Chapter 198: The Lantern Festival

Chapter 198: The Lantern Festival

Luckily, Le Wuya's gloomy mood didn't last long.

The Lantern Festival was tonight.

Many new shops had opened along the streets, all itching to make a big impression. Le Wuya didn't have to go door-to-door to rally them—each establishment spontaneously lit up colorful lanterns and erected performance stages.

With these small lanterns as embellishment, they still needed big showstopper lanterns to anchor the scene.

Le Wuya had already assigned the job, requiring each county to present a big fancy lantern.

This was Le Wuya's first New Year since taking office.

...Except for flat-out firing the Yunliang County magistrate and replacing him with one of his own men, he'd been real polite to all the other magistrates.

So polite it had the magistrates feeling real uneasy.

Presenting lanterns was the perfect opportunity for each county to "show their gratitude."

The lanterns from the other counties had arrived two or three days early and had already been set up and decorated.

Only Yunliang County's still hadn't shown up.

Though the sky was still bright, Tongzhou City was already buzzing with a festive vibe.

Villagers from nearby settlements streamed into the city with their carts, hoping to cash in on the grand event by selling candied melons and tea, hoping to make a few coins.

As Qi Wuhu rode his scrawny horse in with the crowd and arrived before the government office, Le Wuya was giving He Qingsong his orders: "Take some men to inspect the fire brigade—check if any of the water engines are broken, assemble the ladders and have them ready to go; all thirty-two water vats in the city must be filled to the top; the watchtowers will run three shifts around the clock—if anyone dares to leave their post at any hour, I'll skin 'em alive."

He Qingsong pounded his chest loudly: "Don't you worry, sir! If anything goes wrong, I'll hand you my head!"

Le Wuya reached out and smacked him upside his big head: "What would I want your head for? You think I'm running low on chamber pots? If some lunatic, out of spite or competition, goes and burns down their lantern, will you still be handing me your head?"

He Qingsong realized he had spoken too boldly, let out an embarrassed laugh, then immediately straightened up: "Sir, I'll say it again—Old He has eaten so much of your rice, I will never let you down!"

Le Wuya waved his hand, and He Qingsong strode off, bumping straight into Qi Wuhu in the courtyard.

Hearing He Qingsong greet Qi Wuhu, Le Wuya rushed out to greet him, all warm and friendly: "Brother Yingchen, you're late! Took your sweet time!"

Qi Wuhu had just heard him speaking real rough and thuggish—utterly uncouth—yet now, seeing him, he was all courtesy and smiles.

After briefly marveling at his remarkable talent for saying one thing to one person and another to the next, he cupped his hands in greeting: "Sorry I'm late, sir."

Le Wuya: "Good food's worth the wait!"

Qi Wuhu's temperament had been like a stubborn stone in a latrine since childhood—hard and unyielding. Now that he was older, he had never learned to bow or speak pretty words, so he said plainly: "Sir, I have no good food to offer. I just don't have the cash to produce a proper lantern."

"Where's the money?"

"Spent on good seeds, farm tools, and fertilizer. The newly purchased land has been fully surveyed and all joined together into one big plot. As you instructed, I called together the former tenant farmers and told them we'd follow the Tang Dynasty's equal-field system—dividing the whole stretch of land by headcount, sharing tools, seeds, and fertilizer. As long as they pay their taxes in full, everything left over is theirs—the government won't take it or butt in. They couldn't believe it at first. I told them this was just a trial on their land, and anyone unwilling could walk away scot-free."

"Did anyone leave?"

"No." Qi Wuhu pulled a written agreement from his sleeve. "They signed and pressed their fingerprints."

When it came to agriculture, Qi Wuhu's hard eyes gained an extra sparkle, making him look sharp and capable.

He sighed, truly impressed: "I've spent half my life with my face to the soil and back to the sky, farming the land—but I've never had such a rich harvest."

Back in the day, what kind of life did Qi Wuhu live in Jinyuan County?

The land was barren, its fertility washed away again and again by floods. He racked his brains to make and apply fertilizer, scrimping and saving to build irrigation works and reservoirs for flood control.

When he arrived in the south and saw such beautiful, fertile soil and water, he had shed tears more than once while checking the soil.

What wonderful soil, what wonderful water—enough for growing crops all year round!

Le Wuya, totally missing the old man's excitement, interrupted: "So what about my lantern?"

Qi Wuhu shot him a glare and pointed outside the door: "I brought along some new farm tools and a few big red lanterns with the character 'abundance' written on them. I'll arrange them in a circle around the tools, to mean 'bountiful harvest from the earth'—will that do?"

Le Wuya grinned: "Brother Yingchen truly knows how to make do."

Qi Wuhu huffed, his beard bristling: "Take it or leave it—that's what you're getting!"

Le Wuya hopped over to his side in two or three steps: "Brother Yingchen, nothing else matters—my garrison soldiers' rations all depend on your Yunliang County."

Qi Wuhu nodded solemnly: "Mm."

Le Wuya: "Can you raise pigs?"

"Set aside a plot of land—there are tenant farmers dedicated to raising pigs and cattle."

Le Wuya pressed his luck: "I want to eat that little black pig."

"Too expensive! Not worth it! Not raising it!"

After dancing on the edge of Qi Wuhu's patience for a while, Le Wuya went off to attend to other matters, working until the sun sank in the west.

Pinpricks of lamplight began to flicker on one by one, spreading endlessly through the streets like a river of stars flowing down from the horizon.

Drums, gongs, and cymbals beat in rhythmic harmony, laughter and joy filling every household—a scene of bustling festivity.

The locals favored yuanxiao made with osmanthus syrup, and one could smell the rich, fragrant aroma wafting from a hundred feet outside the city.

Lanterns encircled the market, echoing the bamboo horses, fish and crabs, insects and birds, flowers and grasses carried by children and young men and women alike—a dazzling interplay of light and shadow, candlelight illuminating the sky.

Unexpectedly, among the lanterns presented by the twelve counties, the crudely made offering from Jinyuan County proved the most popular.

After all, food is the people's heaven.

Many people crowded around the uniquely shaped farm tools, peppering the lantern keeper with questions about why one beam was added here and one groove there.

The lantern keeper was a clerk from the government's revenue department who had been working with Qi Wuhu for months. A craftsman by trade specializing in farm tools, he answered every question without holding anything back.

This was exactly what Qi Wuhu had instructed:

The prosperity of agriculture is never the prosperity of a single region.

Among the lanterns displayed by the town's many merchants, Qi Hongzhuang's was the largest and most lively.

She had organized a lantern parade—participants holding all manner of colorful lanterns, some on stilts, some dressed as opera deities, some balancing lantern bowls on their heads—dancing and singing as they made their way along, handing out hair ornaments shaped like lanterns, the size of dates and chestnuts, to passersby who joined in, inviting the common folk to dance and celebrate together.

Each lantern ornament bore a number. Whoever wore one and followed the parade to the end could draw five numbers and receive six zhang of "Tonglu Snow" silk for each, symbolizing "great luck in all six directions."

Le Wuya fanned himself as he strolled along the street, chatting with Wen Ren Yue beside him: "See, Sister Qi has seen the big world."

Those ordinary tricks from the capital, brought to Tongzhou, were more than enough to leave the common folk utterly dazzled.

Any lantern that could make it onto the stage, shaped like a person or an animal, was worth at least ten thousand coins.

Putting together a lantern parade was truly a case of spending a little money to get a big result.

Not long ago, when Le Wuya visited the capital, thanks to He Lianche, he'd enjoyed a splendid lantern festival, so he wasn't especially keen now.

But as the parade passed by, he couldn't resist pushing forward to snatch a lantern ball, only to get stepped on several times by the excited crowd and had to slink back out.

Wen Ren Yue pulled him aside, carefully dusted off his shoes, and advised, "Brother Gu, after I leave, don't go chasing after every bit of excitement."

Le Wuya said, "Got it."

Wen Ren Yue shook his head knowingly.

Le Wuya said, "Hey, what's with the head shake? You don't trust me?"

Wen Ren Yue lowered his head: "From your tone, I can tell Brother Gu is going to make the same mistake again."

Le Wuya said, "How clever. As a reward, you can buy me a bowl of yuanxiao."

A short while later, the two continued walking side by side down the lively street.

Le Wuya held a paper bowl of osmanthus yuanxiao, squeezed out the filling, and only ate the outer skin.

In the past, seeing him waste food like this, Wen Ren Yue would surely have made a comment.

But after the festival, he would head to the capital for the imperial exams, and every day spent together was one day fewer.

So he let him have his way this once.

Wen Ren Yue said, "After the metropolitan exam, whether I pass or not, I'll send a letter from the capital. I hope Brother Gu will be the first to open it."

"If you fail, don't bother writing to annoy me—I can't hit you from that far away anyway. Just come back directly," Le Wuya said without looking up from his food. "Then I'll treat you to yellow croaker noodles."

But he quickly looked up: "Hey, are you trying to hint at me with that?"

Wen Ren Yue recalled how Le Wuya had thrown darts to choose letters that day and smiled without saying anything.

Le Wuya rubbed his sweaty nose and said, "I just threw randomly! It was destiny!"

Wen Ren Yue said, "Whatever you say, Brother Gu."

Le Wuya acted up on the spot, lifting his foot and stepping on Wen Ren Yue's instep, making him gasp in pain.

He leaned against the wall and said helplessly, "Brother Gu, you're being unreasonable again."

"Hurts, right? Good. While it hurts, I have something to tell you—afraid you'd forget, so consider this a reminder."

Le Wuya held the paper bowl, steam rising and misting his long, fluttering eyelashes: "The capital is full of all sorts of people, prone to chaos—even calm waters can stir up trouble. If you don't seek trouble, trouble will find you. Be careful in all things."

Wen Ren Yue said, "I'm just a mere scholar from Nanting..."

"Do you still think you're some unknown commoner?" Le Wuya interrupted. "You're a scholar who was on the imperial-approved case, pardoned by the emperor himself and two prince envoys, the last disciple of former Grand Scholar Xu Ji, and you've spent so long by my side—a prefect who skipped five ranks... In all the world, only you think you're just a mere scholar from Nanting."

Wen Ren Yue paused: "Brother Gu, why not say it more clearly? Who are you worried will come looking for me?"

Le Wuya brushed off his shoulder and named someone Wen Ren Yue hadn't expected: "Fifth Prince, Xiang Zhi Yun."

"Of course, with his princely status, he won't personally come to recruit you. Just be wary of anyone who approaches you. If someone strikes up a conversation intending to befriend you, don't refuse—just remember one thing: you owe loyalty to the 'Sovereign,' and only the 'Sovereign.' The emperor's red endorsement pardoned you and allowed you to take the exams—he's shown you grace beyond measure. There can't be two suns in the sky, and a gentleman does not serve two masters..."

Then Le Wuya shifted tone: "But that's just for outsiders to hear."

"Your only master is me."

Wen Ren Yue was taken aback, then laughed out loud.

His temperament was usually reserved and steady, rarely laughing so heartily and uninhibitedly.

When he'd laughed enough, he wiped the tears from the corner of his eye with his fingertip and called softly, "Brother Gu?"

Two osmanthus yuanxiao remained in the bowl, and Le Wuya was too full to eat more. Rubbing his stomach, he replied casually, "Hmm?"

Wen Ren Yue gazed at him intently: "You said you're my elder brother, my master, my sworn friend... Then what am I to you?"

Le Wuya scooped up a yuanxiao without batting an eye, popped it into his mouth, and answered, "You're my younger brother, my student, my sworn friend."

Wen Ren Yue tugged at his sleeve gently: "Anything else?"

Le Wuya caught the hint and glanced at him: "You're too young."

Wen Ren Yue insisted, "I'm younger than General Pei, but older than the Sixth and Seventh Princes."

"It's not the same."

"How so?"

Le Wuya gathered his sleeve with one hand and looked up at him: "You may be older in years, but your heart and eyes are the purest."

Wen Ren Yue met his gaze quietly amid the countless flickering lights and shadows, reading a barely concealed envy in Le Wuya's eyes.

His heart suddenly softened, and he felt that nothing he said would be right.

He offered an apology: "It's my fault—thinking about such things before the exam is truly not focusing on what matters."

Le Wuya shrugged casually: "You're young; thinking about it is fine, but in the end, walking your own path well matters most."

As they spoke, the two arrived at a small inn where lantern riddles were held.

For three coppers, you could open a lantern and see the riddle inside.

If you guessed correctly, you'd win a rabbit-shaped hand lantern.

Le Wuya clamored to play, and Wen Ren Yue, unable to talk him out of it, took one lantern for each of them.

Wen Ren Yue pulled out the paper slip inside and examined it carefully.

The riddle read: "Sun and moon each go their separate ways."

This riddle was practically a freebie.

His current name had that character in it.

Yet the subtle implication within it made his chest inexplicably ache, and he didn't want to guess. He folded the slip and tucked it into his sleeve.

Just then, he heard Le Wuya beside him burst out laughing.

Wen Ren Yue asked him, "What are you laughing at?"

Le Wuya said seriously, "Nothing."

As he spoke, just like Wen Ren Yue had done earlier, he folded the riddle paper he had drawn and tucked it into his robe, then, carrying the two tangyuan, strode off briskly.

Wen Ren Yue lagged a step behind, holding the empty lantern that Le Wuya had opened, and asked the shop attendant at the door, "Excuse me, could you tell me what the riddle on this lantern is...?"

The attendant glanced at the number on the lantern and read from the ledger in his hand, "'Bamboo stands beside the noble one,' guess a single character."

Wen Ren Yue fell silent.

He was silent for a moment, then said gently, "Thank you."

Wen Ren Yue took long strides, weaving through the crowd, and chased straight after Le Wuya's retreating figure.

His face was calm as still water, but his mind raced with a thousand thoughts, his heart tied in a hundred knots.

Brother Gu was right.

Compared to a man with such a complicated background, emotions, and experiences as Le Wuya, he was indeed too simple—so simple that he was not qualified to enter the game.

Then, if he were to become more complex, would Brother Gu pay attention to him?

...Brother Gu just mentioned that Fifth Prince—what was his name again?

Wen Ren Yue was about to think deeper when he saw Le Wuya walking further away, about to disappear from sight. He called out loudly, "Brother Gu, slow down, wait for me!"

Le Wuya's ears twitched, and then he remembered to slow down, hiding the smile on his face.

He turned around, and once Wen Ren Yue caught up, he handed the paper bowl to him, saying brazenly, "I really can't finish this."

...

Two pairs of eyes, hidden among the bustling crowd, blended in like a tree in a forest, furtively spying on the two men's whereabouts.

Seeing Wen Ren Yue take the tangyuan he had left over, one of them, speaking with a Minnan accent, said to the person beside him, "Are they real brothers, or sworn brothers?"

The other, not one for jokes, stated matter-of-factly, "The tall one is a juren. The metropolitan examination is held once every three years; after the new year, he should be heading to the capital to take it."

"Should we kill him?"

"No." The other said coldly, "Don't tip our hand. That Wen Ren fellow is tough enough—our informants are almost all gone. Master Xi said the brothers' scores will be settled sooner or later; no rush..."

"Too bad." The one with the Minnan accent said, casting another glance toward Le Wuya's direction, "What a perfect opportunity..."

Before he could finish, he recoiled violently, as if pricked by a needle.

"Damn it!" The man paled in shock, "He saw me!"

The other was also startled by his intense reaction and dared not boldly peer at their movements again: "How could that be? There's a sea of people here..."

The man was so frightened he broke out in a cold sweat, his vision filled with nothing but that single murderous glance from Le Wuya, a chill creeping up the back of his neck. He could only grind his teeth and mutter a curse, "Your father's!"

Meanwhile, Wen Ren Yue was also asking Le Wuya, "Brother Gu, what are you looking at?"

Le Wuya looked away and said calmly, "Nothing. It felt like being stared at by a wild dog—really annoying."