As an important festival in the Yu Dynasty, the Lantern Festival was naturally very grand.
Various lanterns were lit in the capital city, firecrackers could be heard on the streets, and there were also various performance teams spontaneously organized by the people.
For example, a stage is set up in the wide street to perform operas.
For example, walking on stilts.
Another example is lion dancing.
There is no dragon dancing because the dragon symbolizes the emperor, and it is against the rules to swing the emperor around.
But if you ask which is the most lively place during the Lantern Festival, it is not a brothel or a Hongxiuzhao, but Lantingji.
Tonight’s Lanting Gathering is not only a poetry gathering, but also a Lantern Festival.
Of course, in the minds of people in Shangjing, this poetry meeting is naturally the most important thing, but not everyone's article can be posted on the third floor of Lanting Pavilion. But everyone can participate in the Lantern Festival and get corresponding rewards.
As soon as Fu Xiaoguan and his party came down from Sifang Building and reached the pier of Weiyang Lake, they saw the group of young men from the Lanting Poetry Society led by Qin Wenzhe.
Among them was a young man whom Fu Xiaoguan had met once. He was Dong Xiuhuai, the son of Dong Shulan's second uncle Dong Xiangfang.
Fu Xiaoguan exchanged greetings with the group of young men, and then they boarded several colorful boats to go to Lantingji.
Although it is only the beginning of the You hour and there is still an hour before the Lanting Poetry Gathering, the huge Lanting Gathering is already packed with people.
The lantern festival has begun.
Various lanterns are hung in the air, and the riddles are written on them.
Many people were looking at this thing, either thinking hard or laughing out loud.
Fu Xiaoguan was also quite interested in this thing because he had never seen it in his previous life.
The same goes for Susu. Of course, her interest is not in the puzzles on the lanterns, but in the various beautiful lanterns.
Dong Shulan was in high spirits. At this moment, she stopped in front of a flying fish lantern. The riddle on the lantern was: The general draws the chariot by making a move.
This thing is quite difficult. This was Fu Xiaoguan's first thought. Then he saw Dong Shulan frowning and thinking for a long time. She smiled and said to Fu Xiaoguan happily, "I know what the word is."
To be honest, Fu Xiaoguan wasn't very good at this, so he asked, "What was that word?"
"It's just a word."
"Why?"
"Raise the dot and place the piece. The general takes the chariot. The general removes the chariot, and there's a dot on top, and a "zi" character on the bottom. Isn't that exactly the character 'zi'?"
Fu Xiaoguan suddenly realized, and all the students praised him. Dong Shulan happily took the lantern and went to the Lanting Pavilion. When she came back, she was holding a beautifully sewn little rabbit in her hand.
The students also became interested and scattered among the lanterns, looking at the riddles individually, and many of them got some answers.
Fu Xiaoguan didn't. He looked at Dong Xiuhuai, who felt a little embarrassed. After all, he was not a member of the Lanting Poetry Society.
"Father wants to...see if I can go with you to the Wuchao Literary Gathering. Also, Father wants to invite you and Sister Shulan to a dinner at my house tomorrow..."
Dong Xiuhuai was very embarrassed. He finished his words with some difficulty, raised his head and looked at Fu Xiaoguan, very shyly, and added: "Of course, if you have already decided on the candidate, or it is not convenient, then I don't have to go."
Fu Xiaoguan patted Dong Xiuhuai on the shoulder and said with a smile: "We need a hundred people anyway, so it's better to give it to our own family than to give it to others."
"So, you agree to take me there?" Dong Xiuhuai asked happily.
Fu Xiaoguan nodded and said, "Don't tell anyone. I'll keep this in mind and fill in your name when the time comes."
Dong Xiuhuai took a deep breath, bowed to Fu Xiaoguan, and could hardly suppress the joy on his face.
He had thought a lot, thinking that he was not familiar with Fu Xiaoguan, that his literary talent was not outstanding, and whether Fu Xiaoguan, who was so famous, would take him seriously.
Tonight he mustered up the courage to say it, but he didn't expect Fu Xiaoguan to agree without hesitation.
This brother-in-law is very good!
"What are you talking about?" Qin Wenzhe walked over with a cloth monkey in his hand.
"Let's talk about this lantern riddle." Fu Xiaoguan pointed to the lantern in front of him: "Looking south, a lone star and a crescent moon rise." "Brother Wenzhe, what do you think this word means?"
When Qin Wenzhe heard this, he thought, does this mean that Fu Xiaoguan wants to test me?
So he restrained his expression, looked at the riddle very attentively, and pondered over it.
God have pity on me. Fu Xiaoguan just asked casually, but it caused Qin Wenzhe to be deeply involved and unable to extricate himself.
Fu Xiaoguan shrugged his shoulders and looked back. Su Su and Dong Shulan had disappeared, and only Su Rou was by his side.
Su Rou was not embroidering. She looked at the riddles with great interest, her thin eyes opened wider than usual.
Shangguan Miao came to Fu Xiaoguan's side and asked, "Brother Fu, did you get anything?"
Fu Xiaoguan spread his hands and said, "I can't guess any of them."
"hehe!"
Shangguan Miao didn't think what Fu Xiaoguan said was funny at all.
If you can't guess it, how can others guess it?
This boy is so low-key that he doesn't compete with these youngsters for the spotlight of the lanterns. This is courtesy. He is indeed a talented person who has deeply studied the books of sages!
"It's better if you don't guess this, so as to leave some room for others. But don't hide your incompetence at the poetry gathering later..." Shangguan Miao suddenly approached Fu Xiaoguan and whispered, "I have some news for you in advance. I heard from Grandfather that your essay 'Youthful Talks of the Yu Dynasty' will probably be judged tonight. Grandfather thinks it has a good chance of passing and will be included in the Thousand Stele Essays section. As for where it will be listed, Grandfather thinks it will be in the first column of the A-character section. However, the final decision still needs to wait for the vote of the other four great scholars."
Fu Xiaoguan was quite surprised. These thousand stone tablets contained both meat and vegetables, but tonight was clearly the Lantern Festival, so why were they bringing up that article?
He didn't ask, but smiled calmly, "If that article could be passed down through the ages, it would be more meaningful than these poems."
Shangguan Miao, as a half-military and half-literary man, deeply agreed with this.
It was an enlightening article. If it could inspire the young people of the Yu Dynasty to shoulder their responsibilities and work hard to become stronger, the rise of the Yu Dynasty would be just around the corner!
At this moment, Susu came to Fu Xiaoguan's side, jumping and skipping, holding two strings of candied haws in her hand.
Su Su licked the one on the left, then licked the one on the right. She was very satisfied, with a happy smile on her face. She felt that this was probably the reason why the world was better than the Taoist temple.
…
As the night deepened, the city of Jinling was illuminated by all kinds of lanterns and flowers, glowing red as if it were daytime.
In the Jinling government office, the prefect Ning Yuchun rubbed his brows. This was already the twelfth stampede!
"Order the North and South Yamen to dispatch additional personnel, focusing on strengthening security in crowded areas like Lantingji, Yuhuatai, Qingluan Lane, and the banks of the Qinhuai River. Criminals and drunken troublemakers should be apprehended immediately. Especially pay attention to fire prevention. There are so many lanterns, it would be terrible if one caught fire...!"
At the same time, several beggars appeared in all the prosperous places in Jinling City.
They did not attract anyone's attention because there were beggars in Jinling City.
There was nothing different about these beggars. They had originally been squatting in the corner, looking at the prosperity of the world with indifference. But now they stood up, or climbed onto the top of the wall, or climbed onto the treetops.
Then……
A lot of paper fell from the sky, like fallen leaves flying in the autumn wind.
Most of the papers fell on the heads of the people. People picked up the papers and looked up, but they did not see the beggars leaving.
They took the paper and started reading it. Then there were exclamations, then disbelief, but finally they confirmed among themselves that what was written on the paper was true!
"Fei An, the world's number one sinner!"
The simple title is enough to pique everyone's interest.
"In the second year of the Xuanli reign, the southern border troops fought a battle with the Wu Dynasty at Qishan and were badly defeated!
Fei An, then General of the Southern Frontier Army, ordered his deputy, Lin Ping, to massacre 800 villagers from the Xiayu Dynasty in Qishan! The heads of 800 people were sent to the capital to claim credit!
The traitor Fei An disregarded the law for his own selfish interests and dyed his red robe red with the blood of 800 villagers of the Yu Dynasty!
However, if you don't want others to know, you must not do it yourself. I survived that massacre and came to Shangjing. I want to expose the traitor's crimes to the world!
The blood of the eight hundred villagers has long since dried up, buried deep in the mountains, unknown to anyone. But above us, there are gods! Justice will not be late! Those eight hundred headless souls gathered at the foot of Mount Qi, never to disperse.
They are unwilling!
Because this traitor is not only not dead, but is still farming in Nanling County!
I would like to ask the officials of the Yu Dynasty, what is the so-called law?
I would like to ask the people of the Yu Dynasty, do you still have blood in your veins?
I want to ask Fei An, have you ever thought that you will be punished by God for your wolfish ambitions?
For the sake of fairness and justice for the Yu Dynasty, for the sake of the eight hundred wronged souls who have cried night after night, for the sake of not letting the evil spirit of that villain cloud the sky of the Yu Dynasty, and for the sake of restoring the bright and clear heaven of the Yu Dynasty—I propose that all who receive this letter go to the Jinling government office and submit a petition to redress the grievances of those eight hundred villagers, and send the traitor Fei An to the guillotine as a sacrifice to the world!
"how so?"
"Otherwise, why would that traitor Fei An retire from his position as the Grand General of the Southern Frontier Army?"
"How can this work? There's no point in retreating!"
"Yes, yes, yes, let's go to the Jinling government office to file a petition for the people!"
"Kill Fei'an!"
"For fairness and justice!"
“…”
The crowd was huge, like a long dragon, and the roar was so powerful that it shook the sky!
Captain Jin of the Jingyu Guard was shocked. He immediately sent his men back to the government office to deliver the leaflet. Then he drew his sword in the street and tried to stop the crowd at Yuhuatai.
But the crowd overwhelmed him like a tide, and he was unable to draw his sword, nor did he dare to do so.
He abandoned his horse and flew, stepping on countless heads. His eyes searched everywhere, and then he saw a beggar leaving in the distance.
He leaped forward, and after a few jumps, he slashed the beggar's neck with his knife.
"Tell me, who is the instigator behind this?"
The beggar slowly turned around, stared at Captain Jin, and suddenly smiled. "You're wearing this leather, so you should represent justice. But instead of arresting the rebels, you're arresting me—do you understand what it means to sacrifice your life for justice?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out and slapped the knife on his neck. The knife cut into his neck and blood flowed out along the knife.
He was still smiling, but his eyes were fixed on the lanterns and flower trees. They were so beautiful and so fascinating.
"Justice...will not be late!"
He was still smiling and fell to the ground with a bang!
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