It was already Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the year, and the city of Gangneung, where the Metropolitan Governor's Office was stationed, was about to usher in the fourth New Year under the control of the Rebels/Taipings. For the slightly older people in the city, perhaps the changes and impacts in the first half of their lives cannot catch up, but it is as if they have experienced more in the next few years.

The curved streets and alleys, which were originally curved like spider webs and stacked with houses, were replaced by long streets with eight horses running through the city in all directions, and sparkling trees and small rivers beside the road.

Wherever along the street, the high and low walls that had long been out of place have been demolished, leaving only patches of small three- and four-story buildings that have been renovated and rebuilt in situ; Then it was filled with craftsmen, merchants and tenants from all over the world.

They often set up shop and solicit a living downstairs, live and store goods upstairs, and then have a small inner courtyard for planting flowers and moving their bodies, which is completely connected to the street through side doors and winding alleys.

This kind of architectural form called "Pai Yuan" in the front building and back yard has become the mainstream style that can be seen everywhere in Gangneung Castle today. And in the inside, surrounded by many "archway courtyards", the traditional appearance and original residents in the old Fangqu are somewhat retained.

Only through the neat alleys between the "archway" on the street and the patrol forbidden shops can you go deep into the residential areas of different sizes; There is also a small market of various sizes, surrounded by craftsmen and shops of various professions, like a condensed miniature town.

At this moment, whether it is the archway along the street or the private house area inside, it has become noisy and boiling with the strong atmosphere of the Spring Festival.

Every household has hung carved peach charms of different properties under the door beam, erected bamboo poles and carried silk silk or paper cutouts, small flags or "flags" in the shape of wild beasts. Outside the door, a charcoal clay pot was placed on the side of the road, and a string of dried bamboo knots was thrown in, and they were afraid to make a crisp or dull plucking sound in the diffuse smell of the fireworks.

Most people, young and old, have also changed into new clothes, buying objects that they are reluctant to do on weekdays, to worship their ancestors and use them for their own use. Even the poorest families in the city can receive a coarse cloth gown and old shoes and hats that are particularly resistant to dirt and wear by virtue of their registered household registration, which is a blessing to welcome the spring and welcome the new year.

So at this moment, they can also wash their gray faces on weekdays, touch the belly of a good meal, burp with acid reflux, lick the vegetable soup traces left at the corners of their mouths, and lead the family to join the street parade and viewing on this Chinese New Year's Eve.

With the sound of loud drums and gongs and bowls, it began to drive through the streets in the city. I saw a crowd of men, women and children in colorful clothes starting from the South Gate Tower of Waiguo, where the fortune was divined, and marched up the main street.

The leading group of men and women wearing colorful feather coats, wearing black masks representing "Wu Weng" and "Wu Mother", and dancing with long sleeves and wide clothes; The slow chanting of the curse indicates that they are gathering evil and bad luck in the places they pass.

Behind him, there are one hundred and eighty "guards and servants" wearing red and black clothes with children's masks, jumping and singing and dancing, which is to praise the ancient Yu King, Emperor Shun and other ancestors, cut down the evil spirits, and control the deeds and great deeds of the world.

Many men and women wearing various ghost masks followed suit, and many of them walked and danced while holding various musical instruments in their hands, playing and singing; Every time the "guardian servants" at the front end sang a song praising the deeds of the ancestors, they would let out a jagged whistle in unison, representing the meaning of defeat and subduation.

Finally, there were many ordinary people who simply joined in the fun, and they were cheerfully shouting and shouting; And the people along the street were alarmed, and hurriedly ran out of the door to wait.

I saw them facing the crowd of evil spirits and demons, raising their heads and throwing a handful of variegated beans representing the exorcism and avoiding evil spirits, and shouted "Tai Sui Hengfang" and "Plague and Evil Spirits" and other evil words, and then put on the "noodles" they bought and happily joined in their flow of people.

In the homes of some wealthy people who are going deeper and deeper into the city, they get up early in the daylight to get up the "Tingliao" (fire) in the yard. According to the local customs of Gangneung, it has a variety of functions such as lighting, burning firecrackers, heating, burning old things, and adding a festive atmosphere.

The fire of the rich and noble family would burn for a whole night or even for several days and nights, and they would throw spices into the fire, making the whole house smelly. What's more, choose a high ground place in the courtyard, pile firewood on the hillside and erect a huge fire tower to cheer up, and then gather wives and concubines and slaves to sing and dance all night to show off their wealth.

However, the most lively places are among the eleven temples and Taoist temples of various sizes that have been preserved in Gangneung Fortress through various contributions and methods. Because at this time, both monks and Taoists will open the door of convenience, and the people have entered the temple to listen to the "vulgar lectures" and viewing places.

Commonly speaking, it is a way for eminent monks to sit on the platform or live in the mandala city, in the form of popular singing, to attract scholars and spread the mystery of Buddhist scriptures. Then many believers and listeners, in the sound of the great masters chanting, feel the supreme beauty of the Nine Heavens Buddha Kingdom, and marvel at the many miracles of doing good deeds and accumulating virtues.

Therefore, in the four places of these public places, there have long been embroidered scriptures and statues of "flags" that offer offerings to the Bodhisattva and pray for blessings and vows. Then there are many street vendors, merchants and entertainers who come to hear the wind, and they have created a lively "temple market" and "view market" near the temple.

Some temples will also invite instrumental music, singing and dancing troupes to perform all day long, or puppet shows and shadow puppet performers to express some stories of the past and life as a means to set off the atmosphere and gather the flow of people.

However, this year, these traditional playgrounds, which began two days before Chinese New Year's Eve, were inevitably taken over by another novelty. It is a grand performance of the nature of military and civilian fun held in the newly renovated large campus between the city and the inner city.

Among them, there are five southern places under the rule of the Metropolitan Governor's Office, which are relatively prosperous and rich or have a rich or humanistic gathering of Guangfu (Guangzhou), Jiaozhou (Hanoi), Guizhou (Guilin), Tanzhou (Changsha), Hongzhou (Nanchang), Ezhou (Wuhan), Yuezhou (Yueyang), Xuanzhou (Xuancheng), Jiangzhou (Jiujiang), Runzhou (Nanjing), Xiangzhou (Xiangyang) and other places.

It can be said that in addition to Yangzhou in Huainan, most of the past romances and abysses in the south of the Yangtze River are gathered here. Therefore, from noon on Chinese New Year's Eve, the stage performances have begun to take turns, and the specific programs have even been rehearsed until the New Year's Eve period.

For Zhou Huai'an, who watched the family with an interesting view on the gatehouse of the South Forest Gate in the inner city, this is simply the earliest version in history, the night parade of a hundred ghosts or a Halloween parade with the characteristics of the Tang Dynasty.

It's a pity that due to the consideration of identity and safety, there is really no way to personally participate in this folk activity full of the characteristics of the times; Instead, he can only take the lead and sit on the seat of the city tower in the spotlight, in order to reflect the symbolic meaning of being close to the people and having fun in a certain sense.

This is part of the gap and difference brought about by power and status, but the few big and small women in the family, led by Hong Yao'er, seem to be full of interest and pointing non-stop. Obviously, none of them have seen the Spring Festival Gala in later generations, but they are full of some kind of freshness.

However, Zhou Huai'an thought about it, this form of performance is really similar to the Spring Festival Gala in later generations:

Among them, there are not only military dramas (two-person cross talk), but also white dramas (stage play-style sketches), and the tricks (magic) of "Fish Dragon", "Manyan" and "Tibetan Coercion" handed down in the Han Dynasty; Not to mention the most common individual or group singing, dancing, opera, and instrumental music... Among them, there were even occasional congratulatory messages from soldiers and soldiers from various Davidshu districts, Wuguan, Yuzhou, Ba County, and other places, as well as congratulatory messages from representatives from all walks of life.

And all the corners and positions that could be watched in the four corners of the generals were stuffed with water, and the soldiers, officials, and their families, and the people were also amazed, or they were full of voices, or they were amazed.

This also made Zhou Huai'an, who had planned the general framework before and after, inevitably fly away from the sky; As a result, I had the illusion that I was standing on the tower of Tiananmen Square, watching the open-air mass performances and float parades. Maybe it's just about to let the students of the big seminar in the seats directly below hold up the board and pose for the puzzle.

And on the side of the gatehouse with the best view, among the officials and generals of the Metropolitan Governor's Palace, along with their dependents, there were also whispers from one ear to ear:

"It seems that although the Metropolitan Governor has rejected those auspicious means of persuasion, he has no consideration and feelings in his heart."

"How do you say this, please explain your doubts."

"Don't you realize that these scenes are faintly familiar?"

"Dare to ask this Langjun, but have you seen or heard of it elsewhere?"

"Well, although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I have heard allusions when I traveled in the capital back then."

"Please don't play tricks anymore, brother."

"This is the story of the Kaiyuan period, when the Ming Emperor (Tang Xuanzong: Emperor Ming Xiao of the Great Sage) was alive, it was also Chang Xingnan (Xingqing Palace), and the banquet ministers were in the Xuanying Gate outside the calyx, and repeatedly climbed the main building of the government affairs, and was worshiped by the people of the people. Don't you hear that today's scene is not a rehearsal and first test in the future. ”

"In this way, wouldn't the Metropolitan Governor be a related to the nobles of the old dynasty, otherwise how would he know the scene and the inside story of this pattern?"

"Fuck your shit, the Metropolitan Governor is a savior who has returned from overseas, how can he have anything to do with those corrupt people of the old dynasty."

A rough voice suddenly interjected, but it was a general who was next to the seat and said angrily.

The Chinese who were talking energetically suddenly fell silent as if they had been poured cold water, and then there was humanity

"Yes, yes, it's that I drank too much Meng Lang is not in a state, please don't go to my heart."

And in the corner of the huge performance stage on the campus floor, there are also people in the waiting crowd pointing to the head of the city:

"That's him, and it's the root cause of the many sufferings in the world and the chaos in the hearts of the people in the world."

Tang remnant