The hall suddenly fell silent, and Zhu Yuanzhang saw his three sons looking at him in a daze, and his face was suddenly full of discomfort, looking left and right, and said with a smile: "Today is the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and a few of you will stay and dine with me." Tomorrow, Zhang'er and Li'er will go to the barracks, and I should practice it for you. When you go to the barracks, you must exercise hard, and you are not allowed to lose face. ”

How could the three children be in the mood to eat. Ma Xiuying thought that Zhu Fan and Zhu Li were going to the barracks to endure hardships, and they couldn't swallow either. Zhu Yuanzhang is actually reluctant to let his son suffer, but he is the Son of Heaven, and his words have been spoken, how can he change his order and eat wildly.

The meal was boring, and the three children wanted to say goodbye when they finished their meal.

Ma Xiuying didn't let go, and before she said anything, she cried first, "Accompany your mother more." ”

When the mother's mood is always so contradictory, Ma Xiuying not only hopes that her son will succeed, but also reluctant to let her son endure hardships, and vows a moment ago to let her son go to the military camp to exercise, but at this moment she faintly regrets that she should not make such a decision.

The three children sat down as they were told, but no one spoke, and the atmosphere became more and more depressing.

Suddenly, the window lit up, and everyone looked up, only to see fireworks rising in the night sky, colorful, gorgeous, and beautiful.

Zhu Yuanzhang had the heart to break the deadlock, and said with a smile: "It must be the people who are setting off fireworks." ”

Fireworks were popular in the Song Dynasty, but during the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan people were afraid that the Han people would master gunpowder and other technologies, and they did not allow the people to make everything related to gunpowder privately. It was only after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty that Zhu Yuanzhang overturned many unequal regulations, although it was also forbidden for the private manufacture of firearms, firecrackers and fireworks were not included in the regulations, so many firecracker shops reopened.

In particular, the people were amazed by the fireworks set off by the Chinese New Year's Eve of the Imperial Palace, and they bought fireworks to set off at the Lantern Festival, and the night sky of the capital was decorated with fireworks of various shapes.

Children are always easy to be attracted by lively and novel things, the previous fireworks, everyone still vividly remembered, heard that the folk are also setting off fireworks, the eyes of the three children suddenly lit up, looking at the night sky intently, with a look of longing on their faces.

Ma Xiuying asked softly, "Your Majesty, let them go to the people to see the fireworks." If it weren't for the status restrictions, she really wished her sons could set off fireworks with their own hands. In the past, during the Chinese New Year and the holidays, which child didn't play with fireworks, Ma Xiuying remembered that she used to like to play with ground mice and whips the most.

Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated: "The dragons and snakes outside the palace are mixed, and it is not very safe. ”

Ma Xiuying begged: "People often take their families out to play, but the emperor has never accompanied the children to play like this." We changed into civilian clothes and quietly went out through the corner gate, who knows? If you don't feel at ease, bring a few more guards with you. Let's not go far, but just walk around the palace, shall we?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's face was slight, he had been fighting everywhere since the day he took refuge in Guo Zixing, and the children were still in their infancy and moved with him, until he was tired of the court when he laid down a piece of the country, and seriously speaking, he almost never played well with the children. Faced with Ma Xiuying's request, he couldn't find a reason to refuse, so he nodded in agreement.

The three children suddenly smiled, especially Zhu Fan and Zhu Li, who swept away their previous frustration and couldn't wait to shout out of the palace, which was even happier than the birds that had just been released from the cage.

Ma Xiuying warned: "After leaving the palace, everything must be arranged by us, and you are not allowed to run far alone, and you are not allowed to touch dangerous things......"

"Got it! got it!" Zhu Fan and Zhu Di interrupted Ma Xiuying's admonition, full of promises, and their hearts had already flown outside.

Ma Xiuying really had nothing to do with these two stubborn people, so she had to say to Zhu Biao: "Hold my brother in prison for a while, don't let them make trouble." ”

"Erchen Province. Zhu Biao nodded yes, and his eyes couldn't help but show a hint of excitement and joy.

The five of them changed into civilian clothes, disguised themselves as ordinary people, and quietly left the palace. A few guards followed him from a distance.

The streets near the palace are still relatively clean, and the people have a natural sense of awe for the palace, and generally do not approach the palace easily. But as soon as they walked onto Suzaku Street, the three children were dazzled by the lively street scene.

The streets are lit up with lights and crowded with people. There are people performing acrobatics here, there are people dancing dragons and lions, there are hawkers shouting in front, and passers-by carrying lanterns in various postures and singing......

The three children only went out of the palace when they worshiped the Taimiao with Zhu Yuanzhang, but at that time, the honor guard opened the way and the guards guarded the road, and they couldn't see such a lively scene when they sat in the car, which was much more interesting than the celebration in the palace. Zhu Fan and Zhu Li had strange expressions on their faces, looking east and west, they couldn't see enough of anything, and even the most stable Zhu Biao couldn't help but look sideways.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Ma Xiuying looked at each other and smiled, held the children's hands, and slowly walked forward with the crowd.

Ma Xiuying didn't forget to pat Zhu Yuanzhang's ass, "It's all the emperor's good governance, and the people have a peaceful and prosperous world." In the past, the soldiers were in chaos, and the concubines only saw the people with bitterness and sorrow, but now they are truly happy and happy. ”

"Don't call me emperor when you come out, we are just ordinary husband and wife. Zhu Yuanzhang laughed, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, which was the best praise for him.

Along the way, he saw a family standing two sugarcane with roots and leaves next to the gate, and Zhu Fan asked why.

Zhu Yuanzhang explained that this is a sign of a good life in the new year, like a sugarcane.

"What's that?" asked Zhu Li, pointing to the back of a child in front of him.

The child had a red thread tied to his back, and was wearing red dates and straw, with a copper coin hanging on it and a firecracker falling below.

Ma Xiuying said with a smile: "That's a jujube brand, a kind of mascot to ward off evil spirits." ”

The children's questions are endless, "Why don't we?"

"Because you have a better mascot, my jade pendant is contaminated with dragon energy, and it can ward off evil spirits. During the Chinese New Year, Zhu Yuanzhang rewarded each child with a jade pendant, so he said.

Zhu Li was very happy to hear that his jade pendant was better than other people's jujube cards, and he deliberately took out the jade pendant and looked at it, before putting it back in his sleeve and looking away.

didn't know that his actions were seen by several thieves. The thieves had long noticed the five people who were well-dressed, and when they saw that the jade pendant Zhu Li took out was very valuable, and saw that the other party only had a couple and three children, they had a bad heart, and slowly approached each other with eyes to find an opportunity to steal.

Ma Xiuying hadn't noticed the actions of a few people, and there were unfamiliar and usual faces around her, who would pay attention to whom. For the sake of protecting the child's safety, she tried to lead the child to walk in a less crowded place to avoid crowds. At this time, she suddenly saw several people sticking up to her, and her vigilance instinct increased.