Two days later was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Guo Shao had nothing to do during this period. If he had not been waiting for news that the Khitan generals and their personal soldiers had gone to Youzhou to look for Gao Huaide's sister, he would have wanted to return to Tokyo. Anyway, he could not see Fu Ermei, and could not discuss the marriage this time.
There is nothing interesting to do during the day on the Lantern Festival, but the lantern festival at night is worth looking forward to.
With nothing to do, it would be better to go to the Lantern Festival instead of staying in the house. Guo Shao prepared early. Before it got dark, the lights on the long street began to light up one after another. He asked the maid in the Prince Wei's mansion about the location of the Lantern Festival and went to the street with his brothers.
The snow on the street had not melted yet, and night had not fallen yet, but the street was already brightly lit. The street next to the Prince Wei's Mansion had the most concentrated lights, and then radiated to the surroundings, the whole city was particularly prosperous tonight. If Guo Shao had not just returned from the battlefield not long ago and knew that it was still the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, if he only looked at the scene of this Daming City tonight, he would definitely think that it was a peaceful and prosperous era with singing and dancing.
Take a look, is there anything you like? An old woman who was running a shop on the road greeted Guo Shao and others.
This is a shop selling palace lanterns and handmade toys. Guo Shao smiled amiably and said: We are just looking around to see what is going on.
Guo Shao observed carefully and found that the streets were heavily guarded. The Prince of Wei's Mansion had sent a large number of soldiers to station at various intersections, and some officials were patrolling everywhere. There were also many large earthenware jars placed near the houses, as if to prevent fires. He immediately felt that the Tianxiong Army Headquarters had already made arrangements for the Lantern Festival, and turned around and said to everyone: "You can do whatever you want, have fun on your own, and don't follow me."
At first, there were not many people on the street, and the busy people were the vendors and shops. The houses near the Lantern Market also did business, decorating the front door, setting up a stall, guessing lantern riddles and hanging palace lanterns, which seemed to be a good way to make money.
As night fell, the colors of the lights became more prominent, and the streets soon became as busy as a downtown area with cars and people, and tourists flocked in, and the wide streets began to become crowded.
Especially at the entrance of the Lantern Market, a huge paper-made half-arched decoration was bright red, like a rainbow that appeared out of thin air, very beautiful; the countless palace lanterns hanging on the surrounding tree branches were also lit up, and the bare branches suddenly became extremely gorgeous. If you look further, you can see that the whole street is shining like stars, making the night sky look dim.
The sound of gongs and drums added to the bustle of the noisy street. When Guo Shao looked in the direction of the sound, he saw a lantern dragon dancing next to the half-arched rainbow, and a group of people in brightly colored clothes dancing happily while beating gongs and drums. People stopped to watch.
Guo Shao was also watching with great interest. A little girl of a few years old was riding on an adult's shoulders, licking the candied radish in her hand and giggling.
In this era, there is not much entertainment except going to the red-light district to seek pleasure, and Guo Shao rarely has the leisure to go shopping. I feel that Fu Yanqing's Daming Prefecture is well managed, but tonight I still feel that something is missing. I heard at the posthouse that Fu Ermei would appear in the Lantern Festival, and I was looking forward to it, but the people in the palace confirmed that it was just bragging, and I felt a little disappointed.
Just as I was thinking this, I suddenly saw a team of carriages and horses coming in a long line. There were tall horses in front and behind, and there were many maids and servants on both sides, guarding a gorgeously decorated carriage. The carriage had no panels on all sides, and was covered with light red silk. As soon as I saw the decoration, I knew that it was a noble lady or a rich man riding in this carriage.
There was a person sitting in the curtain, casting a shadow in the light. It was indeed a woman. Suddenly, someone shouted, "This is the carriage of the Prince Wei's Mansion. Isn't that the second lady of the Fu family?"
Many people's eyes were immediately drawn to the dragon lantern, and they all looked on, and some even started to make a noise. Among them might be someone from the inn that day. Even Guo Shao was a little surprised that Fu Ermei actually came to see the lantern festival this year.
The streets were bustling with people, and carriages slowed down once they entered the Lantern Festival, often getting stuck in the middle. Even the carriages of the Prince Wei's palace would not drive away the celebrating people tonight.
So people walked slowly to catch up with the carriage. Guo Shao was one of those who followed the carriage and watched, and Zuo You followed beside him. A man nearby laughed and said what everyone was thinking: Let's have a gust of wind to blow open the curtains, so that we can feast our eyes and learn more.
General Guo, I really want to see Fu Er Niang, a woman's voice said behind him.
Guo Shao turned around subconsciously and saw a woman wearing a man's green robe and a veiled hat. A piece of veil hung from the hat, covering the front of her face, but from a close distance, he could still vaguely see what was inside the veil; unexpectedly, there was a veil covering most of her face. Although the lights were bright, the light was not as bright as in the daytime, and it was very dim. He could only vaguely see a pair of smiling eyes.
You know me? Guo Shao couldn't help but look her up and down. This is indeed a woman. It doesn't matter what she wears. She looks like a woman in every part of her body. It's useless to dress up as a man, so she must be covering her face with a veil.
The woman's voice was calm and leisurely, with a hint of teasing and playfulness: "General Guo has a high eye and doesn't remember me. Didn't we meet in the front hall of King Wei?"
After hearing this, Guo Shao suddenly felt that the smiling eyes were really familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere. Was it the maid who poured wine in the front hall of the Prince Wei's mansion, or a certain dancer? Guo Shao really didn't pay attention, especially the group of dancers. At that time, he was not interested and was thinking about Gao Huaide's sister. He didn't pay attention to those beauties. Could it be that one of the dancers secretly cast a flirtatious eye at him
Oh, oh. Guo Shao had no choice but to fool around and didn't want to point out that he had no impression of her at all.
He pointed at the carriage on the street and asked: Is she Mrs. Fu Er
The woman in green robe smiled and said: Yes.
Guo Shao thought this woman was very interesting. Her smiling eyes, though covered by a veil, made people feel relaxed and warm. She also had a good figure. Not to mention her chest that could support the wide robes of the common people, her slender back and waist could not be concealed by any clothes. Anyone with a discerning eye could guess her lines at a glance.
It was probably because of the dancer that day. Women who dance usually have good figures. But the woman in front of him was very spiritual, and naturally exuded a kind of love that was hard to explain. But the woman who danced that day always made Guo Shao feel that something was missing. Perhaps people's moods are different, and what they see is different.
Guo Shao didn't mind such a woman traveling with him. He suddenly said: The wind is going to blow, we are standing in the wrong direction, let's change to the opposite side.
Hey, the woman was surprised.
Guo Shao smiled and said, "You have to believe me, I am good at archery, and every sharpshooter has to feel the wind direction. The wind is light now, but it may be strong in a while."
The woman was accompanied by an attendant, and Zuo You was following behind her. The four of them crossed the busy street.
At this moment, the wind really blew stronger, and it happened to blow from this direction. The woman in the green veil and hat exclaimed in surprise. She might think Guo Shao was amazing.
Guo Shao ignored her and looked at the curtain on the carriage. It floated up all of a sudden. Although it was only for a short while, he could already see the lady sitting in the carriage, a fair-skinned young woman wearing luxurious silk and satin.
The round face looks very excited and happy, with rosy cheeks.
Guo Shao couldn't help but frown. There was nothing wrong with being happy in such a lively occasion, but the round-faced second lady didn't seem to be shy at all, and she wanted people to look at her. This reminded people of the waiter in the post house, and Guo Shao's mind flashed with the impression that she was a show-off and a show-off.
Maybe it's an illusion. I can't make a definitive conclusion based on just one look.
But Guo Shao still couldn't hide his disappointment. Even if he didn't care about her temperament, her appearance wasn't that great. Her skin seemed fine, but her round face had a little baby fat and a double chin, which didn't fit Guo Shao's aesthetic at all. If he didn't consider her temperament and demeanor at all, that excited smile wasn't annoying, it was even a little cute, but it wasn't the kind of love that men and women admired.
Is arranged marriage really just bullshit? You want to pursue someone's status and identity, and you also want to choose beauty. That's too picky. If she's not a fat and dark woman, you should be thankful.
Guo Shao kept convincing himself and comforting himself: marrying a concubine is for beauty.
General Guo, are you disappointed? The woman in green robe next to him looked at his face.
No, without Guo Shao’s smile was already forced and ugly.
The woman in green robe chuckled and said: You are really insincere. It's all written on your face.
The woman beside him was a dancer or maid in the Prince Wei's mansion. Guo Shao certainly wouldn't tell her true feelings. If she went back and told Prince Wei or Fu Erniang, it would be a disaster. He had really made up his mind not to marry Prince Wei.
Damn, they are born of the same father, so why are the Queen and Fu Ermei so far apart? It may be that the two sisters don’t have the same mother.
Guo Shao was in a heavy mood, and couldn't help but think about the background of Empress Fu Yanqing. He recalled the woman in the car he had just seen, and he really thought she was not ugly, young and fair-skinned. But compared to Yu Lian and Yang at home, her appearance was really a world of difference.
In the past, online romances died when exposed to the light. This was because people invested too much in personal fantasies, thinking that the other person was like a fairy, but in the end, the imagination was beautiful and the reality was very bleak. Guo Shao now feels this way.
Sometimes there is really no way out. After all, real natural beauties are rare. If you can't marry a beautiful woman, you still have to make a living. Fortunately, Guo Shao has two beautiful concubines at home, so he can accept the reality.
Guo Shao gritted his teeth and thought: The Queen's support for Fu's in-laws, these tangible benefits, should be more important.
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