Chapter 1: Shangyuan Festival (1)

With a delicate face and graceful eyebrows, a long neck, and a beautiful silhouette, she wore a low-necked red satin ruqun paired with shoes adorned with wild goose patterns. The beauty in the mirror was nothing short of a reincarnation of Xi Shi.
Li Kuo held his chin, which was about to drop, with one hand, staring in astonishment at the reflection. He wiped his eyes again and again but still couldn’t believe that the person before him was Du Jingtian, who had grown up playing with him since childhood.
It seemed there was some truth to the old saying, “Clothes suit the person, just as a saddle suits a horse…”
Ever since his joyful marriage to Li Niang, the young man felt he owed Du Jingtian something, so he unconditionally granted all her requests. Today was the Shangyuan Festival, and there was no curfew in Chang’an, so Du Jingtian suggested going to see the lanterns. The young man wanted to use this opportunity to lift his spirits, so he readily agreed. To his surprise, Miss Du had changed her usual attire and dressed in a more feminine style. This really took Li Kuo by surprise.
Perhaps it was because of Li Niang! he thought. Shen Li Niang always dressed like a proper lady, so maybe Du Jingtian thought he liked her for that reason.
Or maybe she wanted to imitate her! Li Kuo shook his head with a wry smile and said seriously, “Miss Du, you’ve applied three layers of makeup already. If any of it falls off, it could hurt your feet and cause swelling!”
Du Jingtian rolled her eyes at Li Kuo and said, “What do you know? It’s windy tonight. Applying more makeup can keep me warm and protect me from the frost.”
“Pfft!”
The young man couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve never heard of makeup having such effects. If that’s true, you could open a cosmetics shop—sales would be booming!”
With the noisy rumors finally subsiding, Li Kuo was in high spirits and started teasing Du Jingtian. To be honest, her makeup wasn’t particularly heavy. But when applied to a woman like Du Jingtian, who usually wore minimal makeup, it looked quite different.
“You still laugh!”
Though she was now Li Kuo’s wife, Miss Du hadn’t changed her temper at all. She rolled up her sleeves and rushed at him, ready to fight.
“Please spare me, noble lady! Let’s go see the lanterns quickly. If we’re late, it won’t be as lively.”
Li Kuo dodged her punches while pleading, trying to lure her with the lantern festival.
“Hmph, for the sake of the lantern festival, I’ll spare you for now. If you dare tease me again, you won’t get any eggs to eat!”
Miss Du used this ultimate threat, leaving the young man with no choice but to smile bitterly.
“Li Niang, let’s go see the lanterns!”
Li Kuo called out loudly and stepped forward first. …

Flames and flowers shine together; star bridges open with iron locks.
Dark dust follows the horses; the bright moon chases those who come.
Chang’an City looked especially beautiful on the night of the Lantern Festival.
The three of them walked slowly along Zhuque Street, constantly drawn to the vendors around them.
There were craftsmen shaping dough into figurines, merchants selling decorated lanterns, and fun activities where people could win prizes by solving riddles. Although Shen Liniang was gentle and calm by nature, she was still a woman, and she was naturally delighted by all these novel things. As for Du Jingtian, she was purely childlike!
Li Kuo had a hard time taking care of these two “little masters.” No sooner had he bought a rabbit-shaped lantern than Miss Du wanted some hawthorn cake. If not for having enough copper coins in his purse, Li Kuo might have had to stay at the shop that day.
“Miss, don’t just keep buying things. We’re here to see the lanterns today.”
Li Kuo, carrying a bunch of packages, caught up with Du Jingtian and complained. If they continued buying like this, even the Tang Dynasty’s treasury might be emptied by Miss Du.
“That’s right, Sister Jingtian. Let’s not buy unnecessary things,” said Shen Liniang, stepping forward with understanding and smiling at Li Kuo.
“You two are so boring!”
Miss Du’s good mood was completely ruined by them. She waved her hands and said, “Alright, alright, let’s go see the colorful lanterns. The styles there look nice. Let’s go!”
Without waiting for them to react, she rushed toward a stall to the right.
“Hey, slow down! Don’t fall!”
Li Kuo shook his head with a wry smile. Jingtian was wearing a long dress that dragged on the ground, and although she wore shoes with raised heels, it was still difficult for her to move. With so many people on Zhuque Street, she might hurt herself if she kept running around like this.
“I’m fine! Hurry up!”
Du Jingtian had already pushed through the crowd and was waving at them. Clearly, the lanterns at that stall suited Miss Du’s taste, and Li Kuo would have to spend a lot of money again.
Only when they got closer did they notice that many colorful lanterns were hung in the air above the stall, each with a piece of paper underneath containing a line of small black characters.
It turned out it was a riddle-based lantern-gathering activity!
In this activity, the lanterns weren’t sold directly; instead, visitors had to guess the answers to riddles. It seemed like the visitors were getting a bargain, but in reality, the shopkeepers made huge profits. Since each riddle cost money, those who guessed correctly could get more valuable lanterns, but if they got it wrong, their money wouldn’t be refunded. To make more money, the shopkeepers chose riddles that seemed simple at first but actually hid complex clues.

Without quick wits, it would be hard to guess the answer to this riddle at first glance. Yet many people are still willing to try, perhaps because they enjoy the excitement! “Qilang, I want this tiger lantern!” Du Jingtian pointed at a tiger-head lantern in front of her, beaming with joy. The young lady couldn’t care less about rules—once she saw something she liked, she wanted to claim it for herself. “A Tian, that lantern isn’t for sale; you have to guess correctly to get it,” Li Kuo said with a wry smile, trying to explain. “Then I’ll guess! How much does it cost to guess a riddle here?” Du Jingtian decided on her own and asked the vendor. “Five coins per guess. You can try guessing any lantern hanging here—once you get it right, you can take it right away!” The vendor patted his chest confidently, as if spending five coins would guarantee the customer a beautiful lantern. “Qilang, come and guess quickly! I want this tiger-head lantern today!” Delighted, Du Jingtian waved at Li Kuo urgently. “Yes, young master! With your talent, you’ll surely guess it. Where else can you get a tiger-head lantern for just five coins? Hurry up and spend five coins to guess one for this young lady!” The vendor flattered him eagerly, as if it would be a great thing if the young man guessed correctly. The young man walked away helplessly, then looked up and saw the riddle clearly. “Mandarin ducks play in the water in pairs, butterflies flutter among the flowers in twos; I have countless tender feelings—whom can I share them with in this life? Red beans symbolize longing; they were sown in my heart in a past life; I wait for fate to bring us together, so we can enjoy spring, summer, autumn, and winter together.”