Chapter 4 The Emperor and Empress Return to the Palace
Money makes the world go round. After Jin Tang moved in, he not only took charge of the affairs of the entire backyard and repaired the damages of the palace, but even the shops under the name of the palace were turned around with the help of the Jin family.
Aunt Yingluo was overjoyed and generously allocated some money to buy the county lady a set of mutton-fat jade hairpins to match her plain clothes during the mourning period.
With the Emperor and Empress returning to the palace, Chang'an, long desolate, finally regained its prosperity. Commoners from all quarters gathered on Zhuque Street, braving the rain to line the streets to welcome the Emperor and his officials back to the palace.
The whole country was celebrating, and although Qian Deng was in mourning, she had to come to the palace gate and stand quietly in the corridor with the princesses and ladies to welcome them. However, her clothes were simple, plain white clothes.
The cheers came from far away and the carriages of the emperor, empress and prince passed by them, but Qiandeng did not see the handsome and tall figures.
Someone beside him murmured, "Why didn't Prince Linhuai accompany the emperor back to the capital?"
Someone else said, "I heard that he was seriously injured in the decisive battle to suppress the rebel army, and is still recovering in his sickbed."
Qiandeng was secretly shocked that the commander of an army was so seriously injured. It seemed that he had to lead the charge into battle.
Why is this person so arrogant and reckless?
The people around him cheered "Long live the emperor!" Qiandeng knelt down in the corridor with the others, and kowtowed deeply, thinking, perhaps, this could be considered a good thing.
The emperor and empress fled in a panic. If Prince Linhuai escorted them back to the capital, the greatest glory of the triumph would fall on him. How would this domineering Prince Linhuai, who was in command of a large army, be so powerful by then? Where would the royal family stand?
After several months of wandering, the queen's originally plump figure had become very thin, and even her gorgeous clothes and makeup could not hide her fatigue.
A group of ladies offered wine to congratulate her. After she chatted with a few older ladies to comfort them, she called Qiandeng to her side, shook her hand and said, "Lingling, the Crown Prince is indebted to you again this time."
Qian Deng hurriedly said, "I dare not. Your Highness is such a noble and precious person, and it is a great honor for our Changhua Palace to come to our humble farm."
The Queen patted the back of her hand, looking at her plain clothes, and sighed softly, "I am deeply saddened by the matter of Lady Qi. However, you are intelligent and responsible, and you quickly found the murderer of your mother, which shows that you have lived up to the legacy of your father and grandfather."
Over a month had passed since her mother's death, and the grief Qiandeng had forced deep within her heart now surged forth. Her breath caught, and after a long moment, she choked out, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. People in the capital are saying I have no family connections, and the day of selecting ten husbands has been marred by such complications. Lingling would like to ask Your Majesty's grace to allow me to observe three years of mourning for my mother."
The Queen said, "Your filial piety is a filial duty, and the court will naturally commend you."
"But if this is the case, regardless of whether or not the young men are ultimately selected, they will have to wait for three years..."
"The court has chosen them as candidates for your husband, which is a grace. Since you are so filial, it's only three years. Let them wait!"
The Empress had been in charge of the harem for many years, so her word was final. Qian Deng also wanted to buy time to observe the other men, so she naturally thanked the Empress for her permission.
After the other ladies had left, the Queen looked at the scar on Qian Deng's right eyebrow and said, "Yan Penglai from the Imperial Astronomy Department said that the scar on your eyebrow had ruined your appearance, but I see that you've recovered as normal now, and seem to be just like anyone else."
Before Qiandeng could answer, the Crown Prince, observing her features closely, said with relief, "Lingling's injuries hadn't been long in coming, and the blood had just formed, causing her eyelids to turn upwards, making her look quite frightening. Fortunately, the scars have faded and haven't damaged her appearance. Otherwise, I would be truly ashamed of Lingling."
"I would also like to thank the palace for the good medicine they have given me over the years. They have removed scars and helped me grow new flesh, allowing me to recover as normal." Qian Deng raised his hand and gently stroked the scar on his eyebrow, bowing in gratitude.
"Speaking of which, I heard that Yan Penglai, who originally predicted that you would be unlucky in marriage, is also among the candidates this time?"
"Yes, Yan Penglai, the Minister of the Imperial Astronomy Department, is extremely handsome and has outstanding character and appearance. Therefore, he passed the selection process and is among the ten candidates to enter my palace."
"Is this his confidence in his own destiny, or was his initial assessment of the County Lady's appearance incorrect?" The Queen said, then paused for a moment before ordering the female official beside her, "Call the Grand Astrologer... no, call Luo Lingtai from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau to see if the County Lady of Lingling's appearance has changed since three years ago."
Luo Cangwu from the Imperial Astronomical Office arrived shortly after. After completing the Liu Ren (Six Ren) he collected the money and interpreted the hexagram, saying, "According to the hexagram's imagery, the county lady is trapped in the Kan and Jian phases. Kan means accustomed to hardship, and Jian means distress. The county lady's destiny is noble, and this hexagram likely applies to her husband."
"Husband? How do I express my feelings?"
Luo Cangwu hesitated for a moment before finally uttering a few words: "The bloody scene is terrifying, and it's either death or injury."
The expressions of the Queen and the Crown Prince changed slightly, and their eyes fell on Qiandeng.
Qian Deng, dressed in plain clothes, looked even thinner in this dark hall filled with wind and rain and dim gold powder.
Even though the scars from the broken face have faded, the horrible nightmares that haunt her every night still hang over her.
She had nowhere to escape and could only watch it pounce on her and completely swallow her life.
"Absurd!" the Queen shouted. "Prince Changhua and the Crown Prince sacrificed their lives for the court and the people of the country. Princess Lingling suffered facial injuries and a damaged physiognomy because of this. The entire Changhua Palace was loyal to the country. How could their descendants suffer a loss of destiny and fall into disaster?"
Seeing the Queen's rage, Luo Cangwu hurriedly said, "The number of Dayan is fifty, and its use is forty-nine. It is the will of Heaven that must leave a glimmer of hope. Although the County Lady's fate is flawed, there are many candidates for her husband with strong fates, so there should be no worries."
The Queen calmed down a bit and asked, "In your opinion, who has an outstanding destiny and can suppress this ominous sign?"
"It has to be Yu Guangling," Luo Lingtai said without hesitation. "I recommended him because his destiny is truly superior. He might be the only person in the world who can control the County Master's fierce destiny."
"Yu Guangling?" How could the Queen remember such a person? She looked at Qian Deng and asked, "What kind of person is he?"
Qian Deng hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes... a young man eight years older than me, currently studying at the Imperial College."
"Hmm, I remember now. Isn't that the gentle and refined student who bowed slightly even when no one was around, and seemed quite quiet and reserved?" The Crown Prince recalled when he met Yu Guangling. "I heard that he grew up in poverty and was able to attend school thanks to financial support from the Jin family. If he could marry the county lady, it would be a meteoric rise to fame... However, he doesn't seem to be good at archery and charioteering."
Qian Deng naturally remembered: "Yes, I heard that he damaged his eyesight by studying by lamplight for many years and can no longer see far away."
The Queen looked at Qian Deng and thought to herself, a gentle man without any background but well-educated might not be a bad choice. If nothing unexpected happened, he would stay in the palace his whole life, be considerate, gentle and tolerant, and never let her down.
His biggest advantage is that he is lucky.
The prince looked at Qiandeng, was silent for a moment, and then asked, "So, Lingling, what about you? Among these ten gentlemen, do you have a crush on anyone?"
Favorite...
Qian Deng was confused and went through the ten husband candidates in her mind.
There were sons of prominent families, gentle gentlemen, gentle and talkative men, and cold and aloof men. Her mother was very pleased with each of them, and she thought they were all good too... But what exactly was it to be in love?
She really couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life with any of them.
Seeing her hesitation and confusion, the prince simply sighed and whispered, "Don't worry. There are still three years left. You can take your time choosing. I believe that after spending more time together, you will know who in this world cherishes you the most and find your true love."
The Queen said, "Yu Guangling sounds all right. Lingling has to observe three years of mourning anyway, so let's wait and see. Perhaps someone with a good destiny will behave differently."
"Yes." Qiandeng kowtowed in response. Seeing that the queen looked tired, he and the prince took their leave.
As they reached the corridor, the Empress's female attendant came out again and said, "Your Highness forgot to mention that according to palace regulations, the palace must appoint ceremonial officials to teach etiquette to the potential husbands of princesses, county ladies, and county ladies. However, in these troubled times, the palace simply cannot spare the staff to teach them one by one. However, I heard recently that most of the potential husbands for county ladies have moved to the prince's palace. Why not have them gather at the prince's palace every three days for instruction? What do you think, County Lady?"
This is a trivial matter. All we need to do is find a spacious room, set up a desk, and let the eight gentlemen listen to the palace ceremony together.
Qian Deng agreed and said, "Okay, I will tell the other gentlemen to wait for the palace eunuch's instructions in the palace."
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