"Your Highness, is there anything you regret in this life?"
Li Xian froze for a moment. The pool, its surface wrinkled by the breeze, still held the chill of early spring ice just beginning to break. It was the twenty-fifth year of Kaiyuan, and the spring light of a golden age bathed them both. He looked back at the man. After nearly thirty years navigating the treacherous waters of court, he had entered officialdom as a man of humble origins, only to reach a point where scholars across the realm bowed before him. And now, he could only watch as the dream of his life turned to nothing.
"What I hoped to gain in this life..." He paused, gazing toward the imperial city half-hidden behind the willows. "Everything I hoped to gain in this life, I have gained."
One coincidence after another, one departure after another from his original intentions. He had finally learned that the world itself was the true master. Whatever else might be said, he had at last attained the peaceful, carefree life others envied.
The emperor surveyed the relics Li Xian had left behind, as if stepping into a kingdom he had not visited in years. Memories swept through it all, racing freely across the kingdom's every corner. Everything here was both familiar and strange to him.
He opened a volume from Emperor Ruizong's collection and examined its seal. With a faint smile, he realized it was a draft of Crown Prince Zhanghuai's annotations to the Book of the Later Han. His father had left him what the world regarded as a priceless treasure, while the treasure in his own heart had gone to his elder brother.
There were the calligraphy models Li Xian had painstakingly copied in life, a purple jade flute... At last, his gaze fell on a scroll with a scorch mark along its edge, like a butterfly resting among a swaying cluster of wildflowers.
The scroll was slowly unfurled, revealing a portrait of a lady. The beauty in the painting was in the prime of her youth, holding a seasonal flower between her fingers, with an air of otherworldly grace. She was rendered in delicate, silk-like lines, giving her a timeless appearance. Her sleeves and skirt flowed like unceasing clouds. He knew Li Xian was skilled at painting horses, but had no idea his portraits were so exquisite as well. He had once joked with Li Xian at Huaqing Tower that he should learn to paint in the style of "Wu Daozi's flowing garments." It seemed there had been no need.
Then he recalled that the artist had never shown any sign of this talent while alive. He had believed he knew everything, yet in that instant, the crushing sense of defeat came over him: even an emperor could never enter certain hidden corners of the world.
The Son of Heaven leaned closer to study the beauty's clothes and makeup, then glanced around at the palace attendants. He realized this was not the fashion of the current court. Her features and bearing seemed strangely familiar, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not remember when or where he had met her, or even her name.
"Was she the woman my elder brother loved?" The aging emperor opened eyes that had not yet grown cloudy and stroked the beauty's youthful dark hair and rosy face. The question escaped him as a murmur. But he had no intention of wrestling with his fading memories, nor of pursuing a tale of passion and court secrets whose participants might all be gone. This happened to touch precisely on his present pain and desire.
Impatiently, he rolled up the painting. After instructing everyone to put away the other belongings, he turned and strode into the depths of the palace, toward the first year of Tianbao, another frail and insubstantial spring on the verge of passing.
Against the backdrop of a world ruled by women, the power of youth was beginning to stir. It had grown during the Shenlong era, shone brilliantly in Kaiyuan, and then withered and fallen into decline. Like flowers blooming and fading in silence.
From the second year of Zaichu to the first year of Tianbao
In the past, my understanding of the Tang Dynasty, especially in the more than one hundred years from the early Tang Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, was that it continued to expand its territory, "Why don't men bring Wu hooks and collect the fifty states in Guanshan"? The artistic style ranges from elegant to prosperous. Even if it is exquisite, it still has a touch of the heroic spirit of the Western Regions from the Hezhong area. The Heian Dynasty in Japan was an era with a particularly strong aristocratic temperament. It was exquisite and delicate, sad for spring and autumn, and full of sorrow for things. Every person and thing pursued elegance.
I once felt that these were two opposing beauties. I never thought that the two would collide, let alone create any sparks, until I met Liang Jingfu. Its excellence lies in its in-depth description of customs and human feelings, and its portrayal of the subtle emotions of the characters; its uniqueness and freshness lies in testing the compatibility of the prosperous Tang Dynasty and peace, and writing another possibility of the story of the Tang Dynasty.
The key figure is Prince Ning, and Li Chengqi becomes the compromise and buffer point between the two eras of beauty. He belongs to the royal family, and his status coincides with the nobility of the Heian Dynasty. He has access to the most talented literati, the best musicians, and the most outstanding calligraphers and painters. He has received high-end aesthetic education in the Tang Dynasty since he was a child. He has naturally extraordinary taste and the ability to pursue artistic elegance. The experience of confinement and the loss of his mother in his childhood endowed him with a sensitive and delicate character, and his open-mindedness can be seen in his abdication as an adult. Choosing Li Chengqi as the male protagonist, and using his eyes to see the story of Wu Zhou and Kaiyuan, it must be peaceful and indifferent, delicate and melancholy. The prosperous Tang Dynasty and Ping'an began to merge in temperament. The author replied in the comments a long time ago that because he was deeply influenced by The Tale of Genji, his works unconsciously bear many shadows of the Suzaku Emperor. For example, he has the same attitude of not getting what he wants, giving in, accepting calmly, and the same belief in religion and admiration for Buddhism. Emperor Suzaku is the epitome of peace. Prince Ning is so close to him in character and deeds, which adds a bit of peace. However, although he is in the Tang Dynasty, he does not violate peace. He also benefits from the openness of the Tang Dynasty, which can accommodate thousands of forms and beauties.
And this kind of integration can only happen to Li Chengqi and other related clans.
If it is Xuanzong, he cannot, he is too indulgent and too busy, and does not have the depression and leisure to create exquisiteness and mourning;
If it's the prime minister's team, they can't. Most of the famous ministers are career-oriented men who don't have the time or mood to be sad in spring and autumn;
Nor can it be the case for those women who have left their names in history books. The special political environment released the pursuit of power in their souls and the sharpness in their characters, covering delicacy and softness.
Of course, the collision between the prosperous Tang Dynasty and Ping'an is not only due to the selection of perspective, but also the bonus of the author's writing style. Be able to carefully describe some seemingly trivial objects and details that have little to do with advancing the plot, and use these to create an elegant atmosphere. Among the chapters currently serialized, the most obvious one is the chapter on Pinghua. Li Dan's sons and daughters went on a spring trip. During the trip, they discussed marriage, future generations, calligraphy and painting, and recreation in detail. The one on the left was making marquises and ministers to flowers and plants, and the one on the right was peeling pine nuts and reading papers, carrying out daily elegance to the end. The pain of the past and the turbulent political situation were hurriedly conveyed in a few words, and seemed to have been covered up by the spring sunshine. However, Chengqi's self-confession undoubtedly revealed all of this clearly. The leisure on the surface and the unwillingness in the depths could only condense into endless melancholy, dissolving in the distant sound of horse hooves.
The author's writing style is so amazing. When will you come back?
Since the long-lasting thread has been kept for seven or eight years, this piece of paper from Ah Wang will be preserved forever.
The title of Chapter 29 is Conspiracy, which should be the prelude to Er Zhang's conspiracy. It should be a storm that is about to come, but what flows between the lines of this chapter is more of a recollection of the past, pure and gentle. Because of the filter of time and the increasingly tense and bizarre current situation, the past has become friendlier. Whether it was Li Xian's, Li Chongfu's or Li Chengqi's memories, the fragments deep in his mind became clear.
Li Xian looked at his nephew who looked exactly like the Prime Minister when he was young, and recalled the worry-free days of his brothers and sisters. At that time, he could still be an idle member of the clan, and his two brothers had high hopes. He did not have to be pushed into that embarrassing and dangerous position; Fu recalled the family work in the past in front of his cousin. A few arrows of game and a few fat fish could cheer up everyone's mood during the dinner. After all, labor was more comfortable than labor of heart. Thoughts of success spread everywhere from childhood to the years in the East Palace.
The old days may not have been so good, but at that time he was still a child without worries, and the blind Emperor Gaozong was deeply worried about whether his innocent successor could control the political situation. However, in the clear eyes of Chengqi and Chongfu, there was only the doting care of their elders. Cheng Qi is six years older than Long Ji. These six years have allowed him to feel the connection of the extended family and the final harmony of the Li family when his grandfather was alive. He can also touch the original appearance of his uncle, father and aunt. Many years later, he can use the only remaining memories of his childhood to trace the relaxation and warmth of the past, so that now and in the future, he feels a little more warm about his family than Long Ji.
The years in the East Palace were equivalent to a disguised form of house arrest, which was not a good thing for Li Dan and his family. However, without such captivity, how could Chengqi and Lingyi start a relationship because of polo next to the wall? How could he have the opportunity to become deeply in love because they get along day and night? The nimble girl from back then left such a deep imprint on his heart that he saw the light spots in the shadow of Saburo stepping on the flowers. Based on the movements and scent, they coincided with the graceful figure kicking the polo like a cuju in his memory. Regarding a feeling that could never be expressed, in pure laughter and memories of the past, he still allowed himself to vent a little bit, seriously admitting that he had the person he liked, because it was safe enough, and it was difficult to distinguish between true and false. Holding out a full moon with both hands, the bright moon looked like a sweetheart. The gesture changed in the next second, and the bright moon was hidden in the vast sky. The moon only appeared for such a moment, just like the traces of his mind, it only showed a little bit and then completely disappeared. This is the second time in the novel that the bright moon is used to describe Ah Wang. He is as elusive to her as a mortal is to the bright moon.
Li Dan's mental pressure is much greater than that of Li Xian. After all, he lives under the eyes of his mother and the Wu family. There can be several youth periods in life, and we live in this kind of imprisoned life day by day, walking on thin ice with fear, and we have to force ourselves to look away and take a dim view - it is just a matter of life and death.
Is this a small reflection of the differences between Ah Wang and Saburo? The child she wanted was obedient and safe, and it didn't matter if her son was obedient, but Saburo didn't think so. His child couldn't be soft, he wanted to join an army. What they pursue seems to be different from the beginning. Even though she entered the palace at a young age and grew up in the palace, her concerns were far from those of the county lords. She is not an overly tolerant person either. For the sake of her twin brother, she did not humble herself and beg her husband to turn back and pray for his forgiveness. When he gained and wanted more and more, his status became higher and higher, and the women around him passed by like horses and lanterns, and when the accumulated differences broke out, a relationship ended completely. When he was young, he would gallop back to Luoyang on horseback, and look at each other in the sound of the closing drums, and the small conflicts that broke out would disappear. It's great to be young, you can look back regardless of the consequences, and you can still look at each other and continue to be sweet after smiling.
The biological mothers of Chengyi, Longfan, and Longye are no longer alive, and together with Chengqi and Longji who have recently lost their mothers, all five of Li Dan's sons have lost their biological mothers. It's really pitiful. If we go by the traditional ignorant saying, is it Li Dan who is trying to defeat his wife, or are these children trying to defeat their mother...
The first time they met when they were young was the first and perhaps the last time that he could look at her openly and openly.
After reading a chapter of the handwriting, Li Chengqi looked at her through the clear water between the two of them. The sparkle of the gold hairpin reflected in the water made me feel more like the faint fire in his heart. He always restrained and observed etiquette and would not let a single spark start a prairie fire. He would suppress it but was reluctant to extinguish it completely. Suddenly, he wanted to turn to the front to see the first meeting. The smart girl appeared at the end of the fife music in Qiuci, the Western Region. Unfortunately, he had never set foot in the Western Region in his life.
I like this novel very much. The biggest reason is that it is realistic, but it also adds a touch of romance to the realism. The characters are extremely close to the historical prototypes, and the various utensils are almost typical of the Tang Dynasty. Coupled with various readily available and appropriate allusions, people are completely immersed in that era.
Even though Li Chengqi had her image in his heart, he never crossed the line, nor did he change his life course because of her. He knew how to take concubines and wives, and had children. He was indeed a royal prince who lived at the turn of the seventh or eighth century. But on the basis of realism, the shallow ripples of emotion are romantic enough. He can only appreciate it from a distance, recalling the instantaneous joy brought by the accidental contact. Most of the time, it is the melancholy of not getting what he wants. This kind of regret is lingering and can never be shown to others. I have always been fascinated by the melancholy atmosphere and vicissitudes of time in novels, even more than the characters themselves.
Haha, this article can't go down the romance route. The male protagonist has a son and a daughter before he gets married. It's so funny.
But this is real enough and close enough to the historical figures and the environment at that time.
The Yuan family did not have a strong sense of presence in history, and they seemed to be together with Li Chengqi. In the previous excavation report of Li Xian's tomb, there was a small detail: the expert team could confirm that the couple was buried together. However, since the inner wall of the stone coffin is only 1.6 Meters, it is difficult to accommodate two wooden coffins, and the imprints of supporting coffins found on the west side indicate that there is only one wooden coffin in the coffin. It is not clear how the couple was buried. I'm still quite curious. Since they were buried together and the two people died not very long apart, why can't the two wooden coffins be placed together?
In the past, my understanding of the Tang Dynasty, especially in the more than one hundred years from the early Tang Dynasty to the prosperous Tang Dynasty, was that it continued to expand its territory, "Why don't men bring Wu hooks and collect the fifty states in Guanshan"? The artistic style ranges from elegant to prosperous. Even if it is exquisite, it still has a touch of the heroic spirit of the Western Regions from the Hezhong area. The Heian Dynasty in Japan was an era with a particularly strong aristocratic temperament. It was exquisite and delicate, sad for spring and autumn, and full of sorrow for things. Every person and thing pursued elegance. I once felt that these were two opposing beauties. I never thought that the two would collide, let alone create any sparks, until I met Liang Jingfu. Its excellence lies in its in-depth description of customs and human feelings, and its portrayal of the subtle emotions of the characters; its uniqueness and freshness lies in testing the compatibility of the prosperous Tang Dynasty and peace, and writing another possibility of the story of the Tang Dynasty. The key figure is Prince Ning, and Li Chengqi becomes the compromise and buffer point between the two eras of beauty. He belongs to the royal family, and his status coincides with the nobility of the Heian Dynasty. He has access to the most talented literati, the best musicians, and the most outstanding calligraphers and painters. He has received high-end aesthetic education in the Tang Dynasty since he was a child. He has naturally extraordinary taste and the ability to pursue artistic elegance. The experience of confinement and the loss of his mother in his childhood endowed him with a sensitive and delicate character, and his open-mindedness can be seen in his abdication as an adult. Choosing Li Chengqi as the male protagonist, and using his eyes to see the story of Wu Zhou and Kaiyuan, it must be peaceful and indifferent, delicate and melancholy. The prosperous Tang Dynasty and Ping'an began to merge in temperament. The author replied in the comments a long time ago that because he was deeply influenced by The Tale of Genji, his works unconsciously bear many shadows of the Suzaku Emperor. For example, he has the same attitude of not getting what he wants, giving in, accepting calmly, and the same belief in religion and admiration for Buddhism. Emperor Suzaku is the epitome of peace. Prince Ning is so close to him in character and deeds, which adds a bit of peace. However, although he is in the Tang Dynasty, he does not violate peace. He also benefits from the openness of the Tang Dynasty, which can accommodate thousands of forms and beauties. And this kind of integration can only happen to Li Chengqi and other related clans. If it is Xuanzong, he cannot, he is too indulgent and too busy, and does not have the depression and leisure to create exquisiteness and mourning; If it's the prime minister's team, they can't. Most of the famous ministers are career-oriented men who don't have the time or mood to be sad in spring and autumn; Nor can it be the case for those women who have left their names in history books. The special political environment released the pursuit of power in their souls and the sharpness in their characters, covering delicacy and softness. Of course, the collision between the prosperous Tang Dynasty and Ping'an is not only due to the selection of perspective, but also the bonus of the author's writing style. Be able to carefully describe some seemingly trivial objects and details that have little to do with advancing the plot, and use these to create an elegant atmosphere. Among the chapters currently serialized, the most obvious one is the chapter on Pinghua. Li Dan's sons and daughters went on a spring trip. During the trip, they discussed marriage, future generations, calligraphy and painting, and recreation in detail. The one on the left was making marquises and ministers to flowers and plants, and the one on the right was peeling pine nuts and reading papers, carrying out daily elegance to the end. The pain of the past and the turbulent political situation were hurriedly conveyed in a few words, and seemed to have been covered up by the spring sunshine. However, Chengqi's self-confession undoubtedly revealed all of this clearly. The leisure on the surface and the unwillingness in the depths could only condense into endless melancholy, dissolving in the distant sound of horse hooves.
The author's writing style is so amazing. When will you come back?
Since the long-lasting thread has been kept for seven or eight years, this piece of paper from Ah Wang will be preserved forever.
The title of Chapter 29 is Conspiracy, which should be the prelude to Er Zhang's conspiracy. It should be a storm that is about to come, but what flows between the lines of this chapter is more of a recollection of the past, pure and gentle. Because of the filter of time and the increasingly tense and bizarre current situation, the past has become friendlier. Whether it was Li Xian's, Li Chongfu's or Li Chengqi's memories, the fragments deep in his mind became clear. Li Xian looked at his nephew who looked exactly like the Prime Minister when he was young, and recalled the worry-free days of his brothers and sisters. At that time, he could still be an idle member of the clan, and his two brothers had high hopes. He did not have to be pushed into that embarrassing and dangerous position; Fu recalled the family work in the past in front of his cousin. A few arrows of game and a few fat fish could cheer up everyone's mood during the dinner. After all, labor was more comfortable than labor of heart. Thoughts of success spread everywhere from childhood to the years in the East Palace. The old days may not have been so good, but at that time he was still a child without worries, and the blind Emperor Gaozong was deeply worried about whether his innocent successor could control the political situation. However, in the clear eyes of Chengqi and Chongfu, there was only the doting care of their elders. Cheng Qi is six years older than Long Ji. These six years have allowed him to feel the connection of the extended family and the final harmony of the Li family when his grandfather was alive. He can also touch the original appearance of his uncle, father and aunt. Many years later, he can use the only remaining memories of his childhood to trace the relaxation and warmth of the past, so that now and in the future, he feels a little more warm about his family than Long Ji. The years in the East Palace were equivalent to a disguised form of house arrest, which was not a good thing for Li Dan and his family. However, without such captivity, how could Chengqi and Lingyi start a relationship because of polo next to the wall? How could he have the opportunity to become deeply in love because they get along day and night? The nimble girl from back then left such a deep imprint on his heart that he saw the light spots in the shadow of Saburo stepping on the flowers. Based on the movements and scent, they coincided with the graceful figure kicking the polo like a cuju in his memory. Regarding a feeling that could never be expressed, in pure laughter and memories of the past, he still allowed himself to vent a little bit, seriously admitting that he had the person he liked, because it was safe enough, and it was difficult to distinguish between true and false. Holding out a full moon with both hands, the bright moon looked like a sweetheart. The gesture changed in the next second, and the bright moon was hidden in the vast sky. The moon only appeared for such a moment, just like the traces of his mind, it only showed a little bit and then completely disappeared. This is the second time in the novel that the bright moon is used to describe Ah Wang. He is as elusive to her as a mortal is to the bright moon.
Li Dan's mental pressure is much greater than that of Li Xian. After all, he lives under the eyes of his mother and the Wu family. There can be several youth periods in life, and we live in this kind of imprisoned life day by day, walking on thin ice with fear, and we have to force ourselves to look away and take a dim view - it is just a matter of life and death.
Is this a small reflection of the differences between Ah Wang and Saburo? The child she wanted was obedient and safe, and it didn't matter if her son was obedient, but Saburo didn't think so. His child couldn't be soft, he wanted to join an army. What they pursue seems to be different from the beginning. Even though she entered the palace at a young age and grew up in the palace, her concerns were far from those of the county lords. She is not an overly tolerant person either. For the sake of her twin brother, she did not humble herself and beg her husband to turn back and pray for his forgiveness. When he gained and wanted more and more, his status became higher and higher, and the women around him passed by like horses and lanterns, and when the accumulated differences broke out, a relationship ended completely. When he was young, he would gallop back to Luoyang on horseback, and look at each other in the sound of the closing drums, and the small conflicts that broke out would disappear. It's great to be young, you can look back regardless of the consequences, and you can still look at each other and continue to be sweet after smiling.
The biological mothers of Chengyi, Longfan, and Longye are no longer alive, and together with Chengqi and Longji who have recently lost their mothers, all five of Li Dan's sons have lost their biological mothers. It's really pitiful. If we go by the traditional ignorant saying, is it Li Dan who is trying to defeat his wife, or are these children trying to defeat their mother...
The first time they met when they were young was the first and perhaps the last time that he could look at her openly and openly. After reading a chapter of the handwriting, Li Chengqi looked at her through the clear water between the two of them. The sparkle of the gold hairpin reflected in the water made me feel more like the faint fire in his heart. He always restrained and observed etiquette and would not let a single spark start a prairie fire. He would suppress it but was reluctant to extinguish it completely. Suddenly, he wanted to turn to the front to see the first meeting. The smart girl appeared at the end of the fife music in Qiuci, the Western Region. Unfortunately, he had never set foot in the Western Region in his life.
I like this novel very much. The biggest reason is that it is realistic, but it also adds a touch of romance to the realism. The characters are extremely close to the historical prototypes, and the various utensils are almost typical of the Tang Dynasty. Coupled with various readily available and appropriate allusions, people are completely immersed in that era. Even though Li Chengqi had her image in his heart, he never crossed the line, nor did he change his life course because of her. He knew how to take concubines and wives, and had children. He was indeed a royal prince who lived at the turn of the seventh or eighth century. But on the basis of realism, the shallow ripples of emotion are romantic enough. He can only appreciate it from a distance, recalling the instantaneous joy brought by the accidental contact. Most of the time, it is the melancholy of not getting what he wants. This kind of regret is lingering and can never be shown to others. I have always been fascinated by the melancholy atmosphere and vicissitudes of time in novels, even more than the characters themselves.
Haha, this article can't go down the romance route. The male protagonist has a son and a daughter before he gets married. It's so funny. But this is real enough and close enough to the historical figures and the environment at that time. The Yuan family did not have a strong sense of presence in history, and they seemed to be together with Li Chengqi. In the previous excavation report of Li Xian's tomb, there was a small detail: the expert team could confirm that the couple was buried together. However, since the inner wall of the stone coffin is only 1.6 Meters, it is difficult to accommodate two wooden coffins, and the imprints of supporting coffins found on the west side indicate that there is only one wooden coffin in the coffin. It is not clear how the couple was buried. I'm still quite curious. Since they were buried together and the two people died not very long apart, why can't the two wooden coffins be placed together?