Chapter 43: New Year (Part 4)

On New Year's Eve, the last day of the year, which is also the most grand traditional Chinese festival, when Zhao Cheng got up, the snow in the courtyard had already been swept clean by the early-rising young eunuchs. He still went to the back courtyard's training ground as usual, warmed up his body, practiced two sets of boxing, and lifted a small stone lock dozens of times, breaking into a sweat. Zhao Cheng looked at the three-dou bow on the weapon rack, recalling how he had lost face with it two months ago. Seeing no one around, he reached out and picked up the bow, squatted in a horse stance, and exerted his strength with both arms. The bow creaked and slowly transformed from a half-moon to a full moon—he actually managed to draw the bow!

"Damn, I finally drew this damn bow!" Zhao Cheng threw the bow on the rack, tears of excitement welling up in his eyes as he muttered to himself. No matter how tired he was or how cold it was, he had persisted in squatting in a horse stance and lifting the stone lock every morning, and even added extra exercises at night, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and wall squats. How could he not be happy? This marked his complete liberation from the纠缠 of the ghost of impermanence and the cap of premature death!

Feeling elated, Zhao Cheng ate two more egg and meat buns for breakfast. Then, he gathered a group of servants and, with short steps, went to the front courtyard to inspect the work. The snow on the roads and lanterns had been cleared, and the miscellaneous workers were still busy transporting the snow away. It seemed that this snow had caused them a lot of trouble. Zhao Cheng thanked them for their hard work and then headed straight to the kitchen.

"Second Young Master, good day!" The chefs hurriedly greeted him as he entered.

"It's the New Year, and you all have been the busiest in the mansion. Not only do you have to prepare meals for everyone, but you also have to think about the next meal after this one. It's a lot of work!" Zhao Cheng said, waving his hand.

"Steward Hou, distribute this. It's Second Young Master's reward for everyone!" Zhao Ren immediately handed over two ten-tael silver ingots.

"Second Young Master, these are our duties. Please rest assured!" Steward Hou took the silver ingots and respectfully replied.

"Ha ha, everyone else in the mansion has some leisure time, but you all are busy all year round, especially during the holidays. This silver is a small token of my appreciation!" Zhao Cheng bowed to everyone.

In his previous life, Zhao Cheng had been a leader for several years and knew the importance of 'visiting the grassroots and sending warmth' during the New Year. Although the gifts were not much, they showed the leader's concern and appreciation. Sometimes, that's all people need.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing. Second Young Master not only came to see us but also rewarded us with twenty taels of silver. Let's all work hard today and do our best to live up to Second Young Master's expectations!" Steward Hou held up the silver and turned to the kitchen staff.

"Thank you, Second Young Master! Rest assured, Second Young Master!" The staff responded in unison and immediately got to work, moving more efficiently than before. Zhao Cheng asked about the menu for the next few days and, accompanied by Steward Hou, inspected the kitchen's preparations, praising him a few times before leaving with everyone's farewells.

Leaving the kitchen, Zhao Cheng headed to the courtyard where the guards lived. As soon as he lifted the curtain, he thanked them and immediately rewarded them with another twenty taels of silver. "Second Young Master, what are you doing? We are honored!" Meng Tao bowed and said.

"Master Meng, everyone has been working day and night to protect the mansion's safety. Second Young Master is moved by your efforts. Since it's the New Year, he wants to give you all some money for wine to keep you warm during the night shifts!" Zhao Ren, who was quick-witted, stepped forward and explained on behalf of the prince.

"Thank you, Second Young Master! We will accept it!" Meng Tao stepped forward to take the silver and then turned to the guards. "Although Second Young Master is giving us money for wine, remember not to let it interfere with your duties. Those who can drink should drink less, and those who can't drink should not drink at all. There are many fire hazards in the mansion during the New Year, and many people outside can't celebrate properly. The lives of two hundred people in the mansion are in your hands. Don't let Second Young Master's kindness go to waste!"

"Everyone, enjoy the New Year and have a good time. I'll leave the rest to you. I'll go check on other places!" Zhao Cheng smiled and bid farewell. As soon as he left, the guards who were reluctant to take night shifts started vying for the opportunity, and Meng Tao could see that it wasn't just for the wine money but out of gratitude for the prince's thoughtfulness.

Zhao Cheng led the servants through the mansion, visiting the flower house, stables, tea room, and various offices. He toured every corner of the mansion, from the managers to the stable hands, gatekeepers, and cleaners, stopping to exchange New Year greetings, asking about their families, and giving them some silver as a token of his appreciation.

As noon approached, they reached the gate, the last stop. The gatekeepers were removing the old charms and replacing them with new peach wood charms. Zhao Cheng found this interesting. In his previous life, he had often heard about 'new peach replacing old peach,' but he had never seen peach wood charms before. He never imagined that the heavens would bring him to this era to fulfill his curiosity.

"Zhao Ren, what deities are depicted on these charms?" Zhao Cheng, hands behind his back, looked at the newly hung peach wood charms. Two fierce-looking deities wearing tiger helmets, holding small ghosts and riding fierce tigers, were definitely not the later door gods Qin Shubao and Wei Chi Jingde.

"Second Young Master, the one on the right is Yulu, and the one on the left is Shentu. According to legend, there is a large peach tree on Mount Dushuo in the East Sea. The tree's trunk stretches for three thousand miles, and its branches extend to the northeast, where the ghost gate is located. The ghosts living in the mountain cave under the ghost gate enter and exit through this gate. Two divine generals, Shentu and Yulu, guard the tree. Whenever they spot a harmful ghost, they bind it with a rope made of reeds and feed it to the tigers. Peach wood, being the essence of the five woods, can also ward off evil. People carve the images of these two divine generals on peach wood and hang them with reed ropes!" Zhao Ren explained in detail.

"Zhao Ren is right. With these two deities guarding the gate, along with this deity, no ghosts, big or small, can enter!" Old Gatekeeper Tian Shu smiled and respectfully pasted a picture of Zhong Kui on the gate.

"Good, they guard the ghosts, and Tian Shu guards the people. No evil ghosts or bad people can enter!" Zhao Cheng smiled and had Zhao Ren give Old Tian a two-tael silver ingot.

"Thank you, Second Young Master! We will guard the gate well and not let any troublemakers in!" Old Tian smiled and said.

After visiting all the staff still on duty, Zhao Cheng felt his face ache from smiling and his legs cramp from walking. The entire tour was quite tiring. He returned to the main study and drank two cups of hot tea to recover.

"Second Young Master, we have distributed a total of 162 taels of silver today. I have spent 200 taels, leaving 38 taels!" Zhao Ren refilled the prince's tea and said.

"Good, keep the rest. We might need it tonight!" Zhao Cheng nodded. He looked Zhao Ren up and down. He had observed the servants for a long time, and Zhao Ren was the most steady and had the demeanor of an elder brother.

"Yes, Second Young Master!" Zhao Ren replied and turned to leave.

"Oh, Zhao Ren, call everyone in. It's cold outside. Tell the kitchen to send more food. You all will have lunch with me!" Zhao Cheng leaned back on the soft couch and said.

"Yes, Second Young Master, I'll take care of it!" Zhao Ren hesitated for a moment, then looked at the prince's face and replied.

On New Year's Eve, the family would worship their ancestors and welcome the gods and Buddhas. After lunch, all departments were involved in this most important task. As the head of the family, Zhao Cheng was clueless about these rituals and could only follow like a puppet, doing whatever he was told, with no say in the matter.

As night fell, the mansion was brightly lit, with lanterns and braziers burning everywhere, making it as bright as day. All relevant personnel changed into new clothes and stood solemnly outside the ancestral hall. The sound of string and bamboo instruments filled the air as Zhao Cheng, accompanied by Huang Jingchen, entered the hall.

Inside the hall, dozens of thick red candles burned, and the walls were adorned with images of the emperors and empresses of the Song Dynasty. The images, life-sized, wore crowns and imperial robes, exuding solemnity and dignity. They were framed in silk and mounted on yellow silk. Offerings of three sacrificial animals and other items were placed before the images.

"Your Highness, this is our dynasty's founding emperor, who loved martial arts from a young age. He joined the army as an adult and rose to the rank of Chief of the Imperial Guards. He was later enthroned by the army at Chenqiao and worked hard to unify the country, conquering Jingxiang, Later Shu, Southern Han, Southern Tang, Wuyue, and Zhangquan, establishing the foundation of our great Song Dynasty!" Huang Jingchen explained to Zhao Cheng.

"Damn, it's a family revolutionary tradition education!" Zhao Cheng thought to himself. He also surnamed Zhao in his previous life and in this rebirth. They say that people with the same surname are related 'five hundred years ago.' Perhaps he really was related to this emperor. Kneeling and bowing three times and nine times, he offered three incense sticks.

"This is Emperor Taizong, the younger brother of the founding emperor."

"This is Emperor Zhenzong, the third son of Emperor Taizong."

"This is Emperor Renzong, the sixth son of Emperor Zhenzong."

"This is Emperor Yingzong, who ascended the throne because Emperor Renzong had no sons, and he was the thirteenth son of Emperor Taizong's great-grandson, Prince Pu Anyi."

"This is Emperor Shenzong, the eldest son of Emperor Yingzong."

"This is the late Emperor Zhezong, the sixth son of Emperor Shenzong."

For each emperor introduced by Huang Jingchen, Zhao Cheng had to bow deeply. He bowed to seven emperors, totaling sixty-three bows, more than he had ever done in his entire life. His head was spinning. Just as he was about to kneel and listen to the next emperor's biography, Huang Jingchen smiled and said, "Your Highness, the ceremony is complete. You may stand up!"

"Oh!" Zhao Cheng stood up, rubbing his knees, and realized that the next one was his father, who was still alive and could not be enshrined here to receive the worship of his descendants. But at this moment, his father was probably also bowing with his brothers in the capital. Thinking of this, Zhao Cheng couldn't help but smile.

As Zhao Cheng walked out of the ancestral hall, the sound of firecrackers and drums echoed throughout the mansion, and fireworks lit up the sky, casting a red glow. Everyone in the mansion knelt and bowed to him, wishing him a happy New Year in unison.

The page turns, and the advertisement begins.

The page turns, and the advertisement ends.