In the Ullambana Sutra, there is a legend about Mulian saving his mother. Mulian saw his deceased mother trapped in hell, hanging upside down, unable to escape from the sea of suffering, and was extremely sad, so he asked Buddha for salvation. Sakyamuni pointed out a solution, which was to offer alms to all monks on the day when the monks' retreat ended. That is why the Ullambana Festival was born. On this day, major temples held sutra recitation ceremonies and water and land ceremonies, and good men and women offered food to monks and placed lanterns on the water to express their grief and seek blessings for their deceased relatives.
In Chang'an, since the time of the old sage, in order to promote filial piety, the Yulanpen Festival has become the only day of the year when the curfew is lifted except for the Lantern Festival. On this night, the doors of each neighborhood are not closed, and the residents are free to come and go, gathering in the East and West Markets. There is a large pond connected to the Caohe River, and the people can come to release lanterns along the water to celebrate the festival.
It is unknown when it began, but lighting lanterns gradually became a way for the wealthy families in Chang'an to show off their extravagance. They were no longer satisfied with simple lotus lanterns, and often invited skilled craftsmen to make water lanterns of various shapes for their homes many days in advance. The lanterns were also made bigger and bigger, and the largest ones were as big as pagodas. On the Yulan Festival, after dark, they were released on the surface of the pond with boats, shining like stars, competing for beauty and attracting countless people to come and watch.
This year is no exception.
After dark, the pond for releasing animals in the West Market was crowded with devout believers from all over the city. The shops in the streets seized this rare opportunity to keep their lights on all night to attract customers. The streets were filled with people, laughter and noise, creating a prosperous and peaceful scene.
Pei Xiaoyuan boarded a lightship.
The appearance of this boat looked like many other boats that were floating on the release pond tonight. Lotus lanterns were hung on the bow and stern of the boat, which was not very eye-catching. But when you go inside, you can see a screen. Inside the screen are two banquets, one on the left and one on the right, facing each other. There was nothing else. At this moment, Li Yan was standing in the screen.
He was dressed in white, and if not for the faint scar on his face left by a sharp blade, he would look no different from the countless ordinary scholars wandering the streets of Chang'an enjoying the Taiping Night Market tonight.
"Thank you for coming to see me. Please take a seat."
A smile appeared on his face and he nodded towards Pei Xiaoyuan.
Pei Xiaoyuan sat down at one of the tables and then looked at him.
"You're quite courageous," he said.
To maintain order tonight, at every street corner in the East and West cities, there are twice as many Jinwu Guards on duty as during the day.
After Li Yan sat down at another table, he was silent for a while.
"Excuse me. To be honest, I was afraid too. I hesitated for a long time, but finally decided to take the risk and try my luck again."
"As long as I can see Pei Langjun, I am willing to take any risk at any price."
Pei Xiaoyuan's eyes swept across the sword scar left on Li Yan's face and he smiled: "How can I, Pei, dare to say such a thing? What do you want?"
Li Yan poured a glass of wine and raised it to him.
"This should be the third time I have met Pei Langjun. Speaking of which, last time in Jinfeng Tower, it was all thanks to your mercy that we escaped. I have always remembered your kindness and have long wanted to thank Pei Langjun. Tonight I finally get the chance to thank you in person. I'll drink first to show my respect."