Chapter 24 The Savior
After a long time of hard work, Qiandeng returned to the palace very late. After washing off the mud, she went to bed.
Unfortunately, there was a storm at night, and she saw her relatives again in a daze amid the thunder.
Having fallen into this dream thousands of times, she looked at her loved ones in a trance, raised her hand and pressed her right eyebrow tightly, trying to stop the sea of blood that was destined to rush into her dream.
However, her hands were melted by the blood, and in the scarlet that made her unable to move, she wailed loudly, and like every night before, her whole body fell into the darkness, and the deep and thick despair quickly swallowed her.
She waved her hands in vain, trying to grab something in the sea of blood, but she found nothing.
Just as she was sinking into the abyss, someone suddenly grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up like a bird, saving her from the overwhelming darkness and returning her to the clear and transparent pool.
She emerged from the cold pond and saw Prince Linhuai, who had rescued her from the water that night. She couldn't see his appearance clearly in the backlight, but the powerful pressure still made her suffocate with fear.
The force of her escape was out of control, and she crashed into his arms, just like the scene in the dark hall at night, causing her chest to surge with a mixture of fear and pain.
It was like when she was a little child, carried on horseback by her grandfather, and rushed down the barren plains with him. She laughed heartily in her grandfather's strong arms, and faced the strong wind and gravel in her face.
No matter how turbulent the world becomes, she knows that she is stable and secure, and she will never have to worry about nightmares or being chased by darkness.
In the rare moment of silence in this nightmare, she looked up at him. When their eyes met, she saw his face clearly for the first time.
His eyes, as terrifying as the abyss, narrowed slightly, as if the black leopard that almost took her life that year was looking at its prey, with a terrifying power that wanted to suck people in.
It was him...
She suddenly woke up, gasping for breath, and woke up from the nightmare.
It was already daybreak, with slanting light filtering through the windows. Outside, birds were chirping and the wind was blowing the shadows of the trees.
She slowly tightened her arms, hugged the cloth tiger her mother had sewed for her, buried her head in it and breathed heavily.
For the first time, in her dream, amidst the blood and darkness that could overtake her at any moment, someone saved her—although the person who saved her was just another nightmare.
Why did I dream about King Linhuai?
What she needs is an unwavering embrace that will never give up on her, so that she, who has lost all her loved ones, is trapped in a dark swamp, and is burdened with the fate of having no relatives to rely on, can have a strong backing.
Even though Prince Linhuai was extremely powerful and had saved her from numerous crises and guided her to find the path she should take, he had no relatives or friends with her, so how many times could he help her?
What she longs for is a strong heart and a soul that is no longer afraid, not just a rescue or a hug.
The Prince of Linhuai was one of the culprits behind the current situation at the Changhua Palace. How could his life intersect with hers? Why did he have to repeatedly save her from danger?
She pressed her forehead and took a deep breath, putting aside all her complicated thoughts, stood up and asked someone to go to the Meng family to visit Mrs. Meng.
After washing up, she practiced her family's double-gun skills and then sat down to have breakfast.
After drinking only half a bowl of yogurt, the guard returned with a grim look on his face and reported, "Mrs. Meng... passed away last night."
Qian Deng was startled and asked in a choked voice, "Dead?"
"Yes, Madam Meng fell into a ditch last night, breaking her ribs and piercing her internal organs. She bled profusely and died that night."
Qian Deng was a little stunned, vaguely remembering what the man had said last night. He had expected it right. After all, he said he had seen countless such situations.
That man was familiar with Madam Meng, but he looked to be around 23 or 24 years old. I wonder who he was in the Meng family...
In front of her eyes, it seemed as if his cold face, suddenly appearing from the dark night and illuminated by lightning, appeared again.
She subconsciously opened her eyes wide, and finally remembered the face of Prince Linhuai that she had seen in her dream.
It was the face of the man from last night.
When she met him last night, she felt a familiar feeling because he reminded her of Prince Linhuai.
Perhaps it was the tall and majestic figure, the blade-like aura, or the deep voice that made her bring them into her dreams, confusing them into one person.
But then she shook her head silently, erasing this ridiculous idea from her mind.
Prince Linhuai is now recuperating in the northwest. What connection could he have with a man from the Chang'an Beiya Imperial Guard?
Qian Deng picked up the yogurt again, but felt a lump in his throat and couldn't swallow it.
Last night she had promised to let Mrs. Meng meet Meng Lanxi, but now, Meng Lanxi was in prison and would never be able to see his mother for the last time. She didn't even know if she could clear her name as soon as possible and go back to take care of her mother's funeral.
But...is Meng Lanxi really wronged?
Can she really change this seemingly ironclad case?
When he went to Dali Temple again, Qiandeng felt a little heavy-hearted and didn't know how to mention this matter to Meng Lanxi.
Perhaps because of the chaos yesterday, the gatekeepers and guards of the Dali Temple all looked a little strange when they saw her: "Princess Lingling, you came at an inopportune time today..."
"Why, are you trying to stop me again?" Qian Deng was feeling depressed and spoke without any politeness. "I'm here to see your Master Cui for serious matters."
"But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is currently discussing important matters with Mr. Cui in his office."
In this case, Qian Deng was about to turn around and go to the prison first, but he heard footsteps inside. The East Palace guards chased out and said, "Your Highness, please ask the county lady to come in and see you."
Qiandeng went in and saw the Crown Prince and Cui Fufeng spread out the files in front of them, discussing the case. She glanced at them and saw that they were the two cases from the Imperial College.
The prince asked, "Lingling, do you know that Meng Lanxi's mother has passed away?"
"Yes, I know." Qian Deng sat down next to him and recounted what happened last night. He sighed, "I was wondering how to bring this up with Meng Lanxi."
Cui Fufeng said, "We shouldn't say this out loud. Let the jailer convey it later."
Hearing him say this, Qian Deng breathed a sigh of relief and nodded silently. She looked at the case file and asked the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, are you here regarding the two murders at the Imperial College?"
The prince did not hide it: "Yes, this matter is related to you, and it also involves the murder of a student in the Imperial College. I happened to have some free time today, so I came to ask Cui Shaoqing about it."
Cui Fufeng said, "Yesterday, the county lord and I briefly explored the case. Today, the yamen will gather all those involved at the scene to review the case again—this includes Xue Xiyang, Shang Luo, and others."
Seeing him looking at him with an inquiring expression, Qian Deng nodded at him and said, "Major criminal law matters should be handled impartially. There is no need to be hesitant because of the Changhua Palace and me."
"Speaking of this, Lingling, of the ten candidates the court originally selected for your fiancé, two are now dead, two are in prison, and one has been exiled. Only five remain in your mansion, and rumors are rife in the streets. What are your plans?"
Seeing the Crown Prince mention this matter, Qian Deng knew that there must be some twists and turns. After thinking for a moment, he said cautiously, "I am acquainted with you gentlemen. I hope the Dali Temple will conduct a thorough investigation to avoid hasty conclusions and accidental harm to innocent people."
"Actually, after reviewing the files, I was about to go to your residence to tell you something." The Crown Prince, however, looked at her with hesitation, pondering for a long time before speaking with some difficulty, "Because of your memorial yesterday, the Queen Mother was quite worried. She summoned Luo Lingtai to recalculate your horoscope and face. I heard... a new candidate has emerged who is a perfect match for you."
Qiandeng was stunned for a moment, and even Cui Fufeng next to her frowned slightly and looked at her meaningfully.
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