Once a year, the Mid-Autumn moon rises, and thousands of families celebrate reunion.
The Mid-Autumn Festival—one of the most important holidays for the people of the Central Plains—has been celebrated since the Zhou Dynasty. According to ancient rites, the New Year’s first day is for worshiping the sun, while the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is for honoring the moon. Its significance goes without saying.
Days before the festival, the streets and alleys of Hangzhou were already buzzing with holiday cheer. But inside the towering palace walls, in the scheming back chambers, everything felt distant and diluted. Still, on this annual day, everyone got moving.
On this day, the whole country hosts major festivities. Soldiers on the frontier get comforted, travelers in foreign lands get homesick, merchants get busy, and scholars get poetic. Meanwhile, the emperor, as the highest authority, must preside over a series of ceremonies. On the night of the fifteenth, the royal family gathers, and every relative with a connection is summoned to the palace to show their face before the emperor and his ministers.
Those eyeing the throne put on their best performance, while ministers backing their favorites pull out every trick. Even the imperial consorts have to join the Mid-Autumn reunion, with plenty of scheming and drama. Honestly, anyone can tell: for ordinary folks, it’s a night of reunion; for those in power, it’s a mental marathon.
But on this day, Eunuch Chief Yvonne, who’s supposed to be all-important, decided to skip work.
"How about we go have some real fun?" she suggested. "Let all that nonsense go to hell—when you’re young, you’ve gotta celebrate Mid-Autumn properly!"
So the much-favored Imperial Consort Mia Wise turned down all her social calls, and the perpetually busy Elder Tong put down her scrolls. The young women really did let all the messy stuff go to hell, welcoming Mid-Autumn night with hearts full of anticipation.
On the lunar calendar’s eighth month, the sky was high and clear, days grew shorter, nights stretched longer. Around six in the evening, the last rays of sunset faded in the west, and candles flickered in thousands of homes. That’s when the three of them, in disguise, snuck out of the palace.
Outside the palace, the crowds were endless. Hangzhou had no curfew tonight—this was truly a bustling, earthly paradise.
The vendor wasn’t lying—the buns were piping hot. When you blew on them, little clouds of steam puffed out.
They blew and ate, but nobody used their inner strength.
“Sweet beans! Sweet enough to rot your teeth—if they’re not sweet, you get your money back!”
“Buy, buy, buy!” The trio each grabbed a handful of sweet beans. Someone started tossing them into the air, trying to catch them with their mouth, wobbling around. Simone copied, tossing beans up too, but someone mischievously poked Simone’s ticklish spot: “Eat my control move!” Joan’s eyes sparkled—quick as a goat, she pounced, grabbed a shoulder, and snatched a bean mid-air like a dolphin.
“Boss, you…” “Simone, you’ve gotta spot the real enemy! I’m the mantis stalking the cicada, but there’s always a bird behind!” “La la la, I’m the bird behind you—catch me if you can!” “Just try not to run—stand still!”
The vendor wasn’t lying—the beans were super sweet. Holding one in your mouth, it tasted just like honey.
They chased and played, but nobody used superpowers.
“Dough figurines! Dough figurines! Pretty dough figurines! Ladies, want a figurine?”
“Buy, buy, buy!—Wait, who are these supposed to be?”
“This one’s Chang’e Ascends to the Moon, this one’s Wu Gang Chops the Laurel, and this one’s Jade Rabbit Makes Medicine. Which do you like?”
Eyeing the abstract figurines, Jill Young stroked her chin and mused, "Hmm... none of these look quite right... Hey boss, I’ll pay you—just rent us the dough and tools, we’ll make our own!"
They blew and ate, but nobody used their inner strength.
You want to make your own? Uh... do you know how?
Don’t worry about it—whatever we make, you’ll get paid. Here, this silver is enough for a hundred figurines. Go grab some sweet beans. Jill Young handed over the money and shooed the vendor away, then waved to her friends: "Come on, let’s do it ourselves! Watch me make a deluxe collector’s set!"
The three gathered around the stall and got to work. Making figurines was full of surprise and fun. With a crowd of curious onlookers, they molded the dough nonstop. Even without using martial arts on purpose, their deep skill showed—quick, nimble, and steady fingers amazed the crowd.
A bunch of kids gathered, wide-eyed. One little boy came up to Joan and asked in a sweet voice, "Miss, what are you making? It looks great."
Joan smiled at the child: "This? It’s a great hero."
“A great hero?” The kid’s eyes lit up. “I know, I know—it’s Zhao Zilong, right? See, the hero’s carrying a child and holding a spear—definitely Zhao Zilong!” Even though Romance of the Three Kingdoms hadn’t been written yet, the stories were already popular.
“Haha, close enough. It’s yours.” Joan handed the figurine to the child, then left with her friends as the kid cheered.
“Wait, I just finished my set of twelve Gold Saints—only Athena left!”
Come on, I see something even more fun over there!
More fun? Where, where? Let’s hurry over!
Making dough figurines was fun, but there was even more ahead. On this Mid-Autumn night, they seized every moment to play. Ninety-six years old, never so reckless, never so free—but tonight, nothing would be missed.
In three hours, they ate snacks and played games, zigzagging joyfully between stalls. The snacks weren’t really that tasty, the games not that fun, and pampered nobles probably wouldn’t care for any of it. Like kids in the age of next-gen consoles, few would be hooked on the old classics.
But tonight, the three were especially excited—everything tasted good, every game was fun.
Maybe just soaking in this sea of happiness was joy enough.
Maybe they were just greedily enjoying the pleasures of the world, living each day as if it were the last.
Dong, dong, dong—the temple bell on Hangzhou’s outskirts rang, its meditative sound drifting in. The moon was high, its light everywhere. The revelry was over; now it was time to admire the moon. People left in small groups, the festival ended, and families gathered to celebrate reunion. Hangzhou grew quiet.
Jill Young and her friends headed back to the palace too.
“Follow me—I know a spot with the best view.” As the palace’s top insider, Eunuch Chief Yvonne knew all the best locations. The three wandered around and eventually arrived at Dalong Lake.
The palace was full of waterways, with little lakes scattered everywhere. But all those lakes together couldn’t match even half of Grand Dragon Lake. True to its name, Grand Dragon Lake was huge. Standing by its shore, with cool breezes and gentle waves, you could feel its vast, misty expanse.
Grand Dragon Lake bordered Longevity Hill, and Eunuch Chief Yvonne brought them right to the meeting of mountain and water. Soft grass stretched from the slope down to the lake. Yvonne flopped down and patted the ground: "Come on, I picked this spot—great breeze, great view, hardly any mosquitoes, and the grass is comfy. Get over here and enjoy it!"
“At your command!” Simone flopped down beside Yvonne, pointing across the lake: “Look, the emperor, ministers, and consorts are having a banquet over there—I can even hear their voices on the wind.”
Joan sat on Yvonne’s other side, gazing at the brilliant lights across the water and nodding, a little lost: “It really is beautiful.”
Across the lake, royal barges glowed in a line, like a long, invisible border. Their lights shimmered on the water, creating a gorgeous, dreamlike world of neon. The noisy banquet sounds drifted over the vast Grand Dragon Lake, making this side seem even quieter and more peaceful. It was as if the hillside, lawn, and lakeshore had suddenly stepped out of the world, forming a little universe of their own.
For a moment, all three were silent.
Maybe they were just greedily enjoying the pleasures of the world, living each day as if it were the last.
Dong, dong, dong—the temple bell on Hangzhou’s outskirts rang, its meditative sound drifting in. The moon was high, its light everywhere. The revelry was over; now it was time to admire the moon. People left in small groups, the festival ended, and families gathered to celebrate reunion. Hangzhou grew quiet.
Jill Young and her friends headed back to the palace too.
“Follow me—I know a spot with the best view.” As the palace’s top insider, Eunuch Chief Yvonne knew all the best locations. The three wandered around and eventually arrived at Grand Dragon Lake.
The palace was full of waterways, with little lakes scattered everywhere. But all those lakes together couldn’t match even half of Grand Dragon Lake. True to its name, Grand Dragon Lake was huge. Standing by its shore, with cool breezes and gentle waves, you could feel its vast, misty expanse.
Grand Dragon Lake bordered Longevity Hill, and Eunuch Chief Yvonne brought them right to the meeting of mountain and water. Soft grass stretched from the slope down to the lake. Yvonne flopped down and patted the ground: "Come on, I picked this spot—great breeze, great view, hardly any mosquitoes, and the grass is comfy. Get over here and enjoy it!"
“At your command!” Simone flopped down beside Yvonne, pointing across the lake: “Look, the emperor, ministers, and consorts are having a banquet over there—I can even hear their voices on the wind.”
Joan sat on Yvonne’s other side, gazing at the brilliant lights across the water and nodding, a little lost: “It really is beautiful.”
Across the lake, royal barges glowed in a line, like a long, invisible border. Their lights shimmered on the water, creating a gorgeous, dreamlike world of neon. The noisy banquet sounds drifted over the vast Grand Dragon Lake, making this side seem even quieter and more peaceful. It was as if the hillside, lawn, and lakeshore had suddenly stepped out of the world, forming a little universe of their own.
For a moment, all three were silent.