Da Han Yan Hua Volume 3 Ling Long Dice An Hong Dou One Three Eight Jia Day

  Emperor Hui's fifth year, spring, third month

  Yanmen's Commander Zhang shook off the dust of his journey, rode his horse across the horizontal bridge, and returned from the desolate northern lands to the resplendent and prosperous Chang'an.

  "Ah, finally back." From afar, seeing the Chang'an city tower, 16-year-old Xiao Shu Tong almost cried, muttering, "Young master is really strange, not willing to stay in Chang'an, but instead ran alone to the border."

  Zhang He heard this on horseback, smiled slightly and didn't explain, just said "Alright, we're almost home, let's hurry up."

  The magnificent and majestic horizontal city gate gradually appeared before them.

  "Ah," Rui Ze sighed in surprise, "In just two years, this Chang'an City seems to have changed a lot." Standing before the Hengcheng Gate, they almost seemed like foreign strangers.

  "Hmm." Zhang He rode on his tall horse, gazing intently and responded faintly.

  In the third year of Emperor Hui, when he left Chang'an for Beidi, the city wall of Chang'an had only been built halfway. Two years later, when he returned to Chang'an, the city walls surrounding Chang'an were majestic and thick, all completed, silently guarding the capital of the Great Han.

  Chang'an City has a total of twelve city gates, with three on each side. The Heng City Gate is the most important gate for entering Chang'an from the north. It is over ten zhang high, with a foundation made of square stones and a city gate tower made of tung wood. Under the four-eave roof of the city gate tower, there are three gateways, with the middle one only used for the emperor's carriage to exit and enter, and closed on ordinary days. The other two gateways are opened on both sides, with people exiting from the left and entering from the right, in an orderly manner.

  He rode into the city, but was stopped by the gate soldiers holding long spears. "Sir," said the soldier wearing armor, looking up with a polite but not arrogant tone, "you come from the north, if you want to enter the city, please show your entry permit." The young soldier had a youthful and brave expression on his face, although he was in a humble position. However, he did not appear intimidated, and seemed to have an upward spiritual power emanating from him.

  Zhang He smiled and turned around to instruct, "Rui Ze."

  The city gate captain came down from the city tower, examined Zhang Heng's entry documents, and handed them back with both hands, respectfully saying, "So it was General Zhang, please don't blame us for making things difficult for you. Because last year some Xiongnu people sneaked into Chang'an and kidnapped the son of Princess Long. Not only were the Emperor and Empress Dowager furious, but we ordinary soldiers and civilians also lost face. You see, in the great Han Dynasty's capital city, a group of Xiongnu brats could come and go as if no one was there; if they had set fire to it... Alas! So this spring everyone worked together to complete the last section of Chang'an's city wall. General, you have been resisting Xiongnu invasions on the border, truly admirable. Please enter the city now."

  Zhang Huan was taken aback. The son of Princess Chang, that is, Zhang Yan, the heir of Xuanping Hou.

  Before, beside Ah Yan, he had seen that little kid a few times, who was very pretty and extremely close to his sister.

  How is Ah Yan doing now?

  Huayang Street is one of the eight streets in Chang'an City, spacious and neat, with a width of about twenty zhang. In the middle is the imperial road for riding horses, and on both sides are pedestrian paths. As there were many people on the street, Zhang Heng got off his horse and walked along the left side of the street, leading his horse by the reins. The streets were bustling with activity, and every Chang'an citizen who passed by had a joyful smile on their face.

  "Rui Ze." Zhang Xie called out as he turned his head back.

  "Yes, young master?"

  "You just said you didn't know why I would give up a good life in Chang'an to go to the border." Zhang He smiled.

  "Chang'an City is naturally very good. It's precisely because of the countless border soldiers who shed blood and fight hard that they can live in peace." Zhang said, "To protect the smiles of these civilians, I am willing to go to the border."

  Rui Ze was momentarily stunned. He gazed at his master, who was walking calmly in front of him. Many times he had looked up to this master of his, and he may not have understood what Zhang Jue was thinking, but at that moment, looking at Zhang Jue's back, he suddenly felt a sense of reverence.

  As he passed through the eastern city, he suddenly heard a shout from the top of a building on the street. A person poked his head out of the Qiongyang restaurant and Zhang Heng looked up to see him. They had met before, and he couldn't help but feel great joy, laughing and calling out, "Zhang Bijiang." Too lazy to walk down the stairs, he actually jumped directly from the restaurant, amidst the crowd's cries of alarm. With one hand, he grasped a flagpole on top of the restaurant and swung down, landing safely on the ground.

  "Haha," Fan Jianlang laughed loudly, "Just now, I thought I had mistaken you for someone else." He patted Zhang Xie's shoulder heavily and smiled, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "When did you come back? Why didn't you inform us brothers at all? It's really not very considerate of you."

  "Isn't this just after entering the city?" Zhang Xie didn't take offense, smiling and saying, "Not even inside the house yet, and you've already spotted me with your sharp eyes."

  Fan Jian smiled and narrowed his eyes, "So, are you going back to take a bath or come with me for a drink?"

  "Even if it's exhausting again." Zhang He slapped his palm and laughed, "This cup of wine is also a bother."

  "Good wine." Zhang He praised, putting down the wine cup in his hand.

  "This is the newly emerging hot pot in Chang'an for almost a year. Damn it, I've been known as someone who can't be happy without wine since childhood, until I had this hot pot, only then did I realize that I used to think I could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, but what I was drinking was just water."

  Two people laughed loudly, Zhang Xie turned his head, facing the bustling pedestrians on the street outside the window, closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the crowd, saying, "In the past in Beidi, I didn't feel it, now back in Chang'an, only then did I realize that I miss the bustle of Dongshi."

  "Bei Jiang, this time you're back," Fan Jiong poured wine, curiously asked, "Are you planning...?"

  Zhang He smiled faintly, "Calculating it out, Wu Guo's master has fulfilled his filial piety for a year since the beginning of this year. I then took half a month off and returned to get married."

  "Congratulations." Fan Jiong hastily cupped his hands in congratulations, "Hehe, I still remember the elegance of the young master of Chang'an back then. When you walked on the streets, countless young women would turn around and gaze at you with infatuation. Both princesses from the two imperial families favored you greatly, it's truly enviable."

  "What's the use of bringing up old matters?" Zhang He shook his head and laughed at himself, "Nowadays, I'm afraid even the people of Chang'an wouldn't recognize me."

  "That's impossible." Fan Qiang burst out laughing, looking him up and down, "Although you've been to the border for two years, got tanned, and grown more robust. You're a bit inferior to me, but still look quite good. Those ladies from Chang'an didn't dare talk to you, I'm afraid it's because your fiancée is really formidable."

  "Oh?" Zhang Heqi said, "What's going on?"

  Fan Jiong slapped his thigh and laughed, "Don't you know? Wu Guo's wife looks gentle and virtuous, but she's actually a sharp-eyed woman. In the past, when He Yang Hou was still alive, she would personally visit the homes of those women who claimed to admire you and warn them not to have any ideas about you. When my wife returned from her mother's home, she came back laughing so hard that she fell over, telling me that even Cao's 12-year-old younger sister had been taken care of by her. Later on, the noble daughters in Chang'an secretly gave her a nickname - 'the Lipstick Tiger'. Hmm," he rubbed his chin and laughed, "With this Lipstick Tiger guarding your household, I'm afraid you won't be able to flirt with flowers and cause trouble after getting married."

  "The man's affairs outside, what does the wife and family have to do with it?" Although he said so, his eyes clearly had a hint of a smile.

  "During the period," he asked, "I have been in Beidi for a long time and am not clear about the situation in Chang'an. Just now, the Hengmen Xuewei mentioned that some days ago, there were Xiongnu people who secretly entered Chang'an and took the son of Xuanping as hostage. How did this matter end?"

  Fan Jiong was stunned, and smiled, "This is indeed the case. At that time, Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager were both furious." Liu Ying even left the palace for this reason, rushing about all night, "But...", although Xuan Ping's son was a close relative of the emperor, was it worth the emperor going to such lengths? Fan Jiong had not been without doubts, but, "I am the commander of the Longle Army, and I am not very clear about this either."

  Zhang He smiled slightly, "The Empress has always been close to the Crown Prince and Princess, so she should be relieved. Yu Qi," he hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you know how the Emperor and Ah Yan, as a couple, are really like?"

  When Zhang Yan got married, he had already gone to the North. Later, when he heard the news, he was quite surprised. Ah Yan is a too good girl, and Your Majesty, he's not bad, it's just that when they're together, he always seems somewhat melancholic.

  Fan Qiang put down his wine cup and suddenly lost his appetite. He smiled wryly and asked, "You care so much about Ah Yan, aren't you afraid of offending Master Liu?"

  "I have always treated Ah Yan as if she were my own sister." Zhang He said seriously.

  Fan Ku smiled bitterly and drank a large glass of wine, then slammed the cup on the table with a loud crash.

  "I've been watching for two years, but I still can't figure it out. If I say they're not good, then in the past few years, I've seen His Majesty and Ah Yan several times, and when they appear together in front of people, they naturally seem intimate. But if I say they're good," Fan Jiong said with a bitter smile, "Biejiang, I'm also someone who's been married for several years, but I always feel that there's something not quite right between them, like they're missing something, and it doesn't seem like they're really husband and wife, more like..."

  Like before, an unmarried uncle who is gentle and caring, a naive and carefree niece.

  He sighed and bowed his head, "Perhaps they shouldn't have gotten married in the first place. Although there's no rule that says a maternal uncle and nephew can't get married, I've always felt that this marriage is a bit strange. That emperor cousin of mine is really a stubborn person," he shook his head repeatedly, "If it weren't for Ah Yan not knowing him, it would be fine. But you and I have watched her grow up. Watching from the side, it's really heartbreaking. Now they're on an inspection tour outside. Who knows how things will turn out?"

  "Oh?" Zhang He was surprised, "What, Your Majesty is not in Weiyang Palace?"

  "Hmm." Fan Jue nodded, "His Majesty is very filial to the previous emperor and has always been thinking of his hometown. Recently, he finally had some free time, so three days before you returned, he took Empress Zhang on an inspection tour of Pei Commandery. To be honest, if I weren't the head of the Long乐 household with official duties, I would really like to go with His Majesty."

  He sighed and said, "I also miss Pei County."

  Pei County, where they were born.

  Pei County

  The Sui River flows gently by, and the Pei land is a vast and endless plain.

  The people of the imperial palace formed a long queue, following far behind. Zhang Yan walked along the river in the fields, smiling and saying, "Hmmm, this is indeed Pei County."

  "Yes." Liu Ying gazed at the wheat seedlings that had just sprouted in the fields and smiled, "Isn't it beautiful?"

  "Uh-huh." Zhang Yan nodded with a smile.