Xiaonian is a traditional festival in Huaxia, also known as Jie Nian, Kitchen God Festival and Kitchen Festival.
Since the main activity of Xiaonian is to hold sacrifices to the stove in the evening, many places also call it Xiaonian’s Eve or Xiaonian’s Eve.
The off year is also regarded as the beginning of the busy year.
Due to different customs in different places, the days called Xiao Nian are also different. In most areas, the 23rd or 24th of the twelfth lunar month is regarded as the Xiao Nian.
In the Han Dynasty, there have been records about celebrating the off-year. Cui Ding of the Eastern Han Dynasty recorded in the "Four People's Monthly Order":
"The new year will be renewed tomorrow, which is called the younger year. I will drink wine to honor my elders and congratulate my master."
The Little New Year is also a day for family reunions, with families having banquets and setting off firecrackers. The activities are similar to the New Year's Eve, but they don't go out to celebrate.
Entering the Little New Year and leading up to New Year’s Eve, heralds the increasingly intense New Year atmosphere.
During this period, Chang'an City will extend and lift curfew restrictions to facilitate people to celebrate various New Year and festival activities.
Therefore, even in the ice and snow, everyone from princes and nobles to merchants and soldiers, and even ladies who rarely leave their boudoirs will go out to join in the fun.
Some are to buy new year goods, some are to watch performances...
Of course, during festivals like Xiaonian, more people go to temples or Taoist temples to pray for their families, so that they can be safe and have good weather in the coming year.
Therefore, the period from New Year's Eve to New Year's Eve is the best time for ladies, wives and young women to go out.
Many noble ladies go out to play, purchase, and burn incense... walking in the bustling streets and temples, which naturally attracts the attention or harassment of the children of aristocratic families or ordinary people.
Therefore, Princess Gaoyang wanted to go to the temple to pray for blessings, so she naturally asked Yang Fan to go with her.
In addition to wanting to play with his sweetheart, he also naturally wanted to let Yang Fan be his bodyguard.
Of course, young girls like Wu Meiniang and Cheng Yuzhu would not let go of this opportunity to join in the fun.
After all, they are only teenagers anyway, so it is normal for them to like to watch (join in) the fun.
So, when everything was ready, Yang Fan took Wu Meiniang and other women in a carriage and drove towards the southwest corner of Chang'an City.
More than a dozen guards riding tall horses helped clear the way, which was relatively smooth.
The two adorable children, Xiao Sizi and Helan Minyue, were telling stories to Yang Fan, giggling happily.
Wu Meiniang and the other girls chatted incessantly, their eyes constantly looking at Yang Fan, looking a little absent-minded.
Seeing the laughter and laughter of the older one and the younger one, all the girls looked envious.
Although the constraints on women in the Tang Dynasty were more open than in the past, and the shackles on women were the loosest in all dynasties, discrimination against women was ubiquitous.
For girls of hair age, especially ladies, the requirements are quite strict.
Although they have not reached the point of staying at home, as long as girls get hairpins or get married, they still have few opportunities to come out and show off.
People always yearn for freedom and envy what they don't have.
Yang Fan's doting on the two little cute babies made several girls full of envy and mixed emotions.
Wu Meiniang's smile was as bright as a flower, her heart was at ease, and her pretty face was filled with happiness.
It doesn't matter if she is a concubine, as long as she lives happily.
Just a trace of yearning flashed in Wu Meiniang's eyes.
Originally, Wu Meiniang had wanted a child for a long time, but Yang Fan always refused because she was under eighteen years old.
Counting the time, Wu Meiniang will turn 18 in more than a year, and Wu Meiniang is full of expectations.
Looking at Wu Meiniang's appearance, Princess Gao Yang said with a smile: "Mr. Lang likes children so much, and he and Meiniang kiss me at home all the time. Why don't you want one?"
Wu Meiniang suddenly turned red with embarrassment.
Of course she knew that Yang Fan liked children very much, she knew it from her usual treatment of Helan Minyue.
However, Wu Meiniang would not say that, and immediately joked: "Only when your husband marries a great beauty like Her Majesty, will the princess know what it means to be like glue!"
Immediately, Wu Meiniang rolled her eyes at Yang Fan, then smiled and whispered a few words in Princess Gao Yang's ear.
I don’t know what she said, but the beautiful face of Princess Gaoyang became more and more dazzling.
Yang Fan was thick-skinned and didn't take it seriously at all. He opened his mouth and said, "Mei Niang is right. After marrying you two beauties, I will resign and return to the house. I will accompany these ladies every day and live a life that I can only envy mandarin ducks but not immortals." The life of a rich man."
The innocent words made the girls so shy that Wu Meiniang even grabbed Yang Fan's arm and pinched it.
Cheng Yuzhu was suddenly so shy that her whole face and neck were covered with red clouds, and her innocent and angry little head was almost buried in the steamed bun.
Among the women, Cheng Yuzhu is the only one who has not confirmed her relationship with Yang Fan. Now Yang Fan's ambiguous words make her feel overwhelmed.
Of course, the more reason is that she brought herself into the role.
But Wu Meiniang smiled and said angrily: "My husband doesn't know what to say, how can he look like a third-rank official in the imperial court? He gave up his official position for a few women, and he has to make others laugh."
"What's more, Sister Zhu'er has already grown her hair and is a big girl. You have to be careful!"
Yang Fan was stunned for a moment and looked at Cheng Yuzhu, who was sitting opposite.
The beautiful and smart little girl who loved to play with Cheng Chumo in the past has actually reached haircut, which means she is ready to get married.
What a sin, you are only a teenager!
In later generations, many people at this age have not even graduated from junior high school!
Yang Fan touched his nose with a little embarrassment. Cheng Yuzhu was a big girl, so naturally he couldn't joke around like before.
He had to pay attention to this aspect, otherwise he wouldn't care if gossip spread, but it would be a pain for the little girl Cheng Yuzhu.
Although the social atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty was open, it did not mean that girls' honors and integrity were not valued.
He really didn't want Cheng Yuzhu, who was as innocent as the sister next door, to get hurt.
Glancing at Cheng Yuzhu, Yang Fan quickly said: "Hey, it's all my fault for my bad mouth. However, our sister Zhu'er is getting more and more beautiful as she grows up. You don't know me, do you think that sister Zhu'er is a fairy descended to earth? I don't know. Which family is lucky enough to marry a talented young man back home?"
Cheng Yuzhu pursed her lips, bravely raised her head and looked at Yang Fan without saying anything, her eyes could be as resentful as they were.
But Yang Fan could only smile brightly, turn a blind eye, and quickly turned his head to tease the two cute babies.
He has enough women, and he is really afraid that this little girl will get caught in it too. Yang Fan is a master who doesn't know how to refuse!
…
Dazongchi Temple is located in the southwest corner of Chang'an City. It was a famous temple in Chang'an City during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. It was originally named Zending Temple.
This was erected by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty to pray for his beloved wife, Queen Dugu Jialuo, and was built in the third year of Renshou in the Sui Dynasty (603).
The temple is large in scale, occupying the eastern half of Yongyang and Heping squares, with a total area of 60 hectares.
In the third year of Daye in the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty built a large Zen Ding Temple to the west of the Zen Ding Temple to pray for his father, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian.
The scale and structure are exactly the same as those of Zending Temple, and there is also a wooden pagoda of similar height.
In the first year of Wude in the Tang Dynasty, because Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty had created his own title, calling it "Zongchi", and also called Queen Dugu "Zhuangyan", the two temples were renamed "Dazongchi Temple" and "Dazhuangyan Temple".
As a royal temple, few ordinary people offer incense and pray here.
Because those who come here are either from high-ranking families or noble families.
Now that it is the New Year's Day, Buddhist temples are open to the public, and everyone can enter the temple to offer incense.
After arriving at Yongyangfang, Yang Fan realized how grand this temple was, and felt that his eyesight was really not enough.
There are two stone lions in front of the temple. They are majestic but not ferocious. They seem to have been influenced by Buddhism, but they are quite naive.
Walking into the temple gate, the environment here is beautiful, quiet and pleasant, with shadowy woods, hundreds of sounds, and gurgling water.
At this time, the flying snow suddenly stopped, and the dark clouds in the sky dispersed. The courtyard nestled among the trees, with its apricot-yellow walls and gray ridges, were all bathed in sunlight and looked extremely solemn.
The roadside is lined with lush trees, thick bamboos and green pine trees, and the shade is beautiful. It's a pleasant scenery to walk on as you get lost in the road.
There are pear trees planted everywhere in the temple. You can imagine how gorgeous it is in the spring when the pear blossoms are in full bloom.
What surprised Yang Fan even more was that the temple road was full of bustling crowds, which could be described as cars rushing like water and horses like dragons, rubbing shoulders.
It feels similar to the feeling of going to the market in later generations.
In the meantime, many people like children from rich families walked by with splayed legs and grandeur;
There were also the young men of wealthy families in bright clothes and angry horses, roaring past with a large group of servants.
The most popular ones are the beautifully dressed ladies. In addition to offering incense and praying for blessings, this is also a rare opportunity for them to relax.
On the wide road, there are also various hawking and performances!
I really didn’t expect that a Buddhist temple would turn into a place where dragons and snakes mixed together. No wonder Princess Gaoyang asked her to come.
The temple was so noisy that it naturally attracted countless local gangsters.
These people were laughing and joking among the crowds, making comments on the roadside, saying obscene words, and their eyes were constantly searching for beautiful women.
Regardless of whether they are young women in costumes or girls who have not left the palace, as long as there are no guards or servants to guard them, these people will squeeze in in groups, pushing and shoving to create a chaos.
There are even some people who mix in and use their hands to take advantage of the situation openly and openly.
The girls who had been taken advantage of could only scream and scream, running around with red faces...
Yang Fan frowned, how could this be a pure place of Buddhism?
The guards were quickly called to form a temporary security team, and they were strictly ordered to follow Wu Meiniang and the girls, not to stay away, and to protect the safety of the girls at all times.
Looking at those ruffians, Yang Fan said very domineeringly: "If there is a blind person who comes close to me, no matter who it is, just break his legs for me, I will take the responsibility if anything happens!"
"If you girls are touched by them for no reason, I will skin you when you get back!"
The guards agreed with a bang.
This momentum made the gangsters who were ready to eat tofu tremble with fear.
Princess Gao Yang and Cheng Yuzhu were directly fascinated by Yang Fan's momentum.
Hearing the shouts of the guards, Wu Meiniang was startled and said hurriedly: "Husband, in this important place of Buddhism, please don't cause trouble!"
She had no idea about her husband's ability to cause trouble wherever he went.
What's more important is that my husband was so romantic last night that even His Majesty was offended to death, so it would be better to avoid causing trouble.
If you keep causing trouble and everyone's attention is focused on the Hou Mansion, once the affairs between your husband, the Queen, and Concubine Yang are exposed...
Wu Meiniang didn't dare to think about it.
Yang Fan said perfunctorily: "Meiniang, don't worry, I just want the guards to be prepared."
"There are not many people in Chang'an City who dare to come in front of me, Yang Fan, to make trouble!"
Wu Meiniang had no choice but to smile helplessly. Her husband was too sharp, and sometimes that might not be a good thing.
But why weren't they attracted by his fearless temperament?
Walking towards the main temple, the performances along the way are colorful and dazzling, and various acrobatics, guessing games, and trading are noisy and lively.
Maybe all the ancient performances are concentrated here, which is simply a naked way of making money.
Wu Meiniang and the other girls enjoyed watching it, and they were all very excited.
Whenever you encounter someone you have never seen before, a burst of discussion will break out, and you will point and point.
In particular, Princess Gaoyang and Cheng Yuzhu, who usually dress dignified and virtuous, have thrown away their previous reserve and shouted in harmony with the two cute babies.
Seeing this, Yang Fan could only smile bitterly.
These women were scurrying here and there, causing Yang Fan and the guards a lot of trouble.
While they helped push away the influx of people to watch, they scolded some unsighted hooligans, sweating profusely in the cold weather.
Princess Gaoyang and the others seemed to have completely forgotten the purpose of coming here. How could they come here to pray for blessings?
Yang Fan complained secretly. If he had known this, he would not have agreed to come anyway. He was simply suffering.
Especially the two little cute babies, Yang Fan almost couldn't take care of them.
After finally arriving at the temple, there was already a long queue of people offering incense.
The two little cute babies didn't want to wait, so they could only let the guards lead Princess Gao Yang and Wu Meiniang to line up, while Yang Fan took the little cute baby to watch the fun.
With that heartwarming scene, people who didn’t know it would think they were father and daughter!
Cheng Yuzhu was absent-minded and secretly looked at Yang Fan. At this time, he was holding these two cute babies to watch people playing monkeys.
Wearing a light blue Shu brocade robe and black deerskin boots, because he lifted up the two cute babies, the whole person looked well-proportioned, extremely strong, and full of strength.
Cheng Yuzhu bit her lip lightly and looked at her secretly, thinking in her heart: Does Brother Yang really just think of her as his sister?
When Yang Fan turned to look towards them, Cheng Yuzhu met Yang Fan's eyes, unable to avoid them, and the two eyes met each other.
Yang Fan's pair of dark gem-like eyes shone with sparkling luster, like the stars in the dark night, deep and far away.
Although the distance was more than twenty meters, Cheng Yuzhu's heart was beating wildly?
This was the first time she bravely looked into the eyes of a boy, and for some reason, she felt a hint of joy in her heart.
Wu Meiniang, who was chatting with Princess Gaoyang, saw Cheng Yuzhu and her husband looking at each other from afar. She couldn't help but lowered her head and said softly: "Sister Yuzhu, is my husband okay?"
Cheng Yuzhu suddenly blushed and was so embarrassed that she put her pointed chin on her chest, lowered her head and did not dare to speak, nor did she dare to peek at Yang Fan again.
Wu Meiniang and Princess Gaoyang looked at each other and smiled bitterly, knowing that another girl had fallen.
It turns out that it is not a good thing for a husband to be too good, because there is too much competition.
"Sister Yuzhu, go and take care of Minyue and the others with your husband. I will just line up here with His Highness." Wu Meiniang said with a smile.
There was no other way. In order to wipe my husband's butt, Cheng Yaojin's influence in the Tang army might be needed in the future, so I could only pretend to be generous.
"Thank you two sisters." Although Cheng Yuzhu looked quiet and dignified, she also knew that happiness must be achieved by oneself.
After saluting Princess Gaoyang and Wu Meiniang, she ran towards Yang Fan.
Cheng Yuzhu's arrival at least no longer caught Yang Fan off guard.
But as the flow of people increased and children liked to run around, the little Sizi was immediately dispersed.
Yang Fan was sweating profusely and shouting loudly.
This is a princess!
If you lose it, you may be beheaded by His Majesty Li Er.
While struggling to push the people around him away, while searching, even if there were constant scoldings, Yang Fan could not care about it.
Fortunately, Cheng Yuzhu pulled Nalan Minyue to follow her closely and never strayed away.
Yang Fan suddenly became anxious and shouted loudly: "Sister Mingda, where are you? Say yes."
Several guards on the side were also frightened and searched around quickly. One of the guards was more sharp-eyed and pointed not far away and shouted: "Master, they are over there!"
Yang Fan looked in the direction he pointed and saw Xiao Sizi running to the other side, as if he had seen something.
Fortunately, there were two guards behind her.
Yang Fan picked up Nalan Minyue, held Cheng Yuzhu's little hand with the other, and said loudly: "Go over there!"
Cheng Yuzhu followed Yang Fan obediently, her little hand was held, and she suddenly felt that her little hand was wrapped in a warm and generous hand.
Cheng Yuzhu's heart was beating wildly, and she hurriedly lowered her head to prevent others from noticing her shame, and meekly allowed her little hand to be held.
How could Yang Fan care about the personal relationship between men and women?
Several guards received instructions from Yang Fan and led the way, like a team charging into battle.
As long as someone stood in the way, they would be pushed and scolded all the way, causing everyone to be in chaos and scolding constantly.
Under the cover of several guards, Yang Fan quickly approached Xiao Sizi and was about to grab Xiao Sizi.
"Sister...I am Xiaosizi!"
Suddenly, the little Sizi made a milky sound and let out a sweet cry.
The little guy was hopping on his feet and waving to the other side, calling his sister at the same time.
Yang Fan was stunned for a moment and looked for his voice. He saw Xiao Sizi running towards a group of people not far away, and the group of people also stopped and looked over.
At this time, the leader was dressed in a snow-white fur coat. His skin was like gelatin, his collar was like a cricket grub, his teeth were like a gourd rhinoceros, he had a coquettish head and moth-like eyebrows, a charming smile, and beautiful eyes.
She has a slender figure and a pretty face that becomes more and more beautiful under the sunlight. She is Princess Changle.
And there was a group of people following her.
Yang Fan glanced at it, and his head suddenly swelled.
It turned out that Princess Yongjia was also there, and a few meters away from them, Changsun Chong, Dou Fengjie, and Jin Wang Li Zhizheng followed closely.
But Yang Fan had to walk towards them.
At this time, little Sizi happily took Princess Changle's hand, raised her pink and jade-like little face, and smiled happily: "Sister, I was playing with my brother-in-law, and I saw you from a distance. Brother-in-law brought you I saw a lot of fun things, can we go together?"
Hearing this, Yang Fan smiled bitterly, this little Sizi is really good at inciting hatred.
It is easy for people to misunderstand a sister or brother-in-law who yells like this.
As expected, Changsun Chong's handsome face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Although he is about to reconcile with Princess Changle, he has not announced it yet.
Since taking charge of the Right Guards, Changsun Chong has become more ambitious.
Today I came to Princess Changle deliberately to try to make her change her mind, but I never expected to run into my mortal enemy Yang Fan again.
What's even more ridiculous is that Princess Jinyang's sister and brother-in-law screamed like this in front of him. It's strange that Changsun Chong's face looked so good!
Perhaps only Yang Fan could be treated like this. With so many princes-in-law, who could bear the title of Xiao Sizi, the apple of his eye?
Yang Fan took a few steps forward, smiled awkwardly, bowed his hands and said, "Wei Chen has met Her Royal Highness the Princess."
Of course Princess Changle also heard what was inappropriate and immediately scolded: "Sizi, don't call him brother-in-law!"
Princess Yongjia found it very funny. She looked at Yang Fan and then at Princess Changle, and smiled: "No need to be polite, Marquis Zhongyi!"
Little Sizi also raised his little head: "Zhongyihou is Sizi's brother-in-law! Why can't he call me? Humph."
Turning a deaf ear to Princess Changle's words, Xiao Sizi rolled his eyes and said, "Oh, brother-in-law, my sister is here, why don't you come over and ask her to play with her."
As he said that, he pulled Helan Minyue to chatter in a low voice.
Yang Fan was so embarrassed!
Looking at the young but serious young lady not far away, he said, "It turns out His Royal Highness Prince Jin is here too!"
Jin Wang Li Zhi hurriedly stepped forward: "Brother-in-law, there is no need to be polite, oh...sister, please be gentle, sister, spare your life."
However, Princess Changle grabbed her ear, causing her to scream in pain.
He begged for mercy without any image, and the dignity he had just put on suddenly disappeared.
Princess Changle's pretty face turned red and she said angrily: "If you dare to scream again, will I twist off your ears?"
The future Emperor Gaozong was actually grabbed by the ears by Princess Changle, who was known for her gentleness and dexterity. Who dared to believe it?
Seeing the strange looks in everyone's eyes, Princess Changle let go angrily.
For a moment, Princess Changle felt like she didn't have three hundred taels of silver in this place.
