Twenty-one lanterns [pink pink red votes]

  "Ah Yan," Liu Zhong asked solemnly and hesitantly, without looking at her, "in that case, no one will really laugh at me?"

  "Of course." Zhang Yan said with a crisp and firm nod.

  "You can also hire a special steward to help you count which mu of land has the best harvest, and when harvesting, send a handful to the emperor, who knows if the emperor will praise you greatly."

  Of course, I must praise him, if he continues like this, he might just become a pioneer in agricultural science.

  Liu Zhong was overjoyed and said, "It doesn't matter whether you praise me or not, as long as my third brother doesn't think I'm embarrassing him. Speaking of which, Yingerzi, did you come here specifically to see your grandfather?"

  "Hmm." Liu Yingju said, "I heard that Grandfather's health hasn't been great lately, so I was worried and came to visit and take care of you."

  "I know you're a filial grandson," Liu Zhong said with a smile. "Now that you've come, your grandfather will naturally be delighted to see you."

  It really is - too happy.

  Zhang Yan's face turned black, facing a seventy-year-old man who burst into laughter whenever he saw her. He picked her up and excitedly took her to the neighbor's house to show off his old friend, "Hey Qin, look at this! This is my great-granddaughter, isn't she prettier than your three-year-old great-granddaughter?"

  Emperor Taishang Liu Ang, after suffering greatly in the Chu-Han Contention, was invited by Emperor Gaozu of Han to live in a newly built palace in Chang'an to enjoy his old age. However, Emperor Taishang was not pleased. Emperor Gaozu found it strange and asked his father why. Emperor Taishang said: "In my youth, I enjoyed slaughtering and selling young animals, brewing wine, baking cakes, cockfighting, and playing cuju. These were my pleasures. Now, none of these are available, so I am unhappy."

  Emperor Taizu then built a town called Luyi near Chang'an for his father, with all the houses and buildings modeled after Feng County. He also moved a group of elderly relatives to live there as before. The retired emperor was overjoyed when he saw this and stayed in Luyi, refusing to return to Chang'an again.

  "Therefore, many people in Xin Feng are idle. This is because the sons of officials and scholars have no clothes to wear. When Gaozu was young, he often made sacrifices at the altar of Zhu Yu. After moving to Xin Feng, he also set it up again. After Emperor Gao established Xin Feng, he merged the old altar with the new one. The streets, alleys, buildings, and objects were all as they used to be. Men and women, young and old, carried their belongings on their shoulders, each knowing where their homes were. They released dogs, sheep, chickens, and ducks onto the main roads, and everyone recognized their own homes. The artisans, led by Wu Kuan, had built them. Those who moved there were all delighted with how similar it was to before and thanked him for it. Therefore, they competed to reward him with gifts, accumulating over a hundred taels of gold in just one month."

  It's not like anyone would dare to care about the timing of the Crown Prince's visit to the neighbors, but Qin old man came out with a frown, and his old friend's daughter in his arms stared wide-eyed for half a moment, pretending not to see the Crown Prince's frustrated expression behind him. He muttered to himself, rolling his eyes, "That's Xiaoman Hua's husband's family, what does it have to do with you?"

  He grew up watching Lu Yuan and Liu Ying, brother and sister, from a young age. He was an old neighbor of the Taishang Emperor in his hometown. The two had grown up together since childhood and were close friends. Although they have undergone tremendous changes now, one person's son has become the master of the world, while the other is still a commoner, but they cannot learn to speak to each other in an official tone, and are still as boisterous as before, as if this is what makes them feel at ease.

  "Look at what you're saying." Liu Ang sneered, leaning on his cane, "Is your great-granddaughter like your grandson? She's just following her daughter-in-law anyway."

  "What's the big deal?" Qin old man said with discontent, "Great-granddaughter, still follows my surname Qin, what about you, great-grandniece? In the future when you grow up and get married, you'll be even farther away from your family."

  Liu Ang was speechless for a moment.

  "You don't know how despicable that old man with the surname Qin is." In the evening, Liu Ang was in high spirits and took his grandson, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, to drink wine. He gulped down large bowls of Liuyang wine, saying, "Every other day, he comes to my face with his great-granddaughter, saying that although my son became emperor, but in terms of the looks of our descendants, he still wins over me." He carefully examined the slender young man for a while and muttered, "My grandson is quite handsome, much better than his wooden and dull grandson."

  Liu Ying couldn't help but laugh and cry, forcibly taking the wine jug from his grandfather's hand. "You're old, you should drink less." He thought for a moment and smiled, "The younger sister of Fourth Uncle's family is really beautiful, I think she won't let you lose this breath. If not, Third Brother is also very good-looking."

  "That Ah Nuo is unwilling to come to this poor and remote place." Liu Ang said loudly, and hated the fact that he was pressing against Liu Ying's forehead, "Your third brother, I, as his grandfather, have not seen him a few times. Ying'er, are you being taught by those corrupt Confucians to be foolish? In the future, he will seize your position, you always let him have his way, beware that one day... there won't be any good fortune left for you."

  Liu Ying was stunned for a while before saying faintly, "Ruyi, he is my younger brother."

  "Ben Ying'er," Liu Ang muttered, hugging his wine gourd, "your father and mother had such a strong and ruthless temperament, how did they give birth to a warm and gentle son like you?"

  The elderly had aged, and it was easy to get stuck. After the maid waited for the emperor to wash and sleep, Liu Ying took a lantern out, outside the night sky was like water, a few twinkling stars were embedded in the edge of the sky, gently gazing down at the countryside.

  "Your Highness." The Taishang Huangwei, Lü Shang, who was standing at the bottom of the stairs with his armor and spear, saluted Liu Ying with military courtesy, revealing a heroic face under his helmet.

  "General Lu," Liu Ying said with a polite smile, "I thought I'd go out for a walk."

  "The prince asked to go and it was done... The Chamber of Commerce sent someone to follow him from afar."

  Luyi City is a familiar sight, as if many years ago, he and his cousins used to walk through the streets of Fengcheng, alleys, and ditches together when they were kids.

  "Ah Yan," Liu Ying smiled and said, "you haven't been to Fengpei, have you?"

  Nature is beautiful, Zhang Yan shook her head, "Fengpu, very pretty?"

  "The countryside, what's beautiful or not. Liu Xian smiled wryly, in the darkness a pair of eyes were calm and quiet, 'But after all it's my birthplace, can't forget it.' - When your mother came to Chang'an this time, as soon as she saw me, she told me, 'Really miss my hometown.'"

  Simple, clear, all the awesome are not as good as the rich and abundant hometown that poses no threat to life.

  Perhaps what is being missed is not Feng Wei itself, but the distant and carefree times of Feng Wei.

  "When I was young, my sister always smiled very cleanly. If there was anything that troubled her, she would go to the river in the city and release a river lantern, and then believe that all her troubles had been let go of, and nothing else would be on her mind. Old Sun Tou from Beimao made the best river lanterns. My sister took me to ask him for some several times. Once we didn't bring enough money, and after asking for a long time, Old Sun Tou got impatient and simply gave us one."

  "Ah Yan," Liu Ying said suddenly, "I'll take you to release river lanterns?"

  "What?" Zhang Yan was startled.

  "Come with me."

  He took her running on the streets after dark, the dim candlelight in the lanterns jumping, bewildered but stubbornly refusing to go out.

  When they ran to Lao Sun's house, they were already panting, Liu Ying laughed heartily and went forward to knock heavily on the door.

  "Who's there?" A moment later, the lights in the house came on and a voice with some anger asked.

  "It's me." Liu Ying replied loudly, "The grandson of old man Liu from East City."

  "Ah." A sound of surprise, the door was pulled open from inside, and the old man in white clothes was somewhat angry and somewhat amused. After adjusting for half a day, he finally asked, "Yingzi, why are you knocking on the door so late? What's going on?"

  Liu Ying respectfully bowed and said, "I want to ask for a river lantern."

  The river lamp was not readily available, and Old Sun had been out of business for many years. However, all the materials and tools were still at home, so he worked through the night to make another one. Liu Ying touched his sleeve and smiled awkwardly, "I didn't bring any money."

  "Ah Yan," he turned back to ask Zhang Yan, "do you have any?"

  "What more money do you want?" Old Sun slapped the young man's shoulder in front of him, but only remembered his identity after slapping him once, and awkwardly smiled, "I didn't even take your money back then, could it be that I'm going to collect it now?"

  The Li River flows quietly in the night color of Linyi City, soundless and silent. "In those years, there was also a river like this in Fengcheng, flowing out of Fengcheng and passing through Peicheng. My sister and I both grew up by this river." Liu Ying said quietly, "A Yan, go ahead."

  "Uh-huh." Zhang Yan held the river lantern lovingly, Old Sun's river lantern was made of cloth coated with tung oil varnish, cut into a shape resembling a lotus flower, with a candle as its core.

  With a crackle, she lit the match, cupping her hands around the flame to ignite the candle. The weak light flickered and danced in the night breeze, releasing a faint fragrance.

  She carried the river lantern down to the riverbank, stepping on the soft and wet shore, looking back at Liu Ying, the young man standing on the stone bridge smiling at her with warm encouragement. So she bent down, extremely gently yet firmly placing the river lantern into the quietly flowing river water. The river lantern floated up and down, slowly drifting downstream with the current.

  Please flow away forever and never be extinguished. Zhang Yan joined her palms together in prayer. I've heard that a river lantern is a person's wish, there's a wish in my heart, I'm unable to describe what it is, but I hope you can bless its realization.

  Zhang Yan stood still, gazing far away at a river lantern drifting down the water, its light flickering and swaying in the current. The warm yellow glow danced and shone like a golden thread, and she stared at it unblinking until it disappeared from view. Only then did she stop, her eyes already brimming with tears.

  "Cheered up a bit?" Liu Ying walked behind her and said softly at some point.

  Zhang Yan was startled and quickly raised her head with a smile, "What makes you think I'm unhappy?"

  "It's everywhere." Liu Ying bent down and looked directly into her eyes.

  "These two days, you've been smiling all the time, with a sunny look on your face, but actually, you're not happy inside. You were unhappy, that's why you insisted on running out of Chang'an with me, right?"

  Zhang Yan couldn't hold back her smile anymore, and slowly turned serious, asking "What's there to be unhappy about?"

  I am the Emperor's grandson, the eldest princess's daughter. I also have a crown prince for an uncle. With such a brilliant future ahead of me, what do I have to be unhappy about?

  This chapter about the retired emperor's private affairs comes from "Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital".

  The fierce battle is still ongoing, and I will continue to quietly seek pink votes.