Eastward Flow

Chapter 23

The death of Emperor Zhao had hidden secrets, and it was a certainty.Xuan Jingchen, who had obtained proof from Eucommia and Ling Xiao, issued a secret order to have the secret guards investigate Emperor Zhao's poisoning.It has been four years, and Yuanzhou City has gone through wars, so there must be many difficulties.But Xuan Jingchen was not afraid of how complicated the matter was, or how terrifying the hands behind it were, she just wanted to know the truth.

I know who is going to do this.

The matter of the arsenal of the Ministry of War and the death of Emperor Zhao added a bit of sadness to His Majesty, who was already troubled.Xuan Jingchen was already blaming himself for failing to lead his troops to the bank of Liangshui to quell the rebellion that day and causing the city of Yuanzhou to be destroyed. He even blamed himself when he knew that Emperor Zhao was bewitched in the winter of the second year of Yuanhe Own.

As a subject, he did not protect his own monarch.As a queen, she failed to take good care of her own emperor.No matter what, Xuan Jingchen, who felt dereliction of duty, handled tedious official duties like masochistic today.

The queen hadn't slept for several days, worried that her palace servants would tell the eldest princess about the queen's situation, and the princess was worried about the queen's health, so she ordered the imperial dining room to boil soothing soup.After the queen had slept through the night, on the day of the Lantern Festival, together with the little princess, they invited the queen to take a walk around the city, calling it a pretext to inspect the people's conditions.

Xuan Jingchen had many things hidden in his heart, even if he was in a bad mood, he would never refuse the invitation of his sisters.On the evening of the Lantern Festival, after making preparations, the three sisters put on the masks of the Lantern Festival and left the palace gate.

The Lantern Festival in Yuanzhou City is the predecessor of the Flower Festival.On this day, most young men and women will take to the streets of Yuanzhou City.If you already have a partner, come out to connect with each other.If not, look forward to meeting someone with predestined relationship on this day.

The three sisters didn't care about the hidden meaning of the Lantern Festival. Xuan Jing'an had the King of Clouds in his heart, while Xuan Jingning was preoccupied with the performance next to the Spring Breeze Building.As for Xuan Jingchen, the emperor whose mind is full of family, country and world, after walking on the street, he began to inquire about the daily life of the people.

Pawns and traders, what kind of life these low-level living people want to live and what kind of environment they can want, all she needs to know.

Therefore, when the three sisters came to the bustling long street and looked at Ying Jingchen who was understanding the people's feelings again, the two princesses couldn't help sighing.

Hey, she is not a royal sister at all.

Tonight, the streets and alleys of Yuanzhou City were decorated with lanterns, and the sky was filled with fireworks, making the whole city as bright as day.The shouts of vendors, the cheers of children, and the whispers of lovers interspersed.There are all kinds of life in this life, all of which are condensed in the short long street.

Yun Jingchen led his two younger sisters through the long street, seeing the happy smiles reflected on the faces of the common people, he felt much lighter in his heart.Walking to the corner of the long street, Yun Jingchen heard a clear and melodious young voice saying: "Why does my mother-in-law come out to make lanterns at such an age, but is there any difficulty at home?"

The voice was so pleasant and very familiar, Yun Jingchen turned his head and looked at the speaker.With one glance, he bumped into the young man in white robe, and recognized him instantly.

It's the kid again.

The queen thought to herself, this child loves to run around too much, and every time she goes out, she always bumps into her.

The boy under the lantern did not wear bright crimson clothes like in the past, but a snow-white body with a high jade crown, revealing a full forehead, eyebrows like distant mountains, tender eyes like water, a straight nose, with Smiling lips.

That originally immature face, against the background of this snow-white and loose robe, actually appeared to be a kind of romantic and free and easy beyond his age.

The old woman seemed to have poor ears, so she raised her head and asked, "What did you say?" The young man squatted under the lantern stand, looked at the old woman who was wearing the lantern and raised her voice, leaning against her ear and asked again: "I'm asking my mother-in-law, why do you come out to tie lanterns at such an old age? What's the problem at home?"

Only then did the old lady seem to hear it, waved her hands again and again, and said, "There is no difficulty, no difficulty, it's all right. I just like to make lanterns, lively and happy!"

The elderly mother-in-law has a lisp in her speech.She repeatedly emphasized that this was something she liked, which made the boy under the lamp look ashamed.

The young man cupped his hands, bowed to the old woman, and said, "It was I who wanted to go wrong, and I hope that my mother will forgive me. Mother-in-law, how much is this lantern for you?"

"Fifteen." The old lady spread her palms and made a gesture of fifteen.The young man understood, took out three green coins from his purse, and said, "Please give me two more, mother-in-law."

A green coin can be worth ten copper coins. The young man respects his mother-in-law's business and follows the rules.

"Okay." The mother-in-law agreed, and picked out two lanterns embroidered with carp for the boy.

"Thank you, mother-in-law." The boy held two lanterns, got up and walked towards the corner.The servant who followed hurriedly ran over, shouting as he ran, "Second Young Master, Second Young Master, wait for me."

The young man stopped, waited for the servant to come over, stuffed one of the lanterns in his hand and said, "Ah Sheng, don't run so fast, what if you bump into someone. I said I will wait for you when I wait for you at the ferry." You, don't worry. Nuo, this is for you. "

"Thank you, young master." The waiter panted and said hastily: "Master Hou let me follow you all the time, don't let you get lost."

Hearing this, the young man smiled helplessly and said, "Ah Sheng, I am 16 years old this year, not six years old. I can't run away. It's not that I want to watch a big show, let's go."

The two walked side by side, talking and walking, and gradually disappeared under the bright lanterns.

The boy didn't know that this short scene fell into Xuan Jingchen's eyes. Looking at the boy's leaving back, Xuan Jingchen walked towards the old lady selling lanterns under the surprised eyes of his sisters, and said softly: "Grandma, can you give me three lanterns?"

So, the three sisters each carried a lantern to the wharf where the Spring Breeze Building was located, the highlight of the Lantern Festival in Yuanzhou City.

Every year at the Lantern Festival in Yuanzhou City, there will be a stage to perform songs and dances in the spring breeze of the riverside in the city.The folk customs of Chu were open, singing and dancing prevailed, and Donghuang's songs were sung all over the world.At that time, there was a stage performance in the spring breeze, and the river in the distance was covered with boats and boats, and the flames floated on the water, stretching for an unknown number of miles.

Zhong Lisuo had heard about the grand occasion of the Lantern Night from the servants in the mansion earlier, and he didn't realize that the grand scene was extremely beautiful until he saw it with his own eyes.

She was dressed in white tonight, wrapped in a snow-white fox fur cloak, and wandered by the river bank with a lantern.The waiter, A Sheng, followed her, chirping, "On the left side of the Chunfengyi Building is the stage for singing and dancing, and on the right side is the stage for guessing lantern riddles. Both places are very crowded. Where are you going, my lord?"

"Go to the left."

She didn't go to guess the lantern riddles, and she didn't understand anything.She wants to see the grand scene, to see the grand scene of singing and dancing during the big celebration.

The Lantern Festival table on the first floor of the spring breeze was surrounded by many people high and low.Holding her lantern, Zhong Lisuo squeezed into the crowd with her nimble figure.The track being played on the stage is "Mr. Yunzhong".

"Dragon driving the emperor's clothes, chatting about traveling and Zhou Zhang~"

On such a grand occasion, the commanders of Jiantiansi, or the Taoists of Taiyimen, will perform the sacrificial repertoire of the gods they believe in among the people.

The performance of this song Yunzhongjun is the grace that the god of cloud and rain bestows on the earth.

The Taoist who played the role of Yun Zhongjun was light and graceful, as graceful as a frightened bird, and as graceful as a dragon swimming. He turned ups and downs between the sizzling music, and the audience applauded and congratulated.Zhong Lisuo had rarely experienced such an occasion where he had fun with everyone, so he couldn't help clasping his hands together and clapping his palms.

Just when she was rejoicing, someone suddenly patted her on the shoulder.Zhong Lisuo turned his head to look, only to see Da Si Ming appearing behind him at some point.

"Why are you here, sir?" Zhong Lisuo said in surprise when he met his old friend suddenly.

Da Si Ming put his index finger on his lips, and then waved to her. Puzzled in Zhonglisuo's eyes, he still followed Da Si Ming and got away from the crowd.

There was a lot of noise, as if they were left far behind.

Da Si Ming held his blue hair, and exudes a noble and untouched slenderness, looked at the handsome young man under the lamp and smiled slightly: "I have encountered some troubles today, so I just hung up to find someone who can help me, I never thought it was a little boy."

"Young master, would you like to do me a favor?" Qing Lan turned her head, looked at the old man's young face and asked gently.

"Sir, I will do what I can to the best of my ability."

"I don't need you to do your best, but I, Supervisor Tiansi, will be responsible for the hymn of the Lantern Festival Donghuang tonight. But my stupid apprentice, because he can't learn how the Donghuang steps on the Lantern Festival, so after the performance, Yun Zhongjun will run away." Qing Qing Lan's eyes were full of helplessness, and she said faintly with doting: "This child is too talented, and I can't find her. And Jian Tiansi is the only one who can sing Donghuang. I have no choice but to Seek someone to help you."

"But I never thought that Your Highness and I have such a deep fate, so I took the liberty to ask Your Highness, can you pretend to be the Eastern Emperor and perform a Lantern Festival for my misbehaving disciple."

Zhong Lisuo was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "What's so difficult about it, I just don't know how to recite the Eastern Emperor's sacrificial speech to the gods, can I use something else instead."

"Didn't you play the Eastern Emperor once before?" Qing Lan smiled slightly, and said nothing.

Zhong lisuo also laughed.

Yes, she once played the role of Donghuang. At the Donghuang Festival in Yunzhou, she used the shakuhachi as a sacrificial language to communicate with the gods, and danced the famous Donghuang in Kyushu.

Just tonight, is it the same?

Zhong Lisuo, who had accepted the order of the chief minister, followed the chief minister to the Chunfeng Yiyi Tower after leaving the crowd, and changed into a large gauze robe dedicated to the Eastern Emperor.The handsome young man was wearing the feather robe praised by the Eastern Emperor, sitting on the futon, listening to the singing from the stage, holding the shakuhachi in his hand, shining with excitement.

The corners of her eyes were smeared with crimson rouge, and there was cinnabar between her brows.The young man in feather clothes with half-face makeup on was as handsome as the beautiful Donghuang in the painting.