Upon receiving the replies from these two, Mu Zhongqing and his wife felt relieved, assuring that Nangong Yi was helping them purely out of kindness and affection for his disciple, with no other motives. Consequently, the couple felt greater gratitude and respect for him!
On the tenth day, Mu Zhongqing’s family packed up and left Qing County, setting off for the Capital under the massive escort of Nangong Yi’s troops.
Along the way, they passed through numerous states and counties, observed the customs of diverse regions, and greatly broadened the horizons of the Mu family members, who had never traveled far before. Even Cai Wei was captivated by the scenery along the route.
After five days of travel, they arrived at Lin’an Prefecture, 800 miles from Qing County. Lin’an Prefecture was a prosperous area of the Great Jin Nation, economically thriving, with flourishing trade. Apart from the Capital, it was the most bustling city in the whole country.
The day happened to be Lantern Festival, and lanterns were set up in front of the Yamen of Lin’an Prefecture Magistrate. Thinking their children had a rare opportunity to experience such a grand event, Mu Zhongqing and his wife were eager to stay overnight to let the kids appreciate it before leaving.
Seeing that they were interested, Nangong Yi also stayed. He rented an inn in the central part of Lin’an Prefecture, planning to accompany them to the Lantern Festival at night and leave tomorrow morning.
Once Mu Zhongqing’s family had settled down, they all happily went out to wander around.
At this time, it was still early, and the moment to light the lanterns had not yet come, but the streets were already bustling with people constantly coming and going. Among the crowd were men and women, young and old, many of them with their families. There were also several peddlers passing by from time to time, selling various items such as sugar figurines, tassels, sugar balls, and some cute little hats. On this cold day, fearing that the children would not bear it, the tiger head hats were selling fast. Lady Du bought one for each Wen’er and Wu’er, fastening them on their heads. Cai Wei couldn’t help but admire, these people really know how to do business.
When Mu Zhongqing saw his wife buying things for Wen’er and Wu’er, he feared that his daughters would feel left out, so he also intended to buy something for each of them, to prove they matter as much as their sons to their parents.
Cai Wei knew her dad’s intentions and without protesting, she chose a Kunlun Slave mask from a peddler’s load, and Fei’er picked a fragrance pouch embroidered with lotus.
After shopping, the family leisurely strolled with the crowd and suddenly heard several people discussing nearby.
"Hey, have you heard? The Magistrate has ordered that this year’s Lantern Riddle Conference prize is fifty taels of silver, which is twice as much as last year!"
"Well, so what if it’s ten times as much? We common folks don’t understand those sour poetry or solve those weird riddles. Even if it’s one or ten thousand taels, we can’t win it anyway..."
"Ah! You’re right. But whoever gets the prize in this lantern riddle contest can receive a reward personally from the Magistrate. The silver is nothing special; everyone’s seen silver. What’s rare is the respect and dignity the reward brings..."
The group carried their discussion further away. Mu Zhongqing turned to his wife and laughed, "Lady Mei, did you hear what those people said? Shall I give it a try?"
Lady Du gently replied, "Sure!"
Hearing the discussion, Cai Wei perked up too. Following her dad, she rushed excitedly to the location of the lantern riddle contest, prepared to join forces with her father and snatch the victory in this year’s Lantern Riddle Conference.
The Lantern Riddle Conference was held in front of the Yamen of Lin’an Prefecture Magistrate. By the time Cai Wei’s family arrived, this place was already in a state of utter chaos, a sea of people buzzing with excitement. Besides those who were preparing for the riddle contest, there was also a large group of people who were out to enjoy the excitement. Everyone was chattering, guessing who would take the victory this year.