Chapter 3 Come on everyone
Once you start recruiting, you will always have two. Once you start recruiting people, it seems like you can’t stop.
Within two days, Shangluo brought back gossip from the Imperial College, saying that Yu Guangling's house was burned down by the rebel army and now he had nowhere to live, and the Imperial College had no vacant dormitories for the time being.
The heartless young boy touched his own wounds, feeling a mixture of gloating and worry. "Brother Guangling, my parents, and I scavenged scrap wood from the ruins and barely built a shed to live in, but it's leaking and the whole family is soaked in water. Sigh... he's definitely not going to score as well as me next time, but I can't be happy either."
Qiandeng naturally remembers Yu Guangling.
He was calm and quiet, like a deer resting in the woods. In my memory, he rarely spoke, but his moist, gentle eyes would always gaze quietly at everyone in front of him, smiling silently, without any quarrels with the world.
Qian Deng turned around to look at Aunt Xuanji. Sure enough, she also had a look of pity on her face. She sighed, "With this war and natural disasters, no one in Chang'an can live in peace..."
With more people living in the backyard, Qiandeng had a kind of self-abandonment, like "too many lice don't itch, too many debts don't worry" and said: "How about we talk to Aunt Yingluo and see if we can take Yu's family in to tide us over for now?"
"No, we can't accept any more people into our house!"
As the female historian in charge of finances and grain in the palace, Aunt Yingluo was truly consumed by the affairs of the palace. "The first few gentlemen shouldn't have been accepted in the first place, and now more are moving in one after another. Does the county lady understand the consequences?"
"Yes, they are just unmarried candidates. It is indeed not appropriate to let them live in the palace." Qian Deng pondered, "But anyway, the previous ones have been accepted..."
Aunt Xuanji, having witnessed the reasons why she took in young men several times, naturally stepped forward to help her bear Aunt Yingluo's complaints: "The young men who came to live here all had their reasons. The county lady is also kind-hearted. No one in the community would criticize her. It would be okay to take in another young man, right?"
Yingluo ignored her and said, "County Lady, one more person means one more mouth to feed. Now that you are the only one in the palace, you have to shoulder the responsibility of the entire palace..."
"Yes, I'm the only one left in the mansion, so I think this might be an opportunity." Qian Deng gestured for Aunts Xuanji and Yingluo to sit down first, and lowered his voice to say to them, "Now that Su Yunzhong is dead and Nanyu has been exiled, these eight remaining gentlemen are all the ones my mother pointed out before her death and hoped I would marry. However, they were also all suspects on the night my mother died."
When she brought up the cause of Lady Qi's death again, the two aunts were shocked and listened to her solemnly.
"Su Yunzhong died so suddenly that his remains remain undiscovered. Therefore, Uncle Fu's death remains an unsolved case. The letter my mother left me is also missing. I've pondered these past few days, and the unsolved mysteries ultimately lie with these candidates for husbands."
"Is there more to Uncle Fu's death? And there's Madam's letter... Yes, Madam once mentioned a letter to me." Aunt Xuanji's expression changed slightly as she asked, "The county lady is suggesting that we take advantage of the situation and investigate further once they enter the palace. Perhaps we can find some clues?"
"Yes, I believe that the mastermind behind this can hide for a while, but not forever. They might be able to hide well enough outside, but as long as they enter the palace, under our noses, they will definitely be exposed one day."
Aunt Xuanji looked at her determined and stern expression and her eyes couldn't help but turn red.
Aunt Yingluo's eyes were filled with tears as she choked up and said, "But County Lady, with so many people entering the mansion, inside and outside, can you handle it?"
"Why would I be so unbearable? Anyway, I've already earned a terrible reputation in the capital. Tigress, female demon, unlucky husband... so what's the harm in a few more criticisms behind my back?"
"That's not what I meant." Aunt Yingluo sighed, pulling out the account book and pressing it in front of her. "I mean, my dear county lady, we can no longer afford to support men, especially so many men!"
Qiandeng took the account book and looked confused: "What?"
"Originally, it was not easy for you to manage the palace with the salary of a county lady. Now there are more than a dozen mouths to feed in the palace, and the backyard needs to be renovated. This..."
Qian Deng was puzzled: "Don't we still have fields in our mansion?"
"When the rebel army passed through, their horses ate the wheat and trampled the farmland. This year's harvest has all failed. Didn't you, the county lord, waive rent for all the tenants a while ago? I'm afraid you'll have to pay subsidies after winter."
"Then, what about the money stored in the mansion?"
"The palace was completely looted by the rebel army. When we hid in the cellar, we only managed to save the most important imperial gifts and family heirlooms, which we couldn't sell!"
"Where's the shop?"
"Shops all over the capital have been looted and burned. Not a single one has been spared!" Seeing Qian Deng still unaware of the crisis, Aunt Ying Luo was truly the eunuch who worried more than the emperor. "County Lady, the palace's front hall and backyard, which were burned by the rebel army, haven't been repaired yet. Do you think it's because there's too much going on? It's because we're broke!"
Qiandeng, who was only sixteen years old and had never worried about these things, was stunned.
After pondering for a moment, she hesitated and said, "In that case, let's not repair the house for now. After all, we only need a few rooms, enough for us to live in. I'm at home in mourning now, so I can cut down on food, clothing, and travel. Let's get through this period first."
"How is this possible? Our dignified palace can't even maintain its pomp and dignity. Wouldn't we be ridiculed? Besides, the Prince of Linhuai has defeated the rebel army, and the Emperor and Empress will soon return to the capital. The ceremony will be grand, and although you are in mourning, you will have to welcome them. Clothes must be made, and jewelry must match. We can't lose the style of the palace..." Aunt Yingluo said, tears almost falling. "So, County Lady, now there are several more people in the mansion, big and small, what do you think we should do?"
"My gentlemen shouldn't cause any trouble. Besides, the Emperor and Empress have returned to the palace, and everything at court is back on track. My salary will be paid soon..."
"My Lord, the situation is so bad that I've already delayed my salary for several months. Now with all this unrest, I think it's even worse..."
Before he finished speaking, Liuli came hurriedly from behind, saying with some embarrassment: "County Lady, another young man is here..."
Aunt Yingluo immediately held her forehead with her hand, looking as if she had lost all hope in life.
Frightened Qian Deng hurriedly comforted her: "Don't worry, auntie, it's just one more person. I... just wait for me to think of a way to see if we can have both!"
However, when Qiandeng looked over, he was stunned.
This isn't just one person coming, it's a whole team.
Jin Tang, the youngest son of the Jin family, the richest man in the Tang Dynasty, took the lead, bringing with him servants, craftsmen, maids, and old women, carrying beams and wooden pillars, and carrying iron shovels, axes and chisels, and soon the gate was packed.
"County Lady, I'm late. I only recently learned of the damage done to the palace. I'm sorry I've wronged you!" Jin Tang waved his hand, and the servants filed in. They immediately went to the backyard to clear the pond of weeds, repair the pavilions, repaint the damaged beams and pillars, and whitewash the burned walls...
The gentlemen who had already moved into the backyard were also alarmed and came out to check.
Aunt Yingluo was both surprised and delighted: "This... I'm afraid it will be inconvenient to ask Master Jin to repair the palace's houses?"
"What's the inconvenience? The county lady protected me before, and now that the palace has been damaged, I will do my best to help." Jin Tang patted his chest and said, "Besides, it will be more comfortable to live in after cleaning it up. After all, I can't get used to living in a bad place!"
Ji Linyou leaned against the pillar with his arms folded, sensitively grasping the key point of the words: "What do you mean by 'not being able to get used to living here'?"
"Well, renovating the palace won't be easy, and my servants aren't easy to boss around, so I...I have to come in and supervise." Jin Tang said confidently, but when he looked at Qian Deng, he lost his confidence. "County Lady, look...I'll come in and supervise and help repair the backyard, is that okay?"
Qiandeng was still hesitating when Aunt Yingluo poked her arm. She looked back and saw Aunt Yingluo's eyes gleaming, with a tragic expression that said, "If you don't agree, I'll kneel down and hug your legs and cry."
Qian Deng could only close his eyes and nod, succumbing to the power of money.
She only made one request, which was to raise the backyard wall, completely seal all the doors, leaving only two doors for entry and exit, and reinforce the keys.
Although the backyard was completely separated from the palace and became two separate places, Jin Tang was still very happy as long as he could live in the nominal backyard and not fall behind others.
"Also, the candidate husband can live here, but no one else is allowed to serve in the hospital."
I thought the spoiled and pampered Jin Tang would be embarrassed, but he said confidently: "Of course, I am the only one who can help the county lady. How can they be qualified?"
As he spoke, he waved his hand to signal the attendants behind him to carry up their belongings. "County Master, is there a spacious place suitable for me to live?"
Qiandeng looked at the huge team behind him carrying things, from mother-of-pearl beds to glass couches, from lacquer hanging screens to gauze screens, from gold basins and jade bottles to silver bowls and ivory chopsticks, from brocade quilts to clothes for all seasons... the whole street was packed.
She couldn't help but twitch her lips slightly: "I'm afraid the whole palace is not spacious enough."
Xue Xiyang raised his peach blossom eyes slightly, his usual smile tinged with a hint of sarcasm: "Young Master Jin is still just a candidate, right? How come 120 dowries have already arrived?"
Shi Jingning's four younger brothers and sisters were peeking out from behind him, chattering, "Dowry? Who's marrying into the palace? Where's the bride?"
"Brother, can I have some wedding candy? I'll just eat one and rinse my mouth after..."
Amidst the clamor, Qian Deng, feeling obligated to take advantage of others, could only point to the most spacious Golden Maple Pavilion and say, "Except for daily necessities, you are not allowed to bring anything else in."
"Okay!" Jin Tangle happily carried Jin Tuantuan into the palace gate. As Jin Tuantuan repeatedly called out "Beautiful and kind-hearted County Lady," he and the workers behind him bowed to express their gratitude.
"Thank you, County Master, for taking me in!"
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