Chapter 473 Chang'an
The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Shangyuan Festival.
This year's Chang'an Shangyuan Festival was a bit deserted. Although the Northern Expedition was victorious and the Turks were destroyed in World War I, the six-way Northern Expeditionary Army hardly fought any tough battles, and achieved great achievements with extremely low casualties.
But the joy of the Northern Expedition could not wash away hunger, nor could it conceal the fear of the smallpox epidemic in Beijing.
Even Pingkangfang, the most prosperous city that never sleeps in the Tang Dynasty, is now a little less noisy. The imperial court has issued a decree to ban Tugu in Beijing and impose a curfew.
People are not allowed to slaughter livestock without permission, and are not allowed to make wine without permission, and are even not allowed to sell alcohol for drinking.
Places like Pingkangfang are not even allowed to drink alcohol, so of course the excitement is much less. The restaurants and restaurants have ushered in the worst season. Many shops have temporarily closed their doors. They cannot sell wine and have lost a lot of business. In Chang'an, there is a shortage of food. There is no food ticket for wine and food. Naturally, it is impossible to do business. .
In the northwest corner of Pingkangfang, Weiguo Mansion occupies a corner of the square, and the gate is tightly guarded.
Qin Lang was not in the capital, so Mistress Yu Xiao and Mistress Yu Xuanji, who were in charge of the house, also acted cautiously and refused guests to visit.
So this Spring Festival, even though many of Qin Lang's relatives and friends, even former disciples wanted to visit, the butler just received the name stickers at the door, wrote down the names and gifts, and saw off the guests.
Qin Lang returned to Chang'an on this Shangyuan Festival, and drove all the way. On the first day of the first lunar month, he set off from Taiping City Wharf in Wu'an Prefecture. He was delayed at Zhennanguan and Jinlongdong for a few days. The rest of the time, Qin Lang was on his way non-stop. .
Alternate water and land along the way. After arriving in Changsha, drive directly to Xiangyang, then pass through Shangluowuguan, enter Lantian and go up to Chang'an. There is no detour to Luoyang, Yangzhou, and take the most comfortable Yangtze River Canal waterway.
Although the journey was hard, they finally entered the city at dusk on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month when the city was closed.
The two hundred pro-army stayed at the Changlepo villa, and Qin Lang brought a few people into the city.
Wearing a white robe, he looked like a scholar from other places who came to Chang'an nearby to watch the excitement. The Zuo Jinwu guard who guarded the gate even reminded him.
"There are no lanterns to see in Chang'an, Shangyuan this year."
Qin Lang smiled at the somewhat burly soldier, but he didn't recognize himself, but the sky was dark, he was wearing a white shirt, and he was much darker, and he didn't bring guards of honor, so it was normal that he couldn't recognize him.
Passed by with a smile and entered Chang'an City.
Returning to the heart is like an arrow, and I don't have the mind to wander around.
But after entering the city, I found that this year's Lantern Festival was really not worth seeing. As the soldier said, because of the famine, smallpox, and some bad rumors, the court canceled the Lantern Festival, not only did it cost nothing Lighting up Chang'an will also prohibit merchants from holding lanterns this year.
It was supposed to be the three-day Shangyuan Festival where King Wu could not help, but this year there is a curfew instead.
When it was dark, all the cities and workshops closed their doors.
Even Pingkangfang, the busiest no-night club, was required to impose a curfew inside the workshop.
Twilight is dull.
There were few pedestrians on Chang'an Street, and everyone hurried back, fearing that the gate would be closed if they went back late, and then they would be taken back to the Zhangyuan by the Jinwu Guards patrolling the street to be punished.
There are no lanterns.
There is no one who sets up a stall.
There are no crowds of people watching the lanterns and visiting the night market.
Nong Cunxin, who followed behind Qin Lang, was very disappointed. This Chang'an city is big, but why is it so deserted?
"This year is a bit special." Qin Lang had no choice but to tell him that.
All the way to the gate of Pingkangfang, the gate has been closed.
The big drum on the Sixth Street Drum Tower is still beating.
Fang Ding blocked the way.
Qin Lang's personal soldiers stepped forward, "Duke Wei is here!"
The soldiers in front of the fang gate were startled, looked up, and found that the Duke of Wei, whom he had not seen for a long time, had returned, so he rushed to see him.
"Everyone has worked hard." Qin Lang said to them.
After saying hello to Fangzheng and others who came over, Qin Lang entered the workshop, anxious to meet his family and see his son, so he was not in the mood to chat here so much.
It is very lively on weekdays, even the crowded Pingkangfang street is empty and the shops are closed. Only Fang Ding and bad guys are patrolling.
Seeing that it was Qin Lang who came back, he personally sent it to the door of Duke Wei's mansion.
The gate of Duke Wei's mansion was closed tightly, and the soldiers stepped forward to applaud him.
The small door opened, and the steward probed, "My family, Alang, is not in Beijing. There are only female relatives at home, so it is inconvenient to receive. It is getting late now, and there is a curfew in the workshop. If there is something to do, please come back tomorrow."
"Is it Uncle Chang? A Lang is back, open the door quickly."
The steward, Uncle Chang, ran out in three steps as if it were two steps. Although he was an old man, these few steps were as fast as the wind. He rushed out, wiped his eyes, and the one standing in front of him was definitely Qin Lang.
"A Lang, my family just received a letter from you a few days ago saying that you are going back to Beijing. Why did you come back so soon?"
Chang Shi quickly ran back, "You little bastards, are your ears deaf? A Lang is back, hurry up and open the door!"
The head of the family left Beijing for half a year before returning. Uncle Chang hurriedly asked the family to open the middle door to welcome his arrival, and then asked people to notify everyone in the courtyard.
"There's no need to mobilize teachers like this." Qin Lang smiled, but he was very happy to see the welcome from his family when he rushed all the way back.
The gate has just opened, and before those who have come and stepped into the gate, everyone in the mansion has heard the news and rushed over.
All the people in the mansion, young and old, regardless of master and servant, came to greet him.
Everyone was very happy to see Qin Lang and came up to say hello.
The side cooks, coachmen and coachmen also ran over to greet San Lang.
Yu Xiao and Yu Xuanji led a group of concubines from the mansion to rush out, they came in such a hurry that they didn't even have time to fix their makeup.
It was hard work all the way, but when I saw this family, I suddenly felt not tired at all.
"Son! Come here!"
Qin Lang noticed that Yuxiao was followed by a little guy, thick-headed, with a palm-sized hair on his forehead, and the rest was cleanly shaved. The kid was wearing a brocade jacket, and looked at Qin Lang curiously.
I haven't seen him for more than half a year. This kid can not only stand up, but also walk. He is already over a year old.
Yuxiao pushed him, "Jun'er, grandpa is back, hurry up and give grandpa a hug."
On the contrary, the little guy hugged Yuxiao's leg and refused to move.
Qin Lang smiled and stepped forward to hug this guy. This guy was about to cry, and his mouth started to grin.
"Your father misses you so much, but you still feel disgusted and want to cry?"
Qin Lang lifted this guy up with a smile, and then threw it directly into the sky. After throwing it a few times, this guy giggled there.
Yu Xiao looked at it frightened, but Qin Lang threw the child like a sandbag, throwing it up and catching it.
And Qin Jun, the boy, the more he throws it, the happier he is. He has long forgotten what he was about to cry just now, and he can't stop laughing.
"Good boy, he has a lot of courage, and his body is also strong. He is expected to be a general in the future!"
"Ah Lang, don't frighten the child, and be careful not to fall." Yuxiao is like an old hen guarding chickens, the one next to him is uncomfortable.
"Hahaha, it's okay, throwing it away will help the child's development."
After all, Qin Lang raised children in the past. He said that the first child was raised by books and the second was raised by pigs. When the baby was first born, being a novice dad was really hard. Yes, as soon as I don't move a bit, I just think about it.
When the child grows up, the dad can be regarded as a teacher.
So Qin Lang has a lot of experience in raising children for Qin Jun's son now. The child should not be too pampered, not too delicate and hygienic, otherwise it will be difficult to improve the immunity.
After playing for a while, this kid really became familiar with Qin Lang, and seemed to remember that Qin Lang was his father.
"Come down quickly, mother, grandpa just came back, so tired."
But this kid is hanging on Qin Lang like a monkey, how can he come down.
A fat boy weighing more than 20 pounds is nothing to Qin Lang. He likes the bold appearance of this boy, who pulls his nose here, his beard there, and accidentally **** his eyes.
"Call Grandpa!"
Qin Lang asked him to call, but he refused, so he could only call him Grandpa, Grandpa. After he called dozens of words, son, Grandpa, the kid finally spoke. The first few sentences were not clear, but the rest was very smooth up.
Hey, if you want your son to be called Daddy, you have to call him Daddy first. This kid is not bad, after all, he is so old.
Entered the living room.
Qin Lang took out a brocade bag for Qin Jun, which was filled with precious stones.
There are rubies, emeralds, sapphires, topaz, etc. They are colorful, and they are all huge. Each gemstone is like an egg, transparent and crystal clear, and has different shapes.
These are all fine gemstones he got in Lingnan, and each piece is extremely rare. Now Qin Lang gave it to his son. More than a dozen large gems were like a handful of stones, and they were not carefully packaged and protected. Qin Jun just let Qin Jun beat there.
Yu Xiaoyu Xuanji and the others, who were looking at the goods, were terrified when they saw it, because they spoiled good things too much.
"Lingnan has a lot of these things, let the children play with them if they like." Qin Lang laughed.
Yu Xuanji's eyes sparkled, "Is Lingnan really full of gems?"
"That's right, it's everywhere, as worthless as stones. The barbarians used the hundreds of catties of jade raw stones as dining tables, and used the big gemstones as table legs. The barbarians and women in Lingnan all wore gold. Wearing silver. In one tribe, women wear silver ornaments all over their bodies. In another tribe, women start wearing collars when they are young, adding layers every year. Circles are all made of gold..."
Qin Lang bragged to the women, splashing his saliva, making a group of women's eyes shine. Gemstones, jade, gold, silver, these things are always so attractive to them.
"Sanlang must be coaxing us, how is that possible." Yu Xiao laughed.
"What are you doing to coax you, I came back in a hurry this time, so I didn't bring much stuff with me, but I brought it back with me. I picked a bag of precious stones for my son, and I prepared a lot of gold, silver and jade for you. Everyone has a share."
Bull head gold weighing more than one hundred taels, dog head gold weighing several jins, these are the most crude and primitive, but they are also the things that can blind women and make them scream excitedly.
(end of this chapter)