back to ancient times to be emperor

Chapter 500 New Year's Eve
Time passed quickly, from the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month to New Year's Eve, it took only six days.

The last day of the twelfth lunar month is called "New Year's Eve" by the Han people in the Central Plains at this time.On this day, no matter how poor, wealthy, or small, everyone in the family must sweep the doors, remove the dust, clean the households, change the door gods, hang Zhong Kui, nail peach charms, stick spring cards, sacrifice ancestors, and welcome the gods at night. Offerings of fragrant flowers to pray for a happy new year.

This set of customs is still relatively complete in the Lingnan of later generations.Before the New Year, every household has to clean the front door, which is called "sweeping" or "washing the sloppy". Needless to say, posting door gods, Spring Festival couplets, and New Year pictures, Chinese people have done this for thousands of years; Worshiping ancestors, gods, heaven and earth, etc., is a bit rare. Later generations in Chaoshan called this "Tuan Nian".The Spring Festival couplets at this time are called "peach charms".Because the Spring Festival couplets at this time were not written on paper, but on peach wood boards, it was named "Peach Run".

On this day, not only was there a carnival among the people, but even the Dashun Palace was filled with joy.After all, it was the last day of the year, and no matter who was on duty in the palace, they would receive a big "good fortune" wrapped in red paper.This is a recognition of their hard work for a year, and it can be regarded as an auspicious meaning.

The folks are even more lively.In the evening, after the New Year's Eve dinner, the cities of the Dashun Dynasty ushered in a sleepless New Year's Eve. Whether it's Chang'an City in the capital, or a small remote county town, whether it's a scholar's family or an ordinary family, a large family gathers around Sitting together on the stove and chatting, Dadan couldn't sleep.This is called "Shou Sui", and children are the happiest, and they can get lucky money, even though it is only a few pennies.

After getting the New Year's money, these children will run outside to play.In previous years, adults were still afraid that children would be trafficked. This year, even human traffickers are afraid to act. This is all thanks to the emperor's coming to power and the promulgation of new policies.The adults are lamenting that the times are getting better, and the children are running around the street, singing nursery rhymes: "Sell dementia, thousands of dollars sell you idiots, ten thousand dollars sell you fools, if you see what you sell, you can give as much as you want, and come with me on credit. "This nursery rhyme is called "Selling Dementia", and children joke about it, hoping to become smart in the coming year, to be a Jinshi, and to be a champion.This kind of nursery rhyme, there are still similar customs in Guangzhou in later generations, but it is not "selling dementia", but "selling laziness": "Sell lazy, sell lazy, sell until the New Year's Eve, and after the New Year, you will grow up. Don’t be lazy anymore. Tell me quietly, you know, it’s too late to study hard, and it’s not too late to work hard and have great ambitions!” The implication of encouraging learning is the same.

On New Year's Eve, how can there be no fireworks?Since the former dynasty, fireworks and firecrackers have become a must-have festival for festivals.Use gunpowder to make loud firecrackers and bright fireworks, and set them off during festivals to create excitement and joy.On New Year's Eve, the fireworks in front of Xuande Building in Dashun Palace are the most prosperous.These are all fireworks jointly produced by the Ministry of Industry and Jiang Zuojian, specially prepared for New Year's Eve and Lantern Festival Eve. From time to time, there are literati records: "The firecrackers in the ban are heard in the streets and alleys. The palace leak is deep, and it was announced More than a hundred fireworks were set off. Then the sound of music was everywhere, and the shadows of candles criss-crossed, and the car began to return. The fireworks were painted outside with Zhong Kui catching ghosts, and inside were medicinal threads, red reflecting the sky; the sound of firecrackers was loud all night long..."

The joy of the emperor and the people is probably only seen in the Dashun Dynasty.The emperor of Dashun, Lu Chengqi, not only appeared on the Xuande Tower with his empress Zhou Zhiruo, watching the fireworks with the common people.At this moment, the people's emotions were raised to the highest level, and they shouted "Long Live" from the bottom of their hearts. Empress Zhou Zhiruo looked proud: This was brought about by her husband's hard work!
Fireworks show is the most exciting program on Dashun Dynasty Eve.The firecrackers used by the royal family are not only loud, but also very gorgeous in shape. They are made into figures, fruits, and even screens.At this moment, the folk market is also lit with candles and fireworks, which are set off together with the royal family's fireworks.For a moment, thousands of flames bloomed in the sky, dazzling people.

In the north of the city, at the north station of the capital pavilion, Yelu Renxian, the envoy of He Zhengdan of the Liao Kingdom, and Xiao Han's slave, the deputy envoy, also went out to the street, quietly feeling the "crazy" of the Han people.It wasn't the first time for them to come to the Central Plains, but it was the first time they experienced the prosperity of Chang'an City up close.How much money do you need for the fireworks all over the sky?They all felt that Dashun was rich, but they were angry why they refused to pay the Liao Kingdom even a little bit.

Suddenly, Yeluren first asked in Khitan language: "Xiao Han's family slave, our Liao Kingdom's 'Nai Nie Yi' (Khitan language called "Zhengdan" is "Nai Nie Yi"), is it also so lively?"

Xiao Han's servant was taken aback, and also said in Khitan: "Is Yu Yue talking about 'scaring ghosts'?"

"Shocking ghosts" is a religious activity of the Khitan people on New Year's Day.On the day of Zhengdan, the custom of the Liao Kingdom is to use glutinous rice and white sheep marrow as dough cakes, which are kneaded into fist-sized balls.Each Khitan camp will be given 49 pieces.At Wuye, every tent threw balls out of the tent windows.If the number of meatballs is even, the music will be played, and everyone will participate in the banquet, eating and drinking, and young men and women will also take this opportunity to express their love.If the number of meatballs is an odd number, it will be terrible.The emperor of the Liao Kingdom immediately ordered the witches and ten people to ring the bell, hold the arrow, and sing around the tent.In the camp, throw handfuls of salt into the stove, burn the ground and beat the rats, which is called scaring ghosts.At this time, all the Khitan people in the Liao Kingdom, no matter whether they were emperors or ordinary people, had to live in their homes for seven days before going out.

Yeluren sighed first, and said: "Actually, you and I don't know that the culture of the Han people is beyond the reach of my Khitan. Even the Great Dynasty on New Year's Day has to imitate the Central Plains and learn a lot..."

Xiao Han's servant heard the strings and knew the elegant meaning, and said cautiously: "What Yu Yue means is that the Khitan people are required to learn Chinese characters?"

Yeluren shook his head first, and said: "On the contrary, not only can we not promote it, but we must promote it!"

"But from His Majesty down, everyone is proud of learning Chinese characters, how can it change?" Xiao Han's servant said worriedly.

"Yes, but if you and I don't say it, who would have thought of it? How can we be considered as Khitan people after Liao Kingdom is sinicized in the future?" Ye Luren didn't know that the trend was hard to reverse?The greatness of Han culture lies in assimilating you unconsciously.From this perspective, Yeluren was very much in favor of driving all the Han people in the Liao Kingdom back to the Central Plains.But in this way, half of the Liao Kingdom will be paralyzed first.You must know that in the Liao Kingdom, Han people did all the rough and dirty work!
At this moment, a group of servants with lanterns came slowly towards them.Only when they approached him did he politely say: "The front is He Zhengdan's envoy from the Liao Kingdom?"

Yeluren first said in Chinese: "Exactly!"

The chief servant said: "Your Majesty has a decree. Tomorrow the court will invite He Zhengdan of the Liao Kingdom to attend the court together."

Yeluren nodded first, the Liao Kingdom also had this rule, he understood.Seeing that he didn't say "receive the decree", the servant was a little dissatisfied, but still said respectfully: "Our family has also received an order from the Ministry of Rites to teach He Zhengdan and deputy envoys the rituals of the court."

After all, it was Xiao Han's family slave who knew better, and quickly said: "I have to thank you, father-in-law."

(End of this chapter)