When Qin Zi'an heard Minister Zhang say that the names on the family genealogy could not be preserved, he knew that he was exaggerating.
Even so, Qin Zian was still slightly surprised.
After all, Minister Zhang was unable to return home to reunite with his family on New Year's Eve, a night that the vast majority of Chinese people value.
But Minister Zhang was not in a hurry at all at that time; instead, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to his work.
But every time Minister Zhang talks about the sacrificial rites in his hometown, his feelings are always different.
"Zi'an, we'll be able to catch the procession of the gods at Fudi after we get off the plane. You have no idea how popular the Crown Prince's group is this year."
"After we finish watching this group of princes, we'll rush back to Licheng overnight. Tomorrow morning at seven o'clock, we'll go see the Mazu procession so you can experience it in its entirety."
"If you're not too tired, we can go to Puxian tonight and show you the breathtaking sight of the fire tower. This is the real fire-breathing experience of our blessed land; I guarantee you'll never forget it after you see it."
Upon hearing Minister Zhang's arrangement, Qin Zi'an was completely stunned.
Is this what Minister Zhang meant by a lively and festive Chinese New Year?!
Are you sure this isn't a special forces trip?
Minister Zhang didn't even have a moment to rest!
After getting off the plane, we went straight to see the procession of the gods, and the next morning we went to see the procession of Mazu. Even in the evening we went to see the Fire Tower.
Looking at Minister Zhang's enthusiastic face, Qin Zi'an thought of the four words "still vigorous despite old age".
Anyone who didn't know better would think Minister Zhang was a male college student, given how he managed to arrange such a special forces parade.
As Qin Zi'an was thinking, Minister Zhang took out his phone and showed him a video of the Blessed Land Parade.
The video shows the procession of the spirits of the Blessed Land, and all five princes from the Crown Prince Group appear in the video.
The tall and handsome Prince Zhao, the gentle and refined Third Prince Jinlong, the eldest prince Zhang smoking cigarettes, the lively and energetic second prince Zhang, and the eldest prince Huaguang carrying QQ candy.
Although Qin Zian had not personally witnessed the procession of the gods in the blessed land, he was still able to match the images and names of these princes one by one.
This is not only due to the help of the system, but also because the "Prince's Team" from Fudi had once become a minor internet sensation.
The topic "No wonder he has the appearance of an old friend, it turns out he is the son of an old friend" has become a hot topic on the Internet, and the central figure in this topic is Prince Zhao.
It's unclear where the topic originated, but online marketing accounts are all referring to Prince Zhao as the son of Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth.
However, with the system's prompting, Qin Zi'an clearly knew that Zhao Shizi was not the son of the God of Wealth, but rather that his father shared the same name as the God of Wealth.
Prince Zhao's father, Zhao Gongming, was the God of Plague. Before the Ming Dynasty, he was in charge of plagues among the people and could both expel and cure them.
He sacrificed his life to fight the plague, and the people of Yijing, a blessed land.
Therefore, the local people of Fudi respectfully call him one of the Five Blessing Emperors.
The Five Blessed Emperors, also known as the Five Spirit Lords, who are the gods of the blessed land, are all historically documented.
Zhenling Gong Zhao Gongming, Xianling Gong Zhang Yuanbo, Yingling Gong Zhong Shixiu, Xuanling Gong Liu Yuanda, and Yangling Gong Shi Wenye are deities in folk beliefs who drive away plagues.
According to records, they were scholars who went to Fudi to take the imperial examination during the Chongzhen era. That night, they dreamed that a plague demon threw plague into the well water, wanting to infect Fudi with the plague.
After they awoke, they talked about what they had witnessed in their dream and went to the well they had seen in their dream.
Zhang Yuanbo said, "We should sacrifice ourselves to save people." The other four people drank the well water together and left a letter to warn the people in the surrounding area to prevent the plague.
Later, this matter was reported to the imperial court, and Emperor Chongzhen was moved by their selfless spirit.
Therefore, the emperor ordered that golden statues be made for the five of them and enshrined in a temple in a blessed land.
The belief in the Five Blessing Emperors is a product of the deification of secular figures, embodying the people's beautiful wish to ward off disasters and misfortunes and seek good fortune.
In fact, the processions of deities held in various parts of Fujian were not feudal superstitions.
The first thing they say in their annual prayers is "May the country be prosperous and the people at peace, and may the weather be favorable." They are not praying for personal gain.
Moreover, the deities worshipped in Fujian are not fictional characters, but rather based on historical figures.
For example, Mazu, the most famous deity in Fujian, was a fisherwoman named Lin Mo from Meizhou Bay during the Northern Song Dynasty.
She tragically died while rescuing fishermen, and was later known as the sea goddess Mazu by the local people.
The internet is a double-edged sword; while it can promote things, it can also create stereotypes.
For example, every Fujianese person can speak Minnan dialect, and every Fujianese person worships Mazu.
But in fact, Fujian is not only divided into Southern Fujian, but also Eastern Fujian, Western Fujian and Northern Fujian.
At the same time, not every person from Fujian worships Mazu; only those living near the sea do.
Not to mention how sacred a female celebrity is in the hearts of the people of Fujian, just because she played the role of Mazu.
This is complete nonsense!
Every place in Fujian has its own guardian deity, and even the guardian deity of each village is different.
What they all have in common is that these deities are based on historical figures and embody the wishes of the local people for blessings.
Qin Zian was thinking about the procession of the gods in Fujian when he noticed Minister Zhang moving closer and closer to him.
Looking at his smiling face, Qin Zian could tell that something was amiss.
"Minister Zhang, you...you don't mean to ask me to promote the Fujian God Parade, do you?"
"No, no, no! I'm not that kind of person."
Minister Zhang quickly waved his hand, categorically denying Qin Zi'an's idea.
But before Qin Zian could even relax, Minister Zhang uttered something truly astonishing.
“In Fujian, the processions of deities are organized by village. Even if you spend the entire first month of the lunar calendar here, you still won’t be able to see them all. I’ve already thought of a few options for you. We can just visit a few representative processions.”
“Since we’re already here, we should definitely have some fun. I’ll show you around the scenery of Fujian, and you can bring your online friends along too. As someone working in the system, you can’t just think about your own enjoyment; you should take ordinary people with you.”
"Don't you think so, Zi'an?"
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