The Legend of Chu Qiao - V1C12
Prologue 1- Major Chu Qiao
Prologue 2- Time's up!
Prologue 3- The red dot on the GPS vanished
1- Royal Hunting
2- Zhuge, Wei, Mu, Jue, Che, Yan.
3- Fifth Brother
4- Without a Tinge of Regret
5- Bloody Heart
6- Bastards
7- Snakes
8- We Should All Know Our Place
9- Do You Know Who I Am?
10- Thank You, Sisters!
11- My name is 'None'
12- The Lantern Festival
13- Liar!
14- Everything Happens for a Reason
15- To escape, or not to escape?
Chapter 12
The Lantern Festival [1]
As time passed, the attendants outside curiously entered the room multiple times. Finally, Zhuge Yue pushed the Go game board aside and stood up. The servant beside him immediately stepped forward to help him put on his deer leather boots. He wore a pale blue robe with dark floral patterns and a bright red fox fur overcoat. A child, not even fifteen years old, exuded an unexplainable maturity.
"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 servant knelt on the ground, and Zhuge Yue calmly walked forward and stepped on his back to get onto the horse.
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 needed more convincing as he looked at Chu Qiao's small stature. His suspicion was clear.
"Master, give a horse to Xing’er. Xing’er can ride the horse."
Zhuge Yue gently smiled and nodded to his escort, Zhu Cheng. Soon after, a small claret horse was led out. Although it was little, it was still much bigger than Chu Qiao. Everyone's eyes focused on Chu Qiao. They chuckled when they saw she wasn't taller than the horse's leg.
The child circled the horse twice and raised her hands straight, but could only touch the horse's back. Zhuge Yue thought it was funny and was about to call someone for help, but the child grabbed the horse and climbed onto it with a burst of strength. Her action was quick and precise.
The people around gasped in surprise. Zhuge Yue turned and saw the child covered in snow, looking like a snowball but still sitting tall and proud on the horse. He couldn't help but smile before tapping the horse to leave.
Of course, Chu Qiao knew how to ride a horse. Even though this body was a little uncomfortable, the good thing was that this horse was very tame. Once it saw the other horses leaving, it followed them.
The city had no curfew, and the streets were still crowded and lively since that day was the lantern festival. It was almost evening as the skies darkened. The streets were lit up, and fireworks filled the sky. A cool wind blew. Passing by the river bend, the beautiful lanterns lit up the streets. The sides of the walkway were lined with dragon-shaped red lights, and many tenements had been turned into stages for performances. Dances, variety shows, dramas, and music filled the area. The lights and fireworks brightened the night sky as hawkers lined the street, selling alcohol, tobacco, food, clothes, vegetables, fruits, furniture, flowers, and fireworks. Whatever people wanted was available. The night sky looked like a vibrant tapestry, with the world's splendor scattered everywhere as everyone gathered.
Chu Qiao sat on her horse as she looked around, soaking in the rare sight of the night scene in olden times.
The Zhuge family was well-known and respected. Wherever they went, people would make way. They passed by an elegant building decorated with many bright and colorful lanterns, such as cute animals, celestial plants, and flowers. The stall owner saw Zhuge Yue stop, immediately brought out a large golden dragon lantern, and began singing his praises.
Zhuge Yue ignored what he was saying and simply pointed at another hanging lantern. "Bring that one here."
The stall owner turned around and saw Fourth Master pointing at a snow-white rabbit lantern. He was momentarily stunned by this Young Master's choice.
As Zhuge Yue clutched the lantern, a rare smile crossed his face. He handed it to Chu Qiao and said, "For you."
Chu Qiao was surprised and instinctively reached out her hand to take it, even forgetting to say thank you.
Zhuge Yue remained expressionless and turned away before tapping his horse to keep moving as if nothing had happened. The people around carefully observed Chu Qiao as they navigated around her, wondering what had just occurred.
Chu Qiao felt strange. She was treated as a child.
The rabbit lantern was very exquisite. It was perfectly white with its pair of red eyes, and as Chu Qiao extended her finger to gently tap its mouth, a strip of pink ribbon for a tongue stuck out, surprising her.
At that moment, a soft chuckle could be heard. Chu Qiao turned around, and a bright, colorful parade blocked her view. Various carts, such as golden dragons, colorful phoenixes, jade butterflies, snow foxes, fairies, goddesses, and different flowers, filled the street. There were so many that she felt dizzy just looking at them all at once. Streams of people and carriages moved up and down the streets, lighting up the night.
Finally, the parade had moved on. The far end of the long street was visible. Snow blanketed the frozen lake, and the willow branch hung low with snow and icicles. The black steed stood leisurely as a young man in a green robe stood with his arms crossed. He was lazily leaning on the tree while gazing forward with his bright black eyes and a gentle smile.
Suddenly, a loud bang sounded, and everyone immediately looked up. They saw an extravagant fireworks display that looked like fairies dancing in the sky. A mischievous kid threw a firecracker under Chu Qiao's horse, and since it was the first time the horse had been out, it was frightened and raised its hooves to gallop away.
The young man by the tree saw this and immediately mounted his horse, whipped it, and headed toward Chu Qiao's horse.
The personnel of the Zhuge residence were shocked, but the crowd separated them, and they couldn't react in time.
Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrow, whipped his horse, and tried to go over, but his escort held him back. He was angered and slapped the escort's face. He looked up and was about to chase her, but the street was already a mess. With the crowd and the bright lights, Chu Qiao was already gone.
The horse galloped forward as the cold wind howled. The chatter and noises gradually faded into the distance, leaving only the sound of the horse's hooves. The little red horse might have been small, but it was a superior breed and was swift. Chu Qiao's small hands clutched tightly onto the horse, and she crouched on its back, calmly observing her surroundings. Her mind raced. Jing Yue Er's small frame wouldn't survive a fall from the horse at such high speed, so she needed to find a way to escape.
At this moment, the quick sound of hooves could be heard from behind. A horse was catching up to Chu Qiao and had even with the horse she was riding.
"You plead with me, and I will save you!" The cold wind scattered the teenage boy's voice, but Chu Qiao could still hear bits and pieces of it. She turned her head and glared sternly at the young men laughing at her misfortune. Her gaze was fixed and showed no sign of panic.
"Tell me what that gesture means, and I will save you!"
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 still chased 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 and glared at Chu Qiao as he raged, "Flurry is a precious horse that my father brought back for me when hunting in Yan Bei. It hasn't been with me for over half a month, and we are unfamiliar. What's weird about that? You are the one who was daring enough to let go of my horse. Who do you think deserves punishment?"
Chu Qiao said with disdain, "I didn't even ask you to follow me. You can't watch over your horse. It has nothing to do with me."
"You are so daring. How dare you speak like that to me?"
Chu Qiao furrowed her brow as she looked disdainfully at the young but high-status Royal Highness Yan. She coldly scoffed and turned around to head back to the city.
Yan Xun was caught off guard. He didn't expect her to leave like that. He quickly followed her and asked, "Where are you going?"
Chu Qiao glanced at him. "Of course, I am going home. You expect me to spend the night here?"
The snow had piled up significantly. The shallow areas were below Chu Qiao's knees, but the deeper parts covered her thighs. Yan Xun was walking beside Chu Qiao, and noticing her heavy footsteps, his moodiness from losing his horse faded away. He grinned as he trotted along. After a few steps, his joy turned into sorrow when his leg gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Upon hearing a crack, Chu Qiao realized something was wrong. She initially held onto his arm, but Yan Xun's weight was too much for her to handle. Suddenly, they fell into a large snow cave.
"Hey... how are you feeling?" Yan Xun emerged from the snow, desperately pulling himself up. He saw a small hand and reached to pull her out. He started shaking her head. "You're not dead, right?"
"Let go, " the child gloomily frowned. She shook her painful leg, and her frown deepened.
Yan Xun was a little anxious. "Are you injured?"
"I won't die," Chu Qiao said, raising her head to look. The snow cave wasn't very deep. She asked Yan Xun, "Can you climb up?"
Yan Xun tried to estimate the distance and shook his head. "The snow here is soft. If we were on flat ground, I could jump up. But here, we will sink deeper."
We will freeze to death overnight," Chu Qiao mumbled and stood up. "You stand on my shoulders, climb up, and look for someone to rescue me."
Yan Xun shook his head and said, "Let me send you up first; instead, you can find people to rescue me."
Chu Qiao was shocked and scanned Yan Xun up and down. She then accepted his suggestion and said, "Okay."
With great effort, when Chu Qiao finally saw the bright, round moon, she felt like her life was on the line. She lay down on the snow, looked down at Yan Xun, who was still trapped in the hole, and shouted, "You wait for me, and I will go get help."
Yan Xun smiled and waved. "Hurry up!"
"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 servant knelt on the ground, and Zhuge Yue calmly walked forward and stepped on his back to get onto the horse.
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 needed more convincing as he looked at Chu Qiao's small stature. His suspicion was clear.
"Master, give a horse to Xing’er. Xing’er can ride the horse."
Zhuge Yue gently smiled and nodded to his escort, Zhu Cheng. Soon after, a small claret horse was led out. Although it was little, it was still much bigger than Chu Qiao. Everyone's eyes focused on Chu Qiao. They chuckled when they saw she wasn't taller than the horse's leg.
The child circled the horse twice and raised her hands straight, but could only touch the horse's back. Zhuge Yue thought it was funny and was about to call someone for help, but the child grabbed the horse and climbed onto it with a burst of strength. Her action was quick and precise.
The people around gasped in surprise. Zhuge Yue turned and saw the child covered in snow, looking like a snowball but still sitting tall and proud on the horse. He couldn't help but smile before tapping the horse to leave.
Of course, Chu Qiao knew how to ride a horse. Even though this body was a little uncomfortable, the good thing was that this horse was very tame. Once it saw the other horses leaving, it followed them.
The city had no curfew, and the streets were still crowded and lively since that day was the lantern festival. It was almost evening as the skies darkened. The streets were lit up, and fireworks filled the sky. A cool wind blew. Passing by the river bend, the beautiful lanterns lit up the streets. The sides of the walkway were lined with dragon-shaped red lights, and many tenements had been turned into stages for performances. Dances, variety shows, dramas, and music filled the area. The lights and fireworks brightened the night sky as hawkers lined the street, selling alcohol, tobacco, food, clothes, vegetables, fruits, furniture, flowers, and fireworks. Whatever people wanted was available. The night sky looked like a vibrant tapestry, with the world's splendor scattered everywhere as everyone gathered.
Chu Qiao sat on her horse as she looked around, soaking in the rare sight of the night scene in olden times.
The Zhuge family was well-known and respected. Wherever they went, people would make way. They passed by an elegant building decorated with many bright and colorful lanterns, such as cute animals, celestial plants, and flowers. The stall owner saw Zhuge Yue stop, immediately brought out a large golden dragon lantern, and began singing his praises.
Zhuge Yue ignored what he was saying and simply pointed at another hanging lantern. "Bring that one here."
The stall owner turned around and saw Fourth Master pointing at a snow-white rabbit lantern. He was momentarily stunned by this Young Master's choice.
As Zhuge Yue clutched the lantern, a rare smile crossed his face. He handed it to Chu Qiao and said, "For you."
Chu Qiao was surprised and instinctively reached out her hand to take it, even forgetting to say thank you.
Zhuge Yue remained expressionless and turned away before tapping his horse to keep moving as if nothing had happened. The people around carefully observed Chu Qiao as they navigated around her, wondering what had just occurred.
Chu Qiao felt strange. She was treated as a child.
The rabbit lantern was very exquisite. It was perfectly white with its pair of red eyes, and as Chu Qiao extended her finger to gently tap its mouth, a strip of pink ribbon for a tongue stuck out, surprising her.
At that moment, a soft chuckle could be heard. Chu Qiao turned around, and a bright, colorful parade blocked her view. Various carts, such as golden dragons, colorful phoenixes, jade butterflies, snow foxes, fairies, goddesses, and different flowers, filled the street. There were so many that she felt dizzy just looking at them all at once. Streams of people and carriages moved up and down the streets, lighting up the night.
Finally, the parade had moved on. The far end of the long street was visible. Snow blanketed the frozen lake, and the willow branch hung low with snow and icicles. The black steed stood leisurely as a young man in a green robe stood with his arms crossed. He was lazily leaning on the tree while gazing forward with his bright black eyes and a gentle smile.
Suddenly, a loud bang sounded, and everyone immediately looked up. They saw an extravagant fireworks display that looked like fairies dancing in the sky. A mischievous kid threw a firecracker under Chu Qiao's horse, and since it was the first time the horse had been out, it was frightened and raised its hooves to gallop away.
The young man by the tree saw this and immediately mounted his horse, whipped it, and headed toward Chu Qiao's horse.
The personnel of the Zhuge residence were shocked, but the crowd separated them, and they couldn't react in time.
Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrow, whipped his horse, and tried to go over, but his escort held him back. He was angered and slapped the escort's face. He looked up and was about to chase her, but the street was already a mess. With the crowd and the bright lights, Chu Qiao was already gone.
The horse galloped forward as the cold wind howled. The chatter and noises gradually faded into the distance, leaving only the sound of the horse's hooves. The little red horse might have been small, but it was a superior breed and was swift. Chu Qiao's small hands clutched tightly onto the horse, and she crouched on its back, calmly observing her surroundings. Her mind raced. Jing Yue Er's small frame wouldn't survive a fall from the horse at such high speed, so she needed to find a way to escape.
At this moment, the quick sound of hooves could be heard from behind. A horse was catching up to Chu Qiao and had even with the horse she was riding.
"You plead with me, and I will save you!" The cold wind scattered the teenage boy's voice, but Chu Qiao could still hear bits and pieces of it. She turned her head and glared sternly at the young men laughing at her misfortune. Her gaze was fixed and showed no sign of panic.
"Tell me what that gesture means, and I will save you!"
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 still chased 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 and glared at Chu Qiao as he raged, "Flurry is a precious horse that my father brought back for me when hunting in Yan Bei. It hasn't been with me for over half a month, and we are unfamiliar. What's weird about that? You are the one who was daring enough to let go of my horse. Who do you think deserves punishment?"
Chu Qiao said with disdain, "I didn't even ask you to follow me. You can't watch over your horse. It has nothing to do with me."
"You are so daring. How dare you speak like that to me?"
Chu Qiao furrowed her brow as she looked disdainfully at the young but high-status Royal Highness Yan. She coldly scoffed and turned around to head back to the city.
Yan Xun was caught off guard. He didn't expect her to leave like that. He quickly followed her and asked, "Where are you going?"
Chu Qiao glanced at him. "Of course, I am going home. You expect me to spend the night here?"
The snow had piled up significantly. The shallow areas were below Chu Qiao's knees, but the deeper parts covered her thighs. Yan Xun was walking beside Chu Qiao, and noticing her heavy footsteps, his moodiness from losing his horse faded away. He grinned as he trotted along. After a few steps, his joy turned into sorrow when his leg gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.
Upon hearing a crack, Chu Qiao realized something was wrong. She initially held onto his arm, but Yan Xun's weight was too much for her to handle. Suddenly, they fell into a large snow cave.
"Hey... how are you feeling?" Yan Xun emerged from the snow, desperately pulling himself up. He saw a small hand and reached to pull her out. He started shaking her head. "You're not dead, right?"
"Let go, " the child gloomily frowned. She shook her painful leg, and her frown deepened.
Yan Xun was a little anxious. "Are you injured?"
"I won't die," Chu Qiao said, raising her head to look. The snow cave wasn't very deep. She asked Yan Xun, "Can you climb up?"
Yan Xun tried to estimate the distance and shook his head. "The snow here is soft. If we were on flat ground, I could jump up. But here, we will sink deeper."
We will freeze to death overnight," Chu Qiao mumbled and stood up. "You stand on my shoulders, climb up, and look for someone to rescue me."
Yan Xun shook his head and said, "Let me send you up first; instead, you can find people to rescue me."
Chu Qiao was shocked and scanned Yan Xun up and down. She then accepted his suggestion and said, "Okay."
With great effort, when Chu Qiao finally saw the bright, round moon, she felt like her life was on the line. She lay down on the snow, looked down at Yan Xun, who was still trapped in the hole, and shouted, "You wait for me, and I will go get help."
Yan Xun smiled and waved. "Hurry up!"
[1] February or early March on the Gregorian calendar marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
