Since the winter solstice in front of the palace, the inner garden craftsman workshop began to build Ao Mountain, and now it is nearly completed, Zhao Ta has seen it once in his previous life, and that is the only time, but compared with the Ao Mountain in front of him, it is simply to put the elephant and the pig together, but that also attracted many surrounding counties and cities to flock to watch. Now this unfinished Ao Mountain is 16 zhang high, 365 steps wide: there are two Ao pillars in the middle, 24 zhang long: two times with a golden dragon wrapped around the pillars, each dragon mouth lit a lamp, called the double dragon title. There is a card in the middle, three feet long and six feet long, two feet wide and four feet, and a few big characters in the golden book, which reads: Enjoy with the people. "This place is smaller than Tiananmen Square, or you have to build an Empire State Building!" Zhao Ta looked up at this Aoshan that was piled up with money and said with a sigh. "Second master, where is Tiananmen Square, and what is the Empire State Building!" Jianxi listened to the prince's self-talk and asked in confusion. "Oh, I mean that in the future, we will build a square bigger than this one called Tiananmen Square, and then build a hundred-foot tall building to show the majesty of my Great Song Empire!" Zhao Ta talked nonsense and covered up the horse's feet. "Why didn't Zhao Yuzhong wait for us, or I went to find a sedan chair?" Seeing that Xi Dong looked around, he still couldn't see their shadows, and now that it was dark, the temperature was dropping quickly, he rubbed his head and said. "Forget it, we've been in Beijing for a few months, and we haven't visited the night market yet, so today is the opportunity to take this opportunity to wander around!" Zhao Ta shook his head and said, this place is only five or six miles away from his own Wang Kai, and it won't take long to walk, seeing that Xi explained a few words to the soldiers guarding the palace gate, and a few people walked back along the street. Before the Song Dynasty, the residential and commercial areas in the city were completely separated, and the traditional restrictions of time-limited opening and closing, due to the Song Dynasty's policy of concentrating various people in the capital, and due to the increased degree of commercialization of the city, residents attached importance to material life and leisure and entertainment. Later, due to the development of the commodity economy, the capital was intertwined with shops and houses. In order to meet the needs of material life, the night market is gradually no longer limited by time, and in some prosperous areas, even Tonghuo Dadan, not only restaurants, restaurants, and tea shops abound in the streets and alleys, but even the food stalls are also bee drill ant gathering. The opening of shops and the hawkers are no longer limited by time and area, and the night markets of many trading places are always very lively from dusk to dawn, making the cityscape more prosperous and secular than before. Zhao Ta and Jianxi walked ahead, and Wangfu and Laifu followed behind them to guard. A group of people walked east to Panlou Street, here is a simple night market for selling goods, from dusk the night market is as long as several squares, focusing on selling goods such as heads, crown combs, collar wipes, treasures, etc., the longest duration, if it is summer, it will last until the four more drums in the morning before it will disperse. Although it is winter now, but at the end of the year, there is still a flow of people, the sound of selling is endless, along the street plate selling ginger dare fat skin, sour tendons, mutton fat leek cake, bad sheep's trotters, bad crabs, and there are stretchers selling spicy lungs, spicy vegetarian powder, fine powder of meat, Ketou, ginger satin, fish fried, clear juice, snail sunflower, sheep blood soup, conch head, distillation, etc., each has its own selling voice tactfully listening, but it is not worse than the selling performance of the previous life, and this is the original taste.

Traveled more than a mile to the east, through the bustling crowd, they arrived at the intersection of Panlou Street and Mahang Street, they turned to the north, the Panjia Restaurant in the famous capital is here, at this time it is already a lantern tall, illuminating the whole street, this is the meal, a group of idlers greet the passing diners, they are a special industry spawned by urbanization, they gather in front of the various large restaurants, specifically to see the arrival of guests, he helps before and after greeting and responding, and makes a living by listening to the guests to make some rewards. Not only are the guests happy to be taken care of by this group of people, but also the help of this person in a big Tokyo restaurant like Pan Lou, so that this kind of person has formed a profession, like a waiter in a modern hotel.

The west of the street is Zhongwazi, which is one of the concentration places of the former courtyard in Beijing, and the old women who solicit customers on the street seem to be more vivid and pleasing to the eye than the ordinary women of their time, which is a kind of "artificial beauty" that has been carefully modified with a smile, a word and a move, walking, sitting and sleeping, loving anger, all so artistic, so that people can "see their feet from the head, and run down; From the feet to the head, the wind flows upward. "They are beautiful and delicious, charming like spring, and they can't help but be dissipated. Slender feet, curling waist, can crisp the muscles and bones of the government and the opposition: full breasts, noodles with spring, can resolve the sinister of the sea of eunuchs, and the fierceness of the party struggle: social feelings, military horses, official grievances, colleagues hate, in the warm care of the old daughter, all turned into ethereal clouds. Zhao Ta didn't dare to stay here for a long time, so he sped up his pace after drinking a bowl of fragrant tea and different soup, and blended into the flow of people on Mahang Street. The geographical location close to the imperial city, coupled with the dormitory of the government officials on both sides of the street, forms an organic combination of fangxiang and market, relying on the consumption of the emperor's relatives and a large number of high-paid civil servants, bringing up the prosperity here. It has formed a more lively place than the Zhouqiao Night Market. ,

It is the end of the year, it is the season when the lanterns are popular, the roadside is full of jade gate small ball lamps, kit kat jade screen screens, lantern balls, fast Hu daughter sand play horse lanterns, goose, jade plum blossoms, Yuanzi mallet beat, kumquat number of pearl lanterns, fish and dragon boats, etc., on both sides are restaurants and restaurants, it is said that the cooking smoke even makes mosquitoes and flies stunt, but he came at the wrong time, this rumor has yet to be verified, but the aroma of the meal wafting with the wind has made Zhao Ta's stomach can't help protesting.

"This lamp is good, Zhao Xin must like it!". Zhao Ta took off a marquee and looked left and right and said.

"The second master is eccentric, along the way, the few things you bought are for Zhao Xin!". Seeing Xi, he muttered a few packets of food in his hand and handed them to Wangfu to carry, and paid for the lanterns.

"As far as you kid have a lot of things, you see that Wangfu and they haven't spoken for a long time, just listen to your nagging!". Zhao Ta twisted his face and said to the two with a smile.

"Second master, we don't dare to say it, after following you for a day, my stomach is hungry!". Rifle his stomach and said.

"Hehe, which restaurant do you want to eat, second master, I invite you!" Zhao Ta said with a smile, his eyes swept inadvertently, and his laughter froze.

"Second master, I've eaten all the big restaurants in the capital, how about we try the snacks on the street?" Wangfu sucked the Ha Lazi that flowed to his mouth and said.

"Okay!". Zhao Ta turned around abruptly and said loudly, looking at a person dressed as a scholar, who took a wrong step as if he was frightened, and immediately picked up the lantern as if nothing happened.

"Second master, I smell the fragrance of steamed buns, it seems to be the kind we have eaten in Zhuangzi!" Jianxi licked his lips and said.

"Okay, let's eat steamed buns!". Zhao Ta replied, "Pay attention to your back, we are being targeted!" ”。 He whispered to Wangfu and Laifu without moving his head. "Second master, there are two porters who have been following us from the palace gate, but I don't know if they are friends or enemies!" Wangfu pretended to help Zhao Ta with something.

"Well, be careful not to let them know!" Zhao Ta and him "humbly said, it turned out that the two of them also found out that something was wrong, but they couldn't be sure, so they were just on guard.

"Second master, let's be here!". At this time, Jianxi, who was walking in front, turned around and greeted them, Zhao Ta looked over there, and saw that Xi chose a small shop on the street, in fact, it was not a store at all, a few bamboo poles supported a piece of oilcloth, Zhou Guo used a cloth curtain to surround half a circle, there were a few low tables in it, and a few drawers of steamed buns emitted white steam on the stove, and a middle-aged couple greeted guests while wrapping buns.

Zhao Ta walked over, saw that Xi had already chosen a clean table on the side, wiped the machine and asked him to sit down, "Shopkeeper, let's have three drawers of buns first, they want to be just out of the pot!" ”。 Miki shouted loudly.

"Here it is, Buns". The shopkeeper put chopsticks and saucers on the cloth, and saw Zhao Ta stunned, "Second master, it's really second master, the lady is the second master!" ”。 He wiped his eyes and looked at Zhao Ta again, and shouted excitedly to his wife.

"Who are you?". Zhao Ta saw that the excited couple didn't know each other, and asked suspiciously. "Second master, the younger one is Liu Er from Da Zhao Zhuang, who has been working in a bun shop on the dock in Fuli for two years, you don't know me! Liu Er said with a nod to his chest.

"Amitabha, it's really the second master, there are tens of thousands of people in our Zhuangzi, how can the second master know everything!". The proprietress patted her husband with disgust.

"It turns out that they are all old people, why did you come to the capital?" When Zhao Ta heard that he was from Xiangyi Mansion, he also felt very cordial. "Second master, after you left, everyone misses you, now it's winter leisure, there is nothing to do at home, so I and the Hun family want to see a small shop in the capital to earn some pocket money, we often talk about maybe we can meet the second master, we will meet today!". to the second rubbing hand.

"Xianggong, don't say it, let's put buns on the second master first! Liu Er's wife pulled him down and said.

"Good!". Liu Er said busily, and put three drawers of buns on the table, "Second Master can taste if it suits your taste!" ”。

"Well, yes, it's the smell of the buns in our house, I just smelled the smell, Jing Shi still wondered how there were buns in our house sold in Beijing!". Jianxi took a bite of the bun first, sucked in the heat and nodded and said.

"Shopkeeper, bring us two steamed buns!" Liu Er was about to speak, and two short-dressed porters walked in with a flat pole and sat down at the table next to Zhao Ta and shouted.

"Liu Er, you go and greet the guests, don't delay the business, we are all our own people, you are welcome!" Zhao Tan smiled and waved his hand, and Liu Er smiled apologetically and retreated, greeting the new guests.

Wang Fu nodded imperceptibly, and signaled to the prince that these were the two people who had been following them. Zhao Ta glanced at the two porters at the adjacent table, and knew in his heart, those two were by no means ordinary coolie sellers, although the winter clothes were relatively thick, it was not easy to accurately see whether the forearms, chest and back muscles were strong or not, but their fingers were thick and strong, indicating that their strength was at least not too bad, and there were obvious dark marks on the knuckles, which made them even more sure that they had practiced boxing. Given the size of their forearms, they are quite threatening, which proves that they are either trained or often armed to fight. (To be continued.)