Chapter 50 Destiny
Why...
Without motive or reason, why would one person kill another? In the absence of direct conflict, why would one do something that is harmful and has no benefit?
Cui Fufeng returned to the Dali Temple to sort out the files and prepare for the arrest. Qian Deng and Ling Tianshui returned to the palace from the Imperial College. She pondered the entire case, mentally reviewing it.
If Yu Guangling's death had no reason, Zheng Junshan's murder was obvious - he had clues about the murderer.
He once told Shangluo that he had discovered signs of the murderer's murder, so he must have known the method. Then why did he later scribble on Guangling's birth date and exclaim "So that's it" during class?
Birthdate...
Born in Guangling on September 13th, the second year of Zhide.
What Zheng Junshan crossed out was the date.
date……
It was as if a whistling wind was passing through the gaps between his bones. Qiandeng felt a slight chill in his body and remained in a stiff position in a trance.
It wasn't until her horse stopped at the gate of the Changhua Palace and Liuli came to help her get off that she woke up from her dream and suddenly asked, "Is Mr. Yan in the palace?"
Liuli didn't expect her to suddenly ask about Yan Penglai. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "That should be the case. Mr. Yan usually sits in meditation at Zhaoying Pavilion."
After all, the Taibu Office didn't have much to do except for the annual festival sacrifices, and most of the people in the office were idle people who practiced Taoism, so even the roll call was often omitted.
Qian Deng turned around and asked Ling Tianshui, "I want to ask Yan Penglai something. Do you want to come with me?"
Ling Tianshui thought about Yan Penglai being the Grand Astrologer, and after a moment's thought, he asked, "Are you going to ask him about the birth chart left by Zheng Junshan?"
Qian Deng said, "Yes, he has a lot of connections with the Si Tian Tai and is quite knowledgeable about medicine, divination, and astrology. I would like to ask him for advice."
Qiandeng and Ling Tianshui went through the back door into the backyard, walked around the path, and Zhaoyingxuan was in front of them.
Among the lush flowers and trees, Yan Penglai can be vaguely seen sitting quietly by the water.
The sky was gloomy, the water waves were faint, and in the hazy and tranquil world, a young man in thin clothes closed his eyes and meditated in the corridor.
The glazed water surface reflected his image up and down, making him look dim and radiant, like a celestial being who was not affected by the mundane world.
Although Qian Deng was in a low mood, he couldn't help but slow down his pace in front of such a dazzling fairy, as if he was afraid of disturbing the world of light in front of him.
Ling Tianshui didn't care at all. He strode onto the wooden corridor. The echo on the water surface made Yan Penglai open his eyes.
He had not yet come to his senses, his eyes still gazing vaguely at another world, until Qiandeng's figure appeared in his pupils, and then his eyes gradually became clear.
His lips, the color of peach blossoms in March, curved gently. He stood up to greet her. His soft white clothes drooped lightly, outlining his thin body in the wind, as if he was about to fly away in the next moment.
"County Lady, Ling Sijie." He did not ask their purpose nor did he exchange pleasantries. He simply led them to sit on a cushion by the water. His eyes swept over the stains on their skirts caused by the thousands of lights. He picked up the silver kettle that was simmering on a low fire from the small stove beside them and poured them a cup of tea.
"Today I'm visiting Lord Yan to discuss Yu Guangling's fate. It's said that Yu Guangling's fate is most compatible with mine, but now he's met with a tragic accident. How can this be explained in terms of numerology?"
"Perhaps his horoscope is compatible with the County Lady, but his destiny is not." Yan Penglai raised his hand and pointed at the shallow spring water in front of him. "It's like the flowers on the shore against the backdrop of the sun in the water, or like a moth flying into the flame of a lamp. At first glance, the light and shadow complement each other, but the flower branches dipped in the water can only touch the sun's shadow, and the moth flying into the flame will only turn into ashes. Who can truly possess the sun and moon in the sky, or the bright lamp in the dark night?"
Ling Tianshui drank the water calmly and looked at the immortal man in front of him.
He lowered his eyes to look at the hem of Qiandeng's skirt and sighed softly, "County Lady, you are in heaven, and we are in the water. The difference is too great."
"We are obviously in the palace together, very close to each other." Qian Deng finally understood why others were unwilling to interact with this handsome man who was the most handsome man in the world. It was tiring to chat with such a person.
She wanted to ask, since they were so far away, why did he judge her to have such a face quality and why did he come to participate in the selection of this husband?
But looking at Ling Tianshui beside her, she got straight to the point: "Actually, I came to you today because of Yu Guangling's fate. The Si Tiantai said that Yu Guangling's birth date and time were very good..."
She dipped her finger in water and wrote on the platform by the water: 'The thirteenth day of the ninth month of the second year of Zhide'. She asked, 'I wonder if you have ever heard the spiritual masters at the Sitiantai talk about his birthday when you were interacting with them?'
"The Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau do have close ties. Luo Lingtai and I were both observing the stars yesterday, trying to figure out when the flooding in Chang'an would subside. Luo Lingtai told me he'd found a horoscope more suitable for the County Lady than Guangling's. He'd already submitted it to the court, and the Emperor and Empress have approved it. It seems I should congratulate the County Lady; a new arrival will be arriving soon."
"I don't want to recruit any new people. I'm sure you all know that I have no choice but to accept the current situation."
She clearly only wanted to observe mourning for her mother and isolate herself from the world, but how could she have ended up in this situation? She herself found it puzzling.
Yan Penglai said slowly, "The Si Tian Tai was also following orders. There are now seven people in the palace's backyard. After all, it's unlucky to marry someone alone, so the Si Tian Tai was ordered to select another person to enter the palace to make the number even."
Qian Deng couldn't help but say, "Jin Tang and Meng Lanxi have been wronged. Once they have cleared their grievances, they will be able to come back sooner or later."
"That's true. I believe the county lady will be able to find out the truth and bring them back." Yan Penglai stared at her with his eyes slightly lowered, and there was a hint of sigh in his voice. "With ten people gathered in the palace's backyard, all the twists and turns can be eliminated. It's a good thing for the county lady. Besides, the Si Tiantai has put a lot of effort into finding someone with a more outstanding appearance than Yu Guangling among the millions of people in the capital. It's really rare. The county lady should not let this newcomer down. You should at least give him the honor of meeting him."
Qian Deng lowered his voice and asked word by word why he had come to see him today: "I want to ask you, is this newcomer's fate similar to Yu Guangling's, with only a difference of three or five days in the date?"
Yan Penglai's eyes, hazy as spring mist, suddenly opened slightly and looked up at her: "Yes..."
"Then let me guess again. Is this person a student at the Imperial College, born in a poor family but with excellent academic performance?"
"How did the county lady know this?"
Qian Deng didn't answer. He simply dipped his hand in a little more water and, like Zheng Junshan scribbling on his homework, erased the "three" in the "9th, 13th day of the 9th month of the 2nd year of Zhide" written on the platform. He looked up at him and asked, "What should this word be changed to?"
"Eight. He and Yu Guangling were born on the same year, month, and time, only five days apart."
"Okay, I understand."
With just these few words, Qiandeng confirmed her thoughts. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling all the clues before her transform into tangible points of light, converging and gathering before her.
Like a painting torn into pieces and scattered by the murderer, she has now finally found all the fragments and pieced them together into a perfect whole, clear and distinct, without missing even the smallest piece.
Ling Tianshui let out a low "hmm" sound, and he must have figured out all the ins and outs and connections involved.
Qian Deng heard him mutter to himself: "So that's how it is."
I see. After persevering through hardship for over twenty years, Yu Guangling finally saw the day of hope, only to end up like this.
Thinking of the letter he had written but never delivered to her, Qian Deng felt unspeakable anger and sadness in his heart.
She covered her eyes and waited silently until the dizziness and anger passed, then she gathered her skirt and stood up.
"I'm sorry, Princess..." Yan Penglai's eyes fell on the hem of her skirt. Finally, he couldn't help but lift up the dirty hem of her skirt and dipped it into the clear pool water.
"I'm so sorry, County Lady... I was born with a quirk. I can't stand dirt and mud."
His slender white fingers were in the water, rubbing the soft white fabric, and for a moment he couldn't tell which one was whiter.
He leaned forward, his head lowered, his drooping eyelashes covering his pair of bright and hazy eyes. He was so close to her, yet his mind seemed to be wandering.
Shu Tianshui's thoughtful gaze slowly shifted from him to Qiandeng's face.
Qian Deng was staring at Yan Penglai's hand with his eyes downcast, his body a little stiff.
He had already washed the hem of her skirt in the water and wrung it dry, then he grabbed the handkerchief beside him and wiped his hands. His cheeks seemed to be slightly red.
"Penglai is overstepping his bounds, but if the county lady leaves wearing this skirt like this, I might... be so disturbed by this little annoyance that I won't be able to sleep tonight."
"It's okay... No wonder Mr. Yan didn't go to the office for no reason because of the rain." Qian Deng smiled awkwardly and quickly left Zhaoyingxuan with Ling Tianshui.
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