In the afternoon, after the banquet, it was almost evening.
Zhao Zhen led the civil and military officials and many nobles to Donghua Gate. Before nightfall, bonfires were lit inside and outside the city gate, and fireworks began to bloom.
There was an episode in the middle. When Zhao Jun went to the toilet, he accidentally met a clan daughter.
Moreover, this eldest daughter was the one who was abducted by Ghost Fanlou last time, and was finally rescued by Zhao Jun. After learning that it was Zhao Jun who came out, she actually sent someone to give him a sachet, which made Zhao Jun dumbfounded.
You must know that this clan daughter is a descendant of Zhao Dezhao, and the genealogy records that their branch is also a descendant of Zhao Dezhao, a branch of the clan of the Southern Song Dynasty. Due to the Mongolian invasion, they eventually moved from Zhejiang to the mountains of Hunan to hide and thrive. .
In other words, in terms of blood relationship, this daughter is a direct ancestor of Zhao Dezhao's lineage, not a collateral lineage like Zhao Guangyi's. In terms of seniority, Zhao Jun probably has to be called aunt and grandma.
If I agree to someone's love, I don't know whether it should be called sunset love between grandparents and grandchildren, or ethical love?
"What a crime!"
Zhao Jun held the sachet in his hand and was in a dilemma. He could neither throw it away nor keep it. He could only hold it carefully along the way.
Occasionally, he could see a girl's spring-like gaze among the crowd, which made his back feel like thorns.
"What's wrong, Da Sun?"
The group of people went up to the tower of Donghua Gate. Zhao Jun was sitting close to Zhao Zhen. Seeing his strange face, Zhao Zhen asked in a low voice: "Are you feeling unwell?"
"That's not true."
Zhao Jun had no choice but to hand the sachet to Zhao Zhen and said: "This is the sachet given to me by Caifu Zong's daughter. Based on her seniority, I guess I have to call this aunt grandma. I can't throw it away or keep it, bro." You have to help me deal with it.”
This was a common way for women to show their love in the Song Dynasty. If they were thrown away directly, it would definitely hurt people's hearts, so they often took a tactful approach.
Zhao Zhen naturally understands folk tricks, and he helped him accept it with a dumbfounded voice and said: "Then I will let the queen talk about it later. She said that your family and the Zhao family are somewhat distantly related, and it is not suitable to get married if they have the same surname."
The laws of the Song Dynasty inherited the "Tang Laws and Comments", and the "Tang Laws and Comments" clearly stated that "people of the same clan and surname are not allowed to marry."
Note that they have the same clan and surname.
After the Tang and Song Dynasties, marriage was allowed as long as people who were not from the same clan had the same surname.
For example, Zhang Jue of the Tang Dynasty recorded in "Chao Ye Qian Zai" that Wei Gun, the Jingzhao Wei family, married another Wei family, and that King Mu of Zhou married Sheng Ji, who was also the daughter of the Ji family.
What's even more outrageous is that the law only prohibits marriage between people of the same clan and surname, but does not prohibit concubinage between people of the same clan and surname.
Zhao Si, King Cai of the Northern Song Dynasty, married the daughter of his own clan, the Zhao family, as a concubine.
Therefore, the eldest daughter of the Zhao family felt that since Zhao Jun did not have a genealogical birthplace, he must not be of the same ancestry as her, but she did not know whether Zhao Jun would be the same ancestry thousands of years later or a direct descendant. The two parties were destined not to be together.
It was already evening, and the sun was setting in the west. Zhao Jun looked at his watch. It was about five o'clock, close to six o'clock, but the sky was already dark, and a cold wind was blowing.
The western sky gradually dimmed, only the gorgeous flaming clouds hung in the sky over there, bringing a hint of gray light to the earth.
Outside Donghua Gate, there is a sea of people.
The royal family hired a large number of artists who usually performed in various tiles in Bianliang to set up stages outside the palace gate.
As it gets darker, the show quickly begins.
A large number of bonfires were lit and became lighting objects. In the open space outside Donghua Gate, there were jugglers everywhere on the stage.
Someone breathed out flames, causing the onlookers to shout in shock. There are people walking around on stilts. Someone even arranged a rope in the air, and two people walked over together and even danced on the rope.
"Tongkao Le 20" records: In the Song Dynasty, "two pillars were tied with a large silk rope, several feet away from each other. The two pillars danced opposite each other, walking on the rope, meeting each other on opposite sides, and the shoulders were touching without leaning."
Later acrobatic performances had already appeared in the Song Dynasty, including trapeze, tightrope walking, pole climbing and even fancy diving, which can be said to be exciting and rich.
Standing on the Donghua Gate, you can have a panoramic view of the grand scene below.
Zhao Jun had previously worried about whether lighting fires everywhere in a celebration like this would cause a fire.
But Zhao Zhen told him that every year for such a performance, the military patrol shop would be on standby to prevent fires.
It can be said that once there is some movement, the military patrol shop can immediately nip the fire in the bud.
Zhao Jun felt relieved now.
The military patrol shop established in the Song Dynasty was the first fire brigade in history, with more than 2,000 people. It was very experienced in dealing with such scenes.
At this moment, the sky was completely dark, but the enthusiasm of the people did not diminish. A large number of vendors gathered outside and the crowds were surging.
As time passed, the celebration entered its climax.
Zhao Jun stood on the tower and looked down, and saw a dense crowd of people outside the city. Under the light, the whole street seemed to be blocked.
All kinds of cheers, shouts, and the sound of firecrackers are heard, announcing the arrival of the New Year.
The vendors on the streets were shouting, and the tourists were all wearing new clothes. They were walking between the performance stage and the many vendors outside, and a feeling of joy overflowed.
Immediately afterwards I heard the sounds of "Boom!" and "Bang!"
Zhao Jun quickly looked up.
I saw hundreds of fireworks placed in the open space on both sides of Donghua Gate. The guards went to light them one by one. From the fireworks, a ray of dark light shot straight into the sky, and then exploded, turning into a gorgeous stream of light. .
Although the glow was short-lived, it made Zhao Jun feel slightly distracted.
Because childhood memories suddenly emerged with the "cracking" sound of firecrackers in my ears and the momentary glow of fireworks exploding.
I remember when I was a child, my family was not rich at that time, my parents went out to work, and I was a left-behind child.
Every New Year, they come back with new clothes and fireworks.
He was with his friends in the village and his cousins. He held fireworks in his hands and threw them. After lighting them, he threw them out in a hurry, making strange noises, and then ran away in panic.
Then there was an explosion behind them. They laughed loudly, lit a second firecracker, and threw it on the ground. In the fields and yards, chickens and ducks were frightened and fled all over the ground.
That feeling is like the sugar jar that was hidden by my mother when I was a child. At the risk of being beaten, I would stand on tiptoes and dip my dirty little hands into it, dip some sugar in it, and take a lick. The happiness at that moment would be magnified countless times. times.
But now.
I can never go back and experience the atmosphere of my childhood with so many relatives celebrating the New Year together.
He doesn’t even have any relatives, let alone spending the New Year together.
Zhao Jun stared at the sky blankly.
People say that the setting sun is the end of the world, but I can’t see my home even if I look to the end of the world.
It's not yet spring, but it's been more than half a year since I left home, and I'll never be able to go back.
I don’t know what happened to my family in later generations.
I don’t know how life went after my parents lost me.
It’s sad to think about it.
Zhao Jun looked at the fleeting fireworks, feeling only endless depression in his heart.
As if aware of his mood, Zhao Zhen's mellow voice sounded in his ears, "Hanlong, what are you thinking about?"
"nothing."
Zhao Jun resisted the tears of missing his family, turned his head and forced a smile and said: "I am very happy to celebrate the New Year today."
"well."
Zhao Zhen sighed, patted his shoulder gently and said, "I said, Da Song has always been your home."
Queen Cao looked over curiously.
The harem was not allowed to interfere in politics, and because Zhao Zhen did not like Empress Cao before, Empress Cao rarely saw Zhao Jun.
But even if you have never seen him, you will naturally have heard of him. He is now a high-ranking and powerful figure in the Constitutional Court.
Today is the first time I saw him.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Zhiyuan felt homesick, and the official said that Song Dynasty had always been his home.
Could it be that this Zhao Zhiyuan was not from the Song Dynasty?
Queen Cao thought to herself.
"Um."
Zhao Jun just responded.
Yan Shu said next to him: "Han Long, why not go to my house for dinner tomorrow."
"Forget it, I don't like visiting during the New Year."
Zhao Jun waved his hand, "Our custom there is that you can only visit relatives after the third grade of junior high school."
"Then come back on the third day of the new year."
Yan Shu smiled.
"What's there to do at home?"
Lu Yijian came over and said with a smile: "It's better to go to my house."
"Old man Lu!"
Li Di came over and glared at him and said: "Zhiyuan has many things to do, why should I go to your house? In my opinion, you'd better go to my house."
"Could it be that Hanlong, who has many things to do every day and can't go to my house, can go to yours?"
Lu Yijian said unhappily.
"That's natural. Zhiyuan is a talented young man. I'm about to introduce my grandson to Zhiyuan."
"What talents does your grandson have? Is he worthy enough to receive the Eye of the Han Dragon?"
"Bah, how dare you, an old man, insult me."
．
The two men started fighting again, and the smell of gunpowder became stronger.
The rest of the people were also attracted to them, and Zhao Zhen went to break up the fight. The two old men started to fight each other when they met.
Only Zhao Jun raised his head and still looked at the sky.
The fireworks stopped.
There was only a smell of saltpeter in the air.
The moon rose halfway up the sky.
After the fireworks show is over, Zhao Zhen and the others will drive back to the palace to continue the dinner.
The prosperity outside the city continues.
For the people of Bianliang, tonight and the Lantern Festival are all nights of carnival.
But when Zhao Jun listened to the voices in his ears and looked at the people in front of him, he always felt a sense of desolation and loneliness.
Raise your head to look at the bright moon, lower your head to think about your hometown.
The hometown in front of me is still there, but the hometown in my heart is already far away.
The ministers around him were preparing to return to the palace as Zhao Zhen left.
Zhao Jun lowered his head numbly and turned away.
So be it.
After tonight, Jingyou will be four years old.
(End of chapter)
