IBTSOME Chapter 66 Part 2

I BECAME THE STEPMOTHER OF MY EX-HUSBAND

 

Chapter 66 Part 2: Lantern Festival

 

^^

 

The Lantern Festival was a national event, but for the rich and powerful Yan Wang Mansion, they never had to go outside to watch the lanterns. They just summoned the lanterns to come in. Even Yan Wang Mansion own house had an extremely exquisite lantern show, and their own skilled craftsmen had to hollow out their minds to please the imperial family members. It was enough to say what they want, and there was no need to go outside to watch.

 

This was not only for safety, but also for the reputation of the imperial family. How could the imperial womenfolk be seen by the people outside. Lin Wei Xi wanted to go outside to look at the lanterns, this was the wildest idea.

 

Gu Hui Yan was worried about taking Lin Wei Xi out, but not because of the reputation this kind of thing. He was worried about safety. He was in charge of the army and held the power in the court. It was inevitable that he would make a lot of enemies. To rashly go to such a crowded place, he would be fine alone, but with Lin Wei Xi, Gu Hui Yan couldn't rest assured.

 

But who made him lose oneself over lust, early on he had agreed to Lin Wei Xi's request. Besides, Lin Wei Xi really wanted to go. Gu Hui Yan felt soft and once again caved in.

 

As for the maids Lin Wei Xi was worried about... Gu Hui Yan felt very helpless, he already willing to let Lin Wei Xi go out, could he still entangled with a few servant girls? Gu Hui Yan said: "As long as you like it, take it with you."

 

Lin Wei Xi narrowed her eyes with a smile, and Wan Xing and Wan Yue were also very excited. These maids could go out only several times throughout the year, on those rare time it was also to follow their master to be a guest, really had no time to have fun and relax. How could Wan Xing and Wan Yue be unhappy to be able to go to the street to watch the lantern festival in the capital together? This was the reason why the maids in the house were full of joy when Gu Cheng Yao and his wife came in.

 

Seeing that Yan Wang seriously agreed to come out, Gao Ran couldn't help frowning: "There are a lot of commoners outside, it’s crowded and chaotic, how can the womenfolk of the mansion go out and show their faces in public."

 

Gao Ran showed disgust, and the maids who came from the commoner’s family looked a little subtle. Lin Wei Xi glanced at Gao Ran, thinking that Gao Ran really adapted to this world quickly. After only a few years, she really regards herself as a superior noble lady.

 

Lin Wei Xi didn't take this seriously. Life won’t always be smooth sailing, fortunes rise and fall, and no one had the right to discriminate against other people. Although in her previous life Lin Wei Xi's birthday was also on the Lantern Festival, she had never gone out to see the lantern displays in the street. She was not allowed to show her face on the street at all. Even if the ancestors felt sorry for the younger generation, most days just rent a private room in the restaurant on the side of the street. They looked at the lampstand from a distance through the folding screen or maybe muslin screen. It's not very interesting, so far away, basically couldn’t see anything.

 

Who could predict, when she was still a noble young lady she had no chance, but after getting married and became the daughter-in-law of someone else's family, she instead realizes her wish for many years. Lin Wei Xi's success was also due to the fact that she had no elders above her, she was a woman with highest position in the house, and only others listened to her. And if she could wore down Yan Wang again and asked Yan Wang to accompany her, there would be no problem at all.

 

Lin Wei Xi was in high spirits, with a successful smile on her face, Gu Hui Yan looked at her helplessly but also tolerantly. Looking at the interaction between the two people, Gu Cheng Yao couldn't help but sigh in his heart, his father really indulged Lin Wei Xi, practically had no principle or bottom line. If it changed with him or other people, who would dare to do it?

 

Now that it has been decided they would go to see the lanterns at night, many preparations need to be done. The maids beside Lin Wei Xi all happily went to pack the things to bring with them in the evening, and the whole main house was filled with a festive joy. Gu Hui Yan looked at Gu Cheng Yao and Gao Ran, and said, "Since we’ll be going out, let's go together. If you two husband and wife want to pack up something, you can go back now. You don't need to stay here."

 

From the twenty-third of the twelfth month to the sixteenth of the first month, the morning court was closed, the government offices were closed, and officials of all sizes could take a good annual leave. Therefore, it was rare for Gu Hui Yan to stay at home for such a long period of time. Since Gu Hui Yan got married, he no longer stayed in the front yard every day, instead stayed in the inner house of the main house most of the time. When Gu Hui Yan said this to Gu Cheng Yao and his wife, what people heard was that Yan Wang was caring for his son and being sympathetic to the young couple, but Gu Cheng Yao faintly felt that his father might think they were getting in the way, so he didn't want them to be in the main room.

 

Gao Ran didn't notice it, but Gu Cheng Yao knew it well. He retreated very tactfully.

 

At night, the lights in the capital were all ignited, and the huge Aoshan lantern¹ was erected in the imperial city. Lin Wei Xi was fully dressed up. The outer shirt was changed into a white damask jacket with a small stand-up collar and a placket. On the placket there were a neat row of gold buttons. Underneath she wore a sparkling six horse-faced skirt. Because she wanted to watch the lanterns, she deliberately picked a drop-shaped jade, just to match her clothes. When she wears a white fox fur cape on the outermost part, the whole body was white, gold and other light colors, but because of the excellent fabrics and the dark patterns were woven with silver threads in the clothes, when the lights reflected on it, it shined brilliantly and extremely colorful. The beauty really couldn’t be reproduced.

 

Anyone could tell that Lin Wei Xi was really happy. When Gu Hui Yan saw her this enthusiastic, he couldn't bear to refuse her even more, the whole journey just followed her wishes.

 

Lin Wei Xi originally was sitting in the carriage to watch, but after a long time, she was itchy and couldn't help getting out of the carriage and went to the street vendors to look at the lanterns. Seeing the Wangfei getting off the carriage, the guards in charge of the imperial family, whether they were in the open or in the dark, all had a tingling scalp. They looked forward for a long time and did not hear the instructions from Yan Wang. What's more, Yan Wang personally accompanied Wangfei to light up the lantern at an unknown stall on the street.

 

No matter how the guard's heart collapsed, now the stall vendor was extremely happy. These were a big customers at first glance, and the most beautiful lady among them was obviously the backbone. Everyone was faintly guarding her. The man with imposing air followed her three steps behind, and his eyes never left her. Even the other younger man looked at her from time to time.

 

For a while the vendor could not figure out what kind of structure this family has. This outrageously beautiful lady had her long hair rolled up and obviously a married woman, but who was her husband? Looked at the age it seems to be that young master, but an invisible aura told the vendor that he had better not think this way.

 

But no matter how much he gossiped in his heart, it did not affect the vendor’s diligence in soliciting business. Lin Wei Xi took the two girls, Wan Xing and Wan Yue, to choose from the stall for a long time before finally deciding which lantern to buy. Wan Yue picked the moon-shaped one. Wan Xing might be hungry, she picked a flat peach lantern. Lin Wei Xi muttered to herself for a moment before letting the vendor take down the rabbit lantern.

 

Gu Hui Yan stood not far away looking at it, and his heart suddenly moved. There were zodiac signs around that lamp, and she actually picked a rabbit?

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1 Aoshan lantern, during the lantern festival they arranged a mountain of colorful lanterns into legendary giant Ao (sea turtle). ^↩

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