Chapter 169: Lantern Festival

Chapter 169: Lantern Festival

By six in the afternoon, the guests at the birthday banquet had mostly dispersed. Today was also the Lantern Festival, and each family had their own celebrations.

Qi Yazhi's wife had been talking to Jiu Jiu for a long time at the banquet but had not gotten what she wanted. Jiu Jiu, though young, was so clever and evasive that Qi Yazhi's wife couldn't pin her down.

The children wanted to go out to see the lanterns in the capital. Qiu Huanian instructed the servants to keep a close eye on them and asked Bao Yi and Ye Taohong to take extra care before letting them go.

He and Du Yunse stayed behind to celebrate the Lantern Festival at home.

Qiu Huanian's health had not fully recovered, so he couldn't go out to see the myriad lanterns in the capital, but the lanterns around their own house were enough to create a festive atmosphere.

After feeding the babies, Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian held hands and walked around the courtyard to admire the lanterns.

By the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the weather had warmed up a bit. In just over half a month, the apricot blossoms in the Cun Jin courtyard would bloom, and the signs of spring were emerging from the depths of the soil.

Qiu Huanian buried his face in his hood, his cheeks still warm. Earlier, while feeding the children, he had not only fed the little ones but also given Du Yunse a more intimate birthday gift. His heart was still pounding from the experience.

Du Yunse held Qiu Huanian's hand, keeping others at a distance, as they walked through the brightly lit courtyard and pathways adorned with lanterns.

After today, Du Yunse turned twenty-three. Time flew by mercilessly, even for the young.

Qiu Huanian turned to look at him. Du Yunse had stopped growing taller, standing at nearly six feet three inches, still half a head taller than Qiu Huanian. The young official carried an indescribable air of authority, his demeanor becoming more self-assured, his every movement exuding undeniable grace.

Catching Qiu Huanian's gaze, Du Yunse shot him a questioning look and adjusted his cloak.

Qiu Huanian smiled without explaining and took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Du Yunse's neck, teasingly requesting to be carried on his back.

Du Yunse crouched down and steadily lifted Qiu Huanian onto his back, walking forward under the glow of the lanterns as if strolling through the passage of time.

Qiu Huanian was getting sleepy but wasn’t ready to sleep yet. He chatted aimlessly, rambling about whatever crossed his mind.

"Did Qi Yazhi say anything to you today?"

"No, why do you ask?"

Qiu Huanian briefly recounted what had happened at the banquet. "Qi Yazhi's wife isn't close to us. Her interest in Jiu Jiu was surely Qi Yazhi's doing."

Being secretly targeted left a bad taste in Qiu Huanian's mouth, and he puffed out his cheeks in annoyance.

If Qi Yazhi hadn't been so tactful and had never openly offended Qiu Huanian's family, not inviting him would have sparked rumors. Qiu Huanian had no desire to send him an invitation in the first place.

Qi Yazhi could be described as someone who played all sides, or more bluntly, as an opportunist. He only considered whether something was beneficial and never truly connected with anyone.

For instance, Du Yunse had already cut ties with Li Ruicong, a fellow imperial examination graduate from Liaozhou. In Du Yunse's presence, Qi Yazhi never acknowledged Li Ruicong, but when Du Yunse wasn't around, he stayed on good terms with him.

In contrast, Wang Yinzhi had cut all ties with Li Ruicong after Du Yunse publicly ended their friendship.

Moreover, when Qiu Huanian was pregnant, Du Yunse made it a point to come home early every day to spend time with him. Qi Yazhi, however, often arranged get-togethers with colleagues and invited Du Yunse to join.

Although the venues were respectable, and Qi Yazhi always remained polite when Du Yunse declined, leaving no room for complaint, his actions were clearly a test—a test of whether Du Yunse's feelings for Qiu Huanian had changed. If Du Yunse had attended, there would have been further probing.

Qi Yazhi's moves were sly, but Qiu Huanian wasn’t fooled. After all these incidents, Qiu Huanian had no favorable impression of Qi Yazhi.

Du Yunse adjusted Qiu Huanian on his back. "Brother Hua doesn't like him, so let's not invite him in the future."

Qiu Huanian tightened his arms around Du Yunse's neck. "That's not possible. He entered the Hanlin Academy in the same year as you, is from the same hometown in Liaozhou, and constantly boasts about his close relationship with you. Not inviting him would lead to rumors of you being arrogant and ungrateful."

If Qi Yazhi had openly angered Du Yunse like Li Ruicong, Du Yunse could have cleanly severed the relationship. But Qi Yazhi was too cunning, sticking to Du Yunse like a stubborn piece of adhesive that couldn't be shaken off.

Du Yunse suddenly laughed, his deep and pleasant laughter echoing among the rows of lanterns.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I was thinking, meeting a virtuous husband like Huanian must be the result of good karma accumulated over several lifetimes."

Qiu Huanian, feeling a bit embarrassed, reached out to pinch Du Yunse's cheek, but finding no flesh to grab, he tugged at the taut skin instead.

"Anyway, you need to find a way to investigate this. We can't let him have any designs on Jiu Jiu."

"Alright, leave this matter to me. Brother Hua, rest assured, I guarantee this will be the last time he troubles you."

Du Yunse spoke with a smile, his tone light and casual, gently soothing his little husband, though his gaze ahead had already turned cold.

...

Min Leyi followed his elder brother and sister-in-law back home. Ren Suyin, in her early stages of pregnancy, was too exhausted, so Min Leyi stayed home with his wife to rest.

Knowing Min Leyi's love for exploration, they didn't want him to miss the grand annual Lantern Festival. They asked Hu Fu to accompany Min Leyi out for a stroll, reminding him to return later to have tangyuan (sweet glutinous rice balls) together.

With the unresolved matter of the City God Temple still looming, Min Leyi didn't dare to disguise himself as before. Instead, he opted for a wide-brimmed hat to conceal his face and kept his usual attire.

As they stepped onto the street, Hu Fu noticed Min Leyi's mood wasn't as buoyant as usual. After some thought, he spoke up.

"Brother, let's see something different today. How about we head to Chang'an Avenue, near the imperial palace? I heard this year, the palace not only hosted a banquet for the royal family but also erected a long lantern wall along East and West Chang'an Avenue. It's all crafted by the palace artisans, meant to spread joy among the people!"

The craftsmanship of the imperial craftsmen's workshop was rarely seen outside, and Min Leyi's interest was indeed piqued, lifting his mood slightly.

During the Lantern Festival, the entire capital city turned out to see the lanterns. The streets were teeming with people. Min Leyi opted not to summon the family carriage and instead strolled with Hu Fu toward Chang'an Avenue.

By the time they left Fucai Lane, passed between Dashiyong and Xiaoshiyong Lanes (notable districts in the capital), and reached the vicinity of Chang'an Avenue amidst the endless crowd, nearly an hour had passed.

The sky had turned pitch black, a heavy darkness pressing down, devoid of clouds or stars, with only a bright full moon overhead.

The lanterns lining the road grew increasingly splendid as they walked. Min Leyi's gaze fell upon the legendary lantern wall, towering over a person's height, stretching endlessly, a striking sight in the night.

The wide street, capable of accommodating eight carriages side by side (a testament to its grandeur), was packed with lantern viewers. Luxurious carriages slowly emerged from the palace gates, the palace banquets having already ended.

The noble passengers, swept up in the lantern-viewing festivities, stepped out of their carriages and merged into the surging crowd.

The city's myriad lights, the peace and prosperity of the era, and a serene harmony enveloped the capital.

Min Leyi suddenly felt hungry. His appetite was larger than most, and he had eaten little at the afternoon birthday banquet (a significant celebration in Chinese culture), distracted as he was. After walking for so long, he had digested everything.

Glancing around, Min Leyi avoided the obviously pricey restaurants and food stalls on Chang'an Avenue. Instead, he made his way to a small wonton stall tucked in a corner.

"Old man, please give me two bowls of small wontons, with extra shrimp and seaweed."

The old man selling wontons, seeing Min Leyi's luxurious attire, didn't dare to be negligent and wanted to stand up to bow.

Min Leyi quickly stopped him but forgot about the multiple layers of wide sleeves on his outfit today. As he raised his arm, his sleeve nearly dipped into the wonton soup, but someone swiftly caught it.

"Make it three bowls, my treat."

Hearing this voice, Min Leyi's neck stiffened. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw none other than Wu Shen, the young general he had met several times before but only today learned his true identity.

Seeing Min Leyi avoiding his gaze, Wu Shen clicked his tongue in frustration, clasped his hands, and said, "Young Master Min, let's just say it's all my fault. At least allow me to make amends."

What Du Yunse had said, Wu Shen thought was a bit exaggerated, but after leaving the palace, he caught a glimpse of Min Leyi and couldn't help but approach.

The young master of the Min family is a chivalrous and remarkable person, and I shouldn’t have disrespected and teased him. I should come to apologize. Wu Shen said this to himself in his heart.

Hu Fu looked at the unfamiliar young man in front of him, completely baffled. Who is this person? He seems to know the young master well, but I have never heard of him.

It’s worth noting that while Min Leyi enjoys going out in disguise, he’s usually cautious and doesn’t typically befriend young men.

"Young master, who is this gentleman?"

"He’s the Deputy General of Wu Shen, whom I met just the other day," Min Leyi lied.

"Oh—" No wonder!

Hu Fu thought he’d figured it out. "Our young master is a huge fan of Wu Shen, so he’s thrilled to meet his Deputy General."

"Hu Fu!" Min Leyi snapped immediately.

Wu Shen crossed his arms and tilted his head, amused. "Hu Fu? Who came up with this name?"

"It was our young master."

Wu Shen smiled. "Not bad. Good name."

Min Leyi felt like he wanted to sink into the ground if this kept up, so he quickly sent Hu Fu away. "Hu Fu, we just passed by a place selling chestnut cakes, and I suddenly want to eat some. Go buy a pack and come back."

Hu Fu’s best quality was his obedience to Min Leyi. Though confused, he obediently went to buy the chestnut cakes, glancing back every few steps.

Now only the two of them were left in front of the wonton stall. The old man selling wontons prepared the thumb-sized wontons, served them each a bowl in bamboo bowls, and gave them new spoons. The two stood there, quietly eating their wontons.

The portion of the small wontons was not large. Wu Shen wolfed down his wontons, finishing the soup in just a few bites, and returned the bowl and spoon, so the old man could wash and reuse them later.

Min Leyi pushed up the veil of his hat and buried his face in the bamboo bowl, eating the street stall with a sense of self-abandonment, completely throwing dignity to the wind in front of his idol.

At this point, he’d already lost all dignity, so this was no big deal.

Wu Shen kept watching him with his arms crossed. The bustling crowd and flickering lantern lights cast shifting patterns of light on Min Leyi. If one ignored the small wontons in his hand, it looked like a perfect scene of a beauty enjoying the Lantern Festival.

However, Wu Shen felt that having that bowl of wontons was not a problem. It made the scene more vivid and unique, not a monotonous beauty scene, and one could tell at a glance that it was Min Leyi.

"Actually, that day—"

Wu Shen’s words were not finished, as he heard a mixed set of footsteps behind him. The owner of the footsteps clearly also knew Min Leyi.

"Is that Young Master Min ahead?"

"It’s late, and Young Master Min is without his servants, privately meeting with a man outside. Is this the fine family education Headmaster Min boasts about?"