“How about …… like a man?” Ye Zhen was wearing a silk robe, embroidered with an azure blue precious flower, which highlighted her white and ruddy skin. Her lips red and teeth white, carved like jade, she looked like both a beauty and a beautiful youngster.

  Dai Mei was somewhat flabbergasted.

  “Miss, are you …… are you really going out dressed like this tonight?” Dai Mei asked in shock. This third miss never failed to amaze her.

  “That’s right. I am going out dressed like this tonight,” Ye Zhen said with a smile.

  “So, like a man—” Although the getup didn’t rob her good-looks, there’s always a little discomfort lingering.

  “That’s right.”


  Ye Zhen was quite decided she had thought this through. This was a patriarchal society, where women were expected to look beautiful and men powerful. Although both had their advantages and disadvantages, it was undeniable that some things were much more convenient for men than women. After all, they possessed something that women were deprived of- freedom.

  At dusk, Ye Zhen dragged Lu Xiangzhi out of the door. Just when they got out of the Lu Mansion’s gate, they were greeted by the sight of a blue carriage coming their way. Before anyone could as much as think, the curtain parted, and the puerile face of Mo Rongyi came into view.

  “Little Prince?!” Lu Xiangzhi looked at him in amazement. “Why are you here?”


  Mo Rongyi hopped off the carriage as soon as it halted. “I’m here to enjoy the Lantern Festival tonight. Yaoyao, this little prince allows you to watch the lanterns with me.”


  Ye Zhen laughingly nodded. “Many thanks to Little Prince’s benevolence.”


  “For the sake of curing my illness.” Mo Rongyi put on a haughty look and looked at Ye Zhen again. “Why are you dressed like this?”


  “This is convenient. Well, let’s go.” Ye Zhen said humorously, “If we don’t go now, there will be too many people in a while, and we can’t squeeze in the crowd.”


  Lu Xiangzhi had a headache coming. As if his sister wasn’t enough, not the little prince joined the melee.

  “Yaoyao, why don’t you go with your second and fourth sisters?” Lu Xiangzhi asked Ye Zhen in a low voice thinking it would be good for his young sisters to have fun together.

  Ye Zhen said faintly, “I don’t like it.”


  Lu Fang and her friends had gone out together. They didn’t roam around but just stayed in the tavern’s wing room, watching the fun from afar. Ye Zhen used to be like that. She thought that ladies of the wealthy family shouldn’t join in the fun everywhere. There was a decorum that one had to adhere to, an image that had to be maintained at all costs. Opulence came with more don’ts than dos.

  Perhaps, with

  life such notions had long bid adieu. For now, all Ye Zhen cared about was enjoying every moment bestowed upon her. She had long packed away the “wooden noble Miss”, this edition would see her letting loose and embracing her desires unabashedly.

  Soon, they arrived at the main street. What was usually a mundane lane, was not adorned with lanterns and colorful banners on either sides, lighting it up as bright as day. People came and went, laughing and talking, adding the bustles of what would have been an otherwise quiet time. Anywhere the eyes saw, there was nothing but similes and more smiles. The excitement was contagious that one would be easily swayed away.

  While Mo Rongyi was being protected by two imperial servants, Lu Xiangzhi blocked the crowd for Ye Zhen, not letting anyone get close to her.

  “That’s the Lantern Tower over there. Let’s go and have a look.” Mo Rongyi pointed to the temporary set-up in front of them and urged Ye Zhen to accompany him.

  Ye Zhen used to only watch others fight lanterns in the tavern, not really being able to appreciate the lanterns in the tower. She immediately nodded at the newfound opportunity. “Let’s go and have a look. I also want to know what Lantern King looks like this year.”


  Mo Rongyi’s puerile and handsome face flashed a different color and soon returned to normal. “In a while, you will see which lantern is the Lantern King.”


  Ye Zhen smiled and nodded. “Well, I have a good eye.”


  When they arrived at the front of the lantern tower, many were already fighting lanterns. This was a serious competition and the rules were very pretty simple. People would compete with each, in that, the best lantern would win. The winner in turn would progress to the next level while the loser would go home. So on and so forth, through systematic elimination, the last lantern standing would be declared the Lantern King and awarded 1,200 taels of silver from the imperial court.

  One thousand two hundred silver taels was a lot of money for the commoners. How many would give it their all and display their skills to become the Lantern King by all means?

  “Hey, those two lanterns on the stage are very beautiful. Can’t no one compete?” Ye Zhen pointed to the two lanterns hanging on the building’s balcony: one was a vivid and lifelike peacock lantern, the other an octagon depicting a phoenix surrounded by birds bowing in reverence.

  Only

  Mo Rongyi asked in a low voice, “Which of the two lanterns do you think can become the Lantern King?”


  “Can’t say for sure. Perhaps there will be better-looking lanterns in a while,” Ye Zhen said with a smile.

  “Humph! You don’t have a good eye at all!” Mo Rongyi disdained her in a low voice.

  Understandably, the competition was time bound. So, after another half hour had passed and there were still no contenders for the two lanterns on the stage, they were both declared as the Lantern King ‘candidates’.

  “There’s no need to compete any more. The Lantern King title belongs to this young master.” Before even deciding the outcome, a young man in silk brocade, feeling high and mighty, stood up and declared aloud.