Long flute whistling under the moon

He turned around, about to explode in anger, when he saw that it was Zhao Lingying, the Imperial Secretary, behind him. She said with a forced smile, "Young Miss is capable in handling matters, worthy of being the current head of the Flying Phoenix Guard. She finally has the backbone of our Flying Phoenix Guard. Since the previous Grand Secretary, the Shangguan family has finally found someone capable of taking on great responsibilities. Congratulations, congratulations."

Shangguan You's old face turned red with anger.

This was obviously a sarcastic remark, implying that he was a useless person who held a position without performing his duties.

But he was just a civil official. With Zhao Lingying's slender hand gently pressing on his shoulder, no matter how red his face turned, he couldn't get away and could only show his indignation.

Zhao Lingying pressed down on her superior, Shangguan You, with one hand, but showed no sign of pride. Instead, she looked at Mu Huaying, who was slumped on the ground in front of the palace gate.

Consort Chen then moved gracefully to help Mu Huaying up, saying softly, "I will accompany my elder sister to the inner palace to await news."

Pei Yuanli's departure is unlikely to result in his return. The Pei family has lost its powerful patron, and Mu Huaying nearly faced execution for her assassination attempt in front of the palace. Consort Chen's actions were deliberately intended to ensure that all officials and nobles knew that even without Pei Yuanli's protection, Mu Huaying remained the eldest sister of the Flying Phoenix Guards, preventing her from being privately criticized or ridiculed.

In reality, Mu Huaying had already retired and held no real power. Therefore, Consort Chen's actions were not out of favoritism or protection, but simply to ensure Mu Huaying could leave with dignity.

Mu Huaying said blankly, "I'll stay here."

Now that things have come to this, she, with her usual pride, did not feel ashamed to wait here for Pei Yuanli's bad news.

Pei Yuanli sacrificed himself willingly for the sake of the previous dynasty and for the sake of her and her daughter. Even if everyone in the world felt ashamed, she didn't.

Consort Chen, Li Lanxiu, grasped her hand and said, "Then I'll accompany you." After saying that, she actually stood side by side with Mu Huaying in front of the palace gate, gazing at the night sky, standing silently.

The hall fell silent. Even Xie Lang rose from his seat and went to stand behind Consort Chen and Mu Huaying, gazing at the night sky in silence.

What was supposed to be a welcoming banquet turned into a battleground where the fates of Pei Yuanli and Li Chongyu, the commanders of the two most powerful armies in the land, would be decided.

As the clouds parted and the moon shone brightly, A Qiu realized that tonight was another full moon night, but the frost was already deep and the dew was heavy, indicating that it was early winter.

Both of them had changed out of their dancer costumes. Shangguan Yuqi had returned to her signature snow-white dress and was carrying the "Ice Bamboo" on her back, while A Qiu had also returned to her female official's attire, with Gu Yi's world-famous "Carved Moon" tucked into her waistband.

To witness the first life-or-death duel in the Southern Dynasty, one's attire must not be hastily and carelessly changed from what was performed at the banquet.

When the two went to the back hall to change their clothes, A Qiu thought that Li Chongyu and Pei Yuanli would certainly not have the time to change their clothes, so she asked Shangguan Yuqi if it was impolite to make the two of them wait so long for their duel.

Shangguan Yuqi said meaningfully, "They are the parties involved; they are going to duel, not to their deaths, so there's no need to change their names. But we are the witnesses, so how can we not treat them with respect? That would be disrespectful to them. Again,"

She paused for a moment and then said, "The Marquis of Guannei must have entered the palace without weapons, and it will take him some time to retrieve them. As for Lord Pei,"

She sighed and said, "He must have come with all the necessary preparations, but he is injured and will walk slowly. Let's change our clothes before we go, so we can give him more time. Strolling through this palace where he grew up and served throughout his life, he can also enjoy the moonlight over Jianzhang Palace tonight a little longer."

Therefore, when the two arrived in front of Jinshui Tower, the moonlight was already as bright as mercury, illuminating the entire square.

In the center of the square, Pei Yuanli stood silently, his long spear held high, his figure as imposing as a mountain.

A silent, oppressive atmosphere permeated the place.

A-Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi stood on either side, both remaining silent.

Strictly speaking, from A Qiu's perspective, standing on Gu Yi's side, Pei Yuanli was an enemy, not a friend. But considering that Pei Yuanli had indirectly died at her hands tonight, and that he was Pei Yu's father, A Qiu couldn't say she felt no turmoil.

The human heart is always made of flesh and blood.

Even if the enemy is about to die, one cannot help but sigh.

Pei Yuanli did not turn his head, but said in an unusually calm voice: "Judging from the sound of their footsteps, one of the notaries must be Miss Shangguan, and the other's footwork is light and agile, and their skills are superb, but they are not any of the martial artists in the palace. May I ask who they are?"

Ah Qiu realized that he was having trouble even turning around, so when he heard the footsteps of the approaching person, he did not turn his head to look, but could only ask.

She answered softly, "I am Dian Leshi, a descendant of the Junior Tutor Gu Yi. I have come by order of the Emperor to witness the martial arts contest between Lord Pei and the Marquis of Guannei."

Pei Yuanli seemed to remember who she was, and sighed, "I remember now, you are the dancer who almost died at Hua Ying's hands in the dungeon. However, you turned misfortune into blessing and were taken in as a successor by the young master. You are quite lucky."

When he mentioned the dungeon incident, A-Qiu pursed his lips and remained silent.

To be fair, Mu Huaying was ruthless in wanting to kill A Qiu and the dancers in order to cover up the cruel and vicious acts of the Divine Hound Camp and Huang Chao'an in the Music Bureau. But now that Pei Yuanli was about to die, A Qiu didn't want to argue with him about it anymore.

His deeds before and after his death will be remembered for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations.

Was she going to reprimand Pei Yuanli for protecting and indulging Mu Huaying, for his lax management of his household, and for his incompetence in military affairs? It was obvious, however, that Pei Yuanli was never a good person, nor had he ever aspired to be one. To use such a judgment to punish someone nearing the end of their life would be far too harsh. And given Pei Yuanli's noble status, he would only find it laughable.

In his eyes, she was nothing more than a ghost who had managed to escape from his wife's clutches. Now that she had gained power, she had been fortunate enough to join Gu Yi's inner circle, and thus she was able to witness the death of him, a high-ranking official from a family of five generations of military and noble families. This was truly an unprecedented stroke of luck.

Pei Yuanli suddenly said, "It is said that the music was selected for the palace music bureau because of a border tune called 'Chang'an Wind' played on a Qiang flute. I wonder if I, Pei, will have the honor of hearing it now."

A Qiu was surprised to hear this. When she entered the Music Bureau, she was still an unknown person. How could the story of how a nobody was selected have reached the ears of Grand Marshal Pei Yuanli?

But she quickly realized: it must have been after she became Gu Yi's successor that her anecdotes spread like wildfire throughout the music academy, and she had also met Madam Pei and Pei Yu. Although they weren't exactly close, who in the world would ignore Gu Yi's disciple? These things were probably heard by Pei Yu or Madam Pei from the music academy and then passed on to him.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "It is my honor to be able to accompany Lord Pei on his journey. But I did not know that I did not bring my Qiang flute with me tonight."

Footsteps approached from afar, and Li Chongyu's deep, resonant voice came from behind her:

"It's alright. I have a huqin (a type of Chinese flute) with me. Would you be willing to use it?"

The moonlight, vast and boundless, seemed to descend upon the earth like an ancient god. The palace, near and far, was shrouded in mist and water, the night hazy and indistinct. In the faint, long, and deep sound of the Huqin (a type of reed pipe), it seemed to blend into the melancholy of countless border people throughout history, longing for their homeland at dusk and in the quiet of the night.

Pei Yuanli stood motionless in the center of the three people's encirclement, holding a spear, but facing the Yangtze River to the north. He seemed to be lost in thought or pondering something.

He said softly, "I wonder if you all know that five generations ago, my Pei family were also famous generals who guarded the border at the end of the Han Dynasty. A thousand miles west of Yinshan, there is also an unnamed tomb of my Pei family's ancestors, which is probably overgrown with weeds by now."

The Pei family was also a prominent clan in the north, one of the first powerful families to migrate south to Jiangdong with the Sima clan of the Great Huan Dynasty. This family had worked alongside the Sima family to pacify the south, building military walls against the nomadic tribes brick by brick, thus laying the foundation for the future of the Southern Dynasty.

Although the Shangguan family and the Pei family have always been at odds, Shangguan Yuqi is the one who understands Pei Yuanli's feelings the most at this moment because of their similar backgrounds.

She sighed silently.

For every generation of scions of a distinguished family, the weight on their shoulders is not only the glory of their ancestors, but also the mission to sacrifice their lives for their country.

Given Pei Yuanli's achievements and the status he attained, he was already considered one of the most outstanding members of the aristocratic families. The peace and tranquility of Dayan over the past ten years was inseparable from his firm control over the 100,000 Jianzhang Army when rebellions broke out in various places and the rebel army attacked the capital. He did not get involved in the chaos of the princes and governors vying for power at the end of the Huan Dynasty. Afterwards, he wholeheartedly supported Xie Lang and never had any other intentions.

For someone like him, remaining still is an act of accumulating virtue and doing good deeds, which will be appreciated by all under heaven.

Pei Yuanli was indeed not a good person, but he was by no means a heartless and ambitious schemer or a treacherous villain who manipulated power.

In the turbulent political landscape, one can be considered a good person if they do not harm others.

Li Chongyu's eyes suddenly flashed with lightning, and he said without any politeness: "If your grandfather knew that Lord Pei, for his own power, disregarded the lives of thousands of subjects and betrayed his own army on the battlefield, he would probably not want to see a descendant like you in the afterlife."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuanli smiled bitterly and said, "If the Marquis of Guannei wants to blame the death of Duke Mingyuan entirely on me, then of course I cannot deny it."

Upon hearing this, Li Chongyu's Sky-Splitting Blade rang out, its blade illuminating his face. His expression remained unchanged as he said woodenly, "Does Lord Pei intend to say that it's all my late father's fault for coming to Jiangdong to seek his death?"

Pei Yuanli remained silent.

That night, A Qiu overheard his conversation with Mu Huaying and learned that Li Mingyuan's predicament and failure to come to his aid was not solely his idea. However, now that Pei Yuanli had decided to repay the debt with his life, he naturally wouldn't involve others and cause further trouble.

This was probably the last tacit understanding between Pei Yuanli and Xie Lang.

One life for another, and from then on, the feud between the Shuofang Army and the Dayan Army was settled.

Her breath carried the desolate sound of the Huqin, originating from the northern deserts, far and wide.

Unexpectedly, Shangguan Yuqi, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "The Marquis of Guannei may not know that the overall military decision-maker at the time was not Lord Pei. And the decision not to provide aid was not made by him alone."

Upon hearing this, Li Chongyu let out a mocking smile and said, "And who is that? Could it be your esteemed uncle, the former Grand Secretary known as 'The Sword of Gentlemen,' also called 'The Sword of Gentlemen,' who is also called 'The Sword of Gentlemen.'"

Despite being mocked like this, Shangguan Yuqi remained calm and composed, saying, "Although my thirteenth uncle was the commander-in-chief of the battle to cross the river, he was hampered by the last emperor, Sima Yan. The Prince of Langya, who was sent by him to supervise the army, repeatedly slandered my uncle, claiming that he had a secret agreement with the Duke of Mingyuan that after the war, the Shangguan family would be granted the Nine Bestowments and the Duke of Mingyuan would be made a prince."

The bestowal of the Nine Bestowments has always been a harbinger of a powerful minister's usurpation of power. Shangguan Jin, as the head of the civil officials, held military power in the Southern Dynasty at the time. He also formed alliances with Li Mingyuan and Fan Ying, and had the merit of defeating the Hu army in the north. In addition, with the Shangguan clan behind him for centuries, even if he did not intend to do so, he really had the power to do so.