Chapter 21 Direction
Her casual response reassured Jin Tang, a forced smile on his face, as he quickly added, "As for what happened in Huangsha Valley back then, I'm sure my family wouldn't do anything like that! It's not easy for merchants to survive, and those in my clan act very cautiously. Even if they flattered Princess Gao, they certainly wouldn't dare commit such a heinous crime against the old prince. Otherwise, why hasn't my family been able to open up the Northwest Corridor for over a decade, even dreaming of connecting it to the Western Regions? Some time ago, my clan asked me to explore with the county lord to see if we could open up the Silk Road trade route!"
Qiandeng was now in a state of confusion and reluctantly nodded, not wanting to say anything more. As he turned to leave, he heard a soft ding and his foot caught a piece of broken porcelain.
Although the storm had subsided, the things that had been knocked over in the argument were still scattered on the floor, and the dim room was a mess.
"Oh, what happened?" Aunt Xuanji hurried over. When she saw this situation, she hurriedly ordered people to clean up the debris. Then she saw that even the teapot was broken. Thinking that Jintang must be thirsty after the injury, she asked Daimao to clean up the broken pot and go to the kitchen to get another pot of water.
Qiandeng told Jintang to go to bed early and be careful with the doors and windows.
Jintang also knew that he was making enemies everywhere, so he nodded and agreed, saying that he would never go out at night, let alone let anyone in. He would definitely lock the door tightly.
After the commotion, Qiandeng felt exhausted both physically and mentally. When he reached the gate of the courtyard, he saw Meng Lanxi standing under the gardenias, holding a rabbit, letting the night wind blow on his thin body.
Qian Deng looked at Bai Bai's stiff and cold body for a moment, and said to him, "The soil under the gardenia is soft, why not bury Bai Bai here."
Meng Lanxi choked up and responded, picked up the small shovel that was ready at hand, and slowly dug the soil.
After digging a hole one foot square, he broke off a banana leaf, carefully wrapped Baibai and put it in. He looked at it silently for a while before pushing the soil with a shovel, burying the tiny body and compacting the soil.
Seeing him so sad, Qiandeng forgot about his foot injury, picked up the small lamp in his hand, and accompanied him to the warehouse to return the shovel to its original place.
The two of them walked back along the path in silence. Qian Deng heard him say in a very low voice, "County Lady, it must be Jin Tang. He was the one who killed Bai Bai... County Lady, you must be careful and vigilant. Don't let this kind of person do evil around you..."
Qian Deng remained silent, neither agreeing with him nor trying to persuade him.
A single lamp illuminated the two of them as they walked forward. When they reached the kitchen, they saw Tortoise Shell approaching the door and asking the cook, "Is there any more hot water?"
The cook pointed to the teapots on the stove and said, "Yes, there are so many people here today, and we have to prepare a set for each room. We're really busy. How come there's no teapot in your room?"
"It's not me, it's the teapot in Mr. Jin's room that's broken. I need to bring another pot of water over." Daimao said as he went inside and casually picked up a pot. When he came out, he saw Qiandeng and raised the teapot in his hand and said, "County Lady, I'll deliver the tea and then I'll go back."
Seeing her walking with the boiling kettle, Qian Deng raised his lamp slightly higher to help her light the way forward. "Let's go together. I'm also going to take Mr. Meng back."
The three of them were silent as they walked through the courtyard and the corner gate and arrived at the wing where the gentlemen lived.
After Daimao brought the teapot in, Aunt Xuanji gave Jintang a few instructions and then came out with her.
When Qiandeng heard the sound of a door being bolted in the Jintang room, he pointed in that direction to Ling Tianshui in the next room, asking him to keep an eye on it.
Ling Tianshui nodded, his eyes swept over her feet calmly, as if asking a question.
Qiandeng raised the corner of her lips slightly, gave him a look that said "don't worry", lifted the hem of her skirt and gently kicked her toes.
He didn't speak, and she didn't answer. They just looked at each other for a moment, but it seemed as if everything had been said.
Maybe it was because the secret in his heart had been exposed, maybe it was because he carried her on his back as he walked through the mountains in the sunset, maybe it was because he once called her Deng Deng softly...things between them were no longer the same.
Qiandeng lowered her skirt and turned around to see Xue Xiyang, who was next door, opening the window to greet her. The halo of the lamp in his hand shone on his smiling face, making him look even more gentle and charming. "The county lady has been busy until now. Is your foot injury not serious? Oh, why are all the gentlemen so troublesome? It really makes me worry."
Listening to him caring about and making up other young masters' words, Qian Deng didn't take it seriously and just said, "Young Master Xue is worried, but I'm fine."
Xue Xiyang leaned against the window and asked, "I heard that one of the soldiers escaped? He was able to hide under the nose of the imperial court for so long, so he must have some skills. Will he find a chance to sneak into the manor?"
"Don't worry, Master Xue. The people in Zhuangzi are all trustworthy. As long as their hearts remain calm, I believe they will be safe."
Hearing her hidden meaning, Xue Xiyang smiled slightly, his upturned eyes sparkling even more under the light: "Don't worry, County Lady. It's hard to say about the others, but I'm the most well-behaved and quiet one - after all, there's no hatred between me and them."
In fact, he has nothing to do with Guaiqiao, but from the current situation, except Ling Tianshui and Cui Fufeng, among all the young men, only Xue Xiyang and Jin Tang have no conflicts.
As he pondered along the way, Qiandeng felt a little heavy-hearted, and his foot injury seemed to have become more serious.
Daimao supported Qiandeng and slowly walked back. She couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "County Lady, who did you say harmed Baibai? Could it really be Jin Langjun?"
Qiandeng shook his head: "I don't know."
From the backyard of the palace to Zhuangzi, from years of grudges to trivial conflicts, a group of people are full of contradictions, and it has reached a moment when everyone's lives are in danger.
But who needs to kill a rabbit that can't even make a sound, and why would they want to?
The dream was complicated that night. I returned to the place where my mother died, and all kinds of thoughts seemed to come to my mind.
Qiandeng dreamed that she returned to that unforgettable night. She hugged her mother's body and looked at the arrow in her heart - the arrow seemed to have also pierced her heart, and the pain made her tremble uncontrollably.
When she was enveloped in immense grief like a black mist, she looked up and saw someone climbing a pillar in the corridor, carving out a path to kill her.
She let go of her mother and rushed towards the man. His face vaguely emerged in the darkness, and it was surprisingly Ji Linyou. Behind him were the old generals and soldiers left behind by her father and grandfather, all looking at her expectantly, and the words they murmured were surprisingly "Happiness for a Hundred Years".
Terror, suffocation, and despair overwhelmed her, and she fell from the corridor like a kite with a broken string, landing in the arms that were as firm and warm as her father's.
"County Lady..." He looked at her in his arms, hesitated for a moment, and smiled slightly, revealing the dimples on his cheeks that seemed unreal because they were so fleeting. "Deng Deng."
The golden purple setting sun pierced through the darkness, and he carried her on his back, trudging through the darkness ahead.
She leaned on his broad back, her confused heart slowly calmed down, and then slowly sank.
They walked for a long time, but could not get out of the dark night before them.
But her mother was still waiting for her, so she had to go back to the water pavilion that night to save her mother.
She anxiously pointed in the direction ahead. But where was the direction? No matter how long she trudged, the thick black fog remained before her, and the road ahead was invisible.
"Why? Why can't I find the way..." She murmured while leaning on Ling Tianshui's back, and suddenly thought to herself, did she find the wrong direction, or did he take the wrong road?
Or are they all wrong...
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