Yin Luochen arrived first.

It was quite remarkable; despite never having met Xu Moxiu before, in a street full of people, he actually managed to precisely strike up a conversation with him. It wasn’t until the couple Zhao Huanxi and Xu Nian’an arrived that they realized they were all relatives.

“Jiejie!” Xu Hui’an happily ran to her eldest sister’s side.

Xu Nianan didn’t see Xu Qi’an and asked Xu Huian, “Why didn’t Qi’an come?”

Xu Hui’an replied, “Yiniang didn’t let her come, saying that she’s getting married soon and needs to settle her mind.”

Xu Nian’an nodded. This Yiniang at home used to be her mother’s maid and has always been well-behaved and reliable.

The few people discussed and agreed to head north, passing through Zhouqiao to go to Yujie Street.

Yin Luochen walked side by side with Xu Moxiu, and Zhao Huanxi loudly exclaimed, “Oh, there are so many people on the street, don’t get lost!” After saying that, he held Xu Nianan’s hand.

Yin Luochen couldn’t help but chuckle at this and asked, “Why not hold my hand?”

Zhao Huanxi replied, “If you get lost, then just get lost.”

Everyone bursted into laughter.

Tonight, the market streets are truly bustling, with colorful lanterns hanging in front of major restaurants, illuminating the entire street as bright as daylight.

On both sides of the street, there’s a wide variety of goods and snacks for sale, with vendors calling out their wares incessantly. The streets are crowded with visitors, and in certain spots, crowds gather around various performances such as string puppetry, ball-and-stick play, children’s sumo wrestling, shadow plays, and more, attracting a large number of spectators.

Zhao Huanxi and Xu Nianan’s group followed the crowd, walking and observing along the way, finding quite a bit of amusement along the way.

Their group of handsome men and beautiful women attracted many glances as they walked along. Everyone they passed by couldn’t help but turn their heads to look at them.

“Wenlin, Wenlin!” As they were walking, they suddenly heard someone calling out.

Xu Moxiu stopped and looked around, only to see Lu Feng assisting an elderly woman standing by the side of the street.

He quickly led the group over.

“Lu Lao Furen,” all the younger generation members greeted Lu Lao Furen respectfully.

Lu Lao Furen smiled and waved off their formalities, then turned to Xu Huian, asking, “Junjun, are you out with family to see the lanterns?”

Xu Hui’an shyly nodded in agreement.

Lu Lao Furen then said to Lu Feng beside her, “Since we’ve run into Ah Xiu, you don’t need to escort me back. Go and stroll with them. Buy me two beautiful lanterns for little Junjun.”

Lu Feng nodded and replied, “I’ll escort you to the carriage then.”

Xu Moxiu and the others waited in place for Lu Feng. Upon his return, he was introduced to Zhao Huanxi and Yin Luochen.

“Where are you and Lu Lao Furen from?” Now that everyone was acquainted, Xu Moxiu walked alongside Lu Feng, asking as they strolled.

“We came from Yuxian Pavilion to see the lanterns. Among all the major restaurants in the city this Mid-Autumn Festival, Yuxian Pavilion put the most effort into their lantern decorations,” Lu Feng said.

“Is it far? If it’s not far, we’d like to go and see as well,” Zhao Huanxi said enthusiastically.

“Not far, just up ahead,” Lu Feng replied. Then, he added to Xu Moxiu, “Qiu Tong, Tan Tao, and a few others are still at the teahouse next to Yuxian Pavilion, having tea.”

Xu Moxiu chuckled, “They seem to be in high spirits.”

Before the group even reached Yuxian Pavilion, they could see from afar a large lantern scaffold erected in front of the building, adorned with countless colorful lanterns hanging from its roof. From a distance, they all appeared exceptionally exquisite.

“Lu Xiong, Xu Xiong, come up and have tea!” Someone called loudly from the second floor of the teahouse.

Xu Moxiu looked up and saw Qiu Tong and Tan Tao leaning against the railing of the second floor, watching them. He invited Zhao Huanxi and Yin Luochen, “Let’s go up and chat for a while.”

Yin Luochen readily agreed, “Sure.”

However, Zhao Huanxi felt a bit uncertain. He knew these people were all students from Canglan Academy, and he was afraid that his lack of scholarly knowledge might lead to awkwardness or even ridicule if he couldn’t keep up with their conversation.

Xu Nianan released his hand and said, “You should go, listen to what they’re talking about.”

“Then what about you?” Zhao Huanxi asked.

“I’ll go with my younger sister to see the lanterns up ahead. We won’t go far. Don’t worry,” Xu Nianan replied with a smile.

Zhao Huanxi still turned his head and looked at Xu Nian’an, hesitating to go. Yin Luochen placed both hands on his face, gently turned his head towards the teahouse, and pushed him inside, saying, “Don’t worry, you won’t get lost.”

They entered the teahouse. Xu Nian’an led Xu Hui’an, Xiaowei, and Mingli to the side and encountered the front of the Yuxian Pavilion, to watch the lanterns.

Under the lantern scaffold, it was packed with people, all praising the beautiful lanterns made by Yuxian Pavilion this time.

“Jiejie, look at that lantern at the top of the scaffold. It actually has two layers inside and outside, and it can spin apart. It’s so beautiful,” Xu Hui’an exclaimed, looking up at the highest lantern.

“Haiyo, young lady, you have a good eye. This is indeed this year’s Lantern King,” an elderly man nearby added.

Lantern King - the most impressive or grandest lantern among the displays.

“Lantern King? May One asks Bóbo, how does one earn the title of Lantern King?” Xu Hui’an asked.

The old man replied, “Look at all these people under the lantern scaffold. Aren’t they all waiting for the restaurant to announce this year’s rules for capturing the lantern?”

Xu Nian’an asked Xu Hui’an in a low voice, “Do you really want the Lantern King?”

Xu Hui’an nodded. “It’s really beautiful. If I bring it back for Mom to see, she’ll definitely love it too.” Then she glanced around under the lantern canopy and added, “But with so many people here, getting the Lantern King is probably very difficult. It depends on one’s fate.”

Xu Nian’an, seeing her younger sister sensible, comfortingly patted the back of her head, feeling satisfied.

On the other side of the lantern scaffold, Zhao Shuxian and Zhao Shutong were also looking at the Lantern King.

“So many people want to grab this Lantern King tonight; whoever gets it will certainly be in the spotlight. I heard that in previous years it was all about poetry and literature competitions, and this year should be no different. Er Ge is really annoying; he refuses to come no matter what. If he were here, the Lantern King would definitely be ours,” Zhao Shuxian whispered in complaint.

Zhao Shutong replied, “Only one person will ultimately get the lantern; the rest are just here to watch the excitement. Let’s just enjoy the spectacle as well.”

At that moment, amidst the murmurs of the crowd, a young girl’s voice suddenly rang out: “Where is the manager of Yuxian Pavilion? Ben Junzhu has bought this Lantern King.”

The term "本郡主" (běn jùn zhǔ) refers to oneself as "this princess" (or "this county princess"). The use of "本" (běn) is a formal way to refer to oneself in the first person, indicating the speaker's own title and status. So, "本郡主" is a way for the speaker to assert their authority and position as a county princess.

Everyone looked towards the source of the voice and saw a proud young girl dressed in palace attire standing out like a crane among the crowd outside the lantern scaffold, followed by many attendants.

"宫装" (gōng zhuāng) refers to palace attire or imperial court dress, which is the traditional, elaborate clothing worn by women in the imperial palace. This attire is often richly decorated, made from luxurious fabrics, and includes intricate embroidery and ornate accessories, reflecting the wearer's high status and nobility.

Xu Nian’an looked behind the young girl and saw a familiar face, Qian Ming.

She looked again at the girl who claimed to be a Junzhu. Could this be Qingxiang Junzhu?

A steward-like figure emerged from the tavern and approached Qingxiang Junzhu, bowing respectfully. He said, “Junzhu, please forgive this one. The lanterns at this shop can only be won through participating in our activities; they are not for sale.”

Qingxiang Junzhu frowned, “Such audacity! What if Ben Junzhu insists on buying it?”

The steward hesitated for a moment, maintaining his bow, and reiterated firmly, “Not for sale.”

Qingxiang Junzhu was about to get angry, and someone in the crowd expressed discontent: “Since the establishment of Yuxian Pavilion, every Mid-Autumn Festival and Lantern Festival, lanterns have always been given away, not sold. How can you force people to change this tradition?”

“That’s right, even the sages in the palace wear plain clothes during such festivals, only joining the people in joy. How can you spoil the mood like this? Which residence is this Junzhu from?”

Seeing someone take the lead, and following the principle that the law does not punish the masses, everyone began to criticize Qingxiang Junzhu one after another.

Qingxiang Junzhu was furious but realized she couldn’t argue against so many voices. She silently resented that this wasn’t her Fuwang’s fiefdom; if it were, she would have thrown these commoners into prison for a few days to teach them a lesson.

“Biao Yi, it’s hard to go against public anger,” Qian Ming is also annoyed with his stubborn and willful Biao Yi. Yet now that she was staying at his house, and his mother had repeatedly instructed him to take care of (watch over) her, he really had no choice.

After advising Qingxiang Junzhu for a few moments, he asked the restaurant steward, “Since it’s not for sale, how exactly can one obtain this lantern?”

The steward replied, “Gongzi, please don’t worry. The competition for the Lantern King will start shortly.”

On the second floor of the teahouse, Xu Moxiu and Lu Feng were chatting with their classmates about various topics when suddenly they heard the sound of drums coming from the neighboring building downstairs.

“The Lantern King event has started! Come on, let’s go see!” Tan Tao exclaimed.

As soon as he spoke, everyone stood up and went downstairs to watch the excitement in the next building.

Xu Moxiu, Lu Feng, Yin Luochen, and Zhao Huanxi were all remarkably handsome. When they stepped out together from the teahouse, they immediately caught the attention of many nearby women.

Qingxiang Junzhu hadn’t noticed them at first, but upon hearing the women around her exclaim, she followed their gaze towards the teahouse and immediately spotted Zhao Huanxi.

Even though the people around him were also good-looking, he stood out as the most handsome, capturing everyone’s attention with just a glance.

Qingxiang Junzhu truly loved his appearance, despite being publicly humiliated by him when he poured tea on her last time. This love couldn’t completely fade away; it had turned into a complex mixture of affection and resentment.

She stared intensely at Zhao Huanxi, his exquisitely perfect face shining under the bright lights, seeming to her more radiant and flawless than the full moon in the sky.

She watched as he walked over to a woman in the crowd with a small, delicate oval face and a strikingly beautiful appearance. He spoke to her intimately and gently brushed aside strands of hair that the wind had tousled on her cheek.

Qingxiang Junzhu felt a burning jealousy, her eyes stinging and her heart aching.

Due to the commotion, Zhao Shuxian and Zhao Shutong also noticed Zhao Huanxi and Xu Nian’an’s presence.

Zhao Shuxian saw Lu Feng walking alongside Xu Moxiu. He was taller than both Xu Moxiu and Zhao Huanxi, with a dignified and composed expression on his handsome face. His reserved and refined demeanor, despite being aloof, only made him more captivating.

Thinking about her upcoming marriage to him in just over three months, Zhao Shuxian couldn’t help but blush, sneaking glances at him through the crowd. She was afraid he would notice her, yet also afraid he wouldn’t.

Unfortunately, his gaze never swept in her direction; he simply nodded occasionally while conversing with his friends beside him.

Zhao Huanxi noticed Xu Nian’an and Xu Huian staring up at the Lantern King. He asked her, “Do you really want the Lantern King?”

Xu Nian’an nodded and said, “It’s very beautiful, isn’t it?”

“En, let’s see how we can win the Lantern King,” Zhao Huanxi replied.

The restaurant steward banged the drum for a while, seeing everyone gather around, then loudly announced, “Our restaurant’s Lantern King event for this year is officially beginning. The theme this year is ‘Fei Yue Ling’ (Yue=Moon). Everyone knows how to play ‘Fei Hua Ling’ (Hua=Flower), so today being the Mid-Autumn Festival, a moon character replaces the flower. The rule is simple: within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, there is no limit on the number of characters, and poetry, songs, and essays are not restricted, but they must be sourced. Whoever completes the final line of the ‘Fei Yue Ling’ before the incense burns out will win this Lantern King.”

飞花令 (Fei Hua Ling) is an ancient Chinese word game traditionally played during drinking sessions. Participants take turns reciting lines or composing seven-character poems where each poem must include the character 花 (flower). The game begins with the first player reciting a poem where 花 is the first character. The next player recites a poem where 花 is the second character, and so on, up to the seventh player where 花 is the seventh character. Upon completing this cycle, the next player starts again with 花 as the first character. If a player fails to recite a poem or makes a mistake, they are typically penalized by having to drink.

“This is quite interesting.”

“Yeah, it’s much simpler than the poetry and essay competitions we had in previous years.”

The crowd discussed enthusiastically.

Xu Moxiu turned to his classmates and said, “My older sister wants this Lantern King. So, I entrust the ‘Fei Yue Ling’ to all of you.”

Qiu Tong, Tan Tao, and the others all wore expressions of unwavering determination and replied, “Since it’s what your sister desires, we have no choice but to do our utmost.”