Chapter 8 House Arrest
Qian Deng naturally saw everyone's questioning looks.
But she remained calm and defended herself, "As the Imperial Master said, I am the only one who has the opportunity and time to unlock the golden cage and take the lotus. But how can I take it out of the temple and use it as a murder weapon?"
Cui Fufeng also said, "Furthermore, the Dharma Wheel and the Vajra Pestle were also missing. The Dharma Wheel, in particular, is one foot and six inches in diameter, and is thick and heavy. Let alone someone as slender as the County Princess, even grown men like us, who could possibly carry it on their bodies and bring it out?"
Everyone present was speechless for a moment, knowing that if they judged her as a suspect based on this, there would be a lack of strong evidence.
But now, Kucha has searched the scene from top to bottom but has found nothing, and the murder of the Northern King is a serious matter. Even if they want to give an explanation to the court and the people, they have to have a target candidate.
And the most suitable and only candidate at the moment is Qiandeng.
Therefore, despite the irrefutable evidence on her, the King of Kucha and the Imperial Preceptor exchanged a secret glance. The Imperial Preceptor then coughed lightly and asked the guards of the Spirit Hall, "You were guarding the gate at the time. Did you ever leave?"
The guards naturally denied it, saying, "We were faithful to our duty and absolutely never left!"
"So, you didn't patrol outside at all last night, let alone check what was going on under the window?"
"This... the window of the spirit hall is ten feet off the ground. It's definitely impossible to climb up. Naturally, there's no one guarding the window..."
Hearing the guards' response, the Imperial Master nodded slightly. "Indeed, such a high window is difficult to climb. But didn't we just use a ladder to climb up and check?"
The guards nodded in confusion, still not understanding what he meant. The captain of the guards was the first to come to his senses. Pointing at the window, he blurted out, "Imperial Master, what you're saying is that last night while the county lady was praying in the shrine, someone climbed out the window. Although they didn't come in, they somehow managed to get the three sacred vessels through the window?"
"Why would we need any complicated techniques? All we need is a rope thrown in, and someone inside the hall working together to take the item away easily and effortlessly."
After hearing the Imperial Master's conclusion, everyone looked at Qian Deng with a different look than before.
"And the only one who stayed in the Spirit Hall last night was the County Lady. It seems that it's obvious who colluded with outsiders to steal the three sacred artifacts. This is probably why the Northern King died under the Azure Lotus Sacred Artifact, and the County Lady happened to be the only one by his side when he died!"
Amidst the murmurs around him, the King of Kucha sighed and raised his hand to stop them. "Imperial Master, the Princess of Datang County is the only descendant of the Prince of Changhua. Her status is of great importance and cannot be speculated upon. Didn't you check the windows just now? Didn't you say the dust was intact? Where are the traces of ropes?"
The Imperial Master was clearly confident. "Your Majesty, please look! Although this window isn't large, it's over one foot six inches in size, and the wall is only half a foot thick. As long as someone outside the window reaches in, lowers a rope, and pulls something out, it won't touch the window or the frame, and won't get into any dust. All that's needed is for the people below to cooperate tacitly, tying the object securely so the other person can 'fish' it away. And besides the County Master, who was inside the palace at the time, I'm afraid no one else could have done that."
He then turned to Qian Deng and said, "Princess of Datang County, please forgive my presumptuous speculation. We are just guessing based on common sense. Apart from this method, there is no other way. After careful consideration, I am afraid that I will have to trouble you to provide evidence to prove that you did not move last night."
Qian Deng's gaze paused for a moment at the window above. He said, "What the Imperial Master said makes sense. It seems this is indeed the best way to steal the Three Sacred Artifacts. Last night, I was staying here with no one besides the maid. Whether anything unusual happened, I'm afraid no one besides the two of us can verify it."
"This maid was brought from the Tang Dynasty by the county lady. Her testimony is probably not sufficient to establish evidence. Does the county lady have any other witnesses or physical evidence?"
Qiandeng chanted sutras and prayed all night long, and it was certain that no one or anything entered or exited through the window.
But the Buddhist scriptures she had recited had been lost last night, and the portraits and tablets in the hall could no longer provide evidence to prove her innocence.
Just as her mind raced, pondering how to break the impasse, she heard the King of Kucha sigh again and say, "County Lady, we in Kucha are naturally willing to believe that you are innocent. But now that the three sacred artifacts that protect the country have been stolen from your side, and the life and death of the Northern King is clearly implicated in you, if we don't properly investigate, I'm afraid it will be difficult for your second uncle to rest in peace in the afterlife, and it will be even more difficult to explain to the people of Kucha..."
How could Qiandeng not understand the meaning of his words? She looked at Cui Fufeng silently and exchanged glances with him.
It seems that Kucha still has unerasable suspicion towards her, the descendant of King Changhua who has traveled thousands of miles to return to her homeland.
"Your Majesty, I, as your niece, am as shocked and grief-stricken as anyone in Kucha at the murder of Second Uncle. Our current priority is, of course, to uncover the truth and identify the murderer of Seventh Uncle," Qian Deng said. "Now that I'm involved and the first to discover the crime scene, I hope you'll be able to participate in the investigation. I will do my utmost to uncover the truth for Second Uncle and myself and to catch the real culprit."
"We understand your feelings, but you are a guest from afar. I'm afraid you don't fully understand the situation in Kucha, so it's not convenient for you to intervene." The King of Kucha looked sad, but his refusal was firm. "Furthermore, Kucha has its own laws and regulations. The County Lady is now under suspicion. To avoid suspicion, I'm afraid it would be best for you to wait for our investigation."
Cui Fufeng nodded slightly to Qiandeng, indicating that she need not worry.
With his attitude, Qian Deng felt more at ease. He bowed to the King of Kucha and the Imperial Preceptor and said, "Since that's the case, I will fully cooperate with the investigation. If you need anything, please feel free to ask."
"Since the county lady is willing, that would be great. I hope the county lady will bear with it for a while and stay in the palace to wait for news. Do not leave without permission, otherwise we will not be able to find the county lady when necessary and make important mistakes."
The meaning of "staying in the palace with peace of mind" is actually equivalent to confining her to the palace.
Seeing that they were going to take Qiandeng away, Daimao didn't understand what was happening, but when he saw the guards coming forward, he suddenly became anxious and blocked Qiandeng's way, ready to fight them to the death.
Qian Deng signaled her to be patient and said in a low voice, "Go ahead and talk later."
Daimao was anxious and helpless, and could only hurriedly say to Cui Fufeng: "Shaoqing Cui, you must help the county lady get rid of this trouble as soon as possible!"
Cui Fufeng nodded: "Don't worry, I will do my best."
Although his promise temporarily comforted Daimao, as he watched Qiandeng leave with the King of Kucha and the Imperial Master, the glances they had exchanged in private seemed to reappear in front of his eyes - although their attitude was polite and their words were tactful, the look of relief and some satisfaction in their eyes was self-evident in his eyes.
Thinking about Qian Deng traveling thousands of miles to return to his homeland, only to face the current situation, he felt heavy in his heart, and his usually warm expression turned slightly cold.
With such a big commotion happening in Kucha, the people of the Tang Dynasty naturally knew about it very quickly.
When Cui Fufeng returned to the Protectorate Office, the prince immediately summoned him and asked about Qiandeng's current situation.
"Based on the current situation, Kucha will likely take into consideration the fact that the County Lady is a descendant of the King of Changhua and the County Lady of our Tang Dynasty, so they won't take any drastic action for the time being." Cui Fufeng, though unable to conceal his worry, tried to maintain a calm tone. "The County Lady is currently confined to a quiet room in the Kucha Royal Palace. Once they investigate the case and apprehend the murderer, she should be fine."
The Crown Prince asked anxiously, "I heard that the circumstances of the Northern King's murder were very strange. How is this incident related to Lingling?"
"This case is indeed a bit strange. The county lady and I have both had some contact with the case, but we still have no clue what it is."
Cui Fufeng pondered for a moment before adding, "Actually, it's not that difficult. The most important thing about this case isn't the method, but the murderer's logic and purpose. Once you understand this, the answer will become clear."
The Crown Prince pondered his words, understanding the underlying meaning behind them. "You're saying that someone in Kucha is taking advantage of this opportunity to eliminate the Northern King and then pin the blame on Lingling, killing two birds with one stone? In your opinion, who would be the one to do it?"
Cui Fufeng remained silent, saying, "At this point, nothing is known and needs further investigation. However, the county lady will inevitably have to endure this for a few days."
"Master Cui, please inform the King of Kucha and arrange a time for me to meet and discuss this matter with him. If the Princess of the Great Tang were imprisoned by Kucha, and the other states and the people of the Great Tang knew about it, what would become of her?"
Seeing the Crown Prince's frantic anxiety, Cui Fufeng calmed down. "Isn't this inappropriate? The Princess is here to escort the Prince of Changhua and his son back home, along with their attire and spirit tablets. She is not an envoy of the Tang Dynasty, and her purpose is to deal with internal affairs of the Kucha royal family. If the Tang Dynasty were to intervene in negotiations with Kucha over this, I'm afraid it would be unreasonable."
The prince asked anxiously, "Are we just going to leave Lingling under house arrest and wait for news from Kucha?"
"Your Highness, please be at ease," Cui Fufeng said slowly. "Although we can't bring up court affairs, the county princess's status is different after all. If Your Highness really wants to meet with the King of Kucha, you can mention that the county princess has made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty and has shared hardships with Your Highness many times. With this as an opening point, I believe Kucha will surely understand Your Highness's intentions."
"Besides, Lingling is my savior. For both public and private reasons, I must negotiate with them!"
The prince's attendants immediately arranged for a meeting with the King of Kucha. Cui Fufeng took his leave and left. He stood in front of the hall, gazing at the high, blue sky of Kucha and feeling the scorching midday breeze. The prince's anxious and restless expression lingered in his mind, and he felt the heavy burden on his heart even greater.
I cannot leave Chang'an, my hometown is not my country.
His county lord came with great enthusiasm, but encountered such a conspiracy.
How can he, who has promised to walk with her and return to the same destination together, help her to move forward and find the best direction and destination?
While he was pondering, someone suddenly rushed out from behind and slapped him on the shoulder: "Shaoqing Cui!"
There is no need to look back, the accent, which is very different from that of the people in the Central Plains, has already revealed who the other person is.
Cui Fufeng asked calmly, "What's the matter, Prince Mingjiu?"
Mingjiu roared, turning to him and demanding, "Why are you still sitting here? Xianzhu has been locked up, and her lover (relatives) want to kill her!"
"Not really. The county lady is safe for now." Cui Fufeng signaled him to calm down, but Mingjiu was not calm at all. He grabbed his collar and pulled him out: "Go, go!"
Cui Fufeng frowned and motioned him to let go and go to a quiet place to talk. "The county lady is indeed in some trouble this time, but she was also dragged into this matter innocently. I suspect someone deliberately set her up."
Mingjiu was so angry that he jumped up: "How unreasonable! Who dares to harm the fairy pearl?"
"The person behind this is still unknown. However, the situation in Kucha is indeed quite complicated. Now His Royal Highness the Crown Prince cannot come forward as the Tang Dynasty, so he can only negotiate privately, which adds another wave of twists and turns..."
"It's inconvenient for the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, but it's convenient for me, the candidate for fiancé!" Upon hearing this, Mingjiu immediately became excited and patted his chest, saying, "As Xianzhu's fiancé, I can't ignore this matter. Watch me rush to the palace and rescue my princess!"
In just one sentence, he went from being a candidate for fiancé to fiancé, and then to princess.
Despite his anxiety, Cui Fufeng couldn't help but ask, "As far as I know, Prince Mingjiu doesn't seem to be on the county lady's list of fiancés yet, right?"
Mingjiu waved his hand generously: "That's your Han Chinese nonsense (rules), what does it have to do with us Huihe people? Anyway, Lin... he's gone, Xianzhu will definitely marry me!"
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