Chapter 233 Answer the riddle
Qi Jun took the paper from the waiter and began to answer the riddle.
Bai Mingluan suddenly smiled gently and took two steps forward:
"Shopkeeper, could you please give me a piece of paper too? I'd like to solve the mystery as well."
Why not solve the mystery with the Crown Prince and gain a reputation for talent?
The decryption wasn't free; it required spending ten coins to buy paper from the shopkeeper, and each person could only answer once. This amount of money was negligible compared to the glass lamp, but it effectively deterred many people who wanted to join in the fun by guessing randomly.
Bai Mingluan only managed to solve two problems before getting stuck in place.
Seeing the Crown Prince getting further and further away, and closer and closer to the lantern, Bai Mingluan bit her cheek and beckoned to the waiter, asking in a low voice:
"Shopkeeper, is that lotus lantern for sale, or is it the only one available?"
The waiter was taken aback. Upon closer examination of the young woman's accent, he realized she didn't sound like a local. She seemed to be a tourist from out of town who didn't know the rules of the riddles. Seeing that she only answered two questions before stopping, and even got one wrong, he couldn't help but feel a bit contemptuous of her.
"Young lady, please don't joke. Everyone knows that these glass lanterns are not for sale. If you want one, you'll have to answer the questions yourself to get it."
The waiter's voice was loud enough that the nearby people could hear it clearly, and they looked at Bai Mingluan with a hint of disdain.
The riddles on these lanterns are easy for any passerby to see and guess, but most people are self-aware enough not to spend money to answer them. After all, who would be willing to be a sucker if they spent money and didn't get a lantern? Ten coins is still real money, and it shouldn't be wasted.
So they looked down on the girl who was confident she could answer the questions, but then started asking if she could buy a lamp on the third question.
"Look! That young master has already answered the last two questions!"
Someone in the crowd shouted in shock, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Qi Yuxuan and Qi Minying's eyes never left Qi Jun. Seeing him give the answer to each question without hesitation, their hearts were in their throats.
Qi Jun had probably never attended a lantern festival like this before, and he didn't know how well he could solve the riddles. If he answered too quickly and got it wrong, the lantern would be lost.
But at the last moment, Bai Mingluan started arguing with the waiter.
"My bracelet is enough to buy all the lanterns in the shop. Why won't you sell mere glass lotus lantern?!"
She looked at the helpless waiter with teary eyes, as if she had suffered some great injustice, her voice trembling slightly.
The waiter had never seen anything like this before, and no matter how much he pleaded, he couldn't get anywhere. He could only prepare to go back and ask the manager for help.
What happened?
A path was cleared through the crowd, and a man wearing a black fox fur cloak and a blue robe walked over with a smile.
He saw the tearful girl in front of the waiter, then glanced around at the bewildered crowd, and his gaze suddenly stopped.
Qi Yuxuan also saw Zhao Yinchen, smiled and nodded at him, then put her finger to her lips, meaning not to reveal her identity.
Zhao Yinchen nodded readily, his gaze returning to the girl in front of the waiter.
"Young Master, you've arrived!"
The waiter recognized Zhao Yinchen, bowed and scraped, and quickly stood behind him.
"What's wrong with this young lady? Is our riddle too difficult for her to solve?"
Bai Mingluan had already wiped away her tears. She was just a little embarrassed and angry because of the contemptuous and questioning looks she received from the people and the whispers in the crowd. She didn't really want to cause trouble in front of everyone.
She curtsied to the so-called young master, not wanting to show weakness, and said:
"That's not it. I'm new to the capital and I found the lotus lanterns unusual and beautiful, so I wanted to ask if I could buy them... But your shopkeeper has already told me they're not for sale. I'm just a little disappointed."
She had thought that since things had come to this point, if the other party was someone who valued their reputation or had a sense of chivalry, they should give her one of the lotus lanterns.
But as soon as she finished speaking, the handsome young man in front of her nodded, said "It's good that you're alright," and turned to leave.
They've left?
Bai Mingluan raised her head in confusion, only to see the young master walking straight towards Qi Yuxuan!
"girl!"
The young master greeted her with excited hands clasped. Qi Yuxuan smiled at him, then whispered something to Qi Minying and Zheng Yanling beside her. The group seemed to know each other, making her feel even more like an outsider who couldn't squeeze in.
And he's an outsider who made a fool of himself in front of so many people!
She tightened her lips, forcing herself to ignore the curious stares, and walked toward Qi Wenyue, who was standing next to them watching the lanterns.
"Hey, miss, aren't you going to answer?" the waiter pressed, still asking her.
"...I won't answer."
Zhao Yinchen never expected that Princess Chang Le would come to the lantern festival, and that she would happen to run into him at his lantern shop.
After the last epidemic, the Zhao family regained their status as imperial merchants. Apart from sending gifts to the Princess's residence during festivals, they never personally visited to express their gratitude.
This was because Princess Chang Le forbade them from having too close a private relationship with the Princess, fearing that the Emperor and Empress would think they were secretly colluding, which would be detrimental to both public and private matters. So the Zhao family had no choice but to give up, but they increased the amount of each gift by three times to show that they had no intention of being ungrateful.
Hearing that Qi Yuxuan and Princess Minying both liked that glass lotus lamp, Zhao Yinchen felt quite proud.
"That lantern was made by craftsmen after Mei Niang painted it. She painted it day and night before the New Year, saying that she wanted to paint the most beautiful and dazzling lantern so that it could be the best lantern at the Lantern Festival."
The girls were startled.
"No wonder she's stayed home all the time except for Yu Xuan's coming-of-age ceremony, so that's why!"
"Meiniang is indeed very skillful. This lamp is so exquisite and unique. It must have taken her a lot of effort to make it."
Zhao Yinchen shook his head helplessly: "Yes, that's why I made myself sick yesterday and didn't go out today. The doctor said I have to take medicine for at least three to five more days before I can be exposed to the wind."
"However, she said that each of you will have one of these lamps, and she will personally deliver them to you after she recovers from her illness."
Zhao Yinchen turned around, and the attendant immediately took out a lantern from the lantern box he was carrying, which was exactly the same as the glass lotus lantern that was hanging high.
“Miss Qi, it just so happens that we met tonight. This lamp was originally a spare, so I will pass it on in advance, as it is fitting for the occasion.”
Zhao Yinchen assumed they simply liked the game and hadn't actually answered the questions, so he took it upon himself to give them a cup.
Looking at the lantern so close to her, Qi Minying had completely forgotten about her brother who was still diligently answering questions. She couldn't wait to take it from Qi Yuxuan, holding it in her hand and looking at it from left to right.
Although the lamp wick inside had not yet been lit, just by looking at it under the streetlights and starlight, the seven-colored glass shimmered and sparkled, its dazzling colors even more exquisite than the lamp hanging high above.
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