Knife splashing

Chapter 173 The Lantern Festival

At dusk, the news finally came.

"Our team will be stationed at Daozhengfang."

Shopkeeper Wan looked a little excited, "Daozhengfang is next to the palace. There is a three-story building there, right by the Xingqing Lake."

"Because we performed well during the day, we were specially arranged here. When the time comes, everyone in Chang'an Palace will go up to watch and give each team fine wine as encouragement."

"it is good!"

All the men cheered immediately, their faces full of excitement.

Although they are also people of the underworld, the industries they are engaged in are, to put it bluntly, of the lowest class. They usually talk about the powerful and the wealthy as dirt, but they still feel very happy when they are praised by these royal nobles.

No matter what the result is, it will be a topic of conversation in the future.

Li Yan was naturally not interested in the prince's encouragement, and asked in a deep voice: "Where are the nearby teams from?"

Shopkeeper Wan naturally knew what he meant, and said solemnly: "One is a team from Jinzhou, in Shengyefang. They are not only guests, but also have a big bank background. The prince will meet them first."

"The other one is in Changlefang. It was formed by warlocks from Yulin. It has a decent reputation and I know most of them."

"Most of the Jinzhou team will use the speed advantage of the drum cart to leave first, build up momentum along the way, use the flag to gather incense, and get a spot first."

"The team from Yulin will meet us in the East Market. This is the first match. We can either keep our distance and move forward, or we will have to fight to the bitter end."

"I want to preserve my strength. After all, carrying the Divine Tower across Chang'an City consumes a lot of physical strength. There is no need to fight right from the start."

"I guess the other side thinks the same thing. If they leave first, we won't run into them."

"But how to choose depends on others..."

Finally, night fell and the lights in the city came on.

They knew that the real test was coming...

…………

The Lantern Festival in Chang'an has always been a scene of great excitement.

In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, people believed that the gods appeared at midnight. Therefore, in addition to various rituals during the day, there were even more activities at night.

For example, in the Tang Dynasty, the ceremony of welcoming the Zi Gu God would only begin at midnight. In addition, Buddhism was prevalent at that time, and lamps would be lit on the 15th day of the first lunar month to offer sacrifices to Buddha since the Han Dynasty.

Of course there was another reason. At that time, there was a curfew in Chang'an, which would be lifted on the Lantern Festival. Even the palace would open its doors, and the emperor would go out to celebrate with the people.

The singing girls and dancers dressed up in their best clothes and wandered in the sea of ​​lanterns under the moon.

A poet described the grand scene at that time: Fire trees and silver flowers are blooming, the iron locks of the star bridge are opened. The dark dust follows the horses, and the bright moon follows the people. The dancers are all dressed in plum blossoms, singing and walking on the path. The Jinwu does not stop at night, and the jade clock does not urge us.

Today, Chang'an has long lost its former glory.

The heroes of Wuling and the elegance of the prosperous Tang Dynasty have long since returned to dust.

But the excitement of the Lantern Festival has been passed down.

Every household is decorated with lights, and the streets are lined with lanterns as if there is no end. Some businesses have hired people to perform dragon and lion dances, bamboo horse dances, and land boat races.

There was a constant stream of people, and children were playing and chasing each other with fish lanterns in their hands. Even if they broke the lanterns next to them, the adults were not angry at all, but instead considered it a blessing.

Of course, the highlight is the tour of the shrine.

Dao Zheng Fang was near a corner of the city wall, and Manager Wan's team had already been waiting there. The men carrying the Shen Tower were rubbing their hands, encouraging each other, and even patting their chests and roaring to boost their morale.

They are going to get serious tonight.

If you encounter other teams on a narrow road, you must directly collide with them and overturn their tower.

This is not disrespectful to God, but rather a ritual to entertain God.

In front of the shrine, a Taoist priest of Taixuan Orthodox Sect held a Dharma flag in one hand and made hand gestures with the other hand to insert the Dharma flag on the shrine, then burned incense and offered sacrifices.

This Taoist has a round face and is a familiar face.

His Taoist name was Gu Chenzi. He was the man who had followed Luo Mingzi and Li Yan at the mass grave in Xianyang and was appointed to rescue the mountain god.

After the other party finished the ritual, Li Yan immediately stepped forward to meet him.

"Mr. Li, it's been a long time since we last met."

Gu Chenzi has a lively personality and always has a smile on his face.

Li Yan also said something polite, and then asked, "Has Taoist Master Luo Mingzi returned?"

"No."

Gu Chenzi asked in confusion, "Brother left in a hurry, and we don't know what urgent matter it was. Uncle Master also forbade us to ask too much, but there was news from the capital that Brother Luo Mingzi might be transferred to the capital."

"Oh."

Li Yan seemed to be thinking about something. It seemed that Zhao Changsheng's affairs had attracted the attention of the imperial court and Taixuan Orthodox Sect.

Thinking of this, he stopped asking questions and looked at the flag of the Divine Tower, asking, "Why did you make such a big fuss about the sudden change?"

Gu Chenzi hesitated for a moment, looked around, and whispered, "You are not an outsider either. Don't spread it around after I tell you."

"This winter was snowy, so it should have plenty of rain next year. However, many divinations have consistently indicated that a drought is coming. The Doumu Palace in Mount Taibai noticed something was wrong, so a high-ranking official performed a ritual and climbed the mountain to observe the weather. They discovered that the disaster was coming from the Qinling Mountains."

"Natural disasters can be prevented by rituals and prayers, but man-made disasters can only be solved by oneself, so the Law Enforcement Hall sent people to investigate and discovered the activities of the Maitreya sect..."

"Is it the drought demon?" Li Yan asked.

Gu Chenzi was surprised, "You know a lot."

"That thing is not simple. Let's put it this way... It was recorded in the Tang Dynasty. It was suppressed later, but its catastrophic aura had not been eliminated yet. It was secretly taken out again. It was purely the work of the evil in people's hearts."

"Tonight's ceremony is to imitate the ancient Shang Dynasty's 'Yu Dance' to entertain the gods. It will use the power to suppress the thing and make it stable. Then it will leave Chang'an and be transported to Huashan smoothly, and the disaster will be resolved."

"The entire army of Maitreya in Shanzhou was basically wiped out, but there are bound to be people with ulterior motives. If you, a living ghost, hear any news, you must not play dumb..."

Li Yan said seriously: "Don't worry, I will pay attention to the rumors on the street."

Gu Chenzi bowed, turned and left.

Perhaps it was because of Li Yan's performance on several occasions that Luo Mingzi and his fellow apprentices trusted him more and no longer concealed some things.

Looking at the other person's departing figure, Li Yan looked towards the shrine again.

Dao Zheng Fang is adjacent to the royal palace, and its residents are all high-ranking officials in the city. The male owners may still be a little reserved, but the women and servants in the mansion will not miss this opportunity.

At this moment, the area around the shrine is densely packed with people, burning incense and praying, wishing for a prosperous new year. The smoke from the incense penetrates the night sky.

Li Yan could smell that inside the large and two small shrines, the power of incense and fire had gathered and formed a divine power which was connected to the flag above.

Today's rituals can also be considered a gamble.

It costs a lot to build a shrine, but as long as the ritual is completed successfully, it is equivalent to undergoing a divine refining and consecration, and truly becoming a magic weapon.

The greatest function of this kind of magic weapon is to provide a safe and secure home.

Its divine power has been gathered and is enshrined in the ancestral temple of the house, with incense burned and offered every morning and evening. Most evil spirits dare not approach.

In Chang'an City, there are many people willing to buy it at a high price.

For example, right now, there are already several old men who look like housekeepers, surrounding Manager Wan and asking him questions.

But Shopkeeper Wan kept shaking his head, obviously not planning to sell.

At this moment, a man suddenly looked up and said, "Look, the prince is coming out!"

Upon hearing this, many people looked up and watched.

On the other side of the street is the royal palace. A few dozen meters behind the wall, there is a three-story library. At this moment, the doors and windows are wide open, the lights are bright, and you can vaguely see many people leaning on the railings to look out.

Li Yan has been practicing martial arts for many years and has extraordinary eyesight. He can see that the prince and the crown prince look ordinary and a little fat.

The only thing that caught his attention was a Taoist priest in white clothes standing beside the prince. He had handsome features, a long black beard that reached down to his chest, and was quite dignified.

Sha Lifei and Luo Faqing were familiar with each other and had learned from others that Qiao Sanhu was not Yue Fachong's cousin but the only son of their master.

Yue Fachong protected him to repay his teacher's kindness.

Although it is a virtue to some extent, lax discipline is no different from letting a tiger hurt people. Therefore, Li Yan did not have a good impression of Yue Fa Chong...

……

The scenery is even better on top of the palace library.

"Hahaha…"

Looking at the lights all over the city, Chang'an King Xiao Qingyuan was in a very good mood. He was supported by the eunuch to sit down and said with some nostalgia: "When Daxuan was first established, Chang'an was burned down by the Golden Horde Wolf Kingdom. It was dilapidated and ruined. It took decades to recover."

"Ten years ago, Maitreya was in chaos, and there was another fire. Now it seems that he has obviously recovered well."

People around him started to flatter him.

"It's all because of the prince's generosity."

"It is a blessing for the people that Chang'an is under the rule of the prince."

Although it is a compliment, many people also mean it sincerely.

The Daxuan Dynasty enfeoffed princes in the name of their fiefdoms from the very beginning, and there were rules that could not be violated.

For example, all expenses of the Prince of Chang'an's palace were considered by the Ministry of Clan Affairs based on local taxes and then distributed downwards.

In other words, the local wealth and poverty are directly linked to the royal palace. If the people are made to live in poverty, the title will be revoked.

The current King of Chang'an is the younger brother of the current emperor. He never disturbs the people after arriving in the local area and enjoys a very good reputation in Shanzhou.

But now I am old and frail, and I can’t do many things.

Hearing everyone's flattery, Prince Chang'an didn't care at all and shook his head, saying, "I know that I am average in ability, so I just need to stay safe and not cause trouble for Your Majesty."

"I was chatting with Zen Master Zhikong that day, and I felt that it was better to be still than to move. From now on, I will focus on recuperating and leave the affairs of the mansion to the prince."

Everyone looked at each other and tried to persuade him.

Of course, King Chang'an just shook his head slightly and was too lazy to say more.

Yue Fachong's eyes darkened and he felt helpless.

He knew that the prince's words meant that he had completely given up on the idea of ​​forming a fleet and wanted to hand over the power to the prince so that he could train him in advance.

Perhaps, he also felt that his time was running out.

"Father…"

Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi's lips trembled, tears welled up in his eyes, and he was unable to speak.

"Why are you crying during the Lantern Festival? It's bad luck..."

Prince Chang'an cursed with a smile, then said, "My prince, this year's Drum King Conference has attracted many heroes from all over the country. I am tired, so from now on, you will give them wine to cheer them up."

"My child obeys."

Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi took a deep breath, took the drumstick presented by the eunuchs, swung his arm, and struck the dragon-patterned drum next to him.

Boom boom boom!
Accompanied by the sound of drums, Li Kongqing immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Prince, please give us some wine to cheer up the drum teams!"

Chang'an was noisy at the moment, and his voice could not be heard very far. Even Li Yan and others outside the opposite courtyard could not hear him clearly.

Of course, the palace had other preparations.

As he shouted, the palace guards downstairs immediately followed suit and shouted: "Prince, please give us some wine to cheer for the drum teams!"

The sound quickly spread outside the palace.

There were knights waiting there. When they heard the news, they immediately rode out and rushed to every corner of Chang'an City, shouting, "Prince, please give us some wine to cheer up the drum corps!"

When the people heard this, they were just curious why the person was changed this year.

But when those in the city who were interested heard it, they immediately realized that the real person in charge of the Chang'an Palace from now on would be the Crown Prince Xiao Hongqi.

Some people don't care, while others lament.

The Shanzhou Chamber of Commerce that they had been planning for a long time was officially declared bankrupt. Given the prince's personality, he would definitely not allow the Chang'an Palace to participate in the voyage.

All they can do is cling to the Li family.

Although the teams participating in the parade were distributed in various locations in Chang'an City, they were all accompanied by people arranged by the royal palace.

Next to them, there were large black wine jars wrapped in red cloth.

This is the palace's private collection of fine wines, all of which are old Xifeng wines from previous years. You can't get a taste of them in ordinary inns outside.

Upon hearing the order, the clerks in the palace all took action, broke open the mud seal, one of them picked up the wine ladle, and another picked up the clay bowls stacked high next to it.

The men in the drum team had already lined up.

Although the wine jar is big, there are hundreds of people in each drum team. After each person gets a bowl, the jar is empty.

"Everyone, great victory!"

The leader of the drum team roared, drank the wine in the bowl, and then smashed it heavily to the ground.

"Wan Sheng!"

The others followed suit and did the same, then broke the bowl.

This is an ancient military salute, which means to rather die with honor than live in disgrace.

After drinking the farewell wine, everyone became more energetic.

Boom boom boom!
It was almost midnight at this moment. With the sound of three cannon shots, the highlight of this Drum King Conference, the Night Parade, officially began.

"Brothers, get up!"

"Hey ho!"

Guo Luquan roared, and the men immediately lifted up the shrine.

They shouted slogans, accompanied by drums and music, and started their journey.

The people around were equally excited. The elderly smiled and waved, while the young ones cheered and followed closely, holding incense sticks.

The drum music of the Qin and Han dynasties is majestic in itself, and the night tour of the lantern market with everyone following along makes them feel like they are going to war with the army, and they are extremely excited.

In ancient times, there were witchcraft and animal dances, and people walked at night with torches to drive away plague and evil spirits.

Although witchcraft has declined, its shadow can still be seen in many rituals and folk customs.

Gradually, more and more people followed behind.

At this moment, looking from the sky above Chang'an City, one can see twenty-four fire dragons, coming from all directions and converging on Suzaku Street.

"Ouch~~"

The people were waving incense and burning candles, and ghosts were crying and wolves were howling.

But no one laughed at this time, everyone was immersed in the atmosphere.

Guo Luquan and other men who were carrying the shrine had been exhausted during the day, but now they seemed to have forgotten their tiredness. Their eyes were wide open, their faces were red, and they walked forward while shouting slogans.

The huge shrine also rises and falls.

The Qin and Han Drum Orchestra also played drums to cheer, adding to the momentum.

As for Li Yan, he just slapped him at will.

It's not that he is lazy, but he wants to save some energy to deal with unexpected situations.

Rumble!
As soon as I left Daozhengfang, a roar came from the front.

It was the Jinzhou team, with chariots pulling huge drums and rushing forward with great momentum, followed by a large number of people, with incense burning like dragons.

Just as Manager Wan expected, they chose to start first.

Immediately, some curious young men broke away and ran wildly behind the Jinzhou war drum cart.

Li Yan and the others didn't care and continued to move forward. Finally, they met Yulin's team near the East Market...

(End of this chapter)