Chapter 28: Intrigue and Deception
But on second thought, the prince felt that this idea was absurd.
After suppressing the rebellion, the Prince of Linhuai pursued the rebels and later recuperated in Shuofang for a long time. He only hurried to Chang'an to present the captives on New Year's Day and soon left with his army. As far as he knew, Lingling had never met him at that time.
Even during this trip to the northwest, when Lingling repeatedly asked to see King Linhuai to thank him for saving her life, he did not meet her, let alone have a private relationship with her.
He brushed away the strange thought in his mind, stood up and walked to the window, watching Qiandeng's back walk out of his sight, like a wisp of lingering flute sound, disappearing, but the lingering sound remained hazy.
His eyes darkened slightly, and he turned to see Wei Fengyang standing behind him. He stared at the place where Qiandeng disappeared, frowning, as if thinking about something.
"What's wrong?" the prince asked in a deep voice.
"There's something... I feel is a little strange, but I can't put my finger on it."
"Is it related to the Princess of Lingling County?" The prince turned around and sat down, taking the ice cream from the table.
"It's one of her potential husband candidates—no, he's been eliminated from the list now." Wei Fengyang cautiously walked up to him and whispered, "It's Ling Tianshui, the former Sijie of the Northern Court's Imperial Guards. Does Your Highness remember him?"
The prince naturally remembered.
That was the husband that Qiandeng had volunteered to marry into the mansion, and he was also the one he was supposed to deal with, but he escaped after being involved in a murder case.
Of course, Wei Fengyang had reported to him that Ling Tianshui had held Ling Ling hostage, which was why the people present were helpless and allowed him to escape. But when Ling Ling returned unharmed and told everyone that Ling Tianshui was no longer alive, he naturally knew what must have happened.
But because of her wishes, he asked the Beiya Imperial Guards to cross out Ling Tianshui's name and treat his death as an accident.
"I remember. Could it be that he appeared here again?"
"I'm not sure, but when Prince Linhuai came over earlier, I caught a glimpse of someone from behind who looked quite like Ling Tianshui. However, Prince Linhuai and the others were all wearing the same black robe with arrow-sleeved, tight-fitting round collar, so for a moment I couldn't tell which one it was." Wei Fengyang said with a puzzled look, "After Prince Linhuai entered to meet His Highness, I took a close look at all the guards outside. Those few people do seem somewhat similar to Ling Tianshui, but none of them look alike. It's really strange..."
"So..." the prince asked thoughtfully, "You suspect Ling Tianshui is not only alive, but has returned to the Shuofang Army. His true identity is a guard beside Prince Linhuai?"
"It's possible, but he was disguised in Chang'an, so I couldn't recognize him at the moment." Wei Fengyang frowned and said, "It's a pity that Liu Anlu couldn't come with Your Highness this time. I'm not familiar with Ling Tianshui, but he has interacted with him more often, so perhaps he can recognize him."
"Forget it. Things have come to this point. Even if the Lingling County Lady recognizes Ling Tianshui, so what?" The Crown Prince said in a cold voice. "He's already been eliminated from her list of potential husbands, and she personally declared him dead to the court. How could he stir up trouble again? In comparison, the few people left by her side are more important."
"The most difficult one is Cui Shaoqing..."
The Crown Prince's expression was somewhat grim, but he finally said, "Although the Bo Ling Cui family is the most powerful clan, they have always been established in the court. Their family background has made them successful, and their family background has also made them unsuccessful. As long as Cui Fufeng has concerns, there will always be opportunities to hinder him."
"Yes, Your Highness is very clear-headed." Wei Fengyang nodded in agreement. "Besides, it seems that Prince Mingjiu of the Huihe people is also unwilling to give up his plan to have Princess Lingling marry..."
"Although there is a possibility of marriage between the Uighurs and Kucha, Lingling is, after all, a county lord granted by the Tang Dynasty. Without the permission of the Tang court, how could they possibly reach an alliance in private?"
"Then the Grand Minister of Music Xue Xiyang..."
"He might be able to deal with others, but Lingling comes from a military family. How could she harbor such romantic thoughts? She definitely won't fall for his tricks."
"Speaking of military families, there's also Ji Linyou." Wei Fengyang pondered. "Speaking of which, he fought alongside the Lingling County Lady this time. Not only did he lead her paternal and grandfather's former troops, but after the County Lady got into trouble, he also acted very quickly, gathering a group of people overnight to rush to her rescue."
"With her father's old subordinates at home and Beiting helping her from outside, even Kucha has entrusted her with important matters. It seems Lingling's wings have truly grown strong. She can try to fly freely, fly out of Chang'an, and even the territory of the Tang Dynasty..."
The prince held the cold cheese in his hand, and although he tried his best to suppress his tone, an inexplicable burning anger suddenly rushed to his head, making his head buzz. Suddenly, he lost control and threw his hand away fiercely.
With a bang, the ice cream and the teacup fell to the ground, splashing into an unmanageable pool of filth.
Wei Fengyang was secretly alarmed. Ever since the incident with Princess Changyi, the Crown Prince had become increasingly pensive and erratic, his temper sometimes uncontrollable, leaving those around him feeling unpredictable.
The maid stepped forward tremblingly to clean up. The prince also realized that his rage was sudden and out of control. He stood up, took a deep breath, and walked to the iceberg on display, trying to calm himself down.
Wei Fengyang noticed that his back was quickly oozing with moisture, so he signaled the maid to bring him some clothes to change into. He then cautiously asked the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, the Princess of Lingling County is still young and doesn't understand the importance of the overall situation. Should we give her a little warning?"
"That's unnecessary. She's been sensible and independent-minded since she was young. Since she didn't consider my previous proposal, it means she never took me and the Tang Dynasty seriously."
The prince spoke in a slow tone as he clutched the block of ice in front of him that was carved into a fairy mountain. He would rather his palms be frozen purple than let the crystal ice melt into turbid water.
"Or perhaps, with someone else to lean on, things will be different. Now she's free as she pleases in Kucha, and no longer needs the Tang Dynasty. Her efforts have not been in vain, and I'm happy for her."
Despite this, Wei Fengyang guessed his tone and tentatively asked, "The County Princess has always been friendly with His Highness and has never gone against His Highness's wishes. Moreover, the County Princess's various actions are truly for the benefit of her homeland, Kucha. But I don't understand what Ji Linyou is up to in all this."
The prince glanced at him calmly and said, "You promised me before that you had set up a plan for Ling Tianshui to get rid of Ji Linyou, and it was foolproof."
"I was careless. I didn't expect the Lingling County Lord to find a flaw. But this time, I promise there won't be any more accidents." Wei Fengyang was clearly still brooding over his previous failure. "This whole plan, from Madam Qi, Su Yunzhong, Shi Jingning, to the Changyi County Lord, and Jin Tang, all borrowed Ji Linyou's sword. Now is the time to destroy it and use it to punish the County Lord."
"Yes, after all this travel, there aren't many candidates left for Lingling's fiancé. It's time to call it a day... Especially since this knife seems to be a bit tactless." The prince withdrew his wet hands and wiped them on a soft cloth, returning them to a pair of clean, white hands. "He's also a veteran of the battlefield. Why is he so obsessed with his personal affairs with the county lady, seeking credit, that he even harms the interests of the Tang Dynasty and disrupts Anxi's plans here?"
Wei Fengyang understood and immediately said, "Your Highness is absolutely right! In this case, we should let him know the seriousness of this matter and serve as a warning to others."
The prince did not comment, but just waved his hand, signaling him to leave.
After coming out of the prince's residence, Qiandeng stood under the boundless blue sky of Kucha and let out a long sigh.
Before coming to her homeland, she had never imagined that she would face such a situation.
But now that she has come to this point, she has to shoulder the responsibility and choose the best path for her homeland, her ancestors, and the people of Kucha who share the same blood.
Now the Xifan have been temporarily repelled, our own defense line is being set up, and the situation has been initially stabilized.
However, countless mysteries still obscure the truth. If she wants to fully gain the trust of everyone in Kucha, she must clear herself of the injustice she has suffered.
After a little thought, she walked towards Xue Xiyang's residence and decided to go and see the fish he bought at the market that day.
"Even the county lady knows that I bought a beautiful fish?"
Xue Xiyang saw her coming, put down the flute in his hand, and showed her his usual smile, his slightly raised eyebrows still charming and attractive: "County lady, come with me, I will take you to see it."
They walked together to the eaves nearby and saw a brightly painted wooden basin filled with clear water. In it was a fish about a foot long. Its back was dark purple, and its silver-gray body sides were covered with many bright red spots. It was indeed very beautiful.
"The people of Kucha call this fish Hua Chi Zi, because its dorsal fin is broad and has brightly colored stripes on it, like a colorful wing." Xue Xiyang gently moved the protruding fin to show her the beautiful pattern, then pointed inside the house. "County Lady, look, the fish I painted using my new technique, are the colors still beautiful?"
Qian Deng looked up and saw through the window a nearly finished painting on the desk. The fish in it was lifelike, exactly like the fish in the water. He casually praised, "Xue Lecheng's paintings are undoubtedly the best in the world."
Xue Xiyang looked at her happily, flicked the fish's head, and said softly, "Actually, I didn't buy this fish to paint. I knew it was rare in the river here, so I wanted to buy it and release it to pray for the county lady. After knowing what happened to the county lady, how could I have the heart to play the piano or paint?"
Qian Deng habitually ignored the particularly moving mist in his eyes and said, "No wonder I heard that you went to the Buddhist temple to borrow a basin to hold the fish."
"He even knows such detailed information. Was it Cui Shaoqing who told the county lady?" Xue Xiyang's face showed a trace of grievance, and he began his best provocative tactics again. "It's a pity. I was unarmed. After learning that the county lady was wronged, I immediately went to ask my friends in Kucha, but they were just musicians in the market. How could they help me? I also asked Cui Shaoqing, wanting to see how the court planned to help you and whether there was any use for me. But Cui Shaoqing only asked about my movements that day and didn't say a word about the county lady's situation. He actually treated me as a suspect! I asked Ji Linyou, but he just said he didn't know. Then he took people to rescue the county lady, but he kept it secret from me. I was helpless. I could only try any possible means, wandering around the Kucha Palace and burning incense in temples to pray for blessings... Fortunately, God blessed the county lady and she returned safely. She was also cleared of the injustice and gained the trust of Kucha. I was so happy!"
These words explained his recent movements clearly, revealed his feelings, expressed his grievances, and inadvertently complained about other men. The content was detailed and rich in meaning, and he retained his vixen nature.
Qian Deng smiled faintly and comforted him, "Thank you, Master Xue, for your concern for me. The situation was critical at the time, and they were worried about the news leaking out. It's only natural for them to be cautious. I hope you won't blame me."
"Of course. As long as it helps the county lady, it's worth it no matter how much injustice I endure."
It seemed that there was nothing unusual on Xue Xiyang's side. Qian Deng still had important responsibilities on his shoulders, so he said goodbye to him.
"The county lady seems worried and troubled. How about you stay for a while and I'll play a song for you to relax?"
"No, we can listen to it slowly after everything is done." Qiandeng said, his eyes lingering on the flower wing for a moment.
The brightly colored flower wings swim in the painted basin, and the spots on their bodies complement the colorful paint on the basin.
Qiandeng's eyes swept over the pattern painted on the wooden basin. Seeing that it depicted a golden autumn deer hunt and a group of people enjoying themselves, he subconsciously asked, "Is this the basin you borrowed from the temple?"
Temples are a place of seclusion and austerity, so how could they have patterns of hunting and gatherings on basins?
Xue Xiyang raised an eyebrow and looked at the pattern on the basin. He said, "The borrowed basin has naturally been returned. This is the one I just bought. I think the color and pattern match the fish very well."
"Indeed, they complement each other very well." Qiandeng said, then looked at the wooden basin again and said goodbye and left.
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