Tingyulou front lantern riddle array
The chubby boss smiled naively, but he clearly showed a look of disbelief: Would a 13- or 14-year-old boy be afraid of getting lost? Moreover, the two people in front of them don't look alike at all. Looking at the pink and jade carvings of Nangongjing girls, she is very cute and the boss knows: in this peaceful and prosperous world, singing and dancing are peaceful, who doesn't have a special hobby
It's just a pity for the good girls in this capital, the handsome young masters have all gone to Longyang...
Qi Yan withdrew her gaze, her amber eyes were silent, she didn't care what strangers thought.
Nangong Jingnu first snorted when she heard Qi Yanyi claiming to be her brother, but then she thought that there was nothing wrong, he was four years older than herself.
Nangong Jingnu finally chose two from the exquisite masks, shook Qi Yan's arm, and said sweetly following Qi Yan's words: "Brother, I want these two."
Qi Yan turned her head and saw two words clearly came out of Nangong Jingnu's eyes - pay.
An ominous premonition rose in his heart, he smiled and greeted the boss, and pulled Nangong Jingnu to the side, Nangong Jingnu exclaimed, "Brother, you haven't bought the mask yet!"
"Wait to buy it later, big brother has something to tell you."
The two came to the side, and Qi Yan asked hesitantly, "Your Highness... have you brought any money?"
Nangong Jingnu lowered her voice and replied, "This palace never brings money!"
Hearing this, Qi Yan took a deep breath: "I have no money either."
Nangong Jingnu widened her eyes and said incredulously, "Why not bring it?"
Qi Yan looked embarrassed: "I have no money..."
"What about your salary?"
Qi Yan replied innocently: "The stipend of the concubine is only paid on the second day of the second month of February every year. The minister used to have some savings, but after the meeting, he built a private house in the south of the city. The servants in the house will have to pay for their monthly money and chew their teeth. Let me come out, I can't hide that Your Highness is already stretched. I will wait for the payment of wages on the second day of February, and take it back to my private house and distribute it to my servants."
Nangong Jingnu couldn't believe her ears! With a dignified third grade, the consort of Princess Zhen Zhen's mansion is actually so poor
Immediately like a deflated ball: "Then what should I do, do you want to go home?"
Qi Yan squeezed Nangong Jingnu's palm, and said with a smile, "Please, Your Highness, believe me, the Shangyuan Lantern Festival is equally enjoyable without money."
"What does this mean?"
"The night market will continue until dawn, so don't rush to buy things, Your Highness, just go shopping before you go back to the palace, okay?"
Nangong Jingnu pouted: What can I buy without the money for the mask? However, he still nodded and did not refute.
Looking back at the mask booth that was gradually disappearing, I felt a little wronged: I think that there are so many precious and precious treasures in Princess Zhen Zhen's mansion, gold and silver jewels are piled up into mountains, and just taking them out from the treasury is enough for ordinary people to live for a while. As a result, the first time I visited Shangyuan Night Market, I couldn't even afford two masks!
So sad!
The two walked forward hand in hand. Unfortunately, there were some food stalls on both sides of the street. The aroma was filled with the hot white smoke, and the unique and long shouting of the hawker was mouth-watering.
In order to eat more folk snacks at the night market, Nangong Jingnv specially reserved her stomach for dinner and only drank a bowl of soup. After walking for half an hour, she was already hungry.
"Ice candied haws~a string of two pennies, three strings of five coppers~ Bingtanghulu, Bingtanghulu~."
Nangong Jingnv couldn't help but stop, the street vendor's shoulders looked at the straw pillars, which were filled with bright red candied haws.
I couldn't help licking my lips.
"Quick, quick, let's start..."
"Ting Yulou's lantern riddle array has begun!"
Qi Yan stopped one person and asked, "Dare to ask your Excellency, where are these people going in such a hurry?"
"Ting Xiongtai's accent is not a local, right? Every year, the owner of Tingyulou will put out hundreds of taels of silver to set up a lantern riddle array. You only need one copper plate to participate in the competition, and there will be a generous bounty for the final contestant!"
"Where is the Tingyu Building located?"
"East Third Street! Just follow the crowd and you'll see it."
"Thank you."
Nangong Jingnu asked excitedly, "Are you going to participate?"
Qi Yan nodded: "Maybe you can give it a try."
"What about the entry fee?"
Qi Yan smiled and took Nangong Jingnu to the Bingtanghulu booth, where a seven or eight-year-old boy stood there, holding a clay figurine in his hand, staring at the Binghulu on the straw pillar.
Qi Yan squatted in front of the boy and asked softly, "This little brother wants to buy candied haws?"
The boy nodded, spread out his clenched hands, and there was a copper plate: "I only have a penny left to buy a clay figurine, it's not enough."
Qi Yan patted the boy on the shoulder: "Brother can invite you to eat two skewers."
The boy's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really?"
"However, I need you to do my brother a favor."
"What!?"
Qi Yan whispered a few words in the boy's ear, and the other party asked hesitantly, "Can big brother really win?"
Qi Yan replied with a smile: "I dare not say the jackpot, the money for a few strings of candied haws is still fine."
The boy gritted his teeth and handed a copper plate to Qi Yan: "Here!"
Nangong Jingnu snorted softly and muttered, "Even the money for children is coaxed."
But she believed in her heart that Qi Yan would fulfill her promise. Moreover, even if he accidentally guessed the wrong riddle, he has the ability to compensate the boy.
Nangong Jingnv took the initiative to hand over the beautifully crafted lotus lantern worth at least a few taels to the boy: "Well, this lantern counts as a thank you gift for that penny. You wait here, we'll be back in a while."
The boy took the lantern and couldn't put it down, and said happily, "Thank you, brother!"
Nangong Jingnu smiled and patted the boy's head: "Don't run around."
"Um."
Qi Yan smiled and watched the scene in front of her, and took the initiative to reach out to Nangong Jingnu, who naturally put her hand on the other's palm. The two smiled at each other and followed the crowd towards Tingyu Tower.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Qi Yan whispered.
"Bengong just doesn't want the boss who sells candied haws to think that you are a liar who specializes in coaxing children!"
In front of the Tingyu Building, there are huge crowds.
The rules of this lantern riddle were written in detail on the big red list, and Nangong Jingnu asked, "Can you see it clearly?"
Qi Yan shook her head, Nangong Jingnu's red lips lightly parted, and she read out the rules.
There are five levels in this lantern riddle array. Participants only need to hand in a copper plate and can draw a lantern riddle from the puzzle box at will. Each person can only participate once.
The lantern riddle in the first level is a one-word fan, and those who guess correctly can get a lantern sign to enter the battle. The light sign has two purposes: one is to exchange two copper coins and withdraw from the competition.
The second is to enter the lantern riddle array with a lantern sign, and each level has a corresponding reward. The correct answerer can choose to withdraw with the bonus of this level, or choose to continue to pass the level.
If you successfully pass the last level, you can get 100 taels of silver, but it is worth noting that if you answer incorrectly, you will be eliminated directly and lose all the rewards you have obtained before.
After Nangong Jingnu finished reading, she said with a smile, "This rule is interesting."
Qi Yan agreed: "Ting Yulou's owner is not easy." This lantern riddle array tests not only talent, but also courage and control over greed.
The two came to the question box, and the copper coins were thrown into the copper basin and made a crisp sound.
The man asked, "Who will compete between the two young masters?"
Qi Yan glanced at Nangong Jingnu: "I'm coming."
"Young master, please draw questions. The lantern riddles outside the array are one-word riddles. If you answer correctly, you can get two cents by yourself with the sign, or you can participate in the lantern riddle array."
"Third brother, help me draw."
"Okay." Nangong Jingnu stretched her arm into the big wooden box and took out a purple triangle bag. The man took it and tore the paper bag open, and said aloud, "Young master, this question is: Zhongyuan Festival."
When the words fell, Qi Yan blurted out: "Fat."
Nangong Jingnu smiled and nodded: The Mid-Year Festival is also known as the seventh month, and the moon is fat.
The guy also nodded: "That's right. Does the young master take two copper plates or join the battle?"
"Enter."
"Your surname, son?"
"Free your surname Qi."
The guy picked up the gavel and banged on the gong: "Mr. Qi will enter the battle with a lottery."
Next, the gongs and drums sounded from time to time, but more people chose to ask for the lottery of two cents.
Qi Yan entered the lantern riddle array under the guidance of his buddy: it was a five-level arena made of wood.
There was a table and a chair in the center of each table, five old men were sitting on the chairs, and the bonuses corresponding to each level were placed on the table.
The bonus of the first level is a coin, and there are hundreds of coins neatly stacked in the tray. The bonus for the second level is one tael of silver, and the bonuses for the remaining three levels are: 10 taels, 50 taels, and 100 taels.
Nangong Jingnu said suspiciously: "With such a generous bonus, are you afraid that Tingyulou will not be able to pay?"
A middle-aged man next to him said with a smile: "You can rest assured, young master, Tingyulou is a century-old brand in the capital, and its financial resources are unfathomable. Moreover, this lantern riddle array is not easy to break through. Hi Qianer. I come to see the lantern riddle array every year on the New Year’s Day, and it has been almost ten years since no one has broken through to the end. Almost everyone in the capital knows that the lantern riddle array in Tingyulou is not easy to break through. You see, there are not enough people on stage. As for the hundred people, most of them are uninformed foreigners.”
Nangong Jingnu raised her eyes and looked up: Sure enough, there were not many people in the battle, and it was roughly estimated that there were only a few dozen people. There were hundreds of people who guessed the lantern riddle just now, but in comparison, it was indeed very few.
The middle-aged man next to him continued: "It is said that the owner of Tingyulou is a gentleman, and he has excellent business skills. The rules are set by him. of out-of-towners will give up after seeing the first question. I wonder if anyone will be able to reach the top this year…”
Nangong Jingnu looked at Qi Yan, and saw that he took the charcoal and paper presented by the man, and stood in the queue waiting for the question.
With a sound of "bang", the wide-faced gong in front of the lantern riddle array was struck, and the dark crowd suddenly quieted down.
The examiner in the first level slowly stood up, took out a stack of square pieces of paper from his arms, unfolded it slowly, and shook it in his hand.
"The mystery is out!"
After a while, someone in the front row exclaimed, "A piece of white paper? There's not a word on this piece of paper!"
"Blank paper? What kind of question is this?"