Chương 568: Releasing River Lanterns, Writing Wishes, and Buying Gifts.

Liu Ce gently hugged Cai Yan from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, his voice as gentle as a spring breeze in March: "From now on, I'll take you out to play every holiday. Okay? I mean what I say, I'll never break my promise."

Ren Hongchang laughed and said, "Alright. My husband, you can't go back on your word. If you do, we'll take the children and sneak out, leaving you all alone in the palace watching the moon."

"I will never go back on my word." Liu Ce looked at the bustling crowd below, then at his loved ones and children beside him, his heart overflowing with happiness, as if it were completely filled.

"I fought for this world so that you could stroll through the streets happily, admiring the lanterns, without fear. If I can't even do that, what's the point of sitting in this position?"

Just then, Liu Chen suddenly shouted, pointing towards the riverbank:

"Daddy! Let's go release river lanterns! There are so many people releasing lanterns down there! I heard that if you write your wishes on the lanterns, the river god will help you make them come true! It's very effective!"

"Oh right! How could I forget that!" Liu Ce slapped his forehead.

"Let's go release river lanterns and write our wishes on them! We'll tell the river god our wishes and ask him to bless our whole family with peace and safety!"

Everyone went downstairs and came to the Luo River.

The riverbank was already crowded with people releasing river lanterns. Men and women, young and old, some squatted on the bank, some stood on the rocks, and some rowed small boats to the middle of the river to release them.

One by one, lotus-shaped river lanterns drifted slowly into the distance, twinkling like stars fallen from the sky, stretching for miles.

Some people wrote "reunion" on the lanterns, some wrote "peace" and some wrote "prosperity".

Liu Ce bought thirty river lanterns, as well as writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and distributed them to everyone:

"Write your wishes down here. Sincerity is key, and the River God will surely grant them. Don't peek at other people's!"

The children lay on the stones by the river, writing their wishes earnestly, their little faces flushed red in the candlelight.

Liu Ce secretly peeked over and saw that Crown Prince Liu Chen had written: "May the Great Han Dynasty be prosperous and peaceful, with favorable weather, and may the people live in peace and happiness, forever free from war."

Liu Heng wrote: "I hope that I can become a great general in the future, lead the army to drive away the Xiongnu and Xianbei, protect the Han Dynasty, and make my father proud of me."

Liu Yao wrote: "I hope to learn how to build machines from Lord Song Yingxing, and create the flying iron bird that my father talked about, so that it can fly around in the sky."

Liu Sui wrote: "I hope to become a good doctor, like Zhang Zhongjing, to save lives and heal the wounded, so that the people of the world will no longer suffer from illness."

Liu Yi wrote: "I hope that Father and the Empresses will always be healthy and happy, and that they can play with us every day."

Liu Mei wrote: "I hope to learn to play all the pieces and play them for my father and empresses, so that they can be happy every day."

Liu Yong wrote: "I hope to practice martial arts every day and become as skilled as General Xue Rengui, able to shoot through three targets with one arrow."

Liu Ran wrote: "I hope my rabbit lamp will never break, that it will always be with me, and that it will light my way at night."

Liu Nong wrote: "I hope I can eat lots and lots of delicious food every day, especially candied hawthorn and fried cakes, I can never get enough of them."

Liu Yan wrote: "I hope that Father Emperor will take us out of the palace to play every day, and that we can eat an endless amount of candied hawthorns and barbecue skewers every day."

After reading it, Liu Ce felt a warm feeling in his heart, as if he had been warmed by the sun: "You are all good children, and Daddy loves you all too."

He then turned to look at the ladies' wishes.

Cai Yan wrote, "May the country be prosperous and the people at peace, and may there be safety every year."

Zhen Mi wrote, "May your family be harmonious, year after year."

Zhang Ning wrote, "May I always be as happy and carefree as I am now."

Ren Hongchang wrote, "I wish to win one heart, and stay together until our hair turns white."

Da Qiao wrote, "May my sister and husband be safe and happy."

Xiao Qiao wrote, "I hope I can listen to opera every day and have delicious food every day."

Du Xiuniang, Zou Yu, and the Zhen sisters also wrote down their wishes, most of which were about the safety of their families and peace in the world.

He Lian wrote, "I hope all the children grow up healthy," a few simple words, yet the most sincere.

Some of the handwriting is neat and beautiful, while others are messy and illegible, but every word carries sincerity.

Liu Ce picked up his pen and carefully wrote on his river lantern:

"May those I love and those who love me be happy forever, and may the Han Dynasty prosper forever, and may peace prevail even a hundred years from now."

Everyone released the river lanterns into the river and watched them slowly drift away and disappear into the night.

The river lanterns drifted further and further away, growing smaller and smaller until they finally became tiny, twinkling lights that blended into the starlight.

The children lay on the riverbank and watched for a long time, until they could no longer see the river, and then they reluctantly stood up.

Before we knew it, the night had deepened.

The moon climbed to its zenith, round and bright.

The ten children had been playing all night and were exhausted. They were rubbing their eyes and yawning. Some of them were almost asleep while standing. They could no longer carry the lanterns in their hands and leaned against the ladies with their heads drooping, like listless kittens.

Liu Ce glanced at the sky, then at a small jewelry stall still lit up by the river not far away. His eyes darted around, and he cleared his throat:

"Wait for me under this willow tree for a while. I'm going to the tea stall in front to buy a pot of hot tea. It's windy at night, so have a sip to warm yourself up before you go. Don't wander off, just wait here obediently."

Without waiting for anyone's response, he turned and ran away, his steps quick as if afraid of being caught.

He strode to the jewelry stall, where the owner, an elderly woman with gray hair, looked at him with a smile.

"Sir, why don't you pick out some little trinkets for your wife? They're all handmade by me, in silver and copper, cheap and pretty, I guarantee they'll love them. It's a holiday, a little gift is so romantic. I'm just an old woman, I don't care about making a lot of money, I just want to have some fun."

Liu Ce rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice: "Grandma, get me nineteen different hairpins and a box of peach blossom perfume. They should be suitable for girls with different personalities, so don't get the wrong ones."

The old woman's eyes lit up, and she deftly rummaged through the box, pulling out all sorts of hairpins and arranging them in a row in front of her:

"No problem! Look at this black jade hairpin, it's engraved with orchids and comes with a fragrance. It's perfect for a quiet, book-loving girl, and it's especially suitable for wearing while reading."

"This round pearl hairpin is best worn by a gentle and virtuous woman. The pearl is from the South China Sea and has a round and lustrous appearance."

"This silver bell hairpin makes a jingling sound when you walk, which is perfect for lively and cheerful girls. It makes a jingling sound with every step you take."

"And this butterfly hairpin, its wings are alive, it sways when you dance, it's so pretty, my daughter loves it the most."

This jade hairpin feels cool and refreshing to wear in the summer...

"This is a plum blossom hairpin, this is a peach blossom hairpin, this is a phoenix hairpin..."

The old woman knew them all like the back of her hand, introducing them one by one, her mouth never stopping.

Liu Ce held each one in his hand and examined them carefully for a long time, matching each lady's personality with his own. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.