Chapter 17 Lantern Competition "Since we are in the capital, we will meet again someday."...

He took a step forward, and the artist suddenly breathed fire again.

"Brother, be careful!"

Xiao Yangjun pulled him back, avoiding the scorching flames. Once the firelight dimmed, he pushed through the crowd and chased after them.

Xiao Huaiting quickly searched for her in the crowd and saw her walking towards the Bright Moon Bridge.

Xiao Yangjun said, "The Bright Moon Bridge is just ahead. They are all walking to cure all diseases. Brother, why don't you come with me?"

Xiao Huaiting snapped out of his reverie and smiled gently: "Okay."

He reached out and gently pulled Xiao Yangjun to his side as they walked towards the Bright Moon Bridge.

The bridge was teeming with people. Although Xiao Yangjun was not jostled under his protection, he still had to keep up with his slightly hurried pace.

She looked up at her brother and saw that his gaze was fixed ahead. His expression remained calm, but his brows were slightly furrowed, and his steps were somewhat hurried.

Xiao Yangjun looked up, but only saw a large crowd of people.

She couldn't help but wonder, what's going on?

On the Bright Moon Bridge, Cheng Huaizhu held Xue Chan's hand and said very seriously, "You should really walk across this Bright Moon Bridge properly to get rid of your illness."

Xue Chan listened to the rambling, her wrist warmed by a palm. The chilly spring breeze brushed her face, yet she felt no cold at all.

She simply started a conversation.

"Huaizhu, why is it called Bright Moon Bridge?"

"Because this white stone bridge, illuminated by the lights, resembles a crescent moon reflected in the water. Don't believe me? Look down and see."

Xue Chan looked down at the water. The lamplight reflected on the water, and the bridge's shadow fell on the rippling surface, just like a crescent moon.

She smiled slightly.

"I wonder what kind of fool the person who named it must have been. They must have walked across this bridge countless times and gazed at the moon night after night."

Cheng Huaizhu couldn't help but chuckle and laugh at her.

“You usually sit and paint for two or three hours at a time, or you stand under the wall looking at flowers, birds, fish and insects. Aren’t you a fool?”

She moved closer to Xue Chan, her teasing intensifying.

"That's truly the talk of a madman."

Xue Chan smiled upon hearing this.

The two walked down the bridge, and Cheng Huaizhu stopped, closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in front of the moon through the weeping willows and plum blossoms.

Xue Chan: "What did you wish for?"

Cheng Huaizhu pretended to be mysterious and said, "I won't tell you, it won't work if I tell you."

Only the moon knows.

May Xue Chan be free from illness and disaster, and live a healthy and peaceful life in Chang'an.

After crossing the Bright Moon Bridge to the west, the sound of drums and music, along with light, could be heard.

Cheng Huaizhu pointed to the approaching procession and said, "Look, look! It's a lantern parade!"

Xue Chan noticed that there were monks in the group and asked with some confusion, "Why are there monks with them?"

“Oh, this…” Cheng Huaizhu thought for a moment and explained to her, “In the early years, there was no Lantern Festival. It’s only in the last two years that we’ve started to have lantern parades, worship the gods, and distribute blessings during the festival. At first, I was curious, but after a while, I got used to it.”

Xue Chan said softly, "So that's how it is..."

The procession of lanterns approached them, and as Cheng Huaizhu had said, the procession was quite spectacular.

The procession carried long red and green fish lanterns, accompanied by people who beat drums and gongs and danced to the music.

Leading the procession was a large white lion-head lantern with blue patterns, followed by three carp lanterns. Behind them were six people carrying long blue dragon lanterns and phoenix lanterns with a hundred flowers and a pearl in their mouths. Various lanterns were placed along the way, their tails tied with colorful brocade ribbons, making them appear as if they were about to take flight.

Everyone wanted to get closer to the procession of lanterns in order to pray for good fortune, so the crowd quickly became packed.

As people jostled and pushed, the crowd grew larger and larger. Cheng Huaizhu's hand, which was holding Xue Chan's, was pulled away by the crowd, and Xue Chan and the others were separated.

She didn't wander off, but led Yun Sheng and Chu Tao closer to the riverbank.

After the procession had gone some distance, Xue Chan saw Cheng Huaizhu and Zhou Niangzi waving to her from the front. She immediately pushed aside the weeping willows and stepped forward, but her sleeve was suddenly pulled.

"girl"

She turned around and saw a handsome young man dressed in a light blue silk robe and wearing a dark blue soft-brimmed hat.

Xue Chan found him to be a complete stranger and had no recollection of him, so she assumed it was a misunderstanding.

She pulled her sleeve back, smiled faintly, and said, "It seems that you have mistaken me for someone else, young master," before heading towards where Cheng Huaizhu and the others had been.

Xiao Huaiting tried to chase after her, but she walked very fast and was far away in a short while.

No matter how hard I try, I can't catch up.

He stood there, utterly dejected.

It really is her...

He had finally found her, and he thought he could at least strike up a conversation and ask her which family she belonged to. But she was gone again, vanished from his sight once more.

"Who is my brother looking for?" Xiao Yangjun asked, puzzled, when he found him.

Xiao Huaiting smiled gently and said, "I just met an old friend, but we missed each other before we could even exchange a word."

With her keen perception, she followed his gaze and saw a slender figure hidden among the weeping willows. Seeing her brother's wistful expression, she guessed what was going on and comforted him.

"Since we are both in the capital, we will meet again someday."

"I hope so."

They left as well, but Xiao Huaiting looked back.

There, willows swayed gently, lanterns flickered, and shadows were cast deep and secluded.

Xue Chan and her group crossed the Jinliu River and went to Guanyin Lake to watch the lanterns, solve riddles, and have fun.

Lantern towers and frames had already been erected along the lake, and various water lanterns were placed in the lake, creating a dazzling and brilliant scene. The long strips of lights hanging along the shore reflected on the water, making it shimmer and gleam.

The female shopkeeper, dressed in an embroidered red dress, stood under the lantern hill, smiling as she spoke.

"The lantern mountain in front of the building, the lantern racks by the lake, and the water lanterns in the lake all contain riddles. Everyone can shoot, take, or fish them out. The person who guesses the most riddles will win this cherry banquet."

Everyone was eager to try, but the shopkeeper held out his hand: "Hey, everyone, don't rush."

"Only one thing applies: everyone must rely on their own abilities. No one may cause trouble to steal the light, and no one may injure others. Anyone who violates this rule will be disqualified and eliminated on the spot."

She retreated to the high platform, gathered her clothes, and sat down. The person beside her held paper and pen to check the answer to the riddle.

"Please, everyone."

Jiang Ce, Zheng Shaoyu, and You Yu tacitly parted ways.

Although Zheng Shaoyu's kung fu skills were not high, he was agile and moved around the lantern mountain. A skilled person could find more than a dozen lantern riddles with a simple reach.

As he ran, he looked around and tried to solve the mystery. When he reached out to untie the new colorful silk, he was grabbed by someone at the same time.

"Chen Silang, what are you doing here?" Zheng Shaoyu glared at him angrily and said sarcastically, "Who was it that was beaten and begging for mercy outside Ningcui Tower that day?"

"Zheng Liu, who knows who will get beaten today?" The other party was furious but not afraid at all, and actually reached out to snatch the colorful silk that had been taken off his hand. "Give it to me."

Zheng Shaoyu kicked him away: "Get out of here!"

Shen Silang staggered and gave a wink. Several young masters who had previously been at odds with Jiang Ce walked up the lantern mountain, intending to surround him.

Zheng Shaoyu laughed and said, "Oh, aren't these all people that Erlang beat up? Now that the Little Prince of Ning has come to the capital, he's become a lackey again!"

Enraged by the sarcasm, several of them started fighting on Dengshan Mountain.

Zheng Shaoyu nimbly dodged, not forgetting to kick a few times as he did so: "Get the hell out of here!"

Under the tall lampposts by the lake, Youyu stood behind the crowd and touched her waist knife. A small glint of silver light flashed as she drew her sword, but she made no further move.

He thought for a while, then put the knife back into its sheath.

Never mind, if it weren't for the fear of scaring these people to death...

Yu stepped onto a nearby stone and, with a few light steps, picked up several colorful tokens that were fluttering in the wind. Before he could even look at them, he heard Zheng Shaoyu calling him from not far away.

"Youyu! Come here and beat them up!"

"Excuse me."

He swiftly leaped onto the lantern stands, stepping on people's shoulders. The rows and rows of lanterns stacked upon each other, swirling and dancing in the wind, making one dizzy with the sight. Yet Yu moved with light, graceful leaps, weaving through them like a bluebird.

A thin silver light flashed, and the colorful ribbons hanging from the lantern frame, like flower petals, fluttered down.

People on the lakeside stood on tiptoe and reached out to grab them, some lifting their robes to catch several colorful ribbons.

Yu tore apart the silk flower balls hanging on the tree, and scooped up most of the colorful silk with the light, fluttering gauze.

Zheng Shaoyu shouted from beside the lantern mountain, "Youyu! Stop dawdling!"

Yu carried a bag of colorful tokens through the crowd to find Zheng Shaoyu, but the tokens in her hand were so attractive that someone tried to grab the gauze from her hand as she crossed the crowd.

His eyes were cold, and he turned around, drawing the long sword from his waist to scare the people away.

He had no intention of hurting anyone; he was just horrified that everyone had to back down. He then leaped a few steps far away, jumped onto the lantern mountain, kicked several people away, and picked up Zheng Shaoyu and threw him off the mountain.

"You're quick-witted, go solve the riddles, I'll handle these trivial matters."

"Okay!"

Zheng Shaoyu landed hard on his backside, ignoring the pain, and quickly grabbed the colorful silk that Youyu had thrown down and put it into his arms.

"Is this young man alright?"

He looked up and saw a handsome, clean-cut face.

The other person was startled, their eyes wide with shock, and they were still holding a colored tag in their hand.

Zheng Shaoyu clutched the object in his arms tightly, sat on the ground, and mumbled, "It's nothing, it's nothing."

He had just gotten up when he was met by Cheng Huaizhu, who was walking out from among the lanterns, and he was slightly taken aback.

Cheng Huaizhu glanced at him up and down and laughed out loud: "I wondered what it was, but it turns out to be a big goose that fell down. How interesting."

Zheng Shaoyu blushed instantly, and before he could explain, he scrambled to his feet and looked around, asking, "Where did Jiang Ce go?"

"Perhaps, it's there."

Another woman standing by the lake pointed, and Zheng Shaoyu looked toward Guanyin Lake.

Jiang Ce rode in small boats, retrieving lanterns and colorful silks.

A figure was also leaping across the lake, almost right behind Jiang Ce.

Zheng Shaoyu took two steps forward, squinted and looked closely. Who else could it be but the Little Prince of Ning?

He immediately gasped; it seemed another fight was about to break out.

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

He was frantic, his voice trembling: "Yu Yu Yu Yu! Forget about those people, get to the center of the lake!"

Jiang Ce stepped onto the boat that others were using to retrieve the lanterns, and with a little leverage, he walked towards the lotus and crane lanterns in the center of the lake.

He reached out and touched the colorful silk, and a face appeared behind the crane lantern.

"Long time no see, Jiang Erlang."

Jiang Ce's eyes fell upon Zhang's seemingly refined yet utterly detestable face.

He accidentally broke off a lotus petal and fell into the water with a "plop": "It really is a long time."

Although Jiang Ce really wanted to rush up and push him into the water, he held back and walked away on the surface of the water.

"Why is Jiang Erlang leaving so soon? Has he become a coward after four years in Liangzhou?" Little Ningwang caught up with him, refusing to give up. "This is not like our Jiang Erlang at all!"

The two chased each other and landed on a small boat.

Jiang Ce stood at the bow of the boat, while the other person landed at the stern.

Prince Ning untied a colorful silk ribbon from a nearby lantern and said with a smile, "Since Jiang Erlang doesn't take the imperial examination to enter officialdom, he probably doesn't need to 'rise to prominence,' let alone attend the Cherry Blossom Banquet. Why not give it to me?"

"As if you need it." Jiang Ce ignored him and gave a cold sneer.

Unexpectedly, the other person leaned against the edge of the boat, carefully examining his face, and joked, "It looks like Erlang's face has healed. I thought it would leave a scar. What a pity."

They should have cut deeper back then, ideally tearing off half of Jiang Ce's most cherished face.

What a pity, what a pity.

Jiang Ce smiled brightly: "I don't know who likes to scratch people's faces. Such despicable and vile behavior is truly rare in this world."

Prince Ning's face immediately darkened, and he stirred up the water lanterns on the nearby lake, rushing towards Jiang Ce at high speed.

Jiang Cewei turned slightly to the side, flicked his sleeve, and the lantern landed steadily in his hand, the flame inside flickering slightly but still burning steadily.

Jiang Ce adopted a strategy of seven defenses and three attacks, unwilling to cause any trouble during the Lantern Festival.

Unfortunately, the young Prince Ning had a firm grasp on his thoughts and became increasingly aggressive. Jiang Ce didn't want to fight, but he couldn't leave, like someone stuck with the old Taoist priest's leech.

In the ensuing struggle, the two began to fight on Guanyin Lake.

Jiang Ce neither took the initiative to attack, nor was he ever at a disadvantage.

But the longer he was pestered, the more the other party took advantage of him, and he became increasingly impatient.

Jiang Ce flew back from the bow of the boat to another small boat, thinking he could get away from there, but Little Ning Prince simply chased after him.

He was already annoyed and couldn't help but want to take action. Suddenly, the small boat rocked, and Yu came walking on the water, drawing her waist knife and heading straight for Prince Ning.

The blade, reflecting the moonlight, slashed down through the wind. The opponent drew his soft sword to block, but was forced to kneel down by the force.

Little Ningwang gritted his teeth, never expecting this half-grown boy to be so ruthless.

He raised his sleeve, and a short arrow flew out from it, heading towards Youyu Mianmen.

Jiang Ce ripped You Yu away with one hand, and the hidden arrow was stuck to the bow of the boat.

He swiftly snapped the long pole beside him with one hand and threw the lantern at Prince Ning. The lantern was split open by the soft sword and fell into the water with a "thud." The candlelight flickered twice and then went out, finally sinking into the lake.

Jiang Ce swiftly gripped the hilt of his knife and slashed downwards, nearly shattering the small awning boat into pieces, sending debris flying everywhere.

Prince Ning felt a sense of confusion before his eyes, and Yu kicked the fish lantern in half, sending it hurtling straight toward him.

He raised his sleeve to shield himself, dodging in a panic, only to see Jiang Ce approaching with a knife, his eyes dark and unfathomable in the lamplight. However, the blade only passed his shoulder, striking his shoulder, arm, and wrist three times with the back of the blade. The young Prince of Ning felt excruciating pain and involuntarily loosened his grip.

Just as the soft sword was about to fall, he immediately switched hands to catch it, but Jiang Ce had already deflected the sword and it sank into the golden water.

He brushed the crumbs off his robes and said lightly, "It's just a joke, it's been a long time since we last met. Why can't Jiang Erlang take it?"

"Yes, it was just a joke. I suppose you are magnanimous and wouldn't ask me to compensate for that sword, would you? I don't think the Prince of Ning's mansion would bother with me over a sword, would it?" Jiang Ce also said with a smile.

The other person stood at the bow of the boat without saying anything.

Because the two were making such a big fuss, a crowd gradually gathered by the lake, pointing and whispering about them.

Not wanting to cause any more trouble, Jiang Ce lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped away into the water.

"Youyu, let's go back."

As soon as Jiang Ce landed on the shore, he ran into Shen Yiguang, the wife of Prince Ning, who was standing by the lake.

The other party smiled slightly: "Jiang Erlang, it's been a few years, and you've become even more spirited."

Jiang Ce was not familiar with her. When she was still a young lady, she had only met her a few times because of Zheng Tan and Deng Run.

Back then, by the Wei River, at the Apricot Blossom Banquet, they competed in poetry and prose, their fame spreading throughout the capital. But not long after, the Deng family was raided and exiled, Shen Yiguang was married off to a distant place, and their former glory vanished.

Out of courtesy, Jiang Ce said politely, "I haven't yet congratulated Madam Chen on her wedding. Congratulations!"

Shen Yiguang lowered his eyes: "Jiang Erlang, you're too kind."

The two exchanged brief greetings and parted ways.

Jiang Ce turned around, raised his head, and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

A note from the author:

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