Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C096

When the day arrived, Wan Chun'er and Ji Shao reached the Prince Wei's mansion in the afternoon.

After finishing their evening meal, the group split into two carriages and headed towards the East Market.

The Lantern Festival was one of the Great Liang's grandest festivals. At such times, the capital was at its most lively, with the lantern market lasting from the tenth day of the first month until the fifteenth. During this period, every shop along the street hung lanterns, and every household displayed colorful decorations, with the East and West Markets being the largest.

The lantern markets in the two districts stretched for several li, and one could find every imaginable lantern there. Lantern towers and lantern sheds stood side by side, row upon row, dazzling and exceptionally brilliant.

This was also the time when the capital's restaurants did the best business, especially those along the streets of the two markets, which were in high demand.

As the carriage approached the East Market, it could no longer move and had to stop, forcing them to proceed on foot.

In truth, there were not many people yet. The guards protected the four as they walked inward. Ordinary people would naturally make way upon seeing such a formation. If they waited until it was completely dark, when all the capital's residents had come out, it would be shoulder to shoulder, making it difficult even to turn around.

Wushuang was pregnant, so Prince Wei naturally could not allow her to wander through the lantern market. Therefore, he had reserved the best private room at Jixian Tower in advance. The private room's window overlooked the lantern market below, allowing them to see all the hustle and bustle.

"This is my first time coming to the lantern market!" Wan Chun'er exclaimed, her small face flushed with excitement.

This was also Wushuang's first time at the lantern market. In the past, she had only heard people describe how lively the lantern market was. When she was at the Marquis Changyang's mansion, Mei Zong would also take his wife and daughters out to see the lanterns every Lantern Festival, but that had nothing to do with her. After marrying into the Zhao family, needless to say, all the excitement was irrelevant to her.

"Later, you can have Eighth Imperial Brother take you to enjoy the lantern market. I can't go, my Prince won't allow me to," Wushuang said to her in a low voice.

After entering the private room, the two women went to the seats by the window, while the two men drank tea and talked on the other side of the screen. Wushuang spoke in a low voice, so they could not hear her over there.

"Prince Wei is also afraid of you being jostled. Look at how many people there are below."

There were indeed many people, and the number was increasing.

Sitting upstairs, Wushuang could see with her own eyes that the streets were becoming increasingly crowded, with men, women, old, and young. Generally, entire families came out together, and there were also young couples with their children. She also saw some young men and women traveling together, making it extremely lively.

A guard knocked on the door of the private room.

It was only upon entering and reporting that they learned the Heir of Marquis Huaiyin had arrived.

Not only him, but also Li Xin and Chen Jin, along with Mei Chang and Mei E.

Mei Chang and Mei E had also come out, which surprised Wushuang somewhat.

A moment later, the people entered.

The man spoke, and the woman spoke.

Mei E's cheeks were flushed, and she looked at Wushuang a little shyly, whispering, "Everyone at home came out today, but Father, Mother, and the Aunts are not here; they are elsewhere. We only managed to come out by finding an excuse."

Mei Chang, on the other hand, was quite candid, explaining the situation.

"Actually, they sent us a message long ago, but you know it's not easy for us to come out. Later, aunt spoke to Father, and he agreed to bring us out to play, so we seized this opportunity."

Previously, Wushuang had introduced Wan Chun'er to the two of them. Wan Chun'er also knew that one was Wushuang's older half-sister and the other was her younger half-sister, and their wedding dates were in March of this year. Now, hearing that the men had gone to such lengths to invite the two of them out to enjoy the lantern festival, she was quite envious.

Originally, the ages of the several people were similar, and after a round of idle chatter, it was as if they had known each other for many years.

After sitting for a while longer, Zhou Dang excused himself.

This Juxian Tower was the Zhou family's property, and he had come to greet Prince Wei after hearing from the manager that he was here. He was not alone either; he had already married and had two children. Tonight, he had brought his wife and children out and settled them in another private room, and now he wanted to return to accompany his wife and children to stroll through the lantern market.

Li Xin and Chen Jin also excused themselves, with the same intention.

Seeing this, Wushuang quickly suggested that the Eighth Prince also take Wan Chun'er to stroll through the lantern market. How could one come out for the Lantern Festival and not stroll through the lantern market? She couldn't go, or she would have gone too.

Seeing his wife glance at him with a face full of anticipation, Ji Shao, who had originally planned to continue accompanying his Third Brother, did not speak again at this moment, tacitly agreeing.

After the group left, only Wushuang and Prince Wei remained in the private room.

"There are too many people outside, otherwise this Prince would have taken you out for a stroll as well."

Wushuang said, not caring at all, "Actually, watching from here is not bad either. We are high above, with a broad view. Look at this lantern market stretching into the distance, doesn't it look like a fire dragon..."

It was more than just a fire dragon. Although the lantern markets in the eastern and western cities of the capital were the largest, every household hung lanterns in front of their doors on this festive occasion. Wealthy families built lantern trees, while ordinary families lit two red lanterns. Tonight, the entire sky above the capital was illuminated.

The two leaned against each other by the window, looking outwards.

Wushuang saw Li Xin and the others come out first downstairs. Li Xin pulled Mei E's cloak tighter, Mei Chang half-raised her chin, and Chen Jin accompanied her, seemingly saying something.

She couldn't help but reveal a smile, and Prince Wei followed her gaze, his eyes also warming slightly.

He pulled Wushuang away from the window and had someone bring Wushuang's and his own cloaks, helping her put hers on before putting on his own.

"You all stay here, this Prince will take this Prince's Consort out for a stroll."

Fusheng was just about to say something when he saw His Highness embrace the Princess Consort and leave through the window.

The streets teemed with people, bustling and clamorous.

Everyone was watching the lanterns, so naturally, no one paid attention to what was above them. Some did catch a glimpse, but when they looked again, it was gone, and they thought it was just that there were too many lanterns, and their eyes were playing tricks on them.

[Despicable!] Ji Yang sneered inwardly.

[Where does this talk of 'despicable' come from?]

Ji Yang truly couldn't restrain himself and inwardly rebuked Prince Wei's 'despicable and sordid' actions.

He wasn't a fool. Seeing no movement, he went to ask Song You if he had taken care of the matter he had instructed. Song You didn't want to get involved in the affairs of these two, so he feigned surprise and said that His Highness had regretted it afterward and instructed him again, telling him to inform the Princess Consort that they were actually one person, so as to prevent the Princess Consort from being unable to accept it in her pregnant state.

Only then did Ji Yang understand that it was a mantis stalking a cicada, with Prince Wei, the oriole, behind them. Naturally, he also discovered the two 'spies,' An Yi and Fusheng, without mentioning it.

He appeared unaffected, but in truth, his heart was filled with resentment. Afterward, he indeed discovered that Prince Wei was constantly interpreting 'the two are one' at every moment. Just like that day, the first of the month, when he entered the palace, Prince Wei suddenly asked him to come out. He didn't react at the time, thinking that he would also admit defeat. Thinking about it afterward, wouldn't his actions precisely give Wushuang the illusion that the two were originally one person?

And just now, clearly, he was inwardly condemning him, urging him to go inside, saying he would take her to see the lanterns, but Prince Wei suddenly said he wanted to take the Princess Consort out for a stroll, and then switched him out again.

The crucial point was that he could only do as he was told, being led by the nose by him, which infuriated Ji Yang. He originally wanted to pretend to be unaffected and secretly compete with him, but now he couldn't pretend anymore and directly revealed the truth.

[You and I are originally one person. What mistake is there in what this Prince said?]

[…]

[Before, you acted without considering the consequences because this Prince was always there to clean up after you. Did you ever think about whether she could accept your talk of a dual-soul, whether she could accept marrying one person only to be told she was marrying two? Actually, I might as well tell you, long before you intended to reveal it, she sensed that you and I were different. It's just that she wasn't sure, dared not be sure. Once she was certain, she felt sorry for you, afraid of what you would think.]

[She knew all along?]

Prince Wei ignored him and continued, [She has a sensitive nature, keeping everything bottled up inside. Earlier this year, she was in low spirits, her mood depressed. Didn't you notice? She comes from a good family, and although the Mei family has treated her poorly, she is still well-read and knows propriety. How could she accept such things? It was fine before, when you were just being mischievous, this Prince could simply pretend not to know. But now she is pregnant and shouldn't be burdened with too much worry. If you want her to be well, you had best cooperate with this Prince and continue to play the part that the two of you are one. In truth, you and I are one, there's really no need to become estranged over some petty squabble.]

Having said these words, Prince Wei fell silent.

At that moment, Ji Yang also brought Wushuang to the top of a roof.

Fearing she would be frightened, he had covered her entirely with a cloak when he brought her out, and had her bury her face in his chest. Now that they were standing still, he lifted the cloak, allowing her to look out.

As expected, although the restaurant was well-situated, it was still not as good as being on a rooftop.

Above, the bright moon hung in the sky; below, the drums and music were clamorous, the crowds bustling. Rows upon rows of lanterns dazzled the eyes. On the streets, there were various food stalls, and people would stop from time to time to buy snacks, their eyes meeting in smiles that could not be concealed.

Some were performing the dragon lantern dance, others were walking on stilts, and still others were performing acrobatics and puppet shows. At one corner, someone was performing 'beating molten iron', where the iron liquid was mixed with sawdust and struck into the sky, forming a shower of iron sparks that flew downwards. The surrounding people all watched from a distance, clapping their hands as they watched.

“How lively! This is really beautiful!”

These were things that could never be seen from a private room.

“And there are people eating things. What are they eating?”

Ji Yang, having trained in martial arts, had sharp eyes and clear vision. He said, "They are eating sweet dumplings. Would you like to eat some?"

“Can I eat them?”

Since that incident in Cining Palace, when the bird's nest soup was poisoned, Wushuang had become particularly averse to outside food. Before, at Juxian Tower, the pastries and tea she and Wan Chun'er had eaten were all brought from the Prince Wei's mansion.

Ji Yang didn't bother to answer. He simply wrapped his arms around her and descended into the air.

Wushuang felt a darkness before her eyes, and in an instant, she opened them to find herself on the ground. Not far away, a small child stared blankly at the two of them and said, "A fairy."

The child's mother lowered her head and asked, "What fairy?"

The little child pointed at the two of them and said, "The fairy sister came down from the sky."

His mother looked over, but didn't see any fairy at all. She pulled the child forward and said, "There are no fairies. You must have seen wrong."

At this time, Mei Wushuang and Ji Yang had already departed.

Her face flushed, she said, "Fortunately, only a child saw us. You were far too careless. You should have found a more secluded place to descend."

With so many people, where could I find a secluded place?

He sheltered her in his embrace and walked towards a small stall selling sweet dumplings.

"One bowl of sweet dumplings."

"Alright, esteemed customer, please wait a moment," the old man selling sweet dumplings said.

Having spoken, he raised his head to look at the two of them, then hastily lowered it again to cook the sweet dumplings.

A bowl held six sweet dumplings, nestled within a coarse porcelain bowl.

Because the small stall was doing such brisk business, there were no empty seats. The old man mused that this pair, so beautiful, were clearly not ordinary people. He was just thinking of asking someone to move to make space, but when he turned his head again, the people and the sweet dumplings were gone, and a piece of gold had been left beside the stove.

The object was not large, small and delicate, yet a lustrous, golden yellow.

He hurriedly picked it up to examine it; it was a lifelike golden peanut.

Such an item, not to mention ordinary families, was rarely seen even in wealthy households; it was something only the extremely affluent possessed.

Truly noble people, this old man has met noble people today.

A neighboring stall owner leaned over and said, "Old Man Chen, what did those two noble people give you? I only saw a flash, and you, old as you are, were quick to hide it."

"I can't show this to you, it will be a family heirloom for my grandson in the future…"

On the other side, the two had returned to the rooftop.

He sat on the roof ridge, letting her sit on his lap to eat the sweet dumplings.

"So sweet, it has sesame and peanuts inside. You try some too." She scooped up a sweet dumpling and fed it to him.

One bowl of sweet dumplings, and half a bowl of the water it was cooked in, were eaten clean by the two of them.

After eating, Ji Yang casually tossed the bowl aside and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to see other places. At Hai Shi (9-11 PM), the Bureau of Ordnance will set off fireworks at the arch, Zhou Dang and Chen Jin will probably go, and your two half-sisters as well."

Initially, Wushuang did not understand why he was so certain that Zhou Dang and the others would go, but she later learned that the Bureau of Ordnance was under the jurisdiction of the Divine Mechanism Battalion, which in turn was managed by the Privy Council. Chen Jin held the position of Battalion Commander in the Divine Mechanism Battalion, specializing in the improvement of firearms.

The Bureau of Ordnance had actually been established for quite some time, initially with the aim of improving firearms. In the beginning, the effects of the improvements were not significant, but they managed to create quite a spectacle with gunpowder. In short, besides supplying gunpowder to the Divine Mechanism Battalion, the Bureau of Ordnance also produced most of the fireworks and firecrackers in the capital, which was a considerable source of income.

Upon reaching the vicinity of the decorated archway, Ji Yang deliberately chose a high vantage point, the rooftop of a wine tower approximately three stories high.

It was evident that many commoners knew there would be fireworks at Hai hour, as they flocked there in dense crowds. Wushuang even saw many nearby residents setting up ladders to climb onto their rooftops. However, the highest points in the vicinity were their location and the market tower, so others could not see them.

The crowd grew larger and larger. In front of the decorated archway, wooden fences had been erected, and more than a dozen soldiers stood behind them, preventing people from getting any closer.

Wushuang sat in his embrace, looking down, hoping to find Mei E and Mei Chang, or perhaps Wan Chun'er and the Eighth Prince, but there were simply too many people below, making it impossible to see clearly.

She did not realize that not far from them was the market tower of the East Market.

This market tower was located at the intersection of the East Market and another market lane, and it was also where the market officials kept watch. Ordinary people could not ascend it, but Li Xin was from the Five Cities Military Commission of the Eastern City, and Chen Jin was from the Divine Mechanism Battalion, which directly managed the Bureau of Ordnance. The people in charge of setting off the fireworks below were from the Bureau of Ordnance, so they had found a convenient place to watch the fireworks.

Not only were Li Xin and his three companions present, but Zhou Dang's family, Ji Shao, and Wan Chun'er were also there.

Earlier, as they came out, Li Xin and Chen Jin, wanting to curry favor with the Eighth Prince, had arranged to meet here before Hai hour to watch the fireworks. They had also invited Prince Wei, but 'Prince Wei' preferred to act alone.

"Second Sister, look, isn't that Third Sister and His Highness Prince Wei?" Mei E tugged at Mei Chang and whispered.

But her whisper, at least, could not escape the notice of Li Xin and Chen Jin beside her. Suddenly, all four of them looked in that direction, and the others also looked at the rooftop.

Wan Chun'er also saw them and said to Ji Shao, "Isn't that Third Sister-in-law and His Highness Prince Wei?"

"It really is!"

Ji Shao clicked his tongue. "Now I understand why Third Brother didn't come with us, it turns out he had a better place to be!"

Zhou Dang also clicked his tongue while smiling. "To think His Highness Prince Wei is usually so proper; when it comes to romance, he's far more skilled than the rest of us."

Zhou Dang's wife, Qiao shi, smiled and said, "Little do you know, it is precisely those who are usually proper who are the most tender when they indulge in romance."

Hearing these words, Mei Chang looked again at the two figures vaguely embracing on the rooftop and nodded involuntarily.

"What, do you also think those who are usually proper are good, and dislike those who are glib?" Chen Jin suddenly lowered his head and asked.

Mei Chang was caught off guard by how close he had moved his face. Her face flushed instantly, but how could Mei Chang show weakness in front of others? She glared at him playfully and whispered, "So you know you're glib!"

Just then, a cheer rose from below, followed by a 'whoosh—bang' sound, signaling the start of the fireworks.

This was the most beautiful scene Mei Wushuang had ever witnessed in her life; she was completely mesmerized.

Others had to crane their necks to look up, but she could simply gaze straight ahead.

Multicolored and dazzling, some fireworks resembled chrysanthemums, others silver serpents, and still others golden rain… The entire night sky was illuminated. Just as they reached their peak and began to dissipate, another burst of light erupted, and a vast expanse of fireworks cascaded down from the sky, forming a golden rain curtain, a beauty that left one breathless and filled with awe.

"So beautiful, so wonderful!"

She nestled in his embrace; she was watching the fireworks, and he was watching her.

So beautiful, so wonderful.

Two identical tones, simultaneously spoken within their hearts.