On New Year's Eve of the eighth year of the Qingli period, the Constitutional Council summarized the day's developments in the morning, and then everyone went home in the afternoon.
There is no need to go to Chongzheng Hall for meetings, nor do I need to work anymore. I always have to go home to spend time with my family.
Because at night the time no longer belongs to the officials, but they have to participate in activities.
By the evening, the streets of Bianliang were already bustling with activity.
Lights and decorations are on and firecrackers are set off.
The night market outside Donghuamen is extremely prosperous. Many vendors live on the street and set up stalls after having dinner with their families.
Walking along Donghuamen all the way to Maxing Street, there are already crowds of people coming and going.
The crowds are not simply walking around the streets, but there are parades, dragon dances, lion dances, flower boats, and colorful sedan chairs.
From early morning, the first rays of the setting sun illuminated the streets with a crimson glow, and people were already preparing for the Spring Festival on the morning of New Year's Eve.
On both sides of the street, colorful lanterns hang high, dancing like flying dragons, ribbons flutter in the breeze, and colorful decorations dot the streets.
There is a wide variety of goods, including crowns and combs, pearls and jade, head ornaments, clothing, flowers, scarves, boots and shoes, and toys.
The streets are filled with a variety of acrobatic performances such as "Flag-waving", "Firecrackers", "Holding Gongs", "Hard Ghosts", "Dancing Judges", "Mute Variety Shows", "Seven Sacred Swords", and "Breaking the Tent", which are overwhelming.
The people of the Song Dynasty were busy shuttling between restaurants, teahouses and markets decorated with lights and colorful decorations, enveloped in the festive atmosphere of the New Year.
In the evening, the sun gradually sets and the streets become even more lively.
The ladies from prominent families watched the game of Guanpu with great pleasure, sitting in a circle or drinking from their glasses.
Smoke from cooking fires rises as every household prepares food and drinks. Relatives and friends gather together to drink and celebrate the beginning of the new year.
Ordinary families took to the streets, with adults lifting their children above their heads and following the parade along the streets. They might buy candied haws and tiger-head hats for their children, or join the crowd in enjoying acrobatic performances.
The most anticipated events are the royal float parade and the pageant outside Donghua Gate, as sometimes the royal family scatters copper coins.
This custom began in the Tang Dynasty.
Gu Kuang's poem "Palace Poems" describes Li Longji, who loved to throw red envelopes as rain during the New Year during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang: "When the noisy bells and drums stop, thousands of people pick up gold coins downstairs."
By the Northern Song Dynasty, "Zizhi Tongjian" also recorded the scenes of scattering money during the reigns of Song Taizong Zhao Kuangyin, Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng, and Song Renzong Zhao Zhen.
Although Zhao Zhen was dissuaded from this habit by Zhao Jun in recent years, it was not because the court was short of money, but because it could easily cause a stampede.
The imperial court hasn't thrown money away for several years.
But ordinary people don’t know, and even if they do know, they hope it will change back to normal this year.
And even if you don't throw money, you can still have fun by following the floats.
Therefore, every Chinese New Year, when the floats parade through the streets, it is the happiest time for people. Often when looking down from a high altitude, the streets are deserted and packed with people.
Zhao Jun's home was just outside Xihuamen. After leaving home, he took his wife and children on a carriage and headed towards the imperial palace.
After walking less than 200 meters, we entered the palace through the newly built Xihua Gate.
Now that the palace has been expanded, it is much wider.
His carriage continued to move forward. A palace plaque hung on it, indicating that it was specially allowed to travel within the palace. Otherwise, if the palace was to be expanded, it would have to be walked, which would have been a very long distance.
After entering from Xihuamen, the expanded Yeonbokgung Palace is to the north.
A palace complex has been built here. Within the palace walls, there are tall buildings and clusters of flowers. There are gardens, ponds, artificial lakes and groves, as well as five- or six-story concrete buildings.
The tube-shaped buildings outside the city are not very aesthetically pleasing, and look exactly like the five- or six-story rectangular buildings of later generations.
But the palace buildings are magnificent. The interior structure is made of cement and steel bars, while the exterior still has a wooden structure with brackets and flying eaves, showing a unique Chinese style.
The carriage went east along the palace road and stopped at Zuo Chengtian Gate. Originally, there was no palace to the south of this place, but a huge parade ground. Including the Imperial City Division, there were nearly 10,000 soldiers stationed here.
Now its appearance has changed a lot. All the former military camps have been demolished, some palaces have been built, and a large square has been preserved outside.
The reason for this is that in the past, various celebrations in the Northern Song Dynasty imperial palace were held in the Daqing Hall and the square south of the Daqing Hall, including various sacrificial ceremonies, receptions with foreign envoys, New Year's Day court meetings, etc.
As a result, Zhao Jun waved his hand and used the Daqing Hall as the Political System Institute, and the square to the south also became the office space of the Political System Institute. The court lacked a venue for major events.
Therefore, the location was changed to the square inside Zuo Chengtian Gate.
At this time, the main hall inside Zuochengmen and the nearby palaces were crowded with people. All the officials of Bianliang, both big and small, entered from Zuoyemen and arrived at the square palace in front of the hall.
The halls were crowded with people, and officials were talking loudly. The chaotic voices penetrated the inner hall and reached the back door.
Zhao Jun got off the carriage first, and then Zhao Qingyun got out. He hugged her and said happily, "Slow down, be careful not to fall."
Cao Miaoxin and Zhao Tan also got off the carriage. Eight-year-old Zhao Tan said with a bitter face, "Father, can't I just not go?"
"We have to go. It's New Year's Day, and we want to have some fun."
Zhao Jun advised.
"But I just thought they were noisy. I'm not a three or four-year-old anymore. There's no fun in hanging out with those kids."
Zhao Tan was very unhappy.
"I, your father, used to be just as socially anxious as you."
"What now?"
“I still have social anxiety now.”
Zhao Jun laughed and said, "But he's already a social terrorist."
Zhao Tan scratched his head. He didn't understand what his father said.
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