Chapter 9: Shangyuan Lantern Festival (IV)

Li Qing pushed open the room that had been away for several months, and the room was spotlessly cleaned. It seemed that people came to clean every day. Her items and some medical books were arranged neatly. On the desk, there was a stack of rice paper under the jade lion paperweight. There were some ink marks on it. I carefully identified it and found that it was the emperor's handwriting. She remembered that when she left, there was no ink marks on the rice paper. After a closer look, she found that nearly half of the rice paper was missing. Could it be? Li Qing's cheeks suddenly became hot again. This was her own room. Except for herself and him, no one would live in. In other words, in the months when she was no longer there, he had slept here more than once, and he was still writing under the lamp. She seemed to see a warm picture with her husband writing under the lamp and his wife waiting silently.

Close his eyes, and the feeling of happiness and sweetness surged into his heart. When he opened his eyes, he found that she was the only one in the room. A silent feeling of loss suddenly filled his whole body, but he was thinking in his heart whether he would stay here tonight. The lingering feeling made Li Qing unable to express it in words.

"Oh no!" Li Qing suddenly remembered what Wu Sangui asked her, but when she saw Zhu Yinglong, she forgot everything. Li Qing was about to consider whether to go to Nanshu again, when this was the sound of a crisp knock on the door.

"Sister Ruying, why are you?" Li Qing opened the door and saw Xu Ruying standing at the door with a smile on her face.

"As soon as Sister Qing returned to the palace, she went straight to the emperor, and she didn't even notify her sister. If a little eunuch in my palace hadn't seen it, she wouldn't have known that you were back!" Xu Ruying pretended to be resentful.

Li Qing heard the outer string sound of Xu Ruying's words, and her face suddenly turned red. She knew that Xu Ruying would not be really angry with her, so she called out like a coquettish: "Sister Ruying."

"Okay, I know you are a girl with a thin skin." Xu Ruying burst out laughing and then said, "Don't you invite your sister in to sit?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qing hurriedly welcomed Xu Ruying into the room, and the two sisters sat down opposite each other.

I have been separated for a long time and I have had a lot to say, but before I speak, I don’t know what to say. Li Qing is thinking about these Wu Sangui’s affairs, so she looks anxious. If she can’t wait for the order, Wu Sangui must return to the Tongzhou military camp immediately. Although she may not be able to help, she always feels a little guilty when she promises others not to do anything.

"My sister Qing, do you have something urgent?" The two sisters have lived together for almost two years and know each other very well. From the expression on Li Qing's face, it can be seen that something is wrong.

In front of Xu Ruying, Li Qing had never concealed anything, so she told her about Wu Sangui asking her for help. She forgot when she went to see Zhu Yinglong just now. As for how she forgot, Li Qing's face was red and she refused to say more.

It turned out to be such a small thing. When she passed by Nan Study just now, she saw Wu Sangui, and seemed to hear the emperor's request to stay in the capital for one more night. So she told the news, which made a stone fall into the ground in Li Qing's heart.

In fact, Wu Sangui was allowed to stay in the capital for one night because of Zhuoba's request. Because Zhuoba wanted to meet Wu Sangui, Zhu Yinglong agreed to his request, so this was not Zhu Yinglong's sudden thought, nor was it from Li Qing's request. As for Wu Sangui counting all his gratitude to Li Qing, this was not something he could know.

Xu Ruying was unwilling to disturb the tired Li Qing's rest, so she asked about some situations and left with her daughter in her arms. Before leaving, she gave a special advice. Tonight, the emperor would take a group of concubines out of the palace to enjoy the lanterns and visit the lantern market. Don't miss it.

Li Qing nodded with a smile and sent Xu Ruying away, ordered someone to fetch hot water, wash away all the dust, use some snacks, and then get into the warm quilt, comfortable and fell asleep with a sweet smile.

Magu, who was sleeping soundly in a daze, suddenly heard a knock on the door. In the past twenty days, his bones were dispersed. Simmons felt so comfortable again. Although Magu opened his eyes, he couldn't bear to get up with a little strength.

When Ma San knocked on the door, he saw that he had knocked on the door for so long, but he had never seen his lady come to open the door. There was no sound in the room. He thought to himself, this was a black shop, and he was anxious and knocked violently.

Magu was awake, but she didn't want to get up. The knocking sound suddenly became quicker. She thought to herself, the person who knocked on the door must have something urgent. At that moment, without dressing up, she hurriedly made a thick coat and got out of bed.

"Who?" Magu asked through the door, knowing that she was not dressed in a well-designed state. It would be fine if she knocked on the door, but if she was a man, she would not let her see what she was now, nor would she let her come in.

Ma San was already in a hurry at the door and was about to decide whether to crash into it and take a look. Suddenly, he heard Ma Gu's voice and immediately said happily: "Miss, I am Ma San. I'm a little bit. I'm almost time to have supper."

"Oh, when is it?" Ma Gu felt relieved when she heard it was Ma San's voice. At this moment, there was a piece of wonton in her mind, which is what the beauty does after she wakes up.

"The hour of You has passed." Ma San replied from outside the door.

"So I've been sleeping for almost two hours, and time passes so quickly." Magu muttered.

"Miss, are you okay?" Ma San said anxiously after hearing that there was no response inside.

"It's okay, Ma San, please let the people below go to have a meal first. I'll get the meal money back later. I'll come out later. I'll order me a few dishes and a pot of wine. For details, you can do it." Ma Gu thought for a while and ordered.

Ma Sande gave the order, responded, left the door, and called his subordinates to go to the large restaurant of the State Guesthouse for dinner.

Magu quickly washed her clothes. She had been wearing them for a long time. Although she was sweating less in winter, there was a faint smell coming. It seemed that she could not be worn anymore. However, she did not change clothes in the bag. When she came out, she brought a set of Han clothing. She followed the customs and could only pass on Han clothes. Anyway, she did not reject this. When she was in Miaojiang, she could only hide in her boudoir to wear them. Miao and Han hatred were very deep, and they would be poked and scolded when wearing them, and no one appreciated them. Now in the capital of Han people, wearing this clothes will naturally not cause any trouble.

Put on the blue double-breasted skirt of a Han woman, and then combed the Han woman's cloud bun. A few scattered hairs were separated into her ears. Without applying makeup, she was already a beautiful woman who was stunning in the city. She had a pink face, bright eyes, white and tender arms, faint body fragrance, and her heart-pounding eyes. Looking at herself in the mirror, Ma Gu felt a little self-pitying.

After packing up everything, Magu put the room key into a sachet, locked the door, and headed to the "dining restaurant" mentioned by the maid named "Qingxiu".

The restaurant is large and there are many people eating, which can accommodate about a thousand people. Magu is no longer surprised. Only the court can have such financial resources for such a large amount of money.

Ma San knew Ma Gu's temper and thought that women like Ma Gu would attract attention wherever they went. The most common thing was that irrelevant people tried to get close to each other. Therefore, Ma San decided to set up a private room for Ma Gu. Despite this, Ma Gu's surprise made the prodigal sons in the restaurant think that they had found their prey and tried every means to find out where Ma Gu and his party came from. Some people retreated in the meantime, while others became more and more courageous, including Dukes and Guardians, which immediately caused a lot of trouble in the capital.

The dishes are very exquisite and delicious. I heard that the chefs in the State Guesthouse are all imperial chefs, and the rice is also very sweet and soft. A special method is Zheng, but the wine is too strong and you can only taste it shallowly. Everything is the best, but it is expensive for the servants. A few side dishes and a bowl of rice cost ten taels of silver. This is enough for ordinary people to live for three months. Ordinary restaurants can also produce a good dish, and even ten people may not eat it. Magu thought, everything is good here, but it is too expensive. It has cost a lot of money to live here, so it is better to come here less after eating.

Little did he know that the reason why Zhu Yinglong asked Tian Shulanhua to renovate this state hotel was, first of all, for the face of the court. After all, this is the place designated by the court to receive foreign envoys and distinguished guests, so he cannot lose face. Secondly, the consumption here is not something that ordinary people can afford. The most popular thing for rich people is to enjoy it. No matter how much money they spend, it doesn’t matter. What you earn is the money of these people, why not do it? You invest a lot and come back after a walk. Things that you haven’t done in Kaifeng have some results in the capital.

After filling her stomach, Magu suddenly remembered that Qingxiu told her that there would be Aoshan Lanterns tonight, and the Han emperor would come to the scene to have fun with the people. Such an opportunity would not be missed. She also wanted to see what the Han emperor looked like, is he three-headed and six-armed, or tall and mighty? So she proposed to visit the Lantern Market, and Ma San and others were cheering and excited. They had already thought so. Tonight was so lively, would they stay in the inn and stay up late and watch others happy? However, there were always people who wanted to keep the guard luggage. Although the State Guesthouse could be stored, they were not relieved and still took care of themselves. The people who stayed were depressed and cried, and the people who went there were very excited. Maybe there was only one chance in their life, so why didn't they cherish it? But the people who stayed also had opportunities, because there would also be Lantern Market tomorrow night, but it might not be as lively as it was tonight.

This time, Magu went to Beijing and included Ma San. He brought a total of eighteen people, leaving four to take care of his luggage and valuables. The fourteen born to him followed Magu out of the National Guesthouse and integrated into the happy crowd.

With the crowded crowds, Magu and Masan slowly walked to the Meridian Gate. At this time, the Meridian Gate was crowded with bright lights. Magu had never seen such a scene in his life. There was a huge lamp in the center of the Meridian Gate Square, and four golden dragons looked up, as if waiting for something. Magu learned from the mouths of the surrounding people that this was a lantern for peace, meaning that the court hoped that the country would be able to be peaceful, and the people would be safe. Moreover, the Aoshan lantern had been burned to death because of the fire in the Yongle period of Dengshan. It has not been held for nearly two hundred years. The new emperor set up the Aoshan lantern this year, with his intentions.

Tonight, Zhu Yinglong first held a banquet in the palace to entertain civil and military officials. He originally didn't want to be so extravagant, but then he thought, is he a little too far away from his subjects? Such an important festival may not require a lot of money to be lively. Sometimes, spending less money may not necessarily make the effect poor. In fact, civil and military officials are not just for the word "eating", or to have a lively atmosphere. If it stops like this, it will be disappointing to the hearts of all officials. The banquet costs a lot of money, but at least it can bring some relationships between the monarch and the ministers closer, which may not be a bad thing. So he agreed and solemnly announced that the Aoshan Lantern was rebuilt at the Meridian Gate to rebuild the Aoshan Lantern to have fun with the people, which immediately won praise from the court and cheers the people.

After the banquet, Zhu Yinglong led the concubines and civil and military officials in the harem to visit the Meridian Gate. In front of him was the Imperial Guard. The red carpet was paved from Huangji Gate to the Meridian Gate. He did not take the dragon chasing, but walked from Huangji Gate to the Meridian Gate.

At this moment, a large piece of space was drawn in the middle of the square outside the Meridian Gate, and the order was maintained by the Da Nei Imperial Guard. The crowd was separated from the crowd for three layers inside and three layers outside. The scarlet carpet was spread all the way to the unlit Four Seas Peace Light. It is said that the lamp would be lit by the emperor himself, and many people came here. First, they wanted to see what the emperor looked like from a close distance, and second, they also wanted to know what the mysterious thing about this Four Seas Peace Light, which had been built for several days, was in the crowded crowd, but she came too late. Even with Ma San's help, she could only barely see it, not very clear.

"The emperor is here!" Who knew who shouted excitedly, and everyone around Magu immediately stretched their necks and looked desperately towards the direction of the Meridian Gate. Magu himself was no exception.

"Look, the emperor came out!" The people in front were so excited that they finally saw the emperor's true face. It was not in vain that they had been waiting here for a day and a night before they were ranked in such a good position.

"Nonsense, can you fly if you don't leave?" The person next to him was extremely excited and retorted.

"The emperor is the true dragon emperor. Dragons can fly, so the emperor can fly naturally!" One person counterattacked disdainfully.

Ordinary people probably won't see the emperor in their entire lives. Today, there is such an opportunity, and everyone is still pushing forward regardless of their own life. Fortunately, the Imperial Guard is strong and Zhou Huaian is afraid that there will be many people and things are prone to accidents. The security work tonight is not airtight. Among the onlookers, there are at least thousands of soldiers who are dressed up as people, and there are also layers of guards of the Imperial Guard. The emperor himself also has soft armor to protect himself, so there should be no problem with safety. Moreover, Zhu Yinglong also feels that he cannot hide in the deep palace for the rest of his life. Wouldn't this be a turtle? Ordinary people cannot accept this humiliation, let alone the king of a country?

Unfortunately, there has not been a generator or a loudspeaker in this time and space. Some things have to rely on your voice.

"Your Majesty Lights!" The voice of a yellow eunuch may not be very loud, but the voices of hundreds of yellow eunuchs roared out and could be spread far away. In an instant, the square in front of the Meridian Gate was silent. Whether it was the people, ministers or the concubines in the harem behind them, they all stared at the emperor's hand with wide eyes.

To be honest, Zhu Yinglong was really uncomfortable with such a big scene, but he must not be frightened at this time. Zhu Yinglong reached out to take the special match, pulled out one, and gently wiped it, a cluster of jumping flames rose from Zhu Yinglong's hand. Xu Yingyuan quickly brought the lamp twister over, ignited it, quietly put it back, and then pressed the mechanism on the lamp.

One, two, three... Slowly, four golden dragons lit up, bursting out a golden light, but the light was not dazzling. The nearest Royal Guard soldier seemed to be covered with a layer of gold, just like half of the golden armored god general in the sky.

Then a huge ball of bright white like a night pearl slowly rose from between the four dragons until it stopped in the air and stopped rising, and the light became more and more intense. The square was shining like daytime, but the time was short and not long-lasting, but this was enough to shock the people.

Hulala, the people were stunned by the amazing scene, thinking that it was the gods from heaven who protected His Majesty the Emperor. The sound of "Long Live" like a tsunami sounded in the square, and Magu was stuck in it and had to kneel down with the people around her, but she did not shout "Long Live".

In fact, it was just a small transmission device. It was controlled by a source lamp, and then under the control of humans, it controlled a certain speed and gradually lit up the lamps in the four golden dragons. The ball was just a hole with a hole on it. I don’t know how the officials of the Ministry of Works made it. The bright white light was like the combustion of metal magnesium. I haven’t gone to the Ministry of Works for a long time. These people seemed to have created a lot of things, and I don’t know that they were fiddling around like this, so I used it first.

Immediately after the eunuch of Sili Xu Yingyuan announced the end of the lamp lighting ceremony, and the people could watch the lanterns freely and enjoy the lanterns.

This lantern of the four seas will burn until tomorrow morning. The main light of the Spring Festival this year has been turned on, and all kinds of strange lights have been lit one after another, especially in the lantern market north of Dong'anmen. Since Zhu Yinglong wants to have fun with the people, he naturally has to go there. Besides, the concubines in the harem have only been out for a long time. It is such a lively lantern market, and there are fun things everywhere. How can they not attract them? It's just that if he appears as an emperor, he will first change into the clothes of civilians, and then go out to visit the lantern market under the protection of the guards of the great inner court. This can not only reflect the fun of the common people, but also not cause any trouble.
Chapter completed!