Chapter 6 Fangchen
The sky was bright and clear chirping sounds came from outside the window. It was the spring swallows pecking at the newly opened crabapple flowers and whispering on the beams.
On February 22, the Spring Equinox has passed and Qingming Festival has not yet arrived. It is the time when flowers are in full bloom.
The flower breeze in Chang'an is blowing, and now it is blooming among the peaches, plums, magnolias and crabapples.
Qiandeng walked through the flower hall to have breakfast. The magnolia flowers beside the hall were in full bloom. Startled by the laughing voices, the petals fell like snowflakes.
She looked up and saw Shangluo climbing up a ladder to the swallow's nest on the eaves, tinkering with something.
"The county lady has risen?" Jin Tang, who was helping him hold the ladder, pointed at the swallows on the beam and explained, "This nest of swallows lives under the eaves and they're always pooping outside. The other day, Yan Penglai disliked the dirt on the brick floor and refused to pass by."
Qian Deng knew about this. Because the immortal young master, who was known for his mysophobia, despised it, Amber, who was in charge of this area, was depressed and worked hard to fetch water and rinse this area repeatedly in order to gain the young master's attention.
"It's my fault, actually. I have only caused trouble to the maids." Yan Penglai, who was standing quietly beside them, was holding a few cattail mats in his hands. He was wearing a light blue robe without any patterns, but it only made him look ethereal and untainted by the mundane world.
"So I made a few cattail mats and asked Mr. Shang to hang them under each bird's nest to keep out the filth."
Qian Deng was a little surprised that this otherworldly person could be so considerate and thoughtful. She smiled at him and said, "Mr. Yan is quite meticulous."
Yan Penglai lowered his cheeks slightly, his long, dark eyelashes covering his distant, dark eyes. He said softly, "My mother said that swallows coming to our house is a good omen. She used to do this too, weaving a cattail mat for them."
Qiandeng remembered that his mother had passed away, so he just nodded to him and told Shangluo to be careful.
Shangluo agreed, looked inside the nest, and said excitedly, "The chicks have hatched, there are four of them!"
Seeing him raise his hand to touch the bird, Jin Tang below hurriedly stopped him: "Don't let the little birds get caught up in human popularity, or the big birds won't want them anymore! When I was a kid, I tried to touch Jin Tuan Tuan and was almost blinded by its mother!"
Shangluo retracted his hand and turned around to see two big swallows perched on the eaves, chirping anxiously, worried that he would hurt their children.
"Okay, okay, who told you to love pooping so much? Can't I just leave?" Seeing the big swallow preparing to fly over and flutter at him, Shangluo quickly jumped off the ladder.
This ladder was naturally borrowed from the Jin family's workers. The three of them were preparing to clean up all the swallows' nests in the mansion.
Jin Tang also mentioned the progress of the palace renovations to Qian Deng: "The kitchen and storehouse in the front yard have been completely renovated. Now there are still some corners in the backyard that need some paint and plastering. However, there will be more workers in the next two days. Spring is coming, and I have someone clear the underground sewers and remove the silt."
Before he finished speaking, Qiandeng heard a noise behind him. He turned around and saw groups of craftsmen pouring in, silting the waterways, canals, open ditches and hidden pools. They wished there were ten hands wiping away every piece of silt.
Shangluo was stunned: "Brother Jin, why are there so many people here? It's not necessary, right?"
"Humph, this is for Princess Gao's mansion to see." Jin Tang sneered, "I heard that Princess Gao had a nightmare the night before. She dreamed that she fell into the water. After waking up with fear, she became crazy and asked my family to send a group of workers to help drain all the ponds and ditches in the mansion."
"Tsk, she's the worst. Cousin Jin, please don't pay any attention to her!" Shang Luo immediately put his hands on his hips in anger when he heard the name Princess Gao. "Let the people in her palace dig her away slowly!"
Jin Tang smiled at him and said, "That's right. After all, we have to help the county lady with the repairs, so we don't have any manpower left, right?"
Looking at the two childish people in front of him, Yan Penglai flipped the cattail mat in his hand, and Qiandeng was thinking about Princess Gao's nightmare. The two looked at each other in silence.
Shangluo said, "That wicked woman should have nightmares every day! She almost caused the county lady to marry a foreign prince, yet the sage only fined her one year's salary. It's so infuriating!"
Jin Tang said: "Don't talk about her, what we need to deal with now is the Huihe people who squeezed in..."
Before he finished speaking, he heard someone laugh from behind: "What do you mean by forcing your way in? If it weren't for my petty sentimentality, I would have been galloping on the grassland with the fairy beads!"
Shangluo carefully reminded: "That, is being reasonable..."
Jin Tang, who had been caught badmouthing someone, stared at his muscular figure, shrank his head, and muttered to himself, "You're so arrogant! When Ling Tianshui comes back, won't I teach you a lesson?"
Mingjiu walked to the flower hall and sat at the table with a solemn expression to eat breakfast, complaining to Qiandeng, "It's cakes and porridge again. Your cook is not good enough. When can you make some milk tea, meat patties and fried naan?"
The other gentlemen usually had their meals delivered to their residences, and occasionally came to the kitchen to get something to eat, or simply went out to eat. Only Mingjiu relied on his status to come and dine with Qiandeng every day.
Jin Tang said sourly, "If Prince isn't used to the food here, then I can recommend a place for you. My family has several restaurants, a hotel in the front yard, and accommodation in the back yard. I'll have them set up as a Uighur camp for you, and they'll bring you a roasted whole lamb every morning!"
"What do you know?" Ming Jiu patted his chest and said, "I'm a grown man, so what if I suffer a little for my future princess? As the saying goes, if you die under the peony flowers, you will be fertilizer as a ghost!"
Shangluo's mouth twitched and he swallowed the word "romantic".
While eating, the eagle asked, "I'm going hunting with my brothers today. Do you want to come with me? I'll let you see my body!"
Shangluo and Jintang were shocked, and it took them a while to come to their senses: "Skills! Who wants to see your body!"
Qian Deng shook his head: "I have some things to do here and cannot get away. Your Highness, please enjoy yourself."
"Alright then, go do your thing first." Ming Jiu didn't force him. He wiped his mouth, got up, and left excitedly. "Wait until I shoot a big yellow sheep and roast it whole for you!"
After finally finishing breakfast, the group dispersed. Qiandeng walked down the stairs, stood under the eaves and looked up at the beam.
The swallow family huddled together in the little nest, chirping and making a lot of noise.
"February 22nd..." she murmured subconsciously.
Daimao prepared the carriage, put on a veil and changed into plain clothes, and headed out of the city towards the mountain.
Last year's weeds have been cleared, and this year's new spring grass is lush and spread across the Changhua Royal Tomb.
Qian Deng burned incense and prayed in front of his ancestors' tombs. Looking at the graves of his family members, he said softly to them, "Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother...your Deng Deng has turned seventeen today."
Seventeen years ago today, she was born.
Her mother was in pain all day and finally gave birth to her at dusk. She became the only owner of the third generation of Changhua Palace.
At that time, Prince Changhua held her in his arms and couldn't let her go. He boasted to everyone that the child looked like his grandmother, Queen Guishan, and would definitely bring glory to the Bai family in the future, as if she was not a little baby girl in swaddling clothes, but the glory of the Bai family.
Today, the baby girl, who was cherished by her family, has grown into a 17-year-old girl. However, when she stands in front of the graves of her father and grandfather, she feels that her future is bleak.
There were so many things lingering in her mind - the truth about her mother's death, the expectations of her father, grandfather and country, the evildoers lurking in the backyard, the dilemma of being forced to marry... She didn't know how to go on.
She thought about the numerous adversities that she was destined to face but had no idea how to deal with, and sat in the mausoleum of her ancestors for a long time without realizing it.
Until noon, a gentle voice came from behind: "County Lady, so you are here?"
Qiandeng turned around and saw Cui Fufeng walking towards her at the end of the sacred road and the entrance to the cemetery.
This noble beauty, praised by everyone in the capital, was not wearing her official uniform today. She was only wearing a round-necked robe with a blue lotus background and silver cloud patterns, which made her look even more elegant and noble.
Qian Deng woke up as if from a dream, raised his hand to rub his brow, stood up and asked him: "Didn't Cui Shaoqing go to the yamen for duty today?"
Cui Fufeng took incense from the old soldier guarding the mausoleum and offered sacrifices. He said to her, "There was nothing to do at the government office, so I took half a day off. I heard that the county lady had come to the mausoleum, so I came to see her."
Qian Deng nodded silently and said, "Today is my birthday, so... I wanted to get together with my family."
"The Prince, Princess, and the Crown Prince's wife must be very pleased in their graves to see the County Lady grow up to be so intelligent and determined." Cui Fufeng gazed at her deeply and said with a smile, "However, a birthday is a good day, and we should be happy. It just so happens that Ling Tianshui has returned today. Let's go and find him."
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