Chapter 4 Nice to meet you
Qiandeng wore a pomegranate red skirt with gold butterfly patterns, and a gold-thread pleated shawl, which outlined the girl's graceful and slender figure.
The mother looked him over and was very satisfied: "It fits perfectly. It suits Deng Deng perfectly!"
A group of maids followed the lady to discuss the matter around Qiandeng, happily picking out the jewelry in the dressing box. In the end, they combed her hair into a double-braided bun, pinned her with pearl-decorated golden phoenixes on both sides, and pasted a gold foil flower on her forehead.
Ever since the passing of Prince Changhua, his wife, and the Crown Prince, the Changhua Palace had been quiet for a long time. Within the secluded courtyard, not only had ten young, handsome, and dazzling gentlemen arrived today, but even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had arrived in person.
Qian Deng welcomed the prince into the inner hall for tea and said with a smile, "My mother was so busy urging me to dress that she forgot about me. Now she is busy getting dressed, so I have to go and greet His Highness first."
"That's fine. Actually, I came here privately to watch the ceremony. After all, today is your big day, and I want to know who your husband will be as soon as possible."
Their relationship was different, and the prince didn't treat her with contempt in private. He looked at her bright clothes with a smile in his eyes: "Lingling really looks good in bright colors. You used to be too plain. You look more like a cheerful person."
The prince was two years older than her. When the palace coup happened, he had not yet fully grown and was about the same height as her. But three years later, the boy had grown taller and was now half a head taller than Qiandeng.
Although he just turned eighteen, the prince has been in the court since he was a child, so he looks more stable and gentle than ordinary people.
He personally handed over an eight-treasure wish-fulfilling box: "This is a gift specially prepared by the palace for you today. May you find your ideal husband and live in harmony with your wife."
Qiandeng thanked him and opened the agarwood box. Inside was a pair of nine extremely gorgeous golden tree and pearl flower hairpins, which shone brilliantly against the red velvet background.
Qiandeng picked up one and looked at it, his eyes filled with wonder and joy. "Thank you, Your Highness. However, these nine golden flowers are so precious that Lingling is afraid he would be unworthy of receiving them."
"Why should you be ashamed? You certainly deserve it." The prince looked at the grown-up girl in front of him, his eyes filled with emotion. "Do you know why I asked for the title of Lingling for you?"
Qian Deng looked at him questioningly. His voice was soft, but his gaze on her was even softer than his voice. "That day during the palace coup, when you and I exchanged clothes, the hairpins on your head fell to the ground, making a ringing sound. In my heart..."
He paused for a moment, but seemed reluctant to continue. He stared at her face for a moment before saying, "In short, the title of Lingling suits you best, as does this hairpin."
Qiandeng blinked. Actually, when the title of Lingling was announced, everyone in the palace was shocked. After all, Lingling was the former prefecture of Emperor Shun, a place where marquises were granted, at least the rank of a princess, not something a county lady should have.
However, the grace from heaven was too great to be refused, so Qiandeng just smiled at him, carefully closed the box, thanked the prince, and ordered someone to store the things properly in the warehouse.
Seeing that everyone was busy, the prince moved closer to her and said in a low voice, "I have seen these ten candidates for your husband. Although they are all good, if you are not satisfied, I will talk to my father, the emperor, and my mother, and ask them to change the candidates."
"Forget it. My reputation is notorious, and it's already hard to find someone willing to be a candidate, so I won't force it." Qian Deng shook his head and said, "Besides, these ten young men were carefully selected by the Ministry of Rites, so they should be good."
Speaking of the Ministry of Rites, the Crown Prince frowned and looked back at the gate: "It's already this late, and Cui Fufeng hasn't come yet. Is this matter at the Ministry of Rites so difficult?"
Cui Fufeng?
The Cui family of Boling is the most prominent of the aristocratic families, and the second branch is the most prominent one among them. Cui Fufeng is the best among the children of the second branch's generation. With his status and future, he is more than qualified to be the match of the princess. How could he come here?
Qian Deng quickly grabbed the roll of names next to him and looked at it again: "Why is Cui Fufeng here? He's not on the list."
"He is the Deputy Minister of Rites, and he will come today to preside over your selection of a son-in-law."
"I was wondering, you gave me a scare." Qian Deng closed the book and asked curiously, "I heard Cui Fufeng is young and steady, and never makes mistakes. Why is he late today?"
"Recently, troops from various northern garrisons have arrived. They pay homage to the monarch once every three years, as per custom, to prevent them from becoming arrogant while commanding large forces abroad for too long." The Crown Prince seemed to have a hint of worry between his brows, but he tried to downplay it to someone outside the court. "The troops from Jingyuan had just suppressed a rebellion nearby, so they were the first to arrive. Customarily, the court rewards the troops, but the Ministry of Rites is worried that too generous a reward would foster arrogance, while too little would lead to discontent. They've been arguing over the rules for days."
Although he didn't elaborate, Qian Deng couldn't help but feel a little worried when he thought of the thousands of Jingyuan soldiers stationed outside the city. "I heard that the Jingyuan soldiers are brave and good at fighting. So... if they start a riot, will the court have the power to control it?"
The prince gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Don't worry, it's not just them who are coming. There's also the Prince of Linhuai, he will be here soon."
King of Linhuai.
This name made Qiandeng's eyelashes tremble slightly, and her fingertips involuntarily touched her injured brow bone.
The knife that King Linhuai used to split the plaque in the blood and fire three years ago is still engraved in her heart.
The knife light reflecting the blazing fire at that time was not as sharp and burning as his gaze.
Countless times when she woke up from nightmares, she would repeatedly and involuntarily hate those two people in her heart——
He set up a plan to use someone else's power to impersonate Cui Fufeng, the crown prince.
Prince Linhuai trapped the chaotic army in the palace alleys and strangled them all in one fell swoop.
Especially the King of Linhuai.
Before the palace coup, he had beheaded the imperial military supervisor and refused the emperor's summons. At such a young age, he was in charge of two towns and eight armies with hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Apart from morality and ethics, there was no shackle that could bind him in the Tang Dynasty.
During that time, her grandfather was preparing for war, and she had heard him and her father secretly say that the Prince of Linhuai was unruly and ambitious, and would be a great threat to the court in the future. The Beiting Protectorate bordered the Anxi Protectorate, where her grandfather was stationed, and the Prince of Changhua was the first barrier to attack the Prince of Linhuai.
But before his words could be heard, a coup had already begun.
Prince Linhuai and Cui Fufeng handled this chaos cleanly and efficiently. Everything went smoothly and calmly, and the court and the public praised it as a blessing for the country and the people.
Only the Prince of Changhua and the Crown Prince, used as pawns in suppressing the rebellion, both passed away. While their achievements were recorded in history, only an orphan daughter and a widow were left in the palace.
Unable to conceal his uneasiness, Qian Deng, knowing full well that this was wrong, still reminded the Crown Prince, "Although the Prince of Linhuai is extremely powerful, the imperial court should still exercise more restraint to prevent him from escaping the cage..."
Having said that, she shut up.
The tiger and the rhinoceros had already escaped from the cage, and everyone in the world knew about it. The King of Linhuai was arrogant and domineering, and no one could control him.
He knew she was hinting at him not to drive a tiger into the wolf, but since the game between the court and Prince Linhuai had reached this point, the Crown Prince could only comfort her and himself, saying, "Although Prince Linhuai may have been arrogant, he inherited the title at a young age. Without such skill, how could he have defended the northwest? Moreover, he was truly loyal to the emperor when he quelled the palace coup. The court trusts him, so we don't have to worry too much."
Yes, only people like that can calm the current chaotic situation.
Thinking of this, Qiandeng sighed lightly and subconsciously stroked the scar on his brow.
In fact, in the fire three years ago, she did not see the face of Prince Linhuai covered by his helmet.
Only those deep, dark, and distant eyes pierced through the raging fire and the cold blade, just like the scar on the end of his eyebrow, engraved in her life, which would probably never be erased.
Such a person is destined to be strong throughout his life, fighting all over the place. He cannot be tamed by any force and will never bow down to anyone.
Including the crumbling imperial court and the emperor far away in the palace.
Qian Deng thought about the terrifying and dangerous man, looked at the simple and peaceful prince in front of him, sighed softly, and let go of his worries about being powerless.
The maid outside reported that Cui Fufeng, the Deputy Minister of Rites, had arrived.
Qiandeng and the prince stood in the corridor, watching the young man walking towards her on the green bricks and green grass.
The young man who had put the jade crown on her head during the palace coup three years ago, met her again today, and his charm was even better than before.
He had just come of age, and on his slender and upright body he wore a round-necked robe of smoky purple silk, tightly bound by a winding belt. His face was as bright and radiant as the rising sun, and he looked like a god walking out of the misty sky.
All the candidates in the room had outstanding looks, each with their own merits, but none of them could match his noble bearing that had been cultivated through hundreds of years of aristocratic family life.
He wore no official uniform or hat. After all, the Ministry of Rites' selection of a husband for the county princess was a difficult matter to define. To call it an official matter was a precedent at court; to call it a private matter was neither legitimate nor justifiable, so he came in plain clothes.
Thinking that he, an unmarried man, had to choose a husband for a woman, Cui Fufeng felt confused and helpless.
It wasn't until he looked down the corridor and saw the girl behind the prince that his eyes narrowed slightly and an unspeakable emotion arose in his heart.
The night of the palace coup three years ago is still vivid in my mind, but the stubborn and fearless little girl back then is now a young girl in her prime.
She stood in the corridor, bowed to him as a gesture of respect, and said in a clear and bright voice: "Mr. Cui, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The haze of pain did not break her. The orchid that was once weak has now blossomed into a beautiful flower, and after being baptized by wind and rain, it is even more fragrant and radiant.
Cui Fufeng's usually cold expression softened, and he nodded to her, "Princess Lingling, nice to meet you."
Back then, she had her eyebrows and eyes damaged because of the scheme he set up, and became what people called a woman with no relatives and no luck in marrying her.
And today, he is the one who presides over her husband-choosing ceremony and selects her lifelong partner.
Fate goes around in circles, confusing and unclear, perhaps it is all destined.
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