Chapter 13 Firefly
Nanny Tian was a person who loved to show off. She put on the clothes given by the lady and walked around the manor immediately. Her face was shining and she showed off her satin clothes to everyone she met.
Qiandeng stood in the water pavilion and looked down. Nanny Tian was pulling a tortoise shell on the lawn, and with a smile on her face, she let her touch the fabric of the clothes.
"Mother, why did you think of making clothes of that color?" Qian Deng was both amused and annoyed. She went back to the pavilion and rummaged through the clothes in the closet. She took out a turquoise satin dress for her. "Look, although this color is only a little lighter than that one, the difference is huge. It really complements your complexion."
"Okay, then I'll wear this one." It was late summer and there were some unexpected twists and turns today. Mother took the clothes and went behind the screen to wash them.
As she changed out of her soiled clothes, she felt the letter she had stuffed into her sleeve pocket that morning.
After hesitating for a moment while holding it in her hand, she turned to look at her daughter outside, and saw Qiandeng holding her chin in front of the mirror, her fingers unconsciously stroking the scar on her eyebrow.
She felt a little sad and could not suppress her grief for a moment.
Her only daughter, who had such a beautiful youth, had become a laughing stock of the people of Chang'an because of the sudden change three years ago.
The decision in this letter can be delayed for a day, so long as it lasts...
Wait until she blossoms and finds a suitable partner, then let her choose her future life.
So the mother opened the drawer of the cabinet, put the letter underneath, and closed the cabinet door silently.
It quickly got dark.
For fear that the chaotic army would follow the light and discover the location of the village, no one dared to light too many candles, and everyone just waited silently in the dark.
Kang Shu, who had been gathering information, returned with news of the situation in Chang'an. Zhu Ci, supported by the rebels, had occupied the Daming Palace and, at the urging of Yao Lingyan, was about to declare himself emperor, naming his country Daqin.
The rebels burned, murdered, and looted the city, destroying nearly every household. Those who escaped early were able to survive, but those who remained were plundered. Imperial relatives who hadn't been able to escape with the emperor and empress were slaughtered. The corpses of officials and nobles piled up beneath the Danfeng Tower. Chang'an was a living hell.
Upon hearing the tragic situation in the city, everyone was glad that they had escaped the disaster, but they were all worried about their families and were extremely anxious.
But with the rebel army surrounding them, returning to the city would mean a loss of life. Furthermore, the royal family of Chang'an had been slaughtered, and if the rebel army knew that the Crown Prince was here, Zhuangzi would be in danger.
With the entire village on high alert, Qiandeng and her mother remained in the water pavilion. The rooms inside the pavilion were cramped, so Daimao stayed with her parents, leaving only Nanny Tian to serve.
The summer heat has not yet subsided, and Zhuangzi is cool and secluded.
In the darkness, the mother fanned Qiandeng, and Qiandeng hugged her mother, and the two slept together in the house.
There are sparse stars and a bright moon outside the window, and occasionally one or two fireflies fly by the window.
Even if there is chaos and war outside, as long as they defend the village, there will at least be a place for them and their daughter to stay in this world.
Leaning on the pillow, her mother asked her softly, "Deng Deng, each of the ten young men here today is outstanding. Have you chosen someone you like?"
Qiandeng hesitated and remained silent, without answering.
"From my perspective, they are all good. I will feel at ease no matter which one I entrust you to."
"Yes, they are all very good..."
But to her, they were all just strangers.
Even if he is very good, he is just an unfamiliar good boy on the street.
The mother was somewhat helpless: "Deng Deng, if you continue to hesitate, I will make the decision and choose one for you."
"Okay, then please find one for me. I will definitely follow your wishes. If you tell me to marry a tall man, I will never marry a short one. If you tell me to marry an ugly woman, I will never marry a beautiful one..."
"Nonsense! How can there be any short and ugly guys among this group of men?" Despite the depressing situation, the mother couldn't help laughing.
Qian Deng leaned silently on her shoulder, watching the fireflies coming and going in front of them with her mother. But her voice suddenly lowered: "Mother, I said before...I want to become a nun. I didn't lie to you."
The mother was so frightened that she sat up and almost dropped her fan on the bed. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking about it." Seeing her mother's reaction, Qian Deng hugged her arms again and pressed his cheek against her. "It's just that, mother, I can't bear it... We are the only ones left in the Changhua Palace, mother and daughter, to depend on each other. When I get married, the glory that my father and grandfather earned with their blood and sacrifice will be completely gone."
"But Deng Deng, you're a girl after all. According to the court's laws, the palace can't accept a son-in-law, let alone a grandson who inherits his grandfather's title. Even if you don't marry, how long can the palace be maintained?" Hearing her mention her father, her mother's eyes moistened. "Okay, don't be silly. There are ten men waiting for you to choose. You said you don't want to marry and want to become a nun, but the court won't allow it."
"But, since I have no relatives and am unlucky in marriage, why should I burden others? I want to stay at home and cultivate my cultivation with my hair uncut, just like Princess Danleng, so that our family can continue for a while longer. As long as I don't get married, the Changhua Palace will still exist, and the glory of the Bai family will not disappear..."
Moreover, what she did not say was that the prince treated her like his own sister. If she could continue to guard the Changhua Palace, when the prince ascended the throne one day, she might be able to ask for extra grace and adopt an outstanding son from the clan to continue the Bai family.
"Silly child, they say wealth doesn't last for more than three generations, and even the children of prime ministers can't enter officialdom. Why are you so persistent?" Her mother stroked her soft hair and said softly, "Besides, men should marry when they are old enough, and women should marry when they are old enough. If your father and grandma knew about this, they would definitely not want you to waste your life on something that is destined to perish. Deng Deng, don't be silly. We don't ask for anything else, just that you find a good partner and spend your life in love. Do you understand?"
Qiandeng didn't answer for a long time. Her mother had no choice but to push her and said, "Dengdeng, promise me, okay?"
"Okay... I will definitely find someone I like, and live a happy and fulfilling life with my mother."
The mother smiled comfortably and held her tightly in her arms.
Sleepiness came over them in the silence, and they hugged each other silently. When they were about to fall asleep, there was suddenly a noise outside.
The mother was still in a trance. Qiandeng held her shoulders and listened carefully.
The shouting was faintly mixed with the sound of swords and guns, which reminded her of the palace coup when she was thirteen years old.
She was startled and called Nanny Tian from the outer room to come in and watch over her mother. She said, "Mother, I'll go out and take a look. After all, they have just arrived at the village and are unfamiliar with the place, and I am the most familiar with the layout here."
Her mother knew that perhaps a chaotic army had broken in from outside, so she stood up worriedly, put on her clothes, and warned her, "Deng Deng, you must be careful."
"Don't worry, mother. I can protect myself." She turned around and smiled at her mother, "Madame Tian, please take good care of the lady."
"Yes." Nanny Tian responded quickly, "But County Lady, why don't you stay inside as well? That Nan Langjun is guarding outside. Those strong men with great martial arts skills will definitely protect us!"
Qiandeng said nothing, grabbed the dagger his father left in the manor, and walked out.
After leaving the pavilion, she ran to the corridor and saw Nan Yu standing upright at the entrance with a bow and arrow in his hand.
In the dim light, Nan Yu turned around and saw her, and hurriedly came to greet her: "County Lady, something happened outside, don't go over there."
She didn't agree, but just walked out: "What's going on?"
"It seems the northeast corner gate has been tampered with. A small group of soldiers rushed in, but they are not numerous. The guards of the East Palace have gone to the northeast gate for support. The county lady can rest assured." Nan Yu raised the bow and arrow in his hand and gestured to her, saying, "Why don't you go back and wait in peace? I will do my best to protect you and your wife!"
Qiandeng pondered for a moment, then heard a few wailing sounds coming from the darkness ahead, which sounded like they were not far from here.
"You guard the corridor, I'll go take a look." Qiandeng said, running forward without stopping.
After turning around the courtyard wall, shouts and cries of killing suddenly rang out from the northeast corner gate. Qian Deng saw a sharp flash of swords in the darkness. Amid screams, several chaotic soldiers fell to the ground and were quickly dragged away.
Cui Fufeng ordered the guards of the Eastern Palace to collect the swords of the rebel army and distribute them to the men in the village.
Turning around and seeing Qian Deng approaching, he said, "Don't worry, County Lady. There aren't many people breaking in. We've dealt with them all and the small gate has been resealed. You should be safe."
Qiandeng went to check out the small door and immediately spotted the old latch that had fallen to the ground.
Cui Fufeng leaned over to pick up the door bolt and examined it, muttering, "The bolt was broken from the inside."
Qian Deng's expression changed slightly, and he asked, "So, someone in the village tampered with it and lured the rebel army in?"
"Yes." Cui Fufeng said without hesitation, obviously not afraid to doubt anyone in the village.
Hearing his assurance, Qian Deng hesitated. "This farm is full of elderly people brought up by my grandfather. There are servants who have been my family for decades, and there are also loyal veterans who have followed me into battle without wavering for a moment. I don't believe anyone would take advantage of the chaos to commit evil."
Cui Fufeng dropped the door bolt and said, "And the Crown Prince is surrounded by guards who have been carefully selected. Their lives and fortunes are tied to the court and the Eastern Palace."
Qiandeng and he looked at each other in the firelight, and a thought suddenly came to their minds - ten young men.
These ten people were all met for the first time today. They only knew their basic situation but not their life stories in detail.
“Could it be…”
Just as they were thinking about it, they suddenly heard a scream from behind, and then it was Nanny Tian's voice that tore through the night sky: "Madam! Help! Someone come!"
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