On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Shangyuan Festival.
From the thirteenth, the city began to light the lights all night, and on the fifteenth day, the lights were like a river, and it was very lively.
Xuandemen erected lanterns early, and on the fifteenth day, the emperor would come to Xuandemen with his concubines, which was a well-known event in the city. Xuande Gate is the dividing line between the palace city and the inner city. It is said to be a gate, but it is actually a towering city wall. There are watchtowers on the east and west ques.
Xuande Gate is the first gate of the palace, which is tantamount to the face of the emperor. Therefore, Xuande Gate is extremely tall and can overlook the whole city from standing on it.
The city wall of Xuandemen and the left and right towers form a flat and wide square. Coupled with the lofty status of Xuandemen, all the great ceremonies and celebrations of the imperial court are located here. The barriers, canopies, and thrones on the city wall have been prepared a long time ago. Now that the time is approaching, the eunuchs and palace maids on Xuande Gate are coming and going, all busy doing final inspections.
Mu Mingtang set off for a banquet in the palace during the day. The emperor held a banquet in the previous dynasty, and the queen entertained all the female relatives at the back. When the lights came on, the empress did not bring many female relatives until the signal of the emperor's departure came from the previous dynasty. Shi Shiran walked towards the tower.
Shangyuan is one of the top events in the year, especially the rare thing is that it is not limited to men and women, and women can also play freely. This time, the emperor's kindness, the concubines in the harem do not have to limit their positions, they can go to the tower to see the lights. The concubines and concubines in the harem who have no time to spare don't know how long they have been looking forward to this day.
At this moment, the city tower is already fluttering with colorful robes, and there are canopies everywhere. The official circle in front of Xuande Gate was full of people, all looking up at the tower. I don't know when, the figures of the eunuch's palace people running on the city tower frequently appeared. After a while, the drums were suddenly loud, and there were rumors everywhere that "the official's family is coming".
The people gathered in the square spread word of mouth, not knowing whether it was true or not, the major groups hurriedly performed their own acrobatics. When Mu Mingtang followed the Queen and others to the city gate, he saw the lights below, gongs and drums blaring, and a lively burst was better than a burst.
Now Mu Mingtang is sure that she really came from a small place. She had never seen such a spectacle.
After the emperor and his congregation boarded the tower, the atmosphere downstairs suddenly exploded, and the shouts of long live came one after another. In fact, the tower was so high, and it was dark again at the moment, the people under the city gate could not see the faces of the people above, and could only faintly see the attendants gathered above, and there were many female relatives who looked like gods and concubines. Even if the people couldn't see it, they could guess that they were the emperor, the empress and the concubine.
Mu Mingtang was standing beside the queen, with an excellent angle of view, and saw the restaurants in the city lit up with lanterns. The lights converged into a river, like the Milky Way falling into the sky for nine days, and from time to time there were kongming lanterns rising up, as if to bring the lights of the human world into the sky, which was very magnificent.
Mu Mingtang was deeply shocked. On this day in Shangyuan, because the emperor came in person, the city's most famous Zaju troupes and craftsmen gathered in Xuandemen Square. The talented people downstairs showed their magical powers, and the tricks were frequent. It was almost too busy to see.
Seeing that Mu Mingtang was looking at the lights downstairs attentively, the queen asked with a smile, "Princess An looks so focused, but she likes the excitement?"
There were no one hundred or eighty female relatives of the nobles on the tower, but among the many ministers, the queen only spoke to Mu Mingtang in such a close tone, and many people immediately looked at Mu Mingtang. Mu Mingtang didn't hide it, nodded and admitted: "Yes, this is the first time a court lady has watched the lanterns in the capital, and I have never seen such a bustling scene before."
The party admitted that it made it difficult for others to play. The queen also smiled and said, "I haven't seen the lights outside for many years, and I don't know that there are so many tricks now. This year's Lantern Festival is lively, Princess An just took this opportunity to take a look."
"Thank you, Empress." Mu Mingtang nodded in response. The queen was determined to show her consolation to Prince An's mansion in front of everyone. She spoke extremely softly to Mu Mingtang, and pointed to the lantern comments downstairs with Mu Mingtang. Jiang Mingwei also stood not far away, seeing with her own eyes that her mother-in-law, who had always been harsh on her, faced Mu Mingtang like a different person, and her heart was extremely complicated.
It's ironic. The queen asked Jiang Mingwei to be simple and humble. She would not let Jiang Mingwei wear expensive skirts, but she gave Mu Mingtang a lot of money. Pride is not jealous, saving is not spending money, but for Mu Mingtang, he is gentle and tolerant. Even Mu Mingtang has not seen the lights in the capital, so he points them to Mu Mingtang in person.
Not to mention the distance, just like now, Jiang Mingwei has stood here for so long, and she has never seen the queen ask a question or assign a look. The comparison between the two sides is really annoying.
The more Jiang Mingwei thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. She was also a princess, no matter what the occasion, as long as Mu Mingtang was there, Jiang Mingwei could only step aside as a supporting role. What's even worse is that everyone let her endure and let her be humble, as if she avoided Mu Mingtang, which is only right and proper.
Damn it, if Jiang Mingwei had not read the book in her previous life, she would have thought that Mu Mingtang was the protagonist. Jiang Mingwei thought of what was going to happen in a while, took a deep breath, and kept telling herself that there was going to be a big change in the future, and her and Xie Xuanji's fortunes would skyrocket from today onwards.
She is the one who has the discerning eye and the pearl, and who is married to the Son of Destiny. Now Mu Mingtang is just the last carnival before the fall.
Thinking like this, Jiang Mingwei gradually calmed down. She is now full of thoughts about the fire in the Forbidden Palace for a while, and she has no intention of watching the performance downstairs. She even ignores others who talk to her.
She has big things to do, how can she have time to pay attention to these small supporting roles? Jiang Mingwei doesn't care if she offends people, anyway, after today, she is the hero of the queen and queen mother. What do these insignificant ladies and gentlemen think of her, and what does it have to do with her
On the other side, the eunuch saw that the emperor and others were very excited, and said like a treasure: "Report to the official family, today the folks made a dragon lantern to congratulate His Majesty. I heard that the dragon lantern is three feet high and painted with gold and floating powder. It is very gorgeous. .Especially Longan, I heard that it is the same as living."
A close minister heard it and echoed: "His Majesty is the real Son of the Dragon, and the folks offer dragon lanterns to celebrate, it really complements each other. With such a big dragon lantern, I am afraid that no one in the world can suppress it except Your Majesty."
Tai listened quickly and promised: "Isn't it true, I heard that since the beginning of the formation of the dragon shape, there have been frequent fires in the workshop, and the craftsmen who make the lamp all say that they are so light that they can't hold down the lamp dragon. So this lamp has been made since it was made. , has never been lit, I am afraid that only in front of the official family can it be lit safely and without incident."
The queen heard it not far away, and responded with a smile: "It seems that the concubine and others have benefited from the official family, and today I can see the dragon lantern. I have never seen such a big lamp in my life. ."
The crowd naturally echoed, and the emperor was overjoyed by the crowd, smiled and waved: "There is such a strange thing, I really want to see what a lamp like a living dragon looks like. Where did the light car go? "
The eunuch who presented the lantern was overjoyed and said, "I'm fighting the lantern on the road. If the road goes well, it will be delivered to Xuandemen at Xu hour, and the lamp will be lit on the hour at Hai."
Fighting lanterns is also a Shangyuan custom. Before the Shangyuan Festival, the lamp carts will go to the government to report to the government. After the three days of Shangyuan all-night entertainment, all kinds of lamp carts will depart from the streets and alleys. Juggling, etc. Every time at an intersection, when two lamps meet, they have to fight the lamps. The government will have a special person to judge at the intersection. Only the winner can pass, and the defeated lamps will go home. On the day of Shangyuan, the streets and alleys were very lively. The closer the lights in the center were, the brighter they became. Only the chief among them could walk to Xuandemen Square.
This dragon lantern is from the tail of the city. It is conceivable that he is very confident in himself. The emperor heard Fuzhang laugh: "Okay, there is a reward."
There was laughter at the city gate, and Mu Mingtang felt awkward when he heard everyone touts that the emperor was the real son of the dragon. She quietly went to see Xie Xuanchen, and saw that Xie Xuanchen didn't say anything, as if she didn't hear what everyone was saying.
Mu Mingtang also pretended not to know, she was about to look away, Xie Xuanchen felt that she was looking at him for some reason, and looked in this direction.
Mu Mingtang shook his head, indicating that he was fine. Across the crowd, Xie Xuanchen couldn't hear what Mu Mingtang was saying, so he went directly to the female family and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xie Xuanchen came over in front of everyone, which embarrassed Mu Mingtang. She was embarrassed to say that you heard wrong. In fact, I didn't call you. She could only point to the small stall under the city tower that made candy man, and said, "Look, that stall's business is so good, he can make several kinds of candy man. Can also use candy silk to draw characters."
Xie Xuanchen glanced down her finger, nodded casually, and said to the eunuch behind him, "Go to the gatehouse to buy a sugar man, and ask for the zodiac, the monkey's."
Mu Mingtang didn't expect Xie Xuanchen to act so straightforwardly, so she just said it casually, and he let people go out to buy it. You must know that they are now on the tower of Xuande Gate. Don't look at it, it's just a few steps to buy a candy man. Among them, the procedure is very cumbersome to go out of the palace, face the waist card, and pass the imperial guards.
Mu Mingtang quickly grabbed Xie Xuanchen's sleeve and said, "No need, I'll just take a look."
"What can you see from such a distance? A sugar man is neither expensive nor troublesome, as long as you like to buy it." Xie Xuanchen was completely unmoved, and said to the eunuch, "Why don't you go quickly?"
The eunuch sneaked a sneak peek at the two masters, and now he got Xie Xuanchen's words, he was very obedient, turned around and left. A eunuch walked down, and many people turned back: "What is he doing out?"
"I don't know, it seems that I took An Wang's errand and went downstairs to buy a candy man for Princess An."
Everyone who heard this snorted in their hearts. It's just a candy man. There are some on the roadside. If you want, you can't pick a day to buy it on the street. You have to make a lot of troubles today? But who made An Wang happy? The emperor and the queen didn't say anything. They were talking too much.
But sour, it's really sour.
After waiting for a while, the eunuch came back and graciously presented a cute monkey candy man to Mu Mingtang. Mu Mingtang said no to it before, but when he saw the naive candy monkey, he immediately fell in love with it and was reluctant to eat it.
Mu Mingtang glanced to both sides, everyone was dressed in neat clothes, but she was holding a candy man in her hand, which made her seem very unserious.
A little princess who was held by a grandmother saw it, and immediately shouted for a candy man. Her biological mother was extremely embarrassed when she heard this, and hurriedly twisted the little princess and asked someone to carry her down.
That concubine didn't seem to be favored, and she rose to the position of concubine by giving birth to a princess. She didn't seem to be as gorgeously dressed as Mu Mingtang. The concubine sincerely apologized to Mu Mingtang: "Princess An, please calm down. The fifth princess is young and ignorant, and she did not intend to offend the princess."
Mu Mingtang also held a candy man in his hand, looking young and charming, he was originally very appealing to children. Mu Mingtang doesn't know since when, she turned into such a terrible image in the eyes of others.
Mu Mingtang said warmly, "It doesn't matter how old the Fifth Princess is. It's normal to like to eat candy. I have never eaten this candy man. If the Fifth Princess doesn't dislike it, then take this one."
The fifth princess' biological mother seemed hesitant. Mu Mingtang handed the things to the eunuch and sent them to the fifth princess, and the concubine finally determined that Mu Mingtang was not arguing, she really wanted to send things.
The concubine hurriedly glanced at Xie Xuanchen secretly again. Princess An passed on his gift to others in front of Prince An, and Prince An was not angry? Not only this concubine, but other people also quietly paid attention. As a result, they watched for a long time and found that Xie Xuanchen really didn't care, and didn't care at all.
The concubine was surprised, and even the queen who was paying attention to this side with the corner of her eye was surprised. The concubine reacted and hurriedly brought the fifth princess over to thank Mu Mingtang.
How could Mu Mingtang care about children? She actually likes children very much, but thinking of her identity, she decides not to cause trouble for the mother and daughter who are not easy to watch, so she resists talking to the fifth princess.
After this small disturbance passed, Mu Mingtang sighed regretfully as he looked at the various acrobatics and various snacks under the city tower. Xie Xuanchen is right, what can be seen from such a distance, such a grand event, it is interesting to be in it.
Xie Xuanchen and Mu Mingtang have been together for so long, and they have long been aware of her small movements. When he saw Mu Mingtang looking down eagerly, he understood and asked, "Do you want to go down and see?"
Mu Mingtang widened his eyes in flattery: "Is it alright?"
"As long as you like it." Xie Xuanchen simply explained, "You stand here and don't move, I'll be right back."
After finishing speaking, Xie Xuanchen went to say something to the emperor. The emperor obviously looked at Xie Xuanchen in surprise, then looked in the direction of Mu Mingtang, and finally nodded with a good temper, and asked something in a warm voice. Looking at the mouth shape, it should be with more guards and the like.
Mu Mingtang knew that it had already happened. When Xie Xuanchen came over and didn't speak, Mu Mingtang happily rushed over and naturally pulled Xie Xuanchen's sleeve.
So they swaggered out of the city tower under the watchful eyes of the public, passed through the heavy guards, and merged into the torrent outside.
Jiang Mingwei, other public servants, daughters and relatives, and even the empress dowager watched Mu Mingtang happily leave the palace and go shopping outside.
The fifth princess still had sugar residue sticking to the corners of her mouth. Seeing this, she pulled her biological mother's sleeve and asked, "Mother, why can they leave and we can't?"
The concubine sighed silently and said in a low voice, "Because they are Prince An and Princess An."
Standing on the tower, Jiang Mingwei watched the guards running downstairs quickly, and finally drove away the people, cleared a path for King An and Princess An, and escorted Xie Xuanchen and Mu Mingtang away. When the people on both sides saw that they came down from the tower, they were very surprised, and they rushed to see Mu Mingtang and Xie Xuanchen, but they were finally stopped by the Guards. It didn't take long for Mu Mingtang and Xie Xuanchen to walk away, and they could no longer be found after mixing in with the crowd.
Jiang Mingwei fixedly looked at the direction they were leaving, and another lady of the country saw it and sighed softly with her: "King An is really condoning Princess An, this is the case on New Year's Eve, and it is still the same in Shangyuan today. King An is fierce. I don't expect to be so considerate in the name of the princess."
Jiang Mingwei didn't want to answer when she heard it, but fortunately, the lady of the country just sighed and did not intend to listen to Jiang Mingwei's reply. After the lady of the country finished speaking, she left by herself.
Jiang Mingwei looked far into the distance. There were millions of people in Tokyo. Today, the whole city was dispatched, and the streets were crowded with traffic and horses. All this looks so prosperous and prosperous, but Jiang Mingwei knows that soon, a fire will subvert everything.
Jiang Mingwei couldn't help being fascinated. Those foreign spies were obviously mixed in the crowd. Where are they