Jin Mingchi was excavated in the Taiping Rejuvenation period, which was originally a place for the training of the Kaifeng Navy Army, and later the military significance gradually weakened, and entertainment became the mainstream. The pond is opposite to the avenue outside the gate of Shuntian across the Qionglin Garden, it is really one, it is the first scenic spot of Kaifeng City, it is open to visit from the first day of March to the beginning of April every year, no matter what the identity, the official can not help but enter. This more than one month is also the time for the people of the city to visit spring.

On the first day of the first month of March, the emperor took his ministers to Jinmingchi to watch the water army performance. This day is lively, but because the Manchu magnates are concentrated here, ordinary people can't enjoy themselves. In the second year of junior high school, the bureaucrats and doctors had free time, and they called friends and companions to drink and feast everywhere, and they were also panicked when they watched. Flat-headed people like the Xu family prefer to enter Jinmingchi from the third day of junior high school, when most of the official activities are over, and it is a festival for the real people.

Lin Wensi also has a group of scholars in the capital, and he has brought Lin Suniang and Su'er to live in the capital since the end of February. Xu Ping was busy with farming in the village, and it was not until the second day of the first month of March that he arranged the farm work in the village, and then brought Xiuxiu and a large group of villagers who wanted to see the excitement to Kaifeng.

The main road of Shuntianmen leads directly to Xinzheng, so the folk are mostly called Xinzheng Gate, which is the direction of Xu Ping. When they arrived, it was already evening, and before they reached the city gate, they saw a crowd of people all over the sky returning to the city with wine utensils, tables and chairs, and so on. This kind of spectacular scene Xu Ping had never seen in his previous life.

At this time, the poplar flowers are flying, the warm breeze is blowing, the leaves are green and the flowers are red, it is the best time of the year. The world has been peaceful for decades, and the wind of extravagance and enjoyment has gradually begun to replace the thrift and thrift of the early Song Dynasty, and the whole society is permeated with a flashy atmosphere, and the Kaifeng Mansion in the first good place is the most.

Xu Ping wanted to avoid the flow of people, and he wanted to say hello to Li Yonghe and his family, so he bypassed the flow of people back to the city, crossed the pontoon bridge on the Bianhe River, and entered the city through Wansheng Gate.

In the past two days, Li Yonghe has been surprisingly busy with official duties, and Li Zhang has been at home watching his younger brother with Duan Laoyuan, and he is about to go crazy. Seeing Xu Ping was like seeing a savior, regardless of it, he returned to the Xu family's new home in Guanghuafang with him.

After settling down at the inn where he had brought the tour, it was already dark when Xu Ping returned home, Li Zhang was playing games with Xiuxiu and Dou'er, and when he saw Xu Ping, he shouted: "Brother, when will we go out of the city together tomorrow?" Go to Jinmingchi or Qionglin Yuan first? ”

Xu Ping was already too tired after a busy day, so he replied casually: "Let's talk about it tomorrow, I don't care about everything tonight, eat and sleep well, and nourish my spirit!" ”

After eating, Xiuxiu went to sleep in the bean room, and Li Zhang squeezed into Xu Ping's bed.

In the past two days, the city has not enjoyed the spring, and everything else seems to have stopped. Li Zhang's house happened to be on the edge of the Bianhe River outside the city, and it was itchy to watch. I'm going to go out to play tomorrow, and I can't sleep at night, so I bite Xu Ping's ear.

Xu Ping has been very busy recently, and he has been in a hurry for most of the day, how can he be in the mood to mess with him? Impatiently said a few words to him, telling him to rest early.

Li Zhang sat on the bed and was silent for a while, and suddenly sighed heavily: "Brother, since your family left the capital last year, I think you have grown up all of a sudden, and you don't have the heart to play with me anymore!" ”

Xu Ping said angrily: "People will always grow up, can they play for a lifetime?" ”

Li Zhang sighed again: "It's not! Last year, I was quite envious that you were older, you can make your own decisions about everything, and I hope that you will grow up soon. Who knew that in the next year, I was a year older, and Grandpa Duan and Daddy really didn't care much about me, but when I did things, I didn't have the heart to play! ”

Xu Ping lay on the side and was stunned for a while, before he said: "At what age do people have any way to live, you still take advantage of these two young years to play everything you want to play, and you won't have a chance in two years." Okay, I'm going to wake up early tomorrow and sleep well. ”

There was nothing to say all night, and early the next morning, Li Zhang woke up before dawn and pushed Xu Ping up.

Xu Ping was also impatient, and muttered in a low voice: "I slept last night, you haven't slept yet, and you get up so early, sure enough, children don't need to sleep?" ”

After breakfast, everyone was already packed.

Today, the whole family traveled, and even Xu Zheng, who had fun all about money, also put down the business of the sugar shop, put on new clothes and shoes, and waited in the hall early.

Dou'er and Xiuxiu had already prepared to eat and drink, some of which the two of them rushed out early in the morning, and went out to buy a few dishes, which they put together in the food box, and put a few bottles of wine in the other basket, which were carried by Baofu.

It is not appropriate to go out to play and drink liquor, Xu Ping originally wanted to bring only two jars of good rice wine, but remembering who he might meet today, he still brought two small jars of liquor.

By the time he went out, the sun had already shown half of his head at the head of the city, and the sky was full of red glow.

Xu Zhengxi said: "Okay, today is a sunny day, you can have fun for a day." ”

After crossing the state bridge, the whole family went on the east-west road leading to Xinzhengmen. After walking for a short time, the road is already bustling, and all of them are out of the city to play. Honest families are all carried by servants with burdens and food and wine, and ordinary people also carry baskets with food and drink. There is even more of that kind of wealth, riding a horse and sitting in a car, which is even more lively. All of them were dressed in new clothes, and many of them had seasonal flowers on their sideburns.

Xu Ping was a little dumbfounded. In his previous life, he didn't have this kind of national pomp, even the long vacation time didn't reach this level, and the big man wore flowers, which also made him feel a little confused.

Out of the city gate, Xu Zheng said: "Let's go to Qionglin Garden to see the flowers first, and then go to Jinming Pond to set up wine and tea and enjoy it." ”

Everyone applauded together and entered the Qionglin Garden on the south side of the main road.

This is the best time of spring, when flowers bloom and everything recovers. As a leader in the royal garden, Qionglin Garden is even more beautiful.

It's a pity that Xu Ping is not a literary and artistic youth, looking at these scenery is a bit of a cow chewing peonies, just red and green to watch a lively, far less than others exclaimed again and again for the spring. Li Zhang was by his side, and he was still very enthusiastic about which flower bloomed well and which tree grew strangely, Xu Ping dealt with it casually, and after a few times, Li Zhang was not interested, and discussed with Xiuxiu and Dou'er.

After turning around, it was important to return to the north gate of the garden, and everyone was a little tired.

Xu Zhengdao: "The sun is almost overhead, and if you walk again, you will feel hot." Let's go to Jinmingchi, find a secluded place to drink, and eat some fruit to fill our stomachs. ”

Zhang Sanniang has been walking with her husband, and when she saw that Xu Ping's interest was not high, she asked: "Da Lang, why are you unhappy, is the scenery here not good?" ”

Xu Ping shook his head: "The scenery is good, but what I care about most is that there are Tsubaki trees planted everywhere in this garden, and the buds are tender at this time, and no one picks them back to eat?" ”

Zhang Sanniang scolded: "If you don't have any interest, you know how to eat!" This is the royal garden, which one who does not have long eyes dares to pick indiscriminately! Just take a look at it, don't think about it! ”

Xu Ping didn't care, this garden is really good, but it's just a park, it is precisely because of the royal family that it looks magical, and the people have to come to such a time every year to feel at ease.

Zhang Sanniang looked at Xu Ping and said: "Da Lang, every time the emperor invites a new Jinshi to a banquet, he is also in this garden, and when the imperial court opens, you go to the middle Jinshi, and then it is the scenery to come in!" ”

Xu Ping said with a smile: "Thank Mother Jiyan, if the imperial court opens this year, I will earn you a jinshi back next year, so that you can also be beautiful once!" ”

Everyone laughed together, knowing that it was impossible to open a course this year, and there were so many jinshi last year, how could it be another year, Xu Ping just sounded good.

Passing through the main road of Xinzheng Gate, you will arrive in front of Jinmingchi Gate. This is no better than Qionglin Garden, which is really a place specially set up for people to play. The gate is lined with colorful buildings, which is extremely luxurious.

When I entered the door, the sound of gongs and drums came from afar, which was the water army performance in Jinming Pond every day, as well as various water troupe water plays, including various puppet performances. Listen carefully, there is also the sound of staccato orchestration, accompanied by a tactful and beautiful female voice.

At this time, it was a common practice for people with status and status to travel with female prostitutes, and literati who had no money and literary talents even took it as a face-saving thing to accompany famous prostitutes to go out and eat and drink. Of course, most of the female prostitutes at this time refer to literary and artistic workers, and Xu Ping's previous life invited female star models to play with her, the real famous art is the same as the big star in his previous life, not just rich can be invited, and these things have not changed in ancient and modern inheritance.

In addition to the female prostitutes invited by private individuals, the government also set up a lot of color stages in the garden, allowing official prostitutes to perform on them, every day, every day, which is regarded as a public welfare performance in this era.

Since asking for money and coming back, Xu Zheng's mood has been comfortable these days, walking on the road, looking at the young girls performing everywhere, his eyes can't help but shine. Zhang Sanniang had been guarding against this for a long time, but she didn't say anything in front of Xu Ping and Li Zhang's two children, just dragging Xu Zheng away from those beautiful occasions.

The circumference of Jinmingchi is nearly ten miles, and the place is huge, although people from all over the city come here, it does not seem crowded. Not far from the door, before I saw the pond, I first saw the big dragon boat in the pool. This dragon boat is the king of Wuyue was dedicated to the Song Dynasty, more than 20 zhang long, several floors above. In his previous life, Xu Ping was a soil bun who grew up in the north, and he had never seen a big scene in the water, and he was amazed when he saw the dragon boat at this time.

The dragon boat is the emperor's pleasure boat, and ordinary people can only watch it, but they can't get close. However, it has not been repaired in the water for decades, and the dragon boat is now a little ruined, and the emperor is only putting on a scene on it, and he can no longer really watch the battle of the navy on the dragon boat like the first emperor.

The pond near the gate is the most crowded, and there are also various performances on the color stage set up by the government, and it is crowded with people, and the food vendors are in the middle of it. Since the Taizu Dynasty, it has been listed all over the country, and this kind of small people who carry baskets to carry burdens and sell do not collect taxes, so there are generally many mobile hawkers in Tokyo.

Looking for a quiet place to enjoy wine and tea, Xu Ping's family walked west along the road by the lake. Walk not far, a small sand hill in front, sparsely planted with a few flowers and trees, only three or three two of the tourists.

Xu Zheng looked at it and said, "It's quiet there, so let's go to the post to rest." ”