Superhumans of the Dome City-Chapter 1410 - 18: Divine Capital Lantern Festival
Yan Qi sneered, "What’s there to be happy about? It’s all just a bunch of trash spouting nonsense for the court."
Liu Zhongwu quickly smoothed things over, "Here we go again, here we go again. Isn’t this just a necessary formality? The officials talk and you just listen..."
"Blatant lies with eyes wide open, even seeing lanterns you’ve got to face these disgusting things. Can’t you see the atmosphere around you?" Yan Qi cursed, "The secret war has been going on for almost ten years, and these bastards don’t know how to restrain themselves. Countless people have tasted the sweetness of war and would love for it to continue endlessly!"
"Hmm... but wars aren’t something you can stop just because you want to," Qin Ming said, "The United States wants to expand its territory, the Country wants to restore its glory, Zero Island wants to use this as an opportunity to rise. Every country wants to fight, and what the emperor says alone doesn’t count."
Gongsun Ce stopped in his tracks, shocked as if he’d seen ice for the first time like a cicada.
"Oh my god, Qin Ming is thinking... a fool is pointing out the world!"
Little Qian was so angry she slapped his leg, "Uncle Ming is a smart person! Smarter than you!"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Gongsun Ce cried out, "Miss Qin, you’re biased towards your uncle, you can’t see the good in Uncle Gongsun!"
"What’s so good about you, rambling nonsense all day, just knowing how to mess around," Qin Qianbai huffed.
Liu Zhongwu ignored the bickering of the big and small, "Qin Ming is right, the emperor does have a lot of say, but the world situation can’t be controlled by just one person or one country. Once the war machine is set in motion, who can stop it? It’s already a blessing the secret war hasn’t turned into a world war, but to want to end it completely... it’s difficult."
"I can!" Yan Qi sneered, "To hell with the emperor’s political tactics and balance of power, I’m enough to bring peace to the world alone. When I join the ranks and become a high official, the first thing I’ll do is stabilize the global chaos, then secondly, reform this court..."
Gongsun Ce plugged his ears and said in a weird voice, "Here we go again, the broke artist is daydreaming again! Talking about national affairs all throughout the festival, doesn’t know how to read the room. Anyone fancy some tangyuan?"
"I’ll go, I’ll go," Qin Qianbai eagerly raised her hand.
"I want mine fried," Qin Ming said.
The three of them left immediately, leaving the three who were keen on directing the country far behind. Yan Qi waved them off disdainfully, "Only thinking about food and drink! Not worth discussing with youngsters!"
"Thinking only about food and drink is better than daydreaming, isn’t it?" Liu Zhongwu laughed, "Don’t get too ahead of yourself, whether you can become a high official depends on what those above think. You, Yan Qi, may have divine skills, but your social skills are far behind Gongsun and me. When you eventually enter officialdom, who knows, I might get promoted faster than you."
"Fool!" Yan Qi sneered repeatedly, "You’ve read yourself stupid. Pinning your hopes on the whims of those ’above’, you’ll never become somebody important in your life!"
Liu Zhongwu was stunned, standing there for a long time without saying a word. The lanterns along the road changed colors alternately, sprinkling their light on his face, flickering like shadows under the lamps.
Situ Yi waved in front of him, "Liu Zhongwu, are you there?"
"Ah!"
Liu Zhongwu broke into a thin sweat on his back, feeling a bit chilled. He looked up as if waking from a dream, realizing Yan Qi had left him far behind, he hurriedly grabbed Situ Yi nearby and squeezed into the bustling crowd. A staggering student was bumped, glared at him resentfully, and let out a jarring cough amidst apologies.
·
There are plenty of places to eat tangyuan all over the Divine Capital City, and of course Young Master Qin and Miss Qin went to the best one. Not only is the tangyuan craft excellent, but the location for lantern viewing is also excellent.
Cangxing Building is such a great spot, it has been an old building in the East Martial District for a hundred and fifty years, and there’s a wall of photos of famous people dining at the entrance. Young Master Qin has a good relationship with the chefs there, and they can get the best seats at the top without a reservation, enjoying tangyuan in the evening breeze, watching the lanterns in the city.
"A young master is still a young master, he knows how to enjoy." Gongsun Ce said happily as he ate sesame-filled rice balls, "Those three uncles of yours will miss out by not coming~"
"Just pack some for them," Qin Qianbai said.
"You’re so considerate thinking about those cheapskate uncles, Miss Qin is a thoughtful person." Gongsun Ce grinned mischievously, "But honestly, I didn’t expect you two to come over tonight; don’t you typically spend festivals with Mr. Qin?"
Qin Qianbai didn’t respond, turning her gaze to Qin Ming. Qin Ming was holding a plate of deep-fried golden tangyuan, leaning against a red-painted pillar, slowly eating one by one.
"Hmm..." Qin Ming swallowed a rice ball, "The house is too noisy during festivals, it’s always boring talk. It goes in one ear and out the other, not as interesting as hearing Yan Qi and Zhongwu argue."
Gongsun Ce expressed surprise, "Mr. Qin still manages to control you? With his character, he wouldn’t mind you running away, would he?"
"It’s not about running away. Recently, I told the elders I wanted to find an opportunity to travel abroad with everyone. But as soon as I mentioned it, lots of people started talking at once, saying I shouldn’t leave Divine Capital City, that even if I went out, I should return quickly, and if I went abroad, that would be irresponsible." Qin Ming said, "I couldn’t think of a good rebuttal, so I quickly slipped away, to avoid hearing more."
"You’re already number one in the family, what are you afraid of nagging for?" Gongsun Ce said.
"Just because I’m better than my grandfathers, does that mean I don’t have to listen to them?" Qin Ming retorted.
"You should certainly..." Gongsun Ce stopped midway, thinking of his own nagging mother and the stern father who caught him and lectured him, recalling his own utterly hapless state before his parents.
His tone lowered, he smiled bitterly, "Yeah, some things, no matter how great, you still have to listen to."
"I couldn’t find a good response, and it’s not feasible to rebel directly, so it’s better to bring Little Qian out to play." Qin Ming said, "I think even the children in the family understand the logic that being born into a wealthy family means bearing the responsibilities that come with it. But recently, I’ve been thinking about it and it just seems odd to me."
"What’s so strange about this?" Qin Qianbai wondered, "Uncle Ming will become a military officer or a general in the future, and I’ll follow the same path. Our family has been doing this for generations."
"Hmm..." Qin Ming stared at the colorful lanterns blankly, "Little Qian, what if you change your mind in the future, and want to become a chef instead?"
"I won’t, I want to be the best in the world." Qin Qianbai said confidently.
Qin Ming smiled, "What if."
The little girl also gazed at the lanterns blankly, and after a while, hesitantly said, "I should... still be a general, right? Everyone should want me to be a general too."
"You’re also struggling, that’s why I feel something’s not quite right." Qin Ming said, "Some people seem destined to carry certain burdens and walk in a predetermined direction. But a person’s path should have many options; life shouldn’t have many ’certainties’. You can be a general, a chef, a performer, or a fortune teller. But for some people, the future becomes as singular as the past, isn’t that also unreasonable?"
Qin Qianbai pondered deeply along with Qin Ming, but couldn’t figure out the reasoning either. So the uncle and niece stood in the breeze holding dumplings, like two pieces of wood, staring blankly.
Gongsun Ce silently ate his dumplings, thinking of Qin Ming’s world, calculating infinite possibilities in No-Heaven Pure Land. Thirteen years later, Qin Ming should have "figured it out," and the conclusion he reached was indeed different from the expectations of his mentors... But in the choice of life’s path, what can be said to be right or wrong?
He confessed he couldn’t articulate the reasoning, as he couldn’t imagine what Qin Ming as a general would be like. Despite having many grievances about this idle "senior," no one was entitled to interfere with his choices regarding his own life. Gongsun Ce decided not to comment, laughing to lighten the mood, suddenly turning his gaze down.
Among the crowd flashed a boy in a motorcycle suit, his small back vaguely radiating urgency.
"Why is His Highness in such a hurry?" Qin Qianbai asked.
"The Crown Prince doesn’t seem like someone who can’t keep his composure..." Gongsun Ce split off a strand of telekinesis to follow him, "Let’s not alert anyone, let’s see what’s going on with him."
"But I haven’t finished eating yet." Qin Ming said.
Gongsun Ce pulled out an old-fashioned bulky mobile phone: "No rush, judging by route planning, His Highness came from the lantern riddle garden, just as there’s someone strolling there."
·
"...Are you sure you’re following him, right? Alright, let me immediately cast a divination."
Liu Zhongwu hung up the phone, turning to explain: "Let me divine His Highness’s whereabouts, judging by the hexagram, he should be coming from the northeast direction..."
Yan Qi sighed deeply: "Can’t you just check the surveillance?"
"..." Liu Zhongwu stiffened his neck, arguing back, "Surveillance is inaccurate!" Then followed a stream of words like "too many eyes," "outdated technology," which made Situ Yi laugh continuously.
The lantern riddles at the Divine Capital Lantern Festival were set up in Beishan Park, with red lanterns tied to the branches of old trees, and simple lantern riddles written on red paper below, shining warmly with the light. This year’s hosts added a new twist, using bamboo bearing yellow lanterns to fence off different "paths" in the park. Visitors could choose any entrance, guess the lantern riddles along the way, and assemble a couplet at the exit.
This new twist was widely welcomed by the citizens, with a view full of tourists enjoying the riddles beneath the shade of trees and bamboo shadows, creating an unprecedentedly high atmosphere. Liu Zhongwu led the two to a path in the northeastern direction, where the first lantern riddle read: "Clouds break, the moon comes, flowers cast shadows."
Yan Qi glanced: "Capable."
"Who asked you, who asked you." Liu Zhongwu looked around, "The next lantern is that one under the dead tree..."
Situ Yi cooperatively walked over, reciting rhythmically: "Heap earth for graves~"
"Culture."
"Then, the second lantern to the left from the northwest is still capable. Then, the third from the east..." Liu Zhongwu squinted, "Meeting after white hair in battle...it’s the character ’Martial’. Capable in culture and martial prowess."
For this bunch of imperial students, solving lantern riddles was hardly challenging, and the trio casually strolled around, completing the words, forming a couplet:
Capable in literature and martial prowess, able to yield and stand firm, below can plan a place’s prosperity, above can bear the nation’s pillar.
Liu Zhongwu chuckled: "So festive, this is specially written for us."
"The couplet is festive, the students worry. With such auspicious words, why is the Crown Prince in a hurry?" Situ Yi asked.
"This..." Liu Zhongwu couldn’t explain. He also felt this couldn’t be the cause of the Crown Prince’s anxiety, even if Chi Zijing is school-weary, he wouldn’t begrudge others’ fortune.
Yan Qi reached out, causing the last lantern to spin around, Liu Zhongwu scrutinized and found that there was another string of white letters on the back of the red paper. But the letters were written very small, and need to be viewed from a specific angle to be clear.
"Mountains vaguely emerge into the void." Liu Zhongwu murmured, "It’s the character ’Soldiers’... there’s a reverse side?"
"You’ll find out by looking!" Yan Qi suddenly appeared impatient, he made a casual gesture, causing all the lantern riddles encountered along the way to fly up, floating one by one in front of the three. Liu Zhongwu sighed at his friend’s impatience, while also curiously piecing together the words. The overt couplet spoke of the learned students, but who did the hidden couplet refer to?
This thought emerged as his clever mind unraveled the riddle. The new character riddle indeed formed a similar sentence:
A great traitor appears loyal, a great falsehood appears true, ostensibly seeking peace yet instigating war, proclaiming calm while secretly aiding sword soldiers!
