My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 77: Lantern Festival.

　　The night market was bustling with activity.

　　The sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled the air, and the crowds were thick, jostling each other as they walked.

　　People were constantly mentioning the lantern festival that night.

　　It seemed like the whole city knew about it.

　　No one knew who was behind such a grand gesture.

　　Xiao Mingrong was a girl who loved to daydream. She had secretly read a few romance novels in her spare time, and now she was chattering excitedly, “It's so lively today! I'm glad we came out to play.”

　　“It looks like everyone heard about the lantern festival. Sister, do you know who's behind it? Why would they suddenly decide to hold one?”

　　Before Yun Ling could answer, she continued, her face flushed with dreamy anticipation, “Maybe it's some wealthy young master doing it for the woman he loves?”

　　She nodded, confirming her own guess. “It must be!”

　　Turning to Yun Ling, she asked, “Sister, who do you think the young master is?”

　　Yun Ling paused, thought for a moment, and shook her head. “I don't know either.”

　　“Then let me guess,” Xiao Mingrong clasped her hands together. “Someone capable of doing something like this... could it be Young Master Chen from the Duke Chen's family? Or the young Marquis from the Zhongyong Hou's family?”

　　Xiao Mingrong rattled off several names, all of them renowned rakes in the capital.

　　That's right. Only a romantic young master would think of such a grand gesture to please the woman he loves.

　　Yun Ling, after listening to Xiao Mingrong's insightful analysis, found it quite reasonable.

　　Xiao Mingrong, having her opinion validated by her sister, puffed out her chest with pride, vowing to see the young master's true face tonight – certain it was one of the men she'd named.

　　The two strolled through the streets, followed by several maids and servants.

　　Xiao Mingrong saw an old man selling candied haws and insisted on having some, so Yun Ling went with her to buy them.

　　This old man had been selling candied haws in the capital for over ten years, and they were quite popular among young ladies and gentlemen. Not only were they delicious, but he also offered a wide variety of styles. He was more clever than others, even making candied haws with seasonal fruits.

　　Xiao Mingrong was carefully choosing which ones she wanted when, suddenly, a familiar, slightly angry voice called out, “Hey! Don't you know you're supposed to say sorry when you step on someone?”

　　The voice wasn't far from Yun Ling. Turning her head, she saw a commotion near a stall selling jade pendants; a small crowd had quickly gathered.

　　Xiao Mingrong, hearing the commotion, forgot about the candied haws and curiously looked over. “What's going on? Is there a fight?”

　　She pulled Yun Ling along, her steps quick with excitement to see what was happening.

　　Upon closer inspection, they recognized someone.

　　Yun Ling had sensed the voice was familiar, but the bustling street had made it hard to hear clearly.

　　Unexpectedly, it was Shen Chunxiang.

　　Many people had gathered to watch the commotion, but Shen Chunxiang showed no fear.

　　Shen Chunxiang wasn't interested in lantern festivals; she had only reluctantly accompanied her cousin, who insisted on coming.

　　However, now, her cousin, who usually loved to boss people around and offer her opinions, was hiding behind her like a quail, too scared to speak.

　　It was because the person across from her was Pei Yuan, the notorious, fearsome, and ruthless Commander of the Jinyiwei.

　　Who is Pei Yuan?

　　Everyone in the capital knows him. He's a close confidant of the Crown Prince, promoted twice in a short period. He's known within the Jinyiwei as a cold-blooded killer – ‘If Yama wants someone dead at three, he sends them on their way at two.’

　　Not only are young ladies afraid of him, even ordinary officials dare not speak loudly in his presence.

　　At night, if a child cries, you only need to whisper in their ear, “If you cry again, I'll call Pei Yuan,” and they'll immediately become quiet. It's practically a magic weapon for stopping children from crying.

　　Shen Chunxiang's cousin, Cong Ying, was so terrified that her soul seemed to have left her body. She hid behind Shen Chunxiang, timidly tugging at her sleeve and whispering, “C-cousin, maybe we should just forget it. I'm fine…”

　　How big is the knife on Lord Pei's waist? What if they anger him, and he cuts them down? They'd be dead!

　　Although her cousin is skilled in martial arts, she's no match for him.

　　The incident started when Shen Chunxiang and Cong Ying went out to watch the lantern festival. Before the festival even began, they were strolling along the street, and saw a jade pendant stall that looked interesting. They stopped to look around.

　　Everything was fine until Cong Ying's handkerchief fell to the ground. She bent down to pick it up, but was stepped on hard by Pei Yuan, who was rushing by.

　　He didn't even look back as he walked away.

　　He's a tall, strong man. His step crushed Cong Ying's hand, leaving it red and swollen. It was so painful that tears welled up in her eyes. He didn't even apologize before walking away.

　　He's so arrogant!

　　Shen Chunxiang immediately became furious.

　　She could scold and bully her cousin herself, but she wouldn't allow anyone else to do it. She immediately stepped forward, grabbed Pei Yuan's arm to stop him from leaving, and furrowed her brow. “Don't leave! Apologize to her!”

　　Cong Ying's heart trembled at the sight.

　　It was the first time anyone had dared to stop Pei Yuan in the street. He immediately frowned. “A man and a woman shouldn't touch each other. Miss Shen, please let go.”

　　Oh, so he knows her. Even better.

　　“I'm not letting go. What are you going to do? Are you going to kill me, Lord Pei?”

　　Pei Yuan had important business to attend to and didn't have time for this. “Miss Shen, if you don't let go, don't blame me for being impolite.”

　　He wasn't the type to be gentle with women.

　　Besides, Miss Shen was quite strong and didn't need any gentleness.

　　“Impolite? Come on, tell me how you're going to be impolite?” Shen Chunxiang sneered. “Don't think that just because you're a Jinyiwei, everyone is afraid of you. Does being a Jinyiwei mean you can ignore the law? Does being a Jinyiwei mean you can deliberately crush a young lady's hand and not even apologize? Does being a Jinyiwei mean you can act like a tyrant and bully men and women?”

　　“We're not nameless people in the Capital. You can't bully us like this. Everyone agrees, right?”

　　“That's right!” A chorus of accusations and jeers arose from the crowd.

　　Pei Yuan's men immediately rushed forward menacingly to disperse the crowd. Seeing this, the onlookers immediately fell silent.

　　Shen Chunxiang became even angrier. “What? You're going to silence everyone and stop them from speaking up for justice? You Jinyiwei are really—”

　　Pei Yuan said, “Miss Shen, I didn't see your cousin earlier, and accidentally stepped on her foot. It was my fault. I have urgent business to attend to, so I must excuse myself. Please, Miss Shen, don't press the matter.” (T/N: Yep, you read that right—he said "foot," not "hand." He clearly wasn't paying attention to Chunxiang. Classic Pei Yuan! 🤣)

　　Shen Chunxiang's anger flared even higher. “You know I'm right? Even if I were wrong, I'd still argue! And when I'm right, of course I won't let you off!”

　　“You—” A crack finally appeared on Pei Yuan's usually cold and stern face. He was a warrior, not skilled in verbal sparring. In the end, he could only say heavily, “Shrew!”

　　“Who are you calling a shrew?”

　　Shen Chunxiang didn't back down. “Do you think you're some kind of good person?”

　　“With your reputation, even a shrew wouldn't marry you!”

　　Pei Yuan's reputation in the capital wasn't any better than hers. Forget marrying a wife; even ordinary officials' families would run at the mention of his name.

　　Otherwise, he wouldn't still be single at his age, despite being a close aide to the Crown Prince and having a promising future.

　　Pei Yuan stared intently at Shen Chunxiang's brazen face for a moment, then suddenly realized that arguing with her further was pointless.

　　He had important matters to attend to and didn't want to waste time bickering with her.

　　“If I go to General Shen's house to propose marriage, let's see if I can marry this shrew!”

　　With those words, Pei Yuan left without looking back.

　　Shen Chunxiang stood there for a moment, processing what had happened, before angrily shouting, “You dare!” (T/N: How I met your mother situation. Haha.🤣)

　　Pei Yuan and his men had already walked away.

　　Yun Ling blinked her eyes. Unexpectedly, the situation had unfolded…quite unexpectedly…

　　It seemed she didn't need to intervene.

　　She suddenly thought, Pei Yuan was deeply engrossed in the art of punishment, and indeed, he didn't seem to like delicate, frail girls.

　　She pressed her lips together and smiled softly.

　　The onlookers also dispersed. Shen Chunxiang was muttering curses at Pei Yuan under her breath when she looked up and saw Yun Ling not far away. A smile immediately appeared on her face, and she pulled Cong Ying towards Yun Ling. “Ah Ling, are you here to watch the lantern festival too?”

　　As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Xiao Mingrong behind Yun Ling, and her eyes narrowed.

　　Xiao Mingrong had just witnessed Shen Chunxiang's fighting prowess and didn't like her much. Now, with that look in her eyes, Xiao Mingrong nervously took a step back behind Yun Ling.

　　Seeking her sister's protection.

　　Sure enough, the next moment, Shen Chunxiang asked, “Why are you out playing with Xiao Mingrong?”

　　Yun Ling suddenly found the scene somewhat amusing. “I heard there was a lantern festival today, and since I had nothing to do at home, I brought her along to take a look.”

　　Two sentences, and Shen Chunxiang understood the current relationship between the sisters.

　　It was clearly harmonious; otherwise, Yun Ling wouldn't have brought Xiao Mingrong out to play.

　　Shen Chunxiang nodded, withdrew her gaze, and said with a smile, “You two even heard about it? The news of this lantern festival probably isn't common knowledge, is it? I wonder who's behind such a grand event! Oh right, we came to see the lanterns too. Unexpectedly, we just ran into that Pei fellow…”

　　Speaking of which, it's infuriating.

　　“I mean, what was a dignified Jinyiwei ¹Tongzhi doing here? Such bad luck!”

　　Yes, Pei Yuan is a dignified third-rank Commander Tongzhi. His appearance in the marketplace was probably no accident.

　　“Come on, let's go for a stroll since we've met,” Shen Chunxiang's voice broke through her thoughts.

　　The streets were bustling with people, and Yun Ling's group was quite noticeable. Shen Chunxiang looked at the crowds and the extra guards lining the streets, stroking her chin. “There seem to be more soldiers than usual today. Could it be that they're afraid something might go wrong at the lantern festival?”

　　Yun Ling nodded; she had noticed it as soon as she arrived.

　　There were many more soldiers on the streets, guarding strictly, unlike usual.

　　Even Pei Yuan was here... so…

　　Suddenly, Shen Chunxiang stopped in her tracks, her gaze piercing through the surging crowd towards the second floor of an inn surrounded by Jinyiwei guards. Her eyes widened. “Isn't that the Crown Prince?!”

　　“Why would the Crown Prince be here?”

　　Everyone's gaze followed hers.

　　Yun Ling also looked over. The noble figure in dark blue on the upper floor of the Zhāixīng Tower—it could only be him!

　　No wonder Pei Yuan was here in the marketplace.

　　Even more guards had appeared.

　　If she wasn't mistaken, the one who organized this lantern festival wasn't some noble young master, but him.

　　Only the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace would have the authority to decide to hold a lantern festival and easily spread the news throughout the Capital.

　　Just as she thought this, she saw Grand Eunuch An, the Crown Prince's Chief Eunuch, part the crowd with his people and approach Yun Ling. He smiled and said respectfully, “Eldest Miss Xiao, His Highness requests your presence upstairs.”

　　“Lord Pei originally went to the Xiao residence to invite you, but didn't find you. Unexpectedly, Eldest Miss Xiao is already in the marketplace.”

　　Invite Yun Ling up?

　　Shen Chunxiang and Cong Ying were both stunned. Of all the people present, why only Yun Ling? And isn't this inappropriate?

　　Only Xiao Mingrong understood perfectly well.

　　She also knew who this grand lantern festival was for.

　　——

　　Yun Ling instructed her maids to look after Xiao Mingrong and said a word to Shen Chunxiang before following Grand Eunuch An up to the Zhāixīng Tower.

　　“Why did His Highness suddenly decide to hold a lantern festival?” Yun Ling asked Grand Eunuch An.

　　Grand Eunuch An smiled and said, “His Highness said, Eldest Miss Xiao likes it.”

　　On the way back to the capital, Eldest Miss Xiao saw a lantern festival in a small county and lingered there, reluctant to leave. Although she didn't say it, he could tell she really liked it.

　　As he finished speaking, they had reached the upper floor.

　　Yun Ling looked up and saw his tall, aloof figure standing by the window.

　　The sounds of the bustling crowd filled the air below.

　　He slowly turned around and said to Yun Ling, “Come here.”

　　Yun Ling went over to him and stood beside him. The next moment, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

　　She was afraid that people downstairs would see them and was about to say that they shouldn't do this outside, when he lifted her chin. “Look.”

 

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Glossary:

¹ ‘Tongzhi’ (同知) is a historical term that refers to a high-ranking official in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912): 

Meaning: Literally translated, ‘Tongzhi’ means ‘to know together.’ This refers to the official's role as a second-in-command to the higher-ranking ‘Zhifu’ (知府), the prefect of a prefecture.

Responsibilities: The ‘Tongzhi’ held a variety of responsibilities, including:

- Assisting the Zhifu in governing the prefecture. This involved overseeing local administration, law enforcement, taxation, and public works.

- Handling specific tasks delegated by the Zhifu. These could range from managing specific departments to overseeing important projects.

- Acting as the Zhifu's representative in his absence. In some cases, the ‘Tongzhi’ might have even had the authority to make important decisions on behalf of the Zhifu.

Importance: The ‘Tongzhi’ position was an important one, as it provided a direct link between the central government and the local level. They were responsible for ensuring that the policies of the Qing dynasty were implemented effectively in their respective prefectures.

….

T/N: I'm sorry, but I've given up on trying to adjust my theme settings to let you change the font size based on your own preference. I've explored adding a custom font size adjuster, but due to technical limitations, I haven't been able to implement it. However, you can easily adjust the font size in your web browser's settings under Accessibility. 😆

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