Chapter 440: I, Gu Tingyi, Can't Handle You All【Gratitude! Bow again!

Lantern Festival,

The bright moon was in the sky,

and inside and outside Bianjing City, it had been lit up by countless lanterns.

The Great Zhou Imperial City was decorated with lanterns and colored streamers.

The liveliest place was the Xuande Gate, the south gate of the Imperial City.

Just like in previous years,

after dark, outside Xuande Gate, there was a clamor of voices, and many huge lanterns were placed on the wide Imperial Street and the surrounding open ground.

In the gate tower,

the Emperor sat on the dragon chair, looking at the scene below the tower.

He had seen such a scene dozens of times since he ascended the throne, but today, when he looked at it again, his mood was indeed very different from before.

"Whoosh!"

A sound like a mountain of calls and a sea of roars came from below the gate tower.

"Father, what happened outside?"

Princess Yue'er, sitting on the embroidered stool below the Emperor, held Princess Yu'er's hand; the two little princesses were carved from pink jade and were very cute.

Before the Emperor could speak, Zhao Fang at the side said: "Little Sister, it must be that the Kongming lanterns have risen! Let's go, I will take you to see."

As he spoke, Zhao Fang reached out and held his two little sisters, walked out of the gate tower, and came to the city wall outside.

"Wow! So high!"

Looking at the huge yellow Kongming lanterns rising on both sides of the gate tower, Princess Yue'er exclaimed.

The Emperor also stood up from the dragon chair, brought the officials who had come to the tower tonight to the door, looked at the bright lanterns high up, and nodded in appreciation: "The Ministry of Works has put in effort this year!"

After the Emperor finished speaking, he glanced at the Duke of Lian among the crowd.

The Duke of Lian hurriedly bowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The surrounding officials nodded one after another.

Such large Kongming lanterns had not been seen in previous years.

When the Emperor looked at the bowing Duke of Lian, he also saw Shen Daxianggong standing in the middle of the crowd.

Looking at the Emperor's line of sight, the Grand Eunuch at the side whispered: "Your Majesty, should we invite Shen Daxianggong over?"

The Emperor nodded.

After a while, Shen Daxianggong walked to the Emperor's side.

"Is Rui Ge'er in Shen Qing's family doing well?"

Shen Daxianggong bowed: "Replying to Your Majesty, fortunately, Little Official Yu took action; when this subject came, my son was sleeping peacefully."

The Emperor nodded: "It is fortunate that no major disaster was caused!"

Shen Daxianggong bowed even deeper.

"Is the one discussing marriage the daughter of Zheng Jun?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, yes."

"When the wedding date is set, you must tell me."

"This subject obeys the decree."

Inside the gate tower,

Xu Hou's wife, Madam Sun, dressed in solemn attire, was sitting on an embroidered stool, leaning forward to listen to the conversation between the Empress and Madam Shen.

The eunuch who arranged the seats in the palace was also thoughtful.

In front of Madam Sun was the Duchess of Lian, below her was the Marquis Ningyuan's wife, Madam Bai, and behind her was Madam Wu; all those around were familiar.

The Empress beside the Emperor's dragon chair said: "Last year, we recovered the former territory of Bai Gao, plus the previous opening of the border at Hehuang by Official Wang; now there are many horses in the Northwest."

"Madam Shen, when several families in the capital sell horses to the south, you must pay more attention."

Madam Shen stood up from the embroidered stool and bowed: "Your Highness, rest assured, this subject will certainly do her best."

The Empress nodded with a smile.

After Madam Sun heard this, she took advantage of the gap in the conversation to stand up, bowed to the Empress, and smiled: "Your Highness, don't just think about the Northwest; the horse trade between the Mongol tribes in the north and our Great Zhou also needs Madam Shen's help!"

After Madam Sun finished speaking,

Madam Bai at the side also stood up and bowed: "Your Highness, you know that my family started as salt merchants by sea, and we have some business along the coast of Guangnanxi; after Madam Shen returns, please help my family."

"This..." Madam Shen looked at Madam Sun and Madam Bai with some surprise, and then looked at the Empress.

The Empress smiled: "Then Madam Shen, please take more trouble."

"Yes."

Seeing the Emperor, Zhao Fang, and the officials return to the gate tower,

the Empress smiled and stood up: "Let's go, let's go see the excitement outside too."

The noble ladies came to the city wall outside the gate tower,

looking at the bright moon in the night sky,

there were Kongming lanterns hanging high beside the bright moon,

and further away, the commoners of Bianjing were releasing small Kongming lanterns, which seemed like a galaxy slowly sliding from the ground to the sky.

Below the gate tower, there was a clamor of voices, and the various huge lanterns and the surging crowd made the chill of the early spring night dissipate a lot.

"So beautiful!"

Madam Bai stood beside Madam Sun and sighed.

"Yes!"

"Those boys in our family are probably watching the lanterns on the wooden tower over there!"

Madam Wu pointed to a wooden tower in the distance and said.

In the wooden tower pointed to by Madam Wu,

Gu Tingye stood beside Xu Zaijing, looked at the young man walking over from the stairs, and said: "Jing Ge'er, why did he come?"

Xu Zaijing: "I invited him!"

"What! Jing Ge'er, you know I don't get along with him!"

Gu Tingye said urgently.

Xu Zaijing glanced at Gu Tingye: "It was Madam Bai who asked me to invite him."

"You can't make the decision for Yi Jie'er's marriage anyway."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing patted Gu Tingye's shoulder, and then walked toward Huang Qingyue: "Yue Ge'er, you arrived late enough."

"There was something at home, I was delayed a little."

Gu Tingye interrupted: "What happened?"

Huang Qingyue replied somewhat awkwardly: "A relative returned to the capital, I helped my mother welcome them."

Gu Tingye looked at Huang Qingyue's appearance, then glanced at Xu Zaijing: "Is it your Yuan family cousin who returned?"

Huang Qingyue nodded.

"What's wrong with that? Come, I'll introduce you to them."

Xu Zaijing smiled, put his arm around Huang Qingyue's shoulder, and walked toward the crowd.

After a round of introductions,

there were a few that Huang Qingyue already knew, and the newly met ones were mostly young masters from noble families like Qi Heng, Lu Zezong, and Liang Han.

While Xu Zaijing was introducing people, a maid from the Chai family walked to Chai Jin's side and said a few words.

After Chai Jin finished listening, he looked at the maid and said: "Miss Yun Mu, tell your young lady that we will go downstairs in half a quarter of an hour."

After Miss Yun Mu finished listening, she bowed and turned to walk upstairs.

On the streets of Bianjing,

the Sheng family's carriage had stopped on the side of the road,

and Cui Mama and Minglan were supporting the Old Madam on one side each as they walked on the street.

Looking at the lanterns on the street, the Old Madam's eyes were full of memories.

After strolling for a while,

the group arrived downstairs at a restaurant some distance from Xuande Gate.

The Old Madam stopped, looked at Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu behind her, and said: "Old Madam Yu is waiting for me on this floor, so I won't stroll anymore!"

"Hong'er, you accompany Madam to stroll around."

"Yes, Mother." Sheng Hong bowed and replied.

After the Old Madam nodded, she looked at Minglan at the side: "Ming'er, come!"

Rulan, who was being held by Wang Ruofu,

looked at the restaurant's sign, pursed her lips, raised her head, and said: "Mother, daughter is a bit tired from walking, I want to go upstairs with Grandmother."

Wang Ruofu looked at Rulan's appearance and nodded helplessly: "Go!" As she spoke, she let go of Rulan's hand.

Seeing Mo Lan, behind Sheng Hong, rolled her eyes directly when she saw Rulan's appearance.

After going up to the second floor of the restaurant,

the Old Madam took the two Lans into the private room.

"I thought you wouldn't come out tonight!" Old Madam Yu held Yu Yanran and smiled at the Old Madam.

"Since I promised you, how could I not come out."

The Old Madam said and smiled at Yu Yanran, who was bowing to her.

After the two old ladies sat down,

the three little girls sat together.

Because they were looking at the lanterns all around through the window, the private room was a bit cold, so they didn't take off their cloaks and capes.

When Old Madam Yu saw Rulan pick up the snacks on the table and eat them, she hurriedly said: "Go, serve Da Niangzi Rulan a cup of hot tea."

Hearing this, Rulan smiled hee-hee at Old Madam Yu with snack crumbs on the corners of her mouth.

The two old ladies were talking,

while Yu Yanran took the tea offered by the nanny and placed it in front of Rulan: "Sister Rulan, eat slowly! The tea is a bit hot, warm your hands first before eating!"

Rulan nodded repeatedly, and after swallowing the snack: "Walking all the way here, that girl Seeing Mo Lan wanted to see this lantern, then wanted to guess that lantern riddle, it tired people to death! Hmph!"

Minglan pursed her lips and didn't speak.

Yu Yanran said: "Sister Seeing Mo Lan has always been talented."

"Her? Just putting on an act! By the way, Sister Yanran, why didn't your sister follow?" Rulan asked, then lowered her head to blow on the tea.

After Yu Yanran and Minglan exchanged a look, she said: "My sister followed my father and legal mother."

Rulan carefully took a small sip of tea, put down the teacup: "I've seen that sister of yours, Yu Yanhong, before; she is clearly a daughter born to a successor, I really don't know what she is acting proud about!"

Listening to the conversation of the little daughters at the side,

the Old Madam smiled apologetically at Old Madam Yu.

Old Madam Yu waved her hand and whispered: "My son is also a muddled one! I'm not afraid of you laughing at me! Previously, my husband and I were careless for a moment, and almost let the dowry left by Yanran's late mother be encroached upon by that person!"

The Old Madam frowned and shook her head: "This, how could they bring themselves to do this!?"

Old Madam Yu shook her head and sighed, looking out the window: "If it weren't for a chivalrous person reminding us, perhaps Yanran's mother's dowry would have... Let's not talk about those unhappy things, look at that Xuande Gate, those Kongming lanterns are really big!"

The Old Madam looked out as told.

"Speaking of which, when we were young, you were the one watching lanterns on the Xuande Gate tower!"

Hearing Old Madam Yu's words, the Old Madam looked at the bright moon hanging high and smiled: "That was how many years ago! By the way, in a few days, the old sister-in-law of the Sheng family's main branch is coming to the capital, I must invite you to accompany her."

"At that time, we will also have to find a marriage for the eldest grandson of the main branch..."

After Old Madam Yu nodded, she looked at Yu Yanran: "You say my Yanran perhaps..."

The Old Madam waved her hand: "Yanran is, after all, the eldest granddaughter of the Daxianggong, it wouldn't be a match for my family."

"What match, I just want Yanran to find a family that treats her well! In the future, my husband and I can leave with peace of mind, and after a hundred years, when I see my first daughter-in-law, I can have something to say!"

Looking at Old Madam Yu's appearance, the Old Madam nodded helplessly: "Then, let the three of us old ladies discuss it when the time comes!"

The two old ladies talked for a while longer,

"We've rested enough, let's continue to watch the lanterns!"

The Old Madam stood up and said with a smile.

Rulan was listening to Minglan and Yanran discuss embroidery skills at the side and was a bit sleepy.

Hearing the Old Madam's words, her face drooped, and she whispered: "Ah? We still have to stroll!?"

Third floor of the wooden tower,

Rong Xian, who had arrived not long ago, was wearing a bright red brocade robe,

with silk flowers inserted at his temples,

and after affectionately greeting Xu Zaijing, he was smiling and talking to Chai Bo.

Qi Heng stood beside Chai Bo, looking at Rong Xian's flashy appearance, and took advantage of the gap in the conversation to say: "Xian Ge'er, I heard your marriage is set?"

Rong Xian, who was happy, froze, and after his smile slowly dissipated, he nodded.

"Xian Ge'er, the Dou family of the Duke of Consort Fu Guo is also a long-standing noble family in Bianjing, it is a good marriage."

Gu Tingye leaned over, suppressing the corners of his mouth to keep from laughing, and said.

Rong Xian gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, ignoring this guy Gu Tingye.

At this moment,

Chai Jin shouted loudly to the Bianjing youths in the tower: "Let's go, let's go downstairs to join the fun, guess some lantern riddles! I've seen this year's lanterns, some families' are very exquisite."

"Let's go, let's go!"

Rong Xian in the crowd said impatiently.

When everyone went downstairs,

the noble ladies of Bianjing on the fourth floor were also walking on the stairs.

Xu Zaijing and the others arrived at the stairs,

Huang Qingyue, not far from him, was about to follow the crowd downstairs, but as soon as he took a step, he was pulled by Xu Zaijing.

Seeing Xu Zaijing shake his head slightly, Huang Qingyue stopped.

At the stairs of the fourth floor,

one could see the third floor,

Gu Tingyi was talking to Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Feiyan,

suddenly,

Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Feiyan both stopped, leaving Gu Tingyi to walk forward two steps.

Gu Tingyi was stunned: "What's wrong? Let's go?"

"Sister Tingyi, you go first, we will follow."

After Chai Zhengzheng finished speaking, she glanced downstairs quickly, her eyes full of smiles as she covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

Rong Feiyan also looked at Gu Tingyi with some embarrassment.

Gu Tingyi looked downstairs and just happened to see Xu Zaijing holding Gu Tingye's waist to keep him from moving forward.

In front of Xu Zaijing and Gu Tingye, there happened to be a handsome young man standing there awkwardly.

Gu Tingyi glared at the two girls, Chai and Rong, with some shame and anger, her eyes biting her lips with some panic.

Then, Gu Tingyi saw Xu Zaijing.

The panic in her eyes dissipated slightly, and she immediately had a plan.

"Hmph!"

Thinking about the matter, Gu Tingyi walked downstairs directly.

Arriving at the third floor,

Gu Tingyi looked carefully at Huang Qingyue's face twice. After seeing clearly, she nodded secretly, smiled politely at Huang Qingyue, and then...

"Pei Erge, Brother Jing, let's go down together!"

After finishing, Gu Tingyi turned her head and squeezed her nose at Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Feiyan in a show of defiance.

"Good, good, good!"

Gu Tingye broke free from Xu Zaijing's somewhat awkward hand and nodded repeatedly.

"Tap, tap, tap."

The sound of footsteps going downstairs rang out.

"Sister, why are you walking so fast, wait for us!"

Chai Zhengzheng's voice came.

When passing by Huang Qingyue,

both noble ladies looked at Huang Qingyue with appreciation.

Arriving at Gu Tingyi's side,

Qi Heng, beside Xu Zaijing, hurriedly bowed: "Greetings, Cousin."

After Chai Zhengzheng nodded at Qi Heng with a smile, she bowed to Xu Zaijing... and the others.

Lu Zezong, Gu Tingye, Liang Han, Rong Xian, and others hurriedly bowed in return.

After Rong Feiyan went downstairs, looking at her brother's pathetic appearance of having lost his love and being in extreme pain, she shook her head secretly.

Gu Tingyi had an arrogant expression of "I can't handle you two."

Amidst the low-voiced apologies of Chai Zhengzheng and Rong Feiyan, the three girls held hands and walked toward the second floor.

Arriving at the stairs going down to the third floor,

the three noble ladies didn't know who said what, and Gu Tingyi slapped the two of them several times in shame and anger.

Rong Xian "collected his mood," looked between Huang Qingyue and Gu Tingye, then raised the corners of his mouth and smiled: "Ye Ge'er, I've heard of Yue Ge'er's battle achievements in the Western Army, his future is definitely limitless!"

"He is also a man of talent, although there is still a gap in handsomeness and dashingness compared to me... cough cough... compared to Jing Ge'er, but the Shoushan Bo family is also a long-standing noble family, speaking of which, it is a good marriage."

Gu Tingye widened his eyes, looked at Rong Xian's flashy appearance, and suddenly felt a bit annoyed, clenching his fists: "Rong..."

"Hey, hey, hey! Ye Ge'er, you spoke of me first!"

"I..."

Xu Zaijing raised his eyebrows and exchanged a smile with Liang Han: "Let's go, let's go stroll too!"

After strolling for a long time on the lively streets of Bianjing,

Gu Tingyi saw a stall on the side of the road hanging several exceptionally exquisite lanterns.

But the stall owner insisted that one had to guess the lantern riddle to buy them.

Gu Tingyi, Chai Zhengzheng, Rong Feiyan, and other noble ladies tried several times but didn't guess correctly.

She looked back and beckoned: "Pei Erge, come help me!"

Gu Tingye, not far away, left Xu Zaijing and the others who were also guessing lantern riddles, and hurriedly walked to Gu Tingyi's side, carefully looking at the lantern riddle hanging under the lantern.

After trying several times in succession, they didn't guess correctly.

Gu Tingyi, Chai Zhengzheng, Rong Feiyan, and the other girls scratched their heads in frustration.

"Forget it, it seems we have no fate with it."

Chai Zhengzheng touched the exquisite lantern she liked in the air, and with a smile on the corners of her mouth, glanced at Xu Zaijing who was standing behind them.

"Let's go!"

The noble ladies left this place and walked forward surrounded by servants and guards.

After walking a few steps,

Gu Tingyi looked back: "We couldn't guess it, why are they still there?"

After finishing, she continued to walk forward.

At the lantern stall,

Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye, and several other noble youths were still pondering the riddles.

Not far away, separated by a few people, there were three girls wearing cloaks and capes,

and behind the girls were two silver-haired old ladies.

Everyone was engrossed in the lantern riddles and didn't look at the people beside them for a while.

When Yu Yanran and Minglan whispered a few words and guessed the riddle to buy the lantern Gu Tingyi liked the most, Xu Zaijing and the others looked over curiously.

"Eh? Eldest Da Niangzi Yu, Fifth Da Niangzi, Sixth Da Niangzi, why are you here?"

Outside, Xu Zaijing didn't call their names.

The three girls bowed to Xu Zaijing and the others with a smile.

Xu Zaijing also saw the two old ladies,

and just as he was about to walk toward his great-aunt, the Sheng Old Madam,

he saw his great-aunt waving at him with a smile, signaling him not to come over and to continue guessing lantern riddles for fun.

After Yu Yanran bowed, she said to Minglan: "Minglan, this lantern is not my favorite, let's guess the answers to those few riddles!"

Yu Yanran said and pointed to the lanterns on the edge of the stall.

Subsequently, Yu Yanran, Minglan, and Rulan began to whisper again. After the three guessed the answers to the riddles again,

Xu Zaijing and the others also figured out the logic of the riddle-maker.

Soon,

several lanterns were in the hands of Xu Zaijing, Gu Tingye, and others.

Among them, Xu Zaijing had the most lanterns, Gu Tingye was second, and Qi Heng and Liang Han were next.

Afterward, Gu Tingye guessed the answer to the lantern Yu Yanran liked the most, and used this lantern to exchange for the one Gu Tingyi liked.

When Chai Zhengzheng and the others strolled around and saw no more exquisite lanterns, they prepared to turn back to the stall to fight again.

This was when they met Gu Tingye's group walking forward.

Seeing the desired lantern in hand, Gu Tingyi bowed happily.

Xu Zaijing at the side handed the lantern in his hand to Gu Tingyi: "Here, you all take it to play."

Gu Tingyi reached out quickly to the lantern Xu Zaijing handed over, and then said with a smile: "Thank you, Brother Jing!"

As she spoke, she took the lantern.

Watching the noble ladies take the lanterns and walk away,

Xu Zaijing led the people to continue walking forward.

Gu Tingye lagged behind, looking toward Minglan... beside whom was Yu Yanran.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 441 =====