The origin of Lantern Festival

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a minister who was proficient in astronomy and geography, named Dong Fangshuo. One day, he went to the imperial garden of the palace to enjoy plums, only to find that a maid-in-waiting was about to commit suicide by jumping into a well. Dong Fangshuo quickly stopped him and asked why. It turns out that this maid-in-waiting is called Yuanxiao and lives in the northwest of Chang 'an. Because after entering the palace, she will miss her relatives every holiday, but she can't go out to visit relatives, so the more she thinks about it, the more sad she will want to commit suicide. When Dong Fangshuo knew this, she felt sorry for the girl who sold Yuanxiao and decided to help her. She asked where Yuanxiao's home was and left. The next day, Dong Fangshuo went to Yuanxiao's home, told them the situation and told them his methods. ...

A few days later, people in Chang 'an learned that Mr. Dong Fangshuo was telling people fortune in the street, so they went there one after another, hoping to get Dong Fangshuo to tell their fortune. I didn't expect everyone to calculate that the fifteenth day of the first month would be burned; After hearing this, the people were very scared and begged Dong Fangshuo to help them. Dong Fangshuo said, "On the fifteenth day of the first month, a girl led a pink donkey to burn Chang 'an, but as long as the white Pharaoh in the city waited at Shilipu Avenue in the west of the city on the thirteenth day of the first month, the girl came after dark. As long as you kneel down and pray, the whole city can be saved. 」

Sure enough, on the 13th day of the first month, a young woman riding a pink and silver donkey came (in fact, it was Yuanxiao's sister dressed up in disguise), and the white-haired old man in the city begged: "Please don't burn the city! The woman said, "I was ordered to burn down the city. If the jade emperor can't see the fire, isn't it my fault? "! " "Let's do it! Go to your emperor and find a way! " Say that finish and left. The next day, Dong Fangshuo paid a visit to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and played the voice of the people: "Chang 'an is robbing, the Emperor Jue is on fire, and it has been on fire for fifteen days, and midnight snack is popular. "The emperor also don't know what to do, please Dong Fangshuo to find a way to. Dong Fangshuo said, "I heard that Vulcan likes to eat jiaozi, so I asked the whole city to invite jiaozi to worship. In addition, I also asked Kyoto people to make lanterns together. On the evening of 15, all the streets were hung and fireworks were set off. At that time, the red light and fireballs flying all over the city will make the jade emperor think it is a Chang' an fire, so that he can be fooled. " After hearing this, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said, "Sir, this plan is really wonderful!" Dong Fangshuo went on to say, "The emperor is wise, but this is not suitable for the palace. Emperor Wu said: "Simple. Let the palace guards go to the streets that night and mix with the people, so the jade emperor doesn't know who to burn! " Dong Fangshuo said, "Wonderful! I also heard that jiaozi cooked by maid-in-waiting Yuanxiao is the best. /kloc-On the evening of 0/5, she was asked to carry a big palace lantern, write her name on it, and clear the way in front. The minister followed jiaozi through the streets to worship Vulcan. "Emperor Wu:" This matter is biased towards the old gentleman. 」