October 21, the day before the light snow solar term.

The sky was always overcast, and the sun didn't show its head at all. The cold north wind was not strong, but it hurt like a knife on the face. The yellow grass was frozen and creaked when stepped on.

Before the fifth watch, Xu Ping rode on his horse to face the north wind, and from time to time there was ice ballast blowing into his neck. Although the wind blowing on his face was cold, Xu Ping's heart was hot.

The soldiers from Yongzhou had never seen such a cold weather, their mouths were white, and their faces and hands were frozen stiff. But they didn't feel bitter at all, and looked around curiously, looking at the scenery completely different from their hometown.

When the day was slightly bright, Xu Ping finally arrived outside Kaifeng City. Behind him, a procession of thousands of people stretched for miles, with no end in sight.

"It's snowing! It's snowing! ”

There was a sudden whisper in the ranks, with a kind of surprise.

Whether it is Fujian Road or Guangnan West Road, the next snow may take hundreds of years, and these soldiers who have grown up in tropical places all their lives have never seen this kind of scenery. They stretched out their hands, and then the snowflakes that fell in the sky held them in their palms and watched them slowly melt away.

Maybe many years later, they will tell their children and grandchildren today's story in Lingnan shaking their pu fans and sweating, and that day when they arrived in the capital, they saw the snow and the emperor.

The city gate of Nanxun Gate was wide open, and both sides of the road were already crowded with people watching, and there were also a lot of incense cases. Even the monks and Taoists in the nearby temples crowded in front of the crowd, either closing their eyes and chanting sutras, or doing one ritual after another.

Wang Deyong's forbidden army leader has entered the city, and the sky-high Kaile resounded in the sky. Xu Ping has heard these pieces in the Taichang Rite Temple, and each of them can quote scriptures, and they have their origins, but I don't know if there are people singing and dancing with the music on the royal street now.

The forbidden army brigade in front was all selected, burly, tall and strong, much more magnificent than the Xiang army and township soldiers from Fujian Road and Yongzhou behind Xu Ping. But today they are only supporting roles, and they are the decorations of the team behind them.

When the forbidden army entered the city, the praise in front of Xu Ping led the mountain call, and even the green tendons on their foreheads could be seen bursting out.

But Xu Ping still couldn't hear what they were talking about, Kaile was mostly preaching, and the sound was earth-shattering, and Xu Ping's ears couldn't hear other sounds for a long time. His every move was in accordance with the steps set by the Taichang Rite Temple, and today except for his heart, which is his own, everything else is part of this ceremony, part of the face of this country.

There is a magic to the sound of drums, as if it can beat with the heart, control the pulse of the person, control the emotions of the person.

Xu Ping urged the horse, slowly crossed the moat, and arrived at the city gate.

The drum beat was louder, and Xu Ping only felt that the blood rushed to the top of his head, and his whole body was a little hot. The scattered snowflakes fell and disappeared all at once, as if the snow had also melted away from the sky.

Nanxun Gate is facing the Xuande Gate, the main gate of the imperial city, as soon as Xu Ping came out of the city gate hole, he looked up and saw a group of figures on the city tower in the distance. There is the emperor standing, and today the etiquette is complete, and I don't know how many people are serving.

At the moment when Xu Ping stepped into the city, there was a mountain cry of "Long live" in front of him, it should be that the emperor on the tower of Xuande Gate saw the Yongzhou soldiers and horses brought by Xu Ping into the city, and he didn't know what to do.

On both sides of the royal street stood the soldiers of the forbidden army, and behind them were the people watching the ceremony.

Some people shouted Xu Ping's name, which was his neighbor and people close to the Xu family, shouting while spitting on the people around him about their relationship with the Xu family.

The team slowly moved forward and finally reached the state bridge.

This is the most lively place, the crowd is not visible at all, and even the Daxiangguo Temple is submerged in the sea of people.

Xu Ping rode on a horse, constantly looking at the people on the side of the bridge, trying to find his familiar figure. When he first came to Kaifeng City, he once waited here with Xiuxiu to watch the emperor's pomp and circumstance, and even did not hesitate to stay all night.

Xu Ping's family had already been invited to watch the ceremony, and they were to accept the gift after the ceremony.

Xiuxiu stood in the crowd, holding his younger brother Huzi's shoulder, and watched Xu Ping slowly cross the state bridge with the Yongzhou soldiers. Those were the people she used to know, but now they were like a world apart. Bits and pieces of the past came to mind, and the corners of Xiuxiu's mouth showed a smile, but tears flashed in her eyes.

She didn't know if she would ever be able to see these people afterwards, the people who had liked her and hated her.

Xu Ping had already asked someone to bring Xiuxiu, but in the crowd, Xu Ping couldn't find that familiar figure.

At the front of both ends of the bridge were the students of the Guozijian, who took advantage of the location and held the most advantageous position early.

Looking at Xu Ping on the horse, dressed in a red shirt, surrounded by thousands of people, but he was about the same age as himself, many people felt enthusiastic. In the next year, they will also be promoted to the Jinshi, and they will also make this kind of meritorious service.

After crossing the state bridge, this section of the royal street is not for ordinary people to walk, but the corridors on both sides are still crowded.

Xu Ping dismounted, took a handwat and looked at the empty street in front of him, and walked forward.

The leading forbidden army has been divided on both sides, and there is no one between Xu Ping and Xuande Gate Tower, only snowflakes flying.

On the side street in front of Xuande Gate, from the prime minister to the petty officials who do not do business, all of them are here, and the crowd of black crows and crows is silent, only the earth-shattering drums are ringing non-stop.

Xu Ping walked through the snowflakes like this, took the Yongzhou soldiers behind him, and walked all the way to the Xuande Gate.

Downstairs under the city gate, there was a guard in front of the palace, Zhu Banzhi and a few chamberlains, and when Xu Ping approached, an attendant stepped forward and shouted loudly I don't know what kind of holy decree was announced, Xu Ping couldn't hear it at all.

Fortunately, the Taichang Rite Academy has taught Xu Ping every step, and Xu Ping is only in charge of the order.

After a military salute to the emperor on the city tower, Xu Pinglang recited the recital.

“…… The minister mentions the tiger and wolf, destroys the country of the ministers, and the Jingjing Navy Tranquility Envoy, the king of Nanping, Li Foma, is ......"

This piece has long been approved by the Taichang Rite Yuan and the Chinese book, and Xu Ping just recited it aloud.

There were a lot of people standing around, but it was quiet, and even the drums that had been playing all the time stopped. This is the time that belongs to Xu Ping and the time that belongs to the soldiers who participated in the war in Yongzhou.

The recital was not long, but Xu Ping didn't feel at all how much time he had spent, and after stopping, he only felt his brain buzzing. He originally thought that he would be very calm, but he didn't expect to be affected by this huge battle.

As soon as Xu Ping's words fell, the ministers under the city tower shouted "Long live" together, and then even the standing guards, the people on the corridor and even the people on the other side of the state bridge also shouted "Long live" together, and the voice resounded through the sky. (To be continued.) )