Baiju originated very early and has always been very popular.

And tonight's Lantern Festival, the Son of Heaven and his clan relatives belong to the royal city gate, and the people have fun, and the high platform under the city is specially set up for this purpose for a hundred opera performances...... This is an opportunity to show her face in front of the queen concubine of heaven!

It is conceivable that whether it is Gao Zhi, swallowing knives, walking on fire, looking for buildings, finding tripods, spitting fire, or planting trees, flying pills, resting five cases, stacking cases upside down, fish dragon Manyan, singing and dancing Haiyou, the people who appear on the stage are bound to be idle people.

After all, on such an occasion, if you don't have any real skills, where can you grab the opportunity to come to power?

It's no wonder that the crowd squeezed towards the side of the stage, for fear that they would not be able to see it far away...... It's really not the usual bustle to witness.

However, Sheng Weiqiao and the others came to their senses, but they beckoned each other to go back to the private room, after all, their private room was in a good location, the floor was high, and the view was much better than squeezing on the side of the stage.

Although it is impossible to see as clearly as on the stage because of the distance, but considering the safety issue, Sheng Weiqiao still rejected Sheng Weiqiao's proposal: "Why don't we go over and take a look, I really can't squeeze in and go back to the private room?"

He soothed: "That platform is so high, if we squeeze through, not to mention that we will inevitably have to bump into people, what kind of system will it become! Let's just say that even if we are lucky enough to squeeze to the front, we will inevitably have to look up, I am afraid that in a short time, our necks will be sore, but it is not uncomfortable? It is better to go upstairs and reorganize the table with them, and enjoy it while eating and watching!"

Returning to the private room like this, let the left-behind Sheng Xiang go out and shout another table of dishes, and heard the sound of gongs and drums in the direction of the high platform sounding sky-high, just rolling for a moment, attracting the attention of people near and far, and then stopped, and then a burst of silk and bamboo music mixed with chimes and other musical instruments melodiously sounded.

Then there was a loud voice from the imperial city: "The Son of Heaven has arrived in ......!"

It turned out that Emperor Xuanjing and his entourage came to the city in person.

Hearing this, the city first erupted in a burst of cheers, and then in the leadership and spontaneity of threes and twos, the crowd bowed down like a tide, and countless voices were uneven but grandiose to tell their wishes: "Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"

Sheng Weiqiao, Sheng Weiwei, and Gongsun Yingjiang, who were lying in front of the window looking at the stage, were infected by this atmosphere, and subconsciously took a step back and looked at Sheng Sleeping Crane, I don't know if they are not on the long street, do you want to kneel?

"Anyway, no one sees it, it's cold on the ground, so don't kneel. Sheng Sleeping Crane noticed, chuckled, and said indifferently, "It's all my own people here and now." ”

Sheng Weiqiao doesn't have much of a good impression of today's Emperor Xuanjing, after all, normal subjects don't like their monarchs to linger in the harem all day long and indulge in beauty.

So seeing Sheng Sleeping Crane saying that he didn't have to kneel, he didn't bother to kneel, and seeing this, Sheng Weiwei and Gongsun Yingjiang naturally didn't kneel.

Gongsun Yingjiang was a little curious and a little puzzled and said: "I didn't expect that this son of heaven has been slacking off in government for more than 20 years, and he is either drinking and having fun with beauties or frolicking and hunting with beauties all day long, but he is still so popular with the people!"

Hearing this, Sheng Sleeping Crane and Sheng Weiqiao glanced at each other, smiled, and didn't say anything: Emperor Xuanjing was obsessed with the Shu sisters and ignored the affairs of the society, which was widely spread all over the world, and there was no normal person who did not object...... How can it win the hearts of the people?

It's just that after Emperor Xuanjing was drunk in the harem and ignored the government, King Gaomi and the Meng clan competed and formed a balance for many years.

This made the two sides check and balance each other while intriguing, and they didn't dare to go too far, so as not to be caught and attacked...... As a result, there was a situation of turbidity at the top and clear at the bottom.

It is the death and resurrection of the upper level of the undercurrent of the sky, but the lower level is the rule of the officials and the Qingming are not affected.

Since the people live and work in peace and contentment and live without worry, although they do not feel sorry for Emperor Xuanjing's slackness in their duties, they naturally have no resentment...... In fact, ordinary people are too busy to make a living all day long, where do they get so much effort, what really worries them is nothing more than their own one-third of an acre!

In the past few years, the wind and rain have been smooth, and the whole country has lived a stable life.

The so-called country of abundance, the golden city of thousands of miles, Guanzhong is fertile, and the life of Li Shu near Chang'an is particularly worry-free. Under such a big festival, facing the Ming Huang Baogai far away from the city, and the Son of Heaven who couldn't see his face clearly under the treasure cover, it was not so much that they wished Emperor Xuanjing, who had not been in the court seriously for more than 20 years, long live, but that they were praying that the current peaceful and prosperous world could continue forever and ever.

Sheng Weiqiao understands this, but Gongsun Yingjiang, who was born in a family of bandits and never cares about Huan Guanlan's personal teachings, doesn't understand it very well.

At this moment, it was not easy to tell her such an explanation, Sheng Weiqiao only smiled: "After all, it is the Son of Heaven." ”

Speaking kung fu, the city passed the word of the Son of Heaven again, it was to let everyone calm down, perhaps for fear of disturbing Li Shu, and perhaps the Son of Heaven rarely came out of the harem, mainly for the night's program, so after the order to be exempted, he did not say anything else. It didn't take long for a drum to sound, and ropes were raised from the pillars around the platform.

Seeing this situation, Sheng Weiqiao guessed: "Is this a hundred feet high?"

A hundred feet high is actually a rope, also known as a rope play.

It is said that there is a Son of Heaven in the previous dynasty to receive congratulations, in His Royal Highness tied two pillars with ropes, a few zhang apart, two advocates of the girl dance, walking on the rope, the opposite road meets, cut the shoulder does not tilt [Note], the four are amazed.

This is one of the long-standing projects in the hundred operas, but it is enduring and never tired of watching.

However, tonight's 100-foot high is not just "rope tied to two pillars", even if you look at it from the tall building, the night and the flying snow are blurred a lot, you can also see that the pillars around the entire high platform are almost used, and the height is staggered, as if a rope array is rising.

A gong sounded, and four barefoot girls in colorful clothes combed the towering flying fairy bun, their arms were covered with crimson embroidered silks, their waists were tied with brocade, their chests were beautiful, and their ankles were hung with bells.

After the rope, the four of them stretched their arms and waists at the same time, dancing gracefully.

Dancing and dancing, the bell on the wrist rang with it, looking at it in the snow, straight like a heavenly maiden scattering Qiongying, Xian'e wants to return.

Sheng Weiqiao and others were detained by their elders in the past, and they were not allowed to go out after nightfall, they had never seen the light market, let alone such a wonderful performance, and at the moment, they were reluctant to blink just by looking at it, and tonight there were the Son of Heaven, the concubine, the clan relatives, and the people Li Shu below.

After the fluttering and dangerous height of the eggs, there are various performances such as swallowing knives, walking on fire, looking for buildings, finding tripods, spitting fire, planting trees, flying pills, resting in peace, stacking cases, singing and dancing haiku, etc., all of which are eye-opening and amazing.

Although Sheng Weiqiao and the three of them were standing upstairs, they couldn't help but applaud hard every time they heard the overwhelming cheers from below, and they didn't hesitate to clap their hands red.

The servants who served in the private room, such as the green brocade and the hibiscus fence, remembered their duties at first, but not long after, they were also immersed in watching the hundred plays, sometimes applauding, sometimes exclaiming;

In the end, only Sheng Shenghe didn't go to the window, he didn't even look out the window, but leaned in the seat, holding a pot of warm wine and drinking it slowly, with an expressionless face and cold eyes.

In the middle of the night, Sheng Weiwei and Gongsun Yingjiang were still looking at the ongoing fish dragon Manyan, Sheng Weiqiao had not yet recovered, and felt physically exhausted.

She was afraid of disturbing everyone's interest, so she didn't make a sound, and quietly retreated from the window, thinking that she would sit alone for a while and recover her strength.

I didn't want to turn my head, but I saw a sleeping crane pouring itself a drink.

He tilted his head sideways, as if staring at a handful of red plum blossom branches in a bottle not far away, but when he looked closely, he was actually not looking at the flower branches, and his sloppy eyes didn't see anything at all.

The silhouette of the sleeping crane, who is already twenty years old, has gradually faded away from the youthful childishness unique to the youth, although the face is still beautiful, and the edges and corners are more and more distinct, but it shows the calmness and grandeur of an adult man.

It's just that at this moment, there is a gloomy aura all over his body, although both his expression and his eyes are calm and unwavering, but it makes people feel unspeakably sad and uncomfortable for no reason.

"Brother?" Sheng Weiqiao was surprised, she had never seen such a sleeping crane, and when she came out today, wasn't it okay?

This person is also the first time to come to Chang'an, when he was in Nanfeng County before, whether he participated in the Lantern Festival when he was a bandit on Tortoiseshell Island, Sheng Weiqiao didn't know, but after entering the Sheng Mansion, Sheng Weiqiao knew that he had never visited the Lantern Festival in the county in order to study hard.

In other words, tonight is also the first time he has participated in the Lantern Festival.

But he was so silent, so uninterested, Sheng Weiqiao didn't believe that he didn't like the scene in front of him, eighty percent, it was affected by something.

And this matter, I think it is to meet the county lord of Qingfang?

She sighed in her heart, quietly walked to his side, reached out and pressed the wine cup he was about to hold, frowned, and said, "Brother, it's late at night, let's go back?"

"Good girl?" Sheng Sleeping Crane noticed her at this time, turned his head, because of the wine, his originally white face was dyed a little crimson, a little drunk, but his eyes were still bright, and his speech was clear, and he smiled, "It's hard to come out, and there is no curfew tonight, so you should have a good time, you don't have to go back in such a hurry." ”

As soon as he opened his mouth and smiled, the original feeling of independence disappeared.

Sheng Weiqiao spent a little effort, snatched the wine cup from his hand, and pouted: "You don't like it, it's just for us to play, you're just drinking here alone...... We've been playing for so long, let's go back!"

In fact, she originally wanted to ask Sheng Sleeping Crane if she wanted to borrow wine to drown her sorrows because she had just met the county lord of Qingfang, but when the words came to her lips, she didn't know why, looking at his appearance at the moment, she really couldn't speak, and finally directly asked to go home.

"What are you drinking?" Sheng Sleeping Crane smiled, refusing to admit it, and suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek with the intention of drinking, and said, "I'm just having a few drinks at random...... But forget it, if you want to go back, let's go back! You're not all right, it's not good to stay up late. ”

Both of them decided to go back, although the hundred operas were not over yet, Sheng Weiwei and Gongsun Yingjiang were a little reluctant, but the weak protests were also vetoed.

Fortunately, Sheng Xiang was next to the round and told them: "The small party has just inquired with the people in the restaurant, this lantern festival in Chang'an is different from our Nanfeng County, the scale is very large, it is going to be held for ten days in a row, and it will be so lively within ten days." The little one has the courage to wrap this private room for ten days. For the next nine nights, the young ladies can come to see the lights whenever they want!"

Sheng Weiwei and Gongsun Yingjiang turned their anger into joy and agreed to go back.

It's just that in the next few days, although Sheng Sleeping Crane talked and laughed as usual, but his eyebrows often showed a ruthless color, although it was not to the point where he couldn't control his emotions and angered the servants, but because the place of Sheng Mansion was small, even if Sheng Weiqiao was unintentional, he didn't look up and looked down to see him, and he was more or less aware of it.

She specially provoked Sheng Weiwei and Gongsun Yingjiang to ask him the reason when he was not in front of him, but Sheng Sleeping Crane denied it all, and the reason was not leaky, and she was not given a chance to get to the bottom of it at all.

On the evening of the twentieth day of the first lunar month, Sheng Weiqiao accompanied Sheng Weiyu to go out to see the lights again, and when she entered the private room, she met the lord of Qingfang again.

[Note] Encyclopedia, Song Dynasty Gao Cheng "The Origin of Things, Game and Play, Gao Zhi".