Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 293 This year's Lantern Festival

In the second year of Jiayou's reign, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The Imperial College appeared unusually empty and quiet, because everyone had gone out to celebrate the festival, and there was almost no one left in the college.

Lu Beigu studied on his own for the last day, then got up, went to the washbasin, scooped up a handful of water, washed his face, and cleared his head.

Afterwards, he dressed and left the Imperial College.

As soon as we left the relatively quiet area where the Imperial College was located, the noise came as if it were a real thing.

Lu Beigu walked east along Caihe Bay, then turned north, passed through Maijie Lane, and entered the inner city via Baokangmen Bridge.

The reason he didn't take the route he usually took, "Nanxunmen Inner Street - Longjin Bridge - Zhuquemen - Imperial Street," was because this main road would definitely be completely congested today.

Once inside the inner city, Lu Beigu even had the illusion that the road beneath his feet was "trembling" from the dense footsteps.
As darkness fell, the scenery along the way became more beautiful.

The most obvious impression is the ubiquitous presence of lights.

Lanterns, some simple and some exquisite, are hung in front of every household. The bamboo frames and gauze covers are painted with flowers, birds, insects, fish, and auspicious patterns. The orange glow spreads a small patch of warmth in the cold night.

Children carrying rabbit lanterns and lotus lanterns flitted and played among the crowd, their clear laughter echoing throughout the air, which was filled with the unique fragrance of burning pine resin.

Turn west from the road between Daxiangguo Temple and Daqianming Temple, and approach the main road of the Imperial Street, where the scale and brightness of the lights begin to increase exponentially.

Giant lantern sheds erected by various guilds stood on both sides of the street, and the colorful archways were shimmering with light, with rows of glass lanterns hanging on them.

There are also eye-catching revolving lanterns along the street, with paper-cut horses on the lantern walls running in a loop, drawing gasps of amazement from onlookers.

Under many small and medium-sized lantern sheds, densely packed riddle slips were hung, their ink dripping, attracting scholars and commoners to stop and ponder. Those who guessed the answers often received prizes such as writing brushes, fruits, or exquisite trinkets, drawing envious laughter.

"Snow-infused plum blossom wine—"

"Freshly baked lactose-coated glutinous rice balls, still warm~"

"Crystal-clear Crispy Sliced ​​Noodles!"

The shouts of vendors rose and fell in a continuous stream.

There were so many food options on both sides that it was almost overwhelming. The steamer lid was lifted, and white steam filled the air with a sweet and glutinous aroma; on another stall, crispy pastries were sizzling on a griddle; and next to it, the candied fruit stall had glistening sugar frosting that shimmered enticingly under the lights.

"Make way! Make way! Your carriage is carrying distinguished guests!"

Several urgent shouts, accompanied by the clear sound of copper bells, came from afar and grew closer.

Lu Beigu followed the crowd and stepped aside. He saw several ornately decorated oxcarts with special flags slowly passing by, led by strong servants. The tasseled brocade curtains hanging from the carts revealed the silhouettes of elegantly dressed women inside.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone path, which was covered with lamplight, leaving behind a faint fragrance.

After much effort, we finally squeezed our way to the majestic Xuande Gate.

The towering "Aoshan" lantern shed in front of Xuande Tower, composed of tens of thousands of colorful lanterns, resembles a burning island of light, with dragons coiled, phoenixes soaring, and celestial pavilions appearing and disappearing among the flames, illuminating the square in front of Xuande Gate as bright as day.

On the high platform, musicians from the Imperial Music Academy played grand pieces such as "Eternal Joy" and "Pouring Wine for the Festival," their melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments attempting to dominate the clamor of voices, yet they could only become one part of this grand symphony.

Lu Beigu did not head towards the core of Xuandemen Square, but instead squeezed his way into the designated area of ​​the Kaifeng Prefectural Government near the Jinshui River.

This area is relatively close to the riverbank, offering a wide view. Although the crowds are dense, they are not as congested as in the center of Yujie Street.

He spotted two familiar figures at the edge of the open space from afar.

Zhang Zai paced anxiously, his hands tucked into his sleeves. He kept glancing up at the Xuande Tower and down at the pile of objects on the ground, appearing restless.

Shen Kuo, on the other hand, was squatting on the ground, focused, discussing in hushed tones with a craftsman-looking man over a huge, fully formed rattan frame, using the light of a large lantern nearby.

He held a charcoal pencil in his hand and quickly drew something on the unfolded silk cloth, then pointed to a certain node of the skeleton and gestured.

On the ground were piles of ball-shaped cloth made of plain silk, several bundles of thick hemp rope, and a specially made charcoal stove with a copper windproof cover.

"Brother Zihou! Brother Cunzhong!"

Lu Beigu pushed through the crowd and strode forward, his voice involuntarily rising a few decibels amidst the noise.

"You're finally here!"

Zhang Zai abruptly looked up, took a step forward, and tightly grasped Lu Beigu's arm, the force revealing his inner tension. "It's getting late! The drums and music have already begun at Xuande Tower. The Emperor's carriage should be arriving soon to view the lanterns. Everything is ready, awaiting only the lighting ceremony, but..."

He looked around at the surging crowd, his worry deepening: "The crowd around us is boiling. What if the ropes break or the fire gets out of control, causing a stampede and disturbing His Majesty's presence?"

"Now that Prefect Bao has approved the location, the yamen runners are patrolling the area."

Lu Beigu pointed to a spot not far away and said, "What's more, there are them too!"

On the ground, along the main street of the Imperial Street and the banks of the Jinshui River, every few dozen steps you can see a cleared-out "fire station" with many professional firefighters inside.

The fire-fighting supplies piled up inside were part of a ceremonial procession to mark the first time in a century that Tokyo had experienced a large-scale fire during the Lantern Festival.

In fact, Lu Beigu had specifically looked inside when he passed by.

Inside each of the "fire stalls" were piles of cowhide water bags, each one bulging with water. Against the wall stood long-handled "fire hooks" with huge iron hooks or sharp sickles at the top, as well as long poles bound with thick, wet hemp fibers.

Even more eye-catching were several giant bamboo "pumps" that had been carried out of the shop and placed on carts. These primitive water guns, which used lever pistons, were having their mechanisms repeatedly checked by the shop soldiers.

The roads leading to the Jinshui River, the Bian River, and several large wells were specially cleared, and soldiers stood solemnly on both sides with sticks in hand, while "waterwheels" carrying huge wooden barrels were parked on the riverbank, ready to be deployed at any time.

"The approval slip is here, the location is clear, and there are so many soldiers fighting the fire. We are acting in accordance with regulations, so what is there to fear? Besides, the ropes will ensure our safety."

At this moment, Shen Kuo also stood up, dusted off his hands, took out the approval slip stamped with the vermilion seal of Kaifeng Prefecture, and waved it, trying to soothe Zhang Zai's anxiety.

Today, for Shen Kuo, it's a test of whether the hot air balloon he built is reliable. But Shen Kuo isn't afraid of failure; after all, he's long been used to it through countless failures.

Lu Beigu was not afraid of failure; he was just offering suggestions.

Zhang Zai was the one who feared failure the most.

Zhang Zai needed hot air balloons to prove his "theory of the nature of qi" (vital energy).

"How's this one?"

Lu Beigu pointed to the hot air balloon and asked.

"The skeleton has been reinforced according to the blueprints, using flexible and lightweight wisteria, with key nodes reinforced by wrapping with ox tendons; the silk pouch is covered with three layers of paper, repeatedly soaked in boiled fish glue, making it airtight, and the amount is also within the expected range. I supervised the blacksmith to make the stove head, and the windproof effect is acceptable, and there is a sufficient amount of silver frost charcoal."

Shen Kuo pointed to the specially made charcoal stove, then bent down and tugged hard on the thick hemp ropes fixed to the ground. The ropes were taut and did not budge.

"The rope is made of the finest hemp, with three strands twisted together, making it extremely strong. I personally tested its strength, and the traction point is firmly fixed to the stone pillar, so there is absolutely no risk of it flying off."

Shen Kuo's tone was full of confidence, and he then added, "It's just that the wind is a little stronger than expected. After taking off, we need to pay extra attention to the direction of the rope's tension and adjust the size of the furnace fire to control the height at any time. I have already asked Lao Liu to guard the stone pillar and be ready to cooperate with the release and retrieval at any time."

As Zhang Zai listened to Shen Kuo's clear and logical words, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, but the worry and fear in his eyes had not completely faded.

He looked at the huge, still-uninflated sac and said, "Although this object was created to prove the reality of 'qi,' its ascent will surely shock the world. Zen Master Qisong's question of 'absurdity and lack of evidence' will be challenged. Can we respond to it in one fell swoop? It all depends on this one move!"

Lu Beigu understood Zhang Zai's tension and anxiety at this moment.

“Brother Zihou, the principle of ‘the Great Void is Qi’ is clear as the movement of the sun and moon. Tonight, let the ‘Qi’ between heaven and earth speak for us in a ‘phenomenon’ that all people can see.”

Zhang Zai nodded and said nothing more.

Judging that it was about time, Lu Beigu said, "Let's begin."

Shen Kuo nodded and said, "Okay!"

With the help of Lao Liu and several other craftsmen, the huge plain silk bag was slowly covered on the rattan frame, the leather buckles were fastened, and then it began to expand.

Shen Kuo turned around and squatted down. The tinderbox clicked softly, and the orange-red flames instantly leaped up inside the copper cover of the specially made stove, greedily licking the fine silver frost charcoal. A scorching stream of air began to rise and distort the air above.

Lu Beigu, Zhang Zai, and Shen Kuo stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the hot air balloon.

As the heatwave continued to pour in, the balloon grew enormous, like a sleeping behemoth slowly awakening.

As the balloon fully unfolded, this behemoth, named "Hot Air Balloon," slowly opened its eyes amidst the sea of ​​light on the banks of the Jinshui River.

The surrounding people were gradually drawn to this unprecedented giant "light ball," and buzzes of discussion and speculation filled the air as countless curious and astonished eyes focused on it.

(End of this chapter)