On the night of the Lantern Festival, when Zhang Zhier and her maid Xiaozhu were preparing to go out of the house to visit the lantern festival, they saw Chu Qi outside the house.

Zhang Zhier covered her mouth in surprise: "Why are you here?"

Chu Qi smiled bitterly: "I came to protect the safety of the girl going to the Dong'anmen Lantern Festival."

Zhang Zhier soon understood how Chu Qi knew that she would go to visit the lantern festival at this time. It was probably her parents who informed her in advance.

"Miss, Xiaozhu's stomach is uncomfortable. Why don't you go to the Lantern Festival first and I will arrive later."

"Xiaozhu!"

Before Zhang Zhi'er could stop him, Xiaozhu had already returned to the mansion.

Chu Qi was polite: "Does the girl still go to the lantern festival?"

Zhang Zhier was also a little confused and sighed: "I'm working hard."

The Lantern Festival of the Shangyuan Festival is on the North Street outside Dong'anmen Square. This place is extremely prosperous. Countless shops and high-rise buildings stand, with crowds of people, with tens of thousands of people.

Palace lanterns, beast headlights, carousel lanterns, flower lanterns, birds and bird lanterns are hanging high, and lights are decorated everywhere, making a festive atmosphere.

Chu Qi could also see a girl sitting by the window above the tall building, looking down at the crowd of people.

Unlike the ancient Shangyuan Festival Lantern Festival in my imagination, the prosperity of the Shangyuan Festival Lantern Festival at this time made it difficult for Chu Qi to imagine.

The streets and alleys outside Dong'anmen have civil and high-rise buildings, and the population lives more than two or three hundred years ago. There are also merchants and tourists from all over the Ming Empire. These people may come from other governors of the Ming Empire, or from vassal states and all over the West.

The merchants and vendors of the Ming Dynasty would not miss this opportunity to make money. The shops on both sides gathered rare goods, and even imported items from the Western and Eastern countries.

After Zhang Zhi'er came here, she felt much better and looked around.

"The Shangyuan Festival is getting grander every year, and more and more Westerners come to the Imperial City to participate in the Shangyuan Festival, because they all know that this is a grand festival of the Ming Dynasty. It is the most suitable time to visit the Ming Dynasty. When I was a child, I only saw a few people, and there were dozens of Westerners we met just now."

While watching the lanterns around, Zhang Zhier talked to Chu Qi, which was very different from the previous family banquet.

Chu Qi is also actively looking for topics: "After the imperial examination, the girl should go to Hanlin Academy to study. I wonder when the Hanlin Academy will start and whether the girl has the idea of ​​embarking on an official career?"

"I will go to the Hanlin Academy shortly after the Lantern Festival. As for the career, maybe."

Zhang Zhier was answering Chu Qi's question. Seeing the sound of gongs, drums and firecrackers in front of him, she said to Chu Qi: "Young master, it seems that you are playing with dragon lanterns over there. Why don't we go and take a look."

"good."

Chu Qi and Zhang Zhier went to a lively place. Chu Qi then realized that Zhang Zhier seemed to like to make trouble in her heart, not like a quiet and well-behaved girl.

No wonder Zhang Zhier felt more excited than fear after the East Asians mistakenly entered the scene where the dead soldiers ambushed the shogunate.

In this way, Chu Qi knew it.

Among the dense crowd, Chu Qi had to stand up and protect Zhang Zhi'er to the front.

A group of artists are playing with dragon lanterns, and the giant dragon made of bamboo strips is burning candles inside, chasing the red beads like fire dragons, jumping, rising and falling, winding and moving. There are artists around them holding fireworks, splashing with fire dragons, which looks great at night.

Zhang Zhier clapped excitedly. No one except Chu Qi knew that she was the daughter of the Zhang Fu family, the Grand Secretary of Dongge, and there was no need to pay too much attention to her behavior.

"This is the fire dragon of the Thirteenth Section, and one part is also very heavy." Zhang Zhier excitedly introduced to Chu Qi.

Chu Qi could not tell the number of dragon lanterns. In his opinion, dragon lanterns were just long and short.

Many people around saw Zhang Zhier's beauty. They didn't know that this was the daughter of the Zhang family. They wanted to come over to chat with her while the beautiful scenery, but Chu Qi glared back fiercely.

Chu Qi learned from the Jinyiwei. Although he was wearing casual clothes, his eyes could still scare away a group of people.

In addition, Chu Qi and Zhang Zhier's dress is not ordinary people, and the imperial city hides dragons and crouches, no one knows whether they will offend any Xiao Taibao.

Chu Qi glanced at the surrounding area again and found that there was a place that allowed the release of fireworks on North Street, so he said to Zhang Zhier: "Do you want to set off fireworks?"

"Set fireworks?!" Zhang Zhier's clear eyes showed a hint of excitement.

"There is black gunpowder in the fireworks, but be careful, it should be fine..."

In fact, there was no need for Chu Qi to instigate him, Zhang Zhier had already nodded repeatedly: "We want to buy a few bigger fireworks!"

“…”

Chu Qi took Zhang Zhi'er to the place where fireworks were sold and selected several types of fireworks that looked relatively safe. He did not buy the larger fireworks as Zhang Zhi'er said. After all, he was the daughter of the Dongge Grand Secretary's Mansion. If something happened, Chu Qi could not explain to the Zhang Mansion.

The Imperial City has a special place to provide fireworks, and some firefighters are nearby, and have prepared buckets to extinguish possible fires at any time.

"Let me test their quality first."

After all, it is a product produced by the public. Chu Qi really couldn't guarantee whether it would be in danger, so he personally lit the fireworks he bought.

Zhang Zhier was excitedly looking at the sparks splashing out from the flower drill, and was eager to try.

However, when Zhang Zhier tried to light the first firework herself, she was a little nervous and showed her eyes asking for help to Chu Qi.

Chu Qi said in confusion: "Have you not set off fireworks before?"

Zhang Zhier shook her head repeatedly: "I just watched the servants let it go, and my father wouldn't let me touch these dangerous things..."

Chu Qi had to lean over and hold the same fireworks with Zhang Zhier, but put his hand closer to the fireworks. Even if the accident exploded, it was his hand that was injured. Moreover, Chu Qi could judge that the black gunpowder loaded inside would not cause serious damage. Compared with the muskets and cannons that the Jinyiwei often dealt with, the black gunpowder loaded inside the fireworks was nothing.

When Zhang Zhier saw Chu Qi approaching very close, her breathing became rapid, and she became even more excited. Under Chu Qi's guidance, she lit the lead with incense, and the fireworks made a slight sound and flew into the air, turning into a small group of Mars.

When Zhang Zhier saw this scene, she said excitedly: "The east wind bloomed thousands of flowers at night. It blew down even more, and the stars were like rain! Mr. Chu, do you think such fireworks are very beautiful?"

"It's really very beautiful." Chu Qi was not talking about the fireworks themselves, but the woman setting off the fireworks.

Zhang Zhier is even more moving under the illumination of the flames produced by the fireworks and her attention is focused on the things she likes.
Chapter completed!