good season

Chapter 212 Lantern Festival (Part 1)

Despite Zhao Shiqing's boasting about trying to solve the riddles, she was actually quite distracted once she started.

Murong Linlang guessed the fastest and most accurately, followed by Shen Wangxing. As for Shen Guanyue, he didn't come; Zhao Shiqing forcibly sent him to Ruyi Pavilion. As for whether his brother beat him or slapped him, Zhao Shiqing didn't care. This brat who acted on his own initiative, if he didn't get beaten, who would?
In the blink of an eye, Murong Linlang and Shen Wangxing won five or six lanterns. Everyone had one, and even the old man Zhen Wuduo carried a goldfish lantern.

The old man picked up the goldfish lantern and waved it in front of Zhao Shiqing: "My dear granddaughter, what are you thinking about?"

While asking this question aloud, the old man was inwardly scoffing. The couple next to him were clearly there to find a match at the lantern festival. His precious granddaughter had grown up and had her own little thoughts; she was most likely thinking about that brat Xiao Zhen.

Actually, the old man really wronged Zhao Shiqing. After she sent Shen Guanyue to Ruyi Pavilion, she completely forgot about Xiao Zhen.

She's thinking about Lan Caihe right now.

Zhao Shiqing wanted to tell the old man about Lan Caihe, but then she thought that if she did, they wouldn't be able to see the lanterns tonight. The old man would definitely chase them all home like chickens and ducks.

Suddenly, her gaze fell on a person. The person was young, fair-skinned and plump, holding a lantern in his hand, and was bargaining with the lantern seller.

Isn't that Si Xiaopang?
Si Xiaopang, whose real name is Si Yunfei, is the son of Si Pangzi. Last time, when Zhao Shiqing went to the Ministry of Justice to cripple Zhu Yu's manhood, it was Si Xiaopang who sent her there.

Zhao Shiqing knew Si Xiaopang, but Si Xiaopang didn't know her.

Zhao Shiqing was disguised when she went to the Ministry of Justice that time.

Zhao Shiqing observed carefully and realized that Si Xiaopang had come alone.

I didn't come with my family, and I didn't have any friends with me.

Although people in the capital city enjoy visiting lantern festivals, looking around, there really isn't anyone like Si Xiaopang who comes to visit the lantern festival alone; Zhao Shiqing only saw this one as well.

Could he be here for a blind date?

Are you waiting to meet a girl?
However, Zhao Shiqing quickly dismissed the idea because Si Xiaopang was very alert.

Yes, he noticed someone was watching him, and when he looked up, he met Zhao Shiqing's eyes.

Si Xiaopang quickly paid the money, took the lantern, and disappeared into the crowd.

If he were truly there to find a match, his first reaction upon seeing young girls looking at him wouldn't be like this.

He would wonder if this girl was the one he was looking for.

Zhao Shiqing was puzzled and was about to follow when she suddenly thought of Xiao Zhen.

Si Xiaopang is Xiao Zhen's man.

Could it be that Xiao Zhen sent him?
Could it be that Uncle Xiao is planning something?
Zhao Shiqing glanced at Zhen Wuduo discreetly. The old man definitely didn't know. If he did, he would surely lock her in the house and not let her out.

Just then, a gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd: "Look! The lanterns at Wangxian Tower are lit! His Majesty has arrived!"

The Wangxian Tower and the Jade Belt Bridge originally had lights, but now they are even more dazzling and brilliant, like a fairyland.

Zhao Shiqing was instantly captivated by the magnificent scene before her.

There are lantern festivals in Liangdi, and there are also craftsmen in Liangdi who are good at making lanterns, but I only realized how dazzling and spectacular the lantern festivals could be when I got to the capital.

At this moment, fireworks began to be set off in the enclosed area below Wangxian Tower. After the colorful fireworks, the acrobatic troupe began their performance.

Zhao Shiqing liked watching acrobatics, but acrobatics were only good when viewed up close; from a distance, she couldn't see anything at all.

Suddenly, her vision blurred and a person jumped in front of her: "Sister Bao, is that you?"

Zhao Shiqing smiled. The child who jumped in front of her was Yan Shiyi.

Yan Shiyi was followed by two guards.

"Little Eleven, you've come to the lantern festival too?" As soon as she said it, Zhao Shiqing remembered that the Duke of Wei's mansion was qualified to go up to Wangxian Tower.

"Are you going to Wangxian Tower?"

Yan Shiyi said with a smile, "Yes, my father and mother have already passed away. I came here to buy a lantern and then I'll go find them."

Zhao Shiqing thought of Zhao Tingluo and asked, "Have you seen Xiaoluoluo?"

Yan Shiyi snorted: "I saw it, just now. He sneaked in with a child. I talked to him, but he ignored me. Humph!"

The Yan family is on good terms with Zhao Tingluo, and Zhao Shiqing has heard Xiao Zhen say that in the dream, they were good friends when they grew up. Yan Shiyi is young and is just the older brothers' little follower. Zhao Tingluo ignores him, obviously not wanting to involve the Yan family.

Zhao Shiqing asked with a smile, "What kind of lantern do you want to buy? Why don't you wait until you've met the Emperor before buying it?"

Yan Shiyi: "I want to buy a little duck lantern. I couldn't buy one last year. Sister Abao, you don't know, last year I went up to Wangxian Tower first, but when I came down, the little duck lanterns were already sold out."

Zhao Shiqing hurriedly said, "Then go buy it quickly. Don't get separated from the guards. There are kidnappers at the lantern festival, so be careful."

Yan Shiyi: "I know, I'll be careful. Goodbye, Sister Bao!"

After saying that, he skipped off to buy a little duck lantern, and the two guards quickly followed, afraid that this little tyrant would disappear in the blink of an eye.

A short while later, Yan Shiyi appeared out of nowhere again, this time with two small duck-shaped lamps in her hands.

"Hey, why are you back again?" Zhao Shiqing asked curiously.

"Sister Bao, would you like to go up and take a look?" Yan Shiyi pointed to the Jade Belt Bridge in front of them.

Zhao Shiqing was taken aback, and suddenly felt a surge of excitement: "Can you take me up?"

Yan Shiyi: "Sure, but you can't go to the very top or see the emperor. But you can eat, drink, and watch acrobatics in the hall below. Zhao Tingyu and Zhao Tinggang will definitely be there too."

Zhao Shiqing asked, "Where's your older brother? Is he here?"

Yan Shiyi shook her head: "My older brother isn't coming here. How can we have fun if he comes?"

Zhao Shiqing chuckled, but then the thought of going inside to take a look arose in her mind. She ran to Zhen Wuduo's side: "Grandpa, I met my sister's brother-in-law. He said he could take me to Wangxian Tower. Several other friends are there too. Don't worry, we'll just eat, drink, and watch the variety shows on the first floor. We won't see the emperor or cause any trouble."

Fearing that Zhen Wuduo would refuse, Zhao Shiqing tugged at his sleeve and pleaded, "Why don't you have someone wait for me here?"

Zhen Wuduo was initially reluctant to agree, but then he thought about it again. His precious granddaughter was the second young lady of the Liang Prince's Mansion and was even listed in the imperial genealogy. She was entitled to go to Wangxian Tower, but instead she had to reluctantly follow him outside. She could only watch the acrobatics from afar. Alas, his precious granddaughter was so pitiful.

"Okay, I'll have someone waiting for you outside. Take this and open it if there's any danger."

As he spoke, Zhen Wuduo took off a jade pendant hanging from his waist and handed it to Zhao Shiqing.

Zhao Shiqing recognized this thing. It was used by Zhen Wuduo to transmit signals at sea when he was a pirate. Originally, it was a bamboo tube, but Zhao Shiqing thought it was ugly, so the old man had it improved by replacing the bamboo tube with jade. It was still only used once and then it was ruined. Zhao Shiqing couldn't bear to use it, so she never used it. The few tubes that the old man gave her were all kept at the bottom of her trunk.

Zhao Shiqing took the ornament and said to Zhen Wuduo, "Now you can rest assured, shall we go?"

The old man waved his hand: "Do you have any money on you?"

"Yes!" Zhao Shiqing said, then pulled Yan Shiyi toward the Jade Belt Bridge. After a few steps, she ran back, "Grandpa, you should go back early after you're done sightseeing. Just leave a few guards here to wait for me."

She had a vague feeling that the lantern festival would not be peaceful tonight, so she decided to let her grandparents go home early.

Zhao Shiqing originally thought that Yan Shiyi would have to say some nice things to the Jinwu Guards at the gate before they would let her in.

Unexpectedly, Yan Shiyi simply took out the plaque of the Duke of Wei's mansion and said to the Imperial Guard, "The plaque is with my father and mother. I went to buy lamps. I'm late."

The Imperial Guard at the gate asked with a smile, "Prince Yan hasn't come?"

Yan Shiyi: "My older brother is busy."

Jinwuwei laughed and said, "That's right, Master Yan is the busiest."

When Zhao Shiqing followed Yan Shiyi onto the Jade Belt Bridge, she realized that she had entered so easily. Yan Shiyi's two guards did not come in with her; instead, they waited outside with the other servants of the manor for their master.

Yan Shiyi explained to her in a low voice, "Each family can bring two more people. Usually, they are cousins ​​or godparents who are close to each other. My eldest brother didn't come, so my family is already one person short. And since you are a girl, the Imperial Guards will probably think you are one of my cousins. Let alone questioning you, they would be offended if they even glance at you."

Zhao Shiqing understood, and was also glad that she had dressed up carefully when she went out today. If she had gone around in coarse clothes as usual, no one would have believed that she was a cousin of the Duke of Wei's family.

Standing on the Jade Belt Bridge, one can see the entire acrobatic performance taking place. A woman with a graceful figure balances a high stack of bowls and plates on her head. She holds an iron frame in her mouth, on which three candles stand upright. As the candlelight flickers, she hooks a bowl with her foot, flicks it upwards, and the bowl flies up. She leans forward, and the bowl lands steadily on the stack of bowls and plates.

Zhao Shiqing and Yan Shiyi exclaimed in unison, "Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
"Tch, what's so interesting about this? Making a fuss over nothing! You're so ignorant."

Suddenly, a discordant voice came from their ears. Zhao Shiqing and Yan Shiyi turned their heads and saw that the speaker was a young man and woman. The two were dressed in gorgeous clothes and had somewhat similar appearances. They both had phoenix eyes and high cheekbones. Although they were good-looking, they had a cold and indifferent look about them.

Zhao Shiqing glanced at him and didn't bother to look at him anymore; she didn't like people with that kind of appearance.

Yan Shiyi, however, did not have her good temper and immediately retorted sarcastically: "Is that so? I heard that these acrobatics were all carefully selected by the Fourth Prince. Aren't they good? That's right, the Fourth Prince only thought about His Majesty's preferences and forgot to ask for your You family's opinion. When I see the Fourth Prince later, I will definitely remind him to ask you first next time."

The brother and sister's expressions changed drastically. They snorted and quickly left.

Seeing them slink away, Zhao Shiqing asked, "Who were those two?"

Yan Shiyi said, "These are You Dalang and You Sanniangzi. They are Consort You's nephew and niece, which means they are the Fourth Prince's cousins."

Zhao Shiqing chuckled. Could it be that Yan Shiyi just said that? How did the You family raise their children? Have they forgotten that their greatest reliance now is the Fourth Prince?

Zhao Shiqing had heard Xiao Zhen say long ago that the Fourth Prince's birth mother, Consort You, was not favored and was also clueless when it came to matters. The Fourth Prince was eager to please the Empress because he had no backing in the palace and could not rely on his own mother, so he wanted to change his mother.

Although Zhao Shiqing had never met Consort You, seeing the You siblings made her understand what Xiao Zhen meant by "not knowing what's going on".

It would be good enough if the You family didn't drag the Fourth Prince down.

Upon entering the lobby on the first floor, Zhao Shiqing indeed saw several familiar faces.

Broken Stone and the ninth, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth members of the Yan family were all present. Although the masters of the Yan family did not have titles, they held official positions. Yan Ba ​​and the others came with their respective parents.

Yan Shiyi gave another little duck lamp to Yan Shier, who was overjoyed. Everyone found it novel to see Zhao Shiqing dressed as a woman, especially the Broken Stone Brothers, who were filled with regret: "It's over, it's over, we've lost another good brother, we can't live like this anymore."

Zhao Shiqing smiled. Her friends were really good. They accepted her transformation from a man to a woman well, without making a fuss or asking any questions.

Yes, the Yan family members didn't ask, possibly because Yan Xia had instructed them to, but the Broken Stone Brothers didn't ask either, which shows they have high emotional intelligence.

Zhao Shiqing asked, "Have you seen Xiao Luoluo?"

Yan Jiu said, "He's gone up. Let's just wait. My eighth brother is up there. I expect we'll hear from him soon."

Everyone else remained calm, but Yan Shiyi asked curiously, "What news are we waiting for?"

Yan Jiu whispered a few words in his ear, and Yan Shi opened his mouth wide, looking at Zhao Shiqing: "Sister Bao, you know too?"

Zhao Shiqing nodded, and the two brothers who broke the big stones said, "My grandfather didn't want to come today, but the two of us carried him here."

Yan Jiu: "I had Zhao Fu trick his old master into coming here. Among the Zhao family's clan, his old master is the most senior."

The Broken Stone Brothers nodded vigorously: "That's right. Although Zhao Fu's family is not the direct line, they are of high seniority. Even my grandfather has to call his patriarch 'Uncle'."

The grandfather of the Broken Stone Brothers was Prince Lu, who was the brother of the Retired Emperor and Prince Fu. He was also the uncle of the Retired Emperor and Prince Fu.

Eight-year-old Yan Shier: "Me too, me too. I asked Zhao Xi to call his grandpa and dad over. Hehe, Zhao Xi's dad had diarrhea last night and his eyes were blurry today. He didn't want to come, but Zhao Xi rolled on the ground and his dad had no choice but to come."

Zhao Xi is Yan Shier's deskmate. The two get into trouble together, are punished together, and have their parents called in together. Zhao Xi's father is Zhao Sheng from the Imperial Clan Court.

Zhao Shiqing blinked. It seemed that Xiao Luoluo had done a lot of things that day.

At this moment, other noble sons came over to greet her. Zhao Shiqing stood out among a group of teenagers, but upon closer inspection, she saw that Yan Shisan, who was six years old, was on her left and Yan Shisi, who was five years old, was on her right. She guessed that they might be relatives of the Duke of Wei's family. She originally wanted to make a few teasing remarks, but thinking of the unreasonable nature of the Yan family, she left awkwardly.

Before I came here today, my family repeatedly told me not to fight in front of the emperor, and even more so not to provoke those troublemakers from the Yan family. Otherwise, if they come to their house and demolish it during the first month of the lunar year, who can stand that?
Just then, Yan Ba, who hadn't shown himself all along, ran down from upstairs. Everyone stood up when they saw him: "Brother Ba (Old Eight), is there any news?"

Yan Ba, panting, said, "Little Luo Zi took on two opponents, rubbing his grandpa and dad's faces on the ground. It felt so good, haha, so satisfying!"