The Daily Life Of Mei Furen Doting On Her Husband - Chapter 157

There were also people playing gongs and drums and carrying various statues of gods around the city, singing and praying for good weather and peace in the world that year.

Taoist temples were bustling with the scent of incense. The large cauldrons in front of the doors were filled with burnt incense sticks. Even at night, the entire city of Chang’an was enveloped in smoke, and the aroma of burning incense lingered everywhere.

Dancers dressed in colorful fairy costumes walked on stilts, holding colorful lanterns in their hands, moving lightly through the crowd. From afar, under the night lights, they truly looked like a group of fairies floating in the wind.

The sound of drums and music resonated from the gates of the high walls. It was the musicians hired by the nobles performing variety shows. More common people had gathered early around the stages set up not far outside the palace walls. The endless stages were surrounded by crowds even before anyone had begun to perform.

In the past, the area around the palace walls had been a forbidden zone, where ordinary people were not allowed to approach. But it was different during the Lantern Festival. The city gates were not closed, and people could walk beneath the city walls. The stage was also permitted to be built on that vast open space. It was said that the Emperor and the nobles in the palace, if they were in the mood, would watch the variety shows below from the nearby corner tower of the city wall.

Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu wandered nearby and spotted someone selling dumplings on a shoulder pole. Wu Zhen walked over and ordered two bowls of steaming hot dumplings, then squatted down to eat them in the noisy cold night.

“Although it’s just ordinary food, not as exquisite as what we usually eat, at times like this, we should indulge in snacks sold on a shoulder pole. We crave this kind of ordinariness and this kind of excitement,” Wu Zhen said as she transferred food from her bowl into Mei Zhuyu’s bowl, explaining matter-of-factly, “This one isn’t sweet enough; it has no flavor, so I won’t eat it.”

The gongs on the stage began to clang, and Wu Zhen’s eyes lit up. “It’s started! Let’s go take a look!”

Mei Zhuyu finished the last dumpling, glanced toward the stage, and frowned. “There are too many people; don’t squeeze in.”

Wu Zhen took his arm and asked, “Don’t you want to see it?”

Mei Zhuyu was surprised. “I don’t want to see it.”

Wu Zhen smiled mysteriously and didn’t explain much. She simply pulled him straight over there.

Mei Zhuyu certainly didn’t know that Wu Zhen was thinking of the little kid who had been separated from his family in the winter, crying and trying to find his way around, disappointed when he couldn’t see the stage. At that moment, she thought that if she were by his side, she would definitely pick up the poor kid and let him see it clearly.

Mei Zhuyu protected Wu Zhen, careful not to let anyone bump into her. Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands around his waist, and the owner of those hands was trying to lift him.

Mei Zhuyu stood his ground, looking down at Wu Zhen in confusion. “What are you doing?”

Finding that she couldn’t lift him, Wu Zhen decisively gave up, spreading her hands and saying innocently, “Nothing.”

Mei Zhuyu looked at the dark crowd around them, then led Wu Zhen through the throng, moving toward the back. Once there, he raised his hand and lifted her up. “Look.”

The moment she was lifted, Wu Zhen felt like a meatball or a bird—something light—because the young man lifted her effortlessly, as if she weighed nothing, not even paying attention to her large belly.

As she turned her gaze, Wu Zhen suddenly spotted several familiar faces in the crowd. To her left was her elder sister, the Empress; to her right was the beautiful Concubine Mei; and in the middle was her brother-in-law, the Emperor, who was obsessed with singing, dancing, and poems. Next to her elder sister stood Princess Yuanzhen, wearing a white camellia hairpin, while Concubine Mei cradled the chubby, soft little prince in her arms.

The most noble family in the world had come out to watch the show, blending into the crowd like an ordinary wealthy family. Wu Zhen noticed the guards surrounding them and felt reassured. The atmosphere of that dynasty was open, making it normal for these dignitaries to enjoy themselves among the common folk during festivals.

Although the crowd was large, Wu Zhen was quite conspicuous after being lifted by the tall Mei Zhuyu. When her eyes lingered on Empress Wu, the Empress immediately noticed her and turned to look. Soon, everyone else followed her gaze, spotting Wu Zhen behind the crowd.

The Emperor smiled and waved at Wu Zhen, picking up the chubby prince from Concubine Mei’s arms. He squeezed through the crowd with his wives, children, and a large group of guards and attendants, making his way to Wu Zhen and Mei Zhuyu.

Mei Zhuyu had already set Wu Zhen down, and there was no formal ceremony; everyone simply referred to each other by their seniority.

Princess Yuanzhen smiled and took Wu Zhen’s arm, calling her ‘Aunt’, while addressing Mei Zhuyu as ‘Uncle’. The little prince also called her :Aunt’ before looking at Mei Zhuyu and calling him ‘Cousin’. From Concubine Mei’s side, Mei Zhuyu was indeed his cousin, and although the generations seemed a bit confusing, no one cared. They all continued on to the lantern market together.

“Second Lady, why didn’t you bring a few servants or guards with you when you came out?” The Emperor asked casually.

Wu Zhen replied, “It’s too troublesome. It’s much more comfortable if it’s just the two of us.”

The Emperor nodded in agreement. “It is troublesome, but we still need to be careful about safety.”

The Empress took over the conversation, saying, “Si Lang is right. You’re pregnant now; you must bring servants with you when you go out. And what were you doing just now? You were lifted so high! What if you fell? You have no one to discipline you. You don’t care about anything, and you are becoming more lawless.”

Seeing that the Empress was about to scold her, the Emperor hurriedly intervened, “Today is a great festival, and it’s rare for us to go out. Why don’t you let her take us to the recently famous Yuzhu Music House to listen to some music?”

Yuzhu Music House was a venue run by the monster servants Wu Zhen had brought back. It was well-known and attracted countless visitors every day, so Wu Zhen was naturally familiar with it.

Imperial Concubine Mei chimed in, “I was wondering why Si Lang was so interested in going out of the palace to see the lanterns. It turns out he has other intentions.”

The Emperor didn’t take it seriously. He laughed and winked at Wu Zhen, who continued, “In fact, I have already made an appointment to go there today. I heard they are going to build a stage on Yinyue Lake and have rehearsed a new dance for it. It would be a pity not to watch it. Let’s all go together and have some fun.”

The Emperor was so delighted by this news that he couldn’t stop smiling. “In that case, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”