Su Majestad - Capítulo 32
In previous years, this task was simply assigned to servants to prepare, but this year Tang Qiefang is doing it herself.
He worked very quickly, sometimes even working through the night. The next morning, servants would carry piles of lanterns out of his room. Sometimes, when he was tired, he would fall asleep among the lanterns.
Chapter Sixty
He no longer cared about his clothes; he would forget to change his robes when they were wrinkled, and he rarely wore his jeweled headdress. Instead, he would let his hair down and make lanterns one by one.
His lips were bright red, his face was pale, and the redness around his eyes seemed to be getting heavier and heavier, sometimes making him look like an actor in makeup.
When he got tired, he would go into the room where he kept his disguises, close the door, and stay there all night.
Nobody knows what he's doing inside.
The maids of Fuxiao Pavilion felt his change most deeply. The original Tang Qiefang was not like this. The original Tang Qiefang loved to laugh and be lively, knew how to enjoy life and appreciate pleasures. Laughter was everywhere in Fuxiao Pavilion.
Winter is truly cold at Fuxiaoxuan these days.
Tang Qiefang stood in front of the mirror and saw her own face.
Sometimes I suddenly don't recognize myself. Is this Tang Qiefang's face?
He slowly applied the disguise drug to his face, and the face in the mirror gradually changed, slowly revealing a gentle appearance.
He smiled.
Tie up your loose hair.
Ah, the person before me is Tang Congrong. His disguise skills are ten times better than Yue Shenhong's; even his eyes are incredibly lifelike, exuding an air of nonchalance.
"Calm down, calm down, who can make you look more like me?" he whispered to the mirror. "In about ten days, it will be your birthday, you will be twenty years old. The seven thousand three hundred lanterns are almost finished."
"What have you been busy with lately? I heard that a man named Qinghe has been coming and going from Tingshui Pavilion. He is one of the Ninth Prince's men. Are you planning to interfere in the affairs of the court?" "Winter is really cold. You haven't left Tingshui Pavilion all winter. That's good, you won't see me."
A thin mist suddenly welled up in the corners of his eyes. "...If you saw me now, you definitely wouldn't recognize me."
His hand stroked his face in the mirror.
The mirror surface was cold.
Like a calm hand.
So the cold is bearable.
"I'm going crazy... I've gone crazy..." He looked down, down at the person in the mirror, "Congrong, I'm really going crazy..."
On the birthday of the Tang Clan patriarch, guests flocked to the area.
On this day every year, the Tang Clan gathers the most outstanding figures in the martial arts world.
Tang Congrong sat at the head table, wrapped in a fox fur coat. To his left was Tang Yuchang, and to his right was Tang Yuzhe.
There is no Tang Qiefang.
Even members of the Tang Clan have rarely seen Tang Qiefang in the past six months.
Like all banquets, everyone drank and talked about life and the world, but once the play started, Tang Congrong left the table.
Actually, he really dislikes those noisy and bustling places.
The wind outside was as cold as it had been in previous years, but no one was there to pull him inside to warm himself by the fire.
Tang Congrong exhaled a puff of white steam. Before he even reached the Listening to the Water Pavilion, he suddenly heard a "pop" and a firework shot into the night sky and exploded.
Listen to the direction of the waterside pavilion, and the sky is filled with red light.
Tang Congrong was suddenly startled and quickly flew out of the Listening Water Pavilion.
Fireworks were set off continuously.
One after another.
It was like a continuous meteor shower.
Lanterns, red lanterns, hung all over the eaves of the Listening to the Water Pavilion, and were placed all over the stone steps and windows.
The warm red glow of lanterns and the dazzling fireworks were reflected in the water.
For thirteen years now, on this day every year, red lanterns and fireworks have surrounded the Listening to the Water Pavilion, without ever changing.
Tang Qiefang stood on the stone steps and lit the last lantern. The lantern's light illuminated his face and clothes, making him look like a red lotus.
Chapter Sixty-One
An unusual allure, in full bloom.
Tang Congrong took a slight breath and stepped onto the stone steps.
Tang Qiefang handed him the tinderbox, saying, "Here."
It's just a simple word, but there doesn't seem to be such a long gap in between. It's as if they met and joked together just yesterday.
A single word can erase all unpleasantness in an instant.
Tang smiled calmly, a smile like a lotus flower swaying in the wind, filling the quiet room with fragrance.
Fireworks burst in the night sky, and the words from eleven years ago echoed in my ears: "Congrong, every year on your birthday, I'll take you to set off fireworks and light lanterns for you, lots and lots of red lanterns. Hehe, it'll be more lively than other people's weddings, okay?"
The air was icy cold, but my chest was burning hot.