PFC Chapter 476 Quietly
Chapter 476 Quietly
Yuan Tiangang, this extraordinary man who was famous in the Tang Dynasty, is now very old and his health is deteriorating. Even walking has become a luxury.
The court sympathized with him and specially issued him a wheelchair.
Seeing his weak physical condition, Li Chunfeng was full of worries and really didn't want to bring him to the New Year's Day ceremony, for fear that something might go wrong on the way.
But Yuan Tiangang was resolute, his eyes filled with stubbornness. He tightly grasped Li Chunfeng's sleeve, his voice trembling but firm: "I must go. I'm afraid this will be the last time I can attend the New Year's Day ceremony."
Li Chunfeng looked at his eyes full of desire, his heart softened, and he finally nodded in agreement.
So, Li Chunfeng and Zhang Xuanwei carefully pushed Yuan Tiangang and slowly passed through the streets and alleys of Chang'an.
The winter sun shines on my body, and although it is not scorching, it brings a hint of warmth.
Zhuque Street has already been decorated with lights and colorful decorations, red silks fluttering, lanterns hanging high, and the colorful decorations make the street look particularly festive.
The people were dressed in new clothes, with happy smiles on their faces. Some came with their families, some in groups of three or five, holding various small gadgets in their hands, and their laughter echoed throughout the street.
There was a vendor selling sugar figurines. The lifelike sugar figurines attracted children to gather around him in three layers, clamoring for their parents to buy them.
There are also stalls selling fireworks, with all kinds of fireworks neatly displayed, and the stall owners enthusiastically introduce them to passers-by.
Yuan Tiangang sat in a wheelchair, his originally dull eyes now sparkled. He grinned, looking at the lively scene in front of him, feeling filled with emotion.
He had spent countless years in Chang'an City, and he had seen the bustling street scenes over and over again, even feeling a little tired of them at one point.
But now, in the twilight of his life, he found that he could not see enough. Even though he was a monk who pursued transcendence of the world, he was reluctant to leave the land where he had lived all his life!
His eyes slowly swept across the shops and pedestrians on the street, as if he wanted to imprint all of this deeply in his mind.
Li Chunfeng and Zhang Xuanwei pushed Yuan Tiangang steadily along Zhuque Street, step by step towards the Daming Palace.
Along the way, no one knew that this dying old man was Yuan Tiangang, the imperial teacher of the Tang Dynasty.
When I walked into Hanyuan Hall, I found that I was not the only one attending the ceremony in a wheelchair. There were quite a few people there.
The most eye-catching among them is Yuchi Jingde, the black war god of the Tang Dynasty who once dominated the battlefield, but is now sitting in a wheelchair.
Many ministers glanced at Yuchi Jingde from time to time, feeling deeply moved.
They really couldn't believe that the old black general who was once brave and fearless on the battlefield would now be eroded by the traces of time and become so weak.
Although Yuchi Jingde had a smile on his face, he couldn't hide his pale face, which really proved the saying "time is merciless".
Inside the Hanyuan Hall, the ministers had already taken their seats in order of rank, and everyone was present.
Compared with the last New Year's Day celebration, many familiar faces are no longer seen, which makes people feel a little sad.
Even the Prime Minister, who had always presided over the New Year's Day ceremony, had been replaced by Mr. Qi. Several elderly men in wheelchairs glanced at each other, their faces breaking into a smile, followed by a slight nod. Their gazes spoke of years of friendship and a sense of the passage of time.
As the solemn sound of drums and music sounded, Emperor Retired Li Shimin and His Majesty Li Chengqian walked into the Hanyuan Hall surrounded by the crowd.
After the New Year's greetings, the New Year's Day banquet officially began.
No foreign envoys attended this year's New Year's Day ceremony. The entire banquet was harmonious, with less diplomatic dealings than in the past and more ease and comfort.
Yuan Tiangang sat at the table and at first just watched everything around him quietly.
After a while, he slowly stretched out his dry hands, picked up the takeaway bag beside him, and began to silently pack the dishes on the table.
His movements were slow and focused, and he carefully selected each dish.
Di Renjie was sitting not far away. When he saw Yuan Tiangang's actions, he was stunned and stared at him for a long time.
Today's grand event was a rare opportunity. After much hesitation, Di Renjie finally picked up the takeaway bag he had prepared and carefully selected two dishes to put in.
When he finished packing and looked up, he was surprised to find that many officials had taken out their pre-prepared packing bags like him.
For a moment, the scene of packing in the hall was quite spectacular.
Everyone looked at each other, with slightly embarrassed smiles on their faces, but their hands did not stop moving.
Things like face seem to become less important at this moment.
After all, the New Year's Day celebration does not take place every year. It is a rare opportunity to bring these delicious foods home and let neighbors taste them.
The little face lost in Hanyuan Hall can be regained when you return home and share delicious food with your neighbors.
Moreover, when everyone starts doing this, there will be no worries about losing face.
The New Year's Day celebration adopts a separate dining system where each person has a small table. This is clean and hygienic and allows everyone to enjoy the food to their heart's content.
These dishes were carefully prepared by famous chefs in Chang'an City, and each dish has a unique flavor.
On ordinary days, it would cost a lot for common people to eat such delicious food in restaurants outside, but today, everyone can eat and drink for free in the Hanyuan Hall and enjoy this rare feast.
Li Shimin, who was sitting in the upper seat, was teasing Li Jingyi at this moment.
The little girl was so amused that she giggled, and her clear laughter echoed in the hall like a silver bell.
Li Jingyou, on the other hand, was sitting upright in his seat like a little adult, holding his chopsticks properly and eating slowly and leisurely.
There was excitement in his eyes, and he looked around at the lively scene from time to time.
Li Jingyou felt a little distressed when he saw the officials packing up so much food. After all, in his mind, these things were all taken from their own homes, and seeing so much being packed up and taken away, he couldn't help but feel a little sad.
He secretly glanced at Li Chengqian's reaction, but found that Li Chengqian was not unhappy at all. Instead, he kept waving his hands with a smile on his face, and enthusiastically asked the officials to take more and go back to share it with the neighbors to try.
For officials, these foods are not just a delicious meal, but also a symbol of honor.
He hoped that in this way, he could enhance the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, and also allow this festive atmosphere to spread to every corner of Chang'an City.
Halfway through the banquet, Li Chengqian stood up and walked down the platform himself, holding a wine glass in his hand, ready to toast the elderly ministers one by one.
He smiled and expressed his sincere blessings to each minister he approached, asking them to take care of their health.
When Li Chengqian walked in front of Yuan Tiangang, Yuan Tiangang looked blankly at the young and promising emperor in front of him, and the changes in the Tang Dynasty many years later suddenly emerged in his mind.
His lips trembled slightly, and he kept muttering, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!"
There was a hint of excitement in the voice, mixed with a hint of indescribable complex emotions.
Li Chengqian looked at Yuan Tiangang's dazed look without any disgust in his heart.
He said to Yuan Tiangang gently: "I'm here!"
After hearing this, Yuan Tiangang seemed to suddenly remember something and reached out his hand anxiously, wanting to grab Li Chengqian.
Li Chengqian was a little confused when he saw this, but he immediately put down the wine glass in his hand and gently held Yuan Tiangang's hand.
Feeling the weak pulling force coming from Yuan Tiangang's thin and dry hands, Li Chengqian's heart moved. He leaned down slightly and put his ear close to Yuan Tiangang's mouth.
Li Chunfeng was standing aside and saw Yuan Tiangang whispering something in Li Chengqian's ear. As soon as the words fell, Li Chengqian's expression changed instantly. His face, which was originally full of smiles, was now filled with solemnity.
There was a flash of panic in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. However, his slightly trembling hands still revealed the turmoil in his heart.
Li Chengqian stood up, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.
He looked at Yuan Tiangang with doubts, worries, and more importantly, a solemn feeling about the unknown future.
He nodded slightly to Yuan Tiangang and said softly, "Master, I understand."
Afterwards, he turned around and returned to the podium. On the surface, he continued to maintain the normal progress of the banquet and chatted and laughed with the ministers, but his heart was in turmoil.