Chapter 147: Lantern Riddles
Fan Lou covered nearly four mu, was three stories high, and five floors were connected, offering all forms of entertainment, being warm and not crowded, truly a good place for the wealthy and powerful to enjoy themselves.
The acrobatic performances inside the hall were lively, with performers balancing long poles on their shoulders, allowing another slender performer to climb to the top of the pole and strike various difficult poses, eliciting rounds of applause.
Xiao Yi thought that these two would be very suitable for standing guard in the military, able to survey from any vantage point.
Pulled by Guo Xin, he ascended to the third floor of the South Tower and saw beautiful lanterns stretching along the corridor. Below the lanterns hung riddle slips, and Li Chongjin was accompanying Ma Shi as they viewed the lanterns, looking around listlessly.
“Look, shall we try guessing the lantern riddles later?”
“Okay.”
Xiao Yi stopped at the opportune moment and said, “I need to find the shopkeeper to discuss something first.”
Guo Xin then released his hand and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“To book a private room for a friend.”
“It’s hard to book tonight, should I ask brother-in-law to help?”
“Probably not necessary.”
Xiao Yi walked to the railing and beckoned, intending to find a shop assistant to invite the shopkeeper over. Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper arrived behind him shortly.
“Greetings, Xiao Lang.”
“You actually remember me?”
“The owner has always wanted to thank Xiao Lang for helping to coin a new shop name, which is catchy and has greatly improved business. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the chance.”
Xiao Yi knew that Yan Jinqing had been looking for an opportunity to be reinstated.
But he himself had no chance of merit for the time being and did not wish to be involved in further matters, so he did not pursue the topic, saying, “I have two friends who want to book a private room, but are they full?”
“Since Xiao Lang is here, there are always rooms available. On the third floor of the East Tower is the Guiyue Pavilion, I will lead the way.”
Descending the stairs again, Xiao Yi saw Li Zhaoning and An Yuanzhen still outside looking at the Ao Shan Lanterns, their cheeks red from the cold. He asked the shopkeeper to bring two hand warmers.
“Hurry inside.”
“Are there any seats left?”
“We happen to have one private room left.”
An Yuanzhen said, “But a familiar acquaintance of You Niang just said they would help us book seats, should we wait for him?”
Li Zhaoning said, “No need to mind him.”
A stout man in brocade outside the door immediately became displeased and said, “Damn shopkeeper, this is bullshit, isn’t it? I’ve been waiting for two hours!”
The shopkeeper quickly signaled a shop assistant to go and appease him, then led Xiao Yi around the main hall and up the East Tower.
“Make way, honored guests are ascending the tower.”
Xiao Yi felt his collar being pulled and looked back, only to see An Yuanzhen holding the left hem of his robe.
Then, Li Zhaoning grabbed his right clothes corner.
There was no choice, he dragged the two of them all the way into the private room. Fortunately, they were not heavy.
Next to the private room were two adjoining rooms, provided for guards and maids to rest.
Pushing open the carved wooden door, a faint scent of pine entered his nose. A bronze charcoal stove stood in the corner, emitting warmth, which was very comfortable. Around the screen, the small pavilion was open on both sides. The west side had a wooden railing, allowing a view of the performances in the main hall, while the east side had a window overlooking the lights of the Imperial Street. A square table was laid with pastries and snacks. On a small table beside it was a copper basin, with hot water steaming, and a fuzzy cloth for drying hands hung nearby.
“Great, Xiao Yi, I like it here, the arrangements are good.”
As soon as An Yuanzhen entered, she looked around, sat down on the low couch, and beckoned her palace servants to massage her feet, asking, “Are there any guest rooms here for accommodation?”
The shopkeeper quickly replied, “Yes, our establishment has guest rooms in the South Tower. If the esteemed guest wishes for even better accommodation, we also have posthouses with courtyards to the west.”
“Xiao Yi, if I donate some more money, can I move out? I really don’t want to live in Tai Ping Palace anymore.”
“That’s not within my purview.”
Xiao Yi secretly thought that she was too careless with her words, and now Yan Jinqing would definitely know that he had contact with the Empress.
“You two sit here for a while, I’ll accompany the Military Head first.”
Li Zhaoning said, “I’ll escort you. I want to see the lantern riddles in the corridor.”
“Okay.”
The two of them left the private room. Behind them, An Yuanzhen let out a “Hey” and wanted to follow, but was held by her palace servants’ feet.
The East Tower and South Tower were connected by a long corridor, with lanterns like a galaxy.
Li Zhaoning looked up, her lips slightly parted, and softly recited the lantern riddles.
“Two rows of distant trees reflect in the mountains, a single light boat flows on the water… the character is ‘hui’. These are all too simple, they won’t stump you.”
“Don’t worry, there isn’t anything here that I can’t guess.”
Li Zhaoning covered her mouth and smiled, chiding, “Looking at your confidence, I thought you were going to say there was nothing that could stump you.”
“After all, I am just a martial man.”
“Then I’ll give you a simple one.”
Li Zhaoning walked and looked, approaching the South Tower, and saw a riddle slip swaying. She stood on tiptoe and reached out to steady it, but her sleeve fell, revealing a section of her fair arm.
“Oh.”
She quickly retracted her hand, pulled down her sleeve, and lowered her head in embarrassment.
Xiao Yi then took down the riddle slip, handed it to her, and smiled, “It seems you’ve been stumped by this one?”
Li Zhaoning glanced at it, composed herself, and said, “This one is simple, you guess it.”
“Ten years of longing… I can’t guess it.”
“It’s a common object of yours.”
“A common object of mine?”
“A reminder: ‘Bells, drums, delicacies, and jade are not precious; I only wish to be drunk forever and not wake again.’ The answer is in this line of poetry.”
“Is it… the drum?”
“So clever.”
With this compliment, Li Zhaoning suddenly reached out and gently patted his head.
Xiao Yi was taken aback.
Li Zhaoning keenly caught something and asked, “You don’t like others touching your head?”
“Yes, I don’t like it.”
“Because you are a spirited horse, a wild horse, you hate being tamed?”
Li Zhaoning reached out again.
Xiao Yi grabbed her hand and made it clear with his eyes that he did not like being patted on the head.
Li Zhaoning hesitated and asked softly, “Then, if I still consider myself your mistress, would you be angry?”
“Yes.”
They looked at each other for a moment. She seemed to want to challenge him, but in the end, she lowered her head and said with slight displeasure, “Tsk, you can’t take a joke.”
With her playful demeanor, the slight tension from before vanished.
Li Zhaoning suddenly pointed to another riddle slip and said, “Look, this riddle is quite fitting.”
Xiao Yi looked and saw it read “Show off your skills before your man,” and he couldn’t help but smile slightly, saying, “It really is fitting.”
“Can you guess it?”
“I can’t guess it.”
“Jun.”
“Huh? What character is that?”
“Give me your hand.”
Li Zhaoning suddenly pulled his hand and lightly drew a character on his palm with her index finger.
It was a little ticklish, and his nose caught her faint scent. His gaze fell upon her fluttering eyelashes, concealing eyes that held autumn water.
Just then, Li Zhaoning finished the last stroke, seemingly unable to hide her shyness, she turned, leaving only a beautiful back.
“I forgot about Wan Niang, see you later.”
Xiao Yi stood stunned in place.
After a moment, he turned, and a person walked out from around the corner.
It was An Yuanzhen.
“Why are you here?”
“Naturally, I circled around. Hmph, you are truly wicked.”
“How am I wicked?”
“I saw it all just now. You clearly know that You Niang is in love with you, yet you refuse to speak first.”
Saying this, An Yuanzhen walked closer and extended a finger, intending to press his forehead, tapping it twice, but didn’t dare to actually poke him.
Finally, she snorted again and said, “I see through your wicked intentions. You dislike marrying her because her family has declined, and you want to wait for her to propose becoming your concubine. How awful!”
Xiao Yi didn’t actually dislike Li Zhaoning’s family background; it was just that after experiencing more, he wasn’t easily infatuated and didn’t feel that anyone was indispensable.
Whoever becomes infatuated first has to concede more. He did not intend to be the one manipulated.
“Not necessarily. I’m afraid the affection I can give won’t satisfy Li Xiao Niang Zi.”
“I understand. She wants your whole heart, but you want to share it with others, don’t you?”
An Yuanzhen let out a scoff and whispered in his ear, “So, the Empress Dowager doesn’t want your sincerity, only your body, and you’ll give it to her?”
Xiao Yi rubbed his nose.
He hadn’t expected that An Yuanzhen, who seemed a bit slow-witted, would be so perceptive.
“What? Not speaking? I guessed it, ha, you dog man.”
Xiao Yi found her a bit arrogant and stared at her for a while until she turned her head away, not daring to meet his gaze.
“What? Have you nothing to say to me? Do you want to eat me?”
“You Niang will come looking for you soon if she doesn’t see you when she returns.”
“We haven’t done anything, can’t I be with you?”
“There are rumors in the capital, haven’t you heard?”
“Truly wronged,” An Yuanzhen pouted and mumbled, “Anyway, we are innocent, let others believe it or not.”
“Better to be careful, especially in such circumstances.”
“I refuse. I’m going to tell You Niang that you flirted with me, to make her give up, so she doesn’t get bullied by you anymore.”
Xiao Yi was not afraid of such threats and found An Yuanzhen quite amusing.
Just then, Li Chongjin’s loud shouting came from the South Tower.
“He must be hiding to drink. Just ask the shopkeeper to call him.”
Xiao Yi then said, “Go ahead.”
“I’ll really tell her.”
“Farewell.”
He casually waved his hand, turned, and returned to the private room in the South Tower, just as Guo Xin walked out of the carved door.
She had probably had a drink, her pretty face slightly flushed, displaying a different kind of beauty.
Xiao Yi was overwhelmed.
“Why did you go for so long?”
“I chatted with a friend for a while. And you? Why did you come out?”
“Who told you to leave me to watch them as couples? If I had known, I would have gone with you to pick up your friends. Let’s go guess lantern riddles.”
Xiao Yi had just guessed riddles and was about to suggest other activities.
Li Chongjin also came out, laughing loudly, “Lantern riddles are great, everyone come, let’s see who can guess the most.”
Zhang Yongde and Guo Siniang both smiled slightly and waved their hands.
Ma Shi showed a look of helplessness and waved her hand.
Xiao Yi noticed all of this. Li Chongjin, however, said, “Madam, why are you waving? Come on.”
“Let’s guess. Let’s see how many the young master can guess.”
Suddenly, a clear voice came from the west side of the corridor, “May I also join in guessing the lantern riddles?”
Turning his head, he saw that it was Wang Chengxun.
Xiao Yi felt he looked more handsome than usual. Upon closer inspection, he realized he had applied powder and had a large red flower stuck in his hair, wondering where he had plucked it from in this cold weather.
Wang Chengxun’s arrival immediately changed the atmosphere.
Li Chongjin seemed to be competing, and before Wang Chengxun could look at the riddles, he covered the slips with his hand and shouted, “Wait, we have to look together. I’ll count to three.”
As he counted, he let Guo Xin and Ma Shi look first, then he looked, and then he let Xiao Yi look, without letting Wang Chengxun see.
Wang Chengxun, with a sneer on his face, calmly raised his hand and said, “You all guess first. If you can’t guess, I will.”
Xiao Yi watched the two of them perform like acrobats and didn’t know what to say, drifting into a daze, wondering how much it cost to book a private room at Fan Lou.
Now that only Zhang Wan was considered his woman, spending her money on outsiders, the only person he felt he wronged was Zhang Wan.
Suddenly, he was stepped on by a small embroidered shoe.
“What are you thinking about?” Guo Xin pulled his shoulder and whispered, “Do you know the answer to this riddle?”
“Jun.”
“Huh? Write it on my hand.”
Xiao Yi looked down and saw her extend her palm behind her back.
He hesitated for a moment, feeling that this little girl seemed much more proactive tonight than before… Guo Xin kicked him again.
He quietly extended his finger and wrote the answer.
“I guessed it, it’s the character ‘jun’. I’m one step ahead. Let’s guess the next one.”
Amidst a round of admiration, Xiao Yi quietly wrote the character “gu” on Guo Xin’s palm.
He knew all these lantern riddles.
In the end, it was Guo Xin who won.
This earned her much praise from Wang Chengxun and Li Chongjin.
“Wu Niang truly has a brilliant and virtuous heart. I humbly bow to your skill.”
“Do I need to say it? Wu Niang has always been intelligent and witty.”
Ma Shi, with a meaningful smile, said, “Wu Niang seems to have divine assistance. Congratulations on taking the lead.”
Guo Xin was still not satisfied. She turned to Xiao Yi and said, “Praise me a little, too.”
“So, Wu Niang is not only skilled at Cuju, backgammon, cuju, and archery, but also a master at guessing lantern riddles. She can be called the ‘Five Excellences’.”
“Bah.”
Although Guo Xin pretended to be angry, her eyes curved with joy, and she whispered, “As for the other four excellences, I am truly formidable.”
