The Shangsi Festival Reprieve

The sky was slowly darkening, and inside Shangjing, lanterns of all sizes had begun to fill the streets and eaves.

It was as if a silent competition was underway—the more impressive the shop, the more luxurious and intricate its hanging lanterns. Painted on the paper shades were not just landscapes but also riddles, meant for night strollers to solve.

Clusters of people gathered around the lanterns, calling out guesses. Those who solved a riddle plucked the exquisite lantern from its hook with pride, taking it home amid the envy of the onlookers. Those who failed withdrew with a clasped-hand salute, retreating in shame under a chorus of good-natured teasing.

One act finished, another began. The whole of Shangjing was a lively uproar.

Li Huowang, leading his horse, sidestepped a child who ran past him from behind. The girl carried an orchid-shaped lantern of blue; the boy rode a hobbyhorse. Both wore bright, happy smiles.

Is this the Supervisory Heavenly Office’s doing? Last time, the capital was wrecked by Doumu. A few months, and it’s nearly restored.

He observed for a moment, then turned to Bai Lingmiao, who was sitting on the carriage. “The capital rarely lifts the curfew. What festival is it today?”

“Senior Brother Li… it’s the Shangsi Festival.” Bai Lingmiao’s voice was soft. She was looking at a book.

“Shangsi Festival?” Li Huowang quickly located the festival in Hong Zhong’s memory. It was the day when girls who had reached the “age of hairpinning”—fifteen—held their Jili ceremony. On this day, families dressed up their fifteen-year-old daughters, ate fried snacks, drank tea, and consumed black rice before going out to play. The girls wore pomegranate blossoms on their heads and prayed to the Joy Spirit for a good marriage in the future. Once a girl had passed the hairpinning ceremony, the rule of “men and women not touching” applied to her—she could no longer appear in public so freely. And after the ceremony, matchmakers could come to propose marriage.

“Shangsi Festival…” Li Huowang murmured the name, then headed toward the house the Chief Recorder had given him.

He was almost at the mouth of the alley when Zhuge Yuan suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Hm? What is it? An ambush?” Li Huowang’s eyes instantly filled with killing intent, every muscle in his body tensing.

Zhuge Yuan gave a soft sigh, shook his head slightly, then tilted his chin toward Bai Lingmiao on the carriage.

The moment Li Huowang saw the desolate look on her face, he understood the unspoken message. “Miao Miao, you never had the Shangsi Festival hairpinning ceremony?”

Bai Lingmiao shook her head gently. “No. When I turned fifteen and the Shangsi Festival came around, Danyangzi had already taken me.”

Hearing this, Li Huowang walked toward a stall selling pomegranate blossoms, following the direction Zhuge Yuan’s folded fan had pointed.

When he returned, he tucked a deep orange-red pomegranate flower into the gap of Bai Lingmiao’s white hair.

“It’s all right. Since the past missed it, I’ll make it up to you today.”

Before Bai Lingmiao could waver, Li Huowang took her hand and led her toward a grand-looking tailor’s shop.

Li Sui tried to follow but was immediately stopped. “Li Sui! Take the cart home!”

When Bai Lingmiao came out of the tailor’s shop again, her simple white dress had been completely transformed.

A pale silk skirt, a water-lotus gauze sash, and a long trailing robe in purple-blue with lotus-petal hems, cinched at the waist with belled sleeves—she appeared on the street and instantly drew the gazes of many.

The tailor had clearly prepared well for the Shangsi Festival; the finished gown was a young woman’s size and fit Bai Lingmiao perfectly.

She was obviously uncomfortable with being stared at. Nervously, she picked at the embroidered orchids on her cuffs with her fingernails. “Senior Brother Li… why are they looking at me…”

“Because you’re beautiful. The most beautiful girl in all of Shangjing. What’s next… right! Fried snacks, tea, black rice! Tonight you’re not going to think about anything. You’re just going to enjoy this festival—it’s yours.”

At first, Bai Lingmiao was still restrained. But as the atmosphere around her pulled her in, and with Li Huowang’s prompting, gradually a smile returned to her face. She melted into the lively street scene.

She walked with Li Huowang through the bustling avenues of Shangjing, taking in the beautiful sights, guessing lantern riddles, and eating fried treats.

For this single moment, she wore nice clothes, ate good food, and savored everything—brief, but overwhelmingly joyful.

Li Huowang and Zhuge Yuan stood side by side behind her, watching Bai Lingmiao’s silhouette in the distance as she concentrated on a pitch-pot game.

With a snap, Zhuge Yuan’s folding fanned opened, revealing the four characters for “Heaven-Given Talent.” “Brother Li, it seems your beloved has something weighing on her mind.”

Li Huowang’s expression was complicated. He nodded slightly. “I know… I know.”

“Would you like this student to help resolve it?”

“Brother Zhuge, I know you’re well-read. But this matter… you can’t help with it. And I don’t have a good solution for now either. I can only leave it to time and hope time washes it away.”

As the two chatted, a young man walking toward them, carrying a jade cat in his arms, caught Li Huowang’s attention.

His skin was pale, his features delicate yet handsome, and his moon-white robes gave him a scholarly air.

It was not unusual for young men to be out looking at the girls on a night like this. What was strange was that Li Huowang could not read his Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings. That was highly anomalous. Furthermore, several tall servants accompanied him, and Li Huowang found that he could not gauge their depth either.

As their distance closed, Li Huowang’s heart tensed. Who are they? Why are they in disguise and approaching me? Has my Heart-Element identity been exposed?

But just as Li Huowang braced himself, the young man turned and walked into a jade shop by the roadside. Uneasy, Li Huowang crept closer.

When he got near, he saw the young man asking the shopkeeper to appraise his jade cat. The shopkeeper was lavishing praise on the cat cradled in the boy’s arms, and the young man was clearly delighted. “Haha! This young… Mas… I mean, the young master has excellent taste! Bought it for five hundred taels, and it’s worth five thousand!”

When the young man came out, his servants immediately showered him with flattery, making him even happier.

Li Huowang watched as they walked straight ahead without so much as glancing in his direction. What’s going on? Were they just passing through? Am I being too paranoid?

Just as he turned this over in his mind, he noticed that the young man was now walking toward Bai Lingmiao!

Li Huowang lunged forward, already drawing his bronze coin sword. At the first sign of any hostile move, he would fling it.

“Greetings, young lady.” The young man’s eyes were fixed on her white hair, staring intently.