Strange Fragrance and Famous Poison

Gu Yi was scrutinized by her from head to toe before he calmly said, "Shangguan Yuqi also knows sword dance, doesn't she? 'Qiankun Dingshi,' is that some kind of dance that can't be seen by others, a dance of subtle eyebrow movements and whispered words?"

A Qiu realized that Gu Yi had guessed most of what she was thinking, and said with shame, "It was a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

This was all because the dance skills Ah Qiu had learned since joining the dance troupe, although not as blatantly seductive as Hu Ji's, still had the function of expressing emotions and conveying spirit. Therefore, she couldn't figure out how someone as aloof and stern as Gu Yi could smile and gaze at her with affection.

Gu Yi glanced at her and said, "Music and dance were used for entertainment and sight, and this only began after the Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the seven states were fighting each other, and people's hearts were no longer as pure as they used to be, so there were the music of Zheng and Wei, which was decadent and chaotic. As a spiritual activity, the original purpose of music and dance was to worship the gods of heaven and earth and to complete the communication between man and the heavens."

He continued, “The dance I practice is the dance of the six generations of kings before the Zhou Dynasty. It corresponds to the heavens and the gods, ensures smooth governance and administration, and pleases the people. The emperor used eight rows of dancers, and the feudal lords used six rows. However, it has been lost in the palace for a long time.”

A Qiu only needed a moment's thought to understand the reason. In any world, the higher the level, the stricter the requirements, and the greater the difficulty in preserving and continuing anything. Even the Seven-Plate Two-Drum Dance has been lost to time, let alone ancient court music.

The Six Dynasties Dance was meant to please the gods, not just entertain people; it was also a symbol of cultivating virtue and proclaiming it to the world. But in times of chaos, when feudal lords were vying for power, those who held authority were either eager to fight for supremacy through force or indulged in their own desires and sensual pleasures. Who would have the leisure or interest to devote themselves to the Six Dynasties Dance, which aimed to cultivate virtue and uphold proper etiquette?

Gu Yi said, "This dance of seven plates and two drums, with the dancers stepping on the sun, moon and stars, I speculate that it also has the meaning of sacrifice and prayer."

A Qiu couldn't help but sincerely ask, "Is the 'Heavenly Palace Music and Dance' performed by the Kucha troupe also derived from the music and dance of the gods?"

Before Gu Yi could answer, a gentle, refined male voice chuckled from the doorway: “That is indeed the case, but they are foreign gods, different from ours. Our Chinese culture has always valued human sentiments and interests more than the worship of idols. From the rise of Huang-Lao thought in the Han Dynasty to the flourishing of metaphysics in this era, the mainstream has always adhered to the attitude of respecting ghosts and gods but keeping them at a distance. We do not worship Buddha statues and gods in a grand manner like they do, regardless of rank, and we do not use various incense and flowers to decorate them, and we even intend to bring the music and dance of the heavenly palace to the human world.”

A Qiu stood up and exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master Fusu!"

Last time Gongye Fusu came to Jinling Terrace, he was greeted from below the tower and could only come up after being allowed to pass. At that time, Gu Yi also paid little attention to him. But what A Qiu did not expect was that this time he was able to enter the building on his own.

Seeing A Qiu's surprised expression, Gu Yi said calmly, "I invited him here. The head of the Gongye family is not only the best perfumer in the world, but also has unparalleled knowledge of various poisons."

Last time, because of A Qiu's inability to recover her internal strength, he even swallowed his pride and personally went to Gongye Fusu to obtain the Poro Powder. Of course, he never expected that the Poro Powder would also have an aphrodisiac effect.

The thought of this made Gu Yi feel somewhat uneasy. But in reality, it wasn't that Gongye Fusu deliberately tricked him; rather, it was Gongye Fusu's miscalculation. Given Gu Yi's cultivation level and composure, he wasn't using that much of the Poro Powder on himself, so even if he occasionally smelled it, it wouldn't be a big deal. Who would have thought that Gu Yi would actually soak himself in the medicinal soup?

A Qiu, however, was unaware of this. Her memory of what happened while soaking in the hot spring was already hazy. After waking up and her meridians were opened, she remembered nothing at all. Upon seeing Gongye Fusu enter, she immediately beamed with joy, saying, "This time I have tea! Please wait a moment, young master!"

The fragrant tea, infused with the scent of autumn rain and chrysanthemums, releases wisps of steam from the sky-blue lotus-shaped teacup.

This was probably the first time in many years that Gu Yi had formally received guests at Jinling Terrace.

Gongye Fusu took a sip of hot tea and smiled, "I am probably the first person to be able to drink tea from the Grand Tutor Jinlingtai. It is truly an honor."

Gu Yi thought to himself, "You're not the first person. The first person is me." This was because after Mo Yimingyue entrusted the things A Qiu bought to the young master charioteer for delivery, A Qiu naturally brewed them for him to drink for the first time.

Gongye Fusu probably thought of this as well, and immediately said with a smile, "What kind of tea does the young master usually drink? I have some tea gardens in Jiangnan, and I have some rare and exquisite teas, such as Jiuqu Hongmei and Yinzhen Lvxue. If you don't mind, I can send some to the young master in a few days."

Gu Yi only said two words: "No need."

The Gongye family was incredibly wealthy, possessing everything they could want. However, Gu Yi couldn't allow Gongye Fusu to endlessly send gifts to Jinlingtai. Otherwise, what would others think of him, the top ruler? A prime example of collusion between officials and merchants?

Gongye Fusu was not bothered by the rejection, but asked seemingly unintentionally, "Then what kind of incense does the Junior Tutor usually use? If you have any good recommendations, please let me broaden my horizons."

For Gongye Fusu, the foremost master of incense in his time, to utter such a statement was already an act of extreme humility, and it seemed to follow up on a question about what kind of tea he drank, making the transition extremely natural. The use of incense was commonplace among nobles and celebrities; they used it to perfume clothes and burn incense in their rooms, and even bathed in orchid-scented water. Otherwise, the Gongye family's incense industry wouldn't have spread throughout the Dayan region.

But A Qiu was a scheming person, and when she heard Gongye Fusu's question, her ears turned red without her realizing it.

She knew perfectly well how intelligent Gongye Fusu was, and how good his memory was. Judging from her current relationship with Gu Yi, he must have already guessed that the fragrance she had asked him for advice came from Gu Yi.

Even as she asked, she could see that Gongye Fusu, though seemingly relaxed and smiling, was actually deep in thought, trying to sniff out any unusual scent on Gu Yi.

However, she knew that Gu Yi's scent was extremely faint. As a martial arts master and the king of assassins, her sense of smell was far superior to that of ordinary people. She could only smell it if she was nestled in his arms for a long time.

Gongye Fusu was sitting several feet away from Gu Yi, so even if Gu Yi had a nose as sharp as a hawk's, he couldn't smell it.

Gu Yi, without even raising an eyebrow, said, "I never use incense."

Everyone knows that Gu Yi's word is law and he never lies. Besides, there's no need to lie about such a trivial matter. His decisive denial made Gongye Fusu wonder if he had guessed wrong, and he couldn't help but glance at A Qiu again.

A Qiu was so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground. She immediately changed the subject, saying, "Young Master Fusu is a man who values ​​his time. He must have important business to attend to here."

Gongye Fusu then withdrew his gaze, his expression becoming solemn. He cupped his hands to Gu Yi and said, "I have not failed the young master's trust. The situation is extremely bad."

A Qiu was quite surprised to learn that Gu Yi had asked Gongye Fusu to do something for her. Seeing her blank expression, Gongye Fusu immediately explained, "It's about the passing of Lady Chu, the military advisor, at the Beining Pavilion."

After A Qiu and Gu Yi were essentially forced out, Gu Yi knew that Chu Mao would inevitably report the matter to the court. But how he would write the document was another matter entirely.

Chu Mao might or might not conceal the truth about Hu Miaorong's death. It all depends on how much he actually knows about his wife. But ultimately, the official announcement was that she died of illness, a result likely agreed upon by both the court and Chu Mao.

Given Gu Yi's status, it was inconvenient for him to personally intervene in this matter. After all, he had no relation to the woman who served as a military officer. The same applied to all other high-ranking officials, but if the person sent was of too low a rank, they might be politely dismissed.

Gongye Fusu was the most suitable candidate. He was a merchant and had trade relations with the Shuofang Army and the northern nomadic tribes. The Gongye family's businesses were distributed in Jiangdong, the Central Plains, and the Western Regions, which was enough to ensure his relatively neutral stance.

At this moment, among the three thousand men of this isolated army from Shuofang, the person they trust most in Jianzhang City, besides Gu Yi, is probably Gongye Fusu, the uncrowned king with an industrial empire spanning the north and south of the Yangtze River, and the ruler of Wanxiang Kingdom.

They trusted Gu Yi because they had no other choice, since they were sent to the capital by Li Chongyu at Gu Yi's invitation to risk their lives and test the sincerity of the Southern Dynasty.

Gongye Fusu played with the azure lotus cup, his usually expressionless face becoming unusually solemn. He said in a deep voice, "Madam Chu died by poisoning, that is obvious. However, when I examined the body with silver needles, I found results that were very unfavorable to our Dayan."

Just by looking at his subconscious reference to "our Dayan," one can tell that he is still subconsciously on the side of the Southern Dynasty and considers Gu Yi as one of his own in foreign affairs.

Gu Yi was already mentally prepared, but he still asked, "What was the result?"

Gongye Fusu said calmly, "Lady Chu died from the 'Traction Powder'."

Even Ah Qiu, who was well-versed in the use of poison, changed his expression.

Because the "Tethering Powder" is a secret poison passed down through generations of the Southern Dynasties court, used to execute ministers, concubines, and princes. This poison is not found in the martial arts world, much less in the common people.

This confirms that Lady Chu's death was inextricably linked to the power center of the Southern Dynasty.

Gu Yi's first question was: "Did you inform Chu Mao immediately?"

This is a crucial issue, because if Chu Mao and Chu Huaiming learn of this information, the Shuofang army in Jianzhang City might immediately mutiny.

Gongye Fusu's handsome and refined face was unusually pale and weary. He slumped back in his chair, looked up at the sky with a bitter laugh, and asked, "What do you think?"

At this moment, A Qiu felt a deep sense of gratitude.

When I first met Gongye Fusu, I only felt that he was gentle yet sharp, and had a deep mind. Although he was aloof and unconventional, when he had to socialize, the image of a refined and elegant young man was just a facade. In essence, he was still a businessman through and through.

Only now, when he is willing to lie and delay for the Southern Dynasty, does one see the sense of responsibility in his bones.

Gongye Fusu naturally did not say this, otherwise Jianzhang would already be in a situation of two armies facing each other.

Gongye Fusu sighed, “I only said that I would give them an answer after I went back and investigated in detail. To be honest, the reason I was willing to delay like this is because although I clearly know that it is Qianji San, I do not believe that the Junior Tutor would do such a thing, and it is really unnecessary to poison a military advisor’s wife.”

If the blame is directed at the Southern Dynasty's court, Gu Yi will be the first to be suspected, as he is the most powerful person in the entire Southern Dynasty. Even if the secret to the poison originated from the palace, it must have been approved by him.

Gu Yiyou's deep eyes were fixed on Gongye Fusu, and he said without any emotion, "In the past few hundred years of the Southern Dynasty, although there have been many cases of people being forced to commit suicide by Qianji San, the Great Yan Dynasty has never used Qianji San since I personally took over the government and founded the country. No one in the palace knows how it is made."

It's more accurate to say that Dayan is a newly established dynasty, and these tactics of factional strife, succession planning, and vying for favor have not yet had the opportunity to be used.

He suddenly exuded an extremely sharp sense of oppression, looked at Gongye Fusu, and said, word by word, "May I ask, Patriarch Gongye, do you know who made this Qianji Powder?"