Chapter 128: Shangyuan Lantern Festival (Part 1)

Qi Yang said that she wanted to see Lu Qipei's women's clothing more than once, but this was the first time she gave such a clear response. Because in the past, Lu Qipei always saw a string in his heart even when he looked at it lightly.
But now that Xie Yuan is dead, the biggest threat on the two of them is gone, and Lu Qipei seems to relax.
Qi Yang was a little surprised because of this unexpected response. He didn't even want to go to any lantern festival. In her words, "The Shangyuan lantern festival is held every year. How can it be important to watch Ngapoi's dressing?"
Lu Qipei heard it but thought it was funny. He stretched out his hand and scratched her cheek: "Your Highness's words are not good. The Shangyuan Lantern Festival only happens once a year. In the future, you want to see me wearing women's clothing, but you still have a lifetime. You can see it, where is it necessary to be so worried?"
In fact, there is no need for the two of them to persuade each other, just when the two were flirting, the closed door was pushed open by a gap, and a small black head came in. Lu Sheng looked around and saw no abnormalities, and happily opened the door and ran in, carrying the rabbit lamp made by Lu Qipei in his hand: "His Royal Highness, Uncle, it's getting dark, let's go out."
God knows how long the little guy has been looking forward to the Lantern Festival, and today it’s getting dark since getting up. As the sky finally started to darken, she came to look for someone with a light, eagerly looking forward to the two of them.
Lu Qipei couldn't help laughing when he saw it, then blinked at Qi Yang and silently expressed: Look, A Sheng is here to find someone. If you dare not say it, the child can cry for you in minutes, believe it or not?
Qi Yang perfectly received Lu Qipei's eyes, and was a little discouraged. In the end, he could only mention his peach lantern and said helplessly: "Let's go, let's go out now." Going early is also good for returning early.
Lu Sheng was completely unaware of what he had damaged, and he couldn't help himself when he heard that, holding the lamp in one hand and grabbing Lu Qipei's robe and feet with the other before leaving. Finally, I was stopped, waiting for the two to change their clothes when they were going out, and then they were able to go out.
Shangyuan Lantern Festival is used to many people, and Qi Yang and Lu Qipei also deliberately bring more attendants.
A family of three did not take a car, and rarely walked out. And the people who can live next to the princess mansion, in addition to the royal family, are the noble officials, so as soon as the three of them go out, they can see the delicate lanterns hanging outside the doors of every house. Some are carefully made by the supervisor, and some are specially purchased by the dignitaries. They are all extraordinary products. On the contrary, the peach lantern outside the princess's mansion, which has not changed year after year, seemed too ordinary.
Before Lu Sheng got out of this street, he was fascinated by the lanterns of various houses. Qi Yang looked at the child with surprise and asked her: "A Sheng, are these lanterns beautiful?"
The little dumpling nodded honestly: "Good-looking, all beautiful."
Qi Yang turned his eyes and teased her deliberately: "Then A Sheng will trade the rabbit lamp, okay?"
Unexpectedly, Lu Sheng immediately became vigilant, holding her lantern and shook his head hurriedly: "If you don't change it, don't change it, A Sheng won't change it!"
Qi Yang was amused by her nervous look on the food, and every now and then she ridiculed her, and the children would take it seriously. Most of the childish language made people laugh, so the group continued to move forward with laughter.
In fact, although the lanterns hanging on this street are very exquisite, the real liveliness of the lantern festival is far from here. When the three of them came out of this street where the powers and dignitaries gathered, and when they turned to the main road of Long Street, they saw that the outside world was completely new.
In fact, it was early when Lu Sheng was making a noise to go out, and the sky outside had just darkened. But it is so, the lights everywhere have been lit, except for the ones hanging under the eaves on both sides of the street, horizontal lines have also been drawn above the street, hanging the simplest styles of lanterns-lotus lanterns, walnut lanterns, and snowflake lanterns. The whole street was brightly lit by the spread out.
There is no entertainment for the ordinary people in the evening. The son of a wealthy family can still go to Huajieliu Alley. Ordinary people even take a rest at night in order to save some lamp oil. Coupled with the curfew in the city, there are very few opportunities to have fun at night.
The Shangyuan Lantern Festival is this rare opportunity. Starting from the thirteenth of the first lunar month, the city has lifted the curfew, and it has been a carnival for three consecutive days. However, only on the day of the Yuan Dynasty, the government will fund all the lanterns on the main street to reflect the whole street as bright as day. Later, the emperor will go upstairs to watch the lanterns, pray for the people and enjoy the people, and push the atmosphere of the Shangyuan Lantern Festival to the climax.
This kind of excitement will last all night, and when the night of Shangyuan passes, the lights will go out at dawn, and these lanterns will also usher in their ending. After the lamps were burned, the Shangyuan Lantern Festival was completely over.
Only that is the end, but it is still the beginning.
The street market in Shangyuanye is really lively, and the later it is, the more people flow on the street. As the three of Lu Qipei walked deep into the market, the attendants who originally followed the three of them also stepped forward, guarding them tightly to separate them from the crowds around them.
Qi Yang and Lu Qipei didn't feel disappointed either. They strolled down the street, surrounded by a constant stream of people, and occasionally children ran past their feet laughing and laughing. There are vendors on both sides of the street, most of them selling lanterns, and occasionally other things, such as sachets, masks, and other odds and ends.
The lanterns on the small vendors are not worth seeing, most of them are made by the stall owners themselves, some of them are exquisite, some of them barely impressive. Not to mention that compared with the craftsmanship of the craftsmen who will be the supervisor, even the two lamps made by Lu Qipei's hands are more than better.
Qi Yang's gaze was attracted by the mask on the small stall. She leaned closer, and the hawker knew that the nobleman had arrived when she saw her imposingly dressed up, and she was busy greeting her. However, Qi Yang ignored him, swept his eyes and picked up a mask—the mask with a human face didn't know which it was. The dark face and the eyes widened in anger made him look quite frightening.
I don't know why Qi Yang chose this. He picked it up and looked at it with satisfaction. He turned and put it on Lu Qipei's face.
Ruyu's face was immediately replaced by a hideous mask. Lu Sheng, who was nestled in Lu Qipei's arms, looked up and was taken aback by the appearance of the mask. He held his mouth and almost cried, feeling wronged.
Lu Qipei hurriedly coaxed the child with a few words, and feared that she would continue to frighten her, so he reached out to take off the mask.
Unexpectedly, when he raised his hand, it was held by Qi Yang: "Wear it, don't take it off."
Lu Qipei stopped his movements obediently, but wondered: "Why? This mask is not good-looking, it scared A Sheng."
Qi Yang's eyes flickered when she heard the words, but said: "Where is it not good? The masks I chose are all good-looking! A Sheng just hasn't seen it before, so I'll get used to it." After she finished, she asked Lu Sheng, "Ah. Sheng, are you right?"
What can good boy Lu Sheng do? Of course she could only nod her head, she couldn't be more complacent.
Lu Qipei was slightly startled by her behavior, and he inadvertently caught Qi Yang's twinkling eyes, as if he understood something. She pressed her lips to hold back her smile, just to hide the smile in her eyes with the mask, and said: "Is that so? Then I should choose one with Aning."
Qi Yang didn't refuse, watching Lu Qipei choose a white mask painted with female gods and put it on with her personally. The two looked at each other and both felt satisfied. At this time, Lu Sheng tugged at Lu Qipei's sleeves and whispered, "A Sheng too!"
The hawker was very winked, and he immediately said, "Master, madam, there are smaller masks here for the smaller ones."
When the two heard the words, they saw that the vendor took out a stack of masks from under the stall. Only this time, it was not a god, but a small animal, like tigers, foxes, rabbits, etc., just work can only be regarded as ordinary.
Lu Sheng wasn't picky, he caught the rabbit mask at a glance, looking eagerly.
Qi Yang bought it naturally, put on the mask that was too big for Lu Sheng, and murmured: "A Sheng is really, after raising a rabbit, I wish I could become a rabbit too."
Lu Sheng didn't care about this complaint, holding the small mask on his face in both hands, even the rabbit lamp was handed over to Lu Qipei.
After the three put on the masks, they continued to wander in the street. This time, it’s fine. There are masks blocking everyone’s sight, and the gaze falling on their family is finally not so much—yes, Qi Yang is interested in masks because of his special attention. I chose the ugliest one for Lu Qipei, because she was born so well, before the eyes of girls always fell on her!
This is inevitable. The excitement of the Shangyuan Lantern Festival is extraordinary, especially for young men and women. There are more people, so there are more eyes of all colors. Girls who don't dare to look directly at men on weekdays dare to look around boldly.
It doesn't matter to let people see, but the princess is stingy, not far from her husband being looked at by others.
Lu Qipei could see it, so he put on a mask in good faith. But at the same time, she was equally sensitive to the eyes of others falling on Qi Yang, so she also took the opportunity to ask Qi Yang to wear a mask—only Lu Sheng didn’t know anything, and the children got together for a little time. So bored by the mask, he took it off reluctantly.
Right now the two are satisfied with each other, tacitly hiding their thoughts, so this street can continue to go shopping.
The group walked along the main road of Suzaku Avenue and gradually reached the center of the city. From a distance, several tall lighthouses could be seen. Starting from the most common square lanterns at the bottom, then to the lotus lanterns, goldfish lanterns, and hydrangea lanterns in the middle, to a few glazed palace lanterns at the highest point, the exquisiteness is no less than the craftsmanship of the masters.
However, compared to the glazed palace lanterns at the top, the lighthouse with a height of three persons is the most eye-catching at first glance. Lu Sheng was the first to be attracted, and he couldn't help exclaiming when he looked at the tall lighthouse.
There are also many people under the lighthouse, and there are vaudeville troupes performing arts, making the surroundings full of gongs and drums.
Lu Qipei and Qi Yang didn't care about the lighthouses, but they obviously had to go there to join in the fun. Fortunately, they had attendants to clear the way, and it was easy to walk all the way until they reached the lighthouse and were stopped by a family member, and asked them with a smile if they wanted to guess lantern riddles?
Of course, these lighthouses have their owners. They were not funded by the imperial court, but they were caused by a group of wealthy businessmen in Beijing on the Spring Festival. Just from the preparation of the palace lantern on the top, to the lantern riddles on each floor, there are also comparisons everywhere. If someone can pass the test, guess from the riddle on the bottom floor to win the palace lantern at the top, it is a spectacular event.
Of course, the owner of the lighthouse is not afraid of being guessed and winning the palace lantern, because they have prepared more than one lantern every time.
Of course, if all the palace lanterns are won before the end of the Shangyuan Lantern Festival, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Right now Lu Qipei and the others were blocked by Jia Ding, and no matter why they were attracted by their invitation, she only looked at the tall lighthouse, then turned to ask Qi Yang, "Does Aning want to play?"
Qi Yang held her arm in one hand and pointed at the palace lantern at the top of the lighthouse, proudly saying: "If you want to play, then I want the best!"
Lu Qipei smiled, and came from behind the mask with a petting voice: "I am dependent on you."
Jia Ding did not feel offended, and smiled and led the group down to the lighthouse.