twin moon

Chapter 34: Act Three
The bright moon was bright, and the distant bell outside the Black Bamboo Hall had already rang three times.

Morning bells and evening drums have never been interrupted for a day in Mulu City for thousands of years.Every time of sunrise, midday and afternoon, a big bronze bell will ring on time in the Bell and Drum Tower on Chongwen Street on the north bank of the canal.And every sunset, there will be a huge Kui drum in the building.The sound of bells and drums is scattered along the vertical and horizontal streets and alleys for the purpose of telling the time.

The bronze bell in the Bell and Drum Tower is said to be made of copper water by Duke Dehuan, the great ancestor of Ye Kingdom who held a heavy army after he was promoted to the imperial court.Eight inscriptions in Yangwen written by Zhong Shang:

Rest the soldiers to support the people, and the country will be solid.

This move not only allowed Emperor Baijiang to marry his youngest sister to Ye Kingdom as his queen, but also brought long-term peace and prosperity to Wanzhou.Since then, Ye Kingdom has also become a great prince country that is on equal footing with Wei Liang and Yu Beiping.

"It's already noon time, will Jiang Yan call me today?"

Qi Ziyin gently put down the book in his hand, but his buttocks could no longer sit still—today is July [-]th, and the folks usually use new rice to sacrifice to ancestors, which is the Ghost Festival.At this time, the lights in various parts of the city will stay on all night, so as to drive away the lonely ghosts who took the opportunity to enter the city and cause chaos.All squares and cities will also be open until dawn, providing food, wine and accommodation for travelers who go out to worship and are too late to return home.

When the adults visit the graves, children under 16 years old are not allowed to go out, so as not to be harmed by Yin Qi.Now Ye Guogong brought a group of family members to the ancestral mausoleum in the eastern suburbs to worship and has not yet returned, and all the civil and military officials have returned home, leaving only the imperial guards, eunuchs, and a few students of the same age who accompanied Qi Ziyin to study together. people.

"Young Master Ziyin, why are you not in the mood to study anymore?"

The child who spoke was about two or three years older than the white-clothed boy. He was the second son of Taichangqing who was in charge of rituals and rituals in the mausoleum, and his name was Cheng Xiao.Today, his father also traveled with the lord on business, so he specially arranged for him to be Qi Ziyin's accompanying reader in the Black Bamboo Hall.At this time, seeing the young master's absent-minded appearance, Cheng Xiao immediately reminded him.

"Oh, brother Cheng Xiao, Master Gou is not around at the moment, why do you keep staring at me?"

Qi Ziyin muttered and picked up the book again, but his mind was full of Ning Yue's fiery red hair, and he couldn't even read half a word.

"Young master Ziyin, my father said that there are the most lonely ghosts wandering outside today, you should study at ease and don't always think about sneaking out to play."

"But I heard from my friends that those are just tricks to deceive children. In this world, there are no ghosts or ghosts at all. The city is very lively during the Ghost Festival, and there are a lot of delicious food and fun of."

"Friend? The young master is not referring to the black-eyed boy who works in Mo Lingwei, right?" Cheng Xiao said, as if the person he mentioned was an existence like a plague god, full of disgust , "I heard that kid got into the bad luck of Jing Haihou earlier, and he is the master who caused trouble. Young master, it is better not to have any deep relationship with him, otherwise if you don't get rid of him in the future, wouldn't you be asking for trouble? ?”

"Are you talking about General Yan?"

"That's right. It's the one named General. I don't know what General Baili is thinking. It is said that in order to let this kid enter Mo Lingwei, he and Jinghai Hou were on the main hall in front of the lord and the civil and military officials a month ago. There was a big quarrel in front of the officer. At present, no one in the imperial army is willing to say a word to that kid, and you still want to play with him?"

"But Jiang Yan is quite nice, why does Uncle Wang have to go against him?"

"I don't know about that. In fact, everyone in the palace knows that the Marquis of Jinghai and General Baili have had a feud for a long time. Although there is no sign of it on weekdays, the two of them have been secretly competing with each other. But it's no wonder , one is the governor of the boat division, and the other is the front guard of the army and horse commander and the commander of the boat division, naturally they will not give in to each other."

"But Jiang Yan is just a child as old as you and me, what trouble can he cause?"

"I heard that the Marquis of Jinghai suspects that this boy surnamed General has a bad background and is sending someone to investigate him in private."

"You also know that Uncle Wang is investigating Jiang Yan's affairs?" The young man suddenly remembered the night when Qi Shouyu went to Gui Hongyuan to talk to him on purpose, and realized that what the companion in front of him said was true.

However, at this moment, a few partridges chirped from behind the bamboo forest outside the window.Qi Ziyin understood that it was the sound Jiang Yan blew with a whistle, urging him to leave the palace.

"But there is a saying in the book that friends should be united by righteousness. The most important thing is to know each other and keep your word. I think Jiang Yan is a good person, and I have already made an appointment with him tonight, so I can't change it temporarily. It's getting late, Brother Cheng Xiao, why don't you go back and rest early."

"Young master, can you just listen to my persuasion once? If father returns with the lord and finds that you have left the palace without permission, I will be the one who will be punished!"

"No. If someone asks you, you can say that I ate my stomach and went back to Hongyuan to shit."

The young man in white smiled slyly, and before the other party could continue to persuade him, he pushed the door and walked out from the black bamboo pavilion, and disappeared in the long corridor in the blink of an eye, never to be seen again.

The canal in Mulu City runs from Jinshuimen in the east to Fubomen in the west, and passes through 25 Fang and Shiba Bridge.However, every time around the Hungry Ghost Festival, the river will suddenly become much empty, so that each household can put the boat lanterns used for sacrifice on the water, and the water will take them all the way into the Yanjiang River.

Even Qi Ziyin, who grew up in the city, has never seen what the boat lanterns full of rivers look like.Tonight, he made an appointment with his two little friends to go out of the palace, and he wanted to go to the canal to see this annual grand scene with his own eyes, and satisfy his curiosity along the way.

It is said that in the ancient times long before the Dasheng Dynasty, there lived a musician named Zhong Ya by Danshui.This person is famous for his qin skills, and it is said that the qin music he plays can calm the waves and keep the birds from flying.The musician traveled all over the world, but fell in love with a brothel dancer named Shangyu.

The two fell in love at first sight, and finally met each other's confidant.After that, Zhong Ya could only play the piano in front of women, and Shang Yu no longer danced for other men.However, the musician has no property and can't redeem his lover's life, so he agrees with the dancer to cross the Yushui West to Jinghui Bay overnight, planning to find an isolated island in the sea to live in seclusion.

However, in that prehistoric era, the boat they were on was unfortunately attacked by a ferocious beast in the sea.Zhongya escaped with her life by chance, but Shangyu fell into the water and was separated from the musician ever since.From that day on, the heartbroken Zhong Ya would sit alone by the sea and play the piano every day, mourning her deceased wife.

One day after 30 years, the luthier suddenly dreamed of his late wife Tuomeng, but asked him to take the violin to the north to meet him in the Underworld Sea.Everyone thinks Zhong Ya is crazy and advises her not to go, but the luthier still sails alone without hesitation.I don't know if God was moved by his unswerving love. As long as the sound of the piano is played, the vicious beasts in the sea will disappear immediately, and the turbulent sea will calm down.

In this way, Zhongya played the piano all the way, went out of Jinghui Bay, crossed the dark sea, and finally found his wife in a fairy city under the ice field of the underworld.After meeting, the husband and wife hugged each other and cried, and they flew into the sky hand in hand, turning into two bright stars next to each other in the sky—Yaqin and Wushang.

Where this legend originated has long been unknown.However, shortly after the Great Ascension and the establishment of the dynasty, people began to imitate Zhong Ya in the story, folding paper into boats and putting them in the river to express their grief for the dead.And a candle lit on the paper boat represents the sound of the piano at the fingertips of the musician.The people hope that the paper boat can also guide the soul of the deceased to the Nether Sea and become an eternal star in the sky.

"These lanterns are so-beautiful-ah!"

Right now, Ning Yue is sitting on the railing beside the Guangji Bridge, with her feet dangling in the air, admiring the wonderful scene in front of her.Her fiery red hair fluttered in the wind, causing passers-by on the bridge to cast strange glances at the three half-grown children who dared to step out into the night and made noise.

"Ning Yue, be careful. Be careful not to fall into the canal!"

Qi Ziyin, who was dressed in white, was also leaning on the railing, looking down at the river two to three feet away, his golden pupils were illuminated even brighter by the glare of the fire.

At this moment, large and small ship lights are lined up, slowly descending from the upper reaches of the water, with neither the head nor the tail in sight.The whole canal is full of lights and twists and turns. From a distance, it seems that people have the illusion that the Milky Way in the sky has fallen into the mortal world.

The orange candlelight is like a golden dragon swimming in the city.It illuminated both sides of the canal as bright as day, and also illuminated the faces of the three children.

"Anyway, I can swim, and I won't drown even if I fall." Ning Yue shook her head willfully, just looking at the boat lantern under her feet in a daze, "Ziyin, the story about the luthier and dancer you just told is true. Really?"

"Since the story has been eulogized, it should not be groundless."

"I also think it's true." The girl raised her head and looked at the bright Milky Way in the sky, "I don't know if there is anyone in the world who is willing to become two specks of dust in this sky full of stars with me, and be with me forever ?”

Qi Ziyin looked at the girl who was talking to herself, and suddenly felt an inexplicable impulse in her heart, and almost blurted out the three words "I do".But he suddenly saw Jiang Yan standing next to the other party, so he could only swallow the words again.

"You two are too easy to deceive. How can there be any truth in the rumors? They are all used to coax children."

Jiang Yan at the side took a bite of the green fruit in his hand, and interjected vaguely.

"Tch, you know again? I only know that I'm greedy, and I don't remember to share with Ziyin if I have something delicious." Ning Yue was in a bad mood, and pinched the back of the opponent's arm angrily. tender meat.

Jiang Yan grinned in pain, and threw the leftover fruit core from the bridge into the night: "This green fruit was distributed among the camp, and it's the only one. What do you want to eat, Yue'er, I'll ask you to eat it now." You two just go and eat."

Originally, the boy with black pupils was not interested in looking at the lights, but at this moment, he just found an excuse and planned to leave for a stroll in the nearby market.

"Don't be brave. It's not easy to support yourself with your little salary." Ning Yue shook her head and changed her mind, "I saw the wild persimmon forest near Shanglinfang in the West Market that day. Why don't we go pick some persimmons and eat them?"

Jiang Yan pinched a few copper coins in his pocket, and nodded immediately.Although his military salary increased from the previous fifty copper tin to three silver pennies after joining Mo Lingwei, his expenses after entering the city also increased day by day, and he didn't have much money on hand.

After hearing this, Qi Ziyin shook his head vigorously: "It's better not to go, there seems to be a mass grave in Shanglinfang, today is the Ghost Festival again—"

"Could it be that Ziyin is afraid of you? The moonlight is just right!"

Ning Yue dexterously climbed down from the railing, blinking a pair of blue eyes and looking at the gentle and elegant boy in white in front of her.

"I, I'm not afraid!"

Qi Ziyin didn't want to lose face in front of the girl, so he quickly patted his chest.

"Then let's go quickly! If you can pick more, you can bring them back to Jiayunzhai to bake them into persimmon cakes, and save them to eat slowly later!" Ning Yue laughed, pulled up two companions with each hand, and played around until Run in the direction of Shanglinfang.

　Thank you for your attention to "Twin Moons", and hope that the wheat grown by the little raccoon can meet your appetite.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)