On the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth days of the first lunar month, the night ban was lifted in Chang'an City, and people could eat, drink, play and fight in the streets all night long.
The annual nightlife is very rare. Everyone wears the most beautiful clothes and the most extravagant jewelry to parade through the city, blocking the streets and alleys of Chang'an City.
Although all the people in the city have come out, there are always a few unlucky ones who stay alone and cannot leave their homes.
For example, Liu Qinghuan who was sighing at Yue Chang now.
It's already fifteen today, and after being bored at home for a whole day yesterday, Liu Qinghuan's mood can be said to be quite low. Speaking of which, it was all caused by Lingnan King's remnant party. The Jinwu Guards released the night for three days in the Shangyuan Dynasty, which was an excellent time to do bad things. They will not miss this opportunity, and Xue Mu also brought troops to strengthen the security everywhere to prevent chaos.
The only consolation is that today Liu Qingli was ordered by Lord Hou to accompany her to celebrate the festival, and the two of them enjoying the fireworks show later will be more lively than watching it alone. Liu Qinghuan looked up at the sky, frowned slightly, it's getting late, why hasn't Second Sister come yet
She flicked the sachet in her hand, turned her head to Qingzhi and said: "Qingzhi, go to the servant's mansion to see if the second sister is here."
"Yes." Qingzhi responded respectfully, turned around and went out the door. Liu Qinghuan played with the sachet in his hand for a while, and not long after, Qingzhi came back from outside.
"Why so fast?" Liu Qinghuan looked at her suspiciously, there are so many people outside today, even if Qing Zhi went on horseback, it shouldn't be so fast.
But Qingzhi said to her anxiously: "Madam, the maidservant just walked away and saw Bi'er."
Bi'er is one of Liu Qingli's personal servant girls, and she has been to the Hou Mansion several times with her before, so she has also seen Chitao Qingzhi. Liu Qinghuan frowned, and saw Bi'er walking in from the outside: "This servant has seen Madam."
"Excuse me." Liu Qinghuan told her to stand up, "What's going on? Why are you here alone?"
Bi'er looked at her, and seemed to be a little anxious: "Returning to Madam, the servant girl went out of the mansion with the young lady, and after leaving the workshop, the young lady realized that the soup that the old lady made for you was forgotten in the servant's mansion, so she sent the servant girl back to get the soup The servant took the soup and rushed to the Hou's mansion, and when I arrived at Chongrenfang, I met Miss Qingzhi, and only then did I hear her say that the young lady has not arrived yet."
Liu Qinghuan glanced at the soup cup in her arms, and frowned. According to Bi'er, Liu Qingli should have arrived at the Hou Mansion a long time ago, but where did she go now
Although the second sister is sometimes self-willed, she will not disappear without saying a word like this and make others worry. So, is there an accident on the road? Liu Qinghuan became more and more uneasy when he thought of Lingnan King's remnant party.
"Chitao Qingzhi, let's go out and look for the second sister." Liu Qinghuan stood up from the bed, put on a fox fur cloak, and seemed ready to leave. Chi Tao and Qing Zhi were startled, and quickly stopped her: "Ma'am, you can't help it, Master Hou explained that you must not be allowed to leave the house during the three days of the Shangyuan Festival."
"I know, but the second sister might have an accident, we can't leave her alone." She paused, and then said, "Call Nian Tang, we'll go out and look for it, and we'll be back soon."
Chi Tao and Qing Zhi pursed their lower lips and looked at each other for a while, then went out and called Nian Tang. When Nian Tang heard that Liu Qinghuan was going out, she also disagreed: "I'll just go out and look for Miss Liu Er. It's better for Madam to stay in the Hou Mansion."
"Chang'an City is so big, how long will you have to find it by yourself? Besides, it's my second sister who is missing, how can I still sit in the Hou Mansion."
Liu Qinghuan's tone sounded unrefutable, Nian Tang frowned and didn't speak for a while. She knew Liu Qinghuan's temper, and if she was not allowed to go out at this time, she might sneak out by herself when she left. Anyway, she was very experienced in such things. Instead of this, it's better to let her go with him.
"Okay, but even if no one can be found, Madam must return to the Hou Mansion as soon as possible." Nian Tang made a concession and stated his own conditions. Liu Qinghuan didn't object anymore, and went out with three maids and Nian Tang.
Sure enough, there was a sea of people outside, people walking and riding horses and people riding cars mixed together, blocking the road completely. Liu Qinghuan turned her head and said to Bi'er who was beside her: "You go back to the Minister's Mansion on horseback first, see if the second sister has returned to the mansion, and then send someone to report."
"Slaves understand." Bi'er said and drove away, and the four people left behind searched on the street. There are singing and dancing crowds everywhere on the street, and there are even more food vendors than usual.
In front of Anfu Gate, a huge lamp wheel was built, estimated to be more than twenty feet high. The lantern wheel is wrapped with colored silk, and there are countless hanging lanterns. From a distance, it looks like a huge flower tree, shining with a thousand zhang rays of light. There were many women dancing under the lantern wheel, they were all dressed in fancy clothes, jewels on their heads, and their faces covered in makeup, Liu Qinghuan quickly scanned around, but did not see Liu Qingli's shadow.
Along the way, I watched all kinds of performances, such as singing, juggling, cockfighting, and wrestling, but I still didn't see Liu Qingli's shadow.
"Hey, what a beautiful little lady, why are you walking outside alone? Do you want my brother to accompany you?" A drunken man came up, and as he spoke, he stretched out his hand to Liu Qinghuan's face, and was slapped by Niantang Slapped open.
The man rubbed his wrist and looked over angrily. Seeing that she was also a little beauty, he squinted again and said: "This is a little lady, but it's delicious? It doesn't matter, brother can also accompany you." He leaned towards Nian Tang's side Damn, Nian Tang grabbed the wrist and clasped it with his backhand, and kicked the person who was kicked, directly sending him flying.
The crowd was attracted by the movement here, looked at the man who fell face down on the ground, pointed at him and laughed. Nian Tang frowned, and turned to look at Liu Qinghuan: "Madam, you can't stay outside anymore, if Lord Hou finds out, he won't spare me."
Liu Qinghuan pursed her lips, the fireworks show would start soon, and there were more and more people on the street, it was indeed inconvenient for her to be crowded here. She nodded and followed Nian Tang back, when a woman's voice with a high voice came from a distance, it sounded familiar.
"Do you know who I am? I am Lu Jiao, the daughter of Shangshu Mansion, how dare you not sell it to me?! There is nothing I want to eat that I can't eat!"
Liu Qinghuan's brows twitched, and when she turned her head, she saw Lu Jiao in a splendid dress. Her head was full of pearls and emeralds, Liu Qinghuan was really worried that her neck would break suddenly due to the heavy load.
"It seems to sell fried noodles over there." Qing Zhi also glanced at Lu Jiao's direction, and then said with a sneer, "It's shameless to say that I'm a lady because I can argue with people like this in the street just because of the noodles. "
Although Nian Tang didn't like Lu Jiao, but she was afraid of meeting someone as short-sighted as Cai just now, so she could only urge Liu Qinghuan: "Madam, it's better to go back to the residence earlier, Second Miss Liu might have already gone back."
"Yeah." Liu Qinghuan replied, and left Lu Jiao alone. The person Bi'er sent to report should have arrived, and Liu Qingli's whereabouts are the most important thing at this time.
After a few huge lanterns in the courtyard, the crowd was much thinner than before. There seemed to be some commotion in the street ahead, and many people gathered together, completely blocking the road. Nian Tang frowned, and said to Liu Qinghuan: "I'll go over and have a look, Madam stay here and don't move."
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Chitao Qingzhi before walking forward.
Liu Qinghuan stood at the same spot and looked around. There was something shining in the alley next to him under the moonlight. Liu Qinghuan took a few glances, then walked over. Chi Tao, who was next to her, noticed it and hurriedly followed: "Madam, where are you going?"
"Over there, there seems to be something on the ground." Liu Qinghuan walked into the alley, there were very few people in the alley, she stared at the things on the ground, bent down and picked them up. It is a bead with lustrous luster, and it is also inlaid with gold and silver flakes.
Liu Qinghuan frowned slightly, and searched the ground again, and sure enough, she found another bead like this not far away.
"Ma'am, we can't go far, let's go back." Chi Tao glanced at the entrance of the alley, which was already a little far away, and remembered Nian Tang's look just now, and couldn't help but stop Liu Qinghuan who still wanted to go forward.
Liu Qinghuan walked forward more eagerly, as if she hadn't heard it at all. She recognized this bead, it was a bracelet given to Liu Qingli by her mother when she turned sixteen. At that time Liu Qingli was very happy and showed off in front of her for half a month.
She turned a corner and walked onto another street. There were fewer people here than Fangcai Street, she looked around and walked towards a temple.
"Ma'am, where are you going? Miss Niantang is still waiting for us." Chi Tao and Qing Zhi hurriedly called her from behind, fearing that something might happen to her. Liu Qinghuan didn't stop until she reached the gate of the temple. The alley just now should be connected to the back door of this temple. If something really happened to Liu Qingli, it might be in this temple.
She looked into the temple, and there were many people listening to the opera sitting inside. She raised her foot and was about to step into the gate of the temple, but was stopped by a monk guarding the gate: "Almsgiver, please stay."
Liu Qinghuan raised her eyes and glanced at him, but before she could speak, the monk said again: "The small temple will no longer entertain guests tonight, and please ask the almsgiver to go elsewhere."
Liu Qinghuan raised her eyebrows and said in a high voice: "Do you know who I am? I am Lu Jiao, the daughter of the Shangshu Mansion, how dare you not let me in?! There is no place I can't go that I want to go when I grow up!"
The monk was stunned for a moment, as if he hadn't thought that the patroness, who looked delicate and lovely, spoke so rudely. But today, no one can enter this temple anymore, so he still stood motionless in front of Liu Qinghuan.
The anger on Liu Qinghuan's face became even worse, and her voice became more mean: "There are so many people sitting inside you, but you don't let me in, do you think I can't afford the sesame oil?" She laughed twice, He took off the sachet from his waist and stuffed it into the monk's arms, "This is the only sachet in Chang'an City, and it's priceless! Let me tell you, I'm determined to listen to today's show!"
After she finished speaking, she pushed away the monk standing in front of her, and walked in without saying anything. Chitao Qingzhi didn't react yet, but subconsciously followed her inside. Unexpectedly, as soon as Liu Qinghuan collapsed into the temple gate, she turned her head and said to Qing Zhi: "Go and see if the powdered fruit seller just fried it up, and send me a copy when it's done."
Qingzhi was stunned for a moment, then nodded and ran out: "I know, I know, this servant is going!"
Seeing her walking away, Liu Qinghuan glanced at the monk arrogantly, then went into the temple and sat down to listen to the opera. The monk frowned, called another person to guard the door, and ran inside by himself.
The oil lamp in the room was a bit dim, the monk opened the door and walked in, and whispered to the woman sitting by the table: "A lady came just now, she said she was Lu Jiao, the daughter of the Shangshu Mansion, I couldn't stop her, let her go. Come in."
The person in front of the table frowned displeasedly. Seeing that she seemed to be angry, the monk quickly handed over the sachet in his hand: "She gave me this back, saying it was money for sesame oil."
The woman took the sachet and looked at it for a while, with a contemptuous smile on the corner of her mouth: "I have seen this thing before, it is indeed Lu Jiao's. She is just a brainless and arrogant young lady, don't pay attention to her."