<strong>Chapter 295 – The Lantern Festival (2)</strong>


    “How about ... like a man?” Ye Zhen was wearing a silk robe, embroidered with an azure blue precious flower, which highlighted her white and ruddy skin. Her lips red and teeth white, carved like jade, she looked like both a beauty and a beautiful youngster.


    Dai Mei was somewhat bbergasted.


    “Miss, are you ... are you really going out dressed like this tonight?” Dai Mei asked in shock. This third miss never failed to amaze her.


    “That’s right. I am going out dressed like this tonight,” Ye Zhen said with a smile.


    “So, like a man—” Although the getup didn’t rob her good-looks, there’s always a little difort lingering.


    “That’s right.”


    Ye Zhen was quite decided she had thought this through. This was a patriarchal society, where women were expected to look beautiful and men powerful. Although both had their advantages and disadvantages, it was undeniable that some things were much more convenient for men than women. After all, they possessed something that women were deprived of- freedom.


    At dusk, Ye Zhen dragged Lu Xiangzhi out of the door. Just when they got out of the Lu Mansion’s gate, they were greeted by the sight of a blue carriageing their way. Before anyone could as much as think, the curtain parted, and the puerile face of Mo Rongyi came into view.


    “Little Prince?!” Lu Xiangzhi looked at him in amazement. “Why are you here?”


    Mo Rongyi hopped off the carriage as soon as it halted. “I’m here to enjoy the Lantern Festival tonight. Yaoyao, this little prince allows you to watch thenterns with me.”


    Ye Zhenughingly nodded. “Many thanks to Little Prince’s benevolence.”


    “For the sake of curing my illness.” Mo Rongyi put on a haughty look and looked at Ye Zhen again. “Why are you dressed like this?”


    “This is convenient. Well, let’s go.” Ye Zhen said humorously, “If we don’t go now, there will be too many people in a while, and we can’t squeeze in the crowd.”


    Lu Xiangzhi had a headacheing. As if his sister wasn’t enough, not the little prince joined the melee. <i>It would be simply dangerous tonight.</i>


    “Yaoyao, why don’t you go with your second and fourth sisters?” Lu Xiangzhi asked Ye Zhen in a low voice thinking it would be good for his young sisters to have fun together.


    Ye Zhen said faintly, “I don’t like it.”


    Lu Fang and her friends had gone out together. They didn’t roam around but just stayed in the tavern’s wing room, watching the fun from afar. Ye Zhen used to be like that. She thought thatdies of the wealthy family shouldn’t join in the fun everywhere. There was a decorum that one had to adhere to, an image that had to be maintained at all costs. Opulence came with more don’ts than dos.


    Perhaps, with <i>that</i> life such notions had long bid adieu. For now, all Ye Zhen cared about was enjoying every moment bestowed upon her. She had long packed away the “wooden noble Miss”, this edition would see her letting loose and embracing her desires unabashedly.


    Soon, they arrived at the main street. What was usually a mundanene, was not adorned withnterns and colorful banners on either sides, lighting it up as bright as day. People came and went,ughing and talking, adding the bustles of what would have been an otherwise quiet time. Anywhere the eyes saw, there was nothing but similes and more smiles. The excitement was contagious that one would be easily swayed away.


    While Mo Rongyi was being protected by two imperial servants, Lu Xiangzhi blocked the crowd for Ye Zhen, not letting anyone get close to her.


    “That’s the Lantern Tower over there. Let’s go and have a look.” Mo Rongyi pointed to the temporary set-up in front of them and urged Ye Zhen to apany him.


    Ye Zhen used to only watch others fightnterns in the tavern, not really being able to appreciate thenterns in the tower. She immediately nodded at the newfound opportunity. “Let’s go and have a look. I also want to know what Lantern King looks like this year.”


    Mo Rongyi’s puerile and handsome face shed a different color and soon returned to normal. “In a while, you will see whichntern is the Lantern King.”


    Ye Zhen smiled and nodded. “Well, I have a good eye.”


    When they arrived at the front of thentern tower, many were already fightingnterns. This was a seriouspetition and the rules were very pretty simple. People wouldpete with each, in that, the bestntern would win. The winner in turn would progress to the next level while the loser would go home. So on and so forth, through systematic elimination, thestntern standing would be dered the Lantern King and awarded 1,200 taels of silver from the imperial court.


    One thousand two hundred silver taels was a lot of money for themoners. How many would give it their all and disy their skills to be the Lantern King by all means?


    “Hey, those twonterns on the stage are very beautiful. Can’t no onepete?” Ye Zhen pointed to the twonterns hanging on the building’s balcony: one was a vivid and lifelike peacockntern, the other an octagon depicting a phoenix surrounded by birds bowing in reverence.


    Only


    Mo Rongyi asked in a low voice, “Which of the twonterns do you think can be the Lantern King?”


    “Can’t say for sure. Perhaps there will be better-lookingnterns in a while,” Ye Zhen said with a smile.


    “Humph! You don’t have a good eye at all!” Mo Rongyi disdained her in a low voice.


    Understandably, thepetition was time bound. So, after another half hour had passed and there were still no contenders for the twonterns on the stage, they were both dered as the Lantern King ‘candidates’.


    “There’s no need topete any more. The Lantern King title belongs to this young master.” Before even deciding the oue, a young man in silk brocade, feeling high and mighty, stood up and dered aloud.