Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 167 Xiao Yan (4000 votes plus more)
A tall woman with three-dimensional features and heroic eyes and eyebrows stood outside the Gou Chensi Yamen.

Seeing Yang Zhong coming out, a smile broke out on her face. She walked quickly towards him and naturally held his hand.

"Tao'er, are you tired of waiting?" Yang Zhong's expression became more lively and his voice became gentler.

"It's okay, let's go quickly, the lantern festival is about to begin." The woman was Yang Zhong's wife, Lü Kutao. The two of them were abducted to the Southern Dynasty together. They had no relatives and depended on each other for survival. Their feelings were extraordinary.

As the couple talked, they walked quickly towards Suzaku Street, arm in arm.

~~
Probably since the time of Emperor Wu of Han, the Lantern Festival has become an important festival in China.

Since the Jin Dynasty moved eastward, the city of Jiankang would light up the lanterns and celebrate until dawn on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

After Buddhism was introduced into China, in order to facilitate the missionary work, people made a far-fetched claim that the Lantern Festival originated from Buddhism.

According to them, Buddha Shakyamuni displayed his miraculous powers and subdued gods and demons on December 30th in the West, which is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the East.

On this day, Sakyamuni transformed himself into the 'King of Treasure Lamps', and 'lit a thousand lamps on his body'. The boundless flames illuminated the infinite, 'one lamp can dispel the darkness of a thousand years, and a thousand lamps can illuminate for a million years'!
In order to commemorate the Buddha's miraculous transformation, later generations held a lantern ceremony on this day to demonstrate the Buddha's divine power...

During the reign of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Moteng Zhu Falan came to the East to preach. Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty ordered that lanterns be lit on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the day when the Buddha performed a miracle. He also personally went to the temple to light lanterns to show his respect for the Buddha. After this, the custom of lighting lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month began among the people...

Whether you believe it or not, the current emperor believes it, so Xiao Yan abandoned Taoism and worshipped Buddhism, and held the "Random Lamp for Alleviation" every year at this time.

In any case, with the participation of the imperial court, the original folk lantern festival expanded by more than ten times, becoming more brilliant, ingenious, spectacular and costly.

Every year after New Year's Day, lantern makers become busy, using colored paper, paint, iron wire, bamboo strips, yarn and cloth to make all kinds of vivid lanterns.

As soon as it gets dark during the Lantern Festival, people in the capital city hang up colorful lanterns, making the city of Jiankang brighter than the Milky Way on a summer night.

Zhuque Street, the widest and straightest street in the capital, was even more decorated with lanterns and torches, and high mountains were erected. There were Buddha statues painted with veils, and golden dragons wrapped in silk. Fireworks and silver flowers shone together with the stars and the moon; music and singing continued all night long; people gathered to have fun, and it was like a peaceful and prosperous era...

Yang Zhong and Lv Kutao walked hand in hand among the bustling crowds of tourists, looking up at the various colorful lanterns. He also bought a small lantern for Lv Kutao to hold in her hand. The couple looked at the lanterns here and bought some snacks there, completely forgetting their daily worries and completely immersed in the festive celebration.

Compared with their war-torn hometown, the Jiangnan region is indeed like a paradise.

On the Suzaku Gate tower facing Suzaku Street, there are brilliant lights, dancing figures, music and singing, making it look like heaven.

That was the Daliang royal family "having fun with the people".

Sitting in front of the golden screen was the Daliang Emperor Xiao Yan, who had a very special appearance, with a face like a dragon, a look like a tiger, and a glow around his neck. The light shone on him, but it went straight through, casting no shadow.

If an ordinary person had such appearance, he would not even be able to find a wife, but the emperor was born like this, he was a sign of the sun and the moon, a true dragon in the world.

Although he was already in his sixties, Xiao Yan was still in good spirits. He chatted and laughed happily with his three younger brothers and drank happily.

Below and to the left of Xiao Yan's brothers sat a group of male members of the Xiao family, headed by Crown Prince Xiao Tong, and several princes-in-law.

On the right sat the imperial concubines and princesses, led by Concubine Ding and the eldest princess Xiao Yuyao. There were about one or two hundred people in total.

With the royal family gathered here, the imperial guards and the Gou Chen Si were naturally very nervous. There was a guard post every three steps and a sentry every five steps above and below the Suzaku Gate, and three layers of cordons were set up inside and outside the gate, for fear of any mishap.

Xiao Yan looked at the twinkling sea of lights on Zhuque Street, as well as the Nine Lotus Treasure Lanterns on the five-meter-high lamp poles. It had both the prosperity of the human world and the solemnity of Buddhism. He couldn't help but feel a little proud and said to his three younger brothers with a smile: "Sixth, Eighth, and Nineth, when you were young, did you ever think that you would be so rich?"

"That is something I would never dare to think of." His sixth brother, Xiao Hong, the King of Linchuan, was tall and handsome, with a good appearance and a good appearance. Hearing this, he smiled and complimented, "It's all thanks to my third brother."

Nanping King Xiao Wei on the side couldn't help but sneer at Xiao Hong, "You are absolutely right, especially Sixth Brother."

Xiao Hong blushed but didn't dare to refute him.

"Hey, mynah brother, it's a holiday, please be merciful." The ninth brother, Poyang King Xiao Hui, hurriedly persuaded Xiao Wei.

But his words were also disrespectful to this Sixth Brother...

However, he still admired Xiao Yan very much, and complimented him: "Not only our Xiao family, but also the millions of people in the capital can enjoy this blissful and prosperous era thanks to the blessing of Third Brother!"

"Haha, Old Nine is still good at talking." Xiao Yan nodded with satisfaction and pointed at Suzaku Street with interest: "Listen, the cheers are ringing, there must be something interesting going on."

The emperor had said so, so how could the princes dare to spoil his fun? They all looked towards Suzaku Street.

~~
On Suzaku Street, cheers were getting louder and louder, and crowds of people kept rushing in the same direction. No one knew what was attracting them.

It is human nature to watch the excitement, and Yang Zhong and Lu Kutao were no exception. The young couple held hands and followed the crowd to squeeze in. The couple had magical powers, like two swimming fish, they passed through the crowd without any hindrance and came to the front of the crowd.

In the middle of the street, two teams of palace maids with slender waists and wide sleeves, and beautiful hairpins were seen standing on the left and right, holding flower baskets and palace lanterns. They were escorting a phoenix chariot decorated with flowers, embroidered silk on all sides, and brocade and pearl curtains. It was extremely gorgeous, and they were walking leisurely on the imperial road where officials were forbidden to tread.

The palace maids kept throwing flowers, fruits and money to the crowd, causing people to scramble to grab them. No wonder so many people gathered.

When the phoenix chariot, surrounded by a huge crowd of people, arrived at the square in front of the Vermillion Bird Gate, the draperies, embroidered silks and pearl curtains on the chariot slowly lowered, revealing a palace beauty wearing a phoenix crown, whose beauty was so great that it could bring disaster to the country and the people, and who was unparalleled.

All those who saw her beauty could not look away. She only sat there quietly, and a slight smile would cause endless cheers.

At this time, a palace servant played the court music of the Qianqi Dynasty. The melody was beautiful and sad. The beautiful woman in palace dress slowly stood up to the music and lifted up the hem of her gorgeous gold-embroidered skirt.

She was not wearing any shoes or socks, revealing a pair of flawless, white, slender feet like young bamboo shoots, with toes like pearls.

Seeing those feet, everyone's heart was shaken and their breathing was shocked.

Then everyone saw a scene that they would never forget. The beautiful woman in palace dress raised her toes, and her toes touched the air like a dragonfly skimming the water, and a dazzling golden lotus grew under her feet.

ps. I haven't checked the next chapter yet, please wait.
(End of this chapter)