HMHSE - 100

“Young Mistress, how about wearing this soft, crimson brocade skirt and top to the Heavenly Longevity Festival?” Zirui presented a set of clothes to Shenrong.

Shenrong sat in her room. She gave a quick response without looking at the clothes, deep in thought.

Zirui noticed this. Remembering how she had been like this often after a recent outing, she reminded her softly, “The young master is waiting outside.”

Shenrong came back to her senses and got up to change. “This one is fine.”

The Heavenly Longevity Festival had arrived, and this year was much more lively than the last. It was said that to celebrate the peace in the country, the Emperor had permitted several foreign dance troupes and musicians to perform in the eastern market all night long, showing that he was celebrating with the people. Naturally, high-ranking officials and nobles would also attend the ceremony.

She had forgotten about it until Sun Xin mentioned it.

Zirui helped her put on the skirt and top, tying the high waist and draping the flowing, light silk over her arms.

Shenrong left the room. Sun Xin was indeed waiting outside in a moon-white robe. He seemed to have been waiting for a while. Seeing her, he said, “Finally, you don’t have to find an excuse to go out today.”

Shenrong smiled faintly and said nothing.

She didn’t need to go out anymore; Shan Zong had arrived.

The sky was just beginning to darken, but the main street was already bustling. Lamps were hung early, making the city as bright as day.

Upon reaching the prosperous eastern market, people were everywhere, and carriages couldn’t even enter. They had to stop far away.

Shenrong got out of the carriage and walked with Sun Xin through the crowd. Not long after, someone came over and greeted Sun Xin with a big smile.

It was an official from a prominent family. Everyone in the city knew that the Sun family had made a great contribution through the mine and had been rewarded. Naturally, many people wanted to talk to them and make connections.

Sun Xin smiled as he dealt with them, while shaking his hand behind his back, afraid that Shenrong would find it annoying, motioning for her to go ahead.

Seeing this, Shenrong took Zirui and Donglai and walked forward. As she passed a restaurant on the street, she saw Pei Yuanling, dressed in a dark blue robe and with a graceful demeanor, standing at the door. With two or three servants behind him, he waved and smiled at her.

She walked over and called out, “Big Cousin.”

“I was waiting for you,” Pei Yuanling said, inviting her to walk with him. As they walked, he pointed to the restaurant beside them. “I used to come here often with Chongjun, but I wonder how he is now.”

The servants and guards behind them shielded them from the pushing crowd. Shenrong followed his steps slowly. “I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you, Big Cousin. I only know that he is in Chang’an; I know nothing else.”

Pei Yuanling glanced at her and sighed. “I’ve long suspected that he was carrying a burden. After all, I never saw him unhappy with you. He just suddenly divorced and left the family. I never expected it to be so serious that it would lead to an investigation by the Emperor. Are you out today to listen for news among these nobles?”

Shenrong looked at the bustling street and frowned slightly. “I’m afraid there won’t be any news.”

The Emperor had personally conducted the trial. The results might only be known to the Emperor and Shan Zong himself.

“What news are you and Ah Rong talking about, Big Cousin?” Just as he said this, Sun Xin caught up to them.

Pei Yuanling smiled. “Nothing.”

They exchanged a few more pleasantries and gradually reached a wide, tall platform.

The wooden platform was a person’s height, covered with carpets from the western regions. On top were mostly nobles in luxurious clothes, with servants attending to them. They stood in groups of three or five, chatting.

The surrounding area was brightly lit, and people from all neighborhoods and streets had flocked there. This platform was specially built for the nobles to watch the ceremony, so they wouldn’t be squeezed.

There were people from the Pei family on it as well. Shenrong had already seen her cousin, Sun Lan. She was probably cold, wearing a cloak and standing gracefully. She called out to them, “Come up quickly.”

Pei Yuanling was the first to ascend the stairs. He spoke a few words to his wife and then, with his hand on her arm, greeted other familiar officials and nobles. When he turned around, Sun Xin and Shenrong had also come up, one after the other.

“Ah Rong, why haven’t I seen you since you’ve been back?” Sun Lan came over and took Shenrong’s arm, asking with a smile.

Shenrong could only say, “I’ve been busy with some things.”

Just as she finished, someone on the street shouted loudly, “The Emperor is here! The Emperor is here!”

Shenrong was startled. She turned to look. The people on the street were already rushing toward the source of the sound, and even many of the nobles on the platform went as well.

On a turret in the distance, a row of Imperial Guards stood in front of the railing. In the center was the young, slender figure of the Emperor, his bright yellow robe glowing under the lights. His face was not clearly visible, but they could see him personally light a sky lantern for good fortune and release it into the sky.

Then a palace attendant brought a tray. He took it and scattered the contents, and coins fell like snow.

The people below scrambled to pick them up for good luck, offering congratulations and laughing happily.

Shenrong watched the young Emperor finish this on the turret. He stood for a moment, then quickly turned and left.

Could he have come out to celebrate with the people because Shan Zong’s matter was resolved?

Just thinking this, her heart began to pound uncontrollably.

After the Emperor’s blessing, a bright array of sky lanterns rose into the air from all over the street.

“Ah Rong, look over there,” Sun Lan said, patting her hand.

Shenrong’s mind was still wandering. She asked casually, “Look at what?”

Across the street, sky lanterns for good fortune floated in the air, some high, some low. Ropes connected them to wooden stakes on the ground.

Sun Lan smiled. “Those lanterns for sale. I wonder if anyone will send a lantern over. I heard Mother is already considering my brother’s marriage, so someone might send one to him.”

Sending a sky lantern was an unspoken sign of affection between young men and women.

Sun Xin, who was nearby, coughed awkwardly. “Sister, why are you making fun of me? I’m not interested in those.”

He then secretly glanced at Shenrong.

Sun Lan looked at the other nobles and said with a smile, “Look for yourself. Ever since you came up, countless nobles with daughters have been looking at you. You’re not young anymore, and the Sun family will need you to carry on its legacy. How can you not be interested?”

Sun Xin rubbed his forehead, his frustration evident. He glanced at Shenrong and said, “Maybe they’re looking at Ah Rong.”

Sun Lan remembered the incident with Shan Zong. Feeling a bit sentimental, she looked at Shenrong. “That’s true. Now that the Sun family is in great favor with the Emperor, Ah Rong must also have many eligible young men watching her.”

Shenrong said faintly, “I’m definitely not an option.”

Sun Xin was startled. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not an option, that’s what it means.”

Pei Yuanling, standing next to Sun Xin, also looked at Shenrong. In her crimson robe, with the lamplight illuminating her face, she was dazzlingly beautiful. Many people were indeed looking at her.

“That’s right, the Sun family is in great favor with the Emperor now,” he said suddenly. “For some people, it’s probably even more difficult.”

Shenrong gently turned her eyes away, knowing who he was talking about.

At the very peak of her family’s glory, she was thinking about the most down-and-out person, the one who was shackled and brought to the capital...

Sun Xin understood a bit of what was being said. He looked toward the nobles, just as he saw someone approaching with a lantern. He changed the subject. “Look closely, Sister. It’s a man. It must be for Ah Rong.”

Just as he finished, he saw the person walking closer and was surprised. “Second Cousin?”

Pei Shaoyong walked over with a lantern in his hand, looking at Shenrong. “Ah Rong, I thought you wouldn’t come today.”

He had obviously just arrived. He was in plain clothes, and his face was slightly red from the cold wind.

Shenrong glanced at him. “Haven’t you been to the palace all this time, Second Cousin?”

Pei Shaoyong smiled reluctantly, hearing her ask about this right away. “Yes.”

He knew she had been to the official guesthouse but didn’t say anything, pretending not to know.

“Nothing... happened in the palace,” he continued, and then smiled again, a hint of comfort in his expression.

There was no news from the palace. Shan Zong was secretly brought to the capital, and the outcome might not be good.

Shenrong looked at the street full of lights and said softly, “Nothing happening might be a good thing.”

Pei Shaoyong was speechless for a moment. He remembered the lantern in his hand and lifted it. “Ah Rong, I brought a lantern. I’ll have someone release it for you, as a blessing.”

He then handed it to a servant who was waiting behind him.

The people around them were all looking at him. He had noticed, especially Sun Xin, whose eyes were full of astonishment.

But for him, this was a rare opportunity to be with Shenrong.

Shenrong said nothing. Pei Shaoyong watched the servant release the lantern. When he turned back, he realized she wasn’t speaking because her eyes were already on the street.

He then saw her walk past him to the edge of the platform.

Across the street, a group of acrobats had gathered next to a tavern, accompanied by a huqin player. A small boy popped out from the crowd, clapping his hands. A tall, robust figure flashed past him.

Shenrong stood at the edge of the platform and watched. Was that Hu Shi’er?

“Ah Rong!” Sun Lan suddenly called out to her.

Shenrong turned around and saw her pointing to the sky. She looked up. The lantern Pei Shaoyong had just had released was flying in mid-air, but half of its flame had gone out at some point, and its ascent slowed.

Even Pei Shaoyong looked up in surprise.

Then a soft whistle pierced the air. The pine resin plate at the bottom of the lantern fell off and was caught by a hand that reached out below. The lantern seemed to have broken as well and fell completely.

Shenrong followed its descent. In the surging crowd on the street, a man in a black Hu-style tunic, tightly bound, threw the pine resin plate onto the ground. His boots stamped out the remaining embers. He put away a small crossbow in his hand, gave it to Hu Shi’er, who was standing behind him, and took a new lantern from Hu Shi’er, walking with it.

He walked through the crowd, through the noise, and went straight to the bottom of the platform. He looked up at Shenrong, held up the sky lantern in his hand, and with a smile on his lips, said, “Release mine.”

The area around them seemed to fall silent. Countless pairs of eyes on the platform were looking at them.

Shenrong looked at him. After a first glance, she looked again, confirming that it was indeed him. She leaned down to take the lantern, feeling her heart pound rapidly.

More people were walking through the crowd.

Hu Shi’er, holding a sky lantern, reached the platform. He faced the platform, his dark face looking up, and shouted loudly, “By the order of Shan Zong, the Youzhou Provincial Commander, I have brought a lantern for Young Lady Sun!”

The sky lantern was placed at Shenrong’s feet. He let go, and the lantern flew up on its own.

Bo Zhong walked up from behind, placing a sky lantern at her feet. “First Cavalry, by the order of Shan Zong, the Youzhou Provincial Commander, I have brought a lantern for Young Lady Sun.”

Then came Pang Lu, who put down his lantern, his voice slightly hoarse and weathered. “Ninth Cavalry, by the order of Shan Zong, the Youzhou Provincial Commander, I have brought a lantern for Young Lady Sun.”

Behind him was Luo Chong, his white scar twitching, his smile a little frightening. After putting down his lantern, he still said as instructed, “Fourteenth Cavalry, by the order of Shan Zong, the Youzhou Provincial Commander, I have brought a lantern for Young Lady Sun.”

Even further back, more cavalry commanders walked up. “Thirty-ninth Cavalry, by the order of Shan Zong, the Youzhou Provincial Commander, I have brought a lantern for Young Lady Sun...”

One by one, the lanterns were placed at Shenrong’s feet and rose into the air, their lights illuminating her and then fading away.

In the lamplight, Shenrong looked at the man standing by the platform, who was staring at her the whole time. Her heart was numb from the pounding as she looked at the roguish smile on his lips.

People behind them were already whispering, and even on the noisy street, people were stopping to watch.

Sun Lan, watching this scene, was so astonished she could barely speak. “He...”

Pei Yuanling smiled. “Don’t you recognize him? It’s the great young master Shan.”

He had returned so directly to the sight of everyone in Chang’an, as flamboyant as before.

The deafening sound of music came from the street in the distance. The performing dance troupe and musicians had arrived, and countless people were cheering.

Suddenly, the area around them became congested.

Shenrong saw Shan Zong hold out his hand to her and say, “Come down.”

She let go of the lantern in her hand, which flew up. She held her skirt and walked toward the stairs.

The platform also became noisy. As the music on the street grew deafening, the people on the platform finally remembered the purpose of their visit, or perhaps they deliberately pretended to only want to watch the music and dancing. They all walked to the edge of the platform, and the people on the street were pushed and surged toward the platform. Shenrong was blocked after only a few steps.

Shan Zong still held out his hand to her, smiling. “I told you to come down directly.”

Shenrong vaguely remembered him saying these words before, when they had fallen into the mountain’s belly and he had told her to jump down from the cave. He had said the same thing.

She glanced to the sides. Zirui and Donglai were blocking the back for her.

Taking advantage of the crowd, she reached out her hand to him and descended into his dimly lit world.

The melodious sound of the Huqin echoed. The crowd was like a sea of waves.

Shenrong landed steadily in the man’s arms, holding on to his shoulders.

Sun Xin, who had been shocked for a long time, realized the crowd was surging and immediately went to the edge of the platform to find his sister. He couldn’t see anything, only catching a glimpse of Shenrong’s crimson skirt disappearing through the sea of people, tightly held by the fierce black figure, as they left the crowd.

Pei Shaoyong stood at the edge of the platform, watching the two of them leave. From that moment until now, there seemed to be no one else in Shenrong’s eyes. His heart sank, like the sky lantern that failed to fly into the sky.

“You’re okay?” Shenrong asked with an unsteady breath in a dark corner.

Shan Zong lifted his head from her neck, holding her tightly. In the deafening noise, he whispered in her ear, “Right now, you are the most important thing to me.”