Chapter 559 New Year’s Eve·Ancestor Worship
Fang Jun likes to be with Princess Changle very much. This Princess Changle is like a delicate and pure white lotus, standing quietly, exuding a faint fragrance without any words, making people feel relaxed and happy. Leisurely.
It is extremely in line with Fang Jun's aesthetic sense.
Just thinking of what she just said, Fang Jun sighed again...
How could he remain indifferent to Princess Gaoyang's willingness to risk her life to block his arrows, if he was not a stone-hearted person?
All along, it was the history in his mind that made him avoid Princess Gaoyang, and he had always been resistant to this marriage.
His soul is that of a mature man, not a teenager who longs for perfect love. He is completely able to accept political marriage, and he is sure that he will not resist his wife after marriage.
There is nothing wrong with getting married first and falling in love later.
Love does not have to be dramatic, and a peaceful relationship is more in line with Fang Jun's ideal state.
It’s just that she has never been able to get over the hurdle between Princess Gaoyang and Bianji...
But when Princess Gaoyang stood in front of him to block his arrow, Fang Jun knew that he was moved.
When a woman can die for you, what mistake is unforgivable?
What's more, this so-called mistake is just an unsolved case in history, and it may not happen now...
I can accept Wu Meimei who "enjoys all the beautiful men in the world", why can't I accept Princess Gaoyang who is risking her own life for love?
The mist is steaming and the snow powder is falling.
Fang Jun stood by the lake, standing tall and proud, with a lot of emotions in his heart...
*****
Fang Jun is an open-minded person. He was like this in his previous life and he will be like this in this life.
He couldn't refuse Princess Gaoyang who sacrificed her life for him, which would make his conscience uneasy.
Of course, there is no admiration, at least not yet.
However, he is completely able to accept marriage first and love later...
Early in the morning on New Year's Eve, every household in Chang'an City was setting off firecrackers, filling the New Year atmosphere.
In this era when gunpowder was not yet popular and the cost of paper was high, burning bamboo joints to make them burst and make sounds to drive away the god of plague was a good wish for peace and tranquility.
Of course, "firecrackers" are about to become a thing of the past.
Before dinner was served in the morning, Fang Jun led the third and fourth house Yi Ze and the fourth house Yi Yi to the gate, carrying a firecracker that had just been successfully tested in the workshop.
Use a long bamboo pole to lift it up, light an incense stick, light the fuse, and the sparks will burn "chichi". Immediately afterwards, deafening continuous explosions sounded at the gate. As the firecrackers exploded, the red-dyed firecracker paper tubes were exploded by gunpowder, and pieces of broken red confetti flew all over the sky, creating a festive scene.
The third and fourth children were so scared at first that they hid behind Fang Jun, but after a while they were no longer afraid. They jumped and jumped excitedly, begging Fang Jun to let him go. How dare Fang Jun let them set off firecrackers? If he is injured, I can skin him!
Ever since the two little guys got older, wiser and more clingy, Fang Jun felt that his status in front of my mother had plummeted...
When the firecrackers went off, not only the servants and servants in the mansion were blown out, but the whole street came out to visit, everyone looked shocked and didn't know what happened.
This is probably the first firecracker in history, right?
Fang Jun thought happily, this feeling of "taking the lead" is really good...
Looking at the thundercrackers exploding, and the red confetti flying all over the sky with the explosions, everyone felt that this thing was very suitable for setting off on a festive day like the New Year! As for the atmosphere-enhancing effect, that's not the slightest bit.
Compared with this thing, the bamboo knots burning in the brazier are simply weak!
Then a neighbor came to ask.
"Erlang, what is this? It looks scary?"
"These are firecrackers." Fang Jun replied with a smile.
“Where to buy it?”
"Yes, this thing is really loud, much better than firecrackers. The red paper is flying all over the sky, so festive!"
Fang Jun smiled and said: "This is developed in the family's workshop and cannot be sold."
The people living on this street are wealthy officials and wealthy families.
He regretted a little, remembering that it was already the twelfth lunar month to make firecrackers and fireworks. After several experiments, although they were successful, the New Year was already here and mass production could not be done. Otherwise, it would be a good thing to make money.
After dismissing the curious neighbors, Fang Jun led the third and fourth children back to the main house for dinner.
Fang Xuanling was already sitting upright, frowning and reprimanding Fang Jun: "I'm not doing my job all day long, tinkering with weird stuff, I'm not making any progress!"
Fang Jun laughed and did not argue. He just said: "There are some materials in the workshop that were used to make gunpowder, so I made these firecrackers for the Chinese New Year. Let's listen to them for good luck."
But in my heart I was slandering.
Is glass considered weird? Is gunpowder considered weird? Is Quyuli considered strange?
Glass now creates a lot of wealth for His Majesty Li Er every year, gunpowder has become a powerful weapon for conquering cities and territories, and the curved-wheel plow has spread all over the country, more than doubling the efficiency of farmland farming.
It is these strange and weird things that actually change people's daily lives and promote the continuous advancement of this empire.
This is not weird, this is science and technology!
Science and technology are productivity!
Dad doesn’t understand...
From now on, I will slowly inculcate this concept into my father. This old scholar who has studied Confucianism all his life may not be able to change this idea in a while.
After hearing Fang Jun's words, Fang Xuanling immediately asked worriedly: "Gunpowder? That is something that His Majesty has strictly prohibited for the people. You disobey the emperor's order and want to drag me to be beheaded?"
Of course this is a joke.
Even if Fang Jun really rebels, His Majesty Li Er will not chop off Fang Xuanling's head, and Changsun Chong will not implicate Changsun Wuji...
But it can also be seen that Fang Xuanling is cautious.
Be on guard against the slightest, and stay upright. This is the way to be an official, and it is also the way to be a human being.
Lu glared and said, "You old thing, can't you say something nice during the Chinese New Year?"
Fang Xuanling was so angry that she was speechless.
The elder sister-in-law Du Shi and the younger sister Fang Xiuzhu were snickering on the side. In this family, the Lu family's majesty is really invincible. Even the prime minister, who speaks the truth in the court, has to kneel down...
Fang Jun then explained: "Father, don't worry. The gunpowder used to make firecrackers is different from the gunpowder used to make thunder in the Shenji camp. It is much less powerful. Even if you get a ten-pound one, it will be useless."
Fang Xuanling was relieved now, but she was still unhappy after being stabbed by Lu, and she kept a sullen face throughout the meal.
After finishing the meal, Fang Xuanling put down his bowl and chopsticks and said coldly: "Get ready for the ancestor worship in the afternoon."
Then he put his hands behind his back and went to the study to drink tea.
Naturally, Fang Jun did not need to take any action when preparing for ancestor worship. Most of it was the matter of his eldest brother, Fang Yizhi.
This has nothing to do with ability, only age.
Fang Yizhi is the eldest son of the Fang family. This kind of thing is basically his responsibility. Of course, Fang Yizhi will inherit Fang Xuanling's title in the future. It doesn't matter to anyone else...
The Fang family's ancestral temple is in Qingzhou, and the road is too far. It is impossible to trek back to Qingzhou every year to worship the ancestors, so they built an ancestral hall in the backyard to store the ancestors' tablets. A few years later, when Fang Xuanling's branch flourishes, it will branch off from the ancestral temple in Qingzhou and build another branch.
The ancestral temple on the east side of the courtyard is a tall main building with five bays, a hall with a building, complete with steps and corridors, and wing rooms on the left and right, which is majestic and magnificent.
The gray sculpture decorations on the roof ridge are themed with auspicious animals and auspicious patterns such as plum blossoms, peonies, lotuses and turtles. The gables are also decorated with exquisite grass tail gray sculptures. There is a huge red sandalwood carving table placed in the room. On the table, there is a three-foot-high green bronze tripod, and behind it is a row of wooden niches with ancestral tablets in the niches. The shrine is engraved with various colorful flowers and plants, such as plum blossoms, green bamboos, peonies, peach blossoms and lotus flowers, to represent the endless growth of the four seasons and to symbolize the blooming branches and leaves of the entire family.
Underground are a total of eight nanmu seats, one on each side.
At this moment, the ancestral hall is filled with green smoke, simple and solemn.
As the clan leader of this branch, Fang Xuanling is naturally the chief priest. Fang Yizhi accompanied the sacrifice, Fang Jun offered silk, Fang Yi held incense, and Fang Yiyi guarded the burning pond. It's just that Fang Yiyi is too young, so he is just showing off and has to send a servant to watch him...
One of the core contents of Confucian etiquette is the order of elders and younger ones. There are many things in the sacrifice that Fang Jun can only watch and cannot be ranked.
After worshiping the ancestors, the family gathered in the main hall to have New Year's Eve dinner.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, we must stay up late on New Year's Eve.
At this time, Lu Cheng, the steward of Lishan Village, led a dozen young men and drove several carriages to transport more than twenty large square cardboard boxes... (End of Chapter)