On February 2, the dragon raises its head.
Dou points to the east, Spica is first exposed, things change and spring comes back, which is a symbol of the growth of all things, birds and beasts grow horns, grass and trees grow armor, and spring plowing and farming begin.
The imperial courts of various countries will meet today. The officials will be led by the ministers of rites and military affairs, and they will present agricultural books to the monarch of a country to show their roots. It means that "the major affairs of the country lie in sacrifice and military affairs", but "the foundation of a country lies in sacrifice and military affairs".
Farmers in the fields".
The emperor hosted a banquet for the ministers, drank Yichun wine brewed by ancient methods, and presented knives, rulers and other objects from the manufacturing office, all made of white jade, to express that all the princes in Gonggun are gentlemen and must be careful in their decisions and weigh the interests of the state. The queen is responsible for this.
Various numbers of "green pouches" were given to the concubines who entered the palace. They were all sewn by the empress herself, not by the maids of honor. The green pouches contained various grains and fruit seeds for them to donate to the palace.
Relatives, friends and children in their respective families pray for a good harvest and a good harvest in the New Year. It also symbolizes a family of bells and a scholarly family, and the warehouse is full of etiquette.
In Huaihuang County, since ancient times, on February 2, every household has had the custom of eating a bowl of dragon beard noodles in the morning, and the pancakes on this day are also named "Dragon Scales". On this day, small town women and those who want to get married
Women need to stop needlework because, according to the older generation, this is the day when the dragon is raising its head, and if there is any needlework, it may hurt the dragon's eyes and cause unhappiness.
In small towns, young and strong men and their children hold bamboo poles or wooden sticks together, knocking on the beams, beds, kitchens, etc., commonly known as shouting "Long Xingchun", and saying some auspicious words and old sayings passed down from generation to generation, such as "The warehouse is full like a mountain"
, higher than the west side of the mountain, the small warehouse is like a stream of water, staying in one's own field. Over there on Fulu Street and Taoye Lane, it may be more elegant, and the meaning of the words spoken is greater, mostly for good weather, peaceful Cathay, and five snakes and scorpions.
Avoid poison and avoid causing harm.
In the past thirty or forty years, due to the appearance of a broom star in Mud Bottle Alley, festive words that were originally related to the word "peace" became a taboo, and no one was willing to mention it.
Today, "blessing one's safety" has gradually become a very weighty and profound saying. Some wealthy families who have moved from small towns to state cities deliberately let their children break a piece of porcelain on this day.
Chant the word "broken peace" which is homophonic with peace every year, three more times to ask for a good omen.
The women and girls at home would go to the iron lock well early in the morning to carry loads and fetch water, so this day was also the day when they met the most people from Fulu Street and Taoye Lane and other neighbors in the town. The former were mostly rich and wealthy people.
Boys and girls in brocade clothes gathered in groups. At dawn, they picked up lanterns in one hand and left the house, carrying beautiful and exquisite celadon pots and jars in the other. The two groups met in their respective streets. Two groups of young people each wrote a poem like this.
The snake walks, draws water here and then returns the same way, which is called attracting money and dragon to the door, and attracting good fortune and auspiciousness to return home.
Early that morning, just after dawn, Chen Pingan took the boy in Tsing Yi, the girl in pink skirt, and millet grains down the mountain to the ancestral home in Mu Ping Lane.
Everyone had their own division of labor. Chen Ping'an first knocked the beams and beds with a bamboo pole, then took Chen Lingjun with him, each carrying a bucket, and went out to fetch water from the iron lock well. Nuanshu and millet grains stayed in the house and started the stove to light the fire.
Cooked pancakes.
Because the governor's office of Chuzhou recently issued an order, the Huaihuang County Government posted a notice that on this day, the iron lock well, which had been closed for a long time, allowed local people to carry water home.
Guo Zhujiu was catching up on her sleep recently. She slept so hard every day that Chen Ping'an didn't call her. It wasn't sword practice or cultivation, she was really just sleeping.
Walking out of the Mud Bottle Alley, Chen Lingjun shook the bucket in his hand and asked in a low voice: "Is it the master's intention to open the water wells? Did the master personally greet the county government and then the court approved it?"
The rules established by the Dali imperial court in the early years were extremely important, not to mention in Chuzhou, but also in the entire Aquarius Continent. No immortal master on the mountain dared to disobey them, let alone change the rules.
Chen Pingan shook his head and said: "I didn't mention it. I originally planned to find an opportunity this year to tell the court that the ban would be lifted next year, so it was probably Zhao Yao's suggestion. Over the years, he has been committed to restoring the old traditions of various places. If the big
The Lisong family has not returned half of the mountains and rivers south of Dadu. Zhao Yao, who is serving as a minister in the Ministry of Justice, is even more busy. However, the Ministry of Revenue will definitely scold him as a prodigal who only knows how to show off, and the Yamen of the Ministry of Rites will also want to
Scolded him for stretching his hand too far."
Chen Lingjun said in an old-fashioned way: "Isn't this just pragmatism? Dali officials value meritorious service so much, and one is more pragmatic than the other. It's normal for Zhao Yao to mess around like this and not be liked."
I remember hearing something mentioned by the incense man who lit the incense on time. In recent years, the re-editing of local chronicles by the prefectures and counties of Dali was included in the imperial court's local evaluation. It is said that it was the suggestion of Zhao Shilang of the Ministry of Punishment. The key is to collect the common sayings and dialects from various places.
This has to be coordinated with the qi practitioners in each state. Each county is divided into two volumes. The one collected in the capital is filled with immortal energy, so there are complaints in the local area. They all feel that this is a waste of people and money, and it is a whitewashing of peace.
.
Chen Pingan shook his head and smiled: "Long-term foresight, the conversion of virtual and real in it, is very knowledgeable, just like the conversion of gold and silver into copper coins, there is premium and loss, but if there is no smooth channel for 'circulation' between the two,
, there is a big problem. The Great Li Dynasty will become more and more like a powerful country with elite cavalry and strong soldiers and horses in the general sense, and gradually disappear into the public. It will no longer be the Aquarius Continent, or even the entire Haoran world.
The special, most 'different' Dali, if senior brother Cui Chan was still in office, what Zhao Yao did today is actually what a national master of a country would do."
Chen Lingjun said honestly: "Master, I don't quite understand. Anyway, I think he is very knowledgeable. From this, it can be seen that Zhao Yao is still a guy with some real ability?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and said: "He is really capable."
Otherwise, he would not be able to become Bai Ye's anonymous disciple. When Zhao Yao was young, he left his hometown and traveled across the sea. He accidentally stumbled onto an island isolated in the middle of nowhere, which was where Bai Ye practiced Taoism.
Later, Bai Ye rushed to Fuyaozhou alone and gave a broken fairy sword "Taibai" to four people, one of whom was Zhao Yao.
Chen Lingjun said with a bad smile: "According to the family background and seniority, Minister Zhao is called Master Uncle, right?"
Chen Pingan nodded and smiled: "That is necessary."
The current governor of Chuzhou, Wu Yuan, because he was once the disciple of his senior brother Cui Chan, when meeting Chen Ping'an, he would also call him his uncle.
There are actually several junior nephews like this in the capital, and without exception they all hold high positions and deserve to be important ministers in the Great Li Temple.
In the markets of small towns, there are actually narrower roads than Mupin Alley, such as the current alley that takes a shortcut to Suolongjing. If a taller young man walks into it, the eaves are lower than the eyebrows.
, you can only walk with your head down. If you raise your head, your forehead will touch the eaves. The alley is not long, and the two walls are facing each other almost pinching you, and you cannot stretch your arms. In the past, when Chen Pingan went to carry water from Suolongjing, he would pass by this place.
It can save a lot of legwork, but the light is dark and a bit seeping. People of the same age in the small town dare not walk this road. Chen Pingan is not afraid of this, especially when it snows every winter and the dirt roads in the alleys are frozen solid.
On the ice, Chen Pingan placed the bucket on the ground at the entrance of the alley, pushed it forward gently, then stepped back a few steps, ran forward, and then slid on his knees. People and buckets passed by one after another.
Finally meeting at the other end of the alley, it was one of Chen Pingan's few games in his childhood and youth. This kind of solitary fun meant that one had to be careful not to be hit by the two rows of ice picks hanging from the eaves.
I took Chen Lingjun out of this dark alley with no name. There was a small well at the entrance of the alley, but the well mouth was small and the water was shallow. In the early years, three or four families nearby would carry water here in the early morning without having to walk far.
In Qingguang, the water in the well was exhausted, and it was not Chen Ping'an's turn in Mupin Alley to come here to take advantage. He once carried water from the iron lock well and was scolded. He was mistaken for a water thief, so later Chen Ping'an
When I read "The Suspicion of Plum Blossoms in the Melon Fields" in the book, I already understood the truth, but there was no one sentence in the book that explained the truth so clearly.
There used to be a vegetable garden next to the well, but the soil was poor and the vegetables grown were often short and thin, often with an astringent taste. Now the vegetable garden has long been abandoned and is filled with dilapidated rubble piled up from all directions. It is overgrown with weeds, both gray and green.
Color and color.
Chen Lingjun never paid attention to these market scenes. He didn't see much to see. He was walking in a big way. Suddenly he found that the master was stopping behind him and did not follow. Chen Lingjun turned his head and looked. Chen Ping'an quickly followed up and smiled casually.
: "If I take care of this vegetable garden, the soil quality will be much better, and the vegetables grown will not be so astringent and taste much better."
Chen Lingjun laughed and said, "That's for sure. The master is very diligent. He became a kiln worker's apprentice, and he knows how to recognize the soil, fertilize it and cultivate it. The vegetables in the garden can't grow as tall as a human being?"
After walking out for more than a dozen steps, Chen Lingjun was suddenly startled. He was chewing out the aftertaste. He carefully turned his head and looked at the master beside him.
Chen Ping'an smiled and touched the head of the boy in Tsing Yi, "It's good that you know. Don't give me a few grains of millet. It's easy for everyone to know."
Chen Lingjun nodded vigorously and took the initiative to change the topic, "The guy who went fishing in Huanghu Mountain called himself Fu Hu, a native of Beijing. He is now the magistrate of Pingnan County. He also said that the master personally invited him to go fishing in Huanghu Mountain. This guy's surname is Fu.
Yes, do you really know the master?"
A seventh-grade sesame official was very courageous and dared to go fishing in Huanghu Mountain, but was caught by Chen Lingjun. Huanghu Mountain was once a dojo under the water, and of course it is a geomantic treasure, a place where fish and dragons hide, and smoke.
With its deep locks and misty clouds and water, it is really a good place for fishing, but no outsider would dare to come here to fish.
Chen Ping'an hummed, "We know each other. We went fishing together in Pingnan County before. Magistrate Fu even gave me a few fish. He is a very talkative person and doesn't have any official air about him."
Fu Hu himself didn't know why he was able to be transferred out of the Capital Reporting Office, but why there was such a shortage of county officials. Moreover, Pingnan County is located in Shang County of Chuzhou. It was obviously a sign that the imperial court wanted to reuse him.
No wonder Fu Hu, who was used to working as an errand in the Qingshui Yamen, was confused. But Chen Pingan knew very well that he must have gotten along well with Lin Zhengcheng when they were officials in the same Yamen. Lin Zhengcheng helped Lin Zhengcheng before he was transferred out of Beijing to take charge of the Hongzhou Logging Institute.
Fu Hu said a few nice words, and the reason why Chen Pingan went to the river to "block" Fu Hu was because he wanted to use stones from other mountains to attack jade. First, let's take a look at Fu Hu's character.
Chen Lingjun said: "County Magistrate Fu is very formal in his speech. I can't catch him and often can't talk to him."
Previously, Chen Lingjun accompanied this young official from the capital and chatted casually for a few words, but they didn't agree with each other at all. Fu Hu said so-and-so, how could he know that he would be granted a title of marquis and minister, and the golden horse in the Yutang must have a high-spirited spirit and move his face.
Qingli. Who would have thought that Zhima, a junior official and a subordinate to the Prime Minister, had little talent and little knowledge, and was narrow-minded and timid. It was a pity that brother Dafeng was not present at the time, otherwise Chen Lingjun would have had Zheng Dafeng take action to kill Fu Hu's academic spirit.
Chen Pingan smiled and said: "Fu Hu is more than enough to be an upright official."
Many noble sons from poor families work as farmhouse attendants in the morning, ascend to the emperor's hall in the evening, and enter the official career as officials. The difficulty lies in the word "wealth", and gold and silver treasures pile up like a ghost gate.
The difficulty for a son of aristocratic family to be an official is that a well-fed man does not know how hungry a man is. He is afraid that he has high vision but low hand, has great ambition and lacks talent, and neither understands nor cares about the sufferings of the people.
After walking through this shabby alley, the road becomes wider. The ancient locust tree from the past is still there. There are long wooden benches underneath and a few stone piers for people to rest and cool down in summer and bask in the sun in winter. In spring, sometimes
There are green clothes gathered on the tree. The feathers of the birds are similar in color to the leaves, making it difficult to detect. When they make a chirping sound, people under the tree will look up and take a look. Naughty children will take out their slingshots. Gu Can is a master of this.
He is patient and good, and often carries a long string back to Mu Ping Alley. Other houses use feather dusters and shuttlecocks, but Gu Can's house is different.
Although there was a notice posted at the government office, there were still not many people who came to fetch water from the iron lock well today. Most of them were old people. When they saw Chen Ping'an and the boy in Tsing Yi, they also looked cautious. In addition, they were not familiar with each other in their early years, so they seemed very nervous.
They had nothing to say, and they didn't dare to strike up a conversation easily. At this moment, the two local old men at the well who had never moved out of the town deliberately stepped aside and let the rising star Chen Shanzhu carry water first. Chen Ping'an smiled and shouted in the town dialect,
Let them fetch water first. Anyway, according to the customs in their hometown, they are not relatives with the same surname or seniority. They only need to call them according to their age. For example, if the old people are in their sixties and one generation higher than Chen Pingan, they can just call them uncle.
, and Chen Lingjun has to call him grandpa in dialect. If Chen Lingjun calls him grandpa, the boy in Tsing Yi has to call him "ma'am". In this small town, both men and women can call "ma'am". It's grandpa or grandma.
mean.
To be continued...