In the next few days, the family began to get busy making preparations for the upcoming New Year.
The customs in the capital are very different from those in Jiangnan.
However, Qi Yu still retained the traditions of his hometown, braised the meat where it should be braised, and over-oiled the meat where it should be, and kept all the customs.
Well, this is what home feels like.
According to Qi Yu, even in the prosperous capital city, you can still live the kind of pastoral life you like.
Why not?
Isn’t life just about being comfortable?
There is no need to follow the trend and follow the formality. Only a New Year with a sense of happiness and intimacy can be called a New Year.
During this period of time, Qi Yu also continued to encourage his wife, and from time to time he would tell her a few allusions that had a sequential and persuasive effect to enlighten her.
Qi Yu was still very concerned about this.
Looking back on the past, when the original owner went crazy and changed his temperament, his wife always took care of her. Now that she is trapped in her heart, how can she not take care of her?
But the effect is still there.
Slowly, Liu Quan began to let go, at least on the surface, he seemed to have walked out.
Seeing her getting better, Qi Yu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
…
This holiday can be said to be short or long, lasting more than twenty days.
Rest is enough, but if you want to go back to your hometown to visit relatives, it is far from enough.
Therefore, before the holiday, Qi Yu wrote a letter and sent it to Yongchuan Mansion to express his greetings and New Year greetings.
Among these letters, there are letters from my uncle’s family, my second uncle’s family, my father-in-law’s family, and my sister’s family.
In addition, Qi Yu also sent letters to Yu Hai and the shopkeeper You of Luming Book Store in Taohua Village to express his thoughts.
In addition to these old relatives in my hometown, I also have to walk around with my newly-acquainted colleagues.
This is a time-honored tradition and a kind of etiquette, which is indispensable.
As for the gifts he needed, Qi Dalang didn't have to worry about them at all. Liu Quan had prepared them all for him to use immediately.
Qi Yu used his free time in the morning and evening to write, and continued to carry forward his unremitting spirit of writing.
Mainly out of fear, the emperor sent someone to ask.
On this day, the sun sets and night falls.
Spring couplets have been pasted on the door of Qi Yu's house, and red lanterns have also been hung.
Yes, today is New Year’s Eve.
Liu Quan took out all the new clothes she had made in one go. Everyone had something and no one was left behind.
These clothes now are all made of fine fabrics.
In order to prevent her husband from matching clothes with other people's servants again, Liu Quan went to the silk and satin shop several times. After repeated investigations and inquiries, she sold it with confidence.
Like before, Qi Yu also went shopping alone to give his family some surprises.
What I gave to my daughter were a few idle books, which were regarded as her extracurricular readings; what I gave to my son was a big wooden sword to satisfy his daydream of traveling to the ends of the world with a sword; I am now getting older, If you want to give something as a gift, give something affordable. For example, this mink fur cloak is very effective in keeping warm.
Then, what do you give Liu Quan?
A pair of solid gold bracelets.
It looks dazzling.
Liu Quan did not laugh, but looked at the jewelry in his hand and sighed.
I remember that at the beginning, my husband-in-law gave me a pair of copper bracelets. At that time, I showed off to the little wives in the village.
Later, when his family's situation became better, he gave himself a pair of silver bracelets, which were white and beautiful.
Now, he passed the imperial examination and became a capital official. He received royal rations every month, received his salary, and his money turned into a gold bracelet.
It seems that you can see the obvious changes in the entire home between your own hands. Is this not surprising?
Yes, without realizing it, this family has changed a lot.
…
The night is getting darker, and thousands of families are staying up late.
After the New Year's Eve, it's the first day of the Lunar New Year.
This year is different from previous years. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, there is no time to go out to pay New Year greetings.
why?
Because, Qi Yu is going to attend the annual Zhengdan Dynasty Meeting!
This system has a long history and was not created by the Great Feng Dynasty. Although there are differences in each dynasty, this symbolic New Year's ceremony has never been abolished.
So, what does this etiquette mean?
There are two.
The first one means that everyone gathers together happily and enjoys the Chinese New Year. As the emperor, he also wants to sum up the past, think about the future, and also give everyone some blood, so that they can do well for me in the coming year. ! Of course, he would also treat everyone to a free state banquet and then drink some wine to show off the emperor's grace.
The second meaning is hard to explain clearly. What is it? The hidden meaning is to allow all the officials in the capital to attend the court once, thereby stimulating the pride of serving as an official in the most benign place.
Then someone may ask, aren't all the officials in the capital allowed to attend the morning court?
Not really!
According to the current regulations, among Beijing officials, only officials of fourth rank or above are eligible to attend the morning court. As for the fifth rank, officials below the fifth rank, such as Qi Yu, are not qualified.
However, it was different in the Zhengdan Dynasty. No matter what department you were in the capital, as long as you were of high rank, you were eligible to enter the palace to pay homage, and no one was allowed to take leave.
In other words, as long as you are a Beijing official, this annual court meeting cannot be avoided.
Therefore, after the New Year's Eve dinner, Liu Quan followed closely to coax the children to sleep.
Then, she started to prepare some breakfast for her husband.
You’ve already had New Year’s Eve dinner, do you still want to eat it?
It is necessary to eat. It is said that the Zhengdan court meeting takes a long time. You have to stay up until three o'clock in the morning before you have food. How can you survive without a belly?
In addition, pay attention to drinking less water.
After entering Yinshi, Qi Yu began to get busy. He washed up first, then changed into his official uniform. After everything was in place, he walked towards the palace with a lantern.
Not to mention, on this dark street, there are many young officials from the capital who are making pilgrimages like me.
Look, the flames of these lamps and candles are all flickering and converging towards a point.
That point is naturally the palace.
According to regulations, the palace gate is officially opened moments before Mao hour.
Officials of the third rank and above can enter directly by sedan chair, while officials of the fourth rank can enter on foot. As for the junior officials below the fourth rank who come to listen to the court, they have to line up and file in.
Since there were too many officials, there was not enough room inside the main hall, so they had to line up outside the hall. A lower-status seventh-rank official like Qi Yu had to be squeezed into a corner.
After standing in line, it was time to wait with peace of mind.
The cold wind of midwinter blew by, freezing the officials outside the palace to the point where they all huddled up, and their upper teeth chattered with their lower teeth in their mouths.
Look far and wide.
I saw candlelight shining brightly in the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony, illuminating everything around like daylight, displaying its supreme majesty.
Suddenly, a burst of solemn and melodious ritual music sounded.
However, they saw that the emperor was wearing a yellow and red dragon robe, and he walked calmly and calmly to the dragon chair on the imperial steps to the rhythm of the music.
Then, all the ministers shouted long live!
The ceremony is over!
The meeting officially begins.
Under the auspices of officials from the Ministry of Etiquette, various etiquettes were displayed in sequence.
For example: the Ceremony Department began to display documents from various countries and congratulatory lists from governors, then tributes from vassal countries, tributes from vassal kings in various places, etc.
Afterwards, the nobles and important ministers also presented their congratulations one by one.
These processes are lengthy and cumbersome, and besides being frustrating, they are also frustrating.
Qi Yu was relatively far away. Even if he stood on tiptoes, he could only see a small bright spot. As far as the current situation was concerned, he was just a small role in the ensemble cast.
To be honest, if you are wasting your time doing this, you might as well find a place to take a nap.
That's just a thought, no one would dare to do it.
why?
Didn't you see Yushi Jiuyi patrolling back and forth constantly?
If he really gets caught, he will put a dishonorable shit bowl directly on your head, and you will have to carry it around even if you can't eat.
…
Suddenly, everything was silent.
Because the emperor is going to speak!
