Un corazón puro en una vasija de jade

Capítulo 34

Lantern Festival date

The Lantern Festival in Kyoto is a lively affair every year. Wealthy families hang palace lanterns in front of their doors, their frames made of sandalwood, carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, and adorned with painted silk covers and jade pendants and silk tassels. Poorer families use bamboo frames to cover paper lanterns printed with floral, bird, and human figures. Middle-class families also use silk lanterns made of thin silk or gauze.

Their shapes varied, some simple and rustic, others magnificent and opulent. They transformed Kyoto into a city that never sleeps.

The lanterns in the Jihua Fang area are the most spectacular. Every flower-themed building has a variety of beautiful and colorful lanterns hanging under its eaves. The area is full of brothels, and on the Lantern Festival, the girls in the brothels dress up and lean against the beauty railings on the second floor and above, ignoring the cold wind, laughing and competing with the colorful lanterns in their own buildings.

The wealthy young men who were in love with the girls would often present them with lanterns as a gesture of goodwill at this time. The madam would then instruct someone to wait in the hall, and as soon as a lantern was presented, they would stick it in with a long pole and shout loudly, "Young Master Zhang presents Miss Tanxiang with a lantern for her whirlwind ride!"

A girl's clear laughter came from upstairs: "Thank you, young master!"

Over time, this practice became a means to rival brothels.

The Lantern Festival is a festival for Prince Duan and his wife.

Every year during the Lantern Festival, Prince Duan would take his princess on a trip to relive the romance of their childhood encounter. At this time, only guards would follow from a distance, not daring to disturb them.

Yi Hong and Lan Cui Yin'er were both clamoring to go see the lanterns. Yong Ye heard about Ji Hua Fang and his heart stirred, thinking of the Peony Courtyard. He gladly agreed to go see the lanterns with the three maids.

When he arrived at the flower market, he saw the three of them acting a little awkwardly, so he laughed and said, "We're just going to watch the fun, we're not going into the building, what are you afraid of?! I'm here for you."

The three of them blushed and agreed. Once inside the flower market, Yongye immediately spotted the three large characters for "Peony Courtyard." It turned out that this year, Peony Courtyard had spent a fortune building a lantern tower to create something new. A magnificent peony-shaped lantern bloomed in the center. This alone surpassed the other brothels. There were also more tourists watching the lanterns than elsewhere.

Yongye, accompanied by three maids, squeezed to the foot of the Peony Courtyard, just as she heard a servant in the courtyard calling out in a long, melodious voice, "Master Li is presenting Young Master Moyu with a plum blossom lantern."

With the sound, a colorful lantern several feet tall was hung under the eaves.

Yongye had seen lantern festivals before, but had never heard of plum blossom lanterns. Just then, he caught a faint scent of plum blossoms and, upon closer inspection, discovered that the lantern was decorated entirely with strings of plum blossoms. As the heat rose, the fragrance intensified, and he couldn't help but marvel at it. Looking upstairs, he saw a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old emerge, his gentle voice ringing out clearly: "Moyu thanks Master Li."

Just then, a portly old man strode into the building with an air of importance. Was he Master Li?

If he entered the Peony Courtyard, would he be like him? Yongye stared at Moyu, who exuded a scholarly air, with a clean face and eyes like black jade, without a trace of filth or dirtiness.

Men and men! A pot-bellied old man named Li Yuanwai and such a clean-cut young man! Yongye felt like he had bitten half a fly in his mouth and wanted to vomit.

"Young Master! The Prince and Princess are over there!" Yin'er, with her sharp eyes, tugged at Yongye's sleeve and said.

Yongye looked over and saw Princess Duan bending down to talk to a little girl, a gentle smile on her face. Prince Duan watched her from the side, his expression somber. Yongye's heart skipped a beat, noticing that the guards around them were standing about ten feet away. Knowing that Prince Duan was skilled in martial arts and could protect the princess, the guards were only there as a precaution.

He stared at them intently. He was their child, yet they were having an arranged marriage with a stranger's child. He used to be unable to speak, and their relationship had faded. Now, he stood before them, lively and energetic, yet they still felt a vast distance between them. Why? A vague thought jumped into Yongye's mind.

Seeing that Prince Duan and his wife continued to walk and watch the lanterns, he hurriedly said to Yihong and the others, "Wait for me here, I'll be right back."

"Young Master, where are you going?"

"I'll go buy you snacks." Yongye said and squeezed into the crowd, making the three maids jump up and down in a panic, but they couldn't find him in the crowd.

Yongye squeezed through the crowd to the little girl who had just spoken with the princess. Her father was roasting chestnuts. The little girl, about ten years old, was helping her father wrap the chestnuts. Yongye felt his purse, took out a silver bean, bought a bag of chestnuts, and said with a smile, "Your daughter is so sensible."

The man roasting chestnuts chuckled憨厚ly: "A noble lady just said the same thing. How can a poor family's daughter be like a pampered young lady!"

Yongye smiled and asked the little girl, "What else did that beautiful lady say to you?"

The little girl smiled sweetly: "She said she wonders if her child might also be working."

A sudden pang of sorrow welled up in Yongye's eyes. The Crown Prince was indeed not the biological son of Prince Duan and his wife. Recalling the gentle yet wounded look in Princess Duan's eyes, Yongye took out a purse and gently placed it in the girl's hand, saying softly, "This is for you. The chestnuts you roasted smell delicious!"

"Young master, you mustn't!"

Yongye had already turned and left.

Seeing him return, the three maids breathed a sigh of relief. Just as they were about to complain, Yongye handed them warm chestnuts: "Eat them while they're hot, they're very sweet."

The four of them ate chestnuts and watched the lanterns downstairs in the Peony Courtyard. Yongye stared intently at everyone who appeared on the upper floor of the Peony Courtyard, silently memorizing their appearances and mannerisms, and judging them one by one.

Just then, he felt someone rushing towards him. Yongye naturally took a step back, shielding Yin'er behind him. Looking up, a smile appeared on his face: "Greetings, Second Prince."

Li Tianrui wore a long purple-gold robe and a matching cloak, his face appearing particularly sinister under the lantern light. He was accompanied by two guards, clearly skilled in martial arts. A sarcastic smile played on Li Tianrui's lips: "What, is the young master enjoying the lanterns alone? Not with his royal uncle?" He tapped his head, as if suddenly realizing something, "I almost forgot, on this day, the royal uncle is only with his royal aunt."

“Walking hand in hand under the lanterns is a day that Father and Mother should cherish, and Yongye has no intention of spoiling the mood.” Yongye smiled serenely.

Li Tianrui hadn't angered him, but he was still annoyed. He looked up and saw the male prostitutes leaning on the balustrade of the Peony Courtyard. He raised his chin and laughed, "What is Young Master Moyu? If Yongye were to stand on that building, all the young masters would pale in comparison!"

Yongye was feeling nauseous, and upon hearing Li Tianrui's words, his face darkened: "Yihong and Cuiyin'er, let's go back to the manor!"

The three maids were also furious when they heard this. Knowing that they couldn't afford to offend Li Tianrui, they all turned pale and walked out.

Li Tianrui stepped in front of Yongye and laughed, "Look at you, you look so handsome when you're angry. No wonder Rose is so attached to you. Even a six-year-old girl is so infatuated with you. When you grow up, you'll probably be the most handsome young master in the capital."

Seeing his repeated provocations, Yongye suppressed his anger, lowered his head and walked away, but Li Tianrui blocked his way to the left and right.

"Your Highness, it's embarrassing for everyone to make a scene in the street. How about we find a quiet place to have a proper chat?" Yongye said calmly.

Li Tianrui looked at Yongye curiously. He barely reached Yongye's chest; how could he have such courage? He laughed loudly, "Alright! Where to?"

Yongye casually pointed to the alley behind the flower shop.

Yi Hong tensed up and nudged Yin'er. Yin'er, quick-witted, turned and ran into the crowd to hurry back to the manor to report the news.

Yongye stopped at the alley entrance: "One-on-one, do you dare?"

Li Tianrui chuckled twice and ordered, "You all stay here."

"Young Master!"

"His Highness just wants to chat with me and doesn't want others to hear. You all wait here for me, I'll be out in a bit." After saying that, Yongye walked into the alley.

Seeing that Li Tianrui's guards and the women with their concubines were nowhere to be seen, Yongye looked at the location and laughed, "Does the Second Prince really want to beat me up?"