Chapter 102 "I hope my blessing will bring good fortune..."
Upon arriving at the dragon boat race venue in the south of the city, Lin Yan was so overwhelmed by the sea of people that he took a half-step back and gripped Xiao Che's sleeve tightly.
The riverbanks were packed with a sea of people, the noise almost lifting the sky. Forget finding a place to watch the dragon boats, they could barely move forward a few steps.
Even if you're not socially anxious, you'll become socially anxious.
"This is ridiculous." Lin Yan muttered to himself, tiptoeing as he tried to find a gap to get to the front row. "We're doomed. Forget about the best seats, we're probably just going to be stuck in the crowd and hear nothing."
Xiao Che, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, and gently squeezed his slightly cool fingers with his other hand: "What's the rush?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd parted like Moses parting the sea, revealing Li Defu's smiling old face, which was like a chrysanthemum. Behind him were two obsequious men, most likely people he had brought from the palace.
"Your Majesty, Lord Lin," Li Defu bowed, "the seating arrangements are all made, this way please."
Lin Yan suddenly realized why the old fox hadn't followed Xiao Che; it turned out he'd been sent to secure the top-tier seats.
He couldn't help but glance sideways at the Emperor beside him, lowering his voice: "Your Majesty, did you plan this all along?"
Xiao Che smiled slightly and took his hand to follow Li Defu: "We can't let Hanzhang suffer in the crowd."
Li Defu led them through the crowd and onto a beautifully decorated pleasure boat moored in a secluded spot.
The pleasure boat is ideally positioned, facing the widest section of the river where the races are taking place, offering a wide view while cleverly using sheer curtains to block out outside sight, ensuring both a great viewing experience and privacy.
The ice chest inside the boat exuded a cool breeze, and chilled fruits and delicate tea snacks were laid out on the low table. Soft couches and armchairs were all provided, making the VIP room so comfortable that Lin Yan had to add several "V"s to reflect its value.
Lin Yan plopped down on the soft couch, grabbed a slice of chilled watermelon, took a bite, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
Xiao Che sat down beside him, casually wiping away a drop of juice from the corner of his lips, his eyes filled with indulgent smiles.
Today's dragon boat race is an official event and is a grand affair.
The riverside market was bustling with activity, filled with music and dance, truly a scene of prosperity where everyone was enjoying themselves.
Chongqing has a relaxed approach to folk entertainment, and people can engage in a wide variety of recreational activities. Dragon boat racing is one of the most popular events among the people.
Lin Yan remembered that when he was a child, he had watched the dragon boat race up close when he accompanied his father to take up his post in the local area. It was lively, but compared to the grandeur of the capital city, under the emperor's nose, it was nothing.
"Waaah—"
A deep, resonant horn suddenly rang out, its powerful and lingering sound instantly drowning out all the noise.
The previously noisy crowd fell silent as if a mute button had been pressed, and all eyes turned to the makeshift altar in the middle of the riverbank.
The festival is about to begin.
A Taoist priest dressed in a purple robe slowly ascended the stage, his wide robe and sleeves giving him an air of otherworldly grace.
Lin Yan squinted at him and felt that he looked familiar. After a moment's thought, he remembered that this was the Taoist priest with the Buddhist name "Yuan Jing".
Back when he was working as a priest in the Ministry of Rites, he had handled the materials submitted by this Taoist priest and stamped them as a matter of routine. He never expected that he would be the one presiding over this sacrificial ceremony today.
"This Daoist Yuanjing is quite impressive." Lin Yan leaned closer to Xiao Che and whispered some gossip. "The documents he submitted were full of classical allusions and written in a very flowery style. I thought he was just someone with connections trying to gain prestige, but it turns out he really has some skills."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Che's eyes flashed with understanding. He casually handed a peeled lychee to the man's lips and said in a low voice, "He is a disciple of the Supreme Mountain and is indeed quite accomplished in water rituals. He was highly regarded by the late emperor."
Lin Yan said "Oh," opened her mouth to take the lychee, and the sweet juice burst in her mouth. Her attention was quickly drawn back to the ceremony that was about to begin.
Master Yuanjing stood in the center of the altar, holding a ritual implement, performing the steps of a divine ritual, chanting incantations, his expression solemn and dignified, as he was invoking the gods.
Lin Yan had seen prototypes of this process in other places, but none were as complete and standardized as the one before him, which he found fascinating.
Next, we will present three delicacies.
Three water boys stepped forward carrying jade platters, each containing live carp, clean lotus root, and fresh glutinous rice, symbolizing vitality, prosperity, and a bountiful harvest.
The water children carefully poured the three treasures into the river, letting them drift with the current, signifying "offering them to the gods."
“This carp looks quite plump,” Lin Yan nudged Xiao Che with his elbow, his professional habit kicking in a bit, “Your Majesty, do you think that sacrificing it like this counts as dying in the line of duty or retiring early?”
Xiao Che was taken aback by his unusual angle and gave him a helpless look.
How did Hanzhang's unique ideas come about?
After offering the three delicacies, the sacrificial dance is performed.
Thirty-six young fishermen, dressed in straw raincoats and holding oars, leaped onto the open space around the altar and, to the accompaniment of ancient and powerful music, began to dance a vigorous wave-breaking dance.
Their movements were vigorous and powerful, incorporating elements of net casting, rowing, and battling the waves, showcasing a magnificent scene of humans and water interdependent and competing, full of primal wildness and vitality, quite different from the dances performed at court banquets.
Lin Yan watched intently and couldn't help but comment, "This dance choreography is excellent; it has both power and beauty."
Xiao Che answered Lin Yan's questions about the meaning of the dance movements from time to time, while his hands never stopped feeding him, handing him a piece of fruit one moment and a snack the next, taking care of him in the most meticulous way.
The climax of the ritual is the eye-dotting ceremony.
The leaders of each dragon boat team solemnly invited the dragon head of their own dragon boat to the altar.
The chief priest, Daoist Yuanjing, held a vermilion brush, dipped it in thick ink, and dotted the eyes of each dragon head with ink, chanting a blessing incantation: "A single spark of spiritual light connects to the vast ocean, allowing one to roam freely across ten thousand miles of waves!"
As he finished speaking, it was as if an invisible force was injected into the wooden dragon heads, making them instantly lively and vibrant, as if they were about to raise their heads and burst forth from the water.
This ceremony symbolizes bestowing the divine power of the water god upon each dragon boat, transforming it from ordinary wood into a spirited racing vessel.
After the eye-dotting ceremony was completed, Master Yuanjing poured a bowl of realgar wine into the river as an offering to the water god.
Afterwards, all the participating paddler and spectators raised their glasses together and drank realgar wine.
After finishing their drinks, everyone splashed the remaining wine on those around them, cheering loudly, with shouts of blessings and laughter filling the air.
After all the elaborate and solemn ceremonies were completed, the participants boarded their dragon boats and prepared to start at the starting line.
On the river, dragon boats of all kinds are neatly arranged, their hulls painted in vibrant colors, their dragon heads held high, and the paddlers with bulging muscles and sharp eyes, staring intently at the river ahead.
Lin Yan sat up straight and stared intently at the river, even softening his breathing.
Just then, he felt Xiao Che gently touch his hand.
Lin Yan turned his head in confusion, only to see that Xiao Che had placed a small, exquisite mugwort sachet tied with five-colored silk threads in his palm.
The sachet was meticulously stitched with simple auspicious cloud patterns and exuded a refreshing herbal fragrance.
"To ward off evil spirits and dispel miasma." Xiao Che's voice was deep and gentle.
Lin Yan was stunned for a moment, looking at the unexpected little gift in his palm. His heart felt like it had been gently bumped by something, a little sweet and a little soft.
He gripped the sachet tightly, his fingertips able to feel the dry texture of the mugwort. A warmth crept up his ears, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Your Majesty believes in this?"
Xiao Che looked at his slightly reddened earlobes and a small smile curved his lips: "I hope my Hanzhang will have good fortune and smooth sailing."
Outside the painted boat, on the dragon boat ready to depart, the drummers had already raised their drumsticks, and the oarsmen's muscles were taut, their eyes sharp as eagles.
Inside the painted boat, Lin Yan caressed the sachet in his palm, feeling the reassuring aura emanating from the person beside him. Even though the dragon boat race hadn't started yet, a certain emotion within him was already like an arrow about to be released from a bow, billowing in the wind and filling the sails.
Just then, a deafening cannon blast ripped through the sky!
"boom!"
Dozens of dragon boats shot off like arrows, instantly breaking through the calm water!
The oarsmen shouted in unison, their muscular arms thrashing the oars and stirring up white spray.
The drummer stood at the bow of the boat, swinging his arm in a wide arc, and beat the war drum with a deafening roar. Each beat of the drum landed precisely at the moment the oarsmen exerted their strength.
"Come on! Hurry! Overtake them!" Lin Yan instantly got into character, clinging to the railing of the pleasure boat, wishing he could row it himself. "The red one on the left! Push harder! Keep the rhythm! Oh, the one on the right is about to overtake! Keep up with the beat!"
Lin Yan watched with complete immersion, cheering for those in the lead and lamenting those who were behind – she was practically the best cheerleader.
Xiao Che's gaze, however, mostly fell on Lin Yan. He looked at Lin Yan's eyes, which were shining with excitement, at his expression, which changed as the competition progressed, and at the fine beads of sweat on his forehead from excitement.
His Majesty the Emperor found it far more interesting than the fiercely contested dragon boat race below.
He would occasionally hand over a glass of fruit juice, or pick up a fan and gently fan himself.
"Oh, what a pity!" Seeing his favorite dragon boat overtaken at the last moment, Lin Yan slapped his thigh in frustration, then pointed to another dark horse that had emerged unexpectedly, "This one was well hidden, executed its tactics well, conserved its energy in the early stages, and then unleashed its power in the later stages. It even used tactics in dragon boat racing."
Xiao Che followed his finger and looked: "It's the dragon boat of the Capital Garrison. They train very hard and emphasize strict discipline and perfect teamwork."
"I see." Lin Yan suddenly realized, and then began to speculate with great interest about who would be the final champion.
Finally, amidst cheers that nearly overturned the riverbank, the black dragon boat representing the Jingji Guard crossed the finish line first by a narrow margin.
"We won! I told you this one had potential!" Lin Yan turned around happily, instinctively wanting to high-five the people next to him in celebration.
Xiao Che looked at the hand extended in front of him, paused slightly, then readily raised his hand and gave him a light handshake.
The palms touched and made a crisp sound.
Lin Yan then realized what she had done. Looking at Xiao Che's eyes, which were filled with a mixture of curiosity and indulgence, her ears burned slightly. She withdrew her hand, trying to cover up her mistake, and cleared her throat: "Ahem, let's celebrate, let's celebrate."
Outside the pleasure boat, the victors were ecstatic and the audience cheered, the sound deafening.
Inside the painted boat, this unintentional little action stirred up a tranquil and sweet ripple.
Xiao Che gazed at Lin Yan's slightly flushed profile, reached out, and gently took the hand that had just given him a high five into his own palm.
"Yes, celebrating Hanzhang's insightful vision."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Speaking of lychees, I have to say I ate incredibly cheap lychees in Guangxi! Three jin for ten yuan, five yuan a jin – I ate my fill! [cat emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com