TGCFNM -Chapter 433 The Blessing Lantern Festival

Three days later, Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin had gathered quite a bit of information from Uncle Hong, and they began refining it meticulously.

Five days later, Su He invited Shiyu to collaborate, and finally the incense powder in their hands was completed. It was divided into pairs, with each pair wrapped individually in paper according to scent.

Seven days later, the information that Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin had prepared was handed over to those in the “Tianxia Zhi” network. Tianxia Zhi had bribed some people, ready to start selling the intel on the day of the Blessing Lantern Festival.

Ten days later, the Blessing Lantern Festival officially began, and the festivities had been bustling since daytime.

Wan Xing rubbed his forehead. After finishing the tasks at hand, he saw Uncle Hong lingering outside the door, hesitating as if unsure whether to speak.

“Uncle Hong?”

Uncle Hong himself wasn’t sure what mood he carried as he entered, but his expression certainly didn’t look cheerful.

“Young Master, I should tell you first that this matter doesn’t involve me much—I only helped a little,” Uncle Hong said.

Wan Xing chuckled lightly. “What’s the matter? What are they scheming?”

Uncle Hong exhaled deeply. “Master Chu and the Young Master had Tianxia Zhi investigate Lord Xiao’s relationships with several women. Then they wrote a story based on that and set up a gambling game. Depending on which story path people bet on the most, that would determine the ending of the story.”

Wan Xing thought he’d misheard. “You can do that?”

“They’ve already gathered quite a crowd at the stall under the alias ‘Bai Xiaosheng.’ The ‘childhood sweethearts’ path—the perfect ending between Lord Xiao and Miss Sun—Lord Xiao himself has already bet five hundred taels,” Uncle Hong explained.

Wan Xing couldn’t help but laugh. “If Lord Xiao doesn’t mind, then let them be.”

Uncle Hong frowned. “I really don’t know where Master Chu learned all these stories: separated in youth, heroic rescues, outdoor healing, confessions of love, lighting fires in caves, drying clothes, amnesia and poisoning, forgetting one’s beloved, nearly losing half a life, eloping together… it’s just complete chaos.”

“There are five storytellers in total. Each is responsible for five pairs of stories. They don’t reveal the endings, so you have to place bets. Whoever bets the most gets the most complete and perfect ending. And since Lord Xiao placed his bet, everyone else has been adding theirs too.”

“Young Master, what if His Majesty wants to grant a marriage and finds out about these ridiculous stories? Could that cause trouble?”

Wan Xing shook his head. “No one will take the stories seriously, and Lord Xiao is only putting on a show for the world anyway.”

Uncle Hong let out a small sigh of relief, then remembered something else.

“Su He also rigged those one-on-one incense powder packets, thirty taels per pair. They can be burned, or sprinkled onto the clothing of someone you fancy. Right now, at that stall, it’s the maids of various young ladies lining up to buy… I feel something might happen tonight—some people really don’t hold back on either side.”

Wan Xing laughed. “What happens if someone ends up with too many different scents on them?”

“…Poisoning,” Uncle Hong replied.

Wan Xing couldn’t hold it and burst into laughter. “Then tonight’s festival is going to be lively!”

Uncle Hong sighed. “Not just lively—they’re also spinning lies, claiming that to buy a lantern means you must buy a matching one for ‘a lifetime pair,’ then turning to the Wan household’s steward asking for kickbacks.”

“Also, the Young Master had people from Tianxia Zhi help sell some gossip, like… Madam Liu got into a fight with her concubine today, knocked over Master Liu, splitting his head, but Master Liu actually told everyone he was busy with official matters until late and accidentally fell…”

Wan Xing: “…Then it looks like tomorrow at the court will be lively as well.”

“Second Young Master, it’s still daytime. The lantern festival only starts at night… and yet, it’s already… already like this…” Uncle Hong said, sighing deeply.

Wan Xing patted Hong’s shoulder reassuringly: “Don’t worry. At least no one went out causing trouble on their own. And from what I see now, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Just keep an eye on things.”

Uncle Hong looked at Wan Xing: “Young Master, you just need to know that I only helped a little. The rest… they brought on themselves.”

Wan Xing couldn’t help but laugh again: “I’ve noted that.”

Uncle Hong pitifully turned his head away: “Young Master, I’ll take my leave. I’ll stick with them tonight—I’m not going anywhere else.”

Watching Uncle Hong’s retreating figure, Wan Xing thought of the bet about the ending he had won, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Choosing to walk all the way with Sun Yingshou… it seems the Emperor has already confirmed his choice.

But doesn’t that also mean the Emperor never intended to pass the throne to him?

How interesting.

—

Meanwhile, Chu Ling and the others, having already received their three barrels of gold, were happily counting their silver. Just as they were busy with the counting, Uncle Hong arrived at the Wan residence.

“Uncle Hong, we’ve made so much money!” Wan Sanjin shouted excitedly.

Uncle Hong’s expression stiffened. He hurried into the front hall and looked at their faces: “What happened? Are your faces poisoned? Who did this?”

Wan Sanjin froze for a moment, then belatedly realized the red rashes on his face.

Next to him, Su He quietly explained: “The medicine the master got said it wouldn’t hurt, just cause a rash, to hide one’s face. Since everyone was idle, each of us drank a little… and this is what happened.”

Uncle Hong: “…”

Chu Ling poked her own face: “It really doesn’t hurt at all. If you don’t look in a mirror, you wouldn’t even know you have a rash.”

Wan Sanjin asked: “Uncle Hong, do you want a bowl too?”

Uncle Hong: “…You guys just drink it yourselves.”

Wan Sanjin said “Oh,” and, along with Chu Ling and the others, pushed the counted silver to the side. Then they brought over a new box, filled with sticks roughly the thickness of a fist and about as long as an arm.

Uncle Hong looked at them: “Why did you get so many sticks? And you even drilled holes and tied tassels on them?”

Wan Sanjin said: “Uncle Hong, what if the young ladies realize they’ve been tricked and don’t have anything to hit with? These sticks aren’t too thick, perfect for hitting, and with the tassels dangling, they look nice too.”

Xiao Hua happily held up her fire-making stick: “I can also teach the young ladies how to hit people.”

Chu Ling squinted and smiled: “We call this a full-service package: not only do we help you catch unfaithful men, but we also provide weapons and on-site lessons so you can happily hit them!”

“One stick, ten taels!” Su He added from the side.

Wan Sanjin said a bit regretfully: “We had planned to prepare knives too, but since this is for the Emperor’s Blessing Lantern Festival, we thought blood might not be appropriate, so we gave up.”

Uncle Hong: “…”

Following them, he knew observing their decision was the right choice. Otherwise, by morning, he’d have to go to the prison to fetch people!