Chapter 59

These past few days, everyone understands, some gatherings can't be avoided, so there's no way to write updates. Today, I'll just have this chapter, describing the bustling scene of the Lantern Festival in the Ming Dynasty, specially dedicated to everyone! And while I'm at it, I'll ask for the first time for your favorites and recommendations.

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On the night of the Lantern Festival, the capital city was lit up with countless households, and by the second watch, thousands of doors were illuminated, celebrating the festival. The jade clepsydra and copper pot should not hurry, as the star bridge and fire trees shine brightly throughout the night. The sound of flutes and drums competed for the moon and stars, and the silver moths vied for the colorful lights, laughing and forgetting to return.

That night, countless families from the surrounding areas flocked into the city, the dense crowd of commoners and ladies dressed in bright and colorful attire, playing with fireworks and lanterns. Even the noble ladies who usually never left their homes came out to admire the lantern market.

At that moment, Xu Hao was also walking on the bustling street, protecting his family. Everywhere he looked, there were lanterns of all shapes and sizes, with intricate designs on tall stands, making the entire city as bright as daylight. Every dozen or so steps, there were performances of singing, storytelling, and various acrobatics, which captivated the audience. On both sides, vendors loudly hawked their wares, with a dazzling array of snacks, some emitting fragrant aromas, others with unique and interesting shapes. Lanterns hung with riddles were placed on elegant stages, surrounded by eager visitors.

Xu Hao's daughters couldn't resist buying this and that, tasting and playing with them. Xu Hao couldn't help but eat a bowl of sweet glutinous rice balls, and in his hand was a plum blossom lantern bought by Hongye. Hongye's cheeks were adorned with several exquisite flower stickers, her forehead marked with a bright red cinnabar, and her hair was decorated with several dazzling gold and silver hairpins. Her hair was also adorned with cut spring moths and other trinkets that Xu Hao didn't recognize, making the originally adorable little girl look somewhat out of place, but her appearance was endearing.

The snow was piled high, the fire was bright, the lanterns were lit, and people were watching each other, making Xu Hao's mood immediately uplift. Compared to the imported Christmas of the future, this was a uniquely Chinese festive scene, with an extremely rich atmosphere that made Xu Hao feel deeply moved.

The Lantern Festival has an unflattering nickname called the "Wind and Charm Disaster." Noble ladies who rarely went out on the streets would exceptionally come out to view the lanterns and cross the bridges, inevitably attracting countless young men. Adding to this were the palace ladies from the teaching workshops and the famous courtesans from the Qinhuai River, who every year gave rise to many romantic stories.

Given this, Xu Hao had to be on high alert, watching all directions, for fear that his sisters would be taken advantage of by some scoundrel.

However, the crowd was too dense and chaotic. Fortunately, the girls were in the inner circle, so they were safe. As for the outer circle of maids and women, they could only rely on their own luck. Along the way, Xu Hao enjoyed the beauty of the young women, occasionally bumping into them, some frowning in anger, some blushing in silence, some smiling, and it was unclear who was taking advantage of whom!

From time to time, they would see interesting camel lanterns, white ape lanterns, and multi-legged crab lanterns, which made the girls stop to admire. Next, they would encounter golden lotus lanterns, spinning embroidered ball lanterns, hanging tasselled lotus lanterns, Liu Hai lanterns sitting on the back of a golden toad, and beautifully crafted lanterns of beauties and flowers, as well as the tumultuous Nezha lanterns, which made the maids clap their hands in delight.

Walking and stopping, the old women constantly reminded the girls to be careful. Just then, a drum and gong team came in to celebrate, followed by a parade of people rowing dry boats, almost splitting the Xu family into two.

Everywhere was crowded, and it was difficult to take a step forward. Xu Hao was somewhat anxious. Even if he had three heads and six arms, he couldn't take care of everyone.

It was too easy to get lost. Xu Hao, sweating, quickly looked at the sides of the road and saw the balconies of the small buildings filled with princes and nobles vying to see the beauties. Below, the girls were walking in rhythm, singing and dancing.

Seeing the carefree girls singing and dancing, following the magical melody, stepping lightly, and occasionally spinning gracefully, their faces radiating youth, Xu Hao was momentarily enchanted, as if he had traveled back to the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

He thought about renting a high-rise building to let his sisters hide inside and watch the festivities from the balcony, which would undoubtedly be the safest. But since they rarely went out, Xu Hao thought better of it.

In fact, he was being too cautious. Although there were a few incidents of unscrupulous people taking advantage of the chaos to kidnap children, during this time of universal celebration, most people had only good intentions and no evil ones.

Walking with such trepidation for an hour, if it weren't for the diligent guards, several people might have been lost due to the dense crowds. Xu Hao was so anxious that his voice was hoarse, and he immediately pointed at and scolded anyone who bumped into them.

Finally, when they entered the central area of the capital, near the imperial palace, where no one dared to act rashly, Xu Hao finally relaxed and began to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

The hazy moonlight and the snow on the ground complemented each other, with the brilliant lights flickering and the grand palaces towering. Women walked in groups, often in threes or fives, and even when they passed by men, it was considered a way to ward off misfortune.

At this moment, the night was like a painting. Whenever they passed a stone arch bridge, the women would deliberately walk across it, while the men would naturally avoid it. On the bridge, maids and servants held incense and lanterns, followed by the ladies and young girls, and then the old women, all dressed in light green or beige silk robes, simple and elegant, with a unique charm.

Xu Hao would wait at the bridgehead, smiling. Under the moonlight, whether they were noble ladies or poor women, everyone was equal at this moment, and no one avoided each other.

The fragrance of their sleeves and the graceful figures of the young girls were particularly eye-catching. The girls' skirts swayed gently, and they laughed softly, some skipping, some deep in thought, some looking up at the moon, and some looking down at the water. The beauty of the scene was indescribable unless one was there to experience it. That night, all the bridges in the capital were crowded with people, and it was the same everywhere.

Xu Hao's mood became peaceful. The small misunderstanding between him and Mu Ningsnow that day was slowly resolved by the harmonious scene before him. Putting himself in her shoes, he realized that the responsibility was on him, and he couldn't blame her for being upset at the time.

From the first meeting, Xu Hao was indeed attracted to her, but more for the sake of benefit, pursuing her more out of a desire for the benefits of being close to the Prince of Yan, Zhu Di, rather than genuine admiration.

"What right does a person with a dirty heart have to match with someone as pure as ice and jade?" Xu Hao, influenced by the scene, felt his heart become pure, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

If he could meet Mu Ningsnow tonight, it would mean they had a connection, and he would pursue her wholeheartedly from then on. If not, he would let it be. Xu Hao's eyes searched everywhere, hoping to find that captivating figure.

Unfortunately, after an hour, no romantic encounter occurred. The Xu family finally arrived at the Jinshui Bridge, where hundreds of guards stood watch. The maids held incense and passed it to their young mistresses, who, with solemn expressions, murmured their prayers on the white marble steps.

Xu Hao smiled and asked the little maid Lüzhu, "What are you praying for?" The little girl quickly glanced at her mother, Liu Shi, and obediently said, "I'm praying for my mother's health, my grandmother's longevity, and the well-being and happiness of the whole family."

Liu Shi, seeing this, teased, "Nonsense, you must be praying for your future husband! And you girls, you must all be praying for a good match. Once a daughter is married, she's like water spilled out, and we can't expect much more."

Lüzhu's face turned red, and she shyly lowered her head. The other girls were similar, and the maids giggled, clearly hit by Liu Shi's words.

Wang Shi laughed, "You have filial piety, but not necessarily tonight. It's a good time, and you only get one chance a year to seek good luck. Let's go touch the nails, everyone, and don't miss it."

Suddenly, a young nobleman nearby said, "Good and bad fortune depend on people, not on heaven." This ruined the mood of the women who were praying, and they all shot him a glare, which was like a knife, scaring the young nobleman. Realizing he had unintentionally offended everyone, he quickly shut up.

The Xu family slowly walked toward the palace gate with the crowd. When they got closer, some lowered their heads, some closed their eyes, and they reached out to touch the shiny copper nails on the palace gate, a good omen if they touched one on the first try.

Xu Hao couldn't help but smile at this scene, the various cute reactions and innocent expressions of the girls, which were indescribable and could only be felt.

On the way back, the crowd was still dense, and Xu Hao's legs felt heavy, making it difficult to move. He was puzzled why, despite being physically stronger than the girls, they were all still energetic and lively, which was truly incredible.

Xu Hao didn't want to relax his vigilance on this last stretch of the journey, so he continuously scolded the servants who were struggling to keep up, urging them to stay alert.

In the dead of night, he always felt that something might happen, like a stampede or a fire, or some scoundrels trying to harass the girls, or at least finding a lost "noble person."

Xu Hao walked while secretly being on guard, planning to immediately command his family to help the people if anything happened, like a hero saving a beauty. But nothing happened, and they returned to the Wang family's residence without incident.

"Those scoundrels are probably enjoying themselves on the Qinhuai River right now."

Xu Hao, who couldn't predict the future, really wanted to take people to the river, make a hole in the boats, and let those bastards fall into the river. He would wait on the boat to play with them, take a deep breath, and then rescue one for 500 taels of silver. But if one or two people drowned, it wouldn't be good.

Some of the Wang family's young men invited him to go out and enjoy the night, but Xu Hao, with his sore legs, politely declined. After bathing and changing clothes in the guest room, he quickly fell asleep.

Outside, it was still a bright and sleepless night.