On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Shangyuan Festival.

The people in the city of Nanjing pick pine and bamboo poles to build sheds, the city is full of lanterns, and the flute and drums are noisy all night.

There are children who put flowers, swingers, and those who are greedy for downtown wine shops.

"What a luxury."

Cao Duan, a countryman, browsed everything in front of him in amazement, quite dizzying.

On the contrary, he is a theoretical "foreigner", and his new colleague Hu Jichen said familiarly: "According to the History of the Song Dynasty and the Chronicles of Rites, since the Tang Dynasty, the city gate was often lit on the night of the first lunar month, and the Song Dynasty followed it. One day before and after the first yuan, the city is lit up, the main gate of the big inner is colored as the shadow lamp of the mountain building, the terrace is up, the teaching workshop Chen Baixi, the old city is opened on the eve of the Dadan Zongshi people's view, and then increased to seventeen and eighteen two nights. Daming is on the eighth night of the first month, and the lights are off on the seventeenth night, which seems to be less than one night, but the liveliness is more than that. ”

Cao Duan faced Hu Jichen, a former foreign monarch, and seemed a little restrained at this time, he was afraid that he would be implicated in unnecessary trouble by saying the wrong thing inexplicably, so he tried to shut up when he couldn't speak.

Seeing that Cao Duan didn't talk, Hu Jichen was not embarrassed, and walked forward by himself, the flow of people was crowded, Cao Duan was afraid of getting lost, but followed step by step.

At this time, the palace is surrounded by lanterns, and a large number of people gather, which is to show the meaning of the new emperor to celebrate together. The Hongwu and Jianwen dynasties did not allow the people to watch the lanterns around the palace, but Zhu Di changed the rules and allowed the people to watch the lanterns at the gate of the city gate near the palace for three days, and Zhu Di would also attend in person.

Therefore, the Lantern Festival in the second year of Yongle has a harmonious atmosphere.

"Shangyuan Jia Festival, the beginning of ninety springs.

The new is Lingdan, the beginning of the beautiful year.

The peach charm has been changed, and the Jiao sacrifice Yu tea bids farewell to the old year.

Pepper buds are frequently drunk, and the feast and drum music celebrate the New Year.

Ten thousand bright lights, like horses and mermaids.

One day of stars and moon, the steps are brilliant except for the terrace.

He Lang bears the burden, and the table is high every year.

Music and art work, may the years be happy. ”

The good girls of the Teaching Department under the Ministry of Rites were also responsible for performing on stage at this time, and the songs were eloquent and endless.

However, unlike the opera performances that most people are keen to watch, Hu Jichen does not have this kind of worldly desire, what beauty has he never seen? And he's that age.

Cao Duan behind him really wanted to stop and watch, but he still cared about his face, afraid that he would be recognized and it would not sound good.

In fact, this person is in a crowded state, and no one cares about him at all.

And since Hu Jichen invited new colleagues to travel with him, he still has this bit of eyesight, so he took a document from the official booth next to him and looked at it, and Cao Duan turned his back to him and stopped to look at it.

Fortunately, Cao Duan was tall and thin, and the crowd could still see the performance on the stage in front of him.

My Fair Lady and Gentleman are good, don't stumble.

Moreover, Cheng Zhu Lixue has never objected to these things, on the contrary, they are all based on this style, in short, the apologists are committed to maintaining a moral society with high costs for making mistakes, but the practitioners who provide these services are not included in this set of guidelines.

When Cao Duan watched the performance, Hu Jichen looked down at the booklet seriously.

As the first full moon night of the new year, the traditional concept is that today is an auspicious day, and the Qin Tianjian, who is indirectly instructed by the Ministry of Rites, also specially printed and distributed a booklet to popularize the knowledge of "Starry Sky Chronicles" to the people.

To be honest, the people in Nanjing have really grown up this year, oracle bones, scientific experiments, and starry sky, don't say whether they have any connection with daily life, you just say that the new is not new, right?

Therefore, with the increasing number of such activities, the people of Nanjing have begun to tolerate it more and more, and they will not be surprised easily.

Hu Jichen took the booklet and looked at it carefully, he didn't understand much, but it was obviously very saying, especially the longitude and latitude positioning of the starry sky corresponding to the earth, according to his thoughts, it should have a deep meaning, which may be related to the lifting of the maritime ban policy and the liberalization of marine trade that the Ming Dynasty is pushing for.

And beside Hu Jichen, there were a few plainclothes brocade guards who were called protection but were actually surveillance, and Hu Jichen didn't know what to do.

Hu Jichen felt that it was good to walk around outside by himself and appreciate the customs of Daming.

At this time, if he is recruited to the palace, whether it is in the identity of Annan or in the identity of Daming, it will be very awkward, and it will be regarded as a person.

It was lively outside the palace, and the palace was also lively at this time.

Up to the concubine, down to the palace maid, each dressed up brightly and beautifully, when they met, they said auspicious words, and the joy was almost overflowing.

The Lantern Festival in the palace mainly revolves around the huge "Aoshan" lantern festival.

As I said before, "Ao Mountain" is a mountain of lights decorated with lights, and this mountain of lights is exaggerated, and when you look up closely, it is towering into the clouds.

This colourful mountain of lights illuminates the surroundings, and the invited dignitaries, ministers, and members of the clan, dressed in magnificent costumes, sit quietly on both sides of the high platform, waiting for the royal family to enter and the show begins.

At this time, in the palace on the other side, Zhu Di was wearing a vermilion and bright yellow dragon robe, wearing a small crown that was not official, his face was resolute, his eyes were deep, his expression was calm and calm, and he exuded a kingly demeanor.

This year's Lantern Festival, he is in a good mood, since Jing Nan came, how long has he not felt so relaxed and happy? Zhu Di is afraid that he can't remember it clearly.

Beside him, sat Queen Xu Miaoyun.

And the person standing behind Zhu Di is the third prince Zhu Gaosui, who is obviously much more mature than when he first entered Nanjing, or since he began to plan to go to Luzon to become a vassal domain, he deliberately showed this posture of being able to share worries for the country in front of Zhu Di.

Looking at the nobles and ministers, Zhu Di still couldn't help but think of the three major battalions of military reform and Jingcha that would be carried out in two days.

Shaking his head, Zhu Di looked ahead, pouring himself a drink, thinking about when he would be able to deal with all these things that gave him a headache.

Just then, someone interrupted his thoughts.

"Grandpa Huang, long live your grandson!" A childish cry rang out.

It turned out that Zhu Zhanji squeezed in from the crowd, he ran to Zhu Di excitedly, picked up the wine jug and poured it into Zhu Di's hand, yes, it was poured in his hand, and it looked like it was deliberately instructed by Queen Xu.

Zhu Di looked at his grandson with a smile, but he didn't move, just clasped the wine jug with his thumb, and Zhu Zhanji couldn't break his two little hands.

"Whoa!"

Seeing this, Zhu Zhanji turned his head to ask Empress Xu for help.

"Little guy, what is long live, you will grow up in a blink of an eye, and there will be people who want to shout long live when the time comes."

Zhu Di's eyes are full of love, the Zhu family seems to have a very strange intergenerational parent, for his sons, Zhu Di always wants to kick his feet, and for Zhu Zhanji, Zhu Di is not even willing to fight.

Lao Zhu is the same.

So at that time, it was Zhu Di who was beaten, Zhu Yunwen was happy next to him, and Zhu Di hated Zhu Yunwen very much.

"Stop messing around."

Zhu Gaosui took the wine jug, put it on the table, and only said: "Father's cold has just healed, and I have to work again tonight, and this pot is full of tonic wine prepared by the imperial doctor." ”

"Oh," Zhu Zhanji replied as if he didn't understand.

He turned to Zhu Di and said, "Grandpa Huang, if you are happy to drink, take me to ride a horse as before, I want to go hunting!" ”

Zhu Di laughed when he heard this, reached out and touched Zhu Zhanji's hairy head, and asked, "Where do you want to play?" ”

"I want to go north." Zhu Zhanji replied without hesitation: "The south is very wet and cold, I want to go back to my hometown." ”

"Okay, let's go back this year."

Zhu Di and the juniors were chatting, and soon the Lantern Festival was about to start.

Huang Yan, the eunuch who held the seal of the celebrant and said, "Your Majesty, everything has been settled, please move to watch the Lantern Festival." ”

Zhu Di stood up, walked out of the palace gate with the queen, a group of concubines and children, and walked west along the wide corridor.

The road was straight and deep, flanked on both sides by high walls, guarded by soldiers with horizontal swords at their waists and armor all over their bodies, with solemn expressions and majestic expressions.

At the end of the corridor is a large gate, where the banquet is located.

The high platform faces the Aoshan Lantern Festival, and on either side of the high platform are rows of wooden dining tables, which are arranged in a stepped pattern throughout the makeshift area, and the tables are lined with soft silk as padding.

At this time, the tables were already full of people, and the two sides of Wenchen and Wuxun were clearly distinguished, but there was no suspicion between them.

Zhu Di led the royal family to sit on the high platform, because there were female dependents, so part of the high platform was covered with yellow curtains.

After the ministers of civil and military affairs and the members of the clan sat down, Zhu Di looked up at Ao Mountain, saw that the lights were brilliant, and there was a peaceful atmosphere on the ground, he was very satisfied, and raised his wine glass to Huang Yan and said: "Pass the order, let's start!" ”

"Whoa!"

Huang Yan immediately responded, he walked down the steps and waved the dust whisk in his hand outside.

The young eunuch who was in charge of the dispatch below shouted: "Begin!" ”

Suddenly, the lights shone brightly and dazzlingly.

Not only the lights of Aoshan change, but also hundreds of large glazed lanterns rise from all directions, gathering into a brilliant and spectacular spectacle, they fly into the air, combined together in the sky, forming colorful patterns, like a dream, it is beautiful.

The Japanese prince Yukiwu Sakura, who was invited to come, and the prince of Luzon, who was studying in Guozijian, saw this scene that he had never seen in his own country at this time, and he was even more distracted for a while.

"Wow—" Yukimai Sakura couldn't help but exclaim.

Although she has lived in relatively good conditions in the Southern Dynasty since she was a child, she has never seen such a gorgeous and colorful night scene.

The eunuchs who were in charge of the banquet and food in the palace led the palace maids to present the banquet dishes like water, and the palace maids wore flowers and butterflies, and the whole process was quiet and precise.

And after the dish was served, the emperor did not "simply say a few words" until the dish was cold, but signaled and began the banquet.

I have to say that Zhu Di is really quite a person, it is simple to cut off people's heads, it is simple to invite people to eat, just eat, don't make so much useless red tape.

The emperor invited people to eat, not only to eat, but also to eat Zhong Ming Ding in ancient times, and it was not bad at this time.

Next to Ao Mountain is the exquisite style of the stage, the performance has begun on it, the troupe in the palace appears on the stage, in addition to singing, there are also performances of singing and dancing, all kinds of programs you sing and I appear, behind the stage, a curtain across the place is the place where the musicians play, the building design next to it is used for radio and amplification.

At this time, colorful fireworks bloom in the clear night sky, and the sky is scattered with mist and dazzling brilliance when the fireworks burn.

The people who were invited to the Lantern Festival banquet enjoyed the atmosphere to the fullest at the moment.

Jiang Xinghuo is also the first time to participate in this kind of banquet with pure relaxation entertainment and programs, although there are still many things in his heart, but at this time, he will put it aside for the time being.

Again, if there is anything, let's talk about it after today's holiday.

And the eldest prince of Luzon, as well as several princes of the Ryukyu Kingdom (because there are three countries within the Ryukyu Kingdom, all of which are called the Ryukyu Kingdom for the Ming Dynasty), at this time they are complicated, and even a little inferior.

When they first came, the people of the Ming Dynasty looked at them with the eyes of the barbarian natives, and they felt insulted, but as time went by, they saw the Ming Dynasty's overwhelming land area, population, and all-round lead compared to their country, and they all felt that they seemed to be indeed a barbarian.

People are like this, if you have to hold on, many times you torture yourself, and once you start to mess up, then many things are relaxed.

Before, you dared to call me a barbarian?

Now, I'm a barbarian!

The one that stands out is one who is rightly strong.

As for the envoys of Korea and the Annam-Chen Dynasty, they took it for granted at this time.

And the envoys of the tribes also understood what role they were playing, and they had no ceremonial scruples at all, and they should eat and drink.

Zhu Di made everyone very happy, but he himself was not so completely happy, because there were still nasty flies around him, and several court painters were painting on the spot, and sometimes he even begged himself not to move, which made Zhu Di a little unable to let go.

But Zhu Di also knew that this was a palace tradition, and these paintings were to be used as precious historical materials and put into the palace collection in the future.

In addition to the records in the history books, most of the impressions of later generations of children and grandchildren come from these paintings.

These discomforts were only temporary, and the painters quickly completed the simple tracing composition of the scene, and the rest of the structure and details could be slowly filled.

Jiang Xinghuo also sat upright, only hoping that he would not stay in this world in the future image of too bad.

At the very least, there has to be a level of Han Xizai's appearance in "Han Xizai's Night Banquet", right?

Of course, if you meet the kind of painter who deliberately blackens Lao Zhu's big round face into a shoehorn face, then there is really no way.

And these thoughts only flashed in Jiang Xinghuo's mind.

Next is the main event that everyone has been preparing for a long time.

Just like the small gold leaf words on the Lantern Festival banquet invitation, "Congratulations to the harvest year, praise Haiyan River Qing", what stands out today is a country and people's peace, so it is not good to use knives and guns to perform, and how can there be no poetry and harmony on this occasion?

Now is clearly the time for the ministers to play.

But the embarrassing thing is that no one really dares to be the first to go, the reason is very simple, it is not a good job to throw bricks and lead jade, it is easy to make wedding clothes for others, then I am very stupid to be contrasted, but it is a loss.

But the organizer of the banquet obviously thought of this, so in order to make the adults who were not good at poetry not embarrassed, they actually arranged for Zhu Zhanji, the eldest grandson of the emperor, to throw this brick.

Children compose poems, the rhythm is neat, the words can reach the meaning, it is not required to be brilliant, but also must be mediocre, which greatly reduces the psychological burden of later generations.

"Fengli issued a new era, Wang Zhengzhao is on this occasion.

Three calls to wish for a holy birthday, and wish to spend ten thousand years of spring. ”

There is no level, but as soon as this poem is finished, the scholars are obviously enthusiastic.

Even Zhu Di followed with a poem.

"The main hall is open at the beginning of the dawn bell, and the embroidered curtain is high to see the ministers. The national court rituals and music are in accordance with the Ming Sheng, and all the nations will be celebrated. ”

The translation is "It's a good day to open the door today, invite the ministers to have a meal together, our country is still the same as before, and the foreign chiefs are also happy together".

The courtiers of the six ministries and six temples, the scholars of Hanlin and the cabinet also offered poems for entertainment.

But even Xie Jin, who was determined to win before and had to show a big face, didn't expect that the limelight was not his.

Among the poems of the courtiers, especially the poem "Watching the Lanterns" by Shi Quyou, the governor of the Zhou Dynasty who went to Beijing with the King of Zhou, is the most prominent.

The wind curtain is moving, and the laughter is noisy.

The bright moon fills the streets, the sky is like water, and I don't know where to go to the clouds. ”

As soon as this poem came out, it was almost undisputedly the best.

"What a 'bright moon full of streets, the sky is like water'!"

Jiang Xinghuo smiled and said to Yao Guangxiao beside him: "There is quite an artistic conception of 'I don't know the sky is in the water when I am drunk, and the boat is full of dreams and suppresses the galaxy'." ”

At this time, someone coaxed and said: "The poems of the national teachers and workers, why don't you give poems and music?" ”

There was no provocation, and most people, including foreign envoys and princes, were very curious when they looked at Jiang Xinghuo, who was usually basically out of reach.

They wondered how this young, rumored and almost omnipotent national teacher would behave.

Jiang Xinghuo is not stage frightened, I didn't want to pretend to be forced, you have to force me.

Lantern Festival poems, with Song as the pinnacle.

Whether it is Ouyang Xiu's "The Willow Tips on the Moon, People About After Dusk", or Xin Qiji's "Thousands of Trees Bloom at Night in the East Wind, Blowing Down, Stars Like Rain" and "Qingyu Case: Yuan Xi", it can be called difficult to surpass, and Jiang Xinghuo naturally can't do it.

But today's ministers, the level is obviously not good.

is either deliberately whitewashing the peace, or repeating the fat powder of the five generations of palace bodies, and the pattern is not big enough.

It has been said that now it is a change that has never been seen in the ages, and the pattern has to be opened.

Jiang Xinghuo pondered for a moment, and then wrote on the case that was served.

"The high platform is full of drums at night, and the wax torch gold bottle is full of red.

In the Liedi Hou Wang Dengshi City, the nine Qu scholars are in the moonlight.

The jade flute plays all over the river, and the fire tree can forbid the north wind.

Only the clear light has no distance and nearness, and the hometown and homeland are the same. ”

Since someone read it to him word by word, when he read "Only the clear light has no distance, and the hometown and country are the same", it was the foreign princes who had some complicated feelings at this time, and they couldn't help but be stunned at this time.

Zhu Di was also stunned, and immediately laughed heartily: "The poem of the national teacher is very good!" Within the four seas, all are the people of the Ming Dynasty, whether you are from the south or the north of the world, today and tonight, why not spend this good night? ”

The envoys said yes.

Jiang Xinghuo's poem, which is quite patterned, pushed the atmosphere of the entire banquet to the climax.

Everyone began to drink freely, and did not leave the palace until they were drunk.

The dutiful Yang Shiqi was almost the only one who didn't drink, he wrote on paper.

"It's the evening, set up a banquet in the palace, put the lights to watch, and the Ming edict civil, military, and ministers. On the same night, sit in front of Ao Mountain, ten thousand lights are raised, the light is flame and candle sky, and it is as bright as day. On the order to pass the banquet, the workshop is a hundred tricks, and the ministers are happy to drink until they are drunk, and they are drunk, and the moon is noon. ”

Putting down the pen and looking at the scene in front of him, Yang Shiqi couldn't help frowning slightly.

After today, the civilian side will start to inspect Beijing, and the military ministers will also carry out the military reform of the three major battalions, and the things they planned a year ago have been tacitly approved by Zhu Gaochi, and I don't know if they can be realized.

Obviously, all the good times in front of us are short-lived.

(End of chapter)