"Bixia! Bixia!"
Zhang Ruyi turned around when she heard someone calling her. It was Anli! The Imperial General's son approached her slowly with a smile on his face. As he always wears a smile on his face, people often portray him as a happy person. Even in a critical moment, he still can draw a smile on his lips. That was what made him adorable and liked by everyone. Very contrast to Zhang Ruyi. Thus, it was difficult to know whether the Emperor was happy.
"I thought you wanted to call me by my name. Who knows you will call me Bixia."
Anli scratched his cheeks.
"Well, I'm a good boy sometimes." He replied.
Zhang Ruyi narrowed her eyes and knocked Anli's head with her Jade Lotus Fan.
"Ouch! Bixia..."
He rubbed his head gently. A moment later, he comes closer with a naughty smile on his face.
"Bixia!"
Zhang Ruyi looked at him.
"Hmm..."
"Are you free now?" He asked.
Zhang Ruyi was silent for a moment and placed her Jade Lotus Fan under her chin, frowning as she thought of something.
"I think yes. No court affairs today. Why?"
Hearing this from the Emperor's mouth, Anli couldn't stop the joy in his heart as he felt he could fly at this moment.
"I'm quite bored now and need someone to accompany me to go to the market."
Zhang Ruyi knocks her fan in her palm with a wrinkled face. Anli waited for her answer with hope.
"Can't you go there yourself?" She asked.
Anli pursed his lips and sighed.
"I can. However, walking alone makes me feel bored. It would be an honour if Bixia could accompany me. How?"
Zhang Ruyi remains silent. Anli doesn't want to give up. He clasped his hand and looked at the Emperor with a pleading look. Zhang Ruyi couldn't resist but agree with the request. She crossed her arms and stared at Anli with a small sigh.
"Fine...!"
Anli smiled with joy and almost jumped when Zhang Ruyi agreed to go with him.
"Thank you Bixia!" He said.
"Hmm. But I won't be long and on one condition."
Anli stiffened and stopped smiling for a while.
"Huh?" He was confused.
Zhang Ruyi raised her eyebrows and looked at him.
"Treat me since you asked me out."
Anli wrinkled his forehead when the Emperor asked him to treat her. He started to murmur.
"Bixia... I'm just a poor citizen. I can't be compared to an Emperor..."
Zhang Ruyi rolled her eyes.
They went to the market in Anli's carriage. Anli has a small carriage, and he bought it 3 years ago after his salary was enough to get one for himself. Although small, it is enough for two people.
When they arrived at the market, there were many people selling lanterns. The lanterns were different colours and had paintings on them. It also comes in various sizes and shapes. When the Emperor saw the lanterns, she tapped her forehead with her Jade Lotus Fan.
"Ahh..."
Anli looked at the Emperor when she suddenly mumbled alone.
"Bixia, don't tell me you forgot today is the Lantern Festival."
Zhang Ruyi scratched her head.
"Is this why you asked me to accompany you here?" She asked.
He put his left hand on Zhang Ruyi's right shoulder and smiled.
"No, and Yes." He replied.
She looked into his eyes with a frowning face. Anli grinned, scratched his head, and laughed in strutted.
"A-haha. N-no, I-I um,... I thought,... I'm not sure whether Bixia forgot about the Lantern Festival or not, since Bixia was too busy with the court affair. If Bixia forgot about the festival, at least by coming here, Bixia will remember about it. Hehe."
Ruyi lifted her eyebrows and pursed her lips.
"My bad..." She said.
Zhang Ruyi looked around to see lanterns sold in various colours and decorated with paintings. Some lanterns had writing on them. The most common colours were yellow, orange, and white. Meanwhile, common paintings that can be found were rabbits, peach blossoms, and lotus flowers. Beautiful.
Anli was following the Emperor from the back, and when the Emperor suddenly stopped, his head hit the Emperor's back.
" Ouch...!" He rubbed his forehead.
Zhang Ruyi turned around and looked at the General's son.
"Bi-Bixia...why did you suddenly stop?!" He grumbled, still rubbing his forehead.
Zhang Ruyi massaged her forehead and sighed.
"Why are you walking behind me? Do you see my eyes in the back of my head?" She asked.
"Of course not. But what does it have to do with the eyes?" He grumbled again.
Zhang Ruyi narrowed her eyes and gave him an unpleasant look.
"You have to use your eyes to stay in the right position so I don't step on your leg or make you bump into me because I can't see you behind." She said.
Anli gave a wry smile while scratching his cheek.
On the other side, Chun Xiao and the other maids were still busy at the Phoenix Palace. Since it was abandoned over some time, it was quite difficult to clean it. While doing the chores, she heard some maids talking to each other.
"Do you have any idea why the Emperor wanted us to clean this place?" Maid number 1 was talking.
"No. Maybe the Emperor just wants to clean this place." Maid number 2 was talking.
Chun Xiao stopped for a while and looked at them with a small smile on her face.
"Let's get this cleaning job done quickly so we can prepare for the Lantern Festival later." She said.
<
br/>They all looked at her and curtsied.
"Understand!" (All maids)
Walking made Zhang Ruyi's legs feel tired. She opened his Jade Lotus fan and waved it gently towards her face. Every once in a while, Anli glanced at her and secretly smiled. A moment later, Ruyi stopped and looked at Anli. Noticing the Emperor turning towards him, he quickly looked away and pretended nothing had happened.
"Anli, may I know your main purpose to come here? I think we only wander from the start." Ruyi said.
Anli looked at her and giggled.
"To an interesting place in this street! Let's go!"
With a puzzled face, she followed the Deputy General. The further they walked, the atmosphere became quieter and the sight of people also decreased, especially the women. Zhang Ruyi frowned. A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a big wooden building full of beauties. Zhang Ruyi was stunned for a while. She looked at Anli and gave him a death stare.
"What. Is. The. Meaning. Of. This??" She questioned.
With a big smile on his face, he answered the Emperor confidently.
"It's a brothel!"
Zhang Ruyi straddled her waist while sighing loudly.
"Right, right, right. If you're tired of living, I can grant your wish right now. Hmm?" She lifted her eyebrows.
When he saw the unpleasant look from the Emperor, Anli tried to calm her down.
"Eh...eh...eh...Bi-Bixia! Please calm down. I-I just want to have a sip of drinks with the beauties here." He stuttered.
Without saying anything, she knocked Anli's head with her Jade Lotus fan.
"Ah....! Ou..ucchhh...!" He complained of pain.
As they stepped into the main door, two women dressed in hanfu greeted them with sweet smiles on their faces. Their faces were as smooth as the full moon, and their lips were as luminous and pink as peach blossoms that you felt like kissing. Not to mention their fluffy red cheeks like the clouds.
*Hanfu - Chinese traditional styles of clothing
"Welcome My Lord! This way, please."
They followed the beauties and chose a sit at the corner of the brothel. While Anli was looking around, Zhang Ruyi grunted and expressed her uncomfortable reaction on her face. As soon as they sat, another two beauties came to please them.
"Sucks!" The Emperor grumbled.
This time, the brothel brought them younger and more seductive beautiful ladies. Their lips were luminous and reddish like a plum that you can't resist kissing. Their face was smooth like the pearl, and their fluffy cheeks were pinkish as a blooming peach blossom. Their eyelashes were long and curly like the stork feather, and their glance was enough to weaken your legs. It looks like Anli's face getting blushed because of shyness. However, the Emperor's red ears told a different story.
"My Lord, you look so handsome today. Wanna play with me?" Lady No. 1 was talking.
"My Lords, if you don't want to play with my sister you can play with me instead." Lady No. 2 was talking.
The beauties approached Anli and Zhang Ruyi, trying to touch their face. Zhang Ruyi tried to dodge. Noticing the Emperor felt annoyed, Anli then spoke.
"A-ha ha...Err...dear beauties, me and my friend only want to have some drinks and enjoy the dance performance here."
Zhang Ruyi glared at Anlj. Anli gulped.
"Hmmph...! My Lords, you are boring!" Said the lady with braided and cat eyes.
"However,..I will still serve you..."
He sat on Anli's lap and poured him wine. Zhang Ruyi remained silent but her sharp gaze told everything. The look was enough to kill his soul. Instead of drinking the wine, he placed the wine cup on the table slowly.
"Si-Sister...you...you are too close! How about you dance for me?" He said to the lady in stuttering while looking at the Emperor.
The lady stood, slowly moved her fingers on Anli's cheek gently and lifted his chin before she went to the stage with her friend. It made Anli blush. Once on the stage, they started to dance. When it was just the two of them, Anli immediately rubbed his face and chin with his sleeve with a disgusted face.
"Do you come here often?" The emperor asked.
He stopped rubbing.
"No. This is my first time." He replied.
Zhang Ruyi looked straight into his eyes. Noticing that the Emperor doesn't believe his words, Anli starts to tease her.
"Bixia, you don't believe me. Aren't you? Do you want me to prove that I'm still a virgin?"
"Stop fooling around or I'll cut your throat!" Said Zhang Ruyi.
Anli immediately bowed and apologized.
"Since this is your first time, why did you suddenly bring me here?" The Emperor asked.
Anli poured wine into his cup and drank it.
"It's because I wonder why powerful people like this place. After all, it's also the Emperor's favourite place. Even some of their concubines are prostitutes." He replied.
Zhang Ruyi gritted her teeth, raised her eyebrows, and glared at him. Anli almost choked when he saw her reaction.
"Bi-Bixia...I-I didn't mean to offend you. I was ta-talking about the other Emperor." He explained with a stutter.
Zhang Ruyi poured wine into her cup and took a sip too.
"Saying this is your first time...didn't your father also come to a place like this? Hmmm...?" She asked.
He continued to pour wine into his cup and drank it.
"No. He never entered a place like this. He also forbade me to come here. My father is a loyal husband, you know. He will always love my mother." Anli replied. He gave a naughty look while raising her eyebrows.
The Emperor looked away. However, Anli has told her the truth. General Zhao was a loyal husband. He only has one wife and he loves his wife very much. He was different from the other ministers in the palace.
"Indeed. General Zhao is loyal to his wife. But... I'm not sure about his son." She tried to sarcastic Anli.
Anli choked.
"Bi-Bixia...are you trying to say that I'm not a good person like my father? Haiyaa...I only wanted to know why this place was a favourite place for powerful people. But,...if I go here by myself, my father will kill me if he sees me." He explained.
Hearing this from Anli's mouth, Zhang Ruyi narrowed her eyes and looked at him.
"Anli...you're using me, aren't you?"
Anli gulped and bit his lips.
"At least, if my father sees me with Bixia, he won't beat me...hehe..."
The Emperor sighed.
"Only this one time, Hehe. I won't do it again." He tried to convince her.
The dance performance ended and the beauties stopped dancing. New customers came into the brothel and they greeted them with sweet smiles. Anli and Zhang Ruyi only watched them from afar.
"Anyway, Bixia..." Anli came closer and whispered in Zhang Ruyi's ear.
"Why don't you make a harem for male concubines for yourself? I'll be the first to devote myself to you."
Zhang Ruyi choked and sprayed the wine on Anli's face.
"Bixia...you..." Anli wiped his face with a sad look.
Zhang Ruyi put the wine cup vigorously on the table and wiped her mouth with a blushing face.
"Anli...you...!"
Anli saw the Emperor's reaction but he was still stubborn.
"And Bixia...I want to be a high-rank concubine. Imperial Noble Consort. What do you think?" - half laughing and smiling.
"Don't ever think about it! I'll take my leave now!" She stood and started to leave the place.
"Bixia! Wait for me! Don't leave me alone. Bixia!"
Walking out of the brothel, Zhang Ruyi went to a small stall selling lanterns. Anli was still chasing her from behind.
"Bixia...Sometimes you need some rest after having court affairs. You don't have to force yourself too much."
Zhang Ruyi pretended not to hear anything.
A white lantern with a lotus flower painting caught Anli's attention. He took the lantern and showed it to Zhang Ruyi.
"Bixia doesn't this lotus painting look like the lotus design on your fan? Why didn't you buy it?"
Zhang Ruyi looked deeply at the lantern painting. She opened her Jade Lotus Fan. They were indeed the same.
"I never took a deep look at the fan design before, so I wasn't aware of it."
Realizing that the Emperor heard him, made Anli smile.
"Finally...." He mumbled to himself.
"Bixia, talking about your fan, that painting is rare. I have never seen a painting like this in Suzhou. Where did you get this fan?" he asked.
Zhang Ruyi closed her fan and started reminiscing.
"Do you still remember when we came here 6 years ago to buy lanterns?"
Anli frowned as he tried to recall his memory.
"Ahh...Yes! I remember. It was Lantern Festival too." He said.
"That's right! There was a little girl who wanted to buy candy but she didn't have enough money. So I bought it for her. In return, she gave me this Jade Lotus Fan as a token of gratitude."
Anli nodded his head.
"So it's from that little girl. If I'm not mistaken, she's not from here. She's from..."
"Fuzhou." Zhang Ruyi cut him off.
"You have a good memory. I'm a little jealous. Can I have it?" He held out his hand for the fan.
Zhang Ruyi put her fan inside her sleeve and turned around.
"No. After all, this is my first gift from someone besides my parents."
The sunset view was the most beautiful. The golden glow of the setting sun reflected on the surface of the water made the market look like a bride, waiting for the groom. Everyone held their lanterns. Zhang Ruyi bought a lantern with a lotus flower painting and Anli bought a lantern with a peach flower painting. They went to the city centre to release their lanterns.
"Bixia, before we release this lantern, let's write a wish."
Zhang nodded. After writing their wish on a piece of paper, they release the lantern over the flowing stream.
"Bixia...what did you write?" Anli asked.
Zhang Ruyi glared at him and raised her eyebrow.
"Why didn't you tell me first what your wish is?" The emperor replied.
Anli frowned and scratched his cheeks.
"I'm the one who asked first, so Bixia needs to tell me." He said.
Zhang Ruyi watched the sailing lanterns with her hands crossed at her back.
"Well, I won't tell mine if I don't know what's yours." She answered.
Anli pursed his lips.
"Hmmm...fine! I write..."
Anli's focus was interrupted when he saw a couple laughing and loving each other after releasing their lanterns. Without realizing it, he voiced his thoughts.
"I wish the person that I love will love me too..."
Zhang Ruyi immediately looked at him.
"What?" She asked.
Realizing that he had said it out loud, he woke up.
"Err...N-no...I'm talking about...about the two people over there!" He pointed at them.
Zhang Ruyi looked in the direction of his finger.
"Oh? Really? I never knew this great Deputy General was also a romantic. May I know who the person is?" She tried to tease him.
Anli was so blushed.
"I didn't write that! My wish is that I want to be promoted to General!" He said.
"You want to replace your father?" The Emperor narrowed her eyes.
"Er....no...no! I didn't write that too! I write..." Before he finished his words, the Emperor interrupted him.
"My wish is...The happiness of the Suzhou people. I also hope that I can find the missing pieces of me."
Anli was stunned for a moment. He could see the sad look in her eyes. He knew, Zhang Ruyi had experienced many hardships since she was a child. The death of the Crown Prince changed her.
"Bixia, you are so kind. You should seek happiness for yourself too."
Zhang Ruyi looked at the night sky.
"How could you understand me if you are not in the position of mine?"
Anli gulped. The Emperor was right.
"I don't want to know what you write. As long as it's something that makes you happy, I'll be happy too." She patted Anli's shoulder.
Anli remained silent. He couldn't say anything.
"Anyway, it's late now. I only wanted to have a short trip with you here but we ended up staying here until the evening. Let's go back to the palace."
He bowed.
"Sure, Bixia! W-wait! Let me go first. I want to check the carriage. Bixia can buy some mooncakes and bring them to the palace. I'll call Bixia later."
Anli rushed to his carriage. Zhang Ruyi was confused but because Anli told her to buy food, she did it. At the very least, she could give some to Chun Xiao later.
When Anli arrived at his carriage, he saw Bai Wu lying there eating an apple. He immediately rushed towards him and hit him on the shoulder.
"W-woah!! Who's that?!" Bai Wu gets up quickly. When he saw the Deputy General, he smiled and adjusted his outfit.
"Lord Anli. Welcome back. How is your day?" he asked.
Anli glared at him while straddling his waist.
"Did I ask you to expose yourself? Quick! The Emperor is on her way! Don't let her see you or I will die!"
Bai Wu quickly put the mask on his face and threw away his apple.
"Is this okay now?" He asked.
Anli nodded.
"Now, let's park there. I'll call her now. Remember, don't let her know it's you. Understand! If she knows it's you, she might ask me why I brought her here when I could go with you!" He warned Bai Wu.
"Alright...alright...I got it." Bai Wu answered him.
After sending the Emperor back to the palace, Anli and Bai Wu rushed to their quarters.
"Lord Anli, how's your date today?" Bai Wu asked him the same question again.
"What date? I don't even feel like a date." He said.
"Huh???" Bai Wu was confused.
"Today, while releasing the lantern I asked her what she wrote for her wish but she wanted me to tell mine first. Suddenly, I saw a couple. I voiced my thoughts without realizing it and the Emperor heard me."
Bai Wu was excited to know.
"What did you say?"
Anli looked at him.
"I said; I wish the person that I love would love me too." He replied.
Bai Wu couldn't stop laughing when he heard it. Anli can't do anything but frown upon his stupidity.
"So, what did you write?"
Anli put his chin on the table and started to reminisce his writing: I hope Ruyi could love me like how I love her.