90 Lanterns
◎Xiaoyaoer, I will take you to see the current emperor◎
Shu Yao looked at his handsome face getting closer and closer. She couldn't swallow the biscuit in her mouth, nor could she spit it out. She simply stood up and asked, "What are you doing?"
Ji Shijing looked at her deeply, then turned and went back to the house.
He still hadn't come out until evening. Shu Yao walked to his room and knocked on the door: "A Jing, open the door."
Ji Shijing lay powerlessly on the table, with blood-stained rice paper in front of him. His face was pale, his black hair was casually draped over his shoulders, very messy, and his overly delicate appearance revealed an almost morbid debauchery.
Shu Yao knocked for a long time, but no one came to open the door, and there was no sound from inside. She was just about to call Twelve to come and kick the door open when she saw Ji Shijing slowly open the door.
He stood tall, his face looking grim, but his lips were an unusually enchanting red, as if stained with blood. He raised the corners of his mouth and said lightly, "What's the matter?"
Shu Yao looked at him suspiciously: "Are you okay?"
He raised his eyebrows and said, "Reading." Then he reached out to close the door.
"The meal is ready," she said.
His cold voice came through the door: "I'm not hungry."
Shu Yao: ...
The next day, when she got up, she found that Ji Shijing had left. However, he had been gone for the entire day, and until evening, he still hadn't returned.
Shu Yao was anxious, so she took the oil lamp and went to Ji Liang's house. Ji Liang was sitting in the yard telling a story to his wife. The woman was leaning on his legs, and they looked like they were living a peaceful life.
When Shu Yao saw this scene, she couldn't bear to disturb them.
It was Ji Liang who noticed her first. He was slightly surprised: "Miss Shu."
The woman leaning on his legs also raised her head to look at her.
Shu Yao walked in and said, "Mr. Ji, my Ah Jing hasn't come home yet, so I came to ask. I thought Mr. Ji was staying after class."
Ji Liang was stunned for a moment, then said, "The Autumn Examination is tomorrow. Master Ji has already left for the capital today. It will probably take several days for him to return."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shu Yao was stunned. He didn't even tell her such a big thing. She felt a little disappointed, but more worried.
He is penniless, how should he survive in the capital?
She walked back absentmindedly with the oil lamp in her hand.
Ji Liang continued to tell stories to the woman in his arms. The woman said coquettishly: "Ji Lang, do you think he will pass the imperial examination?" She was referring to Ji Shijing.
Ji Liang looked up at the night in the distance. A bright star was twinkling in the night. He smiled but did not answer.
Shu Yao slept restlessly all night. The next day, she explained the household affairs to Twelve and took the earliest ox cart to the capital. Before leaving, she said to Twelve, "When I come back, I will bring you the most delicious eight-treasure duck in the capital."
After watching her go away, Twelve returned to the room, took out a blueprint from under the bed and walked towards the back mountain, moving very quickly.
…
Shu Yao rode on an ox cart for half a day and arrived in the capital in the afternoon. Perhaps because she hadn't been there for a long time, she felt dazed.
The capital city is still prosperous, with a constant stream of pedestrians on the streets. Passing by the former Ji Mansion, the plaque here has long been completely renewed, from "Ji Mansion" to "Fu Yamen".
She stood at the door for a while, then asked her way to the examination hall. The examination hall was at the foot of the imperial city, very close to the palace. The people coming and going here were either rich or noble, and they were all dressed in silk and satin. Few people dressed as casually and simply as Shu Yao, and everyone couldn't help but look at her.
Shu Yao didn't care much about these looks.
Standing at the entrance of the examination hall, she was a little hesitant, not knowing whether she could go in.
She stopped passersby to ask, and the passersby told her that once the candidates entered the examination hall, no one could go in to visit them, and the gate would not be opened until the exam was over.
Shu Yao felt a little scared. Fortunately, she didn't rashly go up and knock on the door. If it had caused a bad influence on Ji Shijing, it would have been a waste of time.
She booked a room at an inn outside the examination hall, which cost only two taels of silver per night, and this was the cheapest price. She asked about other options, and they were all between three and four taels, but she still chose the cheapest one.
Going up to the room on the second floor, Shu Yao looked around the environment inside and couldn't help but sigh. It was indeed an inn in a wealthy place. The layout inside was like a lady's boudoir, clean and bright.
Lying on the bed, the quilt was fumigated with incense and it smelled very nice.
When I opened the window, I could just see the gate of the examination hall.
She held her chin and stared at the door, her thoughts drifting away. If Ji Shijing really passed all the tests and became a Jinshi, then he would have completely changed his fate.
He is only eighteen this year. I heard from Mr. Ji that the palace examination will be held in March next year. If he passes, he will only be nineteen, which is the age of a flower. Moreover, he is handsome. There will probably be a lot of people looking for him as a son-in-law. He may even become a prince consort.
Shu Yao fell asleep while thinking, and had a good nap in the inn. When night fell, the streets of the imperial city were lit up, and lanterns of various colors were hung under the eaves, creating a scene of fireworks.
There is no curfew in the capital at this time of year. Fireworks are burning all over the city. The endless night is as bright as day at this moment. Singers sing, warriors perform, and vendors shout loudly one after another. The streets and alleys are bustling with activity.
Shu Yao opened the window and looked at the noisy scene below. After dinner in Dongping Village, she turned off the lights and went to bed. She had never experienced such a nightlife before. Now she was in the bustling street market. She felt a little restless, so she lifted her skirt and went downstairs.
Following the lights, she saw small stalls on both sides of the wide bluestone slabs, selling some strange little gadgets. Walking further, she saw the acrobatics of animal training and jumping through fire rings, which was a real feast for her eyes.
She bought a lantern and unknowingly walked to the river bank. There was a luxurious and solemn ship parked on the river. The lights were bright inside, the sound of stringed instruments could be heard faintly, and the beautiful voice of the singer could be heard.
As she looked at the bustling scene, she suddenly felt the urge to write something. So she bought a lantern from a vendor on the shore and wrote on it: "May you be happy and worry-free, and safe every year."
The people live and work in peace and contentment, and the dynasty is prosperous and stable. Isn't this the best era?
She gently placed the lantern into the water, and it gradually floated away along the current.
…
Chen Jing'an pushed away the beauty in his arms. He felt a little stuffy, so he walked out of the cabin to get some fresh air. Looking at the vast night, he felt empty in his heart.
The woman he had just pushed away came over barefoot, her clothes half pulled back, and she rubbed her incense against Shen Jing'an's chest, her tone even softer than before: "Your Highness, is it because I didn't serve you well enough?"
Chen Jingan half hugged her and said, "Be good, go back first, I'll come over later."
The woman gave him a charming smile and walked away slowly.
Chen Jing'an's expression immediately turned cold. He put on his clothes and tied his belt loosely around his waist. The cold wind blew and he sobered up a lot.
After staying outside for a long time, just as he was about to go back, a small lantern on the river caught his attention. He squinted his eyes and looked at it carefully. He felt that the words on it looked familiar, so he fished the lantern out.
He studied the words carefully.
The last stroke of each word had a small tail. It was a habit that Shu Yao had only when writing. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He put the lantern back into the water, then looked up at the crowd on the shore. He frowned, tapped the water lightly with his toes, and in the blink of an eye, he was already on the shore.
He searched along the river bank twice, but he still couldn't find the person he was looking for in the vast crowd. Standing under the lantern, as if he had sensed something, he suddenly turned around. Not far away, Shu Yao was happily eating a candy figure bought from a candy vendor. She seemed to feel someone was looking at her. She looked up and her eyes met Shen Jing'an's. She was a little surprised.
No, this can happen.
Chen Jing'an looked at her with a smile and walked towards her step by step with light steps.
"Prince." She greeted first.
Chen Jing'an's peach blossom eyes were full of smiles. In front of her, he unconsciously became a little more serious: "Xiao Yao'er, what a coincidence."
What a coincidence, Shu Yao thought to herself.
"Why are you here?" he continued to ask.
Shu Yao licked the candy man in her hand: "A Jing is here to take the exam, I'll accompany him."
He hummed, looking at the candy man in her hand: "Is this delicious?"
Shu Yao: "It's okay. Does the prince want to eat it? I'll treat you..." Before she could finish her words, the candy man in her hand was snatched away by someone, and a big bite was taken in front of her.
Chen Jing'an savored the sweetness in his mouth and gave her a thumbs up: "It's indeed sweet." Then he took out a silver ingot and handed it to Shu Yao, "I won't eat Xiaoyao'er's food for nothing."
He walked in front with candy in his hand, his high ponytail swinging like a child.
Shu Yao took the silver and felt that she had made a profit.
There was someone playing with goldfish traps on the shore, so Chen Jing'an stopped and asked her, "Do you want to play?"
She was not very interested, but she had no choice but to agree since Chen Jingan was begging her.
Chen Jing'an bought twenty rings and gave Shu Yao seventeen of them, but she didn't catch any of them.
Chen Jing'an leaned close to her ear and said, "No wonder Xiaoyao'er doesn't want to play. It turns out that she can't catch any of them." His tone was sinister.
Shu Yao: "Then Prince, let me see if you can put one on me." These rings are irregular circles, and their directions will change randomly when thrown out, so they cannot be put on me at all.
He smiled triumphantly, folded his arms, as if everything was under control: "Xiaoyao'er, point to one."
She pointed to the fish tank in the middle.
Chen Jing'an raised his eyebrows, and the bamboo ring flew out of his hand and steadily hit the fish tank in the middle.
Shu Yao was so shocked that even the vendor was stunned.
Chen Jingan asked her, "There are cakes and rouge over there, which one do you want?"
She looked at the gift exchange area next to her. If she hit a fish tank, she could get a box of rouge or a bag of cakes. She asked for a box of rouge.
Chen Jingan continued, "Xiao Yao'er, point out another one."
This time she pointed to the fish tank in the corner.
Chen Jing'an sighed, as if he felt it was not difficult, and the bamboo ring was once again firmly placed on the fish tank.
Shu Yao once again gained a rouge.
In the last circle, she pointed to the farthest fish tank.
Chen Jing'an lived up to everyone's expectations and won again.
The vendor handed out three boxes of rouge with a sullen face.
Shu Yao took Yanzhi into her arms and said, "The prince is quite impressive."
Chen Jingan raised his head high: "Of course, Xiaoyaoer praised me, I am so happy."
Shu Yao felt that he was like a child.
The two of them walked along the riverbank. She once again looked at the large boat in the middle of the lake and asked Chen Jingan, "Who do you think are those people on the boat?"
There was always a smile on Chen Jing'an's lips. He leaned down and his long eyelashes almost brushed her face.
"Your Majesty."
"I'll take you to see it." Without waiting for her reaction, Chen Jing'an gently put his arm around her waist and got on the boat.
She felt dizzy while flying in the air, and she didn't know when she landed safely on the deck.
Is this the ancient Qinggong? She was a little shocked.
Wait, she doesn’t want to see the emperor, she wants to get off the boat.
Chen Jing'an stopped her and approached her, with the faint scent of gardenia wafting towards her.
"Since we're here, why not take a look?"
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