In the afternoon, after the banquet, it was almost evening.

Zhao Zhen brought civil and military officials and many nobles to the Donghua Gate. Before night fell, bonfires were lit inside and outside the city gate and fireworks began to bloom.

There was a small episode in the middle. When Zhao Jun went to the toilet, he accidentally met a clan girl.

Moreover, this princess was the one who was abducted by Gui Fanlou last time. She 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 laugh and cry.

You should know that this princess is a descendant of Zhao Dezhao, and the family tree records that their branch is also a descendant of Zhao Dezhao, a branch of the Southern Song royal family. Because of the invasion of Mongolia, they eventually fled from Zhejiang Province to the mountainous area of ​​Hunan, where they hid and reproduced.

In other words, in terms of blood relationship, this girl is a direct ancestor of Zhao Dezhao's lineage, not a collateral line like Zhao Guangyi's. According to seniority, Zhao Jun probably has to call her great-aunt.

If I agree to someone's love confession, I wonder whether it should be called a sunset grandparent-grandchild love or an ethical and moral love?

"What a sin!"

Zhao Jun held the sachet in his hand, in a dilemma. He couldn't throw it away, nor could he keep it. He could only hold it carefully along the way.

Occasionally, he would see a girl in the crowd with a spring-like gaze, which made him feel like a thorn in his side.

"What's wrong, grandson?"

The group went up to the Donghua Gate Tower. Zhao Jun was sitting close to Zhao Zhen. Seeing his strange expression, Zhao Zhen asked quietly, "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Not really."

Zhao Jun had no choice but to hand the sachet to Zhao Zhen and said, "This is a sachet that the Caifu clan daughter sent me. According to seniority, I should probably call this great-aunt. It's not right for me to throw it away, nor is it right for me to keep it. Brother, you have to help me deal with it."

This was a common way for women in the Song Dynasty to express their love. If they threw it away directly, it would definitely hurt people's feelings, so they would often take a roundabout way.

Zhao Zhen naturally understood the folk customs, and he also helped him collect it with a helpless smile and said, "Then I will ask the Queen to talk to her later and say that your family and the Zhao family are somewhat distant relatives, and it is not appropriate for people with the same surname to marry."

The Song Dynasty laws inherited the Tang Law Commentary, which clearly stated that "people of the same clan and surname may not marry."

Note that they are of the same clan and have the same surname.

After the Tang and Song dynasties, people with the same surname but not from the same clan could get married.

For example, Zhang Ju's "Chaoye Qianzai" in the Tang Dynasty recorded that Wei Gun of the Jingzhao Wei family intermarried with another Wei family, and that King Mu of Zhou married Sheng Ji, who was also a daughter of the Ji family.

What is even more outrageous is that the law only prohibits people with the same clan and surname from marrying, but does not prohibit people with the same clan and surname from becoming concubines.

Zhao Si, the Prince of Cai in the Northern Song Dynasty, married Zhao, a woman from the same clan as his concubine.

So the daughter of the Zhao clan thought that since Zhao Jun was not listed in the family tree, he must not be from the same clan as her. However, she did not know that Zhao Jun was from the same clan as her thousands of years later, and was also a direct descendant, and the two 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 around five o'clock, almost six, but it was already dark and a cold wind was blowing.

The western horizon gradually darkened, and only the sky over there was still hung with brilliant fiery clouds, bringing a hint of gray light to the earth.

There were huge crowds of people outside Donghuamen.

The royal family hired a large number of artists who usually performed in the various Wa Zi in Bianliang, and set up a stage outside the palace gate to perform.

As the sky grew darker, the performance began quickly.

A large number of bonfires were lit to provide illumination, and the open space outside Donghua Gate was filled with jugglers on the stages.

Some people were breathing fire, causing the crowd to gasp in surprise. Some were walking around on stilts. Another person even strung ropes in the air, two people walking together, and even dancing on them.

The "Wenxian Tongkao·Music 20" records that during the Song Dynasty, "a large silk rope was tied to two pillars several feet apart. Two dancers danced opposite each other on the rope, facing each other, with their shoulders touching without leaning."

Acrobatic performances of later generations had already appeared in the Song Dynasty, including flying trapeze artists, tightrope walking, pole climbing and even fancy diving. It can be said to be wonderful and rich.

Standing on the Donghua Gate, you can take in the grand spectacle below.

Zhao Jun had previously worried that holding a celebration like this with fires everywhere might cause a fire.

But Zhao Zhen told him that every year during such performances, military patrols would be on standby around the area to prevent fires.

It can be said that once there is any movement, the military patrol station can immediately extinguish the fire in the bud.

Only then did Zhao Jun feel relieved.

The Junxunpu established in the Song Dynasty was the first fire brigade in history. It had more than 2,000 staff members and was very experienced in dealing with such situations.

The sky had completely darkened at this moment, but the enthusiasm of the people did not diminish. A large number of vendors gathered outside and the crowds of people surged.

As time went by, the celebration entered its climax.

Zhao Jun stood on the city wall and looked down, and saw that there were dense crowds of people outside the city. Under the light, the whole street seemed to be blocked.

Various cheers, shouts, and the sounds of firecrackers come into our ears, announcing the arrival of the New Year.

Street vendors were shouting, and tourists were wearing new clothes, walking between the performance stage and the many vendors outside. A feeling of joy was everywhere.

Immediately afterwards, the sounds of "whoosh!" and "bang!" were heard.

Zhao Jun quickly raised his head to look.

There were hundreds of fireworks placed on the open space on both sides of Donghua Gate. The guards went forward to light them one by one. From the fireworks, a ray of dark light shot straight into the sky, then exploded and turned into a gorgeous stream of light.

Although the glow was short-lived, it made Zhao Jun a little dazed.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!