The night is deep, and the light market in the distance is like a sea.

But outside Sweet Water Street in the east of the city, a remote canal is deserted.

Cao Shilang is a scholar in the Tiandu Confucian, over forty years old, with a square face of Chinese characters, and now he is about to rush to a gathering of Confucian friends.

People are in good spirits on happy occasions, and every inch of skin on his face at this time is dyed with a thick smile.

He walked like a fly on the remote path by the canal.

But suddenly something caught his attention, and he stopped and looked towards the place where the unusual movement was emanating.

In the darkness, behind a weeping willow by the canal, a figure crouched on the ground, its body shrunken and trembled.

It was just the beginning of the first month, and there was still some hint of spring cold in the air...... Could it be that this person is catching a cold?

Could he be a homeless homeless man? However, it was a little dark over there, and Cao Shiro didn't see what the man was wearing.

Cao Shilang has always been a warm-hearted person, so he said from afar: "Hey-that benevolent brother under the willow tree, is there anything you can do here?" ”

As if he hadn't heard, the man continued to crouch under the willow tree, shivering with his back to him.

Cao Shilang suspected that this person was like a slave who had been kicked out of the house, and then asked loudly again: "Today is the Shangyuan Festival, don't you stay in the master's mansion for the holiday?" Where do you live, do you need Cao to take you home? ”

The man remained deaf, as if he was freezing badly, but twitched vigorously.

It's strange, is this person deaf after all...... With such curiosity, Cao Shilang tiptoed lightly and slowly approached the man, at least wanting to see it before leaving.

Ten steps, nine steps, eight steps......

Four steps.

This distance is not far or close.

Cao Shilang said curiously: "Brother Ren? ”

Suddenly, the "man" jumped up and pounced on him!

"Ah——!!h

A cry of horror, sorrow, despair echoed across the canal beyond Sweetwater Street.

Although the sound was not small, it was completely drowned in a sea of lively and noisy sounds on the first night of the heavenly capital.

……

……

"On New Year's Eve last year, the flower market was lit up like daylight."

"The east wind blooms thousands of trees at night, and the stars are like rain. BMW carved cars are full of fragrance. The sound of the phoenix flute moves, the light of the jade pot turns, and the fish and dragon dance all night. ”

On the way to Sweet Water Street in the east of the city, these two groups of words unconsciously floated out of Gu Changan's head.

In his impression of his previous life, since the Tang and Song dynasties, the Lantern Festival has become a trend.

Enjoy the lanterns, eat the Lantern Festival (rice balls), guess the lantern riddles, set off fireworks......

In this festival, the Tiandu City of the Daheng Dynasty is not far behind.

In the bazaar, all kinds of lanterns, lanterns, and marquee lanterns converge into a sea of lights.

In the night sky, the full moon hung high, and bunches of fireworks burst into fire trees and silver flowers in the night sky.

On the bluestone pavement of the streets and alleys, the tourists and cars and horses come and go endlessly, and there is an endless stream.

Daheng's Tiandu City has also become a city that never sleeps tonight.

The two brothers, Gu Changan and Gu Yanning, walked in front, and Chen Xuanzong followed far behind the two.

"Thousands of miles to let the eldest brother and I accompany you out, just to visit the Qinglou? In your mother's words, this is called insulting Sven and ruining the family style. Gu Changan couldn't help but complain as he walked.

Gu Yanning smiled and said: "My eldest brother and I ran out secretly, if you don't say it, I won't say it, and the people in the house won't see it, so she won't know." ”

Although Gu Changan in this world has been guarding himself like a jade for nineteen years, he has already seen the thing of eel hunger and Bao in his previous life...... This stinky brother is now described in one word, and that is to be careless.

It is estimated that the idea of visiting the Qinglou came up tonight, which is also unprecedented.

Gu Changan said without being salty or indifferent: "Tiandu Tianshui Street is known as 'a land of flourishing flowers, a rich and prosperous township in the world', but the eldest brother still doesn't understand, why do you have to go to this Tianxiang Pavilion, what is so good about Tianxiang Pavilion?" ”

Gu Yanning gave him a meaningful smile: "Big brother, you still don't know? On this day, on the eve of the Shangyuan Festival every year, a grand event will be held to select a hundred flowers, and a hundred flowers will be selected by the spectators present. The previous year's Oiran was the Meimei girl, last year's Oiran was the Musk Lan girl, and this year's top winner was the Lingyin girl......"

Isn't it just a group of old people who are raising the price of × there...... Gu Changan said lightly: "And then?" ”

Gu Yanning swallowed his saliva and narrowed his eyes: "Then the number one benefactor will be selected from the on-site spectators to open the jackpot of this hundred flower leader." ”

As soon as he heard this, Gu Changan immediately took a few steps to the side, and looked at Gu Yanning in a daze: "Big brother, what do you mean by this?" ”

Gu Changan said: "I'm ashamed to be with you!" ”

……

The lobby on the first floor of Tianxiang Pavilion.

Gu Changan and Gu Yanning sat next to each other.

The little guy who ran the hall stepped forward to toast a tea, and then retreated with a smile.

The lobby on the first floor of the Tianxiang Pavilion was made into a semi-circular stage. Surrounding the circular stage are rows of staired auditoriums.

Tianxiang Pavilion is a green building in Tianzi on Sweetwater Street, and even buying a ticket to choose a hundred flowers costs ten taels of silver per person. Gu Changan spent twenty taels of silver at once, not to mention that the pain was fake.

This green building is a green building, which is different from the kiln and brothel underneath.

The kilns are the lowest, mostly hidden in potholed mud alleys, filled with nothing more than remnants of flowers and willows.

The brothel is slightly better, more glamorous inside and out, but inside and outside it is just a bunch of vulgar fans who sell themselves and don't show their talents.

Only the Qinglou, not only the pavilions and houses are magnificently built, but the girls in it are almost all talented and beautiful, and a considerable part of them are selling their art and not selling themselves (deleted), and they can't afford to go to the house without a mine.

Even if there is a mine at home, if there is not a few catties of ink in the stomach, it is impossible to have a deep friendship with Oiran......

At this moment.

The lobby on the first floor of Tianxiang Pavilion is already a grand occasion of crowds.

All the visitors who came here were staring at the stage in front of them, their eyes full of all kinds of commotion and eagerness.

There were a few Confucian scholars sitting around a table next to Gu Chang'an, who were talking to each other at this time, talking about some trivial gossip.

"Why hasn't that Cao Shilang been here for so long, it can't be that there was an accident on the road, right?"

"What could happen? I think most of him just can't afford the ten taels of silver, so he can't change his mind temporarily. ”

"This Cao Shilang is mediocre, talk about what he does! There is no less of him, and no more of him. ”

"That's right."

"I heard that in this Hundred Flowers Selection, the Lingyin girl won the championship with the highest voice, and the competition for the jackpot is fierce, which is better than before!"

"Alas, I think among us, only Zhou Hanlin has a better chance of winning."

"Since we don't have any chance of winning, let's be willing to make green leaves lined with saffron, and it's good to come out and see the world......"

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the audience.

Everyone looked forward to the direction of the stage.

Where the curtain is lower, there is a beautiful shadow, and finally there is a lovely person who wants to perform on stage?

Off-stage:

"Ah, the selection of flowers has begun—"

"I've been waiting so hard, the selection of flowers is finally going to begin!"