NFBE Chapter 473 New Year's Greetings on the First Day of the Lunar New Year
Chapter 473 New Year's Greetings on the First Day of the Lunar New Year
Meanwhile, inside a secluded mansion on the west side of Zhuque Avenue, the air was filled with the fragrant smoke of incense from a bronze censer. Empress Lü removed her silver hairpin, the pearl pendant lightly tapping against her dressing case. Chunhua and Qiuzhu knelt on the ground, carefully lifting her ink-stained dress. Steam rose from the hot water in the wooden tub, and floating honeysuckle blossoms emitted a faint, sweet fragrance.
"Miss, please try this hot spring." Qiu Zhu scooped up some warm water and poured it on her shoulder. "The cook has made angelica chicken soup, which is very nourishing."
Lü Zhi closed her eyes and chuckled softly, her fingertips tracing the surface of the water. The scene of the King of Qin bestowing titles during the day was vivid in her mind; the golden seal of Gongcheng lay quietly in its sandalwood box, yet it could not compare to the burning passion in her heart. From Pei County to the imperial court in Xianyang, those nights spent urging students to study in the snow, the exhaustion from repeatedly revising lesson plans—all transformed into the golden light dancing on the water's surface.
"Send the copy of 'Essential Techniques for All Trades' to the bookstore tomorrow." She suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze clear and bright. "Also, prepare some Shu brocade to make winter robes for the teachers at the women's academy." Outside the window, the cold wind howled, but inside, it was warm and cozy. Looking at her reddened palms, she seemed to see herself again on a snowy day, clutching a frozen pen, writing "Women can also be teachers" on bamboo slips.
As the drums beat, Xianyang gradually drifted into slumber. In Ba Pu's residence, the steward was carefully checking the accounts; in Su Liuli's workshop, the craftsmen were painting loom models; Wang Tieniu huddled in the carriage, clutching a parchment scroll recording improvements to agricultural tools.
Inside Chaohua Palace, Ying Wuyou was studying gunpowder formulas, awaiting the arrival of the new year.
On the first day of the new year in 224 BC, before dawn, Xianyang Palace was shrouded in a light veil, shrouded in a hazy mist. The icicles hanging from the eaves glittered in the faint morning light, like shards of jade that had been accidentally broken.
Ying Wuyou woke up after turning over in bed, remembering that she was supposed to pay New Year's respects to the elders in the palace today. She quickly sat up, throwing off the covers. Her personal maid, Cui'er, had already brought in a copper basin. The hot water was steaming, making the mirror foggy.
"Princess, it's quite cold today, you should wear an extra layer of clothing." Cui'er said as she unfolded a neatly folded white fox fur coat. The coat felt soft and warm to the touch, and wearing it felt like being wrapped in a cloud.
Ying Wuyou gently pushed open the door. With a creak, a gust of cold wind rushed in, making her shiver involuntarily.
But the cold wind blew, and all my drowsiness vanished, leaving me feeling much more energetic. In the distance came the clear, resounding beat of the night watchman's drum, each strike sending shivers down my spine, as if proclaiming: "The New Year is here! The New Year is here!"
Ying Wuyou took a deep breath, the cool air rushing into her nose with an indescribable freshness. A faint scent of sandalwood, cooking fires, and the sweet aroma of steaming rice cakes wafted through the air, all blending together to create the very flavor of the New Year.
Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps on the stone path. Turning around, she saw Cui'er approaching with the eunuchs and maids from Chaohua Palace.
Everyone was dressed in brand-new clothes, with small red velvet flowers in their hair, beaming with joy. Upon seeing Ying Wuyou, they all knelt down in unison: "Greetings, Princess! We wish you a Happy New Year!"
Ying Wuyou quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, "Get up, get up! It's the New Year, don't be so formal. Go to the accounting office later to collect your reward money, and buy some things you like!" As soon as he said this, the eyes of the maids and eunuchs below lit up. They looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.
Lan'er leaned closer: "Princess, the kitchen has just fried some sugar-coated twisted dough sticks, would you like to try some?"
Ying Wuyou nodded, took the still-warm twisted dough stick, and took a bite. The crisp, sweet flavor spread in her mouth. Just as she was enjoying it, the high-pitched voice of a young eunuch came from afar: "Tenth Young Master, Eleventh Young Master has arrived—"
The moment the words left his mouth, the brothers Ying Gaoshan and Ying Gaolu had already crossed the threshold and entered the house. Their movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, as if they were eager to accomplish something important.
Ying Gaoshan said with a smile, "Let's go pay our respects for the New Year, or we won't get any lucky money."
Ying Wuyou smiled and agreed, put the twisted dough stick she had just taken two bites of into the tray, and then followed her brothers out.
As they stepped out of the palace, they saw that many young men and princesses had already gathered in the outer corridor. Some were standing, some were sitting, some were whispering, and some were chatting and laughing, creating quite a lively scene.
However, when everyone saw Ying Wuyou emerge, the previously noisy corridor instantly fell silent. Then, everyone rose to their feet and bowed to greet Ying Wuyou.
Ying Wuyou smiled and returned the greeting gracefully. Although several people present were older than her, Ying Wuyou's status was extraordinary. She was not only the only princess of the Great Qin Dynasty with a title, but also held the important position of Prime Minister in the court.
Especially in the last two years, Ying Wuyou has demonstrated extraordinary talent and wisdom. She not only led the people to build roads and schools, but also invented movable type printing and papermaking. She also successfully implemented the imperial examination system, completely changing the bureaucratic system of the Qin Dynasty and implementing a series of new policies.
For this reason, everyone present had great respect and admiration for Ying Wuyou.
Ying Wuyou smiled and returned the greetings to everyone, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Ying Gaoya in the crowd. The chubby little boy she remembered was now so thin he was unrecognizable, his cheeks sunken, and his brocade robe hanging loosely on his body.
She felt a mix of emotions—the original owner did indeed lose her life because of his prank, but she was no longer the same person she used to be. Besides, back then, Ying Gaoya didn't do it on purpose. These past few years, he had been locked up in a room and never saw the light of day. Although it had only been half a year, he had long lost his former arrogance and looked truly pitiful.
Ying Wuyou withdrew her gaze, no longer looking at Ying Gaoya's figure, and instead smiled faintly at Ying Yueying and the others. The group walked slowly down the corridor, stepping on the scattered red firecracker debris.
At each palace, the sounds of congratulations drifted out, the fragrance rising from the gilded incense burner mingled with the scent of women's rouge, and the lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed gently in the wind, making the festive atmosphere even more intense.
After the annual rituals in the palace halls were completed, the sun was already high in the sky. The large group of people made their way to Zhangtai Hall, their skirts embroidered with cloud patterns and their leather belts inlaid with gold and jade gleaming, their footsteps shattering the shadows of the glazed tiles on the ground.
Because of the ten-day amnesty granted by the Great Qin Dynasty during the Spring Festival, the Zhangtai Palace, which was usually heavily guarded, was now deserted of court officials coming and going to report on matters. The bronze bells on the eaves swayed lonely, which made it seem somewhat desolate.
Upon seeing this group of noble young masters and princesses, the palace guards hurriedly adjusted their black armor and rushed inside to announce their arrival. King Ying Zheng of Qin put down the memorial in his hand, and listening to the increasingly clear footsteps outside the palace, he suddenly remembered that at this time last year, Jia Yang had also led this group of younger siblings in, bringing a noisy commotion to the palace.
As time passed, the Qin Dynasty subway map on the desk had been replaced by a world map, and the figure in front of the palace who had called out "Happy New Year, Father King" in a clear voice had grown even more graceful and elegant.