CH 113

Daliang had always had an open culture. Under their masks, already freely-laughing people more and more did not have to hide. There were bold couples walking side by side, and even quietly holding hands.

Chu Ning watched with great interest, but Xiao Yu did not care to appreciate it, as if waiting for someone to come and deliver a message.

He turned around and said to Chu Ning, “Well, I still have some business to finish, so I won’t accompany you to watch the lanterns today, you can go back early.”

Chu Ning naturally would not stop him, let alone ask more questions. She only nodded obediently, and after seeing him off, allowed the other two younger maids to go play on their own, and continued to enjoy the lanterns with Cui He.

Without him, it was much easier.

The two of them walked for a while, watched some young ladies guessing lantern riddles for a while under some lamps, and were about to turn to the other side when they suddenly saw Liu Kang walking towards them.

The young ladies who were laughing suddenly silenced and looked at Liu Kang nervously.

Liu Kang walked straight up to Chu Ning, bowed respectfully in front of everyone, and said with a smile, “I’ve finally found Your Highness. The Emperor is calling Your Highness to the river in front of me.”

Chu Ning was startled and almost subconsciously grabbed Cui He’s sleeve, in front of the others, she didn’t dare to show any difference, she could only try her best to stabilize her mind, smiled slightly, and asked, “I’m sorry to bother you to come personally, but I don’t know what the Emperor is calling for?”

The people next to her were also attracted to the scene at this time, and they stopped in their tracks at the sound of the words, waiting for Liu Kang’s answer. After all, the Emperor and the Crown Prince had that kind of relationship. The Emperor suddenly summoning the Crown Prince’s Consort alone was really unimaginable.

Liu Kang did not panic, laughed, and said, “In front, Madam Xu is taking Little Lady Wei to talk with the Emperor. Little Lady Wei is clever and personally made two lanterns, one to give to the Emperor, and the other to give to Your Highness. The Emperor asked this old slave to invite Your Highness to go over together to help Little Lady Wei put the lanterns.”

So it was for the young lady of Duke Lu’s family.

The people suddenly realized that Madam Lu and the Crown Prince’s Consort had always been good friends, and the Emperor also attached great importance to Duke Lu’s family, so it was not surprising.

Quietly relieved to be able to meet the crowd’s gaze, Chu Ning followed Liu Kang toward the river.

The river, indeed, had gathered a lot of people.

Little Guo’er was standing beside Madam Xu, holding her hand tightly. She was tilting her head to talk with Xiao Kezhi, looking as if she were trying to overcome her shyness.

As soon as she heard someone call “Your Highness”, she immediately turned her eyes away, let go of her mother’s hand, and walked quickly towards Chu Ning, smiling and whispering, “Your Highness is finally here!

Chu Ning pinched her red cheeks, only to feel that she has been much plumper than when she first came to Changan, and with lots of relief in her heart, said, “Guo’er has made me lanterns, I naturally have to come.”

She said, rushed not far from Xiao Kezhi in a bow. In response to her, he almost smiled.

Next to her, two older women laughed and said, “I can believe that Little Lady Wei will marry well in the future. Although she doesn’t like to talk, her hands are very clever, so when she gets married in the future, she will be able to make a beautiful wedding dress.”

Guo’er’s face reddened again, and her body subconsciously leaned towards Chu Ning’s side.

Chu Ning quietly stretched out her hand, encouragingly stroking her back.

She pinched the corner of her skirt and did not avoid it out of shyness, but lowered her head and whispered, “Thank you both ladies for your compliments.”

With a short sentence, she was able to take the initiative to say it, already much better than when she first arrived a few months ago.

Madam Xu was pleasantly surprised, patting her daughter’s head and whispering “Good girl.”

Guo’er’s eyes shone brightly, revealing a well-behaved and joyful smile as she pulled Chu Ning aside to look at her finished lamps.

The one given to Chu Ning was a lotus flower lamp. The bottom had a bright green base with a few light pink petals. Although it was not as exquisite as other palace lanterns, one can see that it was made with great care, several connections of paste, and rope knots for extra reinforced layers.

Another was like a fish and dragon, long and wide. It was imposing, fit for Xiao Kezhi. The golden scales on the top were all hand-pasted one by one, densely packed, and time consuming.

The two people looked at the lanterns for a while. Waiting on the side, Xiao Kezhi slowly came over and said in a deep voice, “Niece-in-law has come, let’s put out the lanterns.”

As he said this, a chamberlain handed over a fire fuse. Xiao Kezhi lit a candle and then passed the flame to the candle in the lantern to ignite.

Chu Ning saw him do it himself and was about to turn around to retrieve a red candle, but he had silently handed over the one in his hand.

She reached out to pick it up, a little glowing light between the two, reflecting a layer of faint gentle glow, so the atmosphere became romantic.

She couldn’t help but look up quietly and meet his eyes in the candlelight.

Her face burned up, and she quickly lowered her head as if she had been burned, turned around with the red candle in her hand, and bent over to light her lotus lamp with her back to him.

But as soon as she saw the lotus lamp, she couldn’t help but think of his strong, powerful arms and the burning hot temperature in the steamy spring pool that night, and her face turned even redder.

The other people couldn’t see the ambiguity between the two, only feeling that uncle and niece-in-law standing together was somehow strange at the same time as harmonious, and they snuck several glances.

At this time, the Crown Prince was absent, leaving his consort alone. But the Emperor did not ask, so the other people naturally did not dare to talk, only wondering in their hearts.

The good thing was that everyone had a sense of community and chatted with each other, creating a peaceful atmosphere.

But nearest to Guo’er was someone standing quietly, watching the two with eyes moving from side to side, trying to see something.

Madam Xu hurriedly came over and pulled her back, “You! You have already let go of the lantern. You cannot go again. You have to stay away from the river, be careful of falling in!”

Guo’er nodded and followed her mother back, but her eyes couldn’t help but turn around between the two.

Apart from the two chamberlains, there was no one else by the river.

Chu Ning, holding the lamp in her hand, followed half a step behind Xiao Kezhi towards the river.

At the edge of the flowing water, the two of them turned their backs to the crowd and bent over side by side, putting the lantern in their hands into the water waves.

The slow-moving water carried the two lanterns farther and farther away, his one in front, the tail end occasionally touching the lotus leaf base of her one that followed, as if a fish playing in a lily pad painting.

Between drifting, the two lanterns slowly merged into the steam of gathered lanterns downstream until they could no longer be seen clearly.

The crowd behind her laughed and cheered, but she heard him whispering in her ear.

“Later, I will personally take you to enjoy the lanterns.”