Chương 623: Mid-Autumn Festival

The night was still long, the candlelight burned slowly, and the breathing inside the tent gradually returned to calm, yet they remained intertwined.

She buried her face in his chest, her hair brushing against his chin, tickling him. Her fingertips still clung to the hem of his clothes. Her soft panting from the afterglow of their encounter hadn't subsided, and occasionally a soft nasal sound escaped her lips, like a weary little animal.

He lowered his head and kissed the crown of her head, then gently patted her back with his palm. In the warm, fragrant room, only the intertwined, peaceful scent remained, permeating the long night.

...

September 22nd, the seventh year of Shenwu, Mid-Autumn Festival.

As soon as the sun set, the capital city of Luoyang was bathed in warm, cozy lights.

The whole city seemed to be soaking in a vat of honey water, sweet and bright.

The streets of Zhuque were lined with rabbit lanterns, lotus lanterns, and revolving lanterns. Even the locust trees along the road were wrapped with colorful ropes and hung with small glass lanterns. When the wind blew, the lanterns jingled like they were singing.

The moat was filled with lanterns, all released by the people. Some were inscribed with wishes for "peace and safety for the family," others with "abundant harvests," and still others with "promotion and wealth." They floated downstream like stars, blending seamlessly with the stars in the sky, making it impossible to distinguish where the sky ended and the water began.

Long queues formed in front of the mooncake stalls on the street. The owners, shirtless, flipped the baking trays, and the aromas of five-nut, red bean paste, jujube paste, and egg yolk mingled together, so fragrant that they could be smelled halfway down the street, making people's stomachs rumble.

The freshly baked mooncakes were so hot that people were fidgeting with their hands. They blew on them a couple of times and took a bite, and the flaky crust crumbled all over the floor. Children stood on tiptoe, tugging at their mothers' clothes, watching longingly. They would take a bite and crumble the crust all over themselves, leaving crumbs all over the floor.

The lantern riddle stall was surrounded by layers upon layers of people, making it impossible to squeeze in.

The stall owner held up a piece of paper and shouted: "'Bite off the cow's tail in one bite,' guess the Chinese character! Guess correctly and you'll get a jade rabbit porcelain doll! It's white porcelain, very exquisite!"

A man dressed in coarse cloth shorts scratched his head and shouted:

"I know! It's the character '告' (gào, to tell)! The cow's tail was bitten off!"

The stall owner slapped his thigh, his voice crisp and clear: "That's right! Take your doll! Next!"

The teahouse next door was even more lively, with a storyteller striking his gavel and speaking in a loud voice as he recounted the story of the Han army's westward expedition to Kangju:

"Speaking of General Zhao Yun, he single-handedly felled three Xiongnu generals with his spear. His spear technique was impenetrable, one spear strike after another, even with the cannons firing..."

The audience below pounded on the table and cheered, the teacup lids rattled, and water spilled from the cups. Someone shouted, "Bravo! General Zhao is mighty!"

At the foot of the city wall, several soldiers changing shifts leaned against the crenellations, munching on the five-nut mooncakes issued by the army, looking down at the myriad lights of homes below, feeling a warm glow in their hearts.

A new recruit said with a smile:

"If my mother could see what life is like now, she definitely wouldn't believe it. In the past, we were lucky to have porridge for Mid-Autumn Festival, let alone white flour to eat every day and mooncakes."

The old soldier patted him on the shoulder, his eyes a little moist: "Work hard. With His Majesty, life will only get better. Our generation is lucky to have caught up with such good times."

Under the old locust tree on the street, three generations of a family sat around a stone table. The grandfather broke off a piece of mooncake for his grandson and sighed, saying:

"Your father and uncle died during Dong Zhuo's reign of terror. Back then, we were constantly on the run, never daring to dream of a peaceful festival. We are fortunate to be born under His Majesty's reign. You must cherish this opportunity."

Outside the Vermilion Bird Gate of the Imperial Palace, carriages lined up for half a mile, making it even more lively than a temple fair.

One carriage after another came to a stop, and civil and military officials, accompanied by their families, walked towards the palace in brand-new formal attire. The men wore tall hats and wide belts, while the women were adorned with jewels. They chatted and laughed.

The imperial guards at the gate stood ramrod straight, but their eyes couldn't help but dart towards the running and jumping children, a smile playing on their lips.

Guan Yu led his daughter Guan Yinping ahead. The little girl wore a pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), clutched a rabbit lantern in her hand, and secretly stuffed two mooncakes into her bosom with her other hand.

Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard and solemnly instructed:

"Once we're inside the hall, you're not allowed to run around, play wildly with the Zhang family boy, or steal mooncakes. Understand?"

Guan Yinping stuck out her tongue and nodded obediently, but she pressed the mooncake in her arms even tighter, as if afraid of dropping it.

Behind them, Zhang Fei brought his son Zhang Bao, who was just like his father, with a chubby, round face. He skipped and hopped along the way, almost bumping into a pillar.

Zhang Fei slapped him on the back of the head, the sound like thunder:

"Behave yourself! This isn't a place for you to run wild! If you keep jumping around, His Majesty will give you all the mooncakes, not a single one will be yours! You'll just have to watch others eat!"

Zhang Bao immediately stood up straight, covered his head and dared not move, but his eyes were still darting around. When he saw the candied hawthorn in the hand of the child next to him, his eyes almost popped out.

Cao Cao, accompanied by his two sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi, walked along, whispering instructions in a serious tone:

"If we have to compose poems at the banquet later, Zijian, you better do your best and don't embarrass me. Show off the talent of our Cao family. Zihuan, be more composed, greet the officials more often, and make more connections."

Cao Zhi nodded in agreement, his eyes full of eagerness, and he had already begun to mentally prepare his speech.

Cao Pi remained calm, leisurely adjusting his robes, looking confident and with a faint smile on his lips.

Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Gong walked hand in hand, with their wives following behind, chatting about everyday things, saying that their children were being naughty again, and praising the beautiful new Shu brocade.

Cheng Yaojin loudly proclaimed, "Old Hei! His Majesty will bestow wine upon us later, let's have a contest! Let's see who drinks the last drop! The loser has to carry the banner for three months on the next western expedition! No backing out!"

Yuchi Gong curled his lip, looking disdainful: "Who's afraid of who! Last time you drank three jars and then crawled under the table, clinging to the table leg and shouting 'I'm not drunk,' crying for your mother, have you forgotten? I had to carry you back!"

Cheng Yaojin blushed, his neck stiffening: "That was because I wasn't in good form last time! Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, I'm performing exceptionally well! I've had a few drinks and I can still show you a whole set of punches!"

Civil officials, on the other hand, were much more refined.

Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui, along with their families, chatted about interesting stories from the training system. They mentioned a newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) who, during his internship, couldn't even use an abacus and was scolded by an old official from the Ministry of Revenue until he cried, saying he should just go back to the furnace for retraining.

Zhuge Liang held his wife Huang Yueying's hand, and the two chatted and laughed. Zhuge Liang and Huang Yueying had just gotten married this year, and they were very sweet as newlyweds.

Guo Jia was also holding his wife Su's hand. The two walked, talked, and laughed. Su was wearing a newly made dress today, and Guo Jia praised it for looking good.

Xi Zhicai and his wife were standing nearby. Xi Zhicai joked:

"Shall we drink at the banquet? It's a rare Mid-Autumn Festival."

Guo Jia rolled his eyes at him: "How can we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival without wine? It would be a disservice to the moon if we didn't drink."

His wife, Su, pinched Guo Jia's waist, making him wince in pain. Guo Jia cried out in pain:

"Cough... At worst, I'll just have a couple less drinks later, just a little bit. The main thing is to enjoy the moon, enjoy the moon."

Lu Bing stood at the palace gate with several Imperial Guards, dressed in flying fish robes, his face as cold as ice, his eyes scanning around like an eagle.

A child was running too fast and almost fell. He reached out and helped him up, his movements as fast as lightning. He also took out a piece of candy from his pocket and gave it to the child. The candy was osmanthus candy, wrapped in paper.