151. Mid-Autumn Festival Feast

The two little girls started playing by the bridge. One temporarily cast aside the melancholy of a time traveler, while the other, who had never had any worries, laughed heartily, chasing away much of the autumn's bleakness.

Not far away, Jin Qizhi leaned against a willow tree, watching them, and shook his head.

Although he still felt that the second young lady of the Duke of Anguo was very strange today, speaking incoherently, seeing her playing happily with the little dumpling and her smile without any gloom, his doubts gradually dissipated.

"I guess... it's just a game that kids come up with on a whim?" He chuckled to himself, realizing that his momentary suspicion that the other person was mentally unstable was rather rude.

As long as she means well for the little dumpling, what does it matter if she's a little quirky and harmless?

The same is true for the other person.

After playing for a while, Lin Fuman looked at the little dumpling's earnest expression as it tried to scoop up water plants with a net, and the last bit of hesitation in her heart was completely relieved.

There are no thrilling conspiracies, and no fellow villagers from different eras.

But as it is now, it seems... not bad?

It's much more interesting than her just pondering and daydreaming by herself.

She took the water plants that the little girl couldn't reach and deftly scooped them up for her, earning a cheer of admiration from the little girl: "Sister Fufu is the best!"

Lin Fu smiled and pinched her cheek: "You're not bad either!"

After all, not just anyone can fool her.

The warm autumn sun shone on the pond, making it sparkle, and also on the two little girls.

Although the process was a bit inexplicable, the result seemed to be pretty good.

-

Time flies, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner.

The festive atmosphere in the capital grew stronger day by day.

The artisans in the town made huge rabbit lanterns, and all kinds of shops hung up signs with pictures of Chang'e. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of syrup, red bean paste, oil and nuts all day long.

It's warm, fragrant, and irresistible, making it hard to leave.

The entire Beiding Marquis's residence was bustling with activity.

The little dumpling has been very happy lately.

Her new clothes were specially prepared by the shop. The cuffs and hem were embroidered with a cute jade rabbit pounding medicine in silver thread, and the rabbit's eyes were dotted with ruby-like fragments of fabric, which sparkled when it moved.

She loved it.

Of course, compared to simply celebrating the festival, there is another kind of activity that is more solemn and more eye-catching—

The princes and heirs of various vassal states have been arriving in the capital one after another by imperial decree.

The news spread silently among the mansions of various prominent families, like ink dripping onto water.

Along the long street, one can often see magnificent carriages and ceremonial guards of different styles slowly passing by. The armor of the guards gleams coldly in the autumn sun, and the sound of horses' hooves on the bluestone slabs is heavier and more rhythmic than that of ordinary carriages.

Even the street vendors watching the commotion unconsciously lowered their voices.

That day, the little dumpling was so curious that she pestered Xie Wenling, wanting to see her new friend.

So Xie Wenling took her to a teahouse near the city gate and sat her on the second floor.

The little dumpling peeked curiously out through the gap in the curtain.

She saw processions of carriages and horses.

"Are those the young master sitting in those big carriages?" she asked, tugging at Xie Wenling's sleeve. "Are they here to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with Yue'er?"

Xie Wenling picked her up and said gently, "Yes. You'll see him at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. But these days there are many people and carriages outside. If you go out, you must stay with your family and not wander off on your own, understand?"

"I remember!" The little dumpling nodded obediently, but her eyes were still shining as she stared at the door. "Will the new friend bring some delicious food? Like the local specialties Mommy mentioned?"

Xie Wenling chuckled: "Perhaps. But you can't be greedy."

"Oh, oh," the little dumpling nodded haphazardly, then reached out and pulled back the curtain to peek outside.

-

In this atmosphere, the invitation to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was delivered to the residence of the Marquis of Beiding.

The little dumpling stood on tiptoe, watching her mother carefully put away the invitation, and clapped her hands excitedly: "We're going to the palace for the festival! We can see little clouds! We can see lots and lots of new friends! And pretty lanterns and pretty cakes!"

She had already begun to imagine the lanterns in the palace that were bigger and brighter than those on the street, and the mooncakes made in the imperial kitchen that were sure to be more beautiful than those at home.

And those distant, unfamiliar princes are all new friends.

The young girl did not understand the power, distance, and subtle political implications behind the words "Prince of a Feudal State," nor could she perceive the undercurrents quietly surging beneath this grand festival.

She was simply overjoyed, delighted by the new clothes, sweet mooncakes, bright lanterns, and the big, round moon that was about to rise.

-

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the little girl wore her beloved new dress with the jade rabbit pounding medicine in it. Her hair was styled into two cute little buns and tied with ribbons of the same color as her dress. She looked like a little glutinous rice ball coated in honey. All the way, the carriage swayed its little legs excitedly.

"Mother, Mother, are there moon lanterns in the palace that are bigger than houses?"

Jiang Xiyue: "Isn't this too big? Does our Yue'er want to take the moon down and use it as a lamp?"

"Oh yeah, the moon is a super big light!"

"Daddy, Daddy, what kind of fillings do mooncakes have?"

Marquis Beiding: "There are five-nut, salt and pepper, red bean paste... The chefs in the imperial kitchen will probably come up with some new flavors, and our Yue'er will be in for a treat!"

"Yay!"

"Big brother, big brother, will the adults test Yue'er on whether she can recite the poems well?"

Jin Qizhi: "Didn't you memorize several poems about the Mid-Autumn Festival? If you don't want to memorize them, just stay by my side. That way, they'll test me instead of you."

"Okay!"

"Second brother, second brother, what do you think the princes look like?"

Second brother: "It should also have two eyes, two ears, one nose, and one mouth, right?"

"That's good, that's good."

The little dumpling kept chattering away, her eyes and heart filled with anticipation for the feast, especially excited about meeting so many new friends.

However, as soon as she stepped into the venue of the palace banquet, the little dumpling felt that something was not right.

The interior was extremely luxurious, with glass lamps illuminating the night as bright as day, and the air filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and the clinking of glasses.

However, the atmosphere was not as relaxed and cheerful as she had imagined.

Although everyone wore smiles, those smiles seemed to be just right, and the small talk between them carried an indescribable caution.

She had intended to take her second brother to find the little princess and the little prince, but found that they were sitting in the core area closest to the throne, surrounded by a group of strange men and women dressed in rich clothes and with extraordinary bearing, and she couldn't get close at all.

From a distance, the little princess and the little prince were sitting upright, their posture unusually neat, and even their smiles seemed to have been measured.

The little dumpling pouted sadly, its eyes searching around again.

Fortunately, she soon saw Lin Fuman.

Lin Fuman, dressed in a dress and wearing heavy head ornaments, looked quite uncomfortable as she sat next to Duke Anguo.

Their eyes met, and Lin Fuman was secretly winking at the little dumpling.

Just as the little dumpling was about to wave, he saw Duke Anguo turn his head and say something to Lin Fuman. Lin Fuman looked very disappointed, sat up straight, and dared not move again.

Even Sister Fufu can't come and play with her anymore?

The little dumpling was even more disappointed.

She craned her neck and looked again and again, but she still couldn't find Sister Rulan or her mother, and even Sister Fufu's mother was nowhere to be found.

None of them came.

"Little sister, look over there!" The second brother, however, was quite carefree. His attention was quickly drawn to a potted osmanthus tree made of icing sugar in the corner, and he pulled the little dumpling along, wanting to sneak over and see the wonder.

"Do you think this is edible? It looks so pretty, I wonder if it tastes good." The second brother was getting a little hungry.

Even the little dumpling was tempted: "Trees are so pretty! Trees must taste delicious!"

The two of them chatted back and forth, wanting to go up and nibble on the sugar tree.