Tibet

There is a tradition of staying up all night on New Year's Eve, which is actually directly related to the sacrifice, because they have to wait until midnight to sacrifice, and the big family does not live together, so of course they can't go home to sleep.

So everyone has to gather together, eat fruits and various snacks, and then sit together to chat, patiently waiting for the time of sacrifice to come. This may be the origin of the tradition of staying up all night on New Year's Eve.

Li Ye's family also has the tradition of staying up all night, and every year everyone gathers in the living room to stay up all night together.

But today everyone lives in Zhen'an Tower, so Li Ye arranged to set up a large lotus tent on the first floor of Zhen'an Tower, with a thick soft carpet underneath, and a small table in the middle of the main tent filled with various food and drinks.

The lotus tent also has petals, which are five separate tents. Each of the five wives and concubines has their own small tent, where they can sleep or sit together in groups of three or two to chat.

The happiest ones are the children, who happily run around in each small tent.

Li Ye lazily talked with his wife Dugu Xinyue. Qingyu, Taiwei and Shen Li, three young ladies, gathered together to chat. What was unexpected was that Yang Yuhuan actually chatted with Shen Zhenzhu in a tent. So don't take this kind of face thing too seriously. It's better to be pragmatic. You can actually live in harmony without face.

Dugu Xinyue smiled and asked: "Husband, do you think we can go to the sacrifice tonight?"

"It should be possible!"

Li Ye smiled and said: "Since Chenghua has made a promise, she will definitely be able to do it. Besides, the other party knows nothing yet, so we should be able to catch them off guard and wipe them out."

"Husband, will you go to war next year?" Dugu Xinyue asked again.

Li Ye nodded, "Next year is a critical year for destroying the Hebei vassal state. Although I will not participate in every battle, I will still go to the key battles, especially the battles with the grassland Huihe and the Khitans."

"Will the Huihe army go south after the spring?"

"Definitely come!"

Li Ye knew very well that Huihe Dengli Khan was a very vengeful person. In recent years, he has been restrained by the Jiankun tribe and has no chance to go south.

But this year, the Huihe defeated the Jiankun tribe, and the strength of the Karluk declined. Dengli Khan became the master of the grassland. It was in full swing. How could Dengli Khan give up the interests of the Central Plains? How could he not avenge the arrow of revenge that year?

Li Ye smiled and said, "But even if he comes again, he will still cry back."

At this time, the eldest daughter Xingsha crawled over. Xingsha is a nickname. Her official name is Li Luping. She will be nine years old soon.

She leaned over to her mother's ear and whispered, "I just overheard Second Mother chatting with Aunt Shen."

Dugu Xinyue pinched her daughter's face and smiled, "Don't just eavesdrop on other people's chats!"

"Actually, it wasn't eavesdropping. Second Mother knew I was behind her and pinched my ear."

"Oh! What were they talking about?"

"Second Mother persuaded Aunt Shen to be a concubine, and Aunt Shen said she wanted to be a lady. Mother, what does being a lady mean?"

Dugu Xinyue immediately understood that just like Lady Guoguo, she could enter and leave the palace normally and live in the palace. In fact, she didn't have the status of a concubine, but she could live in the palace for a long time.

It was a good idea. Dugu Xinyue glanced at her husband, and Li Ye said calmly: "Let's talk about it after she gives birth!"

At this time, the deputy leader of the female guards, Yang Chaolu, came to the princess's tent quickly and said: "Princess, I have something to report!"

"Go ahead! The prince is here with me."

"Your Highness, Your Highness, Li Dutong has sent a message that Ashina Chengqing has been annihilated, and the sacrifice can be held normally tonight."

Li Ye nodded, "You have worked hard during this period!"

"Thank you for your kindness, it is all my responsibility."

Dugu Xinyue asked with a smile: "Then are we moving tonight?"

Li Ye also smiled and said: "Go to bed first, and go to the Yinshi to sacrifice. After the sacrifice, come back and continue to sleep. Let's talk about moving tomorrow!"

The time for sacrifice is generally chosen at Yinshi, which is four o'clock in the middle of the night. This is the time when night and day alternate. Yinshi on New Year's Eve is also the beginning of the new year.

Li Ye had received a notice from Li Chenghua that the threat of assassins had been eliminated, Ashina Chengqing was dead, and their family had lifted their defenses.

Li Ye brought his family to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors.

The three animals and various offerings were placed on the tribute table, and the incense burner was also lit.

The whole family wore black sacrificial robes and lined up to burn incense and kneel down in turn.

The master of ceremonies was still Li Tengkong, and she couldn't refuse, because the tablet on it was her father's spirit tablet.

Everyone took turns to burn incense and kneel down, and the process was over after completing it.

But in fact, the process of sacrifice is very cumbersome, with various rituals, such as the Li Clan Ancestral Hall Grand Sacrifice presided over by Li Dai, which took an hour and a half, or three hours.

Just bathing, changing clothes and waiting took half an hour, and then it started from the Yin hour and ended at the Yin hour, a full two hours.

Li Ye's sacrifice only takes a quarter of an hour, of course, because he has a small family. For example, there is also the burning of paper. Hundreds of gold and silver foil ingots are placed in the bronze furnace in the courtyard. After the sacrifice, the housekeeper will sprinkle kerosene and burn it.

For Li Ye, ancestor worship is more of a ritual that must be done, rather than a place for the soul to rest.

So Shen Li couldn't understand and was very confused. Although she was not qualified to enter the main courtyard, she also watched from the side courtyard. The Shen family's ancestor worship began to be prepared several months ago, consuming a lot of manpower and material resources. The sacrifice lasted a whole night, which made people exhausted.

But when she arrived at her husband's house, she changed into a temporary sacrificial robe, and a group of sisters took turns to burn incense and kneel down. It was over in a quarter of an hour. She was completely confused. Didn't it mean that the royal sacrifice was more grand?

The weather was very cold, so I had to go back after the sacrifice. Of course I didn't walk back, but got on a few light carriages. Everyone covered their legs with thick blankets, and the carriage drove to Zhen'an Tower.

It's too late to move tonight, so we can only talk about it tomorrow.

"Looking at you, do you feel confused?" Qingyu laughed softly.

Shen Li nodded, "I didn't expect it to be so short?"

Qingyu smiled and said: "I heard from the eldest sister that there was no ancestor worship in the first few years. Later, when it stabilized, it was reluctantly started. Then it was very simple. My husband was very resistant to ancestor worship and basically did not participate in it before. Pass."

"Why?" Shen Li was even more puzzled.

"In the past, my husband and mother lived in Yonghefang, and the Li family did not recognize them. Later, after returning to the family, my husband basically went out to fight and was away from Chang'an for many years. Of course, he did not need to participate in ancestor worship."

Shen Li nodded, "My husband's fortune was built by his own hard work, not by the protection of his ancestors, so there is no need to take ancestor worship so seriously."

Qingyu praised her for being smart and said with a smile: "That's right, but although the ancestors don't worship, there will definitely be a ceremony to worship the gods in the future, and it will be very grand."

In fact, of course they wouldn't know that there was another reason why Li Ye didn't like to worship ancestors.

As they talked, they arrived at Zhen'an Building. Everyone got off the car and went upstairs to their rooms to sleep. Dugu Xinyue was waiting for Shen Li. When she came over, Dugu Xinyue smiled and said, "Husband, I'll go to bed later." Your room doesn’t count tonight, it will be your wedding tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.”

Shen Li's pretty face turned red.