Chapter 54: Filial Piety and Marriage
The prince never delayed what he promised Qian Deng.
Mingjiu had just been expelled from Chang'an, and he had brought news of the transfer order from the Ministry of War.
It has been decided that the old subordinates of King Changhua will not be separated or replaced. They will be managed by the Imperial Guards and commanded by the Ji family, and will still respect the flag of King Changhua.
Qiandeng bowed deeply and thanked the court for its grace.
The prince is now very busy with affairs, and is also preparing for border patrols. After drinking a cup of tea with Qian Deng in the mansion, he was about to leave.
Qiandeng walked him to the door. As he stepped onto the carriage, he turned back and looked at her hesitantly. After a long while, he called her softly, "Lingling..."
Qiandeng took a step closer, his eyes full of inquiry.
"Changyi...is no longer in mourning. The Inner Palace Bureau has already chosen a wedding date for her and me."
Qian Deng didn't expect that Xiao Fuyu and he would get married just after Princess Gao's death, and he couldn't help showing a look of surprise on his face.
"My aunt refused to rest in peace because she was worried about her daughter's marriage and was reluctant to leave. My marriage to Changyi was arranged by the late emperor. She would marry into the Eastern Palace sooner or later anyway. It would be better to marry her in a filial and filial manner to comfort her spirit in heaven."
"So that's how it is. Lingling congratulates His Highness and Princess Changyi." Qiandeng nodded suddenly and looked back at Cui Fufeng, only to see that his lips moved slightly and he said the three words "the situation has been broken".
The significance of Princess Gao's death, which they had previously discussed, had been further explored. Even the only disadvantage—the difficulty it presented for their daughter's marriage—was resolved.
The prince stared at Qian Deng, as if trying to find something from her face, but was ultimately disappointed: "You... don't mind?"
The question was so abrupt that Qian Deng was stunned and confused. It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes that she understood. She immediately said, "Your Highness, please rest assured. Although the Grand Princess and I had a dispute during her lifetime, she is gone now. How could I vent my anger on Princess Changyi? Now that we are both orphans, we should sympathize with each other and help each other."
Seeing her frank and ignorant expression, the prince pursed his lips, turned around and got into the carriage, slamming the curtain down.
But when the carriage started and drove along, he felt that the interior of the carriage was dull and dark, which was unbearable.
In the end, he couldn't help himself and lifted the curtain to look back.
At the gate of Changhua Palace, Qiandeng, who had separated from him, had turned around. The husband candidates waiting for her at the gate came forward one after another and surrounded her.
They surrounded her, each with a smile on their face, congratulating Qiandeng, obviously because the troop deployment was finally settled.
She is a newly blooming flower surrounded by lush branches and leaves, with a faint smile on her face and a bright radiance.
On which branch of the surrounding trees will this stunning flower that dazzles him fall?
This is a bet that countless people around the world are watching, but no one can guess the outcome.
The men around her were all handsome young men, and the most outstanding men in Chang'an were all in her backyard.
He is about to marry the Crown Princess and take the supreme position in the Daming Palace, and she will choose someone else to be with forever, and they will have children in the future.
The willow trees half-hid her slender figure, which was getting farther and farther away. In his eyes, it turned into a trace of spring, and finally disappeared.
Only his mother's words kept echoing in his ears - this most famous flower in Chang'an could not bloom in the Daming Palace.
Although they knew that Mingjiu's words were not credible, after he left, Qiandeng still went with Cui Fufeng to thoroughly investigate Xiliuwu and its surroundings.
Shangluo was still nowhere to be found. It seemed Mingjiu's words were merely angry words.
She stood in the Willow Grove, examining the traces of the eagle's life. The shoes he had kicked and the mat he had thrown on the ground all showed the carefree and unrestrained nature of a grassland man.
He was a prince of the Uighurs, and had been galloping across the vast wilderness since he was a child. However, in order to enter her backyard, he abandoned his servants without hesitation, and even allowed the guards to wait at the door of the backyard and not to step in.
He was probably really confident that he could become the final winner on his own, but he never expected that he would be forced to leave in such a humiliating way.
Seeing her staring into the room without saying a word, Cui Fufeng knew she was still upset. He sighed softly, picked up the cushions from the floor and placed them on the stool. He said, "Prince Mingjiu isn't used to taking care of his own affairs, not to mention his frequent sneaking out. It shouldn't be difficult for such a careless and sloppy person to sneak in and do something to him."
Qiandeng sighed. Something weighed heavily on her heart, making her too tired to speak.
There were footsteps outside. It was Ling Tianshui approaching. He glanced inside the room, his sharp eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "I heard that the county lady identified Mingjiu as the murderer and expelled him from Chang'an?"
Qiandeng looked at him in a daze, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Cui Fufeng naturally defended Qian Deng: "This case was not decided by the county lord. It was the three judicial departments and the court that required this result."
Seeing Qiandeng's silent, head bowed appearance, allowing Cui Fufeng to defend her, Ling Tianshui felt a surge of irritation and depression in his heart. "Okay, now that you've gone along with the outcome everyone wants and provided the crucial evidence that led to Mingjiu's execution, what then becomes of all the clues and evidence you investigated before? Can you completely discard the truth you've been seeking? Have you decided to give up on Shangluo's whereabouts?"
No matter how fierce and valiant the Northern Ya Imperial Guards were, they were always submissive in front of Ling Tianshui. Just like Qian Deng standing before him now, even if he didn't get angry or scold her, just a few words, his overwhelming majesty made her feel breathless. She didn't dare look him in the eye, let alone argue.
Qian Deng stammered, then whispered, "I will...find out the truth as quickly as possible, clear Ming Jiu's name, and find Shang Luo's whereabouts as soon as possible."
Seeing Ling Tianshui's eyebrows raise, and about to explode again, Cui Fufeng hurriedly tried to smooth things over, saying, "I've already told the county lady about this matter. There's a hidden story behind it, so Ling Sijie doesn't need to rush to blame her."
"Whatever the truth, she's not only harmed herself this time, but also the reputation of the prince and the crown prince in the northwest." Ling Tianshui was merciless, his tone becoming even colder. "Now the county lady and the fifteen Huihe tribes have forged an irreconcilable feud. I think it's not Mingjiu who will be expelled from Chang'an, but you who will be trapped in Chang'an, never to return to the place where your ancestors roamed. County lady, if your ancestors knew about this, they would probably be disappointed in you!"
Qian Deng was speechless, not because Ling Tianshui was wrong in his rebuke, but because she knew that everything he said was right.
But she could not resist the hints of the Queen and the instructions of the Prince. She was so eager to seek benefits for the Changhua Palace that she ignored the facts, followed the arrangements, and destroyed the truth that she had already seen.
The beliefs she has always held on to and the path she has been pursuing will collapse and become unsustainable because of her unwise behavior.
She couldn't answer, and was afraid that once she opened her mouth, the warmth in her eyes would burst out, revealing all her regret and self-blame, and she would burst into tears.
In the end, she just turned around fiercely, hiding all her vulnerability, turned her back to Ling Tianshui and Cui Fufeng, and fled.
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