Chapter 128: Special Hospitality

After Tang Cheng came out of the Zheng Mansion, although the sky had already darkened, he did not return to the inn, but rode directly to the Dulahe Mansion.

As the leader of the Hu people and maritime merchants in Yangzhou, Dulahe is not counted in addition to the Kangyuan Garden on the outskirts of the city, and the residence in the city is also extremely gorgeous, not to mention anything else, his mansion alone can occupy such a large area in the most prosperous area of Yangzhou, where every inch of land is valuable, which is enough to show the wealth of this old Persian Hu.

Xu is porter had already been explained, and after seeing the famous tattoo of Tang Cheng's name, the doorman immediately welcomed him into the gatehouse to rest and eat tea, and scolded a deep-eyed and high-nosed Hu Ren Xiaofei into the house to report the news.

The lichen on the ground is mixed with silver wire, the incense burner in the corner of the wall is the high-grade bird's tongue, and even the tea set served by the door is the top grade in the celadon of the Yue kiln, which is just a gatehouse! Tang Cheng looked at everything in front of him, and finally understood why Hu Jia was a jewel when he mentioned it in Tang Legend, this group of maritime commissions was really too rich, and they were not subtle at all.

"It seems that the price of the scheduled tung oil is still too low", Tang Cheng took the tea and just took two sips, when he saw the Hu Ren Xiaowu who had just entered leading a middle-aged man in his forties to walk in.

This middle-aged man is also Persian Hu, but the housekeeper of this house, "My lord has just changed his clothes and bathed, if he changes his clothes and comes to see him, he is afraid that the guests will wait for a long time, so he invites Tang Gongzi to come in and talk."

Tang Cheng followed the housekeeper into a room dedicated to bathing, and in the middle of the huge room there was a pool the size of a basketball court in the later world, and the steaming water rose from the pool, so that it was a little difficult to see people.

"Heaven and earth were born in the first place, pure and unsullied, and since they were invaded by demons, they have been polluted into turbidity. At the call of Ahuramazda, we, the believers, should live the law of purity. In order to return heaven and earth to their original faces. God Hu Tian blessed us with holy fire, purified water, and cleansed the filth. Tang Cheng, my brother, please come with me for the cleansing ceremony", in the midst of the steam, Dulahe's slightly old voice came. Then there was a rustling of footsteps, and four deep-eyed Persian orchids walked up to Tang Cheng's side.

Seeing that the eight hands of these four Persian orchids stretched out to loosen their clothes for themselves, Tang Cheng was slightly stunned and then raised his arm to let him do it. As early as the last time they met, he knew that the Persian Hu people in the Tang Dynasty, such as Durah, were Zoroastrians, or the so-called Zoroastrian believers of the Tang people, and for them, the ritual of cleansing was one of the most important rituals in daily customs.

As a result, this bathing room has become one of the most carefully managed places for the wealthy Persian Hu people, and generally speaking, the Hu people can invite you to the bathing room to talk. It means that they have regarded you as the most honored and close guest, and in this sacred bathing room, the guests should also obey the host's arrangement, which is not only respect for the host himself, but also for the god Hu Tian.

Religious issues are always the most fatal. Tang Cheng, who traveled through later generations, knew this very well, and since he entered this bathing room as the "most honored guest", he also followed the customs of the locals and listened to these orchids to take off layers of clothes for him.

From the outside in. In the blink of an eye, Tang Cheng was stripped into a state like a newborn baby by the eight hands that deceived the frost and the jade, and then, just like watching an archaeological documentary in later generations, Tang Cheng became a nobleman in ancient Persia, sitting naked and sitting on a soft bed made of soft "fur".

After the four Persian orchids lifted up and sent Tang Cheng to a small pool, they motioned for him to come down and enter the pool.

Whether it is in later generations or in the Tang Dynasty, this is the first time that Tang Cheng has "exposed" his "naked" body in front of so many young women, and he is also such a "beautiful" Hu Ren Meiji. At the beginning, he was a little unable to let go, but seeing the calm looks of those orchids, Tang Cheng, who was a little nervous in his heart, completely let go.

Damn, you don't care, I'm still hiding it, won't I be underestimated by these Hu people!

Holding the shoulders of Hu Ji, who was kneeling, Tang Cheng got up from the soft sleeper and walked into the pool.

Damn, much to Tang Cheng's surprise, the water in this pool looks extremely clean, but there is no temperature at all.

As soon as the foot was stretched out. It's really cold. His uncle, it's October in early winter. Who the can stand this cold pool!

"Dulahe, you wait, with this pool of cold water, the price of tung oil will rise by at least ten cents!" After scolding with hatred in his heart, Tang Cheng signaled to Hu Ji, who was kneeling by the pool, gritted his teeth and sank his whole body into the pool of cold water.

"I rely on, I rely on, I rely on it", Rao is Tang Cheng rarely said these mantras of later generations after crossing over to the Tang Dynasty, and now he is really unbearable.

Fortunately, in this pool, as long as the whole body is soaked, after the trembling Tang Cheng stood up from the small pool, the four orchids hugged him into the big pool.

The water in the big pool is at least fifty degrees, and the whole body that has just been soaked in the cold water pool is cool and cool, and as soon as Tang Cheng enters the waist-deep pool, the skin of the whole body is as hot as fire in an instant, it is really worthy of Zoroastrianism, and a bathing cleansing ceremony can make people feel like being roasted by fire.

The "hair" pores of the whole body were already tightly contracted after passing through the cold water pool, and suddenly opened after encountering hot water this time, and after this moment of hot scorching, Tang Cheng gradually felt that his whole body slowly became relaxed and comfortable.

Day! After crossing to the Tang Dynasty, this bathing place is the most comfortable, and it is similar to the sauna in later generations. These Persian hus are really enjoyable.

Tang Cheng had just adapted to the temperature of the pool water, and when he was comforting, the four orchids who had come here with him had already exhausted the pure white long skirts on their bodies, and walked down the pool with their waists.

After the four of them got out of the pool, they still gathered around Tang Cheng, since they didn't refuse at the beginning, Tang Cheng now wanted to "dew" timidly, and he still relaxed his whole body and was at the mercy of these orchids.

Two of the four orchids helped Tang Cheng's shoulders, and the other two squatted silently into the water with shoulder-length hair like sea elves, and the next moment his legs were lifted by four hands.

The two raised their arms, the two raised their legs, and the four plump and jade-white orchids lifted Tang Cheng towards the center of the pool with the buoyancy of the water.

Emperor's enjoyment! Thinking of this classic advertising phrase in later generations, Tang Cheng finally had a real experience 1,300 years ago.

Gradually, the hole in the ground became clear. Seeing that he was still ten steps away from him, Sihu Ji let go of his hand, but Tang Cheng did not sink into the water, but happened to be sitting on the white stone couch built in the pool, and his arms could be "exposed" in the depths of the water.

"Tang Cheng, my brother, it's a pleasure to be able to perform the Great Cleansing Ceremony with you," Durahe, who had a beautiful beard, clapped his hands after laughing. Suddenly, I saw a large tabletop and an unusually delicate carved model of a sea ship being lowered from the edge of the pool.

When he got closer, Tang Cheng saw that this model of the sea ship was originally used for a small few, and there were a few wine bowls on the deck of the sea boat, and three or four preserved fruits and dim sum fruits from the wine field.

After Du Lahe took a drink from the boat, he pushed it with his hand, and the sea boat arrived in front of Tang Cheng leisurely.

Take the glass wine ou containing the bright red "liquid" body, and pour the peach (grape) wine syrup into the crystal glass. Just looking at the "color" of this liquor, you will know that it must be the authentic Persian peach brew that has come across the ocean, and it is indeed better than the Hedong peach brew produced by Datang in terms of "color" and quality.

Pour six points of wine, take the carved Xiaoice fish placed in the ice tray on the edge of the two wine bowls and put them into the crystal glass, a moment later. There were already five or seven small ice beads on the side of the cup, soaked in hot water, Tang Cheng stretched out his hand to carry the crystal glass cup on the sea boat, and a cold mellow at the entrance went down the throat, and the five internal organs were like being washed by the Lingling Mountain Spring. Momentary comfort is infinite.

When Tang Cheng was drinking, the eight hands of the four orchids were already gently "kneading" all over his body.

Fortunately, I heard from Zheng Lingyi about the drinking method of this "fish wine" before, otherwise I would really be "dew" timid this time, and when he put the crystal cup in his hand back to the ship, Tang Cheng had to admit that what Zheng Lingyi said was not true at all, before going to Chang'an, he had at least one course similar to the "social etiquette" of later generations to learn, and different eras had different so-called divisions of high society. The so-called upper class of the times has different rules and etiquette.

As an ordinary person who traveled through later generations, although Tang Cheng was quite dismissive of the statement of "high society", but now that he is really in the Tang Dynasty and has plans to prepare for the imperial examination as an official, these things cannot be ignored.

I remember that the person who said a famous sentence in later generations: If you don't have the strength to change the environment, then take the initiative to adapt to the environment!

"My brother, what good news have you brought me today?".

"Du Laheye is deaf and clear-sighted, and the city's statement today must have been known a long time ago. I am here to invite you to discuss the pricing of tung oil. This is also the meaning of the city envoy", Yarle is a position within Zoroastrianism. The Persian word for "flame worshippers" is a person with specialized knowledge and familiarity with the rituals of the sect, who presides over the affairs of a diocese.

As early as when Taizong Zhenguan, Zoroastrianism, that is, the Zoroastrianism mentioned in the edict of the Tang Dynasty, was introduced into the Tang Dynasty together with the Jingjiao that belonged to the Christian branch, and Emperor Taizong personally entered the Jingjiao Temple in Chang'an. Under the liberal religious policy of the imperial court, after decades of development, Zoroastrianism spread widely in the Tang Dynasty, and prosperous cities such as Yangzhou were no exception. Not only was the Zoroastrian shrine established in the prosperous area of the city, but also the preliminary division of the diocese.

As the most influential Zoroastrian in Yangzhou, Durah is the one who is responsible for managing the daily life of the disciples, and the last time they met, Tang Chengcheng knew that compared with the title of "big treasurer", Durah obviously preferred the title of Yeerle. That's why that's why they call him that.

Hearing that Tang Cheng had come to invite him to participate in the negotiation of the pricing of tung oil, Du Lahe had a heartfelt smile on his face, "Thank you Lord Zheng and Brother Tang, I don't know who else is involved in this matter?" ”。

"Old man Wang Hanxiang", seeing that Du Lahe frowned slightly when he heard this name, Tang Cheng couldn't help but smile in his heart, it seems that what Zheng Lingyi said is right, there is really some contradiction between the Hu people and the Tang people in Yangzhou maritime merchants.

The Tang maritime merchants obviously had more advantages in the purchase channels, and if it came to the sale of goods to Central Asia and other places after going to sea, the Persian Hu merchants, who were the head of the land, were far superior, one was longer than the purchase, and the other was longer than the shipment. But the so-called peers are enemies, with different races and different beliefs. Even two people of different races who look different from each other do the same business, and it would be strange if there was no dirt in the long run.

Tang Cheng frowned at Du Lahe, and continued: "Zheng Shi's envoy and Wu Yujun will also participate, in addition, there are two special guests from Chang'an, one is Zhang Liang from the palace of the prime minister of Anguo, and the other is Xue Dong of the Taiping Princess Mansion of Zhenguo", said here. Tang Cheng smiled and said: "By the way, when I went to meet Mr. Zhang Liang in the afternoon, I saw that his current residence is very close to your mansion in Yeerle."

Speaking of this, Dulahe, who was still frowning slightly just now, was already full of bitterness, and after a moment of silence, he raised his head and said, "Brother Tang Cheng, you are well-informed and can understand the suffering of our Persians who have lost their country and wandered. It can also respect our beliefs, so even though we believe in different gods and have only met once before, I will not shy away from the canon today and welcome you into the bath room to meet according to my teaching Bible, "St. Avistas". Whoever is able to walk with the great gift of cleansing will be a brother. Tang Cheng, my brother! Please tell me, what does the city envoy Zheng think of these two visitors from Chang'an? ”。

It's that easy to be a brother! can become one of the leaders of Yangzhou, and even the entire Persian Hu people in the south of the Yangtze River. Tang Chengcai would not believe that Durach would be as simple as he was now showing. It's just that at the moment, since he wants to seduce him to defect to Li Longji, who is very powerful, this Du Lahe himself will not take it seriously, and it doesn't hurt to do it for the time being.

"It's really an honor for me to be treated as a brother by Brother Monturach, we Tang brothers are very honest with each other, look at the present, but there are more honest of us?" , Tang Cheng's pun made Du Lahe laugh out loud and nodded yes. "Since they are brothers, then I will tell you the truth, these two are too big, neither Lord Zheng nor the palace will interfere in this matter, how to make friends, what kind of friends to make, this is still up to you to make your own decisions."

The more Tang Cheng said this, the more embarrassed Du Lahe's face became, "Brother Tang." So which of these two do you think is more worthy of being friends? ”。

"Old fox. I told you that Zheng Lingyi has no attitude towards this, and he is still trying me with words." But at this time, Tang Cheng couldn't say Zhang Liang's name directly, it was not good to be too traced, and what was even worse was that if this word reached Xue Dong's ears, not only him, but even Zheng Lingyi's life would not be easy.

No matter what, at least on the bright side, he and Zheng Lingyi must be absolutely neutral, according to Zhang Liang, Xue Dong is a waste of firewood, but the princess Taiping behind him who has been immersed in the political whirlpool since he was born is not something that can be offended casually.

"One is the head of the Zongren Temple, the other is Her Royal Highness the princess who has been very powerful since the previous dynasty, no matter which one of them is a friend worth making", laughing, Tang Cheng poured another glass of fish wine, took a shallow sip and raised his eyebrows: "But if you talk about power, Her Royal Highness the princess is better today."

"Yes", Du Lahe raised his hand and signaled, a Hu Ji gently pushed, and the sea boat full of wine and preserved fruits floated towards him, Tang Cheng said this to Du Lahe's heart, because he took a bottle of wine and drank it all, and did not try to cover it up, sighed: "Zhang Liang has come to visit me a few times, I also like this person, but compared with Her Royal Highness the princess, the "sex" of Prince An Guoxiang is too simple, I heard that he is the most unpleasant to listen to the court on weekdays, in case he really encounters something, he may not have the heart to care!" Moreover, compared with Her Royal Highness the Princess, Prince Xiang's influence in the imperial city is really lower, and his old man's influence is one point lower, so I don't know how big a gap there is in our people."

Du Lahe said the truth, Tang Cheng nodded in agreement, and said with a smile while sipping wine: "Since this is the case, Yeerle, you should have more dealings with Xue Dong."

"Xue Duwei is very busy with 'obsessed' hooks every day", although Du Lahe said this sentence with a smile, but the resentment behind the words is clear, "Don't hide it from Brother Tang, Xue Duwei has visited Wang Hanxiang after coming to Yangzhou, as for my mansion, I have been empty for dozens of days, but I don't see distinguished guests coming to the door."

Hearing this, Tang Cheng was overjoyed, and covered his face with the crystal glass cup in his hand, and asked in a normal tone, "Oh, why is this?" ”。

"I also asked someone to find someone around him to inquire, according to that person, Xue Duwei's mother had a land dispute with my sect in Chang'an, which was more than ten years ago, because of this, Xue Duwei also brought a little bit of spirit to my Yangzhou Hu Shang", said this, Du Lahe's face was very unhappy.

Damn, we are in a hurry to send money to people, but people are not waiting to see them, and everyone will be depressed when they encounter such a thing.

"Shaft, what a shaft!" At this moment, Tang Cheng only felt that Zhang Liang's evaluation of Xue Dong couldn't be more expressive, but the more hasty this kid was, the happier he was.

"Brother Nadurah, what are you going to do?".

"What to do, it can only make people discourage him, these days, I have not spent a lot of effort on him", a long sigh, Yerle shook his head with a wry smile.

When he walked out of Dulahe's mansion, Tang Cheng, who was relaxed, remembered the experience just now and felt a little "psychedelic", the dissipation power of religion was too great, if it was a different place, four naked and "naked" alien people were surrounded by him, as long as it was a man, he would have to be congested all over his body, but in the case of knowing that this was part of the religious etiquette, and seeing those orchids with a holy look again, Tang Cheng just now except for the beginning of his imagination, when he really talked, his mind gradually calmed down, This scene is the same as when you see the Christian portrait of the Virgin Mary in later generations, you don't believe in this religion, but you don't really have much carnal thoughts when you look at religious paintings.

It's just that some of the customs of Zoroastrianism are too much, no wonder since the Tang Dynasty has been repeatedly suppressed by later dynasties, so that the influence is getting smaller and smaller, and finally it has been annihilated.

sighed and went back to the inn, but Wu Yujun was not there, he can be said to be red half of the sky now, and now he must be flattering the mellow beauty in that hook bar.

Tang Cheng went to lie down on the couch after freshening up, but he didn't feel sleepy for a while, and his mind was turning over and over again thinking about how to separate the relationship between Hu Shang and Xue Dong, which was not good.