Chapter 36 Finalization
At this point, Su Yunzhong was calm and almost indifferent, and told everything.
"Why..." Qian Deng stared at him intently, staring at the murderer who killed his mother. With grief and indignation, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Why didn't you expose Nan Yu immediately in Leyouyuan, but took action in private, leading to such an outcome?!"
"Because my sister committed suicide."
The moment he saw the ring, Su Yunzhong knew who the man he had been looking for was, the man who had abandoned his sister.
He was in great confusion and missed two of his arrows. But when he shot the third arrow, he suddenly realized that he had no way to avenge his sister.
"I can't avenge her... She committed suicide with her unborn child before she even married. If I expose this, it would be a crime enough to bring disgrace upon my sister, and she would even be barred from the ancestral grave. But for this man, it would be nothing more than a romantic affair. My sister would be banished from the family cemetery, her ashes would be scattered, and even her memorial tablet would be thrown into the stinking ditch... But this man... this man would gain a reputation as a suave and charming man, and even become the capital for him to marry the county lady!"
He pointed directly at Nan Yu, his anger and sorrow making him breathe rapidly and his eyes bloodshot.
"You knew your sister was committing suicide! She's narrow-minded and can't get over it. What does it have to do with me?" Nan Yu struggled to his feet, raised his head and hissed, "Even if you report this to the authorities, tell everyone in Chang'an, and let the county lady know about it, I'm not afraid! I haven't broken any laws, so I can still run for election!"
"Yes, it's both premarital infidelity, so why would a woman commit suicide while a man can talk about it with relish? Even—" Qian Deng interrupted him, his voice resolute and cold, "If this gets out, won't the gambling increase, adding to your worth and giving you something to show off?"
Nan Yu opened his mouth, but under Qian Deng's fierce gaze, his bruised and swollen face was slightly distorted, and in the end he didn't dare to say anything.
"Perhaps this is just how the world is. It allows men to be unrestrained but doesn't allow women to overstep the line. This is the way the world is, and everyone is like this. But I will never allow myself to choose a son-in-law like this!"
She raised her head sternly, looked at Cui Fufeng, and said, "Mr. Cui, although romantic disputes between men and women are difficult to prosecute, this man, Nanyu, first seduced a decent woman to death, and then colluded with the servants of the palace to deceive the court. Such a heartless person, who disregards the law, will not be allowed into the Changhua Palace!"
Cui Fufeng immediately said, "Allowing such a person to be included in the list of candidates was a mistake on the part of the Ministry of Rites. Please rest assured, County Lady, not only will this person be removed from the list of candidates, but the court will also deal with him fairly and will give you and He Wei Niang an explanation!"
Qiandeng nodded slightly, his eyes swept across Nan Yu, whose face looked as pale as death, and turned to Su Yunzhong.
His face was full of tears, and it was unclear whether he was feeling regret or relief. He knelt silently, kowtowed to her properly, and then closed his eyes and let himself be tied up.
Under the shade of the trees and on the lawn, everyone was silent.
The mystery was finally solved, and the truth behind his mother's death was finally revealed. Sorrow and exhaustion almost overwhelmed Qiandeng at the same time.
Qiandeng, who had been exhausted for many days and was almost exhausted, really couldn't hold on any longer. Her body was shaking, and Aunt Xuanji hurried forward to support her.
Cui Fufeng looked at Qiandeng's empty hands and asked, "County Lady, that thread as evidence..."
Qian Deng's voice was low, almost like a whisper: "That's fake. I deduced everything, but there was no evidence, so I took a similar thread from the sewing box, just to force him to submit."
Cui Fufeng's eyes flickered slightly, and he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded silently.
He asked Aunt Xuanji to help the county lady down to rest, but Qiandeng stopped him and said to him, "And the whereabouts of my mother's letter are still unknown."
Cui Fufeng was also hesitant.
The truth of Su Yunzhong's murder of Mrs. Qi has been revealed, but he really did not have the opportunity to sneak into the pavilion and take away the letter that his mother left for Qiandeng.
There is no time and no motivation.
After a moment's thought, he whispered, "Don't worry, County Lady. Now that Chang'an has been liberated, leave Su Yunzhong, Nan Yu, and Nanny Tian to me. I will bring them back to Chang'an for thorough interrogation. Everything will be decided according to the laws of the land. I will not allow the deceased to suffer injustice in the underworld, nor will I miss any other clues."
This naturally includes the missing letter and carving knife.
Qiandeng nodded and bowed solemnly to him: "Everything is in my hands, Master Cui."
The summer sun was scorching. She had been running around and working hard these past few days, and her slender body seemed to be melting in the sunlight.
Turning around, Qian Deng mustered up the last bit of strength and bowed to the ten remaining candidates for fiancé. His voice was not loud, but extremely solemn and respectful.
"Thank you all for your kindness. I've been through a lot of trouble in this selection process. Now that my mother has unfortunately passed away, I will do my best to find the person she favored before her death. After the mourning period is over, I will arrange a marriage with him... If you gentlemen can't wait, or have other plans, you are welcome to find a good match on your own."
The remaining eight fiancés all stood up, returned the greeting, and said, "Please accept my condolences, County Lady."
Shangluo whispered, "Don't worry, County Master. You saved me. Let alone three years of mourning, I will wait for you for ten!"
But apart from him, no one agreed to stay, and no one threatened to withdraw from the election.
After all, the world has changed so much in three years, who knows what will happen in the future?
The future is still unknown, and those who were pointed out by Lady Qi before her death cannot clearly say whether they will give up or persist.
When the dust settled, Qiandeng returned to where his mother's coffin was placed. He bowed three times and kowtowed nine times in front of the coffin, burning incense and mourning silently.
She sat down leaning against the coffin, and murmured to her mother through a layer of black lacquered nanmu wood that the real murderer had been caught and the other party had confessed everything. What awaited him now was the judgment of the law.
"But mother, I haven't found the letter you said would determine my fate and where I'll go. I haven't found the person you pointed out to me among the crowd either... If you are still alive, please give your daughter more guidance and help me see the light..."
Her nerves, which had been tense for many days, relaxed at this moment. She had been tossing and turning for several days, and now she was overwhelmed by fatigue. She finally couldn't bear it anymore and fell into a deep sleep in front of the coffin.
Ending
Qiandeng closed the intricate and luxurious mother-of-pearl box in his hand in a daze, but he vaguely saw the tall and strong figure with flat shoulders and broad back through the hazy vision in front of him.
His last gaze on her seemed to still be before her eyes, as sharp and chilling as the "Bai Qiandeng" he roared when he said goodbye. Whenever she thought about it now, she still felt the wound in her heart slowly oozing blood.
His betrayal was the first time in her life that she knew the feeling of having her heart stabbed.
But she is Bai Qiandeng. She has the blood of Queen Guishan in her body. She is the proud granddaughter of King Changhua and the last person to support the palace.
How could she tolerate someone damaging the honor of her ancestors and trampling on the glory of the Changhua Palace?
Even though that person was Ling Tianshui, even though she had held his hand, leaned on his shoulder, and used his broad chest as her support in her nightmares, snuggling up to him and shedding tears.
But he touched the deepest forbidden area in her heart, and the only thing between them was a rift and a rift, turning them into enemies.
All ties are severed, no connection whatsoever!
"We have nothing to do with each other anymore..." Qiandeng murmured, clenching the mother-of-pearl box in his hand and looking up at the Chang'an City in front of him.
In May, the blue sky was as deep and thick as the sea, covering the 108 districts of Chang'an.
Overlooking the countless doors and gates of Chang'an from the Daming Palace, with its multi-story buildings and pavilions, it feels as if you are standing above the nine heavens, with millions of living beings at your feet. There is a wonderful sense of floating.
This is probably the reason why Princess Changyi has been waiting for a long time and is unwilling to let go.
And now, such an opportunity has come to her.
The box in his hand was clearly just a five-colored concentric longevity thread tied with nine golden flowers, but when he held it in his palm, it felt as heavy as the fate of his life.
All you need to do is close your eyes and do nothing to accept the great gift of fate.
But she took a deep breath and felt that the May sunlight was so dazzling that it made her feel empty and she didn't know how to walk down the jade steps.
"County Lady?" A clear and gentle voice brought her back to her senses. She looked up and saw a red dress as bright as the morning sun, which made Cui Fufeng's figure in front of her look even more elegant and tall.
He looked at her with concern, as if asking her what happened.
Qian Deng stared at him for a long time before coming back to his senses. He asked in a low voice, "Why is Cui Shaoqing here?"
This young man, admired and feared by all the girls in Chang'an, had a hint of nervous anticipation on his usually gentle and warm face. "I... came to accompany the county lady back to the mansion, and by the way, tell her a good news."
Thinking of the mysterious smile of Madam Cui in the palace, and looking at Cui Fufeng's expression, how could Qiandeng not know it?
She stared at the list in Cui Fufeng's hand. It was a list of candidate husbands for her jointly prepared by the Ministry of Rites and the Internal Affairs Bureau.
Now, his name has finally been officially added to the background of the flowery paper with the theme of "Blowing the Flute to Attract the Phoenix".
Almost a year had passed since he had offered himself to her backyard last autumn.
The Boling Cui clan, from which he came, was known as the foremost clan in the land. He wondered how much effort and negotiation he had put in over the years before he finally got them to accept this infamous orphan, allowing her to appear on this roster with dignity.
After she had a piece of her heart cut out and thought she would never be happy again in this life, she was favored by the two most powerful men in the world.
The list of names that attract the phoenix is the thread of longevity.
The people around her obviously understood the meaning of the list and were whispering to each other. What's more, some of them looked at her with envy and surprise, wondering why her husband candidates died one after another, but there were always the best men who were not afraid of fate and competed to enter her backyard.
When she thought her life was shattered, she discovered that in the eyes of others, her life was still worthy of envy.
This absurd feeling made her still dazed even after she got in the car with him.
After leaving Daming Palace and returning to Kaihuafang, we passed by Shengfa Casino.
As expected, when the idlers in the street learned that Cui Shaoqing was officially on the list of the county lord's husband, there was another commotion. People from all sides were betting, commenting, regretting, and celebrating. It was a real uproar.
"I can't believe it! With this unexpected change, three of the husband candidates have been eliminated. Now there are only four people left in the county lady's backyard!"
"I heard that the four remaining gentlemen will accompany the county lady on her journey west. Doesn't that mean that when they return, all the answers will be confirmed?"
"Everyone, traveling through mountains and rivers is the best way to understand everyone's personality. Otherwise, why would people with no connections also rush to go? Isn't it just to show their best side in front of the county lady and let her confirm her feelings?"
"We have to hurry, this is our last chance to place our bets, right? By the time they come back, who knows, the pick might be confirmed!"
"In my opinion, it has to be Cui Shaoqing, who is ranked first! I heard that even Cui Shizhong has sided with my son and persuaded the elders of the Cui family in Boling. Therefore, he has been officially listed as a candidate for the county lady's husband!"
"Then who else has a chance of winning? It's definitely him!"
"Not necessarily, not necessarily. I still favor Ji Linyou. This time, the county lady personally cleared his name from injustice. Plus, he leads the old subordinates of the Prince of Changhua. I think most of the people accompanying the county lady will support him!"
"Tsk, then he has to keep a close eye on it. If the Huihe people take the initiative to attack her territory, the county lady will be in danger! It will be difficult to refuse the marriage then!"
"What's the point of you arguing about this? In the end, it all depends on the County Lady's feelings. I'm still optimistic that the world-famous Xue Lecheng will be able to win the County Lady's favor along the way!"
"Alright, the merits of the 9981 bows are almost complete. Hurry up, hurry up, the final wave of bets, the victory or failure is only a moment away!"
Aunt Xuanji, who was accompanying Qiandeng in the carriage, listened to the noise outside the carriage and secretly checked Qiandeng's expression.
But she remained quiet and ignored all the noise, letting the carriage pass through all the bustling noises, and her expression did not change until she got off the carriage and returned home.
Even after returning home, she only instructed the people in the mansion to properly seal the festival gift given by the prince, and carefully took off the five-colored thread on her wrist and placed it carefully in the box.
It’s a pity that the apparent calmness can deceive others but can never deceive oneself.
That night, in the heavy wind and rain, Qiandeng was immersed in nightmares again.
Since expelling Ling Tianshui, she no longer used all the spices left by Meng Lanxi.
But the cloth tiger her mother sewed for her could not help her resist everything. She always had trouble sleeping. When she woke up in the middle of the night, her heart ached and twitched as if it was bitten by a poisonous insect, and she tossed and turned in bed.
But she still didn't pick up the hypnotic drugs. She buried her eyes, which could not be closed, on the soft back of the rag tiger, and endured the desolate silence night after night, waiting for her wounds to heal and forget as soon as possible.
She acted as if nothing had happened in front of others, as if everyone - including Ling Tianshui, were just insignificant passers-by, and she didn't care if they were gone.
After all, she has her own chosen path. Those feelings that should not exist and have been severed are just empty and meaningless dreams before the direction she wants to go.
But on the night before she left, she was drawn out from under her brocade quilt by the rustling sound of rain. She put on her clothes and went to the corridor. She stared at the raindrops that flickered in the darkness under the light of the lamp, and was stunned for a long time.
The tall Chinaberry tree in the yard had already lost its flowers in this early summer season, leaving only a few scattered ash-purple tiny flowers, which were hit by raindrops on the back of her hand.
She raised her hand and looked at it under the lamp, remembering that Meng Lanxi had picked this small flower before. He said the name of this flower was "Bitter Love".
She raised the back of her hand to her eyes, took the lavender flower between her lips, and tasted it.
"Really... so bitter."
She murmured, and the chinaberry flowers between her lips fell into the mud at her feet along with the drizzle in front of her.
When the rain stops and the sun rises, it will soon decay into mud, and from then on no one will know what hazy and dreamy colors it once bloomed with.
No one knew about it except the weeping willows outside Chang'an City at that time.
—— Tianshui Dream Ends——
Volume 2 Guangling Rain
That autumn in Chang'an, there was a heavy rain that lasted for half a month, which was even heavier than the summer rain.
Amid the sound of the dripping rain, Qiandeng lay in the gauze curtain and brocade quilt, dreaming of her childhood again.
Her loving family members hugged her and held her in the center of warmth with a smile.
"Deng Deng, grow up quickly, you will have to support the palace in the future..."
The night rain rustled against her window and also against her dreams. The world was gentle and beautiful.
Qian Deng raised his arms and hugged his family tightly, swearing, "Yes, I will support the palace, and I will continue the glory of my father and grandfather..."
But before she could finish her words, scarlet murderous aura burst out from her severed brow, tearing apart her oath, and strangling everyone's throat with a gleam of blood.
She rushed forward frantically with tears in her eyes, but only grabbed her mother's cold hand.
The mother turned around, shook her head expressionlessly, and pointed to her heart.
A huge fear surged in her heart. Although she knew it was wrong, her gaze could not be controlled and slowly moved downwards.
She saw the hollow hole in her mother's heart, a mess of blood and flesh that would never heal.
"Deng Deng, did you see that? You have no family ties, this is your fate..."
Her loved ones turned to dust and disappeared, and she was abandoned in the darkness, falling endlessly.
Amidst the roar of thunder, she opened her eyes wide and, in the aftermath of her nightmare, saw a gauze curtain embroidered with broken branches of flowers. The candlelight in the room flickered faintly, making the shadows of the crabapple, lilac, and pomegranate blossoms on the curtain sway like waves around her.
Qiandeng breathed slightly, hugged the cloth tiger her mother made for her tightly, buried her face in the old soft cloth, and absorbed the warmth from the corners of her eyes.
There was a slight noise outside the tent. Liuli, who was on duty at night, got up and put on her clothes. She lowered her voice and asked, "Auntie?"
Aunt Xuanji raised her hand to open the curtains, but stopped herself. "Alas, the county lady rarely has a good night's sleep. Let's wait... until dawn."
Qian Deng tried his best to suppress his panting, raised his hand to open the curtain, and said in a hoarse voice: "What's wrong?"
Aunt Xuanji hesitated: "Yes... Shi Jingning is here."
Shi Jingning, one of her husband candidates.
He is a handsome young man who can be considered as a childhood sweetheart. He speaks softly and slowly, and his skill in making pastries is rare in the world.
Qian Deng hugged the cloth tiger tightly and sat up, resting his chin on the "king" character on the tiger's forehead. He asked softly, "What's wrong with him? Why did he come to see me so late at night?"
"This matter...is hard to explain in a few words. The county lady will know once she goes out and takes a look."
Aunt Xuanji held up a large silk umbrella, Qiandeng put on a plain homely cloak, and walked through the corridor where the rain and wind were blowing, and came to the front hall. When they looked up, they were stunned.
In front of the flower hall, Shi Jingning's blue shirt was soaking wet, his shoes and the hem of his clothes stained with mud. Beside him stood his four younger siblings, tall and short. His eldest sister, Huaining, was twelve years old. She was accompanied by her ten-year-old brother and a pair of nine-year-old twins. All of them were pretty, but like Shi Jingning, they all looked disheveled.
Seeing her coming, Shi Jingning hurriedly bowed deeply to her with his younger brother and sister-in-law.
Qiandeng removed her hood and cape, illuminating her entire body. A gentle warm orange embraced her. In this autumn night of chilly rain, she was warm and dry, soft and bright, a world he had only dreamed of.
Shi Jingning's throat choked, he felt embarrassed and nervous, but looking at his brothers and sisters, he lowered his head and whispered, "I came here today to ask the county lady to take me in temporarily, at least to let my brothers and sisters... take shelter from the storm for a while."
Qiandeng's gaze paused on the children. Seeing them shivering in the rain and wind under the eaves, he motioned for them to come in and talk.
Shi Jingning helped his younger brother and sister-in-law take off their muddy shoes, then squatted down to wring out the hems of their clothes before leading them inside barefoot on the clean blue bricks.
Liuli and Amber came over with towels to dry the children's hands and feet, led them to sit on the blanket next to them, and brought up some fruits.
It was the middle of the night and the children were obviously hungry, but they were well-educated and they knelt obediently on the Persian carpet, staring at Shi Jingning without taking any action.
Qian Deng smiled at Shi Jingning and said, "Tell your sister-in-law not to be so reserved. Eat something to warm yourself up, or you might catch a cold."
Shi Jingning nodded to them, and they thanked him, took the tea, and started eating the cakes.
Qiandeng led Shi Jingning to sit in the hall, poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of him: "What's the matter?"
"When the rebel army burned, killed, and looted in Chang'an, they destroyed the gate and walls of my house. Recently, it rained heavily, and my house collapsed. I was lucky enough to escape with my younger brother and sister-in-law, but now we have nowhere to go..." Shi Jingning held the steaming teacup, his eyelashes drooping, ashamed and dared not look at her. "If I were alone, no matter how big the storm was, it wouldn't matter. But my younger brother and sister-in-law are still young and rely on me for support. No matter what, I have to find a place for them to stay..."
Qian Deng was shocked. He turned around to look at the children and said thankfully, "Fortunately, your brother and sister-in-law are fine. The damage to the house is not a big deal. When the rain stops, I will find some people to help you repair it."
Hearing that she was going to help him so naturally, Shi Jingning's drooping eyelashes seemed to be wetted by tea smoke, covered with thick moisture.
"Thank you, my lady. I would like to ask you to allow me and my brothers and sisters to stay at the farm temporarily."
"From the Zhuangzi..." Qiandeng asked thoughtfully, "Aren't you at the Guanglu Temple? You have to report for duty every day. It takes an hour to ride from the Zhuangzi into the city to the Guanglu Temple. If it's windy and rainy and the roads are difficult to travel, wouldn't it be even more difficult?"
The caring tone in the discussion made Shi Jingning, who was originally nervous and ashamed, feel warm in his heart, and his eyes and ears turned red.
"It's okay. We just need the county lady to give us a place to stay. I get up early every day, pack up for my brother and sister-in-law, and then go over. It won't delay us."
"This won't work. It's too much trouble." Qian Deng thought for a moment and turned back to ask Xuan Ji, "Aunt, hasn't the backyard always been empty? There are many houses over there, and no one has ever lived there."
Aunt Xuanji naturally understood what she meant and immediately said, "That's right. The backyard of our palace is much larger than the front yard. It's just that the house has been vacant for too long. Without people to fumigate it, it's easy for termites and insects to grow."
Seeing that Aunt Xuanji also agreed, Qiandeng said, "Then let's do this. You and your siblings can stay in my backyard first until the house is renovated. This place is close to the Guanglu Temple, so it will be convenient for you to take care of your siblings. What do you think?"
Shi Jingning's voice choked with sobs: "No, no, no, it's already a great favor to be able to stay at the manor. How dare I stay at the palace?"
"It's nothing serious. The backyard has been abandoned since my father and grandfather passed away. There's a high wall separating it from the palace, so I don't go there often."
The Changhua Palace has a small population. Qiandeng's father loves mountains and rivers and can design his own gardens. Therefore, the front yard of the palace is very small, but there is a large backyard. It took decades to build a large garden. Now there are few people to take care of it, and it is not well maintained.
"Besides, your father was also a subordinate of my grandfather's army, and we have a childhood friendship. An elder brother is like a father, and your siblings are still young, so you have to make plans for them. Just stay here with peace of mind."
After daybreak, Xuanji led Shi Jingning to the backyard and cleaned up Liuhua Mountain House. The house was spacious, with a flat slope in front, perfect for children to play.
The matter of Princess Lingling choosing a son-in-law had always been a topic of conversation in the capital. The gambling game at Shengfa Casino had not yet come to a conclusion due to the war, and everyone was waiting and watching.
Now that she has not yet married, a candidate for her fiancé has moved into the backyard of the palace, which is bound to cause a lot of discussion among people in the capital.
Fortunately, after the rebellion, life was difficult for everyone in the city. After learning the inside story, everyone thought it was rare for the Princess of Lingling to take in a family of weak and orphaned children, so there was not much criticism. However, the bets on Shi Jingning, who was originally unpopular, suddenly increased several times.
However, the door of kindness is hard to open, and it is difficult to pass through once it is opened.
Less than two days later, on a rainy afternoon, someone knocked on the door of Changhua Palace again.
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