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Time flows like a stream, taking away the withered leaves, the melting snow and ice, and the white and flawless apricot blossoms.

Looking at the mountains and rivers of the northern country, the green mountains are lush and lush, the big rivers are surging, and the streams are murmuring, and it is already the season of flowers.

On April 7, Chang'an City was full of long-robed scribes, dancing and graceful; The warriors in the power suit are windy and heroic at their feet. Literati and warriors gathered, three religions and nine streams gathered, shops and inns were full, bustling, one after another, a prosperous scene.

At this time, there were still seven hours before the first imperial examination.

Many young people with lofty ideals want to take advantage of the leisure of the sunset to relive the last days of the common people's white body, visit the street market, see the dazzling array of goods, and enjoy the sunset. Some self-proclaimed literati and scholars still want to take advantage of the little time left to indulge again, and they have rushed to well-known wine shops such as Wanhualou and Nanyuan Restaurant to drink flower wine, listen to small songs, and enjoy the graceful dancing of the dancers. If you can get the favor of a beautiful woman and spend a good night together, it will be the icing on the cake.

Obviously, the literati warriors gathered in Chang'an City at this moment were all confident, or perhaps conceited. But before the mystery is solved, they are all optimistic and positive, full of expectations for their future, and have a good vision for the future. Perhaps, in their eyes, tonight will be their last ordinary time as civilians; After today, they will no longer be ordinary, fame and fortune are just around the corner, the glory of the ancestors is just around the corner, and it is not known whether he will worship the marquis or a very human minister.

As of this moment, most of them have been in Chang'an for more than half a month. I have already walked all over the streets and alleys of the city, especially the street market near the post house, and I have stepped on it countless times. However, even if you have to walk back and forth several times a day. They still don't get bored, because the shops, liquor stores and restaurants in the market have new tricks almost every day. It changes from day to day, never repeated. It's not the houses that change, it's the objects and delicacies, and the décor of all kinds, which are really endless, full of variety, and never get tired of seeing.

It is worth noting that these test-takers who rushed to Chang'an half a month in advance. Most of them came from the two major vassal states outside the Western Jin Dynasty. They all belong to the "illegal entry" of smugglers, fortunately they all came prepared, carrying with them the certificate that can prove their identity, with which they entered the territory of the Western Jin Dynasty, and then the government office registered nearby, issued customs clearance road guide and test vouchers, and then sent to Chang'an in batches.

On the way to Chang'an, many of them were on the fast carriage for the first time, and they were only qualified to ride in the troika of eunuchs or wealthy families. They were blown away by the scenery and novelties along the way. Heartfelt admiration has opened my eyes and gained knowledge, and it is worth the trip.

After entering Chang'an City, they were uniformly placed in the post house. 10 people per room, easy to count and easy to manage. However, there are exceptions, and many children of merchants or local tyrants are not used to so many people crammed into one room. In addition, they themselves are not short of money, so they moved out of the inn. Stay alone at the inn. There are not a few rich children living in inns like this, which makes more than 200 inns of all sizes in Chang'an City full. So much so that many people in the city have vacated their remaining rooms as temporary inns, with all-inclusive food and lodging, and the price is very expensive. It is reported that the imperial examination will last for about half a month, and for this alone, most of the people in the city can get benefits, and half a month's income can maintain at least half a year's expenses.

As the test date is getting closer and closer, the last half month is the peak period for test takers to come to Chang'an, and the population in the city is increasing day by day, with as few as two or three thousand people and as many as tens of thousands of people pouring into the city. Of course, these people were not all literati or samurai who took the exam, among which the servants and maids accounted for more than sixty percent, after all, those children from wealthy families could not come alone, and servants and maids were indispensable. It is no exaggeration to say that many rich young masters do not dare to go out at all if they have no one to protect or serve, and they can't even take care of themselves.

Evening comes, and the lights come on. Located next to the former General's Mansion, the Nanyuan Restaurant is brilliantly lit, with hundreds of luxury carriages parked in front of the door, and there is an endless stream of people entering and exiting the restaurant, which is extremely lively.

In the central hall, it was full at the moment, and more than 3,000 people sat around the high platform in the middle, looking up to watch the song and dance of the warbler on the high platform. This is one of the major features of Nanyuan Restaurant, and it has been doing so every evening for eight years now. The singing and dancing will last for an hour, and then the celebrities will perform, and now there are more than 50 famous singing and dancing celebrities in Nanyuan Restaurant, playing or singing or performing on the same stage, and the time is still an hour.

After the two performances, it was almost midnight. It's the time of curfew in the city. Although it is a curfew, Nanyuan Restaurant occasionally violates discipline against the wind, and there is a finale at midnight. However, this kind of finale is not every day, and it is only open to distinguished guests who have been in the private room for many years, and ordinary people have no chance to see it.

The so-called finale is the product of some rich children or business tycoons who are willing to pay a high price to invite celebrities to perform, and if they can get the favor of celebrities, it is not impossible to spend a good night together. It is worth mentioning that the celebrities of Nanyuan Restaurant are not coerced unless they are willing, and no one can threaten them to accompany them to sleep, because this large restaurant is the property of the royal family, and no one dares to bully or wantonly spread wild here, even the children of the royal family.

"These songs and dances are still the same, there is nothing new, and some new elements can be added." In the private room on the third floor to the north of the hall, a man dressed in brocade clothes stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, looking down condescendingly at the singing and dancing performances in the hall.

He was accompanied by a young girl, but seeing that she was slender (satisfactory and beautiful body), with a short fit, her shoulders were shaved, and her waist was like a supreme one. Stretch the neck of the show, the quality of the dew, the fragrance is not added, the lead Huafu Yu. The clouds are elegant, the eyebrows are trimmed, the lips are long, and the teeth are fresh. Bright eyes are good, Jing assists in inheriting power, beautiful and elegant, and the instrument is quiet and leisurely. Tenderness and flattery in words. The strange clothes are magnificent, and the bone image should be drawn. The brilliance of the cloth, the brilliance of the Yaobi. Wear gold and emerald jewelry, embellished with pearls to show off your body. Practice the literature of the long journey, the light skirt of the fog silk, the fragrance of the faint orchid, and hesitate in the corner of the mountain.

Its shape, fluttering like a frightening Hong, graceful like a swimming dragon, Rong Yao autumn chrysanthemum, Huamao spring pine. It seems to be like a light cloud covering the moon, and fluttering like the snow of the wind. Looking at it from afar, it is as bright as the sun rising to the morning glow; Forced to observe it, the burning of the hibiscus out of the wave (borrowing flowers to offer the Buddha, a little annotation). She is Zhen Mi, the maid who often accompanies Li Li.

At this moment, there are still two people sitting in the room drinking tea, and from time to time they get together and talk in a low voice. They also didn't wear official uniforms, they were all dressed in brocade clothes, dressed like children of a rich family, and those who didn't know thought they came here to drink flower wine, but they didn't know that they came to accompany the emperor to pay a private visit. Or they couldn't help themselves, they were caught by Li Li, and they came to Nanyuan Restaurant by hard dragging. Otherwise, who doesn't know that the officials of the Manchu Dynasty are famous for their "strict wife", they have a beautiful wife, and they are virtuous and virtuous, and not long ago, they automatically selected two celebrities as concubines in Nanyuan Restaurant for their husbands. If you marry a wife like this, what more can a husband ask for?

These two people who were arrested by Li Li as a strong man as a companion obviously have a common hobby with him, they are Guo Jia and Zhuge Liang. The two of them are the closest to Li Li, and they are of the same age, so Li Li will take them with him every time he goes out of the palace, and it is rare to come out to drink flower wine like today, so naturally the two of them are indispensable. However, being close to each other, the courtesy of the monarch and the minister cannot be abolished, so when they saw Li Li and Zhen Mi standing side by side in front of the window watching the song and dance, the two of them consciously retreated to the room to drink tea, and never squinted from beginning to end, never interfering with the conversation between Li Li and Zhen Mi.

"Your Majesty said that these songs and dances have no new meaning, how can you see it?" Seeing that Li Li was not interested in singing and dancing in the hall, Zhen Mi asked in surprise. Obviously, she didn't agree with Li Li's comments, because Nanyuan Restaurant was personally managed by her mother Zhang Ai, and the more than 200 dancers and singers in the entire restaurant were carefully selected. But now Li Li is not satisfied with the performances of the dancing girls, which makes Zhen Mi very angry, thinking that Li Li is too picky, or too high-minded.

After finishing speaking, Zhen Mi muttered to himself in his heart: "Do you think everyone is a high emperor like you!" In order not to let the officials gossip, more than a dozen sisters tried their best to choose palace maids for you, there are more than 300 palace maids who can sing and dance, plus more than 200 maids from the inner house, more than 500 young girls revolve around you all day long. You must know that these palace maids are all beautiful women who are one in a million, and you are used to seeing so high. How can a mere restaurant be compared to the inner courtyard of the palace? ”

Li Li didn't know that Zhen Mi was slandering him in his heart, but said with interest: "The costumes of these dancing girls are too conservative, tightly wrapped, the fabric is not light enough, the color is too ordinary, and it lacks vitality; The dance is also conservative, not completely letting go, and lacking appeal; There are also songs that are too old-fashioned, you need to make some new ones, and the instruments are too monotonous, so you can play multiple instruments at the same time and mix them together, so that the sound will be better. ”

Seeing that what Li Li said was the truth, Zhen Miyan smiled and teased: "There are so many shortcomings, I don't know what good strategies the heroic and martial majesty has to improve them?" ”

"Ugh! This 、、、" Li Li was stunned when he heard this, and suddenly remembered that his identity seemed to be unsuitable for participating in such things, and when he was about to refuse sternly, he saw Zhen Mi's disappointed expression, and he suddenly changed his attention.

—————— To be Continued ———————————————— (To be Continued......