Love Lock

Chapter 69 Twist! Twist!
Sure enough, early the next morning, a secret guard told Emperor Jing everything that had happened in the Prince's mansion the previous night.

In the palace.

After receiving the detailed report from his secret guards, Emperor Jing chuckled and looked at the still flickering candlelight. His face was full of smug satisfaction, as if no matter how much the emperor jumped, he couldn't escape his grasp.

"Heh, it's good that he's hot-tempered. I was afraid he wouldn't be hot-tempered at all! Zhao Zun isn't as sensible as his princess. It seems that although this Cangzhou princess is a countrywoman, she's reasonable. She's right, the entire Great Jing Dynasty belongs to me. So what if you, Zhao Zun, strike fear into the hearts of your enemies? Wherever I tell you to go, you must go. Before me, if you're a dragon, you must coil up; if you're a tiger, you must lie down before me. Hahaha..."

Emperor Jing was smug about how easily he had controlled and suppressed a hero like Zhao Zun.

"Can't figure it out? Pshaw! I'll go see for myself today whether you've figured it out or not."

Emperor Jing muttered to himself, and then he summoned the chief eunuch, Li Zhongxin.

"Go and prepare some New Year's gifts. We'll go to the Prince of Xiaoyao's residence to pay our respects to the newly appointed Prince of Cangzhou," Emperor Jing said to Li Zhongxin.

Li Zhongxin was startled and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, you are the emperor. How can an emperor in this world visit his subjects to offer New Year's greetings?"

"You don't understand. Just go when I tell you to." Emperor Jing said impatiently.

“Uh…” Li Zhongxin hesitated for a moment, wanting to say something, but didn’t say it, and still respectfully replied, “Yes, this old servant will take care of it right away.”

Soon, Li Zhongxin returned, followed by several eunuchs. They brought gifts, casual clothes, and breakfast.

After Emperor Jing finished his breakfast, he and Li Zhongxin changed into civilian clothes and left the palace incognito.

……

Perhaps even the heavens knew that the New Year was approaching, because although it was snowing heavily on New Year's Eve last night, the snow stopped before dawn today.

The eastern horizon was also very festive, sending the first warm and bright ray of sunshine into the new year.

Last night, Zhao Zun threw a tantrum and smashed things as soon as he returned home. This morning, he came to pay his respects to the old lady. The old lady knew he was feeling aggrieved, but she still couldn't help but smile and scold him: "It's not good to get angry during the New Year. It's bad luck!"
Zhao Zun pouted, which amused Han Lei.

In order to dispel bad luck and bring back the festive atmosphere, Han Lei secretly took out two large speakers from her space and asked Zhao Zun to hang one on the wall of the back garden of the Prince's Mansion. Warm and cheerful music played from it.

Another one was hanging on a large tree behind the gate of the Prince's Mansion. The speakers were playing celebratory songs like "Today is a good day" and "Wishing you prosperity."

Yesterday, Zhao Zun attended a banquet at the palace and did not have a reunion dinner with his family. On their way back to the capital, Zhao Zun and his guards ate some grilled meat skewers made by Han Lei and thought it would be interesting to eat them during the New Year.

So Han Lei set up a grill in the back garden and started a barbecue.

Under the warm sunshine, everyone enjoyed barbecue, music, and drinks in the back garden, making it a unique and memorable New Year.

As the matriarch of the Prince's mansion, the old lady certainly did not forget everyone in the mansion.

The old lady instructed Han Lei to prepare wine and dishes for the gatekeeper, and of course, she also sent someone to invite Aunt Qin to join in the festivities. But Aunt Qin was being coy, saying she wasn't used to the food and wouldn't come.

What the old lady didn't know was that Aunt Qin wasn't absent; rather, she secretly slipped out of the palace while everyone was eating and drinking in the back garden.

They kept the gates closed, eating and drinking in the back garden, and no one knew that Han Lei had turned the street in front of the Prince's Mansion into a bustling pedestrian street with just a speaker.

Xuanwu Street is very close to the imperial palace. It is a large, prestigious area where almost all the imperial relatives, high-ranking officials, and nobles live. The houses on both sides of the street have green tiles and blue bricks, and tall gates with long halberds.

Normally, this street is solemn and secluded, and the people dare not approach it at all.

But today, this place has become a bustling marketplace. Songs playing from loudspeakers on the streets have attracted many people, creating a lively and crowded scene.

The streets were bustling with countless stalls, vendors, and shoppers, making it impossible for even large carts and horses to pass.

Ah... today is a good day.

心想 的 事儿 能 成
today is a good day

We opened our doors to welcome the spring breeze.

……

Joyful and festive songs echoed continuously in the bright sunshine.

The wealthy and powerful families living here wanted to send their servants out to drive them away, but they were stopped by the auspicious and festive music.

Everyone says that today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, a time for celebration, and we shouldn't drive away good fortune and joy. So, we let the locals bring life to the street, thinking it's actually quite nice.

Emperor Jing's carriage was blocked by a large crowd of pedestrians from a distance. He had no choice but to get off the carriage, disperse his guards, and then walk with Li Zhongxin to the Prince Xiaoyao's residence.

From afar, he could hear the music. It was music he had never heard before. He was certain that none of the court musicians could play such exquisite music.

On the contrary, the novel and cheerful melody was very similar to the one Zhao Zun and Han Lei performed at the palace banquet last night.

The vendors lining the streets and the pedestrians all wore happy expressions.

Some pedestrians sang along, while others involuntarily raised their hands and gestured to the rhythm of the song, swaying their heads and reveling in the joyful world of music.

Some vendors were so engrossed in enjoying the music that they forgot they were doing business.

Where did the singing come from?

Emperor Jing was very curious and continued walking in the direction of the song, and soon found the entrance to the Prince Xiaoyao's mansion.

Without a doubt, this was the work of Zhao Zun and Han Lei, those two "music enthusiasts".

Meanwhile, in the garden of the Prince of Xiaoyao's mansion, a dozen or so barbecue grills were lined up in a row.

Everyone in the Prince's mansion was having a barbecue. The meat skewers on the grill sizzled and emitted a delicious aroma, with smoke swirling all around. In the distance, on a stone table at the garden entrance, a black speaker was playing music on the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle).

After inquiring with the gatekeeper, he learned that everyone in the manor was having a reunion dinner in the back garden. Emperor Jing stopped the gatekeeper from reporting this and went straight into the manor. The further he walked in, the quieter the singing on the street became, until it disappeared completely.

As you walk further in, you can hear music again.

However, this time the music was completely different from what you hear on the street.

The music playing on the street is cheerful and festive, instantly evoking the atmosphere of the Lunar New Year. But the music here is melodious and gentle, clear and flowing, like heavenly music.

Emperor Jing felt increasingly relaxed and comfortable as he listened to the music. By the time he found the back garden through the sound, the morin khuur music had just ended, and the music had been replaced with a passionate and energetic piece, the sound of which was as refreshing as a waterfall.

The resounding drumbeats made the flower branches tremble and filled people with excitement and exhilaration.

Emperor Jing was taken aback and stopped in his tracks.

He felt something throbbing inside his chest, as if it were about to burst out, making him want to sway to the music.

He wanted to ask Li Zhongxin if he felt the same way. But when he turned around, he saw Li Zhongxin behind him, holding a tray in both hands, already sticking his butt out and wiggling! Wiggling…

That appearance was quite comical.

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(End of this chapter)