Tokyo City is the most prosperous metropolis today, and it is the "Rich Castle World".

In early spring and March, the apricot blossoms and peach blossoms in Tokyo are in full bloom. Whether you're walking down the thoroughfare or down a secluded alley, you'll see beautiful flowers sticking out of the high turquoise walls.

In particular, along the Bianhe River, Cai River, Wuzhang River and Jinshui River, which runs through the capital, a tree of apricot blossoms and a tree of peach blossoms, compete for wonder and beauty, gorgeous and colorful, attracting many citizens to stop and watch.

The Imperial City is located slightly northwest of the center of Tokyo and was the central nerve of the Song Dynasty. The area of the imperial city is not large, the circumference is only five miles, and there are more than 40 large and small palaces in it. Compared with the imperial cities of the Han, Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties, the imperial cities of the Northern Song Dynasty did seem a little small.

The Imperial City can be roughly divided into three districts from south to north: southern, central and northern.

In the southern district, there are central government offices such as the Zhongshu Province, the Privy Council, the Metropolitan Hall (where the prime minister worked after his retirement), the Menxia Province, and the Xiuguo History Institute, with a total of about 3,000 houses.

In the central area, there are the splendid and majestic Daqing Hall (the place where the imperial court holds the ceremony), the Wende Hall (the palace where the emperor visits the government every day), and the Zichen Palace, the Vertical Arch Palace, the Chongzheng Palace, the Jiying Palace, the Baohe Palace, the Ruisi Palace, etc., each palace has its own different functions. This area is heavily guarded.

The northern area is a forbidden area for the harem, that is, the living area of the emperor and his concubines, and outsiders are not allowed to set foot in it.

The main gate of the imperial city faces south, called Xuande Building, and in front of the building is a square, which can hold large-scale assembly activities. There are two side doors next to the building door, namely the left door in the east and the right door in the west, and the hundred officials enter the palace and go to the right door.

The east gate of the imperial city is called Donghua Gate, the west gate is called Xihua Gate, and the north gate is called Gongchen Gate.

Outside the Gongchen Gate was originally a back garden for the emperor and the concubines to entertain and relax, which was relatively empty. A few years ago, Prime Minister Cai Jing felt that the imperial city was too narrow and suggested expanding it to the north. As a result, a group of garden-style buildings were built here, with a total of seven palaces and fifteen attics, which is the so-called Yeonfu Palace.

Yanfu Palace is a relatively independent palace area, the scenery is beautiful, the environment is quiet, Song Huizong sometimes splashes ink here, sometimes also sets up a song banquet here, the monarch and the minister rejoice.

On this day, Song Huizong and Empress Zheng came to a dirt slope called Xinggang on the north side of the Ninghe Hall of Yanfu Palace to watch the apricot blossoms. There is a large apricot grove with the fragrance of flowers.

They stopped beside a tall almond tree.

The fragrance of flowers wafts down from the tree, which is strong for a while and light for a while, refreshing and sweet.

Song Huizong took a deep breath of floral fragrance and seemed to be a little intoxicated. The delicate and dripping posture of the apricot blossom stirred his heart and pleased his spirit like an empowerment.

The crown of the tall apricot tree holds up a brilliant cloud, and the flowers are full of bright and dazzling colors. The branches of the tree have not yet grown green leaves, and they are all densely packed with petals. The petals are clustered together, white and pink, and white in the powder. They are so lively, splendid, charming, and so shy, gentle, and tender.

"Official, there are so many flowers blooming this year! If there are many flowers, there will be many apricots in the future, which should be an auspicious omen. ”

Empress Zheng smiled, she couldn't help but immerse herself in the breath of early spring, she felt that she was much younger all of a sudden, as if she had returned to her girlhood.

Empress Zheng was a native of Kaifeng and grew up in an ordinary official family. She was born in 1079, three years older than Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. She entered the palace at the age of twelve and has been working as a maid by the side of the Queen Mother. She liked to read, was elegant and beautiful, intelligent and dignified, and could speak well, and was later promoted to the Chin Temple.

When Song Huizong was the king of Duan, whenever he went down to the next court, he did not forget to bow to the Empress Dowager in Cide Palace, and the Empress Dowager always asked the two beauties of Zheng and Wang to accompany him. Later, King Duan succeeded to the throne as emperor, and Empress Dowager Xiang gave him both the Zheng family and the Wang family.

Zheng is not only beautiful, but also has a sharp mind and outstanding literary talent. She can write poems and lyrics, can write songs, and is especially good at appreciating and appreciating the calligraphy and painting of Song Huizong, so she is very favored.

Song Huizong was originally married to the queen's surname Wang (that is, Song Qinzong's biological mother), who was also from Kaifeng, and also grew up in the family of the official eunuch, which is the same as the Zheng family. She was born in 1084, five years younger than Zheng, and married Zhao Ji, the king of Duan, at the age of sixteen.

In September 1108, Empress Wang died in solitude and depression at the age of twenty-five.

Three years later, Zheng was canonized as empress.

Empress Zheng is very low-key, lives a very frugal life, and never extravagantly wasteful. When making the queen's crown dress for her, she said: "Now that the imperial court is not financially sufficient, don't make a new one, just use my original concubine dress to make it." ”

Song Huizong's evaluation of her was "soft and graceful, humble and prudent". It should be said that this evaluation is very appropriate, which shows that Song Huizong knows Empress Zheng very well.

Similarly, Empress Zheng knew Song Huizong well.

Empress Zheng knew that Zhao Ji, the emperor, was unusual, he had the temperament and romantic atmosphere of an artist, and also the enthusiasm and political dream of inheriting his father and brother's transformation of the law and creating the prosperous era of the Great Song Dynasty.

He was diligent in his administration, and he had to personally review the recitals every day.

He is very energetic, in addition to being busy with social affairs, he is also busy with calligraphy and painting, busy drinking and drinking tea, busy talking about scriptures and Taoism, and busy adjusting the wind and making the moon-----

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and the tall apricot trees were blown around, and countless petals fluttered and fell like raindrops.

Empress Zheng's heart was shocked: the sky suddenly fell into the sky, swept the apricot trees, and ravaged the apricot blossoms, what disaster must have happened?

The wind swept by, and the tall almond trees still stood tall, but the ground was red and looked a mess.

At this time, the eunuch Liang Shicheng hurriedly ran over and said: "Official, Yintai Division has just submitted an urgent report, and there is also a wax pill. ”

"Where did it come from?"

"Xiongzhou, Hebei."

Empress Zheng hurriedly reminded: "Official, Xiongzhou is an important border town, don't be careless." Come back to the temple and have a look, it's important to deal with political affairs! ”

Empress Zheng had a faint sense of foreboding in her heart.

Song Huizong returned to the Chongzheng Palace, broke the wax pill, and took out a silk book with a delicate and elegant font.

Your Majesty Wan'an:

In recent years, Emperor Tianzuo, the Khitan monarch, rejected Zhongliang and appointed villains to power, the government was dark, and the Jurchens took the opportunity to rebel, and the officers and soldiers were defeated and fled. Thieves also took the opportunity to attack the prefectures and counties, and the common people lived in misery. The Khitan is in chaos, and its demise is just around the corner.

After that, there was a battle between Da Liao and Jurchen, and the battle situation was compared!

After reading the secret letter, Song Huizong leaned back on the dragon chair and pondered.

For the Jurchens, he knows a little in general. He knew that it was a group of people living in the mountains, forests and wilderness of the northeastern region of Liao, and they were divided into several tribes and lived by hunting and fishing. Gold, pearls and pine nuts are produced there, and there is a small but fierce falcon called Haidongqing, which can be used to catch swans.

Zhao Liangsi prophesied that the Liao State would be destroyed by these Jurchens. Is this possible? Song Huizong was a little skeptical. And Zhao Liangsi has been on mission for a year, but there has been no news so far.

Youyun Sixteen Prefectures, is the time come!

Song Huizong picked up the wax pill secret letter and read it again from beginning to end, he hesitated.

Song Huizong did not give instructions on Xiongzhou's secret letter, and he sent his chamberlain Zhang Di to send Hexu's chapter and wax pill secret letter to the Taishi's mansion, asking Taishi Cai Jing and Taiwei Tong Guan to discuss whether it was okay.