The next day, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The sky is still clear, and the white clouds are blooming. It's just that there are many birds flying high, and there are not many cloud marks that have been scratched. There are more than half of the horses on the ground, or rather, there are not many horses in Yueyang City at this time that can still run fast...

Because, there are too many passers-by.

If you are walking on Yueyang Street now, you must be able to understand what it means to be difficult to move an inch...

Full of people, like waves into sand, fill all the streets and alleys. If you are not careful, you will step on someone else's foot, and a dispute will arise for no reason.

But...

There are many people today, and that is inevitable.

There are tigers in Yueyang, and tigers roar in the mountains and forests. A piece of letterhead is to invite thousands of heroes from the Southern Regions to go to Yueyang for a total of 3,000. Moreover, among the rivers and lakes in the Southern Regions, how many famous heroes there are, then the people in Yueyang City today must have at least dozens of times this number.

Bring family members, bring household servants, lead disciples, one person goes to the banquet, and a hundred people follow. It's called your own face...

Whether tonight's banquet is a sacrificial banquet, a dinner party, or a Hongmen banquet, whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, at least your own pomp and circumstance must be in place.

Since Tatsushi...

People from all over the southern regions who came to the banquet have already entered the city one after another. And the team that followed the emperor's order to the south, thousands of vehicles and hundreds of officials, also drove in from the north gate at the end of the Chen, and drove directly to the Yueyang Palace.

As for the civil and military officials of the imperial court who came with the courtesy, what kind of courtesy they would receive after entering the palace, then no one can know for the time being...

On the other end...

At the beginning of the day, on the Yingshui River, the red cloth that covered the sky and the sun. Countless craftsmen withdrew one after another. Judging from the possessions they had in their hands when they left, it is estimated that the things they had been working on for two days had already been completed. If there is no accident, the thing hidden in the red cloth should be related to wood...

Three moments...

On the upper and lower banks of the river, four flags were waving. The defenders on the shore, as well as the boats in the river, changed formation.

The defenders on the shore quickly expanded more than five miles. A team of 1,000 people re-lined up and squatted at various street entrances in the north of the city, prohibiting idlers from entering. Immediately afterwards, seventy-seven and forty-nine, three-zhang high red lacquer war drums, were pulled by the sergeants with war horses along Bei'an Street to both sides of the river, lined up in a row. Under each drum, there are three strong men, holding a large stick and mallet.

And the actions on the Yingshui River are not the same...

The flags fluttered, and the big ship with the arrow tower was immediately ordered to go down several miles up and down the river. Afterwards, countless craftsmen and boatmen went to the ships loaded with goods in small boats, and quickly spread out the decks of the ships and set up bundles. The gap between the boats and the boats is connected by thick wooden planks and nails to form a flat whole. In less than an hour, with the red cloth as the center, the river went up and down for more than ten miles, and it was covered into land by this small boat that was only connected together. Only a gap of more than 100 zhang wide was left in the middle of the great river, as if it was reserved for the passage of large ships...

At this time, a large number of tables, chairs and dishes had already been prepared on the riverbank. When the boats were all connected, they were placed one by one on the newly built land by the servants waiting on the shore.

Come on...

In fact, many people can already see that things have developed so far. This should be the place where the prince is going to entertain guests from all over the world tonight.

Thousands of ships filled dozens of miles of Yingshui. Such a posture is not an exaggeration at all for tonight's banquet. After all, the number of people who are going to gather here tonight is not a small number...

And the identity of the comers also has this height.

"Did you find it?"

“......”

The upper floor of Yueyang Building, the largest wing to the north.

Sandalwood is Miaomiao, black hair and silver silk are popular. Sweeping the dust, wisps of long beards, dozens of old Taoists are standing or sitting, talking quietly here.

Their apprehension about what is about to happen is understandable. But as the young man who sought height said a few days ago, there will always be a few times in life when he is ruthless. Among them, it only depends on your determined heart, whether it is strong enough.

For example, tonight they will make a petition...

Zhou Yuanshan stood at the railing of the corridor, took off the creed from the paws of the carrier pigeon that had just flown in, looked at it and said lightly: "No news." ”

At this time, standing beside him was the white-haired old Taoist who had the best relationship with him. After hearing this, the old Taoist's already frowning brows wrinkled even more: "This is not easy to do, and I can't even figure out the details of the enemy." Tonight's battle, what's going to happen?"

“......”

Glancing at the room, there were dozens of other Taoists who were silently worried. Zhou Yuanshan's cold face set off a point of ruthlessness: "Then you have to fight to know..."

"What if that kid miscalculates?" asked the old man again.

"He shouldn't be mistaken..."

"What if he's really wrong?"

“......”

Turn your eyes and look north, on the Yingshui River. Zhou Yuanshan was even more ruthless, gritted his teeth and said word by word: "Then we will stain the river with blood!"

The words were resolute, with a faint intent of death, filled with every leaked word. It feels like the current Zhou Yuanshan seems to have found a path for himself that will die.

"Hey... Forget it..."

Seeing Zhou Yuanshan's resolute appearance. The old Taoist couldn't help but feel a little sad, and after sighing helplessly, he patted him on the shoulder and comforted: "Forget it... Never mind... Since we have chosen this path, let's not think about it. If that kid is really sold this time, it will be retribution twenty years ago..."

"Hey..."

"It's retribution..."

may be the voice of many people here, just by the words of the railing, there are old Taoists in the side house who echo it.

"If we had been bolder and walked a few days later, we wouldn't have fallen to this point today. ”

"Yes, at least leave a clean slate in the world..."

"Hey, my life is gone, what's the use of being innocent?"

"Come on!"

The old Taoist who was chattering inside, leaning on the railing, turned to look at the speaker inside, and said softly: "What's the use of talking about this now?

“......”

As soon as he drank it, no one answered.

Spring breeze, Yueyang Road.

Today's Lantern Festival, where is the joy?

Just before Yueyang was about to burst into bloom, the water surface that had been boiling for several days, just like the old Taoist in the Yueyang Tower here, suddenly calmed down a lot.

There are few pedestrians on the street, and the restaurants and wine shops are dull. It's like a pot of boiling water, and suddenly someone covers the pot, and you can't even see the smoke.

In this year's Lantern Festival, the little people in Yueyang City did not spontaneously set up a lantern festival flower market as in previous years. Because, not long ago, the government yamen in various parts of the city had already done this.

Moreover, it is magnificent, and it is also wealthy.

In the four cities of east, west, north and south alone, there are 180 streets and alleys to guess lantern riddles. And tonight's riddle reward is even more enjoyable. According to the letter from the government in the morning, anyone who answers the riddle correctly can go to the nearby temple fair with the lantern and receive ten catties of rice. Although this is not a lot of money, even a few days ago, Jin did not change his big hand, and he waved out 12/12 of the golden rain in the sky.

But, it's up to you...

For the people who have never felt the existence of the government in the past 20 years, this actually has nothing to do with money, mainly the faint warmth of their hearts. As for what is about to happen tonight, it is a matter of the court of the rivers and lakes, and ordinary people, even if they know a little bit of the inside story, they will not show too much worry. After all, these are big things, and the big things in the world have never been about them. Even if one day, the head of Yueyang City really replaces the Dawang Banner, then no one will think that there will be many substantial changes in the lives of the people here.

Perhaps, the ancients said that "foolish people are easy to deceive", which is probably what it means...

At the end of noon, before the beginning of the day.

The sun is shining, not too hot.

After a hasty lunch, the foreign high-rollers in Yueyang City gradually moved closer to the north of the city. According to the invitation, two o'clock in the meeting will be the entrance time for today's dinner. Since you have to wait until the evening when you're outside, it's better to go in early and touch the bottom so that you can settle down a little.

This is, the vast majority of people, the common thought...

However, it does not tell the whole story.

For example, Wentian, who doesn't ask about the affairs of the rivers and lakes, such as the Seven Star Courtyard, which has been on the cusp of the past six months. For example, today's Junzimen, Iron Fan Gate and a few dozens of Yueyang Courtyard Mansions...

South of the city, Liutu Lane, Junzi Gate.

It's quiet, even a little deserted. The open door was unguarded, and from time to time there were three or two disciples coming in and out. It is in stark contrast to the crowded street outside the door.

The south corner of the courtyard, the small courtyard...

Small bridges and flowing water, stone roads and grass, vine trees and birds' nests.

Migratory birds, which have come south for the winter, have driven the young birds in the nest to the branches of the trees, and are forcing them to flap their wings and try to fly for the first time.

"It won't be long before the winter birds return north. If by then, it can't learn how to fly, and it's going to die here. ”

Under the rattan tree, there are two rows of stone tables and stone benches, and nine people sit.

These people are all well-known celebrities in Yueyang City. It is not an exaggeration to say that they each have a small world. The lone elder of the Junzi Gate, Fang Xin of the Iron Fan Gate, and several other court leaders are also among them. And the previous words that contained deep meaning and had other meanings came from the mouth of the only old man...

He was casually looking at the birds in the trees, while he was playing the abacus on the stone table.

"Can you count the hidden means of that prince?" On the other side of the stone table, a middle-aged man with a knife sitting in the pavilion asked Elder Xiang.

Lao Dao's gaze remained on the vine tree and did not look back. Just shook his head slightly: "It's not all... However, 100,000 skyrockets, 3,000 apocalypse, and more than 100 kings must have them. And, I even suspect that there is a saint in it..."

The words are profound, but they can't be surprised, as if they were expected, and they seem to have been numb. No one cared about the food and wine on the stone table, and everyone was quietly watching the young bird on the branches, as if waiting for it to spread its wings and fly.

"How sure is that kid?"

"I don't know, but the ghost must be completely sure..."

"But he's far away in the north..."

"He can play with the situation in the world..."

"I hope so..."

“......”