Eastward Flow

Chapter 23

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The death of Emperor Zhao had no secrets, it was a sure thing. Xuan Jingchen, who had already obtained evidence from Du Zhong and Ling Xiao, issued a secret order to have the dark guard investigate the case of Emperor Zhao's smuggling. Four years have passed, and Yuanzhou City has gone through war again, so it must be a lot of difficulties. But Xuan Jingchen is not afraid of how complicated things are, or how terrible the hands behind her are, she just wants to know the truth.

You know who is going to do this.

The combination of the military arsenal and the death of Emperor Zhao added a bit of sadness to His Majesty, who was already working hard. Xuan Jingchen was originally blaming himself for failing to lead his troops and horses to the Liangshui bank to quell the rebellion that day, which led to the destruction of Yuanzhou City. He even blamed himself when he knew that Emperor Zhao was raped in the winter of the second year of Yuanhe. Own.

As a minister, he did not protect his monarch. As an empress, she failed to take care of her emperor. No matter what, Xuan Jingchen, who felt derelict in his duties, handled cumbersome official duties like a self-abuse today.

The queen hadn't slept for several days, and the palace servants who were worried about her informed the eldest princess of the queen's situation. After the queen slept for a full night, on the day of the Lantern Festival, together with the little princess, they invited the queen to walk in the city, as the name said, to inspect the people's feelings.

There are many things hidden in Xuan Jingchen's heart. Even if he is in a bad mood, he will never refuse the invitation of his sisters. On the evening of the Lantern Festival, after all the preparations were made, the three sisters put on the masks of the Lantern Festival and went out of the palace gate.

The Lantern Festival in Yuanzhou City is the predecessor of the Flower Festival. On this day, most young men and women will take to the streets of Yuanzhou City. If you already have a partner, come out to contact the feelings. If not, I hope to meet someone with a predestined relationship on this day.

The three sisters didn't care about the hidden meaning of the Lantern Festival. One of Xuan Jing's An Xin was the King of Clouds, while Xuan Jing Ning's mind was full of the show performed by the Chun Feng Yi Building. As for Xuan Jingchen, the emperor who was full of family and country in his head, after walking down the street, he began to inquire about the daily routine of the people.

Pawn merchants, what kind of life these people living at the bottom want to live in, and what kind of environment they can want, she needs to know.

Therefore, when the three sisters came to the bustling long street and looked at Xu Jingchen who was learning about the people's feelings, the two princesses couldn't help sighing.

Hey, she's a royal sister who is not at all in the spring and autumn.

Tonight, the streets and alleys of Yuanzhou City are adorned with lanterns, fireworks bloom all over the sky, and the whole city is as bright as day. The shouts of vendors, the cheers of children, and the whispers of lovers interspersed among them. This life has all kinds of expressions, all of which are concentrated in a short long street.

Xu Jingchen led the two younger sisters through the long street, looking at the smiles reflected on the faces of the common people, only to feel that his heart became a lot lighter. Walking to the corner of the long street, Xu Jingchen heard a clear and sweet voice of a young man and said, "Why did my mother-in-law come out to make lanterns when she is so old, but is there any difficulty at home?"

The voice was too pleasant and familiar, Xu Jingchen turned his head and looked at the speaker. At a glance, he bumped into the white-robed boy, and instantly recognized the person.

It's this kid again.

The queen thought to herself, this child loves to run too much, and every time she goes out, she can always bump into her.

The teenager under the lantern did not wear bright crimson clothes as in the past, but was all white, with a high jade crown, showing a full forehead, mountain-like eyebrows, tender eyes like water, a straight nose, with Smiling lips.

The originally immature face, against the background of this thick snow-white robe, seemed to have a kind of free and easy style beyond his age.

The old woman didn't seem to have a good ear, so she raised her head and asked, "What did you say?" "I'm asking my mother-in-law, why do you still come out to make lanterns at such a young age, what's the problem at home?"

The old lady just seemed to hear it. She waved her hands again and again and said, "It's not difficult, it's okay. I just like to make lanterns, lively and happy!"

The elderly mother-in-law can hardly speak. She repeatedly emphasized that this was something she liked, making the boy under the lamp look ashamed.

The young man folded his hands, saluted the old woman, and said, "I thought it was wrong, and I hope my mother-in-law will forgive me. Mother-in-law, how much does this lantern cost?"

"Fifteen wen." The old woman spread her palms and compared a fifteen. The teenager understood, took out three green coins from his purse, and said, "I also ask my mother-in-law to give me two."

A piece of green money is worth ten coins, the young man respects his mother-in-law's business, and everything follows the rules.

"Okay." The mother-in-law responded and picked out two lanterns embroidered with carp for the boy.

"Thank you, mother-in-law." The boy carried two lanterns, got up and walked towards the corner. The waiter who followed behind hurriedly ran over, shouting while running, "Second Young Master, Second Young Master, wait for me."

The young man stopped, waited for the waiter to come over, stuffed a lantern in his hand and said, "A-sheng, don't run so fast, what should you do if you bump into someone. I said that when you wait at the ferry, you will wait. You, don't worry. No, this is for you."

"Thank you, Young Master." The waiter panted and said anxiously, "Master Hou asked me to follow you all the time, don't let you lose."

Hearing the words, the young man smiled helplessly: "Asheng, I'm sixteen years old this year, not six years old, I can't run away. It's not that I want to watch a big show, let's go."

The two walked side by side, talking and walking, gradually disappearing under the bright lanterns.

The young man did not know that this short picture fell into Xuan Jingchen's eyes. Looking at the back of the young man leaving, under the surprised eyes of his sisters, Xuan Jingchen walked towards the old woman who sold lanterns, and said warmly: "Mother-in-law, can you give me three lanterns?"

So, the three sisters carried a lantern to the pier where the Spring Breeze Once Building was located, the focus of the Yuanzhou City Lantern Festival.

Every year at the Lantern Festival in Yuanzhou City, singing and dancing will be performed on a stage upstairs in the spring breeze by the river in the city. The folk customs of Chu were open, singing and dancing were popular, and the songs of the East Emperor were sung around the world. At that time, it was the stage performance of the Spring Breeze Once Building. The river in the distance was covered with painted boats, and the firelight floated on the water surface, stretching for miles.

Zhong Lishuo had heard about the grand spectacle of the night of lanterns from the servants in the mansion, but only when he saw it with his own eyes did he know that the grand scene was extremely beautiful.

Tonight, she was dressed in white, wrapped in a snow-white fox fur cloak, and wandered along the river bank with a lantern. The waiter, Ah Sheng, followed her and said chatteringly, "There is a singing and dancing stage on the left of the Chunfeng once building, and a lantern riddle guessing table on the right. Both places are crowded hard. Where are you going, son?"

"Go to the left."

Guessing the lantern riddle, she didn't go, and she didn't see through it. She wants to see the grand scene, the grand scene of this great celebration, singing and dancing.

The Lantern Festival table in Chunfengyidulou was surrounded by many people. Zhong Lishuo held her lantern and squeezed into the crowd with his flexible body. The song being played on the stage is "The Lord of the Clouds".

"Dragon rides the emperor's clothes, chats and travels, Zhouzhang~"

On such a grand occasion, the ministers of the Superintendent of Heaven, or the Taoists of the Taiyi Sect, will perform the worship songs of the gods in the folk.

In this song Yunzhongjun, the performance is the grace given to the earth by the god of cloud and rain.

The Taoist person who plays Yun Zhongjun is light-hearted, looks like a frightening bird, and looks like a dragon. Zhong Lishuo had rarely experienced such a joyous occasion, so he couldn't help clasping his hands together and clapping his palms.

Just at the moment of joy, someone suddenly patted her on the shoulder. Zhong Lishuo turned his head and saw that Da Siming appeared behind him at some point.

"Why did you come here, sir?" Zhong Lishuo said in surprise when he met his old friend.

Da Siming put his index finger on his lips, and then waved to her, Zhong Lishuo's eyes filled with doubts, but he still followed behind Da Siming and got away from the crowd.

There was a lot of noise, as if they were left far behind.

Da Siming held the blue silk, his whole body showed a lofty and lofty look that did not stick to the fine dust, he looked at the handsome young man under the lamp with a slight smile: "I encountered some trouble today, so I just decided to find someone who can help me. I never thought it was a little boy."

"Little Master, are you willing to do me a favor?" Qing Lan turned her head and asked in a warm voice, looking at the young face of her old friend.

"Sir, I can do whatever I can, and I will do my best."

"You don't need your son to do your best. I'm the only one who supervises Tiansi tonight and is responsible for the hymn of the East Emperor of the Lantern Festival. But my stupid apprentice, because he couldn't learn how to step on the Lantern Festival, so after the performance, Yun Zhongjun slipped away." Qing Lan's eyes were full of helplessness, and she said with a hint of pampering: "This child is too talented, and I can't find her. And the only one who can sing Donghuang is the only one who can sing Donghuang. I have no other choice but to Seek help from someone.”

"But I never thought that Your Highness has such a deep relationship with me, so I took the liberty to ask Your Highness if I could pretend to be the Emperor of the East and perform a Lantern Festival for my disobedient disciple."

Zhong Lishuo was stunned for a moment, and then smiled: "How difficult is this, but I don't read the words of the Eastern Emperor's spirit sacrifice, can I use something else instead."

"Hasn't the young master acted as the Eastern Emperor once before?" Qing Lan smiled slightly, saying nothing.

Zhong Lishuo also laughed.

Yes, she once played the role of the Eastern Emperor. At the Eastern Emperor Festival in Yunzhou, she used the shakuhachi as a sacrificial language to communicate with the gods, and danced the famous Eastern Emperor in Kyushu.

Just tonight, too

Zhong Lishuo, who had accepted the order of Da Si Ming, followed Da Si Ming to the Chunfengyi Building after leaving the crowd, and changed into a large gauze to worship the Eastern Emperor. The handsome young man was wearing the feather clothes praised by the Eastern Emperor, sitting on the futon, listening to the singing on the stage, holding the shakuhachi in his hand, flashing with excitement.

The corners of her eyes were smeared with crimson rouge, and cinnabar lit up between her brows. The boy in the feather coat with half-face makeup was as handsome as the beautiful Donghuang with graceful posture in the painting.