Chapter 128.2 – Shangyuan Lantern Festival (First Part)
The street market during Lantern Festival was indeed bustling, and more people came as time passed further into the night. When Lu Qipei’s group of three walked into the depths of the market, all the attendants who originally followed behind them stepped forward, guarding them closely and separating them from the surrounding crowd.
Qi Yang and Lu Qipei didn’t feel like it was spoiling the fun either. They strolled along the street surrounded by a constant stream of people, and occasionally children would run past them while laughing. There were vendors on both sides of the street, mostly selling lanterns. Sometimes, they also sold other items, such as incense pouches, masks, and other small miscellaneous things.
The lanterns sold by the street vendors were nothing amazing, mostly made by the vendors themselves. Some were still a bit exquisite, while others were really not impressive. Not even mentioning the ones crafted by the Ministry of Engineering’s craftsmen, even the two lanterns Lu Qipei personally made were more than one level better than them.
Qi Yang’s gaze was attracted by the mask on the stall and leaned closer. As soon as the vendor saw her imposing attire, he knew that a noble had arrived and greeted her eagerly. But Qi Yang ignored him, and picked up a mask after a quick glance – it was a human-faced mask, and it wasn’t clear which deity it was modeled after. It had a dark face and angry eyes, and looked quite scary.
Who knew why Qi Yang chose this one. She picked it up and looked at it in satisfaction, then turned around and put it on Lu Qipei’s face.
Her jade-like face was immediately replaced by a ferocious mask. Lu Sheng who was nestled in Lu Qipei’s arms looked up and was startled by the mask’s appearance. She held her mouth and almost cried, feeling very aggrieved.
Lu Qipei quickly coaxed the child with a few words, but she was afraid that she would continue scaring her, and reached out to take off the mask.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she raised her hand, Qi Yang held it down and said, “Wear it, don’t take it off.”
Lu Qipei obediently stopped her movements, but she didn’t understand, “Why? This mask doesn’t look good, it’s scaring Ah Sheng.”
Qi Yang’s eyes flickered upon hearing this, but she said, “What doesn’t look good? The masks that I choose all look good! Ah Sheng just hasn’t seen them before, and she will get used to them after looking at it more.” After she said that, she also asked Lu Sheng, “Isn’t that right, Ah Sheng?”
What could the good girl Lu Sheng do? Of course she could only nod and be the most compromising.
Lu Qipei was slightly stunned by her actions. She somehow caught a glimpse of Qi Yang’s flickering eyes, and looked as if she understood something. She pursed her lips to hold back her smile, and used the mask to cover the smile in her eyes, saying, “Is that so? Then I’ll also choose one for Ah Ning.”
Qi Yang did not refuse, as watched as Lu Qipei chose a white mask representing a female deity and personally put it on her face. Both of them looked at each other and felt satisfied. At this moment, Lu Sheng tugged at Lu Qipei’s sleeve and whispered, “Ah Sheng wants one too!”
The vendor really knew how to read the situation and immediately said, “Young Master, Milady, I have smaller masks for children here.”
The two heard the vendor’s words and turned their head to see him take out another stack of masks from under the stall. But this time they were not of gods, but of small animals like tigers, foxes, rabbits, etc., all of which could only be considered to have regular workmanship.
Lu Sheng was not picky, and immediately fell in love with the rabbit mask after just one glance, her eyes eagerly looking forward to it.
Qi Yang naturally bought it and helped Lu Sheng put on the mask that was a bit too big for her, saying, “Really, Ah Sheng. After raising a rabbit, now you also want to become one.”
Lu Sheng didn’t care about this tease. She held the small mask on her face with both hands happily, and even handed the rabbit lantern for Lu Qipei to carry.
After putting on their masks, the three of them continued wandering the street. This time, with the masks blocking everyone’s gaze, there were no longer as many eyes on their family – yes, the reason Qi Yang was so interested in the mask and chose the ugliest one for Lu Qipei was because the latter was too pretty, and the girls kept staring on her!
This was inevitable. There was extraordinary excitement on the Shangyuan Lantern Festival, and the young men and women would not miss them. With more people, there would also be more gazes of all kinds. The ladies that usually did not dare look at men directly also got more courage to look around boldly.
Letting people look was nothing, but Her Royal Highness The Princess was stingy, and didn’t like her Prince Consort being looked at by others.
Lu Qipei understood it, so she obediently put on the mask. But at the same time, she was equally sensitive towards the other’s gaze on Qi Yang, so she also used the opportunity to ask Qi Yang to wear a mask as well – only Lu Sheng didn’t know anything, and was just joining in on the fun. Soon, she was bored with the mask and reluctantly took it off.
Right now, the two of them were satisfied and secretly hid those little ideas, so they could continue strolling the street.
They walked along the Vermillion Bird street, and gradually reached the center of the city, where they could see several tall lantern towers in the distance. Starting from the most common square and round lanterns at the bottom, to lotus lanterns, goldfish lanterns and hydrangea lanterns on the middle, and finally the glazed palace lanterns at the top, the exquisiteness didn’t lose to even the Ministry of Engineering’s craftsmen.
But compared to the glazed palace lanterns at the top, the lantern towers that were as tall as three adults were more eye-catching at first glance. Lu Sheng was the first to be drawn, and couldn’t help exclaiming in surprise when she saw them.
There were a lot of people under the lantern towers, and there were troupes performing dances, songs and other attractions, making the surroundings turn lively with the sounds of their gongs and drums.
Lu Qipei and Qi Yang didn’t care about those lantern towers, but they obviously had to go through there to join the excitement. Fortunately, they had attendants to clear the way, and they could walk easily all the way until they were stopped by a servant under the lantern tower. He smiled and asked if they wanted to try and guess at the lantern riddles?
Of course, these lantern towers were owned by someone. They were not funded by the court, but were the joint effort of several of the capital’s wealthy merchants for the Lantern Festival. But from the preparation of the palace lanterns on the top to the lantern riddles on each floor, there were comparisons between the families everywhere. If someone could pass the gauntlet and answer the lantern riddles from the lowest floor up to winning the palace lantern at the top, it would be a very eye-catching event.
Of course, the lantern tower’s owners weren’t afraid that someone would be able to guess it and win the palace lantern, because they always prepared more than one palace lantern of the same size. The popularity they receive during the process is the most important thing.
Of course, if all the palace lanterns were won before the Lantern Festival ended, they would lose face.
Right now, Lu Qipei and her family were invited by their servant, and regardless of why they chose to invite them, Lu Qipei only looked at the tall lantern tower, then turned to ask Qi Yang, “Ah Ning, do you want to play?”
Qi Yang took her arm in one hand and pointed at the palace lantern at the top of the lantern tower and arrogantly said, “If you’re going to play, then I want the best one!”
Lu Qipei smiled and a doting voice came from behind the mask, saying, “As you wish then.”
The servant didn’t feel offended, and he smiled and led the group to the lantern tower.
Author notes:
Qi Yang (sourly): Put on the mask, This Princess’s man cannot be looked at by others!
Lu Qipei (empathetically): Come, Your Highness, this mask suits you very well.
Lu Sheng (in blind excitement): I want one too, I want one too!!!
Qi Yang (hatefully): Go away, you little third wheel. You really like to join in on the excitement!
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