Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

Just after noon on the Lantern Festival, Shen Chengliu came to Ningfengzhai.

"Xiaojiu, Sixth Brother just got two hundred taels of silver from Fifth Brother. Let's go shopping. After shopping, we'll take you to Juxianlou for dinner. After dinner, we'll watch the lanterns and come back." Shen Chengliu started shouting in the yard before he even entered the house.

But when he entered the room and saw Shen Chuning leaning on the chaise longue, he quickly sat on the embroidered cushion next to Shen Chuning and asked, "What's wrong with you? You look listless."

"It's nothing. It must be because of the wind yesterday. I have a headache today." Shen Chuning replied weakly.

Shen Chengliu rubbed his hands to warm them up, touched Shen Chuning's forehead, and then touched his own. "You don't have a fever, so why do you have a headache? Have you asked the court doctor to come and see you?"

Shen Chuning shook her head. "I don't want to disturb too many people during the New Year. I'll just lie down for a while."

"Then where are you feeling unwell? If you want something to eat, Sixth Brother will have someone make it for you."

After Shen Chuning finished asking Shen Chengliu, he asked Birui, "What did your young lady eat for lunch? Did she eat much?"

Birui knew that Shen Chuning was pretending, and she hesitated, not knowing how to answer Shen Chengliu.

"Sixth brother, I want to eat the cloud cake from Mingyue Tower." Shen Chuning helped Birui out.

"Just wait, Sixth Brother will buy it for you right away." Shen Chengliu said as he stood up and was about to leave.

Shen Chuning grabbed Shen Chengliu's sleeve and said, "I just finished my meal and can't eat anymore. Sixth brother, aren't you going to see the lanterns tonight? Just bring them back for me after you see them."

Shen Chengliu sat down again. "You're already sick. How can Sixth Brother have the mood to go see the lanterns? Besides, I wanted to take you with me to see the lanterns. I don't have the mood to go by myself."

Shen Chuning said disappointedly, "Sixth brother isn't going. I wanted him to bring me a lantern."

"Then Sixth Brother will take Old Eight there and I promise to buy you the most beautiful lantern."

……

The cloud cake from Mingyue Tower was delivered to Shen Chengliu not long after he left Ningfengzhai, because they were worried that Shen Chuning would get hungry before nightfall.

"Birui, do you think it's not good for me to lie to Sixth Brother like this?" Shen Chuning asked.

"Miss, the Sixth Young Master can't hide anything, and he can't withstand the Fifth Young Master's questioning. If you tell the Sixth Young Master, it will be equivalent to the Fifth Young Master knowing it, and you won't be able to leave today." Birui analyzed to Shen Chuning.

Shen Chuning sighed, "I can only explain it to Sixth Brother after today."

……

As soon as it got dark, Shen Chuning changed into Birui's clothes and sneaked out through the corner door.

Zhou Lin and the fifth prince had already been waiting at the agreed location.

The fifth prince, dressed in servant's clothes, stuck his head out of the car window and looked at the scene outside with curiosity.

"Sister Aning, come here quickly." The fifth prince saw Shen Chuning and waved at him excitedly.

Shen Chuning ran a few steps quickly and stopped in front of the car.

Zhou Lin stood beside the car. He was wearing a dark blue robe and a black belt with a water ripple pattern embroidered on it. His posture was as straight as a pine tree and his face was as handsome as jade.

Zhou Lin saw Shen Chuning running over and took out a hand warmer from the carriage and handed it to Shen Chuning. "Get on the train first. Several large lanterns are concentrated on Zhuque Street. If we go there now, we can still catch up with the lantern riddle guessing."

After Shen Chuning got in the car, she and the fifth prince leaned on the window sill. The streets and alleys of the capital were decorated with all kinds of colorful lanterns, making it look like a dream.

The crowd was bustling, and the carriage stopped at one end of Zhuque Street. Shen Chuning and the other two got off and walked into the lively Lantern Festival.

"You two follow me closely. There are many beggars in the capital who will kidnap any pretty children they see." Zhou Lin threatened the two.

Shen Chuning and the Fifth Prince nodded obediently.

The two sides of Zhuque Street were hung with colorful lanterns, and there were acrobatic performances, lion dances, and even fire-breathing performances in the brothels.

Young women on the street, holding lanterns and wearing pearls on their heads, gathered in groups of three or five, laughing and playing. In the distance, firecrackers were deafening, and the scene was truly a scene of fireworks and silk.

Lanterns of various colors are displayed on the street stalls, including flower-shaped lanterns made of lotus and peony, and animal lanterns made of various birds and beasts. There are orange-red flames inside and they are wrapped in silk cloth. If you put your hands close to them, you can feel a warm breath, as if it can drive away the cold of winter.

On the high platform in the middle of Zhuque Street, there were many people gathered in three layers inside and outside.

There are three lanterns hanging on the stand on the stage. The one in the middle is a lotus lantern with a golden base and pink petals made of gold foil.

On the left is a revolving lantern. The candlelight projects the paper-cut pattern of generals riding horses onto the lamp surface. The burning candle inside the lamp drives the axle to rotate, and the generals on horseback chase each other on the lamp surface.

On the right is a long dragon-shaped lantern, one end of which is tied to a rack on a high platform, while the other end flutters in the wind, making it look vivid and lifelike.

The person standing on the stage used a small hammer to hit the gong in his hand, attracting the attention of countless passers-by.

"Listen up, ladies and gentlemen! For twenty copper coins, you can guess a lantern riddle. If you guess correctly, you can choose to take the lanterns in front of you, or you can continue guessing. The person who guesses the most correctly will receive the gold-foil lotus lantern in the center, symbolizing good luck in the new year. The second and third place winners will receive a dragon lantern and a revolving lantern, respectively."

"There's still one stick of incense left before this round of riddle guessing ends. The first-placed gentleman has guessed eighteen riddles correctly, and the third-placed gentleman has guessed eleven. Gentlemen and ladies, please don't miss this if you're passing by."

Shen Chuning stood outside the crowd, stunned.

Zhou Lin saw Shen Chuning's look and said, "There are a lot of people here, it's not very safe. I'll buy you any lantern you want later."

"Okay." Shen Chuning said and followed Zhou Lin out of the crowd.

Although his feet followed, his heart remained on the platform, looking back every few steps.

Zhou Lin sighed after seeing it, "Which one do you like?"

Shen Chuning turned her head and walked away, bumping into Zhou Lin's back. "Hiss...what?"

Zhou Lin said helplessly: "Ask you which one you like?"

Shen Chuning stretched out her finger, "Uh, uh, the revolving lantern."

Zhou Lin looked around and finally found a teahouse opposite the platform. He arranged for Shen Chuning and the Fifth Prince to go in. "You two wait here. Don't run around. Got it?"

They both nodded.

After Zhou Lin left, Shen Chuning sat bored in the teahouse, "Do you think Brother Zhou Er can bring the lantern back?"

The Fifth Prince nodded firmly, "Of course."

At this time, a familiar voice came from the people coming down from the teahouse, "My little Jiu will definitely like that revolving lantern across the street. I'm going to help her win it back."