On the morning of January 15th, at the official residence, Li Li, his wives and concubines, and his children made lanterns together to prepare for the Lantern Festival to watch tonight.

The Lantern Festival, also known as the "Shangyuan Festival", has become popular in this era, and the "Lantern Festival" of Jiankang City is very famous every year.

There will also be a Lantern Festival here in Hanshan. Tonight, Li Li will first enjoy the lanterns with his family at home and serve as the governor, and then participate in the lantern festival in public places in the city as in the past two years.

Making lanterns with his family and holding his own small lantern festival is what he must do every year on the Lantern Festival.

Colorful paper, handfuls of thin bamboo strips, bundles of thin ropes, and cans of cans of rivers and lakes, plus about ten people of all sizes, occupying most of the room.

On the table in the middle, there is a lantern model. Li Li and his family members must use this 'miniature' model to create a real-sized lantern - "carp lantern".

At night, lanterns are lit in the courtyard, and the carp lanterns will be placed in the middle, surrounding the lanterns, just like stars lying on the moon.

Its configuration is "carp comes out of the water". Its roughly looks like a wave, two large carp jump out of the water in front and back (high and low) and some small carp surround it.

Carp are all lanterns themselves, and the layers of waves are also lanterns.

Among the big carp, there is a high-positioned pearl spitting on the mouth, which is a small lantern, and a lotus flower on the top of the head below it is a lotus lantern.

The entire size is about one zhang long, seven feet wide, and one zhang four feet high. The details are not complicated, but there are many small parts, which need to be independently made and then "assembled".

Based on the experience of the whole family making lights together over the past few years, Li Li, as a "foreman", grouped the "employees" and then "subcontracted" the work.

Adult Group: Li Li is responsible for making the most complex wave base and various lantern brackets, and Duan Yuying takes action.

Huang Gui and Zhao Mengniang were responsible for making two big carp, the big carp was red in color, and Xue Yuechang and Xue Yue'e were each responsible for making moves.

Young people group: The oldest Li Ping'an and sister Li Anning took their younger brothers and sisters to make those little carp, with the color random, each one choosing one color.

Infant and Toddler Group: Under the leadership of the wet nurse, Li Li's wife and mother Du, and Zhao Mengniang's mother were responsible for "comfort".

There were musicians playing the piano next to them, and adults and children in the room were talking, and laughter and joy set off a festive atmosphere of family reunion.

The only drawback is that Li Li's mother, Wu, is far away in Poyang, but with Li Xin and his son, she will not be alone.

Logically, as the only living son of Wu, Li Li had to bring his mother to support him, or stay with his wife Huang Feng in his hometown to be filial to his aunt (mother-in-law).

But for various reasons, he was unable to bring his mother to his side, so he could only let his nephew do it for him, and by the way, let Li Xin take charge of the Li family's property and manor in his hometown.

At least I have a "root" left in Poyang.

Of course, as an adult grandson, Li Xin is also the only way to support her grandmother.

But Li Li finally owed his nephew. Li Xin was over twenty years old, but he had to stay in Poyang to be filial to his grandmother and could not serve the court. His career was equivalent to a suspension.

So when Li Li gave the title of eldest son to Li Xin, it was also considered a compensation.

Before he knew it, the wave base had begun to take shape. Duan Yuying was quite impressed by Li Li's skillfulness.

Although she has seen Li Li's "handmade" in the past two years, it is still unimaginable that Li Li, a tall and burly man, is so meticulous when doing handicraft work.

Li Li tied bamboo strips and said, "The Lantern Festival Lantern Festival is very lively every year. If you have the chance, I will take you to see it."

"If you happen to encounter Yulong Manyan's performance, you have to take a good look. The scene is very spectacular."

Duan Yuying nodded: "Well, I really want to see it."

Yulong Manyan refers to the performance of various miscellaneous operas at the same time, and the scene is very spectacular and chaotic.

When Duan Yuying was in Yecheng, as an emperor's concubine, of course she had watched Yulong Manyan. When Li Li mentioned Yulong Manyan, she didn't think it was a sarcasm.

Because she knew that Li Li was just talking about it.

Li Li said and asked, "You are celebrating the Lantern Festival in the north. It is said that there is a 'climbing show', which is like a lantern festival, very lively. How is this playing?"

"I can't explain it clearly at once." Duan Yuying smiled and shook her head, because it was really hard to explain it just by talking.

Li Li picked up the scissors and cut paper and said, "It's okay. If I have the chance, I will definitely see you when I arrive in Yecheng."

Duan Yuying was stunned when she heard this and nodded.

What Li Li said has no deep meaning, it is purely interested in the festival customs of this era.

The Lantern Festival is very popular in both north and south, and he knew that the Lantern Festival event "playing the crowd" popular in the north was because he heard someone mention an attempted rebellion incident.

It was about twelve years ago, when it was still a confrontation between the East and West Wei. On the night of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Yecheng, the capital of the Eastern Wei Kingdom, held a grand Lantern Festival and a "Crossing Show" as in previous years.

No matter how noble or low a person, they all came to the streets, enjoying lanterns at night and playing crowds of operas. As a result, some people wanted to take the opportunity to rebel, assassinate the powerful minister Gao Huan, and seize power.

That is, a coup will be launched.

This conspiracy was leaked because someone reported the news and failed to implement it. The mastermind and his followers were beaten up in one fell swoop and finally "sincere".

The reason why he chose to launch an assassination on the Lantern Festival is that on that night, whether it is a high-ranking official or a commoner, they will leave their homes and come to the streets to participate in the lively lantern festival.

In this way, targets that are difficult to approach on weekdays become easier to approach.

And because there is no curfew, the city is full of people at night, and the vigilance of key places is not so strict. The participating coup teams can mingle among the crowd and go straight to where the target is.

Once activated, the city defense forces want to rescue them, but because the streets are crowded, they cannot rush to the destination in time or take care of each other.

Therefore, the city defense and palace ban were weakened in disguise, and it was very easy to implement the "defeat one by one" for the well-prepared coup army.

It is precisely because of this that the government's defense will be strengthened on the night of the Lantern Festival. If it is in the capital, whether it is the imperial guards or the patrol troops, corresponding arrangements will be made.

In Hanshan, the government also made corresponding arrangements to strengthen defense and beware of someone causing trouble without affecting the normal progress of the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival.

Li Li looked at the base that was about to be completed and was very satisfied. He said to Duan Yuying: "Don't worry, I won't delay too long tonight, I will definitely come back soon with you."

"Yes." Duan Yuying responded in a low voice, feeling quite expectant.

It was her turn to serve Li Li tonight. I'm afraid she would not get up at noon tomorrow.

......

At night, Jiankang and the two sides of the Qinhuai River were brightly lit, and the roads were decorated with lights and pedestrians were everywhere.

The grand Lantern Festival is underway, and the scene is very lively. People take their families to watch the lanterns at night. The streets are bustling with people, and all the streets are crowded.

In the south of Zhuque Hangnan, there were many miscellaneous performances on the open space of the book market, which attracted countless men and women to stop and watch. The audience was cheering and lively.

In a corner of the city, in the courtyard of the back house of the King of Guiyang Mansion, at the banquet, King of Guiyang Xiao Dacheng looked at the beautiful lanterns and his happy children, a little absent-minded.

On the Lantern Festival in previous years, brothers in Beijing would bring their families into the palace, watch the lanterns with their father, and then recite poems and essays.

But this year...

His father was assassinated and his brother died of serious injuries. The murderer has been at large so far, and he has no idea when he will be arrested. After parading, he was cut into thousands of knives and then crushed his bones and ashes.

During the holidays, Xiao Dacheng has not fully recovered from the grief of his father and brother's death. It was the Lantern Festival when he was watching the lanterns on the Lantern Festival, and he was a little sad.

Suddenly I remembered the "Lantern Fu" written by my father on that year.

What is the good month of thawing? What is the full bloom of pods?

The grass is filled with spring and the colors move, and the clouds fly and come lightly.

The southern oil is full, and the western lacquer is invincible.

Su Zheng rested in peace, and wax came out of Longchuan.

The slanting sunset intersects, and the reflection is clear and fresh.

The nine-small spits, and hundreds of branches are interspersed.

Clustered by Yanzhou, the same as the big tree.

The morning relaxation of red stamens, and the dawn of red fireflies.

Orchid paste sour and fragrant sticks hold the heart.

Cold is light in color, and dew is stained with light.

Xiao Dacheng remembers every word in "The Lamp Fu" clearly, and his father's voice, appearance, smile and appearance are still unforgettable.

Watching the children chasing and playing in front of the lanterns, and listening to the hustle and bustle of the Qinhuai River in the distance, Xiao Dacheng was still unable to be happy.

When Xiao Dacheng was so angry that he was trembling when he thought of the murderer who killed his father and brother, he was having a good time tonight, and might even be watching the lanterns on both sides of the Qinhuai River in the city.

If an animal falls into my hands, I will definitely make you worse than death!

Suddenly, he felt that the noise outside changed a little, as if there were many people shouting in the other direction, listening in a swaying ear, and feeling that the direction of Taicheng was hustle and bustle.

Perhaps, a grand lantern festival was also being held in the palace to make the little emperor happy, so it was not surprising that the palace people sang and danced and made movements.

Xiao Dacheng thought so, but he didn't take it to heart.

After a while, a guard on duty came to report and said that he saw a flash of fire in Taicheng from the watchtower.

It seems that there is a fire. Judging from the fire, it feels that the fire is quite strong.

Xiao Dacheng was stunned when he heard this: "A fire broke out? Why are you so careless!"

Then I was a little annoyed: There were so many lanterns and so many tourists, and it was inevitable that there would be fire, but the fire in Taicheng was a bit too much...

As he thought about it, Xiao Dacheng was shocked: Could it be... Could it be that the traitor took action!!

As soon as this thought came out, he couldn't sit still. In order not to disturb his children, he ordered the princess to go to the front yard after a few words.

Then, while wearing armor, the guards were ordered to gather, just in case.

However, even if there is no curfew on the Lantern Festival tonight, Taicheng is not allowed to break through at night.

Now that the young emperor has ascended the throne, as the emperor's uncle, he cannot lead his troops to Taicheng at night without permission.

But when he thought of the thief taking advantage of the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival, he probably had made a lot of preparations in advance. If the person who asked for help was intercepted and killed halfway, he was still waiting in the palace...

what to do?

After finishing her armor, Xiao Dacheng was sitting on pins and needles, pressing his sword in his hand, standing under the eaves, looking at the direction of Taicheng.

After a while, the guards came to report that someone from the palace had arrived outside the palace. According to this, a traitor invaded Taicheng and attacked the palace, and came to ask for help.

"Ask for help? It turns out that the traitor took action!"

Xiao Dacheng was excited when he heard this and ordered to the left and right: "Send an order, some people stay in the royal palace, and others will follow me to the palace to rescue the enemy and eliminate the rebels!"
Chapter completed!