Chapter 267 July 7

Chinese Valentine's Day.

In the Liang imperial capital of Bianjing, there were stalls selling Mohelo puppets in the Dongsongmenwai Wazi of Panlou Street, the Xiliangmenwai Wazi of Zhouxi, Beimenwai Street, and Nanzhuquemenwai Street. The small puppets were decorated with red gauze and green cages, gold beads, ivory and jade, or placed in painted railings.

The prices range from low to high. If decorated with gold, pearls, ivory or jadeite, a pair can cost several thousand coins.

On this day, everyone in Daliang, whether in the palace, wealthy families, or even ordinary people, would buy a pair and give them to their loved ones as a gift for the Chinese Valentine's Day.

In previous years, people in Juzhou and even in southern Xinjiang were living in poverty and wars were frequent. It was difficult to survive, so how could they have the heart to celebrate the Chinese Valentine's Day?

This year is different.

Juzhou welcomed the first peaceful and lively Chinese Valentine's Day in decades.

Zhao Luoxuan led the officials and runners in charge of etiquette in the government office, and according to the arrangements of the Qixi Festival in Bianjing City, they made the Qixi Festival in Juzhou very successful.

There are all kinds of entertainment, food, and stalls.

More and more merchants came to travel from all over the place, and the constant stream of people were all wearing gorgeous clothes, looking prosperous.

For today's Chinese Valentine's Day, the Mu family and the Princess's Mansion contributed a large sum of money, with each household contributing 500 coins per person so that everyone could celebrate the festival.

The women from the Nursing Home and the Rose Courtyard worked together to give a new set of blouse and skirt to every unmarried girl in the city's civilian families, most of which were popular styles in Bianjing.

Each child was also given a set of clothes, and the people in the city were extremely happy.

Today, the girls wearing new skirts are all holding a lotus lantern as they walk on the street. If they meet their ideal man, they will give the lantern to him to express their love.

Men can also buy lanterns and give them to their beloved girls.

Gu Huan and a few other girls were strolling on the busiest street. There were several buildings on both sides, one of which was the restaurant and teahouse run by the Pei family.

Many new shops were opened, and every shop put a "begging for skills" mat at the door. Boys and girls gathered together, with boys reciting poems and girls demonstrating their needlework.

Zhao Luoxuan and Zhou Zhilan each held one side of Gu Huan.

The three of them were happily chatting as they walked, but as they walked, they each had their own thoughts and stopped talking.

Gu Huan looked left and right, and the two girls' eyes were red.

Seeing her looking at them, they both started talking and laughing to hide their sadness.

Isn’t Gu Huan sad too?

She has been with Mu Junyan all the way, but has never spent the Chinese Valentine's Day with him.

Zhou Zhilan sniffed and said, "Today I want to find a husband of my dreams."

"Okay, okay, I'll help you out."

Zhao Luoxuan stretched her head and looked at her with a smile.

Gu Huan glared at Zhou Zhilan and said, "Didn't we agree that I would hold a martial arts competition for you in a few days?"

Zhao Luoxuan almost jumped up with excitement: "Ah? A martial arts competition to win a bride, so exciting! So fun."

Zhou Zhilan blushed: "Didn't you say you would come later, until the letter was delivered?"

Gu Huan said seriously, "I sent a letter by carrier pigeon a long time ago. I wrote it myself, saying that in order to reassure him, I wanted to find a good husband for his sister that she would like as soon as possible, so I specially held a martial arts competition to recruit a husband."

Zhou Zhilan's eyes widened: "Send a letter by carrier pigeon? It should arrive in ten days." "Let's calculate, it should arrive, but I don't know if he will reply."

Zhou Zhilan hesitated to speak.

Gu Huan knew what she was thinking.

As long as Mu Junyan doesn't come back, Zhou Chunyu won't be able to come back either.

But if he can't let go of Zhou Zhilan, he can also write a letter. It depends on what he thinks.

"There are many military commanders in Juzhou, all of them are very brave and extraordinary. Sister Zhilan will definitely be able to find an excellent lover."

Zhao Luoxuan didn’t know the meaning of what they said, she just felt happy for Zhou Zhilan.

Zhou Zhilan didn't know what to say: "Thank you, my lord. I will accept your good words."

Gu Huan smiled and looked at Zhao Luoxuan.

Zhao Luoxuan felt embarrassed by her gaze and touched her face: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with your face?"

Zhou Zhilan was teased by Zhao Luoxuan just now, so she took the opportunity to fight back: "You really don't want to marry someone else? You just came of age, can you stay a widow forever?"

Zhao Luoxuan snorted, "Of course I can. If I can't marry someone I like, I might as well not marry."

All three of them laughed.

"Wow, that's amazing, I hit it, give it to me now."

"My dear, my dear, I want one too. Please help me shoot one."

"My dear, I want one too."

"I want one too."

There was a burst of noise filled with the sweet voices of girls, which was particularly attractive.

Gu Huan and the others looked over and saw a lantern tower that reached up to the second floor. The higher the lanterns were hung, the more beautiful and expensive they were.

Ten cents for five arrows, you can shoot whichever lamp you like.

Usually, in order to woo the girl they like, a boy would shoot the lamp that the girl likes and give it to her in order to make her smile.

The rules are extremely tricky. You have to shoot the thin string with the number paper hanging on the lamp and shoot the number down to get the corresponding lamp.

Even the sharpshooters in the Mu family army may not hit the target every time.

But now, a large group of girls surrounded a tall man, and the man accepted everyone and helped each girl shoot down the light they liked.

This is... a playboy.

But he shot very accurately, and five arrows hit five lamps, which made the group of men grit their teeth in hatred.

The boss had a gloomy face. He was going to lose a lot of money after encountering this god.

But the rules are set, what can the sharpshooter do?

Zhao Luoxuan was learning horse riding and archery, Zhou Zhilan was an excellent archer, and Gu Huan had been practicing archery for half a year. The three of them all lit up their eyes.

Gu Huan looked around at the two of them and said, "Let's go over and take a look?"

"good."

The two said in unison.

Donghua and Akabane quietly pushed the crowd aside and the three of them squeezed to the front.

Only then did they see the man's face clearly.

The man's appearance was indeed outstanding.

She is eight feet tall, tall and straight, with a graceful and elegant figure.

Her temples were as if cut by a knife, her eyebrows were as if painted with ink, her face was like peach petals, her face was like a crown of jade, and her lips were as if painted with vermilion.

If it weren't for his skillful bow-drawing technique and the amazing accuracy of his arrows, one would have thought he was a scholar.

Zhao Luoxuan tilted her head: "I have never seen this person before."

Zhou Zhilan also nodded: "I haven't seen it either."

Gu Huan was sizing up the other person, but unexpectedly the other person looked straight at her. Their eyes met, and they were stunned for a moment.

Gu Huan felt that there was a depth hidden in that man's gentle and smiling eyes, and he didn't look like an ordinary person.

She quickly retracted her gaze and glanced at him quickly.

"Let's go."

She took their hands and turned to leave.

The man shooting the arrow fixed his gaze on Gu Huan's back and did not move for a long time.

The girls around him called him "My dear" in a tender voice again. The man came back to his senses and continued to shine the light with a smile.

"What's wrong?"

Zhou Zhilan noticed that Gu Huan looked strange.

Zhao Luoxuan looked puzzled.

Gu Huan and the others had already walked out of the crowd and lowered their voices: "This person looks familiar."

"ah?"

Zhou Zhilan and Zhao Luoxuan tried hard to remember but couldn't.

“I don’t have any impression at all.”

Gu Huan thought about it, but couldn't remember where she had seen it before, but she just had a familiar feeling.

"Although I can't remember, he is not from Daliang. Did you notice the short knife hanging on his waist? It's a scimitar. The gemstone pattern inlaid on the scabbard is from Dali."

Zhao Luoxuan's eyes widened: "Ah, so he is from Dali?"

Zhou Zhilan nodded: "It's not surprising. The men of Dali are indeed fair-skinned."

"He is not an ordinary person. You noticed the material of his clothes. It is not something an ordinary person can wear. Look at the ornaments on his waist. He is at least a noble of Dali, or a top noble."

Gu Huan not only learned how to read people's expressions, but also studied in depth the food, clothing, daily necessities and habits of the nobles of both countries.

Although the rules of Dali Kingdom were not as complicated as those of Daliang, they were extremely particular about clothing.

Waist pendants and pendants are strictly classified into grades.

Zhou Zhilan quickly turned around to look, and soon came back: "He doesn't have many followers around him, it seems like there are only one or two. Although the two countries have started to get along well, they haven't officially started trade yet, and he brought two people to Juzhou? He is really brave."

Gu Huan stopped, looked at Chiyu, and shook her head lightly at him.

Akabane understood immediately and turned around to give a wink to the person who was protecting him secretly.

The man immediately turned and walked towards the archer.