Li Qingan walked out of the door and saw Mingzhu's anxious face, so he smiled and said, "Mingzhu, how do you know I'm here?" ”

Mingzhu finally found Li Qing'an, she couldn't help but be overjoyed, jumped over and grabbed his arm and said, "I've been looking for you everywhere, I've been looking for you for an afternoon, I guessed that you might be here, and sure enough, I guessed correctly!" ”

"What are you looking for me to do?"

"Oh my stupid big brother! Have you forgotten what it is today? On the first night! Such a great opportunity, don't you want to accompany my sister to watch the lanterns? ”

"Your sister asked you to come?"

"She!" Mingzhu pouted and said: "Her thin skin, even if she is willing in her heart, she will never speak, only I will run for her." ”

Li Qingan looked at the sky, it was not early, and said with a smile: "Okay, I'll go to the house." ”

Mingzhu was overjoyed when she saw that he was willing to accompany her sister to visit the lamp, and she hurriedly said, "No!" You can't go like this, if you go to invite her in person like this, she will definitely not be able to put it down, I have already thought about it, you will wait in front of our house, and then it will be a chance meeting, so that she will have nothing to say. ”

Seeing that she was thoughtful, Li Qingan couldn't help but shake his head and smiled: "It's really difficult for your sister, okay, let's play together tonight, don't deliberately walk away." ”

"If you don't think I'm an eyesore, I'll follow you."

Mingzhu grinned, turned around and ran, and her voice came from afar, "In an hour, wait for us at the gate of the main house." ”

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The fourteenth day of the first lunar month is the eve of Shangyuan, Shangyuan Festival is today's Lantern Festival, in the Tang Dynasty, Shangyuan Festival is a very grand and lively festival, it is different from Yuan, Yuan is the beginning of the year, is the agricultural sacrifice, the community sacrifice, the sacrifice to the sky, the ancestors of the said, there is a specific purpose, but the Shangyuan Festival is different, it is purely an entertainment, cheerful festival said, with lanterns as the medium, the whole country celebrates, so the Shangyuan Festival is the carnival of the Tang Dynasty.

At the same time, Shangyuan Festival is also the Valentine's Day of the Tang Dynasty, the willow branches on the moon, people about dusk, a pair of lovers confide in their hearts that night, a couple of lovers in this night to get married, have to become more than how to die, willing to be a mandarin duck not envy the immortal.

The night of the eighth year of Tianbao became more grand and enthusiastic because of the victory of the Longyou Campaign, and the imperial court specially decreed that the door of the Shangyuan Festival would not be closed for three nights, and the people would be entertained.

The lanterns on the two streets of Vermilion Bird and Chunming stretch for more than ten miles, the lanterns of each square and each street, the lanterns in front of every house, the lanterns carried by visitors, the jade streamer, the purple color, the whole Chang'an seems to be immersed in the sea of lights.

Every year on the first night, Dugu Mingyue is with the sisters in the clan to visit the lamp, but this year is different, when the sky is still dusk, she began to dress up carefully, she sat in front of the bronze mirror and made up carefully, first smeared a layer of white powder on the face, then applied rouge, and then thrush, appliqué on the forehead, dotted the face at the corner of the lips, painted oblique red at the temples, and then applied lip grease, these days are almost dark.

She looked at herself in the bronze mirror, in the mirror, she was dazzling, looking forward to the brilliance, like the peony of the heavenly fragrance and the national color, she felt quite satisfied, so she picked up a green feather hairpin and inserted it obliquely into the cloud bun.

"Sister, are you okay?"

Mingzhu pushed the door in and urged: "Hurry up!" It's getting dark. ”

Mingzhu has no intention of dressing up today, she is still the same as during the day, wearing a red pomegranate skirt, combing her double ring and looking at the fairy bun, the fat powder is not painted, but she has slightly painted her eyebrows, she is anxious, the appointed hour has come, and her sister is still dressing up in a hurry, which is not like this in previous years.

Mingyue glanced at her and smiled, "What are you anxious about?" The lantern festival won't end, so what does it matter if you go late? ”

"It's a big deal! Let's go! If you don't leave, Zhao Xuming is here again. Mingzhu took her sister's hand and left.

"Hey! Wait a minute, I still have no ornaments to wear, she opened the ivory jewelry box on the dresser, which contained essential ornaments such as rings, bracelets, armbands, jade pendants, and sachets.

Mingzhu was so anxious that she jumped to her feet, it would take at least a quarter of an hour to wear these well, "Sister, I beg you, it's not a marriage, why are you so particular?" If he doesn't go, he's gone. ”

"Him!" Mingyue's face turned red, and she asked pretending to be puzzled, "Who is he?" ”

Mingzhu said that she leaked her mouth, and she didn't hide her surname, so she said: "He wants to come to invite you, I told him not to come, my sister is thin-skinned, and she will not go, so he will wait for you at the gate of the workshop, the appointed hour has already passed, I am worried that he will not be able to wait for you, so I went shopping by myself, but I was met by Cui Liuliu and Cui Ningbi..... Sister, let's go! I'm dying. ”

"I didn't ask him to wait for me, who he wants to go with to see the lights is his business."

Dugu Mingyue said it lightly, but she 'snapped! He closed the jewelry box, got up and said with a smile: "Look at you in a hurry, I think you want to go shopping with him!" ”

Mingzhu was told that she was in her heart, and she said timidly: "Sister, what nonsense are you talking about, or I won't go, he will wait for you at the gate of the workshop." ”

"Silly girl, let's go!"

Dugu Mingyue pulled her sister and walked out quickly, just walked to the courtyard of the outer house, but someone behind them called them, "Mingyue, Mingzhu!" ”

Called them is a palace lady in her forties, although she has reached middle age, but still beautiful, you can imagine the beauty of her youth, she is the mother of the sisters Pei, Pei is the daughter of Pei Zunqing, married Dugu Hao more than 20 years ago, gave birth to a son and three daughters, the eldest son is lonely Yu, last year in the Jinshi, served as the chief bookkeeper of Ye County, Hebei, did not come back for the New Year this year, the eldest daughter Ming Jing was named Princess Jingle, and pro-Khitan, and died tragically under the Khitan knife, this is Mrs. Pei's biggest heartache.

Although the youngest daughter Mingzhu is fifteen years old, she is still like a child, she is not worried, she is now most worried about the marriage of the second daughter Mingyue, Mingyue is seventeen years old this year, although she is not old, but she is gentle and courteous, and seems more mature than her peers, it is time to get married, the earliest Mingyue grandfather was afraid that his granddaughter would be picked and kissed, so he hurriedly found a soldier Li Qingan to go on a blind date, Mrs. Pei happened to be absent at that time, and when she learned about it afterwards, she shook her head again and again, How can her daughter marry an officer, even if she is an officer, if she has a family background, she is a person with no background, which makes her dislike it.

Among all the young people who came to ask for marriage, she took a fancy to last year's Tanhualang Zhao Xuming, young and promising, knowledgeable, and good character, as for the officialdom, she didn't care very much, the key is that this Zhao Xuming is the son-in-law of the Zhao family, a famous family in Qinzhou, and the Dugu family is the right family, Mrs. Pei, who attaches great importance to the concept of the family, especially fancy this, plus Zhao Xuming has a deep affection for her daughter, just when she was thinking about how to persuade her daughter, unexpectedly there was a sensation in Chang'an last night, Li Qingan was jealous for her daughter, actually drew his sword and faced each other, which surprised and annoyed Mrs. Pei, Li Qingan like this, who else dared to ask for marriage?

"Where are you two going?" Mrs. Pei asked with a smile.

"Mother, we want to go out to watch the lanterns!"

"Oh! Just the two of you? I mean, did you make an appointment with anyone? ”

"Nope! No! Mingzhu denied it.

"That's good!"

Mrs. Pei saw that Mingyue was dressed beautifully, so she nodded and smiled: "Mingyue, Zhao Gongzi came just now, and he was waiting for you in the guest room!" Tonight, let him accompany you to the lights! ”

Mingyue was stunned for a moment, "Mother, which Zhao Gongzi?" ”

"Who else is Zhao Xuming, who has a deep love for you! He's been waiting for you for a long time, go ahead! ”。

Mingzhu was quick to speak, and immediately said: "Mother, my sister hates that guy surnamed Zhao the most." ”

"Shut up!"

Mrs. Pei's face immediately became gloomy, and she slowly walked up to her daughter and asked, "Mingyue, don't you even listen to your mother's words?" ”

"Mother, I ......"

Mingyue's heart was extremely painful, Mingzhu was just about to speak, but Mrs. Pei glared at her fiercely, so frightened that she swallowed her words back, Mrs. Pei smiled, and said softly to Mingyue: "Mingyue, my mother knows that you have been obedient since you were a child, although Zhao Xuming is a little weaker, but he is the son of a famous family, and we are the head of our Dugu family, and he is a professional Tanhualang, the future is limitless, and he is knowledgeable and polite, isn't it the literati bachelor you have always liked?" My mother believes that you have been together for a long time, and you will have the same feelings, don't let your surname be, listen to your mother's words, okay? ”

At this time, Zhao Xuming suddenly came out of the courtyard gate and gave a deep salute to the lonely Mingyue, "Miss Mingyue, I apologized to you for being rude last night!" ”

He has been hiding behind the courtyard gate, and when he heard Mrs. Pei's words, he couldn't help but be overjoyed, it turned out that there were still people in the Dugu family who supported him, and he was also a heavyweight Mingyue's mother, and he was hopeful, he secretly saw that Mingyue was dressed up today, and he was already fascinated, so he couldn't help but come out from behind the door.

Mrs. Pei glanced at him, and saw that he was elegant and handsome, like a jade tree in the wind, and polite, she couldn't help but like him a little more, so she took Mingyue's hand and smiled: "Go!" Mother wants you to have fun today. ”

"Mother, I'm sorry!"

Mingyue broke free of her mother's hand, turned around and ran towards the inner house, and Mingzhu hurriedly chased after her.

"Bright Moon! Moon! Mrs. Pei shouted twice, but Mingyue just refused to look back.

Mrs. Pei was helpless, so she had to apologize to Zhao Xuming: "Zhao Gongzi, I'm sorry." ”

"It's okay! It's okay! My aunt is an elder, how can there be a reason to apologize to the younger generation, today a few classmates and friends of the old day also happened to be asking me, and I went to watch the lanterns with them. ”

Speaking of this, he bowed again and said sincerely: "Thank you aunt for your success, and the younger generation is grateful." ”

When Mrs. Pei saw that he was knowledgeable, she felt even more sorry in her heart, so she said, "Zhao Gongzi, do you have any elders in Chang'an?" ”

Zhao Xuming was stunned, he suddenly reacted, and said happily: "Yes!" Yes! My uncle is in Chang'an, so I'm going to discuss with him. ”

"Don't worry, let's talk about it after the Shangyuan Festival, you should have a good time with your classmates tonight!"

Mrs. Pei smiled slightly, turned around and left, Zhao Xuming jumped so high with joy, he finally had hope.

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Mingyue had returned to her room, she was in great pain, her mother actually wanted to marry her to Zhao Xuming, she was stunned out of the window, and suddenly hid her face and sobbed in a low voice.

"Sister, don't cry, and Daddy! Daddy won't let you marry the guy surnamed Zhao. ”

Mingzhu stepped forward and pulled her sister and said, "Let's go through the back door!" Don't let Brother Li wait. ”

Mingyue wiped away her tears, shook her head and said, "It's not the problem of the front door and the back door, Mingzhu, you go and tell him that I can't go out tonight, please forgive me." ”

Mingzhu saw that her sister was resolute, and she was helpless, so she had to turn around and go, all the way, she secretly cursed that Zhao Xuming all the way, a stinky pig with a dead skin, it was best to be hit by a carriage as soon as she went out, turned a corner in the back garden, and a woman suddenly appeared in front of her, Mingzhu didn't watch out, and almost hit her head-on.

"Mingzhu, are you thinking about sneaking out again?"

As soon as Mingzhu looked up, she saw that it was Zu Niang, and she was so frightened that she hurriedly saluted, "Zu Niang, I'm sorry, I didn't see you." ”

This woman is the step-wife of Mingzhu's grandfather Dugushi, Mrs. Wang, she has always liked Mingzhu the most, Mingzhu used to sneak out to play, Dugushi was angry several times, but she was persuaded by her, she saw that Mingzhu was worried, so she smiled and said: "Do you want to go out to shop for lights but your mother won't let you, just go to play, I'll call the shots for you." ”

Mingzhu's eyes rolled, she suddenly thought of a brilliant idea, and hurriedly said: "Grandmother, my sister wants to go out to shop for lights, but my mother won't let me, you go and tell my mother!" Just said that I want my sister to accompany you out to visit the lights. ”

Mrs. Wang smiled and stretched out her finger to her forehead, "You elf and eccentric little lady, do you think I don't know?" I want to offend your mother, you can figure it out. ”

Mingzhu blushed, took Mrs. Wang's hand and begged, "Grandmother, you can help!" Please. ”

"Then tell me the truth, is Li Qingan waiting for your sister outside?"

Mingzhu had to nod and said worriedly: "It's already a quarter of an hour late, I'm afraid he can't wait to come to my sister, if my mother knows, things will be in trouble." ”

Mrs. Wang is a shrewd and pragmatic woman, in her opinion, what is Zhao Xuming, a little Taixue teaching assistant, the last official of the seventh grade, can he compare with the Beiting Festival? Mrs. Pei is really confused, she likes those empty and useless doors, she saw it last time Li Qingan came on a blind date, although he was a little rude, but the young man was very capable, he was valued by the saint, and he became a town festival envoy at a young age, if Mingyue married him, what a pillar for the Dugu family.

She smiled and said, "Okay then! I'm just going to go out to shop for the lights, and I'm alone, so you sisters can go with me! Your mother is my junior, I don't need to say anything to her, go and call your sister, let's go. ”

Mingzhu was so happy that her heart was about to explode, she stretched out her mouth and kissed Mrs. Wang on the face, "Thank you, Grandmaster, I'll call my sister." ”

"This damn girl!"

Mrs. Wang wiped her face and shook her head helplessly.

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(To be continued)