Chapter 8 I Slapped You
Nanny Ge agreed and hurried out to look for him.
Qiandeng pursed her lips slightly, considering how to speak, when she heard Madam Dingxiang continue, "Just now I heard Fufeng say that he went to the backyard to investigate because your husband in the mansion was in trouble. This child is truly serious and motivated, unlike your cousin, who is now in his early twenties and still has an unstable mind. This time, I brought Huaijiang from Guozhou to Chang'an in the hope that he could find a future, preferably a career in the government, so that I could feel at ease."
At this point, Madam Dingxiang had already wiped away her tears and smiled at her. "I originally wanted to have him live with me, but I just talked to Fufeng and heard that all of you gentlemen are well-informed and well-versed in the capital's customs. Perhaps young people can get along better together than with their elders. Dengdeng, do you think it would be better to let your cousin live in the backyard too, so he can get closer to them?"
Qian Deng became alarmed and declined, saying, "I heard that when the court was choosing a husband for me, the Ministry of Rites wrote a letter to my cousin. He refused at the time, so I'm afraid it's inappropriate for him to live in the backyard with my chosen husband now."
"Your cousin believed the rumors, not realizing your scars didn't affect your appearance at all. I've reprimanded him many times since then. Furthermore, when you were both little, playing together in the courtyard, your mother once joked with me that a future marriage between cousins would be a wonderful thing..."
Cui Fufeng's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he looked at Qiandeng calmly. Seeing her indifferent expression, he lowered his eyes and stood up, saying, "The Dali Temple is busy with official business, so Fufeng will take his leave first. Aunt and the county lady will chat slowly."
He was well-mannered and sensible, and as a young man from a prominent family, he naturally found it inconvenient to listen to these things.
Madam Dingxiang escorted him out the door, then turned back to Qiandeng. She held her hand and asked earnestly, "Dengdeng, there are some things I shouldn't say so quickly. It's just that your mother's funeral is imminent, and I don't have time to talk about it slowly. I wonder what you really mean?"
Qian Deng said calmly, "My aunt also said that this was just a joke my mother made back then, and it shouldn't be taken seriously. Besides, she's been carefully helping me choose a husband for the past couple of years, but she's never recalled those old memories."
Hearing her tone, Lady Dingxiang sighed and said, "Dengdeng, your aunt is also thinking about you. We are relatives who know each other well. Even if we break bones, we still have tendons. Isn't that better than those men of unknown origin? Now that you are the only one left in this huge palace, what will you do if you entrust your trust to the wrong person and the other person is not a good match?"
Qian Deng said, "Aunt is right. You have a lot of experience. Please help me decide which of the candidates is the most suitable."
"It's only been a short time since the funeral. How can we identify someone so quickly?" Madam Dingxiang seemed unable to understand the hidden meaning behind her words and refused to agree. "Auntie only knows that your cousin's family is quite talented. If we report to the court and add him to the quota, there will be no problem. The Yang family will never humiliate you..."
Just hearing the sound of footsteps, Madam Ge, who had gone to look for Yang Huaijiang, had returned outside the house. She looked flustered and looked inside, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
Although Lady Dingxiang was surprised, she still beckoned her in and said to Qiandeng, "Dengdeng, go meet your cousin first. He's a handsome man, a perfect match for you. Although he's had a rough time on the road these past few days and has a minor facial injury... Alas, I don't know how this kid got hurt, he's so careless..."
"Aunt, are you talking about the whip marks on my cousin's face?" Qian Deng smiled at her and said, "I know. He molested a maid in my house and I whipped him."
Lady Dingxiang was stunned: "What are you laughing at, child?"
"I'm not kidding, Auntie. This morning at the foot of the mountain, my maid went to fetch water from the stream, but was bullied by my cousin and fell into the water. I thought it was some bad boy from out of the blue, so I gave him a good beating. I didn't expect it to be my cousin."
Madam Dingxiang's face paled and sank as she said awkwardly, "This child, although he spent most of his time at the academy in Guozhou and wasn't often with me, was always respectful in front of his aunt. He wouldn't behave so absurdly in his daily life... Dengdeng, don't worry. Wait until your cousin comes back, and I'll ask him about this. There must be some misunderstanding."
Qian Deng smiled and turned to the flustered Madam Ge, "I'm young and impatient. My cousin just said I was an orphan princess from a ruined royal family, so I got angry and started an argument with him. As a result, my cousin left in anger. I wonder where he is now?"
After hearing that her son had entered the palace, he actually dared to say such things to her face. Madam Dingxiang's face turned even uglier, and Madam Ge stammered, "The doorman said that the young master has left the palace. As for where he went, we need to find out more..."
"Today, when our relatives are reunited, I've angered my cousin. This is my fault as the host. I'll apologize to him when I return." Qian Deng naturally couldn't say anything bad, so he just brushed it off to save Madam Dingxiang's face. "Then, Aunt, please rest well first. I'll send more people from the mansion to look for my cousin and have him return soon."
Coming out of the west courtyard, Qiandeng was in a depressed mood and walked slowly back along the winding corridor.
The winter sun stretched her shadow, casting it far behind her, and also cast a shadow in front of her onto her, overlapping with her.
She raised her head and looked at the man in front of her, Cui Jia Liulang, whose shadow was even more elegant and superior than others.
Cui Fufeng smiled at her, with the setting sun behind him. He was as bright as the sun in her arms, making her heart sway slightly.
Come to think of it, he was also one of the people who was pointed out by his mother at that time.
He didn't say that he was waiting for her, and she seemed unaware that he was waiting for her. They were both silent, walking side by side in the sunlight.
The sunlight is occasionally blocked by the pillars of the corridor, and their figures are dim for a moment, but reappear in the brightness in the next step, accompanied by the separation and overlap of light and shadow, but always accompanying each other.
"County Lady..." Walking to the end of the corridor, Cui Fufeng asked when he saw the door to the backyard right in front of him, "It seems that Madam Dingxiang and Yang Huaijiang didn't come here just to help with the funeral?"
"Whatever their intentions, I won't let them succeed." Qian Deng said without hesitation, "If Auntie wanted to secure a future for her son, she should have urged him to study hard and make progress, instead of letting him marry an orphan like me to enter the government. If my mother knew about this, she would definitely not agree."
"Actually, I understand my aunt's actions. After all, as a childless second wife, it's difficult for her to find a safe place in the Yang family now that my uncle is gone." Cui Fufeng, a man of great understanding, looked back at the west courtyard where Lady Dingxiang lived and spoke with a sigh. "When my aunt married into the Yang family, my uncle already had several concubines and children. The concubine who gave birth to Jiazhi died young, which was fine, but the one who gave birth to Huaijiang was drugged by my aunt out of jealousy, resulting in her lifelong infertility. The concubines were also sold off, and the situation was utterly disastrous."
The Changhua Palace's father and son generations had never taken concubines. Growing up in its warm and sheltered environment, Qian Deng had never heard of these inner-house affairs. She sighed for a moment, "Then, does Yang Huaijiang know about this?"
"He was only three or four years old at the time, and since then he and his sister Jiazhi have been raised by their aunt. But it's impossible to keep such a thing a secret. Judging from their current situation, they are no longer on good terms."
Qian Deng pondered, "The Yang family is very powerful. Now that my uncle has passed away, my aunt can only rely on her only son, Yang Huaijiang, to keep the family from being completely swallowed up. But Yang Huaijiang and her are not on good terms, so..."
So she took the opportunity of the funeral to hurriedly bring her son here, hoping to find him a future in the capital, and also to find him a wife to settle down with, and win over this rebellious son.
And in this world, apart from her cousin, Princess Lingling, who else could be more suitable to help her fulfill all her wishes?
No wonder she was so impatient and didn't dare to delay for a moment. She didn't even have time to mourn for her cousin and had to match her with Yang Huaijiang first.
Seeing her gloomy expression, Cui Fufeng said, "I think that although Yang Huaijiang is your cousin, he is still a man after all, and it would be inconvenient for him to live in your house. He and my mother are also relatives. If the county lady allows, you can invite him to live in the Cui family."
Qian Deng knew he was helping her get rid of Yang Huaijiang, so he said, "Actually, my cousin Yang Jiazhi married into the Huang family in Yongningfang, so it might be more appropriate for him to go there. It's a pity that my aunt wants Yang Huaijiang to stay in the palace."
Even better, live in her backyard.
Cui Fufeng looked at her cheeks, which were flushed by the setting sun, and asked, "So, what are your plans, County Lady?"
"What am I planning?" Qian Deng said calmly, "Let's see if he can stir up any trouble first."
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