The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 150 Luck is a form of strength

The lanterns also have a king lantern, which extends in all directions, with lines tied with lanterns crisscrossing and covering most of the town. Everyone who wants to guess the lantern riddles can choose a line and guess along the way.

Shang Mingshu and Zhang Yushuang both guessed the Lantern King. In the end, the eight of them passed the Lantern King and walked towards the lantern path of the glass lanterns. It was at this time that she met Xu Tianxing and Cheng She.

Besides Cheng She and Xu Tianxing, Shang Mingshu also saw an acquaintance—Lu Sanlang.

Lu Sanlang clearly did not come alone. In another line beside him was a tall man with an outstanding temperament, whose eyebrows and brows bore a resemblance to Zhang Yushuang.

“He’s my older brother,” Zhang Yushuang whispered in Shang Mingshu’s ear.

Shang Mingshu followed Zhang Yushuang's gaze and saw that the young master Zhang was desperately winking at Zhang Yushuang. Following the direction the young master Zhang was pointing, she saw a tall and imposing young man standing out from the crowd.

In terms of appearance, he was not as outstanding as Cheng She; in terms of sharpness, he was not as unyielding as Xu Tianxing.

He stood there, expressionless, exuding an innate nobility. His overwhelming aura of power was just like the kingly aura described in Shang Zishu's stories, built up with ornate language.

When Shang Mingshu turned her head again, she found that Zhang Yushuang was stiff all over and her face had lost all color. Even when the gongs and drums were sounded, they continued to guess the riddles. Zhang Yushuang stood still for a long time. After being urged repeatedly, she hurriedly started, but she exceeded the time limit for the second riddle and was forced to withdraw from the competition.

Each person who continues to guess the riddles will be accompanied by someone sent by the event organizer. This person will hold a very short, fast-burning incense stick and start the timer from the moment the person opens the riddle. If the incense burns out before the answer is given, or if the answer is wrong three times, it is considered a failure.

After Zhang Yushuang left the stage, Shang Mingshu had just finished answering one question. She didn't immediately take on the next one, but turned her head and looked worriedly at the dejected Zhang Yushuang. Her eyes met Shang Zishu's, and Shang Zishu immediately understood and took the initiative to greet the departing Zhang Yushuang.

When Shang Mingshu looked back at the original spot, the nobleman who had caused Zhang Yushuang to lose her composure was no longer there.

She composed herself and continued answering. If more than two people guessed correctly, the person who finished answering first would win. At the front were Cheng She and a scholar whom Shang Mingshu did not recognize.

Following this, Zhang Shizi and Lu Sanlang were defeated, leaving only Shang Mingshu, Cheng She, Xu Tianxing, and two others whom Shang Mingshu did not recognize. Lu Sanlang and Zhang Shizi were also learned and talented, but they were defeated due to the disadvantage of the terrain. Some of the riddles were related to the local customs of Huizhou Prefecture...

What impressed Shang Mingshu was Xu Tianxing. A young general who was good at fighting must be a knowledgeable person. Shang Mingshu thought he would be proficient in military books, but she did not expect him to be both literary and martial. He even knew many customs of Huizhou Prefecture. After thinking that his ancestral home was also Huizhou, Shang Mingshu smiled with relief.

Soon, the two strangers, one old and one young, left the stage. The sounds of drumming, cheers, and even the eloquent voices of storytellers on the high platform grew louder and louder. Some gambling dens even took the opportunity to set up betting games, and the people in the gambling dens kept a close eye on how fast they could solve the riddles.

Cheng She only had ten lanterns left. He lingered in front of the tenth lantern for a long time. The further along the way, the more time Shang Mingshu needed. The people organizing the lantern festival were still holding incense sticks, relentlessly urging him on.

Occasionally, as she watched the incense burn down rapidly, Shang Mingshu would lose her composure and inevitably feel anxious.

"Third sister, it's just a game, winning or losing doesn't matter." Shang Wenshu, who had been following Shang Mingshu from outside the crowd, noticed the change in Shang Mingshu's expression and guessed what she was thinking. Her gentle voice rose as she spoke.

Shang Mingshu suddenly lowered her head and gave a self-deprecating smile: "Being in the game means becoming a player in the game..."

My elder sister is right. It was just a whim, a game of chance. As we guessed our way here, our competitive spirit grew without us realizing it, and we forgot that we never really wanted to win.

Composing herself, perhaps understanding the situation, Shang Mingshu ignored the incense burning for the accountant. Unhurried and clear-headed, she quickly reached the third to last incense stick.

Looking up, they found that their only opponent was Cheng She. The two were very close because of the lanterns, only two steps apart. Soft lanterns hung in front of them, illuminating their faces.

Cheng She stood between two tall lanterns, while Shang Mingshu stood in front of a hanging lantern. Slightly out of place, they seemed to understand each other perfectly, their eyes meeting. Shang Mingshu smiled and nodded politely.

Cheng She bowed slightly in return.

At the same time, he turned his gaze back to the riddle he had opened in his hand, and concentrated on guessing the riddle.

On the third lantern, Shang Mingshu was lucky enough to guess the riddle first and saw the second lantern's riddle before Cheng She took down the second lantern's riddle. The two guessed the answer almost one after the other.

Because the riddles are different, there's no fear of being copied by the latter.

Each person had their last lamp, and before them stood a dazzling glass palace lantern, its multicolored glass emitting a dreamlike and radiant light. Just looking at it made one admire the craftsman's skill and ingenuity in creating such a magnificent yet elegant lamp. Hanging it in one's home, every time one saw it, it would surely bring a sense of joy.

Shang Mingshu got the last riddle.

The riddle is: Huizhou merchants hold abacuses, calculating across the four seas; the silk and zither music ceases, their elegance wanes; know that this item is worth a thousand pieces of gold, yet it accompanies the silkworm girl's sorrow under the moon.

The riddle was so simple that it surprised Shang Mingshu. She tried to decipher it word by word, and couldn't help but look at Cheng She. His expression was also a bit strange. Did he also get a riddle that didn't seem like the final one?

"silver."

"silver."

The two spoke in unison, and as their voices faded, they couldn't help but look at each other again. Shang Mingshu flipped the riddle over, revealing that it was indeed silver, and Cheng She's voice immediately rang out: "I lost."

Shang Mingshu couldn't help but walk over to look at his riddle. It was similar to hers, but the answer was also silver. Actually, both "silver" and "silver" were correct, but the answer was written as "silver." According to the rules announced beforehand, she won by chance.

"Congratulations, Third Sister." Cheng She said sincerely.

"Just lucky." Shang Mingshu genuinely believed it was a stroke of luck, though she knew that luck was also a form of strength, and she wasn't overly modest.

Finally, the person who led the riddles handed the glass palace lantern to Shang Mingshu. It was extremely heavy in her hand, and the handle was made of fine sandalwood with pure gold trim, making it exceptionally magnificent.

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, Shang Mingshu walked up to Zhang Yushuang and handed her the palace lantern: "This is for you."

"Give it to me?" Zhang Yushuang was extremely surprised and overjoyed.

“It was you who wanted to, that’s why we went to guess the riddles.” Shang Mingshu nodded.

Zhang Yushuang smiled, she just loved the excitement and wanted to participate in the lantern festival. She was afraid that Shang Mingshu would not want to accompany her, so she said she wanted this lantern. She never expected that Shang Mingshu would actually win it for her.

She didn't refuse, but took it with both hands and held it firmly in her hands: "It would be impolite to refuse."

Shang Wenshu and Shang Zishu exchanged a smile, and the group of women continued their parade through the streets together.