu Jiang in the distance. Her face was still calm, but her eyes could no longer help but be full of ridicule: What is eloquence? That’s it! Anyone who heard Cao's words would think that she had found a good place for herself. How could they have thought that the "rich and leisurely" place she talked about was actually a jiafang, and the most perverted palace at that? Neijiaofang! But unfortunately, Mrs. Cao probably doesn't know yet: she tried her best to speak in a brilliant way, but her precious daughter despised her happiness the most, and she had already told countless truths in a sarcastic way over the past few months -

That teaching workshop is an out-and-out fire pit. Once selected, you will have to perform in the palace for the rest of your life, and you will never be able to leave the cage. You are even worse than a palace maid, because even if you are lucky enough to see the light of day, you will already be in a lowly status! In the Tang Dynasty, the hierarchy between the good and the bad was the strictest. Just like Mrs. Cao, because she was born in Lehu, which belongs to the Jiaofang, she never wanted to be a wife of a serious family in her life. Now she can do whatever she wants at home, and the only reason she is fighting is that her deceased main wife, An, has already fallen out with her natal family, and her ancestors The once prosperous Cudi family is also declining, and no one cares about her!

As for the slight chance of being noticed by the emperor while performing as an entertainer, let alone that she had no interest in becoming a non-staff sleeping companion of the Tang Dynasty court. Even if she was interested in palace fighting, she would not forget that it was the fourth year of Yonghui. The unparalleled Emperor Zetian has become Zhaoyi, and he immediately wants his mother to honor the world. At this time, if she is competing with the future emperor to sleep with the current emperor, she might as well just find a rope and hang herself clean... I would have known better if she had learned Chang'an dialect. After she opens her mouth again, she will be put to such a "use". Should she pretend to be mute for the rest of her life? It's just that she can't pretend to be deaf and mute all her life to survive under their hands. After all, she has to take this gamble...

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

The two servants of the Kudy family set up the tent in a short time, and the buttermilk biscuits that had been prepared were quickly placed on several food tables in the tent. Spring outings and picnics are originally an elegant thing to do, but drinking sour and cold buttermilk and chewing cold hard biscuits in this felt canopy where the north wind blows in from time to time is really hard to bear. After finally staying up for more than half an hour, laughter and singing came from outside the tent from time to time, and the coral and Qinglin had already been lured out. Liuli just continued to remain dull, silently thinking about what to do later, and when she was thinking about it for the third time, Kudi Yanzhong's voice suddenly sounded in her ears, "Go and find Coral and the others. Good to be home.”

I? Liuli looked up at Kudi Yanzhong in surprise, and when he nodded, he pressed his hands on the food table in front of him and stood up. The cold wind outside the tent became more and more biting. Liuli tightened her cold jacket tightly and looked up. There was only a large circle of people gathered in an open space to the east, and she hurriedly walked over.

Naturally, she didn't hear it. In the felt tent, Kudi Yanzhong whispered to Mr. Cao: "I am thinking about tomorrow... If Liuli is really allowed to enter the workshop, it will certainly save some chewing time. Our family's reputation must be bad. Anyway, She is already fifteen this year, so she might as well marry into a family that doesn’t require a dowry, wouldn’t it not take much trouble?”

Ms. Cao was startled for a moment and sighed softly, "I'm afraid it's hard to regret this matter now. Over at Taichang Temple, my brother from the Nu family has asked someone to take care of it. If I don't go, all this money will be wasted. They will not be good in the future. Besides, how can ordinary people afford Liuli's appearance? If you agree to it randomly, you may not know what will happen in the future! If we have the opportunity, we will have a bright future. We can't delay our daughter's future just for the sake of fame..."

Kudi Yanzhong opened his mouth, but still nothing came out. He stayed for a moment, picked up the drink in front of him, raised his head and drank it in one breath.

Outside the tent, Liuli had walked to where the crowd was gathering, and saw people on three levels inside and three outside. Inside, there was the sound of flutes, and there was a cold sword light hovering above the people's heads. It was actually someone performing a performance that was rarely seen on weekdays. The sword dance attracted everyone here.

Because Taichang Temple selects female dancers who not only look good but also take into consideration their manners and talents, this year, Cao asked someone to briefly teach Liuli some music and dance etiquette. She knew a little bit about the popular soft dance and jian dance, but she had never seen this sword dance before. She stood up on her toes and looked in, but she could only see the back of the sword dancer's head that was accidentally exposed and the sword light that sometimes looked like a swimming dragon and sometimes seemed like a full moon.

After watching for a moment, Liuli couldn't help but squeeze in through the gap between the people. Only then did she see that the person dancing the sword was a very tall man. The sword light moved in and out like a living thing, and the dancers came and went like the wind. , as fast as thunder, but each move is clear and clear, and 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 reached its peak, the sword dancer suddenly let go of his long sword and flew up. It was thrown high into the air and fell down like lightning. Everyone took a breath and was about to scream, but heard a sound There was a soft sound, and it turned out that the sword had fallen into the scabbard held by the dancer, and there was a thunderous sound all around.

Liuli couldn't help but be dazzled, and then she saw clearly that the sword dancer was not very old, standing there proudly as if there was no one else around. He only turned his head and cupped his hands to the flute player, "Thank you!" The flute player laughed and replied. : "Happy!" The two of them didn't know each other, but they looked at each other and smiled, and walked away separately. The onlookers slowly dispersed, and some people took out flutes, flutes, pipa and other musical instruments, and started dancing again with their arms linked together. The music was melodious, the dances were cheerful, mixed with the loud singing of "I bought a new five-foot knife, hanging on the center beam". Although the cold wind in the afternoon became more and more biting, the joyful and unbridled heat in the crowd could almost reach the sky.

Liuli couldn't help but be dazzled for a moment, and there seemed to be a small voice in her ears exclaiming: This is the Tang Dynasty! This is the Tang Dynasty like the rising sun... Suddenly, someone beside me exclaimed in surprise, "Aunt Kudi?"

(Thank you all, this book has now signed a publishing contract, and the publication draft has been revised. I will re-upload the revised version of the first volume. Readers who have read this article before may find that the beginning has been greatly changed, but in fact the plot is not the same. There is no change, just a different way of writing. Alan hopes to write more about the atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty, so as to live up to this magnificent legendary era. However, his writing power is limited, and I hope everyone will forgive me if he does not write it well.)

 (End of this chapter)