Chinese New Year

Chapter 1374 ancestor worship
The banquet ended as darkness fell.

Shao Xun stood at the crossroads, a smile playing on his lips.

A row of guards stood by his side, each holding a piece of silk cloth, which they distributed to everyone they met. Men received a bolt of silk, while women and children received a bolt of hemp cloth.

If there are five or six people in the family, this will cost a lot of money.

Behind Shao Xun was a horse-drawn carriage loaded with farm produce. Initially, it was given by old neighbors, and Shao Xun insisted on paying for it, so they reluctantly accepted. Later, people would deliberately bring it, and Shao Xun didn't mind, even paying a premium to buy it.

With a large army stationed nearby, it was inevitable that they would encroach on farmland.

Shao Xun ordered Liang Zong, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, to go to the prefectural government to convey an imperial edict, ordering that grain from the Ever-Normal Granary be used to provide relief.

The land that is bare will be allocated two bushels of grain per mu, while the land that is planted with winter wheat will be allocated four bushels of grain per mu, which will be distributed before the end of the year.

As for the officials accompanying the emperor who stayed overnight, they were also given food as compensation.

After everything settled down, Shao Xun walked across the newly renovated Caojia Bridge and glanced around casually.

It turned out to be a stone bridge, and it looked to have been newly built less than half a year ago. It must have been started and constructed by the county government.

Being an official in the capital must be tough, right? Shao Xun chuckled to himself.

The old mulberry tree at the bridgehead is gone.

This tree used to be very tall, not the kind of short mulberry tree that is specially cultivated in later generations. When he was a child, he and a few friends climbed up to pick mulberries to eat, but they encountered a snake and scrambled away. The snake seemed to be startled and did not dare to "chase" them.

Rumors are circulating in the village that it wasn't a snake, but a dragon, and that Shao Xiaochong caught it and ate it! Several people who climbed the tree with him back then can testify to this.

Shao Xun strolled along the country road with his hands behind his back. He was in a good mood, even humming something like "Leaving home young, returning old."

The women followed behind, and Yang Xianrong listened quietly, saying, "He even wrote a poem for me back then."

The crowd was somewhat surprised, and even more envious.

"I stopped writing after I got it," Yang Xianrong added.

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

Shao Xun shook his head, seemingly unaware.

Soldiers stood on the ridges of the fields, outside the bamboo groves, and along the riverbanks, with a sentry every three steps and a scout every five steps, extending all the way to the tall gatehouse not far away.

Shao Xun slowly stopped, pointed to the magnificent gate, and laughed, "If I had this house back then, I would never have joined the army."

Shan Yinan looked up at the mansion and felt it was even smaller than many of the manors owned by aristocratic families in Jiangnan. Several servants stood in front of the mansion; they were undoubtedly government slaves, but she wondered where they had come from.

They're probably the only ones living here on weekdays, sweeping the courtyard, harvesting the crops, and supporting themselves.

It's actually quite good. You can earn your own living without having to serve anyone or pay taxes.

"Your Majesty," the servants greeted from a distance.

"You've worked hard." Shao Xun said in a good mood, "Give each person two bolts of cloth."

Having said that, he entered the courtyard.

After looking at it for a long time, I felt a sense of loss.

Although it was known long ago that the old house was in disrepair and half-collapsed and abandoned, and Donghai County had to fund its renovation, it was still a bit of a pity that it turned out like this. It was impossible to find any trace of its former appearance.

After a moment, he chuckled to himself, "How pretentious! I've left you a thatched hut and an adobe house, and you're already unhappy about it."

After walking around the house, he finally found a few traces of his old memories.

The pond in the northeast corner of the house is still there; I heard it was used to raise a lot of fish.

"Your Majesty, this pond is dredged every three years. After the dredging was completed at the beginning of the Zhenming era, several hundred fish fry were released. If Your Majesty is willing, you can send people to catch them tomorrow." There was a steward in the manor, who was the Palace Supervisor of Tiancheng Palace (a seventh-rank official) under the Ministry of Agriculture.

Yes, Shao Xun's old residence was famous, called "Tiancheng Palace," which was one of the emperor's temporary palaces. It had one palace supervisor, one assistant, and one registrar.

"Very good," Shao Xun said. "Make fish soup tomorrow. Hmm, prepare a lot, marinate and dry it in the sun, I'll take it back to Bianliang."

"Yes," the palace eunuch replied.

From the opposite bank of the pond came the sound of crunching dry branches; it was a group of soldiers carrying torches, diligently patrolling.

Behind the soldiers lay the dark plains and a few farmhouses with lights on occasionally. But soon all the lights went out; the farmers went to bed early and got up early too.

Without today's reward, they probably wouldn't even know how to light a lamp; they would have eaten and gone to sleep as soon as it got dark.

Shao Xun thought to himself, "I've brought a lot of joy to the villagers today, that's wonderful..."

Didn't he come into this era to bring happiness to more people?
End the endless wars, let more people own their own land, and let everyone have more food, fruits and vegetables, cloth, meat and milk, and even luxuries such as spices and sugar.

Let the countryside be filled with carefree children, let knowledge enter more families, and let the land that has been gradually lost since the Later Han Dynasty return to the Central Plains...

He was not a good person, much less a virtuous gentleman, but his original intention to make the world a better place never changed, and he struggled hard for it, which is why many people did not understand him.

He had been anxious, resentful, and disappointed, but on this quiet winter night, he felt relieved once again.

Their lives are getting better, aren't they?
******
On the third day of the eleventh lunar month, the weather was fairly clear. Outside the mausoleum, dozens of people respectfully paid their respects.

After getting up, one person took two bolts of silk and left.

They were the local people who guarded the Shao family's ancestral tombs. There were ten households in total. They settled down nearby and were allocated land and exempted from taxes and corvée labor.

Actually, it's a good job. All they have to do is clean up the palace grounds after farming. As for the sacrificial rites, that's the job of the Tiancheng Palace Supervisors. They don't even have to lift a finger, and they can even get a share of the sacrificial offerings.

The park is filled with evergreen pines and cypresses, which at first glance look like an army formation.

The officials of Tiancheng Palace had already prepared the tribute and stood by waiting quietly.

Shao Xun first arrived at his grandparents' graves, gazing at the tall tombstone with the inscription: "It is said that the stars revolve around the North Star, their brilliance though far-reaching; rivers flow to the Eastern Sea, their source truly deep. Our lord, whose given name was Yin, was a native of Qu County, Donghai..."

In his youth, he wielded a halberd and carried a plow on his shoulder; in his prime, he carried a spear and a sickle, his yoke and stirrups gleaming. In spring, while plowing the fields, he still wore a straw raincoat and carried a quiver; in autumn, while harvesting millet and rice, he still wore straw sandals tied to his shins. By day, he drove the oxen to the southern fields, the whip startling the crows on the garrison; by night, he fed the horses to the northern camp, the watchtower shattering the grain in the threshing floor. At midnight, he mended his armor, his wife sewing patchwork clothes by lamplight; at dawn, as the soldiers began their shift, the children roasted half a sweet potato by the stove.

Upon retiring from military service and returning to the countryside, though his body was weary, his heart remained passionate. He taught farming in his old village, and instructing his family in propriety and righteousness at their humble gate. As spring rain dripped from the eaves, he often spoke of the snow-covered passes; as autumn straw burned in the stove, he frequently mentioned the cold frost of the watchman's clapper. Though his body was fallen into the mire, his ambition soared to the heavens; though his name may be forgotten in official documents, his spirit pierced the rainbow…

Alas! Smoke hangs over the trees of Longxi, only the mournful neighing of warhorses can be heard; dew chills the spring terrace, forever silencing the returning banners of soldiers. Now, a grandson emperor ascends the throne. Recalling the whispered conversations by lamplight in bygone years, it seems like a dream; touching the twelve-character embroidered crown of this day, tears fall in the mortal palace. Thus, an edict is issued to the officials: construct a tomb resembling the Qilian Mountains, plant cypress and willow trees to form a fortified enclosure. Furthermore, an inscription shall be carved on a steadfast stone to commemorate his illustrious legacy.

After looking around, he walked around the tomb chamber and finally came to the tombstone. He respectfully offered the offerings, then waved to dismiss the crowd and sat alone in front of the tomb.

The north wind sweeps the ground, howling incessantly.

Shao Xun's thoughts wandered freely, drifting off to who-knows-where.

After a long silence, he smiled, gently stroked the tombstone, and said, "I have not let down the Shao family. At least we will have enjoyed wealth and honor for several generations. After several generations—the blessings of a virtuous man will last for five generations."

Having said that, he stood up and invited the concubines and princes in.

According to etiquette, concubines were not qualified to perform sacrifices; only Empress Yu Wenjun was. However, Shao Xun was not a particular person, and besides, he did not allow Yang Xianrong and others to perform the sacrifices; he simply had them watch from the sidelines.

The King of Han, the Duke of Shu, the Duke of Song, and the Duke of Liangcheng stepped forward in turn to pay homage to their great-grandfather.

The others were fine, but Gong Zhen, the governor of Liangcheng County, was quite agitated.

He wasn't surnamed Shao, and although he didn't say it, he was actually a little concerned about it. However, his father never treated him as an outsider and even let him come along to pay respects to his great-grandfather, which warmed his heart.

"Does the Murong clan have this rule?" Wang asked in a low voice.

Duan was greatly embarrassed. After a moment, she replied softly, "Not yet."

Wang was somewhat surprised: "I heard that Murong Hui was vigorously promoting the laws of the Central Plains, but I did not expect it to be like this."

Duan glanced at Wang and asked, "Do Pingcheng and Shengle worship Tuoba Liwei and the Desert Khan?"

Wang pursed her lips and said, "No, not at all."

Duan sighed and said, "I feel quite uncomfortable here."

"We're carrying the children of the Shao family, what's wrong with letting our great-grandfather meet our great-grandchildren?" Wang said mischievously.

Duan gave her a resentful look.

Wang looked Duan up and down carefully and said, "You've changed a bit compared to before."

Duan's face turned pale.

She didn't know what was wrong with her today; she just came to the ancestral mausoleum of the Shao family in a daze. It seemed like no one was urging her. In her confused and chaotic state, she came subconsciously.

They must have come out of fear of being reprimanded by Emperor Liang.

In addition, there seems to be a desire for the unborn child to receive the blessings and protection of the ancestors...

In the afternoon, Shao Xun and his group left the dormitory and strolled along a small river next to it.

He had already decided to implement the plan to establish a port on Yuzhou Island, and he was determined to do so. In addition to opening the port, he also planned to establish a county.

This island, also known as Tianheng Island, was where Tian Heng and his five hundred warriors hid when they fled in the early Han Dynasty. It spanned hundreds of miles and had the benefits of farming, fishing, and salt production. Moreover, its hydrological conditions were excellent, making it one of the few good harbors in Jiangsu Province in later generations.

Venturing to the ocean was certainly a stretch given the current level of productivity, but it was always a good start.

Progress comes with each generation; success doesn't have to be achieved by me.

Moreover, transporting tribute and rare items from the south of Jiangzhou or even Jiaoguang to the north by land was quite inconvenient.

In the past, the Tao family of Xuancheng had been stationed in Jiaozhou for generations. After the death of one of them, his descendants carried his coffin back to his hometown. Due to the difficult roads and the chaos of war, it took them as long as six years to travel there.

Of course, normally it wouldn't be necessary to do this; a year would have passed by in no time. However, many people who transported the tribute died or were injured on the way—mainly from illness.

Do you really think that the land routes in the less developed south are easy to travel?

Opening this port can be considered a contribution to the people of my hometown; at least it will bring in considerable commercial revenue.

In this life, one should still strive to maintain a good reputation in one's hometown.

(End of this chapter)