Chapter 1: No Relatives, Punishment to Husband
"Disfigured!"
Chang'an's West Market was bustling with activity. On a late summer afternoon, the sweltering heat made people sluggish, and merchants from all over the country gathered in pavilions along the river to chat.
The focus of recent discussions has mostly been on the Princess of Lingling County in the Changhua Palace.
"During the palace coup three years ago, I heard that half of the young county lady's face was covered in blood, and her appearance was completely ruined!"
"That's right, everyone. I know this best. The eldest son of my wife's uncle's neighbor's cousin was among the attendants that day!" A man in the room was talking excitedly, spit flying. "After the Prince of Changhua and the Crown Prince passed away, the Sage went to pay his respects in person and brought along the officials from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to help choose a mausoleum. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau and Luo Lingtai disagreed, and they couldn't decide for a while. Later, Yan Buzheng, now Yan Bucheng, proposed that the mausoleum should be named Chang or Chi, suitable for sons and grandsons, and that the descendants of the palace should be invited to consider it - isn't there an orphan girl left in the Prince of Changhua's palace?"
Everyone nearby had heard about this and nodded in agreement.
After the young princess was invited out, the emperor and all the officials who came to pay their respects saw her disfigured face and were all shocked and regretful.
A large blood scab had formed from the young county lady's forehead to her eyebrow, and the surrounding skin and flesh had shrunk, pulling the corners of her eyebrows and eyes slanted upwards. Half of her face had lost its human form, which was truly horrifying.
"The Grand Astrologer and Luo Lingtai were both at a loss for words, but it was Yan Bucheng who pointed out that the knife wound that slashed across the right eyebrow bone, piercing the Huagai in front, breaking through the Jiemen in the back, reaching tombs above, and destroying farmland and houses below... Do you know what this facial feature means?"
An old man in the pavilion seemed to know something about physiognomy. He stroked his beard and said, "This is a very ominous face. No wonder the moment the Lingling County Lady's face was disfigured, the Changhua County Prince and the Crown Prince met with tragic deaths, and the Princess passed away from excessive grief."
"That's right, it's the physiognomy that Yan Bucheng judged. She has no relatives and will have bad luck with her husband!" The Princess of Lingling County had a bad reputation, and everyone present knew it, so they all responded immediately.
"But this county lady, who has no relatives and is unlucky in marriage, will choose a husband tomorrow!"
"This time, the selection of a husband is going to be a big deal. She's going to choose from ten husbands sent to her by the imperial court!"
The wind carried the willow branches, carrying the noise of the people in the pavilion to the willow trees beside the pavilion. A mother and daughter got out of the car to get some fresh air and listened to the discussion.
The maids and nannies standing beside the carriage changed their expressions slightly, and glanced at the girl wearing a veil.
The veil covered her face, but could not hide her hidden anger. She raised her hand to grab the gauze curtain outside the veil, but felt bored after holding it, so she finally let it go without lifting it.
The maid Daimao beside her was furious. She stamped her foot and was about to rush into the pavilion: "How dare you! How dare such a person gossip about our palace's affairs?"
"Forget it, why bother with these idle people?" The girl raised her hand to signal her to stop, and said coldly, "Whether I am disfigured or not, whether I am unlucky or not, is not their decision."
Even so, her mother saw the veil of her veil tremble slightly and knew that she must be angry. She put her arm around her shoulders and said softly, "Dengdeng, don't worry about these rumors. Tomorrow is your big day. Let's not let them disturb your mood."
The girl wearing a veil hat is naturally Bai Qiandeng, the Princess of Lingling County.
After her father and grandfather passed away, she stayed at home in mourning for three years, never leaving the house except for visiting the graves during the New Year holidays, and never seeing anyone. Today, in preparation for tomorrow's selection, she went shopping with her mother, but unexpectedly, she was nowhere to be seen in Chang'an, and instead was filled with rumors about her.
Qian Deng tried to ignore them, but the people in the pavilion were already talking loudly: "Ten candidates for husband! They were all carefully selected. I wonder if they can tame the tigress that is Lingling County Master?"
"That's right! I heard that Princess Lingling practiced martial arts with her father and grandfather since she was young, so she must be big and strong! And with such a bad luck for her husband, wow, wow, wow, wow, no wonder everyone in Chang'an said she would never get married. But her family is full of loyal and brave people, so the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Justice have joined forces to find ten husband candidates for her, which can be regarded as a comfort to the spirits of the heroes in heaven!"
"Nonsense! Although she has a bad reputation, she is a county lady and is favored by the emperor. Even if her appearance is disfigured and she looks like a bad luck to her husband, the man who marries her will have a bright future!"
"What do you mean by marry? This is called Shang! The right name is Shang County Master!"
A young man in the pavilion winked and said, "Wealth and honor are alluring. I'd like to give it a try, too. But unfortunately, after considering my fate, I'm afraid I'm not strong enough."
This statement immediately drew ridicule from those around him: "Take a piss and look at your own behavior. You still dream of running for the election? Those ten were carefully selected from all the eligible young men in the capital. If you're not the best of the best, how can you be qualified to see the county lady tomorrow?"
Someone else said mysteriously, "Speaking of fate, I know a candidate who's definitely not afraid of the county lady being a bad luck to her husband. Didn't Shengfa Casino offer betting? Bet on who will end up as the county lady, and I've already placed my bet on him!"
"Are you talking about Yu Guangling? It is said that he was selected because the Imperial Astronomical Bureau calculated that his fate was exactly the same as the county lord's. I also bet a thousand coins on him!"
"Tsk, the county lady is young, she must love a handsome man. I will go to Yan Penglai right now. He is the second most handsome man in the world and no one dares to claim first place. How could a young lady not love this immortal man?"
Someone nearby laughed, "Brother, your knowledge is rather shallow. In my opinion, the county lord is more likely to choose Ji Linyou. After all, the Changhua Palace was founded on military merit, so the county lord will definitely prefer a military commander."
"Then I'll go bet on Jin Tang, the son of Chang'an's richest man! The county lady wasn't raised on dew, so if she chooses him, she'll be rich and extravagant for the rest of her life. What's wrong with that?"
Another person applauded and laughed. "That's good, but unfortunately Young Master Jin is so determined to win that he's already invested millions of gold on himself. Now he's got the odds at even, so no matter how much we bet, we won't win a cent!"
The bustling crowd was laughing continuously. Qian Deng was too lazy to listen any more and quickly got on the carriage.
Her mother got in the car, took her arm, and sighed, "Don't worry, Dengdeng. I saw Princess Danleng yesterday. She read your fortune and said you'll find a good husband in this life, and everything will be perfect for you."
Princess Danleng got along very well with her mother. Because her husband died after being involved in a court struggle, she became a nun, practiced Buddhism at home with her hair uncut, and lived the same life as before.
"I think Princess Danleng is living a good life..." Qiandeng was just saying this when there was a loud drum and music outside and the carriage had to stop.
She lifted a corner of the car curtain and looked over, only to see the sign for Shengfa Casino. The entrance was decorated with lights and colorful banners, and many people were scrambling to get in. "I'm betting on Meng Lanxi!"
"I'm betting everything on Su Yunzhong!"
Qiandeng folded her arms and sneered as she listened to the name of her husband written on the scroll.
There are ten people, and each of them has made more or less bets. It seems that each candidate has his or her own strengths, and none of them is an ordinary person.
At this moment, a loud laugh suddenly came from the side of the carriage.
The voice was extremely clear and moving, but unfortunately the tone was frivolous and playful, not serious at all: "How dare you gamble with our lifelong affairs? Do you think the court, the Changhua Palace, and the Lingling County Princess are nothing?"
Qiandeng turned his head and glanced over. A young man in gorgeous clothes was standing behind the crowd with several girls dressed quite brightly, watching the lively atmosphere with hand-painted folding fans.
Someone who knew him immediately greeted him: "Master Xue Xiyang!"
"Oh, Xue Lecheng, the romantic who is known all over the world and whose songs moved Chang'an, you are also one of the candidates tomorrow. What do you think? Are you confident that you can become the county lady's husband?"
So, this is Xue Xiyang, who is the Minister of Music and one of her candidates for husband.
Qiandeng gently lifted the curtain to examine him. He was smiling, his clothes loose and his belt slung wide. Standing among the group of women, he looked incredibly charming and suave. "Confidence? Throughout my life, Xue has never been inferior to anyone. The one who can truly harmonize with the county lady must be me—Ah Sheng!"
A long-time attendant behind him immediately stepped forward and responded.
"Go and bet one hundred gold coins that I, Xue Xiyang, will win the title of County Lady's husband tomorrow!"
A group of people behind him burst into laughter, some applauded, and some cheered.
Qian Deng in the carriage glanced at the frivolous smiling face, sneered, and loosened his fingers, letting the curtain fall, blocking out the hustle and bustle on the street.
"Mother, why don't I become a nun like Princess Danleng?"
The mother was horrified. "What nonsense are you talking about? Tomorrow, all the best young men in Chang'an will gather in front of you. Every one of them is an outstanding talent and a handsome man. Why are you suddenly saying such a thing? We named you Qiandeng, not Qingdeng!"
Qian Deng listened to the laughter outside with a sullen look, her voice slightly cold: "Ten candidates for husband... If the sacrifices of my grandfather and father are exchanged for this kind of 'compensation' from the court, then I would rather not have it!"
The mother couldn't help but sigh: "Why bother with these idle people? Tomorrow the gentlemen will come, just pick the one you like."
"A single glimpse reveals the whole picture. Among these ten men, who wasn't forced here by the imperial court, seduced by power? Otherwise, who would be willing to marry me, a woman said to be disfigured, unlucky in marriage, and of a terrible reputation?"
"Nonsense! A daughter as good as my mother's is naturally worthy of all the good men in Chang'an vying for her hand in marriage." Her mother raised her hands and hugged her tightly, patting her back gently. She whispered, "Dengdeng, I only have you, and you are the only one in the palace. Tomorrow, you must not act willfully. You must carefully choose a suitable man and not have any more inappropriate thoughts. Do you understand?"
Qiandeng buried his face in his mother's shoulder, closed his eyes silently and took a deep breath.
Yes, she can't be willful.
This is the wish of the court and also the wish of my mother.
With both her father and grandfather dead, the Changhua Palace is now in ruins, and her mother, too frail to bear the weight of the palace. She has endured these past three years, her only hope being that her daughter would soon find a husband of her dreams and support this crumbling palace.
"I understand..." Qian Deng leaned on her mother's shoulder, regulating her breathing and forcibly pushing away all the grief and resentment from her chest. She said depressedly, "I will carefully consider and choose a husband who is most suitable for me and for the palace."
Hearing her say this, her mother finally felt relieved and patted her on the back with relief. "Tomorrow is your important day, Deng Deng. Don't worry too much. I believe you will be able to choose a good husband and become the happiest woman in the world!"
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