Chapter 212 Lantern Festival (I)

Although Zhao Shiqing shouted that she wanted to guess riddles, she was actually absent-minded when she really started guessing.

Murong Linlang guessed the fastest and the most, followed by Chen Wangxing. As for Chen Guanyue, he didn't come. He was forcibly sent to Ruyi Fang by Zhao Shiqing. As for whether his brother beat him or slapped him, Zhao Shiqing didn't care. If he didn't get beaten if he didn't act on his own, who would?

In the blink of an eye, Murong Linlang and Shen Wangxing won five or six lanterns. Everyone got one, and even the old man Zhen Wuduo held a goldfish lantern in his hand.

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

While asking this, the old man snorted in his heart. The man and woman next to him were obviously here to see each other at the Lantern Festival. His precious granddaughter has grown up and has her own little thoughts. In all likelihood, she is thinking about that brat Xiao Zhen.

Actually, the old man really wronged Zhao Shiqing. After she sent Chen Guanyue to Ruyi Fang, she threw Xiao Zhen out of the window.

What she is thinking about now is Lan Caihe.

Zhao Shiqing wanted to tell the old man about Lan Caihe, but then she changed her mind and realized that if she told him, they would not be able to watch the lanterns tonight. The old man would definitely drive them all back home like chickens and ducks.

Suddenly, her eyes fell on a man. The man was young, white and plump, holding a lantern in his hand and bargaining with the lantern seller.

Isn’t this Si Xiaopang?

Si Xiaopang, whose real name is Si Yunfei, is the son of Si Pangzi. The last time Zhao Shiqing went to the Ministry of Justice to destroy Zhu Yu's lifeblood, it was Si Xiaopang who sent her there.

It’s just that Zhao Shiqing knows Si Xiaopang, but Si Xiaopang doesn’t know her.

When Zhao Shiqing went to the Ministry of Justice, he had disguised himself.

Zhao Shiqing looked carefully and found that Si Xiaopang came alone.

I'm not here with my family, and I don't have any friends around me.

Although people in Beijing like to visit the lantern festival, looking around, there is really no one like Si Xiaopang who comes to the lantern festival alone. Zhao Shiqing only saw this one person.

Could it be that he is here for a blind date?

Waiting to meet a girl?

But Zhao Shiqing quickly dismissed the idea because Si Xiaopang was very alert.

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

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

If he really came here to see a girl, his first reaction would not be like this when he saw a little girl looking at him.

He would wonder if this girl was the one he wanted to meet.

Zhao Shiqing was confused and was about to follow, but suddenly thought of Xiao Zhen.

Si Xiaopang is Xiao Zhen's man.

Could it be that Xiao Zhen asked him to come?

Could it be that Uncle Xiao is going to do something?

Zhao Shiqing glanced at Zhen Wuduo secretly. The old man must not know. If he knew, he would definitely lock her up at home and not let her out.

At this moment, a burst of exclamations erupted from the crowd: "Look, the lights are on in Wangxian Tower! The Emperor is here!"

There were lights in Wangxian Tower and Yudai Bridge originally, but now they are more gorgeous and dazzling, just like the fairyland of Yaochi.

Zhao Shiqing was instantly mesmerized by the magnificent scene before him.

Liang also had a lantern festival and craftsmen who were good at making lanterns, but it was not until I arrived in the capital that I realized that the lantern festival could be so dazzling.

At this time, fireworks began to be set off in the enclosed area under Wangxian Tower. After the colorful fireworks, the acrobatic troupe began to perform.

Zhao Shiqing likes to watch acrobatics, but acrobatics are more interesting when viewed up close. Now, from far away, he can't see anything.

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

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

Yan Shiyi was followed by two guards.

"Xiao Shiyi, you are here to visit the Lantern Festival too." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Zhao Shiqing remembered that the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion was qualified to climb the Wangxian Tower.

"Are you going to Wangxian Tower?"

Yan Shiyi smiled and said, "Yes, my father and mother have already gone. I came here to buy a lantern and then go to see them."

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

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

The one who was close to Zhao Tingluo in the Yan family was Yan Jiu. Zhao Shiqing heard from Xiao Zhen that in that life in the dream, they were also good friends when they grew up. Yan Shiyi was young and was just a follower of his brothers. Zhao Tingluo ignored him, obviously not wanting to involve the Yan family.

Zhao Shiqing asked with a smile, "What kind of lanterns do you want to buy? Why don't you wait until you see the emperor?"

Yan Shiyi: "I want to buy the duck lantern. I didn't get it last year. Sister Bao, you don't know that last year I went to Wangxian Tower first, but when I came down, the duck lanterns were 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 will pay attention. Goodbye, Sister Abao!"

After saying that, he skipped and ran to buy the little duck lantern. The two guards hurriedly followed him, fearing that this little ancestor would disappear in the blink of an eye.

After a while, Yan Shiyi appeared from somewhere with two little duck lanterns in his hands.

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

"Sister Abao, do you want to go up and take a look?" Yan Shiyi pointed to the Jade Belt Bridge in front.

Zhao Shiqing was startled, and suddenly felt a little excited: "Can you take me upstairs?"

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

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

Yan Shiyi shook his head: "My eldest brother won't come here. How can we have fun if he comes?"

Zhao Shiqing laughed, but she wanted to go in and take a look.

She ran to Zhen Wuduo and said, "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 acrobatics on the first floor. We won't meet the emperor or cause any trouble."

Fearing that Zhen Wuduo would not agree, Zhao Shiqing pulled his sleeve and acted coquettishly: "Why don't you have someone wait for me here."

Zhen Wuduo didn't want to agree at first, but then he thought, his precious granddaughter is the second daughter of Prince Liang's Mansion and is listed in the Jade Book. She can go to the Wangxian Tower, but she has to follow him outside in a wronged manner. If she wants to watch the acrobatics, she can only see their shadows from afar. Alas, his precious granddaughter is so pitiful.

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

As he spoke, Zhen Wuduo took off a jade pendant hanging around 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. It was originally a bamboo tube, but Zhao Shiqing thought it was ugly, so the old man asked someone to improve it. The bamboo tube was replaced with jade, but it was still broken after one use. Zhao Shiqing was reluctant to throw it away and never used it once. The few tubes the old man gave her were all kept in the bottom of her box.

Zhao Shiqing took the piece and said to Zhen Wuduo, "Are you relieved now? Shall we go?"

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

"Yes!" Zhao Shiqing said, and then pulled Yan Shiyi towards the Jade Belt Bridge. After walking a few steps, he ran back and said, "Grandpa, you guys should go back early after your shopping. Just leave a few guards here to wait for me."

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

Originally, Zhao Shiqing thought that Yan Shiyi would have to say a few nice words to the Jinwu Guards guarding the gate before he could let her in.

Unexpectedly, Yan Shiyi simply took out the sign of the Duke of Wei's Mansion and said to the Jinwu Guards, "The post is with my father and mother. I went to buy a lantern and came late."

The Jinwu Guard guarding the gate asked with a smile, "Prince Yan is not here?"

Yan Shiyi: "My eldest brother is busy."

The Jinwu Guard smiled and said, "Indeed, Master Yan is the busiest."

When Zhao Shiqing followed Yan Shiyi onto the Jade Belt Bridge, he realized that he had come in so easily. Yan Shiyi's two guards did not follow them in. They were waiting for their master outside with the other servants in the mansion.

Yan Shiyi explained to her in a low voice, "Each family can bring two more people. Usually, they are cousins ​​with good relationships. My eldest brother didn't come, so my family was already one person short. And you're a girl. The Jinwu Guards will probably think you're one of my cousins. Let alone questioning you, even a glance would be an offense."

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

Standing on the Jade Belt Bridge, you can have a panoramic view of the acrobatic performance. You can see a charming woman with a pile of bowls and dishes on her head. In her mouth, the woman holds an iron rack with three candles on it. As the candlelight dances, the woman hooks a bowl with her foot and lifts it upwards. The bowl flies up, and the woman leans forward, and the bowl lands steadily on the pile of bowls and dishes.

Zhao Shiqing and Yan Shiyi exclaimed in unison, "It's amazing, it's really amazing!"

"Tsk, what's so good about this? What a fuss! You act like you haven't seen the world."

Suddenly, a discordant voice came to their ears. Zhao Shiqing and Yan Shiyi turned their heads and saw that the person talking was a young man and woman. They were dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked somewhat similar. They both had phoenix eyes and high cheekbones. Although they were good-looking, they exuded a bit of coldness.

Zhao Shiqing took one look and then became too lazy to look at him. She didn't like people with that kind of appearance.

Yan Shiyi, however, didn't share her good temper and immediately taunted him, "Really? I heard that these acrobatics were carefully selected by His Majesty the Fourth Prince. Aren't they beautiful? Indeed, His Majesty was only thinking about His Majesty's preferences and forgot to consult your family. When I see His Majesty later, I'll remind him to ask you first next time."

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

Seeing them walk away in disgrace, Zhao Shiqing asked, "Who are these two people?"

Yan Shiyi said, "These are You Dalang and You Sanniang's daughters. They are Youpin's nephew and niece, and they are the fourth prince's cousins."

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

Zhao Shiqing had heard from Xiao Zhen early on that the Fourth Prince's biological mother, Concubine You, was not favored and was confused. The Fourth Prince was eager to please the Empress Dowager because he had no backing in the palace and could not rely on his biological mother, so he wanted to find a new mother.

Although Zhao Shiqing had never met Concubine You, when she saw the You brothers and sisters, she could understand what Xiao Zhen meant by "not knowing what to do".

It’s good enough that the You family doesn’t hold the Fourth Prince back.

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

Sui Dashi and the ninth, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth of the Yan family were all there. Although the masters of the Yan family had no titles, they were officials. Yan Ba ​​and the others came with their parents.

Yan Shiyi gave the other duck lantern to Yan Twelve, who was overjoyed. Everyone was surprised to see Zhao Shiqing dressed in women's clothing, especially the Broken Stone brothers. They 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 nice. They accepted her change from a man to a woman very well. They didn't make a fuss or ask any questions.

Yes, the Yan family didn’t ask, maybe because Yan Xia had reminded them, but the brothers Sui Dashi didn’t ask either, which shows that they have high emotional intelligence.

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

Yan Jiu said, "He's up there, let's just wait. My starling is up there, so I guess we'll have news soon."

The others looked calm, but Yan Shiyi asked curiously, "What news are you waiting for?"

Yan Jiu whispered a few words in his ear. Yan Shiyi opened his mouth wide and looked at Zhao Shiqing: "Sister Abao, you know that too?"

Zhao Shiqing nodded, and the Stonebreaker brother said, "My grandfather didn't want to come today, so the two of us carried him here."

Yan Jiu: "I asked Zhao Fu to trick his old grandfather into coming here. Among the Zhao family's clan members, his old grandfather has the highest seniority."

The Broken Stone brothers nodded vigorously: "That's right, although Zhao Fu's family is not a direct branch, they are of a higher generation. Even when my grandfather sees his old man, he has to call him uncle."

The grandfather of the brothers Sui Dashi was Prince Lu, who was the brother of the retired emperor and Prince Fu. His great-uncle was also the great-uncle of the retired emperor and Prince Fu.

Eight-year-old Yan Twelve said, "And me, and me too. I asked Zhao Xi to call his grandfather and his father over. Hehe, Zhao Xi's father had diarrhea last night and is blurry-eyed today. He didn't want to come, but Zhao Xi rolled on the ground, so his father had no choice but to come anyway."

Zhao Xi is Yan Shier's deskmate. They got into trouble together, were punished together, and had their parents called to the police station together. Zhao Xi's father is Zhao Sheng from the clan house.

Zhao Shiqing blinked her eyes. It seemed that Xiao Luoluo had done a lot that day.

At this time, other sons of nobles came over to say hello. Zhao Shiqing looked very eye-catching sitting among a group of boys, but when she looked closely, she saw that on her left was six-year-old Yan Shisan, and on her right was five-year-old Yan Shisi. She guessed that they might be relatives of the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion. She originally wanted to tease them, but when she thought of the unreasonableness of the old Yan family, she left embarrassedly.

Before coming here today, my family repeatedly warned me not to fight in front of the emperor, and not to provoke the troublemakers from the Yan family. Otherwise, who could stand it if they came to demolish their house in the first month of the year?

At this moment, Yan Ba, who had not been seen, ran down from upstairs. When everyone saw him, they all stood up and asked, "Brother Ba (Old Eight), is there any news?"

Yan Ba ​​panted, "Little Luozi is one on two, rubbing his grandfather's face against the ground. It feels good, haha, so good!"