Chapter 162: Lantern Viewing at Chong Tower

 Chapter 162: Lantern Viewing at Chong Tower 

"Xiao Yeyang came to the provincial capital?" Daohua looked at Zhao Ergou in surprise.

Zhao Ergou nodded. "Miss Yan, the flower cart parade is about to begin. How about we head to Chong Tower first? You can ask any questions once we get there."

The street was crowded, and the young prince had only mentioned that Miss Yan and the Yan siblings might be watching the lanterns on the main street, but he didn’t know their exact location. So, Zhao Ergou and his team had been searching from shop to shop for half a day before finally finding them.

Daohua was quite tempted. The view from a high tower, overlooking the flower carts, would undoubtedly be fantastic.

However, she hesitated. It didn’t seem right to leave her uncles and aunts behind, just the three of them going off.

Li Xingchang seemed to understand what Daohua was thinking. Trying to suppress his own excitement, he smiled and said, "Daohua, you all should go. Don’t keep everyone waiting."

Daohua looked at her uncles and aunts, then at her cousins from the Li family, and asked Zhao Ergou, "Can I bring my cousins along?"

Zhao Ergou glanced at Li Chenyi and the others, then nodded, "Of course."

At this, Li Xingchang and the others smiled with joy, and even Li Chenyi and the younger cousins looked excited.

Watching the flower cart parade from Chong Tower was something none of them had even dared to dream about.

Li Xingchang smiled, "Go ahead, Wenxiu, make sure to look after your cousins. They haven't seen much of the world."

Yan Wenxiu immediately replied, "Uncle, don’t worry."

With that, Daohua took her cousin’s hand, following Zhao Ergou and the others toward Chong Tower.

It wasn’t until they had left the restaurant that Li Zixin snapped back to her senses. Grasping Daohua's hand tightly, she exclaimed excitedly, "Cousin, are we really going to watch the flower carts from Chong Tower?"

Daohua nodded. "Mm."

Li Zixuan was also excited, though there was a hint of nervousness in her expression. "Only important people are allowed at Chong Tower. Will it be okay for us to go?"

Daohua squeezed Li Zixuan’s hand reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Just follow me when we get there. Do what I do."

Li Zixin immediately nodded. "Then you have to take good care of us!"

Inside the restaurant, the Li family’s uncles and aunts watched as Daohua and her cousins were carefully guarded by the guards, ensuring that no one could bump into them. Only then did they feel reassured.

Fan Shi looked at her daughter, who was tightly holding Daohua’s hand, and at her youngest son, who was playfully being carried by Yan Wenkai, and smiled, "It looks like our kindness to Daohua wasn't wasted. She didn’t forget her cousins when something good came along."  

Jiang Shi smiled too. "Yes, little sister always said Daohua was warm-hearted. Today, I can see it for myself." 

She had observed carefully. When the guards came to escort the group, though Wenxiu and Yan Wenkai also wanted to call on their younger cousins, they seemed hesitant and didn’t speak up. Only Daohua, without hesitation, had stepped forward to invite them along.

Seeing that both his wife and sister-in-law were pleased, Li Xingnian smiled and said, "Look at you two getting so excited. They’re just cousins, so of course, they should take care of them. Over the past few days, the kids at home have been enjoying themselves with Daohua and the others. Affection is mutual; when we treat them well, they’ll do the same for us."  

Jiang Shi playfully rolled her eyes at Li Xingnian. "You’re the only one who can talk."

After Daohua and the others left, there was a stir in the restaurant. People on both the first and second floors were peeking into the room where Li Xingnian and the others were sitting.

The guards Zhao Ergou had brought with him had an air of distinction, and their clothing set them apart from the usual bodyguards. The merchants, who had developed sharp eyes over the years, immediately noticed that these people were not ordinary.

Sun Dagong, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, directly came down from the second floor and, with a shameless smile, sat down in Li Xingchang’s room. "Brother Li, I just saw your family’s young masters and young ladies leave. Where are they going?"

Li Xingchang raised an eyebrow. Just a moment ago, he had been addressed as "Boss Li," and now he was "Brother Li!"

Glancing at the crowd of people peering into their room, he realized that what was happening today couldn’t be kept secret for much longer. He smiled and said, "My two nephews study at Wangyue Academy. Since they heard their classmates are going to Chong Tower to watch the lanterns, they came to invite them along."

Sun Dagong’s heart skipped a beat. 

Chong Tower was a place reserved only for the families of high-ranking provincial officials.

"Forgive my ignorance, Brother Li," Sun Dagong asked with a forced smile, "But may I ask who your nephews are?"

Li Xingchang smiled lightly. "He is the son of the Prefect Magistrate of Xingzhou." 

Sun Dagong immediately laughed. "No wonder. I thought those two young masters had an extraordinary air about them. So they’re the sons of the Prefect Magistrate."

Madam Sun also came downstairs and, without hesitation, linked arms with Fan Shi, smiling. "The view from the first floor isn't the best. I've already reserved a private room on the second floor. Please do me the honor of coming up to enjoy the lanterns."

Fan Shi and Jiang Shi exchanged a glance. Since Madam Sun had personally come to invite them, it would be hard to refuse. They smiled and said, "Well, we must enjoy the honor of Madam Sun’s hospitality."

Madam Sun immediately replied, "Nonsense! It's a rare occasion to gather together, and usually, I can't even invite you. Today, it’s all the more reason for everyone to enjoy."

Fan Shi and Jiang Shi glanced at Li Xingchang and his brother, who were chatting with Sun Dagong, then followed Madam Sun upstairs.

Chong Tower

With Zhao Ergou and his guards escorting them, Daohua and her group soon arrived at the bottom of the tower.  

Defu had been waiting for them at the base of Chong Tower. When he saw Daohua, he immediately smiled and jogged over. "Miss, you’ve finally arrived. The master was beginning to think you wouldn’t come to watch the lanterns."

Daohua smiled. "It’s not every day we get to come to the provincial capital. How could we miss this?" She then tugged at her cousins, Li Zixin and Li Zixuan. "These are my cousins. They came with me."

Defu looked them over briefly and didn’t seem to mind. He smiled and said, "Since you’re here, let’s head up quickly."

Daohua nodded and, holding onto her cousins, followed him up the stairs.

As they climbed, Li Zixin leaned in close to Daohua’s ear and whispered, "Why does that servant’s voice sound so strange?"

Daohua glanced at Defu, who was walking ahead, and replied softly, "He’s a eunuch."

Li Zixin and Li Zixuan both gasped in shock.

A eunuch, someone who served the royal family.

Soon, under Defu's lead, they reached the top floor of Chong Tower.

Seeing that there weren’t many people on the upper floor, and most of them were familiar faces, Daohua felt a sense of relief.

While it was an honor to be invited by Xiao Yeyang to view the lanterns, she didn’t want to stand out too much.

"Are you here?" Xiao Yeyang glanced at Daohua with a sideways look before coolly turning his gaze back to the street below.

Daohua smiled and didn’t pay much attention to him. Instead, she looked around at Dong Yuanxuan, Zhou Chengye, and the others. "Big Brother Dong, Big Brother Zhou, Big Brother Su, you’re all here too?"

Zhou Chengye laughed. "The lantern festival in the provincial capital is always lively. I couldn’t resist coming to join the fun."

Daohua looked around. "Where’s Jingwan? Didn’t she come?"

Zhou Chengye replied, "There’s an elder in the family celebrating their birthday, so she had to stay home and accompany them."

Daohua felt a bit regretful, but quickly regained her smile and began introducing her cousins to everyone. "These are my cousins. You all must take good care of them."

Dong Yuanxuan smiled. "You’re not shy about giving orders."

Daohua immediately retorted with a smile, "Because I know, Big Brother Dong, you all are gentlemen, so you’ll definitely take good care of us."

Nearby, Li Zixin and Li Zixuan were shocked by how casually Daohua was speaking to the young masters from the provincial government families.

Some of these people they recognized, like Big Brother Dong, who was the son of the highest-ranking official in Zhongzhou Province, the Governor Dong. The others, though they hadn’t met them before, they could guess that their fathers were also high-ranking officials.

Normally, they would never have a chance to even meet such people, let alone stand with them and watch the lanterns together.

Soon, with the help of Yan Wenxiu and Yan Wenkai, the three cousins got to know Dong Yuanxuan and the others. 

There were also other young ladies and young masters from different families on the top floor, but since Daohua didn’t recognize any of them, she didn’t bother to greet them. She instead led her two cousins to the railing and looked out at the lanterns below.

"How beautiful!" Daohua couldn’t help but exclaim. "The view is so different from up here. From the restaurant, you can only see the blurry crowds, but up here on Chong Tower, you can see the entire scene clearly."

"Big Sister, I’m going over there for a moment. You two stay here and enjoy the view," Daohua said as she glanced at Xiao Yeyang, who was standing alone, ignoring the others.

Li Zixuan immediately nodded. "You go ahead, we’ll be fine here."

With that, Daohua smiled and walked toward Xiao Yeyang.

"Who is that person? He seems so aloof!" Li Zixin couldn’t help but whisper.

Li Zixuan immediately made a silencing gesture. "Don’t say anything."

Everyone else had been introduced, but there was one person left—the young master who had been standing apart.

Thinking back to the eunuch who had led them earlier, Li Zixuan’s thoughts clicked into place.

This must be the young prince that her second uncle had mentioned!

(End of Chapter)