Chapter 27: Each with His Own Thoughts
Qiandeng returned to the corridor, where Aunt Xuanji was waiting for her. She was clearly aware that Shi Jingning had lent her the kitchen to make snacks, and she sighed, "County Lady, it's Mr. Shi's gift after all. It's good that you have two more. You haven't been eating or sleeping well lately..."
"If there's one, there'll be two. If there's two, there'll be three. Accepting their kindness will only cause more trouble. How can I afford to play along with them right now?"
Qian Deng said this while wiping his fingertips with a handkerchief as he walked towards the warehouse. When he looked up, he saw the third person coming.
It was Meng Lanxi who came along the stone path, carrying a bag in her hand and walking hurriedly.
He looked up and saw her, his face slightly worried, and he quickened his pace: "County Lady!"
Qian Deng saw him coming straight towards him and could only nod slightly at him.
He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and handed her the bag of things in his hand. His voice was also slightly hoarse: "This is what I collected in the past two days. I hope the county lady will not dislike it."
Qian Deng felt an inexplicable fatigue in his heart. He shook his head and said, "Don't send me anything. I don't need it."
Meng Lanxi pursed her lips and said softly, "No, this is for my wife."
Qian Deng was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the bag in his hand. Seeing some mugwort, perilla, dandelion, etc. inside, he couldn't help but hesitate: "What is this?"
"These are all detoxifying drugs. I heard the lady's body was placed in the cellar, but summer is over and there's not much ice left. And she... has wounds. These herbs, crushed into juice and mixed with strong liquor, are used to clean the lady. They can kill bacteria and prevent decay, so they should last a while..."
Qian Deng was in a daze for a moment before he said in a hoarse voice, "Okay, thank you very much..."
She raised her hand to take the bag, her eyes fixed on his hand.
The pair of hands, which were soaked in the fragrance of tea and as white as jade, were now covered with blood marks from the cuts of thorns and grass leaves, and the fingertips were red and swollen, which was glaring and unbearable.
Seeing her looking at her hands, Meng Lanxi lowered her thick eyelashes, put her fingertips to her lips and touched them. As she pursed her lips, her enchanting dimples appeared again. "When I was picking them, I didn't expect there were so many thorns in the bushes. I accidentally... But I have washed and dried the herbs, so my blood won't contaminate the medicinal properties."
Qian Deng felt a little guilty and said softly, "Go back quickly and have a good rest."
"Yes, I also hope that the county lady will take good care of herself and cherish herself."
As he was about to leave, Qiandeng remembered something and asked, "You must be living in the same house with Jintang and Yu Guangling, right?"
Meng Lanxi nodded and looked at her intently: "Yes. Don't worry, County Lady, under the current circumstances, I will definitely get along well with Young Master Jin and will never cause trouble again."
Qian Deng had no mood to ask about their grievances, so he just asked, "How did you three settle down after arriving at the farm?"
"Because every other room has a martial artist among the three, but ours doesn't. Therefore, Master Cui asked the three of us to guard only the main gate, where we can hear any noise from the inner hall and provide timely assistance."
Qiandeng nodded silently.
So, on the night when my mother had the accident, nine out of ten people could prove each other's alibis. The only one who couldn't was Nan Yu, who was ordered to guard the corridor at that time.
No... maybe, there is another one, that is Su Yunzhong.
Although he was arranged to be with Shi Jingning and Shangluo, he was left alone once on the night his mother had the accident because Shi Jingning was taking care of the injured and helpless Shangluo. Otherwise, Shangluo would not have seen him with his hands covered in dirt.
However, Su Yunzhong has always been taciturn and has not behaved in any strange way. The doubts are just insignificant signs and cannot be confirmed.
Thinking that the wound on his mother's chest was indeed showing signs of festering and the ice in the cellar had been used up, Qiandeng was afraid that the body would decay faster, so he thanked Meng Lanxi and hurried to find Doctor Liao to discuss the matter with her.
Meng Lanxi stood on the path, watched her leave, then walked to the pond and washed her hands slowly.
Beside him, a figure wearing an apricot-yellow robe with a gold-embroidered lapel jumped out in a flash of light. It was Jin Tang.
He glared at Meng Lanxi as she washed her hands, sneer- ing through gritted teeth, "Some people, picking herbs to please the county lady is fine, but after they're done, they deliberately reach into the thorn bushes and cut themselves a few times? Do you think the county lady will pity you and treat you differently?"
"Master Jin, are you seeing things? Who would be so foolish as to stick their hand into a thorn bush?" The tiny wound on her hand felt slightly numb and itchy from the water, but Meng Lanxi seemed oblivious. She simply flicked the water off her hand, smiled at Jin Tang with a normal expression, and passed by him. "Master Jin, instead of just sitting there staring at others, why not show off your abilities and let the county lady know that you are a useful person? Oh, no..."
He spoke softly and slowly, turning back to smile at Jin Tang. His charming dimples looked particularly hateful in Jin Tang's eyes: "After all, Young Master Jin has nothing but money. It seems that he can't do anything in this farm."
Jin Tang felt like he was going to faint from anger. He wished he could overcome all difficulties and rush home, holding the best treasures in the world and presenting them to the county lord, so that she could see his true heart and not be distracted by these flattering women.
Looking at Zhuangzi, which was guarded by the Shuofang army, and thinking about the chaotic Chang'an, Jin Tang couldn't help but cry out to the sky: "When will this damned rebellious army be wiped out?"
No matter how anxious the people in the village were, how much the people in Chang'an expected, or how brave the King of Linhuai was, Zhu Ci firmly closed the gates of Chang'an and refused to go out, so the war would never be won overnight.
It was hot in late summer. Even though the body was kept in the cellar and the wounds were cleaned over and over again with strong liquor and antiseptics, as the seventh day approached, Mrs. Qi's body was still lying on a makeshift plank bed, and it was obvious that her body was beginning to decay.
Qiandeng was heartbroken and anxious, and was trying hard to think of how to find the coffin in this fierce battle, when the Shuofang army led a group of people in at the door.
It was the few guards from the Eastern Palace who were beside the Crown Prince who carried over a black lacquered nanmu coffin.
"This was sent here by order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He thought that Madam Qi's body had been lying in state for seven days, so he sent people to look for it in the homes of wealthy families nearby. Sure enough, a squire had one ready for his mother. When he heard that the Changhua Palace needed it, he offered it up."
Although there was a coffin, there was nothing on the farm, no Buddhist or Taoist temples, and nothing to do. Qiandeng led the people in the farm to kowtow in front of the coffin and bury his mother.
There were no mourning clothes in the manor, so everyone only wore plain clothes for the memorial service. The county lord's fiancées who unexpectedly came into the manor did not even have a change of clothes, and Qiandeng was unwilling to let them come.
After all, the murderer of her mother was among them, so how could she allow him to come and pay homage? Therefore, she just said that paying homage in brocade clothes was not proper, and no one had to come.
As the black lacquered coffin lid fell, thick copper nails nailed the coffin tightly shut, and tung oil was brushed over the gaps in the coffin lid over and over again, preventing any breath from leaking in. From then on, the two were separated forever.
Bai Qiandeng, the Princess of Lingling County, has been alone since then and has no relatives in the world.
After the coffin was sealed and Qian Deng cried bitterly, he had to stand up and take charge of the situation after his mind calmed down a little.
After all, she is the only one left in the entire farm and the entire Changhua Palace.
She asked the guards of the Eastern Palace to thank the prince on her behalf, and asked whether His Highness was safe in the military camp and how the situation in Chang'an was developing.
Several guards were reluctant to speak, only the more mature one said, "Prince Linhuai is very strict in his military discipline. Your Highness wanted to come in person, but was unable to do so due to military discipline. Otherwise, everything is fine."
Qian Deng felt something was amiss. She wiped away her tears, observed their expressions, and asked, "What is the current situation in Chang'an? Is the Crown Prince here to support the battle?"
The guard was rather uneasy and hesitated, saying, "No, the battle will be led solely by Prince Linhuai. Your Highness...it is naturally safer to stay in the camp."
Qiandeng nodded without saying anything. After they left, she returned to the hall to burn incense for her mother. She stood silently for a moment, then walked over to Cui Fufeng, who was writing elegiac couplets for the memorial tablet, and asked, "Master Cui, I have a few questions I would like to ask you. Could you please tell me the truth?"
Cui Fufeng heard her voice was deep, so he looked up at her and said, "Please speak, County Lady."
"I remember that the old King Linhuai and the King Wuwei were half-brothers. They were both crowned kings back then, each supporting their mother in the capital. Besides that, they had older brothers and younger brothers. The clan was filled with talented individuals, all of them brave and skilled in battle. So... how did the current King Linhuai stand out among so many uncles and brothers, ultimately inheriting the two garrisons and eight armies, and being crowned king at such a young age?"
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