Reborn as a Cube Man in the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 504 Celebrating the New Year, Wearing New Masks

The matter with the Jurchens has been temporarily brought to a close.

Bai Li hovered in mid-air, looking down at the village below.

After Liu Er and his men investigated for several days, they found that the Later Jin had indeed stopped killing civilians and massacring villages.

After all, they were terrified of being killed.

Similarly, Liu Er and his men also stopped carrying out nighttime beheadings. After Bai Li glanced at them a few times, he no longer needed to pay much attention.

The step of decapitating the enemy to stop the killing was undoubtedly a great success.

However, Liu Er and the others cannot return yet.

The matter was accomplished, but we still had to stay there for a while to observe whether the Jurchens had truly given up or were merely holding back, or whether they would suddenly have the idea to test us again.

After all, they were Jurchens, so it's still very possible.

However, as long as they did not massacre the village, they had already achieved their initial goal. As for the rest, they could wait and see.

In Shanxi, it's only just begun.

He then looked out the wall.

A traveling merchant is a traveling merchant after all; they are much more professional.

Since the traveling merchants helped transport the grain, the number of disaster victims arriving has decreased significantly.

Bai Li has already endorsed it; if they still dare to raise the price, they really want to go see hell.

Moreover, the bandits were aware of his presence in Shaanxi, and thus became somewhat more restrained in their actions.

Moreover, Yang He would also send soldiers to hunt in the Immortal Realm and then transport the spoils to resettle disaster victims.

Bai Li naturally wouldn't care about that.

Life got a little better, so naturally fewer people fled here anymore.

As the saying goes, if there were no other way to make a living, if there were food and water to eat, who would leave their hometown?

But there was one more thing that Bai Li didn't understand: how could Governor Yang He of the Three Borders not stop the refugees from entering, but only set up checkpoints to register their identities?

If this gets investigated and those responsible are held accountable, it won't be a small matter!

Especially since his immediate superior was Emperor Chongzhen.

Given Yang He's experience in officialdom, how could he not know that this action was taboo? Although he was tricked into becoming the Governor-General of the Three Border Regions of Shaanxi, he understood this principle himself, so how could he not know it?

If he really wanted to get involved with the Immortal Realm and betray the imperial court, he should have approached Liu Yingyu long ago and at least continued the horse trade. Why go through all this trouble?

Knowing that the court would hold them accountable, and knowing Chongzhen's methods, they still only set up checkpoints for registration, without stopping or hindering them.

If that's the case, Yang He will likely face a bad end. Given Chongzhen's temperament, it's only a matter of time before he settles scores.

According to Li Ying, Yang He was frequently writing letters, and it was said that he had secretly sent some of his former subordinates back to their hometowns.

"Sigh~"

Bai Li shook her head, no longer wanting to think about it.

"According to information gathered by Liu Er and his men in the capital, Yuan Chonghuan has also been arrested and imprisoned. It's estimated that he'll be executed soon."

Bai Li sighed, "This last emperor of the Ming Dynasty will have to go on a killing spree after that, although he has killed quite a few people before that."

Bai Li pulled herself back from her thoughts, realizing she had been thinking too far ahead.

It's better to leave these brainless guys to Zhiming and the others.

He then looked down.

Licheng was still bustling with activity, but it was somewhat different from ordinary days.

Several lanterns made of coarse paper were hung on the old locust trees at the entrance of the village. A woman squatted by the stream, washing clothes more nimbly than usual. There were also several live fish in a basket next to her, gills strung with straw rope.

In the courtyards of several households, red paper had been cut and brand-new iron puppet door gods had been purchased. Although they had not yet been pasted on the doors, children were already running after the adults, holding bowls of paste.

The mushroom house that hadn't been demolished yet was used as a secret base by a few teenagers. They were swinging sugarcane around like sticks, occasionally biting each other, chasing each other, and fighting over the tiny red candles that were only the length of their little fingers.

"Another year has passed!" Bai Li sighed.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, every household is busy preparing for the holiday.

Bai Li discovered something strange.

There seem to be more street vendors selling masks than in previous years.

Even more strangely, some people have already started wearing them.

A man wearing a mask, carrying firewood on his shoulder, swaggered down the street.

Several children each had one, wearing all sorts of strange and unusual masks, chasing and playing in the streets and alleys.

Adults wear them while working, and children wear them while playing.

Nobody found it strange and would take a second look.

"I only had them take care of me for a short time last year during the Lunar New Year, and I didn't ask them to continue taking care of me this year?" Bai Li scratched his head.

He decided to contact Miao Zhiming to ask about the situation.

When they were teleported there, they found that Miao Zhiming was holding clothes in one hand and gently touching his stomach with the other, already next to Bai Li's body.

"Why are all those villagers wearing masks? Did you have them put on them?" Bai Li asked as he returned to his physical body.

Miao Zhiming put down his hand that was clutching his stomach, opened his fan, fanned himself, and couldn't help but laugh, "Young Master Bai is joking. This was not done by me; it was actually done spontaneously by the people of the city."

Miao Zhiming explained, "Young master, do you still remember last year during the Lantern Festival, when you were in Chengcheng and later appeared through the Gates of Hell?"

Bai Li frowned and thought carefully for a moment: "That is indeed true."

Miao Zhiming gently shook his folding fan: "They knew that Young Master Bai Xiao had everyone wear masks back then simply because he wanted to celebrate the New Year with the common people. Therefore, in their eyes, those masks were more than just masks."

"It is a New Year's custom left behind by the young master."

Miao Zhiming continued, "Last year, it was the young master who personally gave the order. Although no one has mentioned it this year, the people still remember it."

"When one person wore it, others saw it and started wearing it too. As more and more people wore it, it naturally became what it is today."

Bai Li really hadn't expected this.

What I created on a whim last year has become a New Year's tradition for them this year!

Miao Zhiming closed his folding fan and smiled, "It's good that the people remember Young Master Bai."

Bai Li laughed too: "That's good. If they find it interesting and are willing to wear it, that's enough."

Isn't that what culture is all about?

By chance, someone did something on a whim, and others found it interesting and followed suit.

This year will be the same, and so will next year.

Over time, what was originally a trivial matter that no one paid attention to became a habit.

Decades later, people may not know who did it in the first place, or why they did it.

They just feel that this is how it should be during the Lunar New Year.

interesting!

Bai Li decided to let nature take its course.

Miao Zhiming handed over the clothes in his hand: "Young Master Bai, these are new clothes that were made before. You can wear them for the next few days."

Bai Li accepted it.