Chapter 6 New Concept

After eating tea for a while, and speaking for a while, Chen Wanrong then took Wu Daozi's painting to say goodbye. Puji naturally wanted to send him off.

Chen Zairong thought the same as Puji, thinking that Wu Daozi was an unknown person, Chen Wanrong actually asked for his paintings. This was too puzzling. As soon as he left Ci'en Temple, he couldn't wait to ask: "Brother, what do you want Wu Daozi's paintings to do? They are of no use. If you really want to keep them as a souvenir, you might as well ask Puji for some Buddhist supplies."

He didn't ask on the spot, and he had already supported Chen Wanrong very much. Chen Wanrong knew that Wu Daozi would become a royal painter in a few years and was famous all over the world. His paintings were hard to find, and this painting would be worth a thousand gold in a few years. Of course, Chen Wanrong did not collect Wu Daozi's paintings to make money, but to protect his paintings. The portraits of the Painting Saint must be national treasures in later generations, and it is also considered that he had done his best to protect the national treasures. This is what he should do.

This purpose cannot be told to him. Chen Wanrong smiled and said, "We have only a bare wall in our house, and there is no decoration. There is a painting that can be decorated."

Chen Zairong wanted to dress up at home, and it was better to ask Puji for some Buddhist supplies than this. He did not believe it deeply. Chen Wanrong had to lie again: "It is not necessary to ask Master Puji for some Buddhist supplies, but today we can visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and see the remains of Master Xuanzang because of Wu Daozi's Buddha statue. It can be said that it was given by Wu Daozi. Isn't it better to use it as a souvenir?"

This made sense. Chen Zairong believed it and said, "Brother, you are still considerate."

Chen Wanrong came here with the name of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. He originally thought it would be good to have a look under the tower, but he never expected that he would have such an encounter. He even saw Xuanzang's original works. This spiritual and cultural feast made Chen Wanrong very satisfied and he was not interested in traveling elsewhere.

They went straight back to the Grand Hyatt House. Chen Wanrong and the others had been out for a long time. Chen Laoshi and his wife had been anxious for a long time. When they saw the two returning, they were so happy that they asked where they had gone and whether the shop had been done.

Chen Zairong went out with Chen Wanrong today, which was a big eye-opener, especially when Chen Wanrong impressed Ma Zhizhong, he didn't dare to think about it. He was obviously a business taboo, but he had to do it for Chen Wanrong. If he hadn't seen it, he wouldn't believe it. He told the story vividly and the old man Chen was so surprised that he lost his eyes.

When Chen Zairong talked about the visit to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Chen Laoshi and his wife sighed repeatedly. The name of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is well-known, and they were satisfied to be able to see it under the tower. Not only did Chen Wanrong go up the tower, but he also looked at all the relics of Master Xuanzang. This is a blessing that may not be cultivated in ten lifetimes. Chen Laoshi and his wife missed this opportunity just because they didn't want to make jokes, and almost regretted it.

Chen Zairong was very eloquent, and he told him the whole story vividly. Chen and his wife no longer had the idea of ​​being afraid of making jokes, and they also wanted to go out and watch the fun.

Looking at the two elders eager to try, Chen Wanrong suggested: "Dad, let's go out for a walk."

"Okay!" the two elders responded in unison.

Chen Zairong was most familiar with Chang'an and asked, "When you go to Ci'en Temple, Master Puji will not show us the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, so you don't need to go here. Apart from Qujiang, the most lively places in Chang'an are the East City and West City. These two places are not far from the Imperial City, and you can also see the Imperial City. If you are hungry, you can go to Fuxingfang to eat matadilla cakes.

"Dad, mom, brother, I didn't tell you that this shisha cake is delicious. It has yellow and moist color, crispy skin and soft inside, and a sesame fragrance that makes people swallow their tongues into their stomachs. Shisha cakes are very common and can be eaten anywhere, but the best shisha cakes are in Fuxingfang. When you go to Chang'an, you don't go to Fuxingfang to eat shisha cakes, just like not coming."

Hushicai started in the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Tang Dynasty, similar to today's sesame cakes. Some people think that Hushicai is Hushicai, but this statement is wrong. Only the Hushicai is a type of Hushicai. The Tang Dynasty was an open dynasty. While exporting Chinese civilization, it also absorbed other civilizations. The diet of the Hu people was one of them. The wines of Gaochang and the sugar from Tianzhu were all popular in the Tang Dynasty.

Emperor Taizong of Tang once sent people to Tianzhu to learn sugar making technology, which greatly improved the sugar making technology of the Tang Dynasty and laid a solid foundation for the later development of sweets.

There are many types of Hu cakes that were popular in the Tang Dynasty, such as oil Hu cakes, meat Hu cakes, and sesame cakes.

Hu cakes are a popular convenience food in the Tang Dynasty. The best Hu cakes are in Fuxingfang. The great poet Bai Juyi wrote a poem "Hu cakes are like Kyoto, and the crispy and oily aroma is newly released. It is entrusted to Ambassador Yang, and he tastes like Fuxing no." The Fuxing in the poem refers to Fuxingfang, where Hu cats are the most prosperous.

The two elders were already moved, but after hearing Chen Zairong's words, they could not hold back. They wanted to have fun in Fuxingfang now. At that moment, the four of them left the guest house and headed straight for the imperial city.

After leaving the guest house, go west, pass by Tongshan, Changle and Baoning Sanfang to Zhuque Street. Zhuque Street is the main road of Chang'an, the widest street, 155 meters wide, with bluestone pavement, and flowers, plants and trees planted beside it. For drainage, the entire street is designed to be slightly higher in the middle, slightly lower on both sides, and drainage ditches are opened at the edge of both sides.

These trees are old and are not less than a hundred years old. The old trees have a strong spirit. Among them, the most cherry trees are. Although it is not the season when the cherry blossoms are fully blooming, there are also many pink cherry blossoms hanging on the branches, which are particularly beautiful and become a beautiful landscape.

Chen Zairong, the "tour guide", was very responsible and explained to Chen Wanrong and the others: "Brother, this cherry tree was planted during the reign of Emperor Yang of the previous dynasty, nearly a hundred years ago. Zhuque Street was first built in the Sui Dynasty, and our dynasty expanded to its peak today. When the cherry blossoms were fully blooming, Zhuque Street was pink, and many couples were at this point, enjoying the flowers and making love affair, and becoming a prosperous moment."

It turned out that the cherry tree had this origin, which was actually planted by Emperor Yang of Sui. Chen Wanrong knew little about Emperor Yang of Sui and said with a smile: "Emperor Yang is so luxurious and likes to play. It's good to plant some cherries to decorate it. This is consistent with his personality."

Chen Zairong disagreed with this and argued: "Brother, what you said is wrong. Emperor Yang is so luxurious, but he was once a great king, who had developed thousands of miles of land in the Western Regions. Twenty-seven countries set up counties and counties in Zhangye and held the World Expo, and tempted merchants from the Western Regions to trade. This was of great significance to restarting the Silk Road. Especially in the Western Regions, setting up counties and counties in the Western Regions was an amazing initiative. Emperor Wu of Han opened the Western Regions, and no emperor has ever had such a spirit in the past thousand years."

Emperor Yang of Sui was not the name of King Zhou. Later generations talked about violence but did not say his merits. Chen Wanrong didn't know about this. It was a bit shocking to hear people say it. What Chen Wanrong didn't expect most was that this was said from the mouth of the ancients Chen Zairong, and it was in the Tang Dynasty that took the Sui Dynasty and was not afraid of being taboo.

Chen Zairong was smart and understood Chen Wanrong's thoughts and said with a smile: "Brother, don't worry, it's okay. Didn't Emperor Taizong pay much attention to learning from the lessons of the demise of the previous dynasty? When our school mentioned that Emperor Yang's evaluation of him was mixed, he opened the Western Regions, collected the former land of Jiaozhi, and divided the powerful Turks into the East and West Turks, laying the foundation for our dynasty to defeat each of them. These wise monarchs cannot be destroyed because of his defeat. After Emperor Yang died, he buried the coffin under Liuzhu Hall with a bed board. Emperor Taizong used emperor rituals to rebuilt in Leitang, Yangzhou, which Emperor Yang loved."

A newly established dynasty is often very afraid of the affairs of the previous dynasty and is not even allowed to mention it. However, the Tang Dynasty was different. It actually evaluated Emperor Yang of Sui in a realistic manner and used it to teach students of this dynasty. Chen Wanrong could not have imagined that Chen Wanrong had to accept the broad mind of the Tang Dynasty, and was very convinced!

Zhuque Street is the most important street in Chang'an, leading directly to the imperial city. There are many cars and people like the sand of the Ganges River, and they are endless. They either walk in a hurry or enjoy the scenery. From time to time, there are teams of soldiers patrolling, with bright helmets and armors and weapons shining in the sunlight. Occasionally, you will see officers wearing bright light armor and riding tall horses. Chen Zairong's eyes are red, and he wishes he was an officer leading the soldiers to patrol.

Chen Wanrong and the others watched the scenery, and they did not rush to see wherever they went. They walked along Zhuque Street. After walking for nearly an hour, they arrived at Dongshi.

Dongshi was built in the Sui Dynasty and has a history of more than 100 years. It covers an area of ​​about one square kilometer. It has a wall built around it and doors are opened on the wall to facilitate entry and exit.

The East and West Markets are important markets in Chang'an. The goods in Chang'an are mainly traded here, and their liveliness is even more lively than the modern large-scale "Commercial Fair". Not to mention anything else, I don't know how many high-cars and Malaysia parked outside the market, which is comparable to the number of cars parked outside the Hyundai Commercial Fair.

Looking at the crowd entering and leaving, Chen Wanrong seemed to be visiting the modern business fair, and a sense of familiarity came to his face. Under the guidance of Chen Zairong, he followed the crowd into the East City.

The roads in the city are smooth, and the tic-tac-shaped roads are divided into several communities, with shops set up against the walls, and there are narrow alleys between shops. The business here needs to be said to be very good, it is unimaginable, and the bargaining sounds are buzzing, which makes people's ears buzz.

During the passage of pedestrians of all skin colors, there are all kinds of yellow, white and dark skin. Although Chen Wanrong knew that Chang'an was an international metropolis and tens of thousands of foreigners lived in Chang'an, he was still surprised at first sight.

Just when Chen Wanrong was surprised, a black man with curly hair and big waist came towards him with a middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes and went straight to a shop. The black man's skin was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and Chen Wanrong's eyes almost fell to the ground. It was too unimaginable that there were African blacks in the Tang Dynasty. Chen Wanrong could not be surprised either. You must know that Zheng He had just visited Africa for seven voyages to the West in the Ming Dynasty, and there were blacks in the Tang Dynasty. Who would be as surprised as Chen Wanrong.

The black man was tall, with scarlet lips, and he looked a bit fierce. Chen Chen couldn't help but smack his tongue, took a breath, and muttered: "Is this a person or the bottom of the pot?"

Chen Wangshi was also surprised, but she was just polite and didn't say it out loud.

Chen Zairong laughed and didn't take it seriously at all. He smiled and said, "Dad, don't be surprised. This is Kunlun slave, and he should have come to buy things with his master."

When Chen Wanrong heard the term "Kunlun slave" for the first time, he couldn't help but be very curious and asked, "Zairong, what is Kunlun slave?"

Don’t say that Chen Wanrong didn’t know the term Kunlun slave. Not many people knew that there were black people in the Tang Dynasty, and even many scholars did not believe that there were black people in the Tang Dynasty. It was not until the discovery of black figurines in the Tang Dynasty that people were interested in research.

The Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ji wrote a poem "Kunlun'er", in which the poet wrote: "Kunlun's family lives in Haizhongzhou, and the barbarians will travel to the Han area in the future.

The words taught Qin Ji, and the waves first passed by Yulinzhou. The golden ring was about to fall and once penetrated the ears, the snail bun was long and rolled without wrapping the head. I loved my skin as black as lacquer, and I was half off the wood and fur when I walked." This is a clear proof that there were black people in the Tang Dynasty.

"Brother, Kunlun slaves come from the island in the South China Sea. The people here have black skin and curly hair. However, they are strong, honest, have no intention, and are down-to-earth in their work. So in order to obtain high profits, human traffickers will go to the South China Sea to catch animals and sell them to the Tang Dynasty." Chen Zairong explained to Chen Wanrong.

According to scholars, Kunlun slaves are from Malaysia, not Africa. Kunlun slaves were very popular in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, a popular saying "Kunlun slaves, Silla maids" means that Kunlun slaves are honest and powerful, and are very good at working. Silla's maids are well-behaved and capable, and are widely popular among wealthy families. Silla was one of the three countries on the Korean Peninsula at that time.

Chen Wanrong hated the abominable behavior of human traffickers and couldn't help but curse: "Damn it!"

Chen Zairong didn't take it seriously and said, "Brother, don't say that. Kunlun slaves were unwilling to come to the Tang Dynasty at first. When they arrived in the Tang Dynasty, they saw the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty and were jealous. Babu early human traffickers sold them to the Tang Dynasty earlier. Their island was very hard and lived a hard life, but although they were slaves in the Tang Dynasty, they were hardworking, gentle, honest and honest, and the master treated them well, which was more than ten times better than their life on Kunlun Island. Brother, look at this Kunlun slave, with a red face and a happy face, and life was free and easy."

Chen Wanrong saw that as Chen Zairong said, this black man had no malnutrition at all, his face was even more shiny than the authentic Tang Dynasty Chen Chen, and he had been very oily. He followed his master, occasionally making a few words to speak out, his words were straightforward, and he had been in the Tang Dynasty for quite some time. When he was happy, he touched his elbows on his master, and the master laughed and did not treat him as a slave, which was similar to his buddy.

This is not a match for the picture of the slave in the film and television works where he hates his master to the core. Chen Wanrong thought about it and realized that as long as the slave is obedient and does a good job, who would make things difficult for him except for the particularly tricky master? After all, this is his own property, and it is his own loss if he buys it with money.

Chen Houshi said jealously: "Look at his appearance, he eats a lot of meat, and he lives better than mine!"

The Municipal Bureau of the Municipal Administration, which is equivalent to the modern market management department, is stationed in the city center, with officials and soldiers stationed there. From time to time, soldiers patrol the road to maintain order.

The family looked around with great interest and walked around the east city for a while before leaving with satisfaction. There were countless goods here, and Chen Wanrong was very eye-opening.

The only thing that made Chen Wanrong unhappy was that there were too many people and it was a little stuffy. When I walked around, I felt sweaty all over. After leaving the market, the fresh air was particularly attractive. Chen Wanrong couldn't help but take a few sips.

After leaving the market, I walked straight west, and soon I saw the tall wall of the imperial city, painted with red paint, which was particularly eye-catching. On the wall, one stands at three steps and one whistle at five steps, the imperial guards were all over the city. The city was also heavily guarded, and there was an imperial guard in three or five steps.

The Imperial Guard is the Imperial Guard. He is very big, similar to Chen Zairong. From their bulging breasts like women, we know that after extremely rigorous training, Kong Wu is powerful. Needless to mention their equipment, they are extremely exquisite. The best Tang armor like Mingguang Kai will suddenly see it.

Ten feet above the imperial city must not be approached, and it is guarded by soldiers. The streets are crowded and bustling, and there is no one under the imperial city except the imperial guards. The Suzaku Gate is open and no one enters and leaves.

This is the heart of the Tang Empire. The government and military orders issued here affect half of Asia, thousands of miles away from a foreign land. According to Chen Wanrong's idea, the imperial city should be very lively, with ministers coming and going all the way. Unexpectedly, it was so quiet, surprisingly quiet.

The imperial city is quite large and the city walls are several miles long. Chen Wanrong left for a while before he finished it.

Chen Zairong looked back at the imperial city: "Brother, we are not here at the right time. If we come in the morning or evening, the imperial city will be lively. The court will be held in the morning and after work at night, there will be a lot of people, and they will be in a row."

Chen Wanrong suddenly realized that it was time for business, so who was still wandering outside? Although Li Dan, who had no political achievements, was the emperor, the foundation of the Tang Dynasty was still there, and court officials could still perform their duties.

Chen Zairong said excitedly: "Brother, tomorrow night, the emperor will give him a banquet, and there will be a hundred operas to cheer up the fun. The torches parade, and the whole Chang'an is a sleepless night. There are so many torches everywhere in Chang'an, just like fire burning. It is like this every year, so some people call Chang'an 'Fire City'."

Chen Wanrong would definitely not miss this kind of excitement: "We will sell the soap tomorrow, and we will not rush back. Let's see it first before talking about it."

"Okay!" Chen Zairong shouted excitedly.

Chen and Chen had no reason to disagree with this hot incident, and they opened their mouths and were happy.

"Brother, go to the West Market to see it, so you can open your eyes." Chen Zairong led his forward and said enthusiastically as he walked: "The biggest difference between West Market and East Market is that there are many Hu people here. Hu people open shops here, and their shops account for half of the West Market. Persian pearl jade, ivory tortoiseshell, gold and silver jewelry, and rare treasures from the Great Qin!" The Great Qin was the Roman Empire.

After visiting the West City, Chen Wanrong felt very moved that Xicheng should not be called Xicheng, but "a foreign street". The Hu people's shops there accounted for a large proportion, including merchants from Persia, Southeast Asia, the Western Regions, Tuberty, and countless Japanese people who nodded and bowed when they saw it. There were many specialties in these places.

Although Chen Wanrong knew that there were many foreigners in the Tang Dynasty, he didn't expect that there were so many in the West Market. At first sight, Chen Wanrong was surprised, as if he was attending a modern expo.

After leaving the West Market, it was getting late. Chen Zairong saw foreign goods. He was excited and shouted: "Brother, it's getting dark, let's go eat matadilla cake."

Chen Hushi had eaten Humai, and he was moved by the magical words of Chen Zairong, and he had no objection to this. However, Chen Wanrong had the final say in this matter, so he couldn't help but look at Chen Wanrong and wait for him to make a decision. Chen Wangshi also thought like Chen Hushi.

After visiting Chang'an for most of the day, Chen Wanrong gained a lot and the price was not small, but his feet were a little sore. It was time to find a place to rest: "Okay, let's go and taste it now. Apart from Rong, you should lead the way and find the best one." Since it's a taste, you have to taste the most authentic one to make it worthwhile.

"Okay! Brother, let's go to the starry cake shop to let you have a good time." Chen Zairong nodded and walked in his head.

Chen Wang asked in confusion: "What is the starry sky?"

Chen Zairong burst out laughing: "Mom, it's a swearing person. The squid cakes in Dingjia Cake Shop are the most delicious, but the shopkeepers are all talking about the squids on his face, and they all call him the stars."

The slut face is often called Mantianxing. Chen Wanrong knew about this, but he didn't expect that Tang people also had this kind of hobby, so he couldn't help but be very funny. Chen Wangshi and Chen Zhongshi were not as reserved as Chen Wanrong, and had long been so happy that they could not breathe.

Fuxingfang is very close to the West Market, and it will be here in just a short while. Chen Zairong led the way to Dingjia Cake Shop and saw a middle-aged man with a pockmarked face on his face. "Customer, are you trying cakes? Fuxingfang's Hushicakes are first-class in Chang'an. We dare not say anything else about our Dingjia Cake Shop. Our Hushicakes are first-class in Fuxingfang. If you are not satisfied, you can not pay."

Chen Wanrong and Tangren have been dealing with many times. They know that they are proficient in trading and are all good salesmen, so they don’t think it’s surprising, and said, “Please give us some cakes and some soup.” No matter which kind of cake, it’s dry, and it’s much better to have a bowl of soup.

"Customer, the duck blood soup in our store is very fresh. If the customer likes it, each bowl will be good?" Shopkeeper Ding asked Chen Wanrong for his opinion.

The duck blood soup is very fresh and I have eaten a lot in modern society. Chen Wanrong didn't agree: "Okay, please trouble the shopkeeper."

"Customer, please sit here." Manager Ding led the family to an empty table.

Chen Wanrong sat down and looked at the store. There were many diners, dozens of tables were full, and the business was really good. "Shop, this is the money for cakes, you have collected them." A very sharp voice came, as if the sharp whistle was sounding, which was particularly harsh.

Chen Wanrong looked closely and saw that there were two men with pink faces, without an Adam's apple or a beard. If he changed into a skirt, he would definitely treat them as women. He couldn't help but be surprised.

Just as I was surprised, I heard Manager Ding say, "You two father-in-laws!"

Chen Wanrong suddenly realized that he was an eunuch. This place is close to the palace. It is not surprising to see eunuchs here. The palace management of the Tang Dynasty was not as strict as that of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it was easier to enter and exit, and it was more convenient for eunuchs to leave the palace if they were not on duty.

Thinking of the sentence "Handling the documents and sayings to the imperial edicts" in "The Charcoal Selling Man", the people in the palace were very powerful. These two eunuchs looked powerful at all. They didn't take the initiative to pay the bills and spoke enthusiastically. If they weren't too sharp, they would be no different from ordinary diners.

Chen Zairong was smart, and saw the question in Chen Wanrong's heart and said with a smile: "Brother, you don't know that the people in the palace are bound by the rules in the palace. They dare not bully the market. If they do bad things outside, they will be punished. The rules in the palace are big and the punishment is very heavy, and they are all scared."

Now is the critical period of the political struggle between Princess Taiping and Li Longji. It is limited to the upper class struggle. No matter which faction they do not indulge the people in the palace to corrupt the rules. Therefore, the court is much worse than the Tang Dynasty Taizong, but the laws and regulations still exist. Except for a few privileged palace ladies, ordinary deacons dare not do anything randomly.

The waiter brought a large plate of steaming flax cakes and four bowls of steaming duck blood soup. There were chopped green onions floating on the soup, and the aroma was everywhere. Chen Wanrong twitched his nose a few times, took a bowl of duck blood soup, and took a beautiful sip. One word: Fresh! Chen Wanrong was so beautiful.
To be continued...