On this day, Lu Wenyuan went outside the city to help the victims. The money he used was all saved by himself in the past, or rewarded by the emperor when he was promoted. There are also some that Fu Qian, Zhao Yongning, Yan Yong, Shen Lun and others funded after learning the truth, but they are just a drop in the bucket and cannot solve the problem at all.

Outside the city, people die of cold and starvation every day, and the sound of mourning is endless. Lu Wenyuan felt the same but couldn't do anything, he was so sad that he was really going crazy, his eyes were red every day, and he didn't think about tea and dinner. For a while, he secretly complained that the emperor couldn't understand the people's feelings, and for a while, he hated that his strength was meager and it was difficult to help the world. sighed all day long, looking sad, and his already thin body became even thinner, causing Ping An and Fu Qian to be worried.

On this day, news came from the palace that the emperor was going to feast his ministers on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and the officials above the third rank in the court must be present and there must be no mistakes. As soon as the eunuch who passed the decree left, Fu Qian and Ping'an turned away in a mess, just afraid that Lu Wenyuan would get angry when he found out, and they all looked at his appearance these days. But I can't help but sue him.

After the two of them summed up for a while, Lu Wenyuan came back from outside, and sure enough, his brows were tightly knit and his face was not good. Under the service of peace, he took off his big coat and sat down at the table and drank tea.

Don't look at Lu Wenyuan, who is gentle and approachable on weekdays, but if he really sinks his face, he will have a cold temperament, which makes people dare not approach lightly. Fu Qian stood helplessly for a while, and then saw Ping'an glaring at him vigorously behind Lu Wenyuan, meaning to tell him quickly. Where did Fu Qian dare to say, he was so frightened that he waved his hand again and again, but he summoned Lu Wenyuan's attention, looked up at the two of them, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Fu Qian was taken aback, and hurriedly smiled: "No, no." You're going out of town to help the victims again today?"

Lu Wenyuan sighed when he heard this: "Yes, those disaster victims are really pitiful, they are cold in winter, they are not clothed, they are not hungry, I have watched them die in front of me one after another in the past few days, and my heart is really uncomfortable, I can't wait for them to pounce on me and scold me, and call me a dog official to relieve the shame in my heart." However, they are not like this, as long as they get a little relief, even if they get a bundle of rotten straw to protect them from the cold, they must be grateful. As he spoke, his eyes gradually turned red again, and he clenched the teacup in his hand and said hatefully: "It's just that I blame me for being incompetent, and I can't persuade the emperor to be kind." ”

When Fu Qian saw him like this, he didn't dare to say it explicitly, so he just sighed blindly: "Brother Lu, don't blame yourself too much, after all, everything that should be done has been done, and the rest can only be left to fate." ”

Lu Wenyuan's expression became even more sad when he heard this, and he simply lowered his head and didn't even say anything.

The atmosphere in the room was a little heavy for a while, and Ping An was counting on Fu Qian to persuade and comfort Lu Wenyuan, so that he could be more cheerful, and take advantage of the situation to tell the emperor that he was going to feast the ministers, who thought that he not only failed to persuade him, but added fuel to the fire, making Lu Wenyuan even more sad.

Ping'an was so angry that he glanced at Fu Qian, so he had to go into battle himself, rolled up his arms and sleeves and pinched Lu Wenyuan's shoulders: "Young master, let me tell you something, don't be angry." ”

Lu Wenyuan knew that he would be courteous for no reason, and there would be no good thing, if he left it in the past, he would definitely pretend not to let him say it, but now he was not in the mood to joke, so he only said gloomily: "Say it, what's the matter." ”

Ping'an couldn't see it, and Lai Pi said: "Young master, you have to promise me not to be angry first." ”

Lu Wenyuan turned sideways and squinted at him, his gaze was not good. Ping An shook it, quickly retracted his hand, bowed his head and said honestly: "Just now, the eunuchs in the palace came to deliver a decree, saying that the emperor is going to feast the ministers on the fifteenth day of the first month, and the location is on the Chaofeng Tower in the imperial garden, and the officials above the third rank in the court must be present. ”

Lu Wenyuan really frowned when he heard this, and asked Fu Qian with his eyes, and Fu Qian nodded again and again. Lu Wenyuan took a deep breath, but the embers were still not extinguished, and he put the teacup in his hand on the table, even the tea spilled out, and said hatefully: "Didn't you just have a big banquet a few days ago?

Fu Qian sighed and said, "It's the emperor's will, and no one can be disobedient." Before he could say a word, he gasped as if he remembered something: "Brother Lu, you don't want to resist the decree, do you?"

When Ping'an was said by him, he was also worried, just because he knew that although Lu Wenyuan's heart was soft, his principles were not soft, and he couldn't pull back the things he had identified, and he might really be able to do something to resist the decree for the sake of the victims, but the protest was going to lose his head. Ping An couldn't help but stared at Lu Wenyuan nervously, waiting for his reaction.

I saw that Lu Wenyuan really frowned, his eyes were blazing, as if he was determined to something, and his cheeks were slightly red. However, after concentrating for a long time, he gradually calmed down, half-lowered his eyes, returned to his previous peaceful expression, and said lightly: "No, I'll go." ”

Ping'an and Fu Qian breathed a sigh of relief when they heard this, but Lu Wenyuan didn't see any special reaction, so he said hello and got up and went back to the room. Fu Qian thought about it quietly, and felt that with Lu Wenyuan's temperament, he might not be willing to give up with the emperor, but he really couldn't guess what he wanted, so he had to mention it a few times openly and secretly, telling him to be cautious in his words and deeds. Lu Wenyuan agreed one by one, and Fu Qiansui didn't want to say anything, so he just kept an eye on himself.

In a blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and Lu Wenyuan and Fu Qian were dressed in civilian clothes according to the emperor's wishes, and went to the palace together. Fu Qian has always been cautious and serious, thinking that the festival has not passed, so he chose a brocade robe with ochre red and gold edges. Lu Wenyuan was still wearing the plain white brocade robe, and his face was full of gloom. Fu Qian walked on the road and whispered to him: "I will see the emperor later, don't put on this face, make the emperor happy, it's easy to discuss." Lu Wenyuan reluctantly nodded in agreement.

When I came to the palace, it was already the time to hold the lamp, and the other adults were already waiting in front of the Qianqing Gate, all dressed in brocade and gorgeous clothes, bright and beautiful. Seeing Lu Wenyuan and Fu Qian coming, they stepped forward one after another to make a bow and speak diligently. Lu Wenyuan and Fu Qian responded one by one. After a while, I saw Gui Xi with two imperial eunuchs out of the harem, arrived at the front, bowed down and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, the emperor is invited." ”

Everyone didn't dare to slack off, so they gave in and followed to the inner palace in turn according to their grades. Lu Wenyuan walked in the front and noticed that the lantern in the hand of the imperial eunuch was not an ordinary hexagonal palace lantern, but a royal lantern that had been intricately decorated, and he knew that the emperor was about to be extravagant again tonight.

Sure enough, as soon as the last palace gate leading to the imperial garden passed, a sea of lights appeared in front of you, on the branches on both sides of the road, on the sharp rocks, and on the eaves of the attic pavilions, all kinds of lanterns were hung everywhere, and they were full of color, reflecting each other. These lanterns are made in front of the emperor, and their gorgeous luxury is not comparable to the folk, the gold wire is the bone, the silkworm silk is the face, and I don't know how much silver taels were spent. The imperial garden, which was originally dark at night, is now really comparable to the main hall of the brightly lit Qianqing Palace.

Many of the officials in the same company have stepped into the harem very few times, and they are particularly excited at this time, admiring all the way, almost being blinded. Rao is Lu Wenyuan was in a bad mood, and he couldn't help but marvel when he first came, but unfortunately he calmed down later, but he was more troubled than before. After walking for a while, I heard Yan Yong sigh quietly behind him: "It's really nonsense, it's dry and dry this day, and the north wind is strong, how can it be good to cause a fire?"

At this moment, the pavilion in front of him turned around, and the surroundings suddenly opened up. Everyone looked at it, and saw an attic rising to the sky, not to mention more than ten zhang, it was Chaofeng Tower.

This Chaofeng Tower is the tallest building in the Imperial Garden, standing on it, you can see the scenery outside the Xuanwu Gate, Zhu Shiyang likes to come here to drink a few cups when he has nothing to do, so even this palace banquet is simply set up here. Everyone looked up and saw that the two sides of the stairs of the attic were full of lanterns, like a fire dragon coiling down, and the dappled light and shadow flowed all over the ground. Before he had time to sigh, he heard Gui Xi congratulate him: "Ladies and gentlemen, please, the emperor and the prince are waiting upstairs." ”