Chapter Seventy-Three: Lamp

  The emperor stayed until the palace gate was about to close before leaving, with the fourth prince and second prince accompanying him all along. The next day, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, there were also many lanterns hung in the Yiqiu Palace, the main gate was wide open, and from afar, one could see that Songtao Pavilion was the same, inside it was bustling with people coming and going, busily decorating, it seemed even more festive than the Lunar New Year.

  Maybe it's because of good news?

  When Chao Sheng saw the Second Prince, he was wearing a very, very bright and dazzlingly luxurious robe.

  Chao Sheng and the others also got some, but after they bowed in gratitude, the Second Prince smiled and said "Good, good".

  Very generous.

  Chao Sheng sometimes felt strange, the princes didn't have any income, they just ate and drank on their allowance, fortunately, food, clothing, and housing were all taken care of by the palace staff. The second prince was so extravagant, where did his money come from?

  The fourth prince is not as careless as him, what should be there will be there, and he will never reward this or that just because of a momentary whim.

  From a management perspective, it is better on the side of the fourth prince, with clear rules and regulations, doing what should be done, and not thinking too much about things that are not one's own.

  From the perspective of the slaves, they would probably still prefer to follow a master like the fourth prince. Indeed, there is no chance of making unexpected wealth here, but neither will you be beaten to death for no reason without knowing what you did wrong. Money is something everyone likes, but having money also means having a life to spend it with.

  The second prince's personality of giving a piece of candy when happy and a slap on the back of the head when unhappy.

  Following such a master, one must have extremely strong endurance.

  "Fourth brother, how do you plan to spend the holiday today?"

  The fourth prince smiled and said: "I want to make a lamp myself, I've been working on it for several days, and today I'll just finish it up."

  "By yourself?"

  The second prince was surprised.

  Xiao Shun brought up the box from underground and opened it, inside was indeed a lamp.

  "What have you done?"

  The fourth prince nodded: "It's not done well, the back is not tidy, but there's no time, can't re-glue it again."

  Making lanterns was a novelty for the Second Prince.

  "How is this done?"

  The fourth prince patiently explained, starting from cutting bamboo strips.

  The second prince asked sincerely: "That bamboo was originally straight, how did it become bent?"

  "It's been scorched by fire, actually I didn't do a good job, it broke here but was mended with paper so you can't see."

  To be honest, the fourth prince is clever, but he's not that kind of genius who excels at everything. This lamp looks pretty good at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it has many flaws.

  "When did this paper get stuck?"

  "It's been two days."

  "This I know," said the second prince, pointing at the round tray: "This is where you put candles."

  The fourth prince smiled and said: "Right."

  "You're doing this, planning to hang it in the house?"

  The fourth prince lowered his head to look at the colored lanterns: "No, I want to give it to Father. I heard that my third brother is going to give a nine-dragon pendant made by the best craftsman in Jiangnan, using gold and pearls, now that's what you call generosity."

  The second prince was suddenly speechless.

  The fourth prince hadn't heard him speak for half a day, turned his head around, and saw the second prince with a remorseful face.

  "What's wrong with you, Second Brother?"

  "I'm not as thorough as you think, I haven't prepared anything..."

  The fourth prince paused for a moment: "This is nothing, I also find it hard to take out."

  "That was also done by your own hands." The second prince sat there pondering: "What can I give? Should I also make a lantern? But where can I get one now? It's too late to send someone to buy one, isn't it?"

  The fourth prince was about to comfort him with a few words when the second prince suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "Fourth brother, who did you learn to make lanterns from?"

  "Oh, I've asked the people from the workshop..."

  "What's with the lamp? It won't take a few days, it can be done immediately?"

  The fourth prince was indeed calm and composed, but at this moment he seemed a bit weak: "This... younger brother really hasn't asked. Why not summon the people from the workshop to ask?"

  The second prince urged repeatedly: "Go quickly, go quickly, and hurry up and call the person over."

  The tide is born without words, looking up at the sky.

  It's already past mid-morning, and after calling people over to ask about the method, there's only half a day's worth of time left - you know that around noon, the second and fourth princes will be arriving at the palace for dinner, where they'll inevitably eat yuanxiao. The emperor and empress will likely bring people up to the top of the Danfeng Gate city wall to watch the lanterns, demonstrating peace and prosperity, and sharing in the joy with the people. Then there's a tour of the imperial garden - it's not just people from the palace, but also members of the royal family and officials' families... where will they find time for the second prince to slowly cause trouble?

  The people from the workshop were summoned, and a rather simple-looking man with faded clothes was about to kneel down to pay his respects when the Second Prince asked him, "Are you the one who taught my fourth brother how to make lanterns?"

  "That person replied: 'I dare not instruct, it was just the Fourth Prince asking about the method.'"

  "So I ask you, is there a way to make a lamp in just two hours - and it has to be unique?"

  It may not be difficult for two hours to make a lamp, but the second prince added this special requirement, which suddenly increased the difficulty.

  That person was indeed embarrassed, the fourth prince was more approachable and timely added a sentence: "Second brother's meaning is, as long as it looks good - don't hang them in the palace or imperial garden like today."

  That person thought for a moment: "The palace will also rush to make some flower lanterns, among which there is a kind of copper wire twisted into a skeleton, wrapped with silk, and tied with a tassel."

  The second prince furrowed his brow: "Sounds pretty ordinary."

  "That person shook his head: 'Your Highness, this silk can be used to make some patterns, with plain colors on top and then painted with a brush. Some are directly wrapped with colored knots and colored brocade, and after inserting candles in the middle, it is also very beautiful.'"

  "The second prince nodded and slapped his thigh: "Alright, let's do it this way. Get me some copper wire and other materials quickly""

  That person didn't dare to be slow and hastily retreated after bowing.

  Before long, the materials arrived as promised, a whole box full of them.

  It's easy to say, but it's not easy to do. How to twist this copper wire into a three-dimensional lantern shape has left the Second Prince at a loss.

  The person next to him instructed hand in hand, holding a copper wire and gesturing: "Your Highness, look, fold it like this..."

  This copper wire is about the same thickness as the noodles in the kitchen, but it's not easy to twist. Look at that person's hands, the copper wire is like a living thing, it can be bent and twisted at will, but the second prince has been struggling for half a day, the shape is similar to what the other person demonstrated, but the copper wire is still curved and bent - even so, the second prince is already sweating profusely, his fingers are also red from being pinched by the copper wire.

  "That person carefully said: 'Your Highness, otherwise I'll..."

  "Never mind," said the second prince, "just teach me how to do it."

  They've been fiddling with this thing for almost half a day. The lunch was served, and the Second Prince only ate two mouthfuls. The Fourth Prince stood by, giving some minor suggestions.

  It's finally done with great difficulty, and now comes the most crucial part - wrapping the brocade.

  There are many wrapping methods, horizontal wrapping, vertical wrapping, cross-wrapping, diagonal wrapping, and more complex ones, such as Bagua style, Plum Blossom style, Pine Knot style, etc.

  The simplest way is to cross the ten characters. The second prince let out a sigh of relief and began to enthusiastically pick up materials, but the ones sent by the workshop were not satisfactory to him. So, he ordered people to turn the Songtao Pavilion upside down and bring over all the good things that could be used.

  This is getting out of hand, Song Can is absolutely thorough in her work, not only did she bring back various colored brocades, silks and satins, but also all sorts of silk tassels, knots, glass beads and so on, basically everything that can be found in an embroidery basket, it's just that these are particularly exquisite and beautiful.

  Even so, the second prince said it was still too slow.

  It's all talk and no action.

  As soon as Song Can arrived, there were even more people coming up with plans and strategies.

  The final decision was plum blossom style.

  When the sky outside was gradually darkening, the second prince's lamp was finally completed - the fourth prince's lamp was also finished. His was just an ordinary plain palace lantern, with paintings and poems on it were also his own handwriting, a piece of clumsy stone, a cluster of elegant orchids, several stalks of green bamboo, and a few lines of clear poetry.

  It looks unremarkable, especially - not afraid to look, not afraid to pick, just afraid of comparison.

  Right next to it is a stark contrast.

  The second prince's lantern is compared to the fourth prince's lantern - in terms of size, it's like the difference between a small apple and a large watermelon.

  The color is a strong contrast between the white lady and the bride.

  Talking about temperament, the fourth prince can be called a delicate beauty...

  The second prince is... oppressed by wealth and nobility.

  Chao Sheng had never seen such a dazzling and eye-catching palace lantern before.

  She didn't know how dazzling the golden pearl lamp of the Third Prince was. In her opinion, in terms of grabbing attention, it definitely couldn't compare to that of the Second Prince.

  The lanterns were lit and the effect was very good, with a profusion of colors and a dazzling display. The Second Prince was delighted and rewarded the craftsman's workshop again.

  Of course the lights can't be kept on all the time - it's still daytime after all.

  The second prince and fourth prince each took their own lanterns and left, while the remaining people would also find their own fun.

  The Lantern Festival is a grand occasion, no matter where you are. The three major festivals of the year - New Year's, the Lantern Festival, and Mid-Autumn - are all extremely important. Among them, the Lantern Festival is the most lively and festive. During New Year's, everyone stays at home, and Mid-Autumn is similar, with people returning home to reunite. The Lantern Festival, however, is a time for communal celebration. Even in small villages, people will carve lanterns from turnips, pumpkins, and grasses to add to the festivities. In more populous areas, there are dragon dances, lion dances, fire god parades, lantern competitions, poetry recitals... This is also the only opportunity for women to go out in public with dignity throughout the year. Whether from wealthy or humble families, everyone will emerge on this day to admire the flower lanterns and take a stroll - perhaps even catching a glimpse of their future spouse.

  At this time, we must guard against fire, theft, kidnapping and hooligans... We absolutely cannot be careless.

  Don't you see, Xiangyun in the red chamber was kidnapped on this very day, from then on the young lady became a maid, and her final outcome was truly dismal.

  Oh, I've gone off on a tangent.

  Chao Sheng also ate the yuanxiao, this filling is unbeatable, like honey, it's smooth on the tongue and throat. There are peanut fillings, sesame fillings, rose fillings, and osmanthus fillings. If you don't like sweet ones, there are also salty meat fillings and ham fillings. Everyone was in a hurry to eat, blowing to cool it down. Li Gugu knocked on the side of the pot: "Be careful not to burn yourself, take your time, this thing is made from glutinous rice flour, eating too much won't digest."

  Coral smiled and said: "Don't worry, when I was at home, I once ate fifty in one go and nothing happened."

  Fifty

  The tide was almost choked by the yuanxiao in his mouth, looking at Shanhu's small body and belly, it didn't seem to be able to hold a capacity of fifty. Could it be a compact pearl yuanxiao? That's possible.

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  Hug everyone.

  The festival has passed so quickly, it's really hard to get used to...

  I think I want to experience it again...

  Ah, asking for packaging~~ Ah, no, it's asking for a hug