Chapter 30 String Pads

The prince hesitated and took a step closer.

Qian Deng lowered his voice to a whisper, "Don't be afraid, Your Highness. You should be the ruler of Daming Palace. If you don't enter the palace soon, who will Prince Linhuai support in this chaotic situation?"

The prince was startled and immediately understood what she meant -

The emperor and empress fled to Fengtian. After Zhu Ci captured Chang'an, he dared to proclaim himself emperor even though his strength was far inferior to that of the Prince of Linhuai.

After Prince Linhuai defeated Zhu Ci, he didn't have to rush to pick him up. The position in Hanyuan Hall was now vacant, waiting for a new master.

But the Prince of Linhuai came and took him to the Daming Palace.

Whether it was support or hostage-taking, this was the kindness of Prince Linhuai to the court, the emperor, empress and the prince.

If he refused again, he would face not only possible danger, but also certain doom.

The prince closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, finally made up his mind, and nodded.

Qiandeng breathed a sigh of relief and handed the bow out.

She heard the prince's voice still a little timid, but he finally said firmly: "Prince Linhuai, I trust you. I... will pack up now and go with you to Daming Palace, Danfeng Gate!"

"Well, Your Highness is decisive and resolute. This is a blessing to the court and the people." Prince Linhuai's tone also relaxed a lot. "As the crown prince, Your Highness should be tolerant and steady, and considerate. We will ensure Your Highness's safety on this trip. Please wear armor and protect the Holy Body."

The soldiers in the hall immediately brought armor and helmet for the prince to wear.

Prince Linhuai picked up the bow, took a look at it, and asked Qiandeng through the wall, "Princess Lingling, what do you think is wrong with this bow and arrow?"

Qian Deng hurriedly said, "There are some strange marks on the upper and lower ends of this bow. Your Highness, please help us find someone who is skilled in crossbows to see if there is anything unusual."

Prince Linhuai took a quick glance and said, "This is the mark of a string pad."

"String pad?" Qiandeng naturally had never heard of this thing.

Prince Linhuai raised his hand and tugged lightly at the bowstring. He said, "The standard recurve horn bow used in the military is made of oxtend. The force with which the bowstring rebounds depends on the force of the shot. As a result, archers are often hit by the rebounding bowstring, which seriously affects their wrist strength for the next shot and can even cause the bowstring to break or flip."

Qian Deng asked: "Can we avoid this by adding these two little things?"

"Yes, the force of the bowstring's rebound is cushioned by string pads, significantly reducing the risk of injury and wrist fatigue. String pads haven't been widely used on standard bows in the Central Plains, but they're quite common in the northwest." Prince Linhuai flicked at the string pad marks on the slingshot and said, "The bow I'm used to using has a string pad made from snow rhino horns I hunt myself. Soldiers usually use deer or ox horns. If they're in a hurry, they'll temporarily add a piece of cork to the bow as a string pad. Temporary additions aren't stable, and the rebound force from shooting can cause the cork to leave friction marks on the bow shank—just like this one."

Qian Deng suddenly realized: "I see... Then, can we tell the situation of the person who shot the arrow?"

Prince Linhuai studied the bow and said slowly, "The man is skilled in archery, having practiced archery for more than ten years. He is likely from the northwest, most likely Gansu or Liangzhou. In addition..."

As he spoke, he used his thumb and index finger to measure, calculating the angle of the arrow marks on the bowstring and bow limb. "When this man shoots, his palms turn slightly outward compared to normal. Perhaps he was often injured by exploding, low-quality arrow shafts during archery practice, which led to this posture. This shows that he didn't come from a military background and his family background was not very good. Also, there should be old penetrating wounds on the base of his palm and wrist."

With just a few words, the fog barrier that stood in front of the thousand lights was instantly dispelled.

She took a deep breath and suppressed the surging emotions in her heart. Outside, the prince had already put on his armor, and the group had packed up and set off for the Daming Palace.

Before leaving, Prince Linhuai paused briefly and said to Qian Deng in the back hall, "My army has an important matter tonight. Regardless of the outcome, we will not return here. It's getting late, and it's not safe for Princess Lingling to return alone. I'll dispatch a few soldiers to escort you."

Yes, if the Shuofang Army wins and Chang'an is recovered, there will naturally be no need to return here.

If the Jingyuan army is too powerful and cannot capture the Daming Palace, they naturally will not be able to return here.

At this critical moment of life and death, which could even determine the fate of the Tang Dynasty, his tone was as calm as a greeting.

"Thank you, Your Highness." Qian Deng responded, and saluted him through the door. "May Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness be victorious and return triumphantly soon."

The kicked-in door couldn't be closed tightly, and she looked at him through the crack. The flickering candlelight shone from behind his shoulder, casting his figure over her.

Just like when her father and grandfather were still alive, there was still someone in this world who could shelter her from the scorching sun and heavy rain and guide her on the way forward.

And this body, bathed in blood and light, stood tall and majestic. Before rushing into the crisis of the world, he still shared a moment of concern for her -

"Go, find the real murderer and avenge your mother."

After Prince Linhuai and the Crown Prince left, a soldier handed over their outer robes and placed them on the table in the outer room. Then he said something and closed the door and left.

Qiandeng hurried out and put on her robe under the flickering candlelight. There was no women's clothing in the army, and this was a loose men's suit, which made her feel very empty when she put it on.

As she straightened her collar, she suddenly thought, could this be Prince Linhuai's clothes?

Thinking that he came here to help the prince fight against King Linhuai, but ended up going back wearing King Linhuai's clothes, Qian Deng felt mixed emotions.

The sudden scene in the darkness was still before her eyes. The pain of her naked body hitting his armor seemed to linger, making her whole body feel hot.

She raised the back of her hand and pressed it against her blushing cheek, trying her best to calm herself down.

It was just a fleeting encounter in the darkness, a tiny mistake that shouldn't have happened and should be discarded and forgotten...

He didn't behave abnormally, as if it was just a trivial matter.

Then, she shouldn't take it to heart.

After all, he was in power and must have countless concubines around him.

And she also has ten husband candidates waiting for her.

There is no possibility that two people will have any connection, so why bother worrying about something that shouldn't have happened.

The battle in Chang'an was in full swing. Under the escort of the Shuofang Army, Qiandeng rode his horse all the way back to the farm.

She chewed over the words of King Linhuai in her heart. The closer she got to the farm, the colder and clearer her heart became.

Among the ten candidates for husband, one had a scar on his hand near the base of his thumb.

Moreover, just as King Linhuai guessed, he was from Ganzhou.

So he was proficient in archery and skilled in horse riding, but he repeatedly concealed himself, hid in the dark, and did evil things.

The test was not formal. If he missed accidentally, he could just say that something had happened and ask for a follow-up shot.

But no. He acted as if he was just a poor archer, giving the opportunity to Nan Yu to steal the show, letting everyone see that Nan Yu was the best archer among the ten. Therefore, when his mother was in trouble, everyone locked their sights on Nan Yu.

Did he start planning this murder from the moment he shot the arrow on Leyouyuan, hiding behind the scenes and making consecutive attacks?

However, he was just a poor boy whose family had fallen on hard times. What connection could he have with the Changhua Palace? Not to mention, his mother lived a secluded life, so what grudge could she have with him?

After pondering all the way back to the manor, Qiandeng discovered that Xuanji Liuli and the others were waiting anxiously inside. However, because the Shuofang Army was loyally guarding the manor gate, no one in the manor could leave and was forced to wander around in circles inside.

"County Lady, where have you been so late at night? We...we've been looking for you so anxiously!"

As soon as Liuli saw her, she rushed over and cried.

Qian Deng stroked her shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, I had something to do outside. I was in a hurry, so I didn't have time to tell you."

In reality, she had set out with the intention of committing suicide like her father and grandfather. However... who could have known that her encounter with Prince Linhuai would be so awkward and difficult to talk about.

Aunt Xuanji raised the lantern in her hand and saw that the clothes she was wearing were a loose men's robe. She couldn't help but exclaimed "Huh?" and asked hesitantly: "County Princess, this..."

Qian Deng shook his head, signaling her not to ask any more questions. After he changed his clothes inside, he handed it to Aunt Xuanji and said, "Clean it and return it."

Aunt Xuanji took it and saw that the dark blue dress looked ordinary, but when it was turned under the light, it revealed a peacock-blue Qilin flower pattern. She hurriedly touched the flower pattern with her fingertips, and then, frightened, lowered her voice and asked, "Is this the clothes of the Prince of Linhuai?"

Qiandeng came back wearing the clothes of Prince Linhuai. She was already frightened along the way, and now her aunt Xuanji saw through her tricks, and her face suddenly turned red.