When the food storm swept Chang'an, Chinese New Year's Eve also quietly came.

From the royal family to the commoners, worship ancestors, carve peach charms, stick door gods, hang lanterns, wear new clothes, release explosive rods, eat a bowl of hot noodle soup, carry a basket of steamed buns or buy a few oil rings, rich people buy some winter vegetables and cut meat, and return home to sit on the hot kang with their wives and children to wrap some dumplings (this era is called glaive chaos, and the style is almost exactly the same as that of later generations), oh, no, at this time, the northern nobles have not yet introduced the fire kang.

Happiness knows no bounds! Full of New Year's flavor.

From this day onwards, Datang will have to rest for seven days, and the people of Chang'an can have fun all night without worrying about closing the door. Visiting relatives and friends, visiting temple fairs, stealing chickens and dogs, touching the door, etc., are the happiest things these days.

However, it is such a very important festival, and the Department of Teaching Workshops cannot rest, and the Department of Teaching Workshops is responsible for the palace banquet performances in these days, which is the busiest time. Therefore, Wu Qing asked Rongguo's wife Yang and mother Wu to say goodbye early in the morning, and instructed Wu to give the servants and Xu Xiaoying some more money, and then rushed into the Teaching Workshop Division.

Seeing that Yun Shao was stepping up rehearsals, Wu Qing was also very excited, success or failure should be tonight!

Yun Shao bowed down to say goodbye, and then watched Wu Qing sit down on the upper seat. Wu Qing looked around and saw that these Yun Shao people had been getting up early and greedy for darkness these days, in order to be able to please the king and practice diligently, many people had reduced a lot.

"Well, you guys are very good, today is an important day for our Teaching Division, you must guard against arrogance and rashness, and deal with it calmly, if you don't have any extra words, Master Ben won't say anything, Teaching Division, success or failure will be here tonight." Can you be confident? ”

Yun Shao bowed his body and replied in unison: "Your Excellency, rest assured, the slaves will go all out and will live up to the trust of your lords." ”

Wu Qing stood up and said with a smile: "In this way, I can rest assured." ”

At this time, the people who arranged to collect the neon clothes and feather coats and folding fans rushed back one after another, and Wu Qing ordered people to distribute these things one by one to the nearly three hundred Yun Shao and the insiders who appeared tonight.

Seeing the surprised expressions of Yun Shao wearing the neon clothes and feathers, he knew that the clothes he designed were still very attractive and trendy. For a while, those Yun Shao who wore neon clothes and feather clothes, like fairies flying into the sky, fluttered with long sleeves and danced. Those Yun Shao who took the big red silk fans started a newly choreographed fan dance by themselves.

Wu Qing high-fived and shouted, "Everyone gather!" ”

Qiushui and Qiuxiang both put on neon clothes and feathers, and the two of them took the lead and stood in front of Wu Qing, Wu Qing saw that these girls were all bright eyes and bright teeth, and their posture was good, and they couldn't help but sigh, this is the benefit of copying the family, most of these girls have been the heirs of high-ranking officials and nobles before, in terms of quality, I have to say that the Jiaofang Division is the most high-quality place for the sisters of the Tang Dynasty.

Wu Qing was very excited in his heart, maybe he couldn't change the fate of these women, this night banquet, if he could please Gaozong, there would definitely be a reward, so that these girls could dress up well, live a richer life, and wait for the old pearl to be yellow, they can also have some money, so as not to starve to death on the streets.

I thought about it a lot, so I calmed down slightly, and said loudly: "In this way, the musicians play music, and the Yunshao people dance, let Master Ben see what level you have reached now!" ”

Yun Shao and others happily agreed.

With the sound of drums, the last rehearsal began.

On the night of Chinese New Year's Eve, every family in the Tang Dynasty had to observe the New Year, of course, in addition to those soldiers on the border, there were also soldiers stationed at the gates of Chang'an City, as well as officials in Chang'an County and Wannian County, and some important departments such as those who could not take vacations. And during this time, Chang'an County and Wannian County are the busiest times, not only to cooperate with Jin Wuwei and Qianniuwei to inspect the two counties, but also to arrest bandits, this time is also a time when bandits are rampant.

In short, the most leisurely places are the palace and the homes of those important ministers.

When night fell, the lanterns in the palace were hanging high, and the ribbons were fluttering, Wu Qing led more than 300 people from the Jiaofang Division to step into the inner garden of the palace of Daming Palace, all the way through the Hanyuan Palace, bypassed in front of the Xuanzheng Palace, passed through the Guangshun Gate, and entered the forbidden room, turned left and right, passed through the corridors that I don't know how many, and then arrived at the Linde Hall where the banquet was held.

Lin De Hall is the palace banquet held by Emperor Gaozong, the hall of entertaining important ministers and foreign envoys, although there is no scale of Hanyuan Palace, but it is also one of the main halls in the Daming Palace. In addition to the main hall, there are Yuyi Building and Neighboring Building next to the main hall. The eaves and arches are very magnificent.

Stepping through the square in front of the Lin De Palace, Wu Qing and the others waited in Yuyi Tower, and waited until the emperor and the emperor's relatives and some important ministers began to drink and feast, and received the holy decree, and they could enter the main hall to perform.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, Emperor Gaozong would entertain the imperial relatives who had good relations with the royal family, as well as some important ministers who had made great contributions to the imperial court, at the Lin De Hall, and kept the New Year until dawn on the second day, the first day. For these important ministers, it was a great honor to have a banquet in the Lin De Palace.

At this moment, a flowing water feast has been arranged in the Lin De Palace, and the emperor's relatives and loyal ministers have also arrived one by one. The imperial relatives have several of Li Zhi's concubines and their families, and the families of Empress Wu, such as Rongguo's wife Yang and Wu Minzhi, as well as Jin's wife Wu Lan (Wu Qingniang), and of course, Yang's maiden family, Siwei Shaoqing, Yang Sijian's family, and Yang Sijian's daughter, Yang, who has been elected as the crown princess. The children of Gaozong and Empress Wu were also seated one by one. The ladies were busy putting on the table with wine and food.

Wu Qing and the musicians stood in the corner of the main hall together, watching the grand flowing water feast. At this moment, Wu Qing can only be described as grand, and can only be described as grand, the entire hall has the appearance of four or five acres of land, supported by dozens of carved dragon pillars, to be exact, it should be ninety-nine. The feast was placed on both sides, and the performance space was reserved in the middle, and the venue was wide enough. Wu Qing didn't know that at this moment, there was a pair of beautiful eyes staring at Wu Qing, and next to her was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old prince.

When Gaozong and Empress Wu entered the banquet under the guidance of the guard of honor in red costumes, everyone paid their respects, and Gaozong gave an order, and the banquet began.

The musicians who had been waiting in the corner for a long time finally relaxed their nervous breath after Wu Qing's raised hand fell fiercely.

First, the drummer slowly beat the drum, followed by the sound of flutes, flutes, gonghou, guqin, and so on.

At this time, Emperor Gaozong and Empress Wu also picked up the wine bottle, the wine bottle is the red as blood Gaochang wine, every year the Western Regions pay tribute to the palace dozens of barrels, every time such a banquet, Emperor Gaozong will take it out to share with everyone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, on this Chinese New Year's Eve, I should drink this cup bitterly!"

Emperor Gojong and Empress Wu held up the wine bottles, from right to left, as if they had seen it on the faces of every courtier, and then covered them with their sleeves and drank them all.

The children of the ministers in the main hall shouted, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" Then he still covered it with his big sleeves and drank it all.

When all the courtiers finished drinking, Emperor Gaozong said loudly: "If you don't get drunk tonight, you Aiqing can talk freely and let go of the drink." ”

So in a peaceful situation, Gaozong drank with the ministers, and the Empress Wu went to the seat of the female dependent, and the crown prince Li Hong went to the minister's side on behalf of Gaozong to persuade him to drink. Emperor Gaozong sat down on the dragon case, while having maids to serve, while drinking wine and enjoying music and dancing.

At this time, the loose order of "The Song of Ni Clothes and Feathers" also came to an end.