Chapter 9 The Cause of Disaster
Not wanting to say more to Mingjiu, Cui Fufeng watched him leave, pondered for a moment, and then walked towards where Ji Linyou was staying.
Many of the veterans under the Changhua King's command were recruited in Kucha or the northwest. They fought in campaigns throughout the country, some joining the army in Chang'an, while others settled in the Central Plains. This time, they followed Qiandeng westward, some returning home to visit their families, others to retire, and Ji Linyou was the one responsible for arranging them.
Ji Linyou had been very busy these days, looking for the families of the veterans, settling their land and houses, and commending their military merits. When he saw Cui Fufeng coming, he felt relieved. He quickly pushed the piles of documents into the hands of the clerks, stood up, and walked into the inner room with Cui Fufeng.
"Master Cui, you are well-versed in affairs. Could you please help me see how I can simplify things and get these things done as quickly as possible? I've been stuck since arriving in Kucha, and I haven't even had the chance to accompany the princess to see the scenery of my homeland!"
"You seem to have the leisure to do so, but it seems the princess won't be able to enjoy the scenery of her homeland for a while." Cui Fufeng said calmly, "She can't leave the palace now."
"Ah?" Ji Linyou was very confused.
Cui Fufeng briefly told Ji Linyou the whole story of how the Northern King of Kucha was murdered and the murder weapon was the Qinglian Liuli, one of the three sacred artifacts that protect the country. He also explained how the county princess was suspected and imprisoned in the palace. Ji Linyou was immediately shocked and angry.
"How ridiculous! The princess returned to her homeland with such sincerity, all the way from afar. Who on earth would want to harm her like this? I will tear the murderer into pieces!"
Although the inner room was empty, Cui Fufeng lowered his voice, "There's definitely a hidden story behind this. The Northern King asked the County Lady to meet in the gardens of the Kucha Palace. He casually proposed it in the mausoleum. I'm sure you remember what happened. The only people who heard the agreed time and place were us and a few important members of the royal family..."
Before he finished speaking, Ji Linyou slammed the table and stood up: "So, the person who framed the county lady is the Kucha royal family?"
Cui Fufeng signaled him to be careful with his words and actions: "Don't make rash assumptions. The Kucha royal family and the county lady are blood relatives, and the Northern King is the prince's younger brother. Who would dare to attack the prince's brother in order to frame the county lady?"
Ji Linyou curled his lips, thinking, "You've been in the imperial court for so many years, how come you don't remember that Emperor Taizong of our dynasty ascended the throne by killing his brothers? There are countless examples of brothers killing each other, so why can't Kucha do the same?"
"Let's not talk about the distant past. Wasn't it Prince Changhua who, persecuted by his brothers, fled to the Tang Dynasty alone, fighting his way up from the ranks of soldiers? His mother even died trying to save him." Ji Linyou muttered, "A dragon gives birth to a dragon, a phoenix gives birth to a phoenix, and a mouse's son will dig holes. His father persecuted Prince Changhua back then, and now his son might as well do the same!"
"Be careful when recording things." Cui Fufeng reminded lightly.
Seeing his calm tone, Ji Linyou didn't refute him and simply asked, "How is the county lady now? Will the people of Kucha attack her?"
"The county lady is temporarily under house arrest in the palace. Unable to exonerate herself, she can only await our rescue. However, this matter is truly bizarre. Currently, there are no clues about the suspect or the timing of the crime. I doubt it will be possible to rescue her anytime soon."
"I don't know the first thing about these crime-solving things. In my opinion, why don't we just charge into the palace and rescue the princess? I think the defenses of the Kucha palace are pretty weak, and the veterans who've returned this time are all brave and loyal to the Changhua Palace. Furthermore, many of the Kucha soldiers were trained by the old prince and the crown prince back in the Protectorate. Leveraging this bond, rescuing the princess shouldn't be a difficult task."
"It won't be difficult for the County Lady to come out, but if we do, we'll be directly at odds with the Kucha side. The County Lady is here to escort the spirits of her ancestors. If the old prince and the crown prince knew about this, they'd probably be uneasy in the afterlife," Cui Fufeng sighed. "But since you know the officers and soldiers in the Kucha army, please ask them to inquire more. We must keep an eye on Kucha's movements and ensure the safety of the County Lady."
Ji Linyou patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of this!"
After bidding farewell to Ji Linyou, Cui Fufeng walked out of the military camp, looked up at the vast blue sky, and pondered where to start investigating the whereabouts and interpersonal relationships of the Northern King.
A faint sobbing sound came to my ears. The desolate and low timbre and the rhythmic tremolo are unique to the Kucha xiao.
Cui Fufeng followed the sound thoughtfully and saw Xue Xiyang holding a xiao and playing a vast Kucha music under a tall, broad-leaved fig tree by the karez outside the Protectorate.
He looked very calm, and his slightly closed eyes showed no emotion.
But the trembling sound of the music, like water waves, made Cui Fufeng squint his eyes slightly, as if thinking about something.
He must have known what happened to the county lady, but he hadn't asked about the situation like the others. Was it because he knew more than anyone else?
But in the end, Cui Fufeng just listened to his song "Su Mu Zha" quietly, without saying a word or stepping forward, and turned and left.
Qiandeng and Daimao were placed together in a corner of the palace, which was secluded and tightly guarded by high walls.
Although she was involved in the murder of the Northern King, there was no real evidence after all. Moreover, she was the county lord of the Tang Dynasty and the only descendant of the Changhua King, the pride of Kucha. Therefore, the people who served her were respectful and polite, and the food and water they brought to her were not perfunctory.
But she was under house arrest after all, and the feeling of having to wait for the results made her feel like every day was a year, with a heavy burden on her heart.
She knew that Cui Fufeng would launch an investigation outside the palace as soon as possible to get to the bottom of the truth. In her quiet room, she also repeatedly pondered the scene of the accident when her second uncle was in trouble.
Who on earth would have the opportunity and the means to steal the three sacred national treasures in the temple right in front of her?
She was absolutely certain that she had not missed a thing that night, and it was even more impossible for anyone to sneak in right under her nose and take away the three dazzling national treasures.
But things happened in such a strange way.
While she had been awake all night praying for her father and grandfather, someone stole such an important thing not far away from her, and neither she nor Daimao noticed it.
Daimao fell asleep that night, but Qiandeng knew clearly that she had not slept a wink all night, and all the movements in the spirit hall should have escaped her eyes and ears.
Faced with such an incredible and absurd fact, the National Master's inference that she colluded with outsiders to steal the holy artifact turned out to be the only feasible explanation.
During the long and confusing thinking, she felt her head was swelling and a little dizzy.
Rubbing her faintly throbbing temples, she walked to the window, looked out at the sky of Kucha under the high walls, and took a deep breath, hoping to calm down and have a clearer mind.
Kucha is dry and hot, and the sky seems higher and deeper than that of the Tang Dynasty.
Under this azure sky, the sound of people from the Kucha Palace reciting Tang Dynasty poems could be heard from afar.
“I have someone I miss, who is far away.
I have something that is deeply moving in my heart..." (Note: Bai Juyi's "Night Rain").
The poems and essays written by people thousands of miles away were circulated in remote countries that admired the culture of the Tang Dynasty, making Qiandeng feel dazed for a moment.
The person she was thinking about...the person she was thinking about...
If that person were there, would he be able to perceive more things more keenly? At least, when investigating the body of the Northern King, would he be able to find clues that others have not noticed?
Subconsciously, she murmured: "Ling Tianshui..."
There was silence all around, and the scorching midday breeze from Kucha brushed past her cheeks. The person she was thinking of was nowhere to be found, but the sorrow in her heart grew even heavier.
Daimao, who was standing beside her, heard her mumbling softly and was stunned for a moment. Then, a little angrily, he said, "The county lady still misses him! That Ling Sijie, who always seemed so righteous, ended up killing people and committing perjury, even falsely accusing people of recording things! He was only banished from Chang'an. You tried your best to protect him, but he turned out to be so cruel and heartless, escaping and disappearing without a trace!"
"Stop talking about it. Everyone has their own choices, and he has his own difficulties that he has no choice but to face." Qian Deng shook her head, motioning her not to mention it. "Maybe we are both right, but our paths cannot go together."
Daimao looked at her gloomy face, sighed, and thought for a moment before saying, "However, fortunately, the county lady and Cui Shaoqing are now together. Although everyone in the capital says that Cui Shaoqing is cold-hearted and heartless, we have all seen his affection for you along the way. He is truly a thoughtful and impeccable husband!"
Thinking of Cui Fufeng, Qian Deng breathed a sigh of relief and felt that the situation he was facing was not so difficult anymore.
"Yes, no matter what, I have received the most solemn promise in the world, and I already have someone who is determined to accompany me. There is no need to be tied to the people I missed in the past."
"It's best that the county lady thinks this way!" Daimao said with a smile.
Qiandeng leaned against the window, listening to the singing in the distance, holding her chin in the slightly warm breeze, occasionally turning her head to look at the lush leaves beside her that were blowing in the wind.
There seemed to be a silhouette under the tree where the sun's shadow was swaying, which made her heart skip a beat.
She didn't know if it was the shadows of trees or rocks, but they intertwined together, but somehow they vaguely revealed a tall and stern figure, which miraculously coincided with the man in her heart.
Far away from Chang'an and Beiting, when she was imprisoned in a foreign palace, would the person in her heart be like a phantom, watching over her in the dark?
This illogical speculation seemed absurd to her.
So she didn't look at the shadow to confirm, and just thought it was a fleeting sight and she had mistaken it.
She stood quietly by the window for a while, just a few inches away from the shadow in the courtyard, but not close.
There is someone I miss who lives far away.
That person had been expelled from her life by her own hands, and she had already found a companion who had made her own choice.
From then on, no matter where they were, they were thousands of miles apart, like the stars in the sky.
"Sister County Master..."
While she was in a trance, she heard a timid call in her ears. She looked up and saw it was Bai Zhaosu.
She sneaked in from the door holding a leaf bag, and her usually pale face was now full of nervousness and joy.
"Why is the princess here?" Qiandeng said, glancing at the tree in the courtyard.
Among the shadows of the trees swaying in the wind, there was no trace of the illusion.
Bai Zhaosu had already run to the window, standing on tiptoe as hard as he could, and handed a handful of apricots to her: "Sister County Master, these are the apricots that Madam Madam sent to me because she knew you were in the palace. She said these are the white apricots from her yard, and she picked the sweetest ones for you, the County Master."
Qiandeng knew the nanny she was referring to was the wet nurse she'd mentioned before. Even though it was just a handful of apricots, she felt relieved that someone still appreciated her, despite all the trouble she'd caused.
Although she had no appetite, she still bent down and took two apricots, peeled off the soft skin, and took a bite. It was indeed sweet, fragrant, rich and delicious.
Qian Deng couldn't help but praise: "Such delicious apricots are rare in the Central Plains. Hmm...but the ringing apricots over in Mianchi are not bad either."
When she mentioned Xianglingxing, she paused subconsciously, and the figure of Yan Penglai, as quiet and elegant as a crane, suddenly flashed through her mind.
She couldn't help feeling a little sad, thinking that his family had disappeared from this world forever because of a few apricots.
But in fact, it was not those apricots that really took away their lives.
It was the powerful who took advantage of the situation and robbed Yan Penglai of his family, his destiny, and his ideals, beliefs, and dreams.
She bit the apricot silently, and suddenly thought to herself, what about Second Uncle Wang?
Was his death due to a power struggle or some other conspiracy?
What about her? Was she deliberately framed by someone or was she just unlucky and happened to be the unlucky one involved?
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