At the beginning of the eleventh year of Zhenguan.
Although the sky has just turned white, the entire city of Chang'an is already brightly lit.
The entire Zhuque Street has been decorated with red lanterns, making it look extremely festive.
The people in Chang'an City were all dressed in costumes and were waiting on both sides of Zhuque Street early in the morning. Even in the cold morning, there were already crowds of people.
It turns out that the day of the Great Court Meeting has arrived.
The Great Chao Hui is when hundreds of officials meet with the emperor.
The Great Court Meeting is held at the beginning of each year. It is a court ceremony with the highest etiquette that began in the Western Zhou Dynasty and has been inherited through the ages.
"Zhou Li·Chun Guan·Da Zongbo" records: Spring meeting is called Chao, summer meeting is called Zong, autumn meeting is called Jing, winter meeting is called Yu, Shi meeting is called Hui, and Yin meeting is called Tong.
This is the explanation of the Great Court Meeting.
The time when the princes and officials met with the emperor was in the morning, so it was called "Chao".
When the emperor meets with the princes, the political purpose of the officials is to "contribute to the affairs of the world."
At the same time, asking about the local governance situation is called performance appraisal, which is similar to the current performance appraisal of officials at all levels or management by objectives, and is equivalent to the current annual performance report of leading cadres.
From this we can know that the Great Court Meeting is not only a ritual system, but also a restraint imposed by the emperor on princes and officials.
However, as the dynasties evolved, the content of the Great Court Meeting became more and more abundant.
In the Tang Dynasty, vassal states were derived from the great dynasty gatherings, the Spring Festival blessings from courtiers to the emperor, and the exchanges between states.
Therefore, the grand court meeting was grand and huge, with tens of thousands of participants, which can be said to be the pinnacle of ancient court etiquette.
Because of the large number of people attending the meeting, in addition to summoning courtiers and envoys, the meeting was held in the Tai Chi Hall.
The venue for other activities is arranged in the square in front of Chengtianmen.
Because only Chengtianmen Square on Zhuque Street can accommodate so many people.
At that time, in addition to setting aside major traffic arteries for control, people will be allowed to visit at close range.
There are naturally reasons why the people are so positive.
Since Li Shimin came to the throne, although there have been constant natural disasters, the court officials have been honest and honest and tried their best to provide relief every time. The country is peaceful and the people are safe, and it has the appearance of a prosperous age.
In fact, the people in the Central Plains are very simple. They will follow and support anyone who gives them enough to eat.
Filling the stomach is the most practical need of the people.
Even if His Majesty Li Er has bad moral character, it has nothing to do with them.
Because what they need is an emperor who can keep them fed, not a saint who talks about benevolence and morality but does not do practical things.
Therefore, the people still hope to see such a grand event hosted by the imperial court and envoys and courtiers from various vassal states paying New Year's greetings to the emperor.
The common people showed a sense of superiority towards those envoys from the vassal state who traveled thousands of miles.
According to the procedure, of course the emperor summoned various people in the Tai Chi Hall.
Since Honglu Temple was responsible for entertaining foreign guests, Yang Fan didn't have much else to do at this time.
Therefore, together with officials from the other three provinces and six ministries, we waited in the square outside Taiji Hall for the summons.
Looking around, the entire square is already overcrowded.
Here are not only officials at all levels from Chang'an City, but also officials from all over the country who came from all over the country to report on their duties, as well as foreign personnel with exotic customs.
Because the Ministry of Rites had already arranged their respective areas, everyone was waiting quietly in the designated area.
Of course, it is impossible for all the interviewers to be interviewed at one time, so there is a strict priority.
According to modern thinking, the first thing the emperor should receive are international friends such as envoys from various vassal states.
After all, a country’s image is very important!
If you think so, you are totally wrong, because Datang is exactly the opposite.
The first people to meet the emperor were the feudal officials from various places, such as the governor general and the governor of each state.
Next are local officials in state capitals.
Finally, we came to the so-called envoys of the vassal state, these international friends.
As for whether such an arrangement would affect the international image of the Tang Dynasty, His Majesty Li Er and the courtiers never considered it.
Because since the Eastern Turks were destroyed by the Tang Dynasty's soldiers, the Tang Dynasty has been full of pride from top to bottom.
In the eyes of everyone, these foreign barbarians are simply savages who have not yet fully evolved, and are properly inferior people.
Is it necessary to respect the lower class? The answer is of course no.
At this time, there was no thought of admiring foreign things, nor was there any flattery or soft-footed shrimp willing to be a slave.
What's more, His Majesty Li Er and the ministers obtained the world from war horses.
They clearly know that there are only eternal interests in this world, but no eternal friendship.
Be it respect or friendship, they are all earned with fists, not shouted with mouths.
Although these barbarians seem to be groveling, they are not ambitious.
So this arrangement is natural.
Looking at the international friends with blue eyes and yellow hair in the distance, they are waiting in line in a formal and respectful manner.
These people didn't have the slightest arrogance, and they didn't dare to complain at all. Yang Fan couldn't help but feel a surge of pride rising from the bottom of his heart.
This is the glorious dynasty, and this is the magnanimity a country with a backbone should have.
It should be so mighty, it should be so domineering!
They are just foreign barbarians. If they come, they will come. If not, they will deal with you and beat you until you submit.
The strength of a country can never be expressed through words.
From this point of view, Yang Fan really admired Li Shimin. Perhaps only in this glorious heaven can he see everyone with a straight back.
After sighing, Yang Fan looked around the area where he was.
Because the arrangement of waiting areas for various officials and the order of interviews is decided by the Ministry of Rites.
Seeing that there were hundreds of people in his area, Yang Fan also sighed secretly.
There are quite a few high-ranking officials, and you must know that the area they are in is a place reserved for senior officials above the fourth rank to wait.
The officials and the entourage they brought with them made the designated area seem a bit crowded.
Of course, these followers were not there to meet the emperor, but to help carry the gifts.
After all, it will be a festival for the emperor to congratulate him on the New Year, so of course he has to prepare gifts.
Moreover, these gifts were rare and unusual treasures, so the whole scene seemed overcrowded.
Although the lively scene makes people talk about it, what attracts more attention is the object next to Yang Fan.
Because there were several large water tanks beside Yang Fan.
Everyone's looks made Xue Rengui, who was following Yang Fan, blush.
After all, the things presented by other ministers either looked extremely luxurious or flashed with jewels from time to time.
Obviously these things are rare treasures in the world.
And what about your own son?
Apart from the three large water tanks, the most eye-catching thing is the soil in the water tanks.
Could it be that this soil is gold?
As for the plants growing in the water tank, they were simply ignored.
Because some of these plants have just sprouted, and some have already declined.
Although there is a plant in the tank that is blooming, it looks a bit too cold.
On such an important holiday, I would like to send you a not-so-pretty landscape flower.
Even if it is a flower that everyone has never seen before, it is too...
All the officials secretly scolded Yang Fan for being picky, but most of them looked at him with a look of fooling around.
In their opinion, Yang Fan dared to send a few unknown landscape flowers on such a solemn day.
It’s like an old man who eats arsenic thinks he will live longer!
No matter how tolerant and generous His Majesty Li Er is, he will definitely get angry if he acts so willfully.
There's something good to watch now!
Of course Yang Fan knew what these people meant, but he didn't intend to explain.
After all, how can ordinary people understand the behavior of a genius?