"Bai Saxin Pan this night stand, no dreams and three watches. The imperial city drum welcomes the new year, and the adjacent courtyard is full of pine basins. The wax festival sits on the pin cup is eternal, and the spring light enters the beginning of the fight. Hu Song only cut the chicken and sang, and the thousands of officials sounded the sound of admiration. ”

This is a Chinese New Year's Eve custom poem written by Qiu Yu, a native of Xuancheng, on Chinese New Year's Eve, a wooden platform made of pine and cypress branches in his own yard, lit on fire, and burned until dawn, which is called "Xi Sui Ming".

On the Chinese New Year's Eve of the forty-fourth year of Wanli, outside the weeping flower gate of Zhang Yuan's apartment in Li Ge Old Hutong in the west of Beijing's imperial city, a pine and cypress wooden shelf was burning warmly, and the fragrance of pine resin was overflowing, which was a festive taste; The rose-colored firelight is reflected on the red paper gourd pasted on the doors and windows, and the bricks and wood are deep and the red light is flickering, which is a festive color; The sound of firecrackers, the sound of resignation, laughter, and all kinds of festive sounds are boiling in the ears -

On this night, Zhang Yuan's apartment was full of relatives and friends, and it was very lively.

A few days earlier, Zhang Dai said that he invited Zhang Yuan's family to the bank of the Paozi River to celebrate the New Year together, and Zhang Yuan's brother-in-law Shang Zhouzuo also invited his sister-in-law's family to the East Fourth Archway to celebrate the New Year together, Zhang Yuan could not have both, discussed with Shang Lanran, and decided to invite his brother-in-law's family and clan uncle Zhang Yaofang's family to Li Ge Old Hutong to gather together for the New Year, Zhang Yuan's residence in Li Ge Old Hutong is also considered a housewarming, according to Shaoxing customs, the first year of the new house has relatives and friends to celebrate the New Year together, that is auspicious blessing, so in the afternoon of the Chinese New Year's Eve, Zhang Yaofang, Zhang Dai father and son, One of Zhang Yaofang's concubines, Zhang Dai's wife Liu, concubines Suzhi, Li Koer, and four or five servants arrived at Zhang Yuan's apartment first, and before they sat down, Shang Zhouzuo and his wife and Jinglan and Jinghui sisters also arrived, Qi Chengjiao, Qi Biaojia and his son came later, and the four families celebrated the New Year together, and the liveliness of Zhang Yuan's small courtyard house can be imagined-

The ladies of the inner courtyard gossip, play chess, drink tea, drink wine, throw pots, recite New Year's poems, and eat a cake made of persimmons, lychees, round eyes, chestnuts, and ripe dates. And eat donkey's head meat. It is packed in a box, and since it is commonly known as a donkey as a ghost, eating donkey meat is "chewing a ghost". This is a prayer for the peace of the house, and the maidservants are busy pasting pictures of blessings, tiger heads, and harmony on the walls of the house, and placing the lighted lamps under the bed. This is called "waste of light", Mu Zhenzhen can't play chess or drink, she discussed childbirth and parenting with Su Zhi, who also has a big belly, and then got up to take a look at each room, she was worried about the fire, so she went to inspect from time to time......

In the main hall of the outer courtyard, Zhang Yuan sat and drank with his uncle, brother-in-law, brother-in-law, and Qi Chengyi's father and son, all of whom were fellow villagers and in-laws. Naturally, it is a happy one, and when it comes to the past Chinese New Year's Eve hometown, there are endless words......

Uncle Fu and Uncle Yao are changing peach charms and sticking to the door gods. Wuling, Mingyan, Baima, and Xue Tong were young male servants who set off firecrackers in front of the door. Running and frolicking, kicking stone balls to play. Bai Ma and Xue Tong are particularly active, the two of them run to the cold streets and alleys, and when they meet the people who hold the mirror and listen to the divination, they will shout in Shaoxing and Jinling local language, and run after shouting, so that the person who listens to the mirror is stunned and does not know why, the northern customs, Chinese New Year's Eve the night prayer stove to ask Fang Hou to hold the mirror and go out, in order to hear the first words of outsiders to divinate the good fortune and evil, there is an article "Mirror Listening" in "Strange Tales from Liaozhai", which is inspirational and funny......

At midnight, the New Year's drum sounded in Fengtianmen in the imperial city, and then the brilliant fireworks rose above the imperial city, and the forty-fifth year of Wanli (that is, 1617) arrived, and the year was in Dingsi, and then Jinnur Hachi called this year the second year of the Mandate of Heaven -

On the first day of the new year, officials above the fourth grade in Beijing wanted to participate in the Zhengdan Dynasty Meeting ceremony held by the Ministry of Rites, Zhang Yuan was revised from the sixth grade, and was not qualified to attend the meeting, but because it was the official of the East Palace Day, so he also had to participate, at the beginning of the ugly time, Zhang Yaofang and Zhang Dai took their daughters and servants back to the Baozi River first, Qi Chengjiao, Qi Biaojia and his son also resigned and returned to the military department, and Shang Zhouzuo's family stayed here-

Zhang Yuan and his brother-in-law Shang Zhou Zuo entered the inner courtyard, Fu was weak and sickly, and couldn't stay up late, so he had already gone to Shang Ran's room to rest, Wang Wei and Shang Jinglan were playing chess, Shang Ran and Xiao Jinghui were watching, Zhou's mother was also holding Xiao Hongjian on the side, Xiao Jinghui teased Xiao Hongjian from time to time, pinched his face, made a grimace, and teased him with the tips of his hair, this smiling child laughed "Gege" -

Seeing Shang Zhouzuo and Zhang Yuan coming in, Shang Ran and others got up together to bless Shang Zhouzuo and Zhang Yuan for the New Year. ”

Shang Ran said: "I went to bed early and was full, and I just woke up." He hugged Xiao Hongjian over and said softly: "Hongchuan, bless the New Year to your uncle, and wish the New Year to your father." "He put his son's two little hands together and made a gesture.

Nine-month-old Xiao Hong gradually felt very funny, nodded again, and shook his hands up and down, and his cute appearance of smiling and grinning made the room laugh.

Shang Zhouzuo was also a little sleepy, went to Zhang Yuan's study to take a nap, Zhang Yuan took Wang Wei, Jing Lan, and Jing Hui sisters to set off fireworks outside the Hanging Flower Gate, there is a kind of fireworks called "Smallpox Spray" is from the hands of the internal official craftsman, when it is set off, it is like a goddess scattering flowers, Xiao Hui clapped his hands and laughed-

Zhang Yuan stood by the pine and cypress fire, smelled the aroma of pine resin, and said: "Let me tell you a joke, there is a businessman in Suzhou who celebrates the New Year in Jinling, and when he saw the fireworks on both sides of Qinhuai, he said to others, 'Even if there are lights in Suzhou at this time, there is nowhere to put them', and people ask why?" This man said, 'Suzhou is crowded with fireworks in the sky at this time, and it cannot be put up, because there is no space in the sky.' ”

Wang Wei, Jing Lan, and Jing Hui sisters all smiled, their eyes shining like stars.

In the imperial city not far away, all kinds of gorgeous fireworks come and go, at this moment, the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty is so real.

……

At the beginning of the Chen, Zhang Yuan and his brother-in-law Shang Zhou Zuo entered the Chengtian Gate together, the Zhengdan Dynasty will be a New Year's ceremony, according to the ancestral system, the emperor is going to visit the Huangji Hall to accept the worship and congratulations of the hundred officials and the four Yi Yuanchen, but the Wanli Emperor has not participated in the Zhengdan Dynasty for many years, and this year is no exception, it is still presided over by the officials of the Ministry of Rites and Honglu Temple.

After the court was dispersed, the officials went out of the Huangji Gate one after another, in addition to the Yulin Wei sergeant by the door, there were two eunuchs in the East Palace waiting, it was Zhong Benhua and Han Benyong, the two were ordered by the prince to invite Qian Longxi, Guo Shu, Cheng Jiming, Xu Guangqi, Sun Chengzong, Zhang Yuan, Ma Zhiqi East Palace, these seven speakers went to the Wenhua Palace, the crown prince Zhu Changluo wanted to meet the seven East Palace speakers in the Wenhua Palace, Zhang Yuan and others came to the main hall of Wenhua, to meet the crown prince, the crown prince said some New Year's greetings, and gave New Year's gifts, everyone thanks, thank you and come out-

Zhang Yuan found an opportunity to ask Zhong Benhua: "When will my father-in-law stay at the former overseas house?" ”

Zhong Benhua said: "On the fifth day of the first month, the miscellaneous family will be outside the palace. ”

"Okay, I'll come to greet my father-in-law on the afternoon of the fifth day of the new year."

Zhang Yuan arched his hand, and quickly followed his senior brother Xu Guangqi out of Wenhua Gate.

According to the usual practice, the speaker of the East Palace also went to the cabinet to visit the ministers, Zhang Yuan also followed, Fang Congzhe and Wu Daonan were there, Fang Congzhe saw Zhang Yuan, he was really embarrassed and resentful, and he wanted to throw back the worship post handed by Zhang Yuan in person, but he still endured it, he was the first assistant of the court, and he must appear to be tolerant of elegance.

Fang Congzhe smiled faintly and said to Zhang Yuan: "Zhang Xiu has the wind of Hai Rui Hai Gangfeng, just and right, he taught the old man a lesson for the dog who can't be built, and the old man has to thank Zhang Xiu for it, I heard that Zhang Xiu's son is also called Hong Yan, which has the same name as the dog, what a coincidence." ”

Zhang Yuanxin said: "This old guy has thorns in his words, in the Ming officialdom, Hai Rui is a figure that people respect and stay away, and if it is ugly, he is a disgusting character, Fang Congzhe praised me as Hai Rui, how dare I be." "Said respectfully: "The old man of the pavilion is serious, the lower official is young and shallow, and his words and deeds may be inappropriate, but the heart of loyalty and love for the people is there, the day before yesterday there was a small misunderstanding with the old Linglang, the elder of the pavilion is generous, not to blame the lower official, the lower official is grateful, as for the name of the young son of the lower official and the words of the old Linglang of the pavilion, it is really a coincidence, the lower official has decided to change the name of the child, so as not to offend." ”

Fang Congzhe sneered in his heart, smiled on his face, and said, "How dare you change your name, but the old man's unsuccessful son has to change his name." "Just laugh it off.

Zhang Yuan and the officials went out of the Chengtian Gate and scattered, except for the officials on duty, they are all holidays now, and they will not officially sit in the government until the Lantern Festival.

Xu Guangqi and Zhang Yuan walked side by side, Xu Guangqi shook his head and sighed: "Jiezi, you can completely offend the old Fang Pavilion now, and it will be too difficult for you to implement the policy of helping the people through the world in the future." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Even if there is no such thing, I have already offended Fang Ge Lao, not bad this time." ”

Xu Guangqi smiled bitterly, stopped, looked back at the Forbidden City, the sun was rising, the snow of the yellow tile eaves of Chengtianmen reflected the sunlight and also looked magnificent, as if the solemnity of the Ming Dynasty was still there, and his heart said: "The monarch is inactive, the decree is not good, the officials are busy with infighting, there is little worry about the country, the strong and powerful mergers, the disparity between the rich and the poor, the extravagant brocade clothes and jade food, and the poor will inevitably freeze and ......"

Xu Guangqi was thinking so, but he heard Zhang Yuan say: "Senior Brother Xu, I want to ask for an envoy to Korea. ”

"Ahh Xu Guangqi was taken aback and asked, "Why?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I want to take the opportunity to inspect the border of Liaodong and listen to the situation of the slave chiefs, and then try to restrain the Korean monarch and not to associate with the slave chiefs." ”

Xu Guangqi pondered for a moment, nodded and said: "Jie Zi is not a scholar who talks about nothing, for the country and the people, he is not afraid of danger, and he is admired by the foolish brother, but will Elder Wu Ge allow you to leave Beijing, you are Elder Wu Ge's right-hand man, Jingcha is about to begin, this is an extraordinary period." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I will explain to Elder Wu Ge, Ding Si Jingcha is just a temporary gain or loss, so you don't have to take it too seriously." ”

After saying goodbye to Xu Guangqi, Zhang Yuan went to visit Yang Lian, the master of the house, and talked about the matter of the envoy to North Korea, Yang Lian was resolutely opposed at first, thinking that the importance of Jingcha was far greater than that of the envoy to North Korea, and hoped that Zhang Yuan would stay to help him and the people of Donglin, Zhang Yuan said: "The student is now the thorn in the side of the old Fang Ge, and it would be better if the student left for a while." I thought: "It's better to stay in Beijing and do some field trips, and this time Jingcha Donglin is bound to lose, Donglin's turning point is on Zhu Changluo, this can only wait." ”

Yang Lian saw that Zhang Yuan had made up his mind, so he had no choice but to give up.

——————————————————

Write a Chinese New Year's Eve episode to commemorate the Chinese New Year's Eve that just passed.

Thank you book friends for your support, the monthly pass ranking has risen by ten places, book friends who still have monthly passes, please continue to support the trail, and those who don't have a monthly pass can vote for a recommendation, thank you.