C3 - PART 19 – THE LANTERN FESTIVAL

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MY EVIL PRINCESS: Chapter 3: Who would be her husband?

PART 19 – THE LANTERN FESTIVAL

Some days later, there was a full moon night and people were celebrating the lantern festival. The royal city was full of people on each road. It was decorated with many colorful lanterns, but inside the Palace, there was only a cold atmosphere. Ah Jiang knocked on the door:

-My Princess, do you want to go to the lantern festival?

-Lantern festival? What do people do there? – She opened the door for Ah Jiang.

-People decorate the road with lanterns, My Princess, they also float some lanterns on the river to wish for happiness and lucky. The couple will have their sweet moment together watching the beautiful road, tasting some special cakes and hand in hand walking around.

-Wow, that’s so exciting. I think I should go there, I will ask the Queen for her approval.

-The Queen is coming! – A sentry announced.

-My Queen! – Hou Lei and Ah Jiang greeted her.

The Queen got into Hou Lei’s room, she smiled gently.

-Hou Lei, do you know today is the lantern festival day?

-Yes, Ah Jiang has just told me. – Hou Lei answered.

-Well, I know from the time you got here till now, you were just around the Palace. I think this should be a chance for you to know more about Main Land people. – The Queen said. – So, let change your dress and go out for a night.

-You allow me to join the festival? – Hou Lei asked with excitement.

-Of course, but be careful, there are many people at the festival. They can do bad things to you, anyway, don’t worry, I’ve asked the Soldier General, he will go with you. Actually, I want Tian Liam to go with you, but I couldn’t find him.

-Thank you so much, My Queen!

-Arh, Arh,… you’ll soon to be my daughter-in-law, just need to call “Mother”.

-Thanks, Mother! – She smiled. – Ah Jiang, let change clothes.

Hou Lei changed a simple green dress, she did not want to take attraction from people and wanted to be comfortable as herself than a Princess. However, she could not hide her beautiful within any dresses. Ah Jiang and the General also wore simple clothes. They went out of the Palace by a horse wagon. After a while, they stopped in front of a crowded road.

Hou Lei got out of the horse wagon and admired the magnificent scene in front of her eyes. The moonlight seemed to be out of the place, replaced by the bright lights of multiple kinds of lanterns. People dressed very beautiful and watched the scene with joy. She ran to look closer to each lantern, she had never seen much of them like this, especially, each one was different from the other one. There were many people selling many kinds of cakes and candies. The General asked her:

-My Princess, do you want to try them?

-Yup, of course, they look delicious. – She nodded continuously.

He bought her some fruit candies and cakes, she ate them when she was walking and watching other people. Suddenly, she ran into a lady.

-Sorry, Miss. – Hou Lei apologized to the lady.

-Oh, what a beautiful girl! It’s okay, people are just too crowded here. – The lady said.

-Miang Xiang, long time no see you! It’s for almost three years. – The General greeted the lady. – How the thing’s going? Is everything good?

-My Soldier General, nice to meet you again. Actually, I’m always around here, but you are too busy, you’ve not seen me for a long time. Thank you for your concern. I’m fine, I have a motel near here, if you have time, please have a visit, I will invite you to taste the most precious wine!

-Of course, I must visit your place. – He smiled and turned to Hou Lei. – Miang Xiang, this is Hou Lei, the Princess of West Land, and she will soon-to-be the wife of the Third Prince.

-Wow, I’m thinking why you join the festival today with a beautiful lady! So the future Queen, maybe, huh? – She looked at Hou Lei.

-Miss Miang Xiang, nice to meet you! – Hou Lei said to her.

-Glad to meet you, too, my Princess. – She greeted. – Hope we will meet sometimes. I have some works to do, I’ll go first.

-Okay, remember a big bottle of wine for me. – The General said.

-No problem, you just need to visit me! – She said and went to another way.

-Who is she, Mr. Hu? – Hou Lei asked the General.

-She used to be the most beautiful lady in the royal city and every man wanted to marry her, even our Emperor, but there was something mysterious about her. If I have time, I will tell you. Now just enjoy your festival. – He answered.

Hou Lei looked at the direction where the lady had just gone. She felt that the lady was not as simple as she acted. She had to have something secret, Hou Lei could sense the mysterious things on her body, she was not the normal human, she had to have some special power.

-My Princess, there are fireworks. – Ah Jiang held Hou Lei’s hand and pointed to the sky.

In between the dark sky, the colorful fireworks exploded bringing the beautiful scene. All the people stopped their walking to watch the fireworks. Hou Lei had never seen anything like that in her Hou Ma village. The scene was just too much magical for her. She looked at Ah Jiang and Mr. Hu, they treated her very well, and the Queen, too. She was lucky to meet them in the Palace which only had a cold atmosphere and the fights for power and higher level. Her eyes shined with tear nearly drop down.

-My Princess, why you are crying? – Ah Jiang asked.

-I just… never seen something beautiful like this. – Hou Lei answered.

-You are too emotional, My Princess. – She hugged her.

-People will have many other events to explode the fireworks, you will watch more of them. – Mr. Hu said. – Especially, in the New Year Eve.

-Your Main Land people have many beautiful traditional events. – She dried her tears.

“But I don’t know how many of them I can join in?”, she thought, “I must do something bad for this country, to get my revenge and let the Emperor suffer the loss as I used to. Anyway, I will treat you well, Mr. Hu, Ah Jiang, and the Queen. You let me believe again in the good inside each person. There’s always the good side in each human, right?”

-Tian Liam, look at the fireworks, they are so pretty. – Liu Han said to Tian Liam and held his hands.

-Yup, I think it’s enough for tonight, let’s come back to your home. – Tian Liam said.

-But I want to play more, there are many lanterns and food I want to try, you know, if don’t eat those candies, there won’t be the lantern festival. – Liu Han continued.

They walked for some more steps and met Hou Lei standing with the General and Ah Jiang. She looked at them, gently asked:

-So this is the important work you said you had to do tonight to the Queen?

-Hou Lei, it’s not what you are thinking! – Tian Liam explained and pushed Liu Han’s hands away.

-Well, you do what, with who, it doesn’t affect me or I can’t say what you should do, right, my Prince?

To be continued...