Chapter 583: Xu Wu Ge Xu, sit down! [Deep thanks! Another deep thanks!]

Xu Zaijing rode his horse, guarding the side of the Lu family carriage,

and just as he was about to turn into Pan Lou Main Street,

he saw a nanny dressed in decent clothes holding a handkerchief, walking to the roadside and bowing to Xu Zaijing.

Seeing Xu Zaijing's slightly furrowed brow, the nanny said, "Greetings, Fifth Young Master, I am the managing nanny of the Xie family. Seeing a relative here, my Third Da Niangzi specifically asked me to greet you."

With this prompt, Xu Zaijing's eyes were filled with sudden realization, and he smiled, "I remember now, I saw you once when I went to the Xie family."

The Xie family nanny nodded with a smile, stepped aside, and gestured for Xu Zaijing to look at the first floor of the teahouse.

Xu Zaijing looked over and happened to see Xie Rui, with her personal maid, bowing to him, which counted as a greeting.

Just as Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile, a figure appeared beside Xie Rui.

Seeing Xu Zaijing stationed on the street, Chai Zhengzheng looked surprised, smiled, and waved at Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing smiled, nodded again in acknowledgment, and then said to the Xie family nanny, "I heard that Brother Xiong Yan of the Kang'an Earl's Xiong family is returning to the capital in two months?"

The Xie family nanny nodded with a smile, "Yes, at that time, Fifth Young Master must come to our house to drink the wedding wine."

"That is only natural!" Xu Zaijing replied.

Lu Zezong, sitting in the carriage, curiously lifted the curtain and looked out with Zhao Fang, who was also sitting in the carriage.

In the teahouse,

Seeing Lu Zezong and... Zhao Fang waving at him from the carriage, Chai Zhengzheng, standing beside Xie Rui, widened her eyes, and her smile stiffened for a moment.

Chai Zhengzheng hurriedly bowed.

Beside her, Xie Rui also realized belatedly and bowed to the two in the carriage.

After Xu Zaijing cupped his hands and rode away, Xie Rui turned and walked toward the second floor with Chai Zhengzheng.

On the way, Xie Rui asked Chai Zhengzheng curiously, "Zhengzheng, one of those two brothers in the carriage is the Little Marquis Lu, but the other one looks familiar; which noble family is he from?"

Chai Zhengzheng pursed her lips and said, "I didn't see clearly either."

"Oh!"

Xu Zaijing continued to ride forward, his gaze vigilantly scanning the surroundings.

Suddenly,

Xu Zaijing's gaze sharpened as he looked at a carriage on the roadside.

On the other side of the carriage, He Guan, who had been on the battlefield with Xu Zaijing, noticed the anomaly immediately and asked, "Jingge, what's wrong?"

Xu Zaijing thought for a moment, shook his head, and didn't speak.

Qingyun also glanced at that carriage and said, "Young Master, why does that carriage look like it belongs to the Qi Guo Gong Prefecture? But it doesn't have the Qi family's plaque hanging on it."

Xu Zaijing murmured an acknowledgment, then turned his head and said to Lu Zezong and Zhao Fang in the carriage, "How about we get off at the entrance of the Zhou family's bow and arrow shop ahead and start strolling around?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Zhao Fang in the carriage nodded repeatedly.

After walking for a while,

Xu Zaijing and the others got off their horses and carriages outside the crowd surrounding the Zhou family's bow and arrow shop.

Mother Zhou, who was standing at the entrance of her shop watching the commoners gamble, noticed Xu Zaijing when he rode over.

The three disciples of Mother Zhou's father, Zhou Dong, were now all serving under Marquis Yongyi, and all had risked their lives to achieve merit; they had sent many New Year gifts to her shop before the year ended.

"Make way!"

"Excuse me!"

He Guan and Cao Yi shouted in front, while Xu Zaijing guarded Zhao Fang and Lu Zezong, with Qingyun following behind, pushing through the crowd toward the shop.

Looking at the gambling turntable at the shop entrance, Zhao Fang, wearing ear muffs and a scarf, looked at Xu Zaijing.

Xu Zaijing understood and said, "Brother He, let's gamble a bit too."

"Understood!"

He Guan replied.

After the previous gambling customer shook his head and walked aside, He Guan pulled at his purse, ready to pay the silver for the gamble.

Mother Zhou walked over with a smile and said loudly, "Han Wulang Young Master is here! This brother, you don't need to pay! If you want to play a round, just play!"

As she spoke, she handed over several colorful darts.

Xu Zaijing took the colorful darts, handed them to Zhao Fang, turned his head, and smiled, "Thank you, Mother Zhou!"

"Eh! Fifth Young Master, you are too polite; if it weren't for you, those younger brothers of mine wouldn't have such good prospects." Mother Zhou said.

Zhao Fang looked at the spinning turntable, his hand holding the colorful dart aiming back and forth.

The commoners and passersby watching from the side were also watching with rapt attention.

A moment later, seeing Zhao Fang still hadn't thrown the dart, someone shouted, "I say, can you do it or not? Throw it quickly!"

"Yeah!"

"What are you dawdling for!"

"I'm still waiting to win a good bow!"

In the palace, no one dared to speak like this, urging Zhao Fang.

Hearing these words, Zhao Fang actually felt a bit nervous.

He Guan and Cao Yi glanced at Xu Zaijing; seeing he didn't speak to reprimand them, they also suppressed the scolding in their mouths.

Mother Zhou glared and shouted, "Shut up! These few are my distinguished guests; if you make any more noise, I won't let you gamble anymore!"

"Mother Zhou, I think you're just looking at how handsome that young brother is!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

"Hahaha!"

The surrounding crowd laughed one after another.

Zhao Fang, holding the colorful dart, turned his head to look at Xu Zaijing, nodded in agreement, and continued to aim at the spinning turntable.

Mother Zhou glared, scanned the crowd, and shouted, "Which rascal is babbling? If you have the guts, come out, and let's spar one-on-one! See if I don't beat you to death!"

"Hehehe."

The watching passersby and commoners continued to laugh.

At this time,

"Thud."

The colorful dart in Zhao Fang's hand was thrown out and nailed to the turntable.

The shop assistant hurriedly stopped the turntable to see which grid the colorful dart had nailed into.

When the turntable stopped, looking at the position of the dart, the watching crowd shouted one after another, "Missed!"

"Quick, keep throwing!"

"Tsk tsk tsk."

Looking at the passersby with different expressions around him, Zhao Fang smiled and picked up the second colorful dart.

"Shh."

"Hey, missed again!"

After Zhao Fang finished throwing his five darts, he had only hit a prize of a bowstring.

"Does the young master want to continue playing?" Mother Zhou asked with a smile.

Zhao Fang shook his head, "I... I won't play anymore; if I play again, I'll delay your business."

Mother Zhou waved her hand with a smile, "It's fine, play if you want to play."

Zhao Fang still shook his head.

"And you, young master?"

Lu Zezong also shook his head.

Mother Zhou nodded and said to Xu Zaijing, "Fifth Young Master, would you like to come into the shop and sit for a while?"

He Guan, who was to the side, said, "Mother Zhou's bows and arrows are still very good!"

Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile.

"Then let's go in and take a look."

In the backyard of the shop,

Zhou Dong walked out of the room, holding a small teapot, and took a sip from the spout by himself.

Afterward, Zhou Dong walked toward the shop.

The Zhou family's bow and arrow shop was open from north to south; looking from the courtyard, one could see through the shop to the bustle at the shop entrance.

Seeing the group of people following his daughter inside, the old man recognized Xu Zaijing and He Guan.

But,

seeing the youth following Xu Zaijing, Zhou Dong choked on a mouthful of tea: "Pfft."

The tea sprayed out of his nostrils.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Dad! What's wrong with you?" Mother Zhou walked over quickly and helped her old father pat his back.

Zhao Fang looked at Zhou Dong suspiciously and whispered uncertainly, "Jingge, is this the Zhou Duzhi from the palace's archery class?"

Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile, "Your Highness has a good memory."

In the Qi family carriage,

The servant Buwei lifted a gap in the curtain to look out.

Qi Heng sat to the side, holding the family plaque that should have been hanging outside the carriage, and asked, "How is it? Have Jingge and the others left?"

Buwei lowered the curtain and nodded, "Young Master, Fifth Young Master has gone far."

Qi Heng then breathed a sigh of relief, lifted the curtain on the other side, and looked at the teahouse not far away with hope in his eyes, saying, "Is the Sheng family young lady really upstairs?"

"Yes, Young Master, the Yunzai by Seeing Mo Lan's side is the one who told me it was here."

"Good! Looking at it, Cousin Chai Zhengzheng should be there too! Let's go!"

As he spoke, Qi Heng stood up, preparing to get off the carriage.

Buwei pulled Qi Heng's sleeve and said, "Young Master, upstairs are all noble ladies and official relatives; you are a man, it wouldn't be appropriate to just go over like that, would it?"

Qi Heng shook his head, "I am a man, not a young lady; if I see relatives upstairs, why can't I go see them? Let go."

Buwei looked at Qi Heng's appearance and helplessly released his young master's sleeve.

"Follow me."

Qi Heng opened the carriage door and said.

On the second floor of the teahouse,

The nanny from downstairs walked up the stairs and whispered a few words to the maid standing at the entrance.

The maid at the entrance passed the news to Miss Yun Mu.

After hearing it, Miss Yun Mu leaned over and whispered to Chai Zhengzheng, who was nearby, "Da Niangzi, the Little Marquis Qi is downstairs, saying he knows you are upstairs and wants to come up to see you and greet you."

"Hengge wants to come up?" Chai Zhengzheng frowned.

"Yes."

The Dou family young lady, sitting not far away, heard Chai Zhengzheng's voice and said, "Sister Chai, is the Little Marquis Qi coming?"

Before Chai Zhengzheng could speak,

Seeing Mo Lan, who had already sat back in her seat, said in surprise, "Brother Yuanruo is here?"

As she spoke, Seeing Mo Lan gave Yunzai a look of pleasant surprise, then bit her lip, lost in thought.

Rulan looked at Seeing Mo Lan's appearance and rolled her eyes with some disgust.

Minglan, who was studying pitch-pot with Gu Tingyi to the side, exchanged a look with Gu Tingyi.

Chai Zhengzheng could only look at Rong Feiyan helplessly, her tone somewhat apologetic as she said, "Sister Feiyan, I'll go down..."

Rong Feiyan shook her head with a smile, "Sister Chai, the Little Marquis is a relative of the Chai family, and we have all met several times; besides, he is a classmate of the three Sheng family young ladies. With so many sisters here, it's nothing to come up and greet us."

Chai Zhengzheng smiled, looked at the expressions of Gu Tingyi, Hai Chaoyun, and others in the private room, and nodded to Miss Yun Mu.

Miss Yun Mu bowed and turned to walk out.

Soon,

Qi Heng, with a smile on his face, came to the second floor with Buwei.

Looking at the young ladies standing in the private room, Qi Heng smiled, bowed handsomely, and said, "Greetings, sisters, younger sisters! Peace and health on this Lantern Festival! Peace and health to Third Aunt on this Lantern Festival."

The young ladies in the private room bowed in return one after another.

Qi Heng cupped his hands and looked at the people before him; after sweeping his gaze over Rong Feiyan's face, he fixed his gaze near the three Lans of the Sheng family.

Looking at Minglan, who was bowing her head and saluting beside Gu Tingyi, Qi Heng felt both happy and disappointed in his heart.

What made him happy was seeing Minglan today.

What made him disappointed was that Minglan, from beginning to end, had not looked up at him once like Seeing Mo Lan and Rulan.

Qi Yuanruo's Third Aunt, Gu Tingyi, followed Qi Heng's gaze, looked at the three Lans beside her, and had a thoughtful look in her eyes.

After pondering for a moment,

seeing that Minglan still showed no signs of looking up, Qi Heng could only bow and salute again, forcing a smile as he said, "I still have to stroll around and gamble later, Cousin, Third Aunt, everyone, I shall take my leave first."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded with a smile, "Take care, Cousin."

Gu Tingyi also said, "Yuanruo, peace and health on this Lantern Festival."

Qi Heng cupped his hands toward the two, turned around, and took Buwei downstairs.

Buwei followed behind Qi Heng, looking at his young master's unhappy appearance, and sighed helplessly.

After leaving the teahouse,

arriving beside his own carriage,

Qi Heng looked back at the second floor of the teahouse again, happening to see Seeing Mo Lan and the Dou family young lady standing by the railing on the second floor; discovering Qi Heng looking over, those two young ladies even nodded at Qi Heng.

"Sigh!"

Qi Heng sighed and stepped onto the carriage stool to get into the carriage.

After sitting steadily, looking at Buwei who followed him in, Qi Heng said, "Buwei, why do you think Minglan didn't even look at me?"

Buwei said, "Little Marquis, the Sixth Da Niangzi is not a legitimate daughter; although her birth mother manages the household, I heard she is not as favored or prestigious as the Lin Xiao Niang, so she naturally acts with caution and follows etiquette, fearing gossip."

Qi Heng shook his head and looked at Buwei, "She was raised by the Old Madam! The Old Madam is the only daughter of Marquis Yongyi, how could she let her suffer?"

Buwei pursed his lips and didn't continue.

The carriage was quiet for a moment, then Buwei said, "Young Master, where are we going now?"

"Return to the mansion, prepare to enter the palace this afternoon! We can go to the Sheng family tomorrow, which is not bad!"

Buwei nodded, gave an instruction outside the carriage, and the carriage began to move.

On the second floor of the teahouse,

Seeing Mo Lan withdrew her gaze from the departing Qi family carriage, glanced at the Dou family young lady who had entered the private room, and whispered to Yunzai and Luzhong behind her, "It's clear that Brother Yuanruo holds me in his heart."

Yunzai and Luzhong exchanged a look and said happily in low voices, "Da Niangzi is right, knowing you were here today, the Little Marquis came specifically to see you."

Seeing Mo Lan smiled, raised her chin like Rong Feiyan, and said, "I'll be able to see him when school starts tomorrow, what is Brother Yuanruo in such a hurry for!"

After leaving Pan Lou Main Street,

Xu Zaijing and the others walked north along the Imperial Street.

Zhao Fang had seen many kinds of song and dance performances in the palace and at various large-scale celebrations.

But Zhao Fang hadn't seen many of these folk magic performances.

"Haha, this monkey show is really fun, reward!"

Zhao Fang stood beside Xu Zaijing and shouted with a face full of smiles.

Lu Zezong on the other side nodded in agreement with a smile.

Qingyun and He Guan, who were following, untied their purses and threw the silver inside to the monkey performer.

"Thank you all for the reward! Thank you very much!"

The monkey performer and the monkeys bowed and thanked them together.

This made the audience laugh again.

Afterward, seeing that the monkey performer had no new tricks, Zhao Fang continued to walk forward with Xu Zaijing.

Standing in front of a colorful shed, Zhao Fang looked at the person doing a handstand, turned his head, and looked at Xu Zaijing suspiciously, "Jingge, Zongge, what kind of performance is this?"

Lu Zezong looked at it and shook his head, "I haven't seen it before, I can't recognize it, Sworn Brother?"

Xu Zaijing smiled and pointed to the porcelain bowl by the side of the person doing the handstand, "See that porcelain bowl? In a moment, cold noodles will be put in it, and then he will eat the cold noodles while doing a handstand."

Zhao Fang: "Just eating noodles?"

Xu Zaijing nodded and said, "Eating while doing a handstand without choking and swallowing the food is a skill, not to mention eating such a large bowl."

Zhao Fang nodded: "Oh, Jingge, how do you know it's easy to choke while eating upside down?"

Xu Zaijing: "Uh..."

"Jingge, have you tried it?" Zhao Fang said.

Xu Zaijing nodded.

After watching the performer eat a bowl of cold noodles, Zhao Fang rewarded him again with a smile.

The group continued to walk north along the Imperial Street.

On an open space a few hundred meters from the Xuande Gate, there were two open spaces enclosed by barriers.

High poles similar to the flagpoles outside the Shenbao Temple were erected on the open ground, and various figures of people and immortals cut from paper or colorful silk were hanging on the poles.

Zhao Fang looked up at the flagpole from the side and sighed, "Jingge, looking from the Xuande Tower, it's not nearly as shocking as looking at it here."

Xu Zaijing looked up at the high flagpole, nodded, and said, "Qingyun's wife used to perform fire-breathing on the horizontal bar at the top of this kind of flagpole."

Zhao Fang: "Wow, that's truly amazing, worthy of being called a heroine among women."

The group continued to walk toward the Xuande Gate; along the way, the crowd was like weaving, and Xu Zaijing and the others saw many huge, uniquely shaped lanterns that hadn't been lit yet.

As they strolled, the group arrived in front of the Xuande Gate.

Seeing Xu Zaijing and the others continuing to walk toward the Xuande Gate tower, some enthusiastic Bianjing commoners shouted, "Hey, you few kids, don't walk forward! That's the palace!"

"Yeah! Stop quickly!"

Xu Zaijing, Zhao Fang, and the others, who were walking forward, turned their heads, smiled, and cupped their hands, then continued to step forward.

Then, in the surprised eyes of the passersby, they walked directly into the palace gate tunnel.

On the Lantern Festival, there was a custom for unmarried boys and girls to meet and for men and women with marriage intentions to see each other.

Like Shen Herui and Zheng Ni before, they viewed lanterns and guessed lantern riddles together on the Lantern Festival.

In the evening,

the sky gradually darkened,

and most of the lanterns and colorful lights on the square in front of the Xuande Gate had been lit.

Xu Zaijing, who had changed into new silk clothes, draped in a cloak, wearing a gem-encrusted forehead band, and with a light green flower pinned in his hair, arrived at the Xuande Gate tower under the guidance of the eunuch.

"Jingge, this seat is specifically arranged for you by His Highness."

The eunuch pointed to a chair not far from the dragon throne, with empty seats on both sides.

Xu Zaijing nodded with a smile, thanked him, and sat down.

With the thick cloak bestowed by the Empress, wrapped in the cloak, Xu Zaijing felt warm all over despite it being night.

The sky was completely dark,

Xu Zaijing listened to the noisy sounds of countless commoners outside the Xuande Gate and looked at the colorful, uniquely shaped lanterns standing there, taking a deep breath.

While viewing the lanterns, people passed by Xu Zaijing from time to time, following the eunuch's guidance to take their seats.

There were several people, but none spoke to Xu Zaijing.

At this time,

someone arrived beside Xu Zaijing under the guidance of the eunuch.

Xu Zaijing hadn't seen the person's appearance yet, but first smelled a clear, cool incense scent.

"Da Niangzi Feiyan, your seat for tonight is here."

Listening to the eunuch's words, Xu Zaijing turned his head and looked over; seeing Rong Feiyan standing beside him, Xu Zaijing was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Da Niangzi Feiyan, peace and health on this Lantern Festival."

"Xu Wu Ge Xu... Xu Wu Ge, peace and health."

Rong Feiyan didn't dare to look at Xu Zaijing; after bowing to Xu Zaijing, she sat to the side, feeling somewhat at a loss, her eyes darting around.

After a while,

Chai Zhengzheng walked over following the eunuch,

looking at Rong Feiyan sitting beside Xu Zaijing under the bright yellow lantern, Chai Zhengzheng had a look of surprise and disappointment in her eyes.

But when passing in front of Rong Feiyan, she still smiled politely and then bowed slightly to Xu Zaijing: "Xu Wu Ge Xu, peace and health on this Lantern Festival."

"Da Niangzi Zhengzheng, peace and health on this Lantern Festival."

Xu Zaijing stood up and bowed in return.

The eunuch watched Chai Zhengzheng finish speaking, reached out to gesture toward the position on the other side of Xu Zaijing, and said, "Da Niangzi Zhengzheng, you sit here tonight."

Looking at the eunuch's gesture, Chai Zhengzheng blinked; after sitting down in disbelief, she smiled at Xu Zaijing, who was standing to the side, "Xu Wu Ge Xu, sit down."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 584 =====