Today was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. The capital was getting more and more prosperous every year. It was just past noon, but the streets in the city were already crowded.
The Li family.
Xiao Huan poked her head out of the kitchen and said, "Young master, I want to eat sesame filling. Second Miss also wants to eat sesame filling."
The small kitchen was not big to begin with. Li Yi was making yuanxiao, Ruoqing was helping by the side, the proud Lolita was helping on the other side, and Yong Ning was running around. The place was a bit crowded. Even if the others wanted to help, they could not come in.
Li Yi waved his hand to indicate that he understood.
Yong Ning approached Li Yi and said sweetly, "Brother, Xinyi wants to eat sugar filling."
Li Yi's hands were full of glutinous rice flour. He tapped the tip of her nose and said, "You can only eat two sugar filling. If you have cavities, it will be very painful."
Yong Ning thought about it and looked up at him. She held out three fingers and said, "How about three?"
Looking at her pitiful look, Li Yi could only nod. "Three it is, no more …"
"Okay!" Yong Ning nodded her head forcefully. Worried that Li Yi would go back on his words, she hurriedly ran to Shouning's side and stared with wide eyes.
The proud Lolita was holding a small sieve and shaking it. Inside the sieve were yuanxiao and glutinous rice flour. The yuanxiao shaken this way was round and round. She was never tired of this work.
After shaking for a while, she slowly walked over and looked at Li Yi. She said, "Sir, can you make some bean paste filling? I will bring it to father when I return to the palace in the afternoon. Father loves to eat bean paste filling the most."
Li Yi smiled at her and said, "Sister Xiaoqing is already preparing the filling. We will make it together later."
The proud Lolita immediately became happy. Yong Ning walked to her side and looked at the small sieve in her hand. She whispered, "Sister, can I play with this …"
…
Yuanxiao was to be eaten in the evening. It was still early. The 15th day of the first lunar month was the busiest day of the year in the capital city. Yong Ning and Shouning spent most of their time in the palace. They had to go back at night, so they couldn't miss this opportunity.
After lunch, Li Yi took the two of them to the street.
Compared to the crowds at night, it was much better during the day because the lantern show, fireworks, and other important events would only start at night.
On the street, there were vendors selling all kinds of snacks, street acrobatics, and all kinds of mechanical gadgets … The two young ladies could not take it all in.
Li Yi looked at the bustling crowd, the row upon row of shops, and the endless stream of hawkers on the street. He deeply felt that in these two years, the capital had changed a lot.
He bought a sugar figurine for Yong Ning and Shou Ning that represented their zodiac signs and casually asked the old sugar figurine seller, "Sir, how's business today?"
The old man grinned and said, "Business is good. In the past, it would take a day to sell, but today, it's all sold out in an hour!"
Li Yi looked at the sugar figurine in their hands and said with a smile, "Sir, your skill is good. The sugar figurine is so lifelike. It's not surprising that business is good. I think life at home must be good?"
The old man shook his head and said, "This old man has been selling sugar figurines all his life. It's only in the past two years that life has gotten better. If it weren't for His Majesty's compassion for people like us and reducing taxes three times, I'm afraid I would have frozen to death at home in the winter of the year before last …"
The shop assistant at the tea stall next to him curled his lips and said, "Old Zhang, you're still acting pitiful here. This year, a sugar figurine seller built new houses for his two sons and married new wives. Next year, your sugar figurine shop will be opening soon. Tell me, what's there to cry about?"
The old man frowned and said discontentedly, "This old man has this year because of His Majesty's benevolent policy. It's not like I haven't experienced hard times. But Wang Erxiu, you brat, you got a good policy from the beginning …"
After the proud Lolita finished eating the sugar figurine, she licked her rosy lips and shook Li Yi's arm. She said, "Sir, I want more …"
Li Yi looked at Yong Ning on the other side and found that she was also looking at him eagerly.
He nodded and looked at the old man selling sugar figurines. He said, "Sir, two more please."
The old man took out two more sugar figurines. When Li Yi paid, he waved his hand and looked at Yong Ning and Shouning. He said with a smile, "Little girl, you're so handsome. Today is a good day. I'll give these two sugar figurines to them …"
Li Yi handed the sugar figurines to them and said, "Hurry up and thank the old grandpa."
"Thank you, old grandpa …"
"Thank you, old grandpa …"
The two young girls said obediently. The wrinkles on the old man's face smoothed out like a blooming chrysanthemum.
Li Yi held the hands of the two young girls and stood on the street. The shouts, peddlers, conversations, and quarrels entered his ears. Together with the images in his eyes, they weaved together to form the embryonic form of a prosperous era.
It was a pity that the person who weaved it personally would not be able to see the birth of this prosperous era.
"It's a pity that His Majesty's health …"
"Sigh, everyone is saying that His Majesty is probably …"
"Oh my God, why can't he open his eyes and see …"
The old man and the shop assistant were still chatting. The proud Lolita bit the sugar figurine in her mouth and lowered her head. She said softly, "Sir, let's go home."
Li Yi nodded. He held their hands and walked in the direction they had come from.
At the stall, the old man and the shop assistant had finished chatting. He glanced around and saw an extra ingot of silver on the table. He was stunned.
…
When they walked into the courtyard, the proud Lolita suddenly raised her head and looked at him. She said, "Sir, when I return to the palace later, give me a jar of good wine. Father said that your wine is the best …"
"Alright."
Li Yi smiled and nodded. Suddenly, he felt a chill at the tip of his nose.
He raised his head to look at the sky. Yong Ning's clear voice rang in his ears. "Brother, it's snowing!"
Dong!
A deep bell rang from a certain direction.
Once, twice …
The sound came from the east. One after another, it resounded throughout the capital.
At the entrance of a certain brothel in the capital.
"Who's ringing the bell in broad daylight?" A burly man mumbled in confusion. He saw the middle-aged man beside him suddenly stop in his tracks and turn to walk outside. He asked doubtfully, "Fifth Lord, what's wrong? Aren't you going to watch the show?"
The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed. "I'm afraid we won't be able to watch the show today. Let's go back …"
The noisy streets of the capital gradually quietened down as the bell rang.
Someone asked, "How many times did the bell ring?"
"Forty-five."
Forty-five. The bell rang forty-five times. It was the sound of a great funeral.
A man faced the east and slowly knelt down.
Beside him, a second man faced the east and followed suit.
Three people, ten people, a hundred people, a thousand people, ten thousand people …
All the officials in the capital, regardless of rank or status, walked out of the guard room and walked to the courtyard. They faced the east and knelt down.
At the palace gate, the imperial guards put down their weapons and slowly knelt down.
At this moment, only the echoing bell rang in the entire capital.
In the Li family, the imperial guard kneeling on the ground stood up and walked to Shouning and Yong Ning. He said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness, it's time to return to the palace."
Fifth year of Jinghe, 15th of the first month, the Lantern Festival.
Fifth year of Jinghe, 15th of the first month, when the first snowflake of this winter landed on Li Yi's nose, it snowed continuously in 13 provinces of the Jing Kingdom.
Fifth year of Jinghe, 15th of the first month, the emperor collapsed.
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