Chapter 92: Winning the Victory
Then he went out to the kitchen and got a brazier, placed it under the table, and covered her legs with another blanket.
After finishing all this, he went to a table next to him alone.
He didn't want to sleep at first, but when the sky turned white, he lay on the table and took a nap for a while.
Not long after, a series of scattered footsteps were heard. Anfu was already waiting outside. It was almost time for him to report to duty at the government office.
But she slept very little, and he didn't have the heart to wake her up, so he tiptoed out. When he changed into his duty clothes and came back again, she had just woken up with sleepy eyes.
"I didn't expect I fell asleep." She stood up, then happily held the lamp and said, "Look, sir, the lamp is finished. We just need to ask a few masters to help paint it, and it will be done."
Zhao Yan also smiled and said, "Now you can finally sleep peacefully. It's early now, why don't you go back and rest for a while."
Yu Huatang returned the cloak to him and shook his head, saying, "I won't feel at ease until everything is done. I won't feel sleepy if I get off first."
After saying that, he looked at Zhao Yan again and said, "My lord, please go and get busy. The result of the competition will definitely not disappoint you."
Zhao Yan stared at her for a while, then looked away. "Anfu will bring breakfast over later. You... remember to eat some."
Yu Huatang nodded, stood up and walked out.
He was about to say that it was cold and he should continue to wear the cloak, but at this time there was a noise coming from other rooms, and several old masters and Xu Fu were all awake.
He swallowed his concern and turned to go to the front hall to be on duty.
…………
Three nights later, Chaotianmen Square in front of Baoxiang Tower was already packed with people. Ardawan Pahlavi's Thousand Lanterns had already been lit up after everyone arrived.
The petals carved from Western colored glass opened and closed randomly, and the candlelight once again refracted a seven-color halo through the enamel, causing the onlookers to exclaim in admiration once again.
After all the people were amazed, Pahlavi said, "It's your turn to have the Quanzhou lanterns."
Yu Huatang took a deep breath and walked with several of her masters and Xu Fu to the high platform in the square. They had worked all night, making ten lamps in a row. She was signaling to the yamen runners to hang the lamps at the four corners of the attic. From this angle, anyone in any direction could see the magic inside.
After the lantern was hung, she said, "The lantern we made this time is called the 'Heavenly Lantern'. We have also made a tribute to your country's unique mechanism. Please take a look!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the lamp that was originally covered by the white silk surface was revealed in front of people. She pressed the mechanism again, and the Tiangong Lantern suddenly bloomed.
The originally plain white silk surface was shimmering with light, the bamboo-woven lamp frame stretched out like a living thing, the twenty-eight constellations flowed on the lamp surface, and the twelve mechanisms were activated one after another like a fish head biting the fish tail.
The lotus-shaped lamp holder slowly rises, and the embedded miniature waterwheel drives the galaxy inside the lamp to rotate.
What’s even more amazing is that at the moment the wick is lit, the transparent container vividly displays the operation of the mechanism.
Some special feathers on the lampshade follow the flow of the twenty-eight constellations. Under the influence of the material and sunlight, they reflect unique light and colors.
Someone said, "Look, this is a white crane feather."
Someone else said, "It's amazing that we can actually see the mechanism inside. It turns out that the material container can be used in this way..."
When the crisp sound of the last gear meshing exploded in the silence, Yu Huatang suddenly tore off the brocade covering the lamp, and her wide sleeves fluttered, creating a strong wind.
Her clear voice pierced the stagnant air: "Everyone! Let's take a look at our Quanzhou lanterns—how to write the soul of water shadows!"
At the moment when the ten candle flames became brighter, the originally embedded miniature water wheel creaked and reversed, and the starry sky inside the lamp rolled back. Water mist gushed out with the fragrance of plum blossoms, and finally condensed into four gilded seal characters "Quanzhou Lanterns" in mid-air.
"Impossible!" Pahlavi, the leader of the Persian Merchant Corps, stumbled back, knocking over the Thousand Machine Lamp Stand behind him. Glass petals scattered to the ground, but no one paid any attention.
At this moment, everyone's eyes were fixed on the suspended water mist seal characters.
Some veteran lantern makers trembled as they clung to the railings, their turbid tears falling on their calloused hands. "It's the century-old lost art of water shadows! Miss Yu has actually brought the 'Mist Hidden Heavenly Book' technique, found in the fragments of the Lantern Sutra, back to the world!"
Zhao Yan also stood up excitedly. He didn't expect that the feathers were just a touch of brilliance, but the final touch was what really amazed people.
His gaze penetrated the crowd and met hers. There was encouragement in his eyes, and she nodded in understanding.
She stood up and stepped forward in the halo, and said in a sonorous voice, "Do you know why this mist doesn't dissipate? Because I have sealed the thousand-year tide of Quanzhou Port into this small lantern!" Before she finished speaking, the four words "Quanzhou Lantern" suddenly turned into thousands of light points, passing over everyone's heads like a meteor.
"Good!" Zhao Yan was the first to applaud, followed by a tide of cheers from the other craftsmen.
Yu Huatang looked at the thousands of faces illuminated by the lights, and finally understood that true natural craftsmanship never needs to be deliberately shown off - the moment it blooms, the whole world will hold its breath.
And those who have always been on the road of inheritance, those unknown masters, are the ones who use their wisdom and courage to illuminate the way forward for her, and they are more precious than the Tiangong Lantern.
The evening breeze blew, and the stars on the Tiangong Lantern still twinkled.
But what is even brighter than this is the ingenuity of the lantern makers. This victory belongs to them.
…………
On the third day after the competition, Zhao Yan was arranging the next itinerary for the Persian envoys in the government office. Unlike the previous Turkic tribute delegation, this time he added food tasting.
After receiving the instructions, Yan Quan asked, "Are you making this arrangement to sell marine products to them?"
"Most fishermen still rely on these to survive. If they can offer a reasonable price, we can also exchange them for spices or other things. At least for fishermen, gems and spices are easier to sell than fish alone." Zhao Yan said calmly.
"However, not many seafood can survive such a long journey. I will inform the people immediately. If anyone has a method to prolong the storage time of this food, I will give them a reward. Generally speaking, the methods developed by the fishermen themselves are more durable."
Zhao Yan nodded. "I'll leave this matter to you. I won't be attending the banquet later. You and Wang Zhubu will be in charge."
"Okay." Yan Quan asked again, "Sir, regarding the matter of the chief lantern maker mentioned earlier, I already have a candidate. I'm sure you agree with me."
"explain."
"It's Miss Yu from Dengshitang. Miss Yu's performance in this competition is obvious to all. No one should have any objection to recommending her." Yan Quan said.
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