If there is an afterlife

The candlelight in the dungeon flickered and illuminated the slender figures of the girls sitting or lying on the ground.

Ah Qiu spoke, his voice grave: "Now that things have come to this, does anyone regret it?"

Her voice rang out starkly in the desolate and deep dungeon.

Xue Hongbi was the first to answer. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was bruised. This was the result of her rushing forward and grappling with the gatekeepers.

A disdainful smile played on her swollen cheeks: "Regret what!"

He added, "I would regret it if I let the two of you go to your deaths like that."

She smoothed her hair and said, "A dancer is all alone, without relatives or family, and has always been like this since childhood. I consider you two as family. If you were to die, what would be the point of me going through all this trouble to stay in the Music Bureau?"

In life, there must be moments when we live vividly and passionately, for the people we know in this lifetime.

A Qiu's gaze fell on Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu. Before A Qiu could ask any questions, the two said in unison, "Even if we die together, it's better than dying separately." After thinking for a moment, they added, "Even underground, we can still dance together in a troupe. At that time, A Qiu will be our top performer, and Instructor Xue will be our troupe leader."

Cui Luzhu smiled and said, "If there is an afterlife, we will still wander the streets and alleys together, and we can even ride in the Gongye family's covered wagon to perform in foreign lands. We will see what the Hu Ji described as a camel and what an oasis is like."

Many of the dying girls looked on with longing when they heard her say that.

A Qiu felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. After a moment of silence, she said, "If there is an afterlife, I wish that none of you will be a dancer again. I... I hope that you will all be reborn as wealthy young ladies, or at the very least, as daughters of good families, loved by your parents, and living a peaceful life."

A cold, menacing female voice rang out, saying, "If you had been so kind earlier, you shouldn't have dragged them into this."

A Qiu's eyes suddenly lit up; he had recognized the person who had come.

She wore a luxurious black brocade dress that trailed on the ground, and her phoenix eyes exuded an imposing aura that sent chills down one's spine at first glance.

It was none other than the former Flying Phoenix Four Guards, "Xuanhu," the former Grand Commandant of the Dayan Dynasty, and Lady Pei, known as "The Slender-Handed Yama," Mu Huaying.

Through the bars, her gaze, deep and unfathomable like an ancient well, slowly swept over the girls in the prison, finally settling on Xue Hongbi. She said softly, "Hongbi, you insisted on staying in the Music Bureau with these people back then, but I never expected to see you again in the Imperial Prison."

The voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, simply stating the facts. But A-Qiu could hear not only a faint pity, but also a hint of weary disgust.

According to her, Mu Huaying was ruthless and decisive, and did not care about the lives of her servants, but in all fairness, she was not a person who did not cherish the past.

In her view, Xue Hongbi's current fate is both pitiful and foolish.

Xue Hongbi was formerly a favored concubine in the Pei family, and Mu Huaying was considered her mistress. Even now, she still followed the rules, barely managing to stand up and curtsy to Madam Pei, smiling weakly, "Hongbi brought this upon herself, but she doesn't regret it. Thank you, Madam, for your understanding back then."

Madam Pei said coldly, "But I regret it very much."

Xue Hongbi and A Qiu were both surprised to hear this.

Madam Pei said, "If I had known you were such a fool, I wouldn't have wasted any energy on you. It seems that the luxurious life and fine clothes you enjoy in the Pei family haven't changed your character at all."

He then said coldly, "A musician is always a musician."

Lady Pei came from the most famous family of legal professionals in the Southern Dynasty, and was also a virtuous lady. She never used harsh words when she cursed. But her last sentence was almost equivalent to saying, "A lowly wretch will always be a lowly wretch."

Upon hearing this, Xue Hongbi simply smiled and said, "Even someone as noble as you, Madam, had to remove her hairpins and await punishment in front of the entire court for the sake of Miss. Hongbi doesn't think there's anything despicable about protecting someone you care about."

Madam Pei was surprised that Xue Hongbi, a mere concubine and entertainer, could retort to her. Her phoenix eyes immediately turned cold as she looked at her with a icy gaze.

However, what Xue Hongbi said was true, and she did not mean to contradict her. She was just saying what came to mind and discussing the matter at hand.

Madam Pei stared at her for a long time before finally saying calmly, "Yu'er is not someone you people can compare to."

After speaking with Xue Hongbi, she turned to A Qiu and said coldly, "I haven't thanked you yet. You were the one who killed Yu'er's White Tiger at the palace banquet. A mere dancer, yet you have quite the skill."

A Qiu was already on high alert, but she didn't expect that Madam Pei's first grudge would be against Bai Hu. She smiled bitterly and said, "Madam, you are wise. First of all, killing Bai Hu was not my doing alone. Consort Zhao and Lord Xiao also helped. I just lent a hand. Secondly, if Bai Hu hadn't died, it would probably have been His Highness the Crown Prince who had died. In that situation, no one had a choice."

Madam Pei's eyes sharpened, and she shouted in a stern voice, "How dare you!" A murderous aura gathered between her beautiful brows, for she was truly enraged.

All because a geisha dared to plead with her like this, which was tantamount to saying that she was being unreasonable.

Seeing the cold glint in Madam Pei's eyes, A Qiu could only manage a bitter smile. The incident with the white tiger had caused Madam Pei to remove her hairpin in public, and both mother and daughter had been imprisoned. Although they would certainly not have received the same treatment now, how could the ever-proud Madam Pei possibly swallow this insult?

Lady Pei could neither blame her own daughter nor the emperor's punishment, so she could only vent her anger on this lowly dancer.

As expected, Madam Pei said coldly, "Unlock!"

A-Qiu was pushed out by two jailers who grabbed his arms behind his back.

A Qiu's act of selflessly protecting the tiger was a righteous act personally praised by the emperor, yet Madam Pei made things difficult for her because of it. Other dancers may not have known, but Consort Sun and Xue Hongbi witnessed it firsthand. For a moment, even the usually tolerant Consort Sun showed her anger.

But after exchanging a glance with Xue Hongbi, she gritted her teeth and remained silent.

Both of them were intelligent and knew that at this point, begging for mercy or reasoning would only earn them ridicule and mockery from Madam Pei.

Is a dungeon a place for reasoning?

The moment A Qiu was pulled out, he had already secretly gathered his inner strength.

If someone of her status as the head of the Divine Weapon Hall of Lanling Hall were to receive a few crisp slaps from Madam Pei, it would be a disgrace to the hall.

The saying "A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated" perfectly illustrates this point.

Sure enough, as soon as she was pushed in front of her, Madam Pei grabbed her chin and lifted her up.

For a fleeting moment, Madam Pei was so captivated by her beauty that even her gestures faltered.

A Qiu relaxed his body to avoid Madam Pei noticing anything amiss, his waist already gathering strength, ready to unleash it.

If Madam Pei were to slap her, she could immediately dodge it with her waist strength.

However, Madam Pei was a master, and A Qiu's martial arts skills could no longer be hidden from her, so they had to fight each other in real combat.

Unexpectedly, Madam Pei coldly stared at her face for a moment, but did not slap her.

She said coldly, "What a pity about this face. If it weren't for this face, the Left Prime Minister wouldn't be making such a ruckus outside."

Upon hearing the name Gongyi Xiu, A Qiu asked in surprise, "What?"

Madam Pei held her chin with one hand and picked up the tin pot brought by the jailer with the other, saying calmly and compliantly, "Normally, I don't need to do this kind of thing myself. But for some reason, a young lady from the Shangguan family and a prime minister from the Gongyi family have been causing trouble outside the prison. I don't have time to get entangled with them, so I can only get rid of you as soon as possible."

Ah Qiu, upon hearing their intentions, realized that they were originally supposed to wait to die in the prison, but because Shangguan Yuqi and Gongyi Xiu were away, Madam Pei felt pressured and decided to poison them with poisoned wine ahead of time.

Madam Pei ordered the jailers to push her out, not to slap her, but to end her life herself.

A thousand calculations raced through his mind. His hands, bound behind his back, were just about to move.

A clear, sharp shout came from the prison gate, carrying unparalleled intimidation and penetrating power: "Mu Huaying!"

A sword light as intense as daylight struck like lightning in an empty room, hitting her face directly. Even with Madam Pei's "Hand of Yama" skill, she and her pot were sent flying several feet away.

The next instant, A Qiu felt as if she had fallen into someone's strong arms.

A familiar, crisp, bittersweet scent wafts over, a blend of calm wood tones and cool watery aroma.

A Qiu's waist was held tightly, and her back was also nestled in a warm embrace.

She dared not make any movement, nor did she dare to look back even once.

In her mind, the person behind her should be sailing alone on the great river, watching the lonely stars and the bright moon, and the vast landscape.

Or perhaps in the military camp, by the flickering campfire, they would drink and chat with renowned generals and wise men, strategizing for the Northern Expedition.

She simply didn't feel that he should be in this dark dungeon, behind her.

How could a mere musician from the Music Bureau possibly warrant the intervention of Gu Yi, the Junior Tutor of the Great Yan Dynasty?

Madam Pei was shaken out by the killing intent of the "Carved Moon" sword. Her hair was disheveled and she looked quite embarrassed. However, she said, "Mu Huaying is interrogating the dancers here. I don't know why the Junior Tutor has been disturbed."

Gu Yi's cold and resolute shout reverberated throughout the prison walls, causing the entire prison to buzz.

"Who gave you permission to administer private punishment to a dancer here! Mu Huaying, you are no longer the Minister of Justice! Is the Dayan Imperial Prison your Pei family's private residence?!"

No one knew why Gu Yi would appear at this particular time and place.

However, his appearance meant that the highest authority of the Great Yan Dynasty had personally come to inquire about the matter, and there was no longer any room for deception in this case.

Like sunlight filtering through a crack, illuminating the deep darkness beneath the bright hall.

Before Madam Pei could answer, the two jailers, their faces filled with fear, knelt down and cried, "Young Master, spare our lives!"

Madam Pei, Mu Huaying, came from the most prestigious family of criminal investigators in the dynasty. Both her father and she herself had served as Minister of Justice, and many officials in the Minister of Justice were also protégés of the Mu family. Therefore, her operation, from top to bottom, was watertight.

But now that they've passed Gu Yi's notice, no one can escape unscathed.

Outside the dungeon, the clanging of armor and weapons, and the rapid, swift footsteps echoed.

When Pei Yu rushed in, the first thing she saw was Gu Yi pointing his famous "Louyue" at her disheveled mother.

Even Pei Yu, who was usually calm, was shocked and exclaimed, "Young Master!"

Following closely behind were Shangguan Yuqi and Gongyi Xiu.

Seeing that A-Qiu was unharmed, the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

But seeing the spilled wine on the ground, the broken tin pot beside it, and the dancers sitting or lying on the verge of death in the dungeon, how could one not understand what had happened?

Gu Yi said, word by word, "The Left Prime Minister and 'Bai Yu' are also here, that's for the best. Issue my order to thoroughly investigate the case of the dancer assassinating Yue Zheng. We must make sure the whole story is clear and the truth comes out. Whoever is involved, they must be investigated and brought to justice!"

This was the last sound A-Qiu heard in the dungeon.

Immediately afterwards, due to the tension and sleeplessness of the past two days, she suddenly relaxed, leaned back, and fell into a deep sleep.