As soon as I got on the warm sedan chair, I heard Liu Qing instruct beside me: "Go and inform the Queen Mother!" ”

Liu Zhao's heart moved, and he secretly applauded. After all, it was Dou Xian who had the accident, and he was a nephew, even if he was the emperor, he couldn't suppress the scene, and at this time, it was not to the extent that the net was broken, and it was best for the Queen Mother to come forward.

"Let's go!" The eunuch of the chief eunuch screamed, and the sedan chair was carried with full strength, and ran to the palace of long live Qianqiu with joy, finally the emperor was young and not too heavy, and he rushed to the place steadily.

The fourth hall of the five halls in the middle, although it is not the largest of the five halls, it is a place for various celebrations and ceremonies, and it is extremely luxuriously decorated inside and out.

Before the people arrived, they heard a commotion and chaos. Liu Zhao frowned and stopped the sedan chair, only to hear the big line of applause singing: "The emperor has arrived!" ”

Everyone was stunned, and the noise gradually stopped. Qi knelt down and shouted: "The ministers see the emperor, long live, long live, long live!" ”

Liu Zhao looked around, and saw that the officials were divided into two teams, but the number of people was also equal, he couldn't help but feel funny, and said loudly: "Everyone Aiqing is flat, I have a treat today, why haven't you prepared vegetables yet, are you going to come to the game?" Look at it like this, the number of people who come to the Keju is enough, that's it, no matter what the reason, for the sake of my face, it's just that! ”

Everyone laughed at one sentence, and the atmosphere eased a lot. Liu Zhao saw that Dou Xian's big face was still flushed, so he asked: "Uncle, this first day of the new year is the most important day of the year, and it is all a colorful day, but my uncle is still dissipated, and I heard that a lot of programs have been arranged after a while." How about I watch with my uncle? ”

Although Dou Xian was still angry, he saw the emperor greet him with a smile, and it was not easy to refute his face. I had to "hum" and answer.

Liu Zhao greeted the ministers again and said: "I am the youngest of all the people, it is better to listen to my words, the prosperity of the country is in one word, the monarch and the minister, the civil and military, and the brothers." Relatives and friends can be harmonious, and the world can be harmonious. It has been hundreds of years since Gaozu slashed the white snake and made immortal achievements. It's all in one and the word. Today, I just sacrificed to the Taimiao, and promised my ancestors that the Han River and Mountains will be forever, and I will rely on the help of your ministers, if you don't sympathize with me. Who else would be sympathetic. On my face, no matter what happens today, please let your ministers stop. I also look forward to this year's wind and rain, and the world is peaceful! ”

After saying this, Ren Kui spoke first: "Your Majesty has said that at this moment, we can't regenerate incidents, and today makes Banzai and the Queen Mother happy." ”

"Yes, no more trouble!"

"No more trouble!"

The ministers chimed in. At this time, Liu Zhaocai let out a long breath, and felt that his heart fell to the ground. glanced at Dou Xian. Seeing that the anger on his face had also subsided, he glanced at Liu Qing, Liu Qing understood, and said loudly, "The hall is almost ready, all the ministers, please take the seat!" ”

Everyone was coaxed, and the tension just now disappeared invisibly, and under the leadership of the leading eunuch, they were seated according to the class level. Liu Zhao stopped Yin Mu, the great Si Nong, and said: "You are an old minister, you have been loyal to the Han since the first emperor, why do you quarrel with your uncle at this time, they all say that I can't raise my head on the side of the queen mother, and now for this reason, the jade seal has not been delivered, you courtiers, so I don't know how to advance or retreat, how can the queen mother rest assured, how can I rest assured!" I don't talk about my uncle and them, I come to talk about you, it's not that I am biased towards them, it's because you are my minister, and I have lost hope! ”

A few words made Yin Mu's eyes red, he was disheveled, the belt of the court dress had been torn off, and when he heard Liu Zhao say this, he couldn't help but feel sad in his heart, crying bitterly, and fell to the ground. At this time, Liu Zhao also panicked, and shouted: "Are you embarrassing me?" ”。

"The minister didn't dare, the minister didn't deliberately quarrel with the general, but he saw that Yuan Lao Situ was not there, and deliberately embarrassed us. Your Majesty, the minister didn't deliberately embarrass the emperor, the minister disappointed the emperor, and the minister was willing to apologize with death! ”

"What are you sorry for?" Hearing a soft but eerie voice behind him, Liu Zhao shuddered, Empress Dowager Dou has arrived!

Empress Dowager Dou wore a thick cloak, and the collar of the fiery red fox fur reflected her coquettish face even more gorgeous, but her voice was cold, "Yin Mu, you are so bold, a good celebration has made you mess up, and you also said that you will apologize for your sins with death, you are dead, where do you want to put the emperor, you are disloyal, good Dasi Nong, you have been doing it for too long!" ”

Yin Mu felt even more aggrieved, and couldn't help but get angry, and replied stiffly: "Queen Mother, Dou Dou and his party are just controlling the government and the opposition, and now in front of Your Majesty, do you want to force me to die?" Three officials have died since the general returned to the court, it's a big deal, I'll do the fourth, he is a general, if there is no us in the rear to raise military salaries, grain and grass, what does he take to win the battle, if it is said to be military merit, it is also the credit of all the courtiers such as us, but he is proud of his achievements, and he is angry with us, and today the minister will fight desperately, and he will fight to the death! ”

"Okay, what a loyal minister, dare to fight for merit, are you blaming the mourning family for favoring your mother's family? How many people have this heart, the world is social, the world is for the public, you still understand this principle? You worked hard to get the money of the imperial court, just to not do anything, but to fight for merit? You are such a cowardly person, it is really difficult for Your Majesty to keep it, what a waste of food! ”

all know that Empress Dowager Dou is naturally mean and unreasonable, and at this time she used it to the extreme, Yin Mu, who originally didn't mean this, was said to be a mediocre person who came to fight for merit, and suddenly became pale, with blue light in her eyes, "Hehe, Queen Mother, it's a pity that the minister is loyal to the king!" Today I am a thousand fingers, a thousand eyes, and I will die in this temple! Take care, Your Majesty! ”

Saying that, he was about to hit the stone steps at the corner of the hall, so frightened that Liu Qing hurriedly hugged him, and he was persuaded well, but as soon as the Empress Dowager Dou came, it was a mess again, and for a while, the people in the imperial garden were like ants in a hot pot, and the sound was like boiling water, and it became an uncontrollable trend.

Liu Zhao was so anxious that he was sweating, and yelled: "Stop!" ”

Yin Mu was stunned, sat on the ground, and cried non-stop, the ministers who were already sitting in the hall went outside the hall again, Liu Zhao pounced on the Empress Dowager Dou and knelt down, crying: "The queen mother, the sons are not filial, so that the queen mother is angry, these courtiers are disloyal." Let the sons and daughters be ashamed, what is the use of me as an emperor, queen mother. It's better to abolish the sons and set up a new king! ”

This time, all the ministers knelt on the ground and cried: "Your Majesty, it is the ministers who are guilty, Your Majesty must not think like this, Your Majesty!" ”

Empress Dowager Dou also knew that she didn't ask the reason just now. It was a bit excessive to reprimand loudly, so I had to say, "Emperor, you get up." The queen mother has her own plans! Song You, come here! ”

Hearing the summons, Taiwei Song You hurriedly knelt down and climbed in front of the Queen Mother, "Song You, Dasi Nong's appearance is really detrimental to decency. You go to the apse and help him get his clothes straightened. By the way, persuade him, don't make everyone unhappy during the New Year! ”

"General!" Dou Xian also came to the front when he heard this, but he didn't dare to speak, so he just stood straight and listened to her.

"As a general and the emperor's uncle, you should regard the country as your home, how can you be a minister in the court, and celebrate the festival today. I won't punish you, and apologize to Lord Yin! Later. It's not too late to punish you again! ”

"Whoa!" Although Dou Xian is lawless in the court, he is still very jealous of his sister. He bowed deeply to Yin Mu and said, "It was Dou Xian's just now, Lord Yin, don't hold a grudge!" We will be more close in the future, we are all ministers in one dynasty, or Your Majesty is right, harmony is precious, ah, harmony is precious! ”

Seeing that Dou Xian bowed his head and admitted his mistake, everyone persuaded one after another, and finally persuaded Yin Mu to stop crying and follow Song You to the apse to change clothes.

Empress Dowager Dou instructed: "All Aiqing, today the mourning family invited the acrobatics of the capital, as well as the palace song and dance, please take a seat, and let the mourning family and the emperor thank all Aiqing for their hard work in the past year, and for the conscientiousness and diligence of the court and the Han Dynasty." Come on, set up a feast! The sound of the bell rang out, and the grand banquet finally began.

The eunuchs and palace maids pierced the edges between the various cases like butterflies, and placed the delicacies on the tables one by one. What five-color plates, all kinds of snacks, all kinds of fruits, I can't describe it in detail.

Everyone had not eaten since the morning, and they were already hungry, but the Empress Dowager did not give an order, so she could only look at the food and swallow her saliva.

Liu Zhao helped the Empress Dowager Dou to sit in the middle, raised Hu and said: "Everyone, Aiqing, please drink this Hu to your heart's content, and then please feel free to taste the food." ”

Everyone raised their heads together and drank with the emperor and the queen mother, and after that, they began to eat with their hands in their hands, and they didn't dare to let go of their stomachs. Liu Zhao saw it and said to the Empress Dowager Dou: "Queen Mother, it's better to start performing, and the courtiers can also relax and not be too restrained." ”

Empress Dowager Dou nodded with a smile and said to Wang Yin'er, who was standing next to her, "Let's start!" Wang Yin'er replied, "Oh! Then he clapped his hands at the entrance of the temple!

Immediately, the music began, and a team of palace beauties entered the palace with the music and danced. When Liu Zhao saw it, he suddenly remembered Sui'er's dance among the flowers that day, and couldn't help but be stunned, his eyes fell on Liu Qing, who was sitting behind the third prince, and remembered what Yuan Shang said that day, and remembered asking Sui'er in his heart, but it was inconvenient to inquire at the moment, so he had to drink sullenly.

After the dance, there is an acrobatic performance. Acrobatics developed greatly during the reign of Emperor Wu. He often held unprecedentedly grand acrobatic music and dance programs at banquets. There are all kinds of horn performances in the program, such as Qipan and Fish Dragon Manyan, as well as animal taming programs that play lion and fight beasts. When he arrived at Emperor Ming, there were various illusion performances, such as swallowing knives, spitting fire, slaughtering people, and intercepting horses.

Liu Zhao has been growing up since he was a child, and every time he goes to a big banquet, watching acrobatics is his favorite, but because of the death of his father, he hasn't seen it for a long time, and when he sees it again, he immediately gets excited, and he forgets about asking Liu Qing about it.

It wasn't until Song You came in with Yin Mu, who had a sad face, that he gave a slight signal. At this moment, the bizarre performance of performing illusion began, and at this time, the actor smiled at Liu Zhao and said, "Your Majesty, can the villain change something from His Majesty's body and turn it back again?" ”

(Illusion.) The Han Dynasty was an era of artistic exchange of illusion between Middle-earth and the Western Regions and even Western countries. At that time, there were two major types of illusion in China, one was a large-scale illusion performance supported by the royal family and nobles, mostly with huge props and performances by many performers, such as the "Fish Dragon Manyan" in the Horn Arrival Conference of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, which was actually a large-scale illusion performed by two connected people.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Cao Cao unified the north, and Cao Cao, who had the ambition of dominating the world, paid special attention to recruiting talents. For the characters of Fang Shi and others, he tried his best to search around him, fearing that these people would use illusions and tricks to do evil things, advocate chaos or be used by the enemy. Therefore, as soon as he heard that there were strange magicians, he would recruit them, and famous scholars such as Zuo Ci of Lujiang, Gan Shi of Ganling, and Xuan Jian of Yangcheng were all surrounded by him, which objectively created conditions for the exchange and development of illusion. The Book of the Later Han Dynasty? The various illusion performances of his in the Biography of Zuo Ci show that they had developed to a very high level at that time. The sixty-eighth episode of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" "Zuo Ci Throwing a Cup and Playing Cao Cao" is extremely vivid. In the 21st year of Jian'an (216 AD), he performed three sets of tricks. "Before the feast, take a large flower pot and put it in water, pour out a peony, and put double flowers." Zuo Ci "taught the fishing rod to come, fished it in the fish pond under the hall, and fished out dozens of big perch and put it on the temple. "Throw the cup in the air, turn into a white dove, and fly around the temple." Attracting everyone to look up, he took the opportunity to flee. These three sets of tricks, namely changing flowers, changing fish, and changing birds, are also the tricks of modern Chinese magic. (To be continued......)

Chapter 55: The Banquet of the Son of Heaven (2: