The Legend of Chu Qiao

Chapter 12

The Lantern Festival[1]

Over time, the curious attendants outside the room entered several times. At last, Zhuge Yue pushed the Go board aside and rose. The servant next to him quickly approached to help him put on his deer leather boots at the entrance. He was dressed in a pale blue robe with dark floral designs and a bright red fox fur overcoat. He was a young man whose physique no longer resembled that of a boy. His arrogance was typical of a wealthy noble, but his intelligence was evident in the depth of his eyes.

"Let's go," Zhuge Yue mumbled as he brought his entourage of servants out.

A herd of fine horses was waiting at the front of his compound. Because of Zhuge Yue's delay, the other Masters of Zhuge's residence had already left. One male servant knelt on the ground, and Zhuge Yue calmly walked forward and stepped on his back to get onto the horse.[2]

As he finished his preparations to leave, Zhuge Yue suddenly turned to the servant at the front door and asked, "Xing’er, have you seen the lights during the lantern festival?"

Chu Qiao was taken aback and hurriedly shook her head.

Zhuge Yue nodded and said, "Come up here. I will bring you to see them."

Chu Qiao was stunned until she understood what Zhuge Yue was implying and quickly responded, "Young Master, I am not allowed to do that."

Zhuge Yue frowned and was about to speak, but Chu Qiao immediately stepped forward and said, "Xing’er can ride her horse."

Zhuge Yue was skeptical upon seeing Chu Qiao's small stature, clearly expressing his doubt. The group fell silent. A servant capable of riding a horse was quite rare and challenged social norms. All eyes were on Zhuge Yue, whose lips twitched slightly at the girl's audacity, though he was also curious whether it was arrogance or honesty.

"Master, give a horse to Xing’er. Xing’er can ride the horse," Zhuge Yue repeated.

He stared at her for a few seconds and nodded to his escort, Zhu Cheng. Soon after, a small claret horse was led out. Although the horse was small, it was still much bigger than Chu Qiao. Everyone's eyes were focused on her, and they chuckled when they noticed she wasn't taller than the horse's leg.

The child circled the horse twice, raising her hands straight, but could only just reach the horse's back. Zhuge Yue found it amusing and was about to call for help, but then Chu Qiao grabbed the horse and, with a burst of strength, climbed onto it. Her movement was quick and precise. The bystanders gasped in surprise.

Of course, Chu Qiao knew how to ride. Although her new body felt a bit awkward to give him directions with her short legs, she was happy the horse was very tame. Once it saw the other horses leaving, it followed them.

Zhuge Yue turned to look at the child, covered in snow and resembling a snowball, yet sitting tall and proud on the horse. He couldn't help but smile before prompting the horse to move forward.

On the final night of the lantern festival, the city had no curfew, and the streets stayed lively. As evening fell, the sky darkened, the streets lit up with fireworks, and a cool breeze swept through. Passing by the river bend, beautiful lanterns brightened the scene, with dragon-shaped red lights lining the walkways. Many buildings served as stages for performances, including Baixi[3], puppetry and storytelling[4], musical dance dramas[5], street comedy[6], animal acts and acrobatics, creating a festive atmosphere. The vibrant lights and fireworks lit up the night sky, while street vendors sold alcohol, tobacco, food, clothing, vegetables, fruits, furniture, flowers, and more fireworks. Everything people could want was within reach. The night sky looked like a rich tapestry, showcasing the world's splendor as everyone gathered.

Chu Qiao sat upright on her horse, observing the rare vibrancy of the night in ancient times. It was her first time visiting the city since arriving in this new world.

The Zhuge clan was well-known and respected. Wherever they ventured, people made way for them. They passed by an elegant building adorned with bright, colorful lanterns featuring cute animals, celestial plants, and flowers. When the stall owner noticed Zhuge Yue stop, he hurriedly brought out a large golden dragon lantern and began to sing Zhuge Yue's praises.

Ignoring the compliments, Zhuge Yue simply pointed at another hanging lantern. "Bring that one here."

The stall owner turned around and saw Zhuge Yue pointing at a snow-white rabbit lantern. He was momentarily taken aback by his choice.

With a rare smile crossing his face, Zhuge Yue picked up the lantern and handed it to Chu Qiao, saying, "For you."

Chu Qiao was taken by surprise and instinctively reached out to take it, momentarily forgetting to say thank you.

Zhuge Yue remained expressionless, turned away, and nudged his horse to keep moving as if nothing had happened. The onlookers carefully observed Chu Qiao as they navigated around her, curious about what had just transpired.

Chu Qiao felt a bit strange; she was being treated like a child.

She stood there for a long moment. The rabbit lantern was adorable and very well made, its pristine white surface accented by a pair of red eyes. When Chu Qiao lightly tapped its mouth, a pink ribbon popped out as a tongue, catching her off guard. She retracted her finger quickly and made a little funny sound.

At that moment, she heard a soft chuckle. Turning around, she was met with a vibrant parade that obstructed her view. The street was alive with golden dragons, colorful phoenixes, jade butterflies, snow foxes, fairies, goddesses, and a variety of flowers, all swirling together to create a dizzying spectacle. Streams of people and carriages wove through the streets, illuminating the night.

Zhuge Yue and his entourage stood before her, but she was unfazed, savoring her first taste of almost freedom. She glanced up at the sky and smiled.

As the parade eventually moved on, Chu Qiao could see the end of the long street. Snow covered the frozen lake, and the willow branches dipped low with icicles. A black steed grazed nearby, and a young man in a green robe stood against a tree, arms crossed and a gentle smile playing on his lips as he gazed ahead with bright black eyes.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the air, drawing everyone's attention upward to an extravagant fireworks display that looked like fairies twirling in the night sky. A mischievous child threw a firecracker under Chu Qiao's horse, startling it, and of course, it reared up and took off.

Noticing this, the young man by the tree quickly mounted his horse, urging it forward toward Chu Qiao. The people from the Zhuge residence were taken aback, but the bustling crowd made it difficult for them to react promptly.

Zhuge Yue, raising an eyebrow, tried to advance but was held back by an escort. Angered, he struck the escort and looked up, ready to pursue her, but the chaos of the street and the dazzling lights had already swallowed Chu Qiao into the crowd.

The horse raced through the night, the cold wind whipping past them, drowning out the chatter and leaving only the sound of hooves against the ground. Despite its small stature, the little red horse was a remarkable breed and moved swiftly. Chu Qiao gripped the reins tightly, crouched low on the horse's back, and surveyed her surroundings, her mind racing. She knew that Jing Yu Er's slight frame wouldn't withstand a fall at such velocity, and she had to think of a way to escape.

Just then, the sound of approaching hooves echoed behind her. Another horse was rapidly gaining on her, matching the pace of her steed.

"I’ll save you if you plead with me!" The boy's voice, carried by the frigid wind, reached Chu Qiao’s ears, despite the distance. She turned her head, glaring at the young men who laughed at her predicament, her expression unwavering and fearless.

"Explain that gesture, and I'll come to your rescue!" he taunted.

The cold wind was sharp as the little horse ran through knee-deep snow. Its speed slowly decreased, but there was no sign of stopping.

There was no time to waste. Chu Qiao suddenly let go of both her hands, and with one hand pressing against the horse's back, she leaped toward the young boy.

With a thud, Chu Qiao's body was cast onto the teenager. He gasped and tried to stop the horse, but was a little too late. They were thrown off the horse and landed on the soft snow before rolling to the ground. The black horse was unaware and continued to chase the little red horse. They gradually faded into the night sky and disappeared.

"Flurry!" the teenager called out as he raised both his eyebrows. He staggered two steps before brushing off the snow from his body, but it was a wasted effort.

“This horse ought to be dragged back and slaughtered. If it doesn't even realize its owner fell off, what's the point of keeping it?" Chu Qiao crawled up and brushed off the snow from her body, relieved she wasn't hurt.

Yan Xun turned to Chu Qiao and glared at her in frustration. "Flurry is a valuable horse that my father brought back for me during a hunt in Yan Bei. I haven’t had him for over half a month, so naturally, we’re not well acquainted. What’s strange about that? You’re the one who had the nerve to jump on my horse. Who do you think should be punished here?"

Chu Qiao responded with disdain, "I didn’t even ask you to follow me. It’s your responsibility to watch over your horse. This has nothing to do with me."

"How dare you talk to me like that?" Yan Xun retorted.

Chu Qiao frowned at him dismissively. She scoffed coldly and began to walk back to the city.

Yan Xun was caught off guard; he hadn’t expected her to leave like that. He rushed after her and asked, "Where are you going?"

She glanced back at him. "I’m going home, of course. Do you really expect me to spend the night here?"

The snow had piled up significantly. In the shallower spots, it reached below Chu Qiao's knees, while in the deeper areas, it covered her thighs. As Yan Xun walked beside her, he noticed her struggling under the weight of her heavy footsteps. His earlier frustration about losing his horse began to fade, and he smiled as he kept pace with her. However, his joy quickly turned to despair when his leg gave out, and he fell to the ground.

Upon hearing a crack, Chu Qiao realized something was wrong. She reached out to grab his arm, but she couldn’t manage his weight. Suddenly, they both fell into a large snow cave.

"Hey… how are you?" Yan Xun emerged from the snow, struggling to pull himself up. He spotted a small hand reaching for him and grabbed it, shaking her head. "You’re not dead, are you?"

"Let go," she said with a frown, shaking her sore leg in discomfort.

Yan Xun grew concerned. "Are you hurt?"

"I’ll be fine," Chu Qiao insisted, raising her head to look around. The snow cave wasn’t very deep. She asked Yan Xun, "Can you climb out?"

He assessed the distance and shook his head. "The snow is too soft. If we were on solid ground, I could jump up, but here, we’ll just sink deeper."

"We’ll freeze to death overnight," Chu Qiao said, standing up. "You should climb on my shoulders and reach up for help."

Yan Xun disagreed. "No, let me send you up first. You can find someone to rescue me."

Chu Qiao was surprised and looked him over carefully before finally agreeing. "Okay."

With great effort, as Chu Qiao finally saw the bright, full moon above, she felt as if her life were at stake. Lying back in the snow, she looked down at Yan Xun, who was still stuck in the hole, and shouted, "Wait for me, and I’ll go get help!"

Yan Xun smiled and waved at her. "Hurry!"

[1] Stemming from the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lantern Festival, also known as the Spring Lantern Festival, is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar Chinese calendar. This marks the final day of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. Usually falling in February or early March on the Gregorian calendar.

[2] In ancient Chinese history and literature, the act of a master stepping on a servant's back—often referred to as using a human footstool—was a demeaning practice used by the elite to mount horses or carriages. This act served as a powerful public display of the master's high social status and the servant's absolute submission.

[3] Baixi (Variety Shows): Popularized in the Han Dynasty, these shows included juggling, sword-swallowing, fire-spitting, and acrobatics, often performed on high poles or in the form of human pyramids.

[4] Shadow puppet plays (popularized in the Song Dynasty) used back-lit, leather puppets to enact dramas, while street storytellers entertained crowds with dramatic tales.

[5] Masked dances like the "Big Face" (Prince of Lanling) and "Botou" were early forms of musical theatre. Performers, often in costume, depicted folk tales or emotional narratives.

[6] Street Comedy (Canjun Opera): Known as "Adjutant Play," this early comedic form involved two actors, often including a joking jester and a corrupt official, acting out humorous, satirical scenarios

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