Huining Year 3, New Year's Eve.
　　After the New Year's Eve banquet, it was already the first quarter of the hour of Chou.
　　Dong Lingjiu returned to the palace to change clothes and drank a bowl of sobering soup. The little maids who served outside the Cining Palace had all retreated. At this moment, they were so sleepy that they yawned repeatedly. Only a few of them stayed up to keep the New Year and chat with the palace servants who were on night duty.
　　The sound of fireworks rang out outside the window. According to the rules, the fireworks in the palace will be set off at a fixed time. On New Year's Eve, the first day of the first lunar month, and the second day of the first lunar month, they will be set off almost day and night. After these three days, there will be a set time. But the sound of fireworks in the capital can be heard all the way to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
　　After washing, Dong Lingjiu took off her gold hairpin, put on a plain bun and thin clothes, and covered her legs with a small blanket.
　　Next to the small couch was a hollowed-out auspicious beast four-legged heater, with a few incense sticks in it, and the fragrance spread out with the rising warmth.
　　"Your Highness," Xuan Jingyun leaned forward, "I have prepared it for you."
　　Dong Lingjiu washed his hands in the basin and asked, "Although you are very careful in doing things, you always think of leaving a way out. Since I ordered that no one from the palace should follow, then I don't need anyone."
　　Xuan Duzhi shuddered all over, with a bitter look on his face, and said, "Your Highness is kind enough to take care of me, but you are a precious body. If you bump into something and get a hair burned, I will be blamed for it."
　　"The two guards in the capital often boast that the imperial city is peaceful and free of disasters. Are they all false?"
　　"Your Highness, the guards are naturally loyal to their duties, but what kind of person are you? How can you take risks for something that is unlikely to happen? Don't you often say that... something, a gentleman does not stand under..."
　　"Under a dangerous wall."
　　"Yes, yes," Xuan Jingyun agreed quickly, with a little sweat on his forehead, "I hope that the queen will put the overall situation of the world first, take care of yourself, and let the palace accompany you on your trip."
　　If it were in the past, Dong Lingjiu would definitely be very tolerant of the four words "put the overall situation first". But if it were her at the time, I'm afraid she wouldn't even think of such a thing as Bai Longyu's private visit.
　　Dong Lingjiu took her hands out of the warm water, took the soft cloth to wipe her hands, and said: "If I let you follow, wouldn't everyone in the world know? You won't have time to cheat and take shortcuts, and you won't be able to see the customs and habits of the people... Besides, I really go there to have fun."
　　Xuan Jingyun's face clearly showed the words "distrust", but she said: "Yes, the queen's mind is really beyond my imagination. Since you said you are going there for fun, then you must be going there for fun."
　　Dong Lingjiu sighed softly and gave up correcting her.
　　After Xuan Jingyun left, she wiped her hands and lit the small candle on the table. Not long after, Zheng Yuheng escaped from under the young emperor's nose, lifted up his robe and sat over.
　　The two had not made an appointment in advance.
　　This was just a wait between two people who were not able to fly together, but were in tune with each other, and even a bit of interest. She did not wait in vain, and soon saw Zheng Yuheng slightly gathered his sleeves and played chess with her.
　　Dong Lingjiu did not speak either, just played chess with him slowly. At two o'clock in the morning, when the wind outside was the coolest and coldest, the silent night was as dark as ink, and a few fireworks suddenly appeared in the sky, shining brightly, and then dispersed with a bang.
　　In such a quiet and noisy environment, she was still very focused. The lights moved slightly, reflecting each other's eyebrows and eyes that were illuminated by the halo.
　　Zheng Yuheng knew that he was not as good at chess, so he resigned in the middle of the game and lost. He sighed deeply, without touching the chess pieces on the chessboard, and said, "You obviously drank, why
　　are you still so clear-headed?" Dong Lingjiu said, "Of course I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk."
　　Zheng Yuheng had seen her drunk before, and now he couldn't help wanting to laugh when he heard her say this so seriously, but he didn't explain it, just looked at her with a smile.
　　Dong Lingjiu probably guessed what he was thinking, but didn't care about this little detail. She handed him a red sachet that had been prepared long ago, with gold-sprinkled patterns and animal patterns on it, and said, "Here you go."
　　"This is..."
　　"New Year's money." She said naturally, "I remembered that no one loved you at home, and you might not have had it when you were a child, so I specially packed one for you this year."
　　...New Year's money? He is so old now, can he still suppress the New Year?
　　Zheng Yuheng opened the brocade bag and saw a handful of gold leaves inside. He was stunned for a moment and said, "... Just buy me. With so much money, I will be yours in life and your ghost in death."
　　Dong Lingjiu heard that he was joking on purpose, so he said, "That's great. I will buy your next life as well. If we are destined to be together, you will serve me tea and water in the next life."
　　This was in private, with no one around. Zheng Yuheng became tough again and planned seriously, "Just serving tea and water may not be enough to prove my talent. I must at least make the quilts, make the bed, change clothes and warm the bed."
　　Dong Lingjiu raised his eyebrows and smiled, "It's a pity that I can't change my taste." Zheng Yuheng,
　　who never chanted Buddhist scriptures and practiced Taoism, also folded his hands at this moment, and temporarily prayed to Buddha. He closed his eyes and said, "It's better that I can't change. That's great. It's really the blessing of the Bodhisattva."
　　"It's not enough to just pray to the Bodhisattva... This money is not given in vain. There is another thing I want to entrust to you."
　　"What is it?"
　　"There is also a palace banquet on the Lantern Festival. It's too lively. I don't want to go. You write me a prescription and say that I haven't rested well these few days, so I won't go." "
　　Pretending... to be sick?"
　　"Why?"
　　Zheng Yuheng became serious and said, "You are just getting better, so you should have fun with your grandchildren, sisters-in-law, and relatives. What's the point of just staying in the palace. And pretending to be sick is not a good omen. Don't you hear..."
　　"I'll go out of the palace with you to play."
　　Zheng Yuheng choked.
　　His Adam's apple moved and he said, "Really?"
　　"Why should I lie to you." Dong Lingjiu glanced at him, "If you don't want to, then..."
　　"I do." He said hurriedly, "Then we won't go to the palace banquet. I will write you a prescription and pulse case, and we will go out secretly."
　　...
　　Little Master Zheng is really easy to bribe.
　　On the fifth day of the New Year, Meng Cheng had already drafted an order to transfer him back to the Ministry of Revenue, but it had not been issued yet. Banquets in the palace, visits and visits from relatives, gifts presented to Beijing by the governors-general of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi and Zhejiang, and congratulations from various countries after the opening of the sea... All these things, just celebrating the New Year, made Meng Cheng and Wang Wanrou exhausted.
　　Near the fifteenth, Zheng Yuheng suddenly said that the queen mother was ill and should not work. Wang Wanrou mentioned this matter when she lit a lamp in the middle of the night to check the accounts in the palace. As soon as she said she wanted to go see her mother, Meng Cheng took over and said, "I think you'd better not go."
　　Wang Wanrou said in confusion, "Aren't you worried about the queen mother?"
　　Meng Cheng put down the book in his hand, pinched his nose to wake himself up, and then stood behind Wang Wanrou, put his hands on her shoulders, and a voice came from behind: "If the queen mother was really ill, how could Du Shangyi still help in the six departments? She didn't go back to serve. I guess she told Zheng Junzhi to avoid the hustle and bustle."
　　Wang Wanrou said, "You are guessing what the queen mother meant."
　　Meng Cheng lowered his head and whispered in her ear: "I'm still trying to guess what you mean. I think, sister must be tired. Don't look at it anymore. Let's stop here today."
　　As he said that, his hand slid down from Queen Wang's shoulder, pressed the account book in her hand, and held her delicate fingers.
　　Lantern Festival, night.
　　Although Dong Lingjiu told Zheng Yuheng that she wanted to go out of the palace with him, little Zheng had been looking forward to this day. He guessed that she would go out incognito, but he forgot to ask her when they would meet.
　　It was just getting dark, and vendors were already walking around the largest street in the capital, selling their wares. The exquisitely made lanterns were lit up on the street, shining brightly, and people were everywhere. Girls and young men of marriageable age often took a sneak peek at the lantern festival at this time. Some of them had already been engaged and met with the tacit consent of their parents and elders, while others were lovers who had mistaken each other for each other. They lived in different houses, so they missed each other and turned gray.
　　Zheng Yuheng sat obediently on the second floor of the street, waiting for Dong Lingjiu to send someone to contact him. Just when the tea in front of him was about to cool down, a waiter came up to pass on the message that someone wanted to invite Master Zheng to come downstairs.
　　He was listless just now, but when he heard this, he immediately came to life and followed the waiter downstairs. After walking out of the restaurant with a long string of colorful lanterns, he met several Nuo opera artists wearing Nuo opera masks. They circled around him as if asking for rewards, and then raised their hands to salute him.
　　Zheng Yuheng blinked and took a sharp look at the Qilin pattern on the belt of one of the artists. He knew the rules of the market, so he put copper coins in the hands of the Nuo opera artists, and they dispersed.
　　After the few people dispersed, a person wearing men's clothes and the same Nuo opera mask stood in front of him.
　　Not to mention wearing a mask and changing into men's clothes, even in the next life, Zheng Yuheng could recognize her at a glance. Behind her, there were lanterns and fireworks with people coming and going, and the aroma of burning candy figurines and the smell of firecrackers mixed together.
　　It was incredible for Dong Lingjiu to appear in this scene. This incredibleness was not just about the identity of the Queen Mother, but it was simply impossible for Dong Lingjiu to control herself over the years.
　　The Queen Mother of Great Yin...dressed in men's clothes and went out of the palace for a tryst on the night of the Lantern Festival. Just the words that appeared in my mind were already difficult to breathe, not to mention that it appeared in front of me, how could I not be shocked and sighed.
　　Zheng Yuheng was stunned for a long time before slowly retracting his gaze. He was a little speechless for a while, and raised his hand to touch the mask on her face.
　　"...Do I have to wear it?"
　　Zheng Yuheng's expression was a little sad. Even at this time, he was still particularly sad for a certain thread of the net wrapped around Dong Lingjiu's wings, a certain place that was restricted.
　　Dong Lingjiu said: "Although it is worn on my face, it has been taken off in my heart."
　　The surroundings were so noisy, but this world was so quiet.
　　Zheng Yuheng could only hear her voice, and would only hear her voice. He ignored the noise of the crowd, inserted his fingers into hers, and clasped them together in perfect harmony. After a long while, he murmured, "Dong Lingjiu, you are a fairy lady. If you go back to heaven one day, I will definitely get sick and die."
　　"What nonsense are you talking about."
　　"I'm serious!" he said firmly, and repeated, "I'm serious."
　　Dong Lingjiu's voice was very warm, with a gentle smile: "I heard a Western painter say something, which means that if the moment of first meeting foreshadows the pain of parting, it must be the person you love and know. You often suffer from this disease now, thinking of the distant past with the present, and thinking of the pain with the happiness."
　　Zheng Yuheng lifted her hand, covered it with one hand, held her slightly cold fingers, and lowered his head and said, "If it's what you want, it doesn't matter if you think of the pain from time to time."
　　Dong Lingjiu was so accustomed to the secular world, but she was actually frozen by his words for a moment, and her heart seemed to be burned by a ball of fire.
　　At this moment, in this lightning-fast, elusive moment, she absurdly regretted not being born twenty years later.
　　"Silly..." Dong Lingjiu whispered.
　　Zheng Yuheng did not refute, but just held her hand tightly.
　　The two merged into the crowd.
　　The Lantern Festival in the capital was much more lively than the palace. Not only were there many people, but there were also countless kinds of food and entertainment. From time to time, you could see young women getting off the carriage with their maids and servants.
　　Zheng Yuheng didn't recognize any of them, so Dong Lingjiu pointed them out to him and explained one by one: "This is the carriage of the Earl of Ding'an's mansion. The one sitting in the attic with two young ladies is the Countess of Ding'an."
　　"She was only this tall when she was young. I didn't expect that she would grow taller after getting married. When she was twelve years old, she came to my house to attend a private school. I played the game of guessing riddles with her. She couldn't win once in ten games. She cried and wanted to beat me, and chased me from the East Palace..."
　　"This is the wife of Qing Yuezhi, the editor and tutor of the Academy. She is the second wife and is two years older than you. Qing Yuezhi is almost seventy years old. Because of marrying this second wife, the late emperor once wrote a poem to satirize him. The one next to her is her youngest daughter. Wanrou told me that it seems that they have been engaged..."
　　Dong Lingjiu's tone was nostalgic. Sometimes he said a few more words, and sometimes he said nothing and remained silent. The two walked past the colorful lanterns at the lantern festival, passed by people who gathered to guess riddles, and when they walked to the edge of a high platform, something was suddenly thrown down, a bright red area.
　　Zheng Yuheng took it subconsciously and found it was a red veil. He turned around and saw that many people gathered on the high platform, most of them were young and old men. Seeing such a handsome young man taking it, they all laughed. The leader said: "What a good luck, young man, I wonder if you have married? So many of us are waiting to share in the happiness of the master, but you got it. I congratulate you!"
　　"Yes! The master's family has made a good marriage. After receiving this veil, there must be a happy event in the family. I believe that the young man will be able to get married soon."
　　Zheng Yuheng turned around and saluted, thanked them first, and then said: "Thank you all for your good words. I have already prepared food, and it is a beautiful lady like a flower, a fairy."
　　The people on the opposite side laughed even more happily. Some joked loudly, some asked why he didn't bring his wife out to play, and some encouraged him to ask for rewards. Zheng Yuheng was not stingy and generously gave money.
　　After the two men left the platform, Dong Lingjiu chuckled softly and said, "He's a charlatan, he's here to cheat you."
　　This is an old trick in the market. During every New Year's Day, they would get some kind of handkerchief, veil, or New Year picture and throw it at someone specifically. They would make up a story and say some auspicious words, and then they would ask for a reward. If there was no reward, they would not be able to leave there for a while.
　　Zheng Yuheng was surprised and said, "You also know this?"
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "This is what happened 20 years ago. My father also believed it. It seems that you are not the only one who was fooled. But if you know that you are being fooled and still want to be fooled, then you are the only one left."
　　Zheng Yuheng said, "It's New Year's Day... You gave me New Year's money again. Take from the people and use it for the people."
　　Dong Lingjiu tapped the back of his hand: "Is this how you use this word? Idiot."
　　"Tan Niang is so smart, didn't she watch me being fooled? Besides... what they said is also very good. My wife is so good, unique in the world."
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "So it hits your heart, no wonder you are still laughing when you suffer a loss."
　　"In my heart..."
　　He paused halfway through his words, and even stopped walking.
　　The two walked through the noisy place of the Lantern Festival and came to the lower reaches of the river. Compared with the prosperity of the upper reaches, this place can be said to be lonely and deserted. It is a secluded place without lights.
　　Half-melted ice flowed down the river, and a group of water lanterns flowed down with the waves in the distance, circling closer like fire lotuses in the lake.
　　The second half of Zheng Yuheng's sentence stopped in the sound of gurgling water.
　　Dong Lingjiu could hear his roaring heartbeat, and the cool wind blew through the broken hair beside her ears. Then, the mask on her face seemed to be touched, and his fingertips pressed against the cheek of the Nuo opera mask.
　　He slowly stroked the smooth mask and the exaggerated colorful patterns painted on it. This light and indescribable weight fell on it, but it seemed not to be separated by a layer of material, but to be really stroking her face.
　　His hand slid down from her cheek, with a very light and heart-throbbing force, and touched the lips on the mask, touching its hard and cold texture.
　　He didn't say a word, but Dong Lingjiu felt the boiling heat of magma under his silence, like a heavy emotion that was almost unbearable, constantly squeezed and condensed at this moment.
　　Then, his hands trembled slightly, and he was so nervous that he almost stiffly picked up the red veil with not very delicate stitches.
　　Zheng Yuheng covered the veil with both hands, then untied the knot behind her head and loosened the Nuo opera mask. When the mask was removed and the red silk had not fallen off, he hurriedly saw her face and her deep and gentle eyes.
　　All of this overlapped with the moment of her wedding in the Prince's Mansion more than ten years ago like an illusion. She remembered the veil she wore when she got married, which was outlined with the most delicate and luxurious patterns and embroidered with noble phoenixes, but not the one in front of her now, where even the mandarin duck pattern was crooked, a trap used by street vendors to ask for tips.
　　She thought, Zheng Yuheng, you are really a trap.
　　Zheng Yuheng stretched out his hand and held her face under the veil. He finally touched her face. She couldn't show up outside the palace to meet him. Her face shouldn't appear in such an occasion where all the imperial concubines gathered. Her life was the pillar of this dynasty, a record in history books, and a person who could not have private feelings in the minds of almost all people.
　　Zheng Yuheng touched the slightly wet tears on her face. He was a little flustered and said, "Tan Niang..."
　　Through a thin layer of cloth, his breath was close at hand.
　　Dong Lingjiu said, "...It's okay."
　　"Did I make you sad?" Zheng Yuheng asked helplessly. He was so flustered and anxious that he was sweating all over. He subconsciously lifted the veil and got in. Under this thin layer of red cloth, Dong Lingjiu suddenly sealed his lips.
　　Zheng Yuheng's body was stiff and tense, then relaxed, slowly relaxing.
　　This is not the palace, and she is not the queen... There is no one here, so what if someone sees it? They are just a pair of lovers who meet at the Lantern Festival, like birds that can fly anywhere in the world, and winds that can blow anywhere.
　　The lanterns flow in front of the two people with the water, and the flames sway in the wind. Behind them, the winter plum blossoms that are about to bloom are blown to the ground, and the red flowers are scattered everywhere.
　　The world is also scattered.
　　The author has something to say:
　　The dust net has been sick for a long time, and it has urged the love of the fools to be strong.