Starting from the Qi and Liang Dynasties in the Southern Dynasties, kings imitated the birthday of Buddha and held celebrations on their birthdays, and the whole country celebrated.
In the Southern Dynasty, Emperor Liang Yuan held a banquet and held banquets on his birthday every year. In the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Yang Jian, issued a decree that no slaughtering would be allowed in the country on his birthday, and he also asked state capitals to present congratulatory gifts.
But the first monarch in history who truly turned birthday celebrations into a national decree was Tang Xuanzong Li Longji.
Li Longji designated his birthday, August 5, as the "Qianqiu Festival", and wrote this festival into the national laws as "an order to be distributed throughout the world" to gain official recognition.
On the Qianqiu Festival, Li Longji issued an edict, "Xian ordered a three-day holiday for feasting and entertainment."
Officials in various places held longevity drinks to pay homage to the emperor, and the common people made sacrifices to Bai Di to pay homage to the God of the Fields, set up fastings, ban slaughter, and make offerings to the gods, etc.
After the three-day celebration, the expenditures of various state capitals often exceed one million dollars.
Some poor prefectures and counties, because they were unable to celebrate the emperor's birthday and were worried about being ostracized, collected "Qianqiu tribute" from the people to collect wealth and win the favor of the court, making the people miserable.
Times changed, and the Tang Dynasty entered the New Year period.
Emperor Zhou Jun did not like the flattery of officials, and they were not polite and did not ask for tribute.
According to common sense, the Qianqiu Festival should be more simple and low-key than during the Xuanzong period.
But the fact is exactly the opposite. During the Xinyuan years, the Qianqiu Festival during Zhou Jun's reign became more and more grand every year. Even Du Fu, who had always been simple in writing poems, once wrote, "There is nothing left in the world of immortals, just because Qianqiu is here." Such verses.
Compared with previous years, the Qianqiu Festival in the 16th year of the New Year is the most grand and grand in history.
There are more than 400 members of the Central and Lower Houses of the DPRK, and all of them are from well-off industrial and commercial families. Outside the imperial court, they spontaneously organized and arranged towns and cities, turning the entire Chang'an into a prosperous and unparalleled city.
On the day of the celebration, there was a poem to prove it, which said:
Not satisfied in front of the horse in the red shirt, he drove away the military soldiers and Luo Jingqi. The painting wheel and treasure scroll came from the sky, and the laughter and chattering in the clouds were pleasant. The south of the Yaoguang Tower is the Forbidden City, and the fairy banquet in the pear garden is near the flower branches. We should look after each other during the Qianqiu Festival and work together. All nations came to Hua Yi.
On the third day of the Qianqiu Festival, which is also the last day, according to the ritual, the Holy General took an imperial chariot and set off from the Imperial City, along Zhuque Street, all the way south, and finally held a banquet in Qujiang to enjoy with the people. .
Outside Zhuque Gate, Yin Zhoushang of Jingzhao Prefecture, as the Chongli envoy, was responsible for leading the convoy to set off first and clear the way ahead.
Looking up at the sky, Zhou Shang suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from the crowd not far away.
"Zhou Dalang, look here!"
Zhou Shang looked around and saw a woman wearing a red jacket, with red phoenix eyes, sword eyebrows, plain pink and light fat. Among the people watching along the street, she stood out from the crowd, with a heroic appearance, and she looked particularly dazzling.
Zhou Shang was a little surprised and said a few words to the officials beside him.
Soon, the guards patrolling the street let the woman into the entrance of the street.
Zhou Shang walked to the woman and asked in a low voice: "Ning Qiniang, how did you come to Chang'an?"
Ning Qiniang said: "Last time I came to Chang'an, I paid tribute to the ancestors of the Zhou family. When I saw that my aunt was overly sad and fell ill, I bought some medicinal materials at a high price from Bohai, and I just happened to bring them this time."
Zhou Shang thanked him.
Ning Qiniang looked around and asked: "When I was in Yuanzhou, I heard that the current sage is the reincarnation of Yinglong, with three heads and six arms, and has the ability to reach the sky. Can I see him today?"
Zhou Shang quickly waved his hand and said: "The Holy One is the Son of Heaven, how can you see him casually? When you are in Chang'an, pay attention to your words and deeds and don't cause trouble."
Ning Qiniang looked at Zhou Shang's appearance and punched him with a smile: "When you came to Yuanzhou to propose marriage, you were so heroic and manly. Why are you so cautious now?"
Zhou Shang is familiar with Ning Qiniang's character and knows that the latter is carefree and doesn't say much, just smiles bitterly.
At this moment, in the side corridor of Zhuque Gate, a motorcade drove out of the palace and slowly headed south.
Zhou Shang saw the flag of the motorcade and said to Ning Qiniang: "That is Concubine De's chariot. I will go to work later, so you might as well go directly to Qujiang."
Ning Qiniang nodded first, then looked at the motorcade, and saw that the curtain of the carriage was opened, and there was a girl dressed up in the car, with half of her body exposed. She looked over again, and she happened to be wearing a red undershirt, so she
He opened his mouth and asked: "Is that the eldest daughter of Concubine De that you mentioned before? Princess Qiongyu?"
Zhou Shang was stunned for a moment, then glanced over and said, "Yes, it's her."
Ning Qiniang: "Okay, you go and do your work first."
Zhou Shang nodded slightly.
The palace's motorcade set off one after another, and the emperor's chariot was located in the middle of the entire motorcade. When it appeared at the Zhuque Gate, it immediately attracted thunderous cheers.
Hearing the voices outside the carriage, Zhou Jun deliberately opened the curtain of the carriage and waved to the people along the street. Many people knelt down and shouted long live the mountain.
Behind the emperor's chariot was a motorcade of court officials.
Among them, Luo Anyuan, the head of the Luo family and the general of the auxiliary country, and a group of Luo family officials were at the head of the rear group.
Luo Anyuan looked at the emperor's chariot not far ahead, his eyes were complicated, and his face was constantly changing with struggle and uneasiness.
Luo Yingcai, the second son of the Luo family, rode to his eldest brother's side and said softly: "The arrangements are in place."
Luo Anyuan sighed softly when he heard this.
The convoy heading to Qujiang Banquet meandered, starting from Zhuque Gate and marching all the way towards Qujiang.
Zhou Shang, Yin of the Jingzhao Prefecture, who was responsible for following the etiquette in the front line, was riding on his horse to explain his errands to his subordinates. A maid came to him and said, "Yin of the Prefecture of Zhou, princess, please come over."
Zhou Shang recognized the palace maid, nodded and said he knew, and then rode his horse to Concubine De's carriage.
The curtain of the carriage was opened, revealing the pretty face of a girl.
Huayue's eldest daughter, Princess Qiongyu Wanniang, looked at Zhou Shang and said with a smile: "I saw it."
Zhou Shang: "What did the princess see?"
Wan Niang: "The lady in red outside the Zhuque Gate is your unmarried wife Ning Qiniang, right?"
Zhou Shang was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
Wan Niang: "I just took a look from a distance and knew that your wife is good at martial arts. If you treat her badly in the future, I'm afraid you will suffer."
Zhou Shang reluctantly responded.
Wan Niang: "To put it this way, I learned from A Niang, and no one in the palace can rival me in terms of martial arts. I wonder who will win if Ning Qiniang competes with me?"
When Zhou Shang heard this, he had a headache: "Princess, swords and guns have no eyesight, the Qiniangs are all using vulgar tricks..."
Wan Niang blinked: "It's rare that you have learned to protect your wife before you even get married."
Zhou Shang couldn't laugh or cry. Just when he was about to speak, he suddenly heard a huge explosion behind him.
Zhou Shang initially thought he was hearing something, but when he saw the convoy behind him and the thick smoke rising from gunpowder explosions, his heart suddenly sank.
He turned the horse's head and shouted loudly to the military guard beside him: "Hurry up and escort us!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Shang took the lead and rushed to the rear.
