Word puzzle lantern
Feeling utterly hopeless, I was urged by the two of them to go to the riddle-solving area. The colorful lanterns were indeed exquisite, but I was completely baffled by one of them and didn't recognize any of them at all...
I can't guess a single one of them...
I was feeling a bit down... Finally, Ah Shi couldn't stand it anymore and found the simplest riddle for me to guess: "Auntie, guess this: It's about biting off a cow's tail."
Biting off a cow's tail? What character is that? Could it be "告" (gao)? A little girl nearby quickly answered, "It's '告'!"
Uh... I watched the happy little girl walk away with the simplest lantern...
The lantern vendor probably sensed my embarrassment and offered me a way out: "Usually, it's men who win lanterns for women. Why don't you give it a try, young master?"
Ah Shiyi raised an eyebrow: "She's my aunt, so of course it's an elder giving a gift to a younger person."
"I misspoke!" the boss said sheepishly as he took his leave.
Facing the stares of the human and the ghost, I gave a fake laugh: "Hehe, can't I buy it for you?"
"No way!" Ah Shi shook his head first: "I have to win!"
Xu Baohe kept waving his hand on his shoulder, indicating his disagreement.
Just when I was at a loss for what to do, the person sent by heaven to save me appeared beside me. He naturally moved closer, put his arm around my waist, and asked, "Are you guessing a riddle?"
"Yes!" I nodded quickly. "Hurry up and help me win a few lanterns so I can give them to Ah Shi and Bao He."
As a result, the human and the ghost immediately stared at them with disdainful, scrutinizing eyes. Muli realized that he wanted me to win the lantern, so he said, "Then let me see if there are any easier riddles."
That's a good idea! I nodded quickly and looked at Muli with gratitude. Muli then started searching among the lanterns. After a while, he called to me, "Xu Yi, come and try this!"
My eyes lit up, and when I went over to look at the note, it read: "A piece of wood as tall as a person."
This... how is this even a guess? I turned my head to look at Muli in disbelief, my eyes filled with 'How did you find this riddle...'
He smiled and leaned closer softly, saying, "This lantern is round and looks like candy. It would be perfect to give it to Baohe if we won it."
I instantly understood his implication and tentatively asked, "Is the answer to the riddle 'and'?"
He shook his head slightly, and I quickly shouted to the boss, "Boss, is this the character '保' (guarantee)?"
The boss chuckled and came over, awkwardly praising, "Young lady, you're quite knowledgeable! Not bad, this is indeed the character '保' (bao)." He then took down the round yellow lantern and handed it to me. I quickly raised the lantern and waved it at Baohe to show off. Baohe was delighted: "Xu Yi, you're really amazing!"
Great, one problem solved perfectly.
Ah Shi glanced at me sideways. He naturally realized that Mu Li had secretly reminded me, so he said, "Auntie, you'd better guess carefully about the lantern you gave me!"
Is this telling me not to cheat? If I don't cheat, what can I guess? I looked to Muli next to me for help. Muli smiled at me and lowered her eyes. I felt relieved.
He casually strolled among the many lanterns, but in reality, he placed all his hopes on Muli.
Not long after, Muli picked up a riddle from the side, looked at it, and then put it down.
He didn't make any unnecessary movements, but I already knew that this was the one he had chosen, so I casually picked it up and looked at it. It read: "Government should be clear-minded and people should be frugal."
What... what is this? But I can't look at Muli right now, that would be too obvious. I can only think in the direction Muli just suggested to me...
This riddle is so complicated, it definitely isn't the character '十' (ten), nor is it '许' (Xu), since Ah Shi and I both have the surname Xu, and that doesn't really represent Ah Shi's specialness...
Finally, I had an idea, so I asked the boss standing next to me, "This... could it be the character '征'?"
"Yes!" The shopkeeper was genuinely surprised: "I never expected such a profound riddle to be solved by a young lady!" He then reached out to take the lantern down and give it to me.
As a result, Ah Shiyi raised her hand to stop me and looked at me directly: "Then Auntie, tell me, why is this riddle about the character '征'?"
Why "conquest"? I took a deep breath and could only ramble on, "A clean and honest government means... it means that people's thoughts must be upright, that's what 'conquest' means!" I was really impressed with myself for actually thinking of that.
The shopkeeper chimed in, "Yes, yes, this riddle is more like a guessing game. What a spirited young lady!"
"Hehe..." I chuckled awkwardly, took the lantern from the shopkeeper, and handed it to Ah Shi: "Here you go, Ah Shi."
Ah Shi was stunned for a moment before taking the lantern and muttering to himself, "It's been so long since anyone... called me 'Zheng'..."
"You like people calling you by your name? How about I call you A-Zheng from now on?"
Ah Shi looked up at me, his eyes holding something I couldn't understand. After a while, those things dissipated, leaving only a clear smile: "Okay, Auntie can call me whatever she wants."
Oh, great! Both are solved. I breathed a long sigh of relief.
The three of us then strolled along the street, eating our way through sweet soups and snacks, and visiting restaurants and pleasure boats...
Finally, they went to visit a temple together.
Muli, Baohe, and I sat in the courtyard of the Confucius Temple, watching Ashi take turns queuing up to worship Confucius.
Amidst the lively laughter and chatter, a long, mournful cry was suddenly heard...
Baohe and I were both startled. Muli, ever quick-witted, noticed the strange look on my face: "What's wrong?"
"There's a sound." After saying that, I followed the direction of the sound and planned to go to the back of the temple.
Just as we were about to go over to the side of the temple to follow the sound, we were stopped by someone dressed as a Taoist priest who stretched out his arm to block us. "Please wait, sir. This is the inner courtyard, and we do not enter."
I winked at Mu Li next to me, and Mu Li quickly pulled out the Imperial Guard's token and said to the Taoist priest, "I am Mu Li, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and I have been ordered to inspect all parts of the capital to ensure the safety of the capital."
The Taoist priest took the token with a disbelieving look and examined it. After confirming that it was indeed a token of the Imperial Guard, he promptly handed it back and stepped aside, muttering, "They've checked security round after round, really..."
"What?" I looked at the Taoist priest. "You said that someone investigated us before, citing the safety of the capital?"
“Yes,” the Taoist priest nodded, “Ever since they investigated, the temple has been in turmoil, with different noises heard every night.”
"Which unit's soldiers came to investigate?"
"The Imperial Guard! Otherwise, how would I recognize the Imperial Guard's insignia?"
At this point, Mu Li also realized something was wrong. He turned to me and said, "Xu Yi, I need to go back and investigate this situation. What about you here?"
"I'll go back by myself then, just be careful."
"Okay." Mu Li nodded and left.
The Taoist priest was completely bewildered: "Weren't you here to check on their safety? Are you leaving already?"
“We are also from the Imperial Guard. Just lead us in.”
"Alright."
The Taoist priest led us into the inner courtyard, where a huge ginkgo tree stood in the center, its leaves lush and green, but the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen yellow leaves.
I asked the Taoist priest, "Did this ginkgo tree lose this many leaves before?"
"No, not at all," the Taoist priest shook his head. "Before, only a few petals would fall off occasionally. It's probably because of the change of seasons recently!"
This matter is probably not simple. I had only taken a few steps closer to the ginkgo tree when Baohe jumped down and ran behind the tree, calling out to me, "Here, Xu Yi, it smells really good here."
I followed Baohe's voice around to the back of the ginkgo tree, and saw that someone had dug a large hole in the ground where the tree roots were, as if a section of the ginkgo root had been dug out.
I called out to Baohe, "Baohe, open your ghost eye and see what's going on." I don't have the magic eye now, not even the ghost eye, so I can't see anything else unusual. I can only pin my hopes on Baohe.
Baohe asked me, looking completely bewildered, "How do I open the Ghost Eye?"
"Huh? You didn't know?" I thought that ghost eyes were something you automatically possessed once you became a ghost. I originally thought it was because I had just become a ghost disciple that they called me that. Could it be that not?
I tried to recall the audio that Wu Zi had transmitted to me, but I couldn't remember it... So I gave up and said to the Taoist priest next to me who looked puzzled, "I am from the Imperial Observatory. There is something unusual about the ginkgo trees here. Find someone to guard this place and prevent anyone from getting close. I will go find other people to come over right away."
"The Imperial Observatory?" The Taoist priest's face instantly darkened. "You just said you were from the Imperial Guard, and now you're saying you're from the Imperial Observatory? Is it because our temple hasn't paid tribute to your officials that you keep finding fault with us?"
Hmm? Filial piety? Trouble-finding?
When I put these words together, I instantly understood. I looked at him speechlessly: "I really am from the Imperial Observatory. Your ginkgo tree has been dug up. I need to find someone to take a look."
"Where? Where was it dug up? It's perfectly fine here."
Now it was my turn to be speechless. I pointed to the dirt on the ground and said to him, "Here it is, can't you see it?"
Baohe frowned now. He stood on the ground, looked up at me, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Isn't everything fine here?"
Hmm? What was that I saw?
“This…” I could only mumble, “This place has been dug up. Never mind,” I said to Baohe, “Let’s go back to the Imperial Observatory and find someone to take a look.”
After saying that, I took a few steps outside. As soon as I stepped outside, I saw Ah Shi standing to the side, looking for us. When Ah Shi saw me, he came over and asked, "Auntie, where did you go? Where's Muli?"
"Something's happened in this courtyard; I need to find someone to come and take a look."
"Hmm? What is it? Can I try?"
"Yes, that's right. Ah Shi has also done some repairs," I nodded, pulled Ah Shi into the inner courtyard, pointed to the bottom of the ginkgo tree and said, "Open your eyes and see what's wrong here."
"Huh?" Now it was Ah Shi's turn to be confused: "Auntie, how do you open the Dharma Eye?"
"What? You don't know how either?"
Ah Shi shook his head: "I've been in the Imperial Observatory for so long, and I've never heard any of my senior brothers mention it."
Huh? I originally thought this was something everyone who cultivated would know? Isn't that right?
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