Chapter 191 The Show Begins
New Year's Eve is fast approaching.
For ordinary people, the changing of the years is a "critical juncture" full of uncertainty and danger.
With the old evil not yet dispelled and the new evil about to arise, this is precisely the time when evil spirits are most likely to cause trouble.
Therefore, the "除" in "除夕" means "to remove or to alternate", which means to drive away evil spirits.
On New Year's Eve, the streets and markets are bustling with activity well in advance.
The children, dressed in their new clothes, were the most excited. They held the lit firecrackers tightly in their little hands and chased and played in the alley where the snow had not yet melted.
A crisp cracking sound rang out, causing the snow piled under the eaves to fall in a flurry. The snowflakes mixed with the smell of gunpowder drifted in the wind, creating a unique, crisp aroma that belonged to New Year's Eve.
In front of every household's door frame, people were already standing on stools, pasting newly replaced peach wood charms.
On a square piece of vermilion paper, the four characters “Shen Tu Yu Lei” were written in bold, vigorous ink.
As people smooth out the edges of the paper, they can't help but mutter, "We must ward off the evil spirits that come knocking."
At night, the whole family would sit around the stove to keep vigil for the New Year.
The old man peeled melon seeds and told stories of the past year, while the younger generation gathered together to unwrap oil paper packages, eager to eat the candied fruits that they could only enjoy a few times a year.
The lights stayed on all night, and the noise and warmth of the room scared away the evil spirit called "Shan Sao," who dared not approach. People prayed for a safe entry into the New Year.
Inside the palace, a grand exorcism ceremony will be held.
This is the most important and grandest ritual for exorcising evil spirits and warding off plagues on Lunar New Year's Eve.
Led by four "Fangxiangshi" wearing golden masks, five hundred boys aged twelve to sixteen, selected from the imperial guards and sons of officials, were formed into "Xunzi" to chant exorcism songs together.
"Jia eats evil, Wei eats tiger, Xiongbo eats demon, Tengjian eats misfortune... and so on. Quickly leave misfortune and quickly return to your hometown!"
As they sang, they pounded their drums, creating a deafening noise, hoping to scare away the plague demon with the sound waves.
The procession, carrying torches, set out from the palace and paraded in a grand procession, passing through various government offices and royal gardens, using light to dispel darkness and evil spirits.
The songs and drums mingled together, leading from the Taiji Hall through the palace road and over the palace gates, "driving" all the plague demons out of the palace.
This ceremony symbolizes the complete removal of evil from the heart of the nation, clearing away the gloom for the new year.
After the "Great Nuo" ceremony comes the annual New Year's Eve banquet.
This is the most grand court banquet of the year, where the emperor invites all members of the imperial family, civil and military officials from the capital, and foreign envoys to gather together for a joyful occasion.
Even the governors-general and governors of various prefectures, including Shen Guojiu, who were returning to the capital to report on their duties, were among those invited.
It is not only a celebration of the festival, but also a demonstration of the prosperity and majesty of the Great Qi to the world and to all countries.
Before nightfall, the entire palace was already brightly lit and dazzling.
Along the palace path from Longwu Gate to Linde Hall, palace lanterns over ten feet tall are lined up one after another, resembling two radiant golden dragons.
The bright yellow tassels hanging from the vermilion lamp stand swayed gently in the wind, and the golden bells attached to them made a delicate, clear sound, coating the cold white marble railing with a layer of warmth.
The palace maids, dressed in green palace attire and carrying gilded palace lanterns, led the nobles and officials to their seats.
Everyone attending the banquet was dressed in the most formal attire.
Inside the Linde Hall, seats had already been arranged, just waiting for the guests to take their seats.
On the high platform to the right of the hall, a nine-tiered white jade chime bell stands majestically, and more than a hundred musicians, holding instruments such as the sheng, xiao, xun, and chi, play together "The Music of Yong'an".
The clear and melodious chimes of the chime bells and the harmonious sounds of the sheng and xiao resonated throughout the palace, showcasing the grandeur of the imperial court.
The intermittent sounds of string and wind instruments drifted faintly into the Xihe Palace.
Li Yuanzhao was standing in front of a bronze mirror as tall as a person, letting the palace servants help him change his clothes.
Today's attire is more solemn and luxurious than any previous palace banquet.
The palace maids first draped a plain white gauze undergarment over her, and then layered on a crimson gauze robe embroidered with fine cloud patterns.
After the lining was properly arranged, the two palace maids worked together to unfold the blue and red robe.
The light blue upper garment is embroidered with "mountain" and "dragon" from the "Nine Chapters" pattern in gold thread, while the vermilion lower garment is embroidered with pheasant, fire and ancestral vessels.
This is not just a dress, but a symbol of power and status.
After she was dressed in the last piece of clothing, the palace maids tied her belt and hung on her accessories, such as gold hooks and jade pendants.
The phoenix crown she wore at the end was even more magnificent and dazzling, with lifelike golden wings on her nine tails.
A large pearl hangs in the center of the phoenix crown. The pearl is round and smooth, and its diameter is about the size of a baby's fist.
This princely attire perfectly showcased her innate majesty.
After the palace maids finished hanging up the last accessory, no one dared to look directly at the figure in the mirror anymore. They all lowered their heads, held their breath, and retreated.
Ru Mo quietly stepped forward at this moment.
Li Yuanzhao looked at her through the mirror and asked expressionlessly, "Is everything arranged?"
Ru Mo lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, everything has been arranged."
Where is Chen Yanqing?
Ru Mo immediately knelt on one knee, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I have failed in my duty. We have been searching for so many days, but we still have not found any trace of him."
Li Yuanzhao said directly, "Then let Shen Churong guard all the palace gates strictly. Without my permission, not even a fly is allowed to enter the palace tonight."
"Your subordinate obeys."
Li Yuanzhao slowly turned around, the beads on his phoenix crown swaying gently, his gorgeous clothes shimmering in the candlelight.
"Let's go." She smiled slightly. "The show is about to begin."
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