The King's Woman

The closer A Qiu got to Shangguan Yuqi, the more familiar and intimate she felt with her, and she was also involuntarily attracted by her extraordinary talent and elegance.

"Life is less than a hundred years, yet worries are as long as a thousand. The days are short and the nights are long, why not light a candle and wander?"

Where is it that I heard that familiar sigh from a soul?

The time spent walking side by side with Shangguan Yuqi felt both very short and extremely long.

It's short, in fact, only a few words.

It was a long time, just a few words, yet it felt like we'd known each other for a lifetime.

A Qiu had already spotted the purple-curtained imperial carriage waiting for her at the gate of the imperial city. She was going to take that carriage to the post station to meet that troublesome, and perhaps not even real, princess from the Kucha music and dance troupe.

She bowed slightly to Shangguan Yuqi and said, "I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to speak with you, Miss. I have official business to attend to, so please take your leave." Then she turned to leave.

Shangguan Yuqi smiled and said, "To be honest, Dianle, I came here specifically to accompany you to the post station."

A Qiu was caught off guard and turned around in surprise, pointing to herself and saying, "Miss Shangguan, you? You're coming with me?"

Shangguan Yuqi, without any hesitation, reached out and lifted the carriage curtain, indicating, "Indeed. Please, Dian Le."

After getting into the carriage, Shangguan Yuqi closed her eyes, pressed her hand on her sword, and sat quietly without uttering a word.

The carriage swayed gently but very smoothly. Outside the window, the bustling city streets flashed by. Carriages and horses moved in droves, pedestrians thronged the streets, and merchant ships occasionally sailed by on the river, creating a scene of prosperity and harmony.

Ah Qiu harbored ulterior motives, constantly stealing glances at Shangguan Yuqi's expression, secretly wondering why she had accompanied him on this trip.

She was always quick-witted, and soon she came to the answer in her mind.

It was no coincidence that such a newly appointed head of the Eastern Palace Flying Phoenix Guards, a top swordsman from a powerful Southern Dynasty clan, would appear on her way out of the palace on official business.

For some reason, An Daoling's last words suddenly came to mind: "No one knows whether there are assassins lurking in this dance troupe composed entirely of foreign dancers."

Shangguan Yuqi must have been instructed by Emperor Xie Lang to wait for her on her way out of the palace, but deliberately pretended to bump into her by chance. Shangguan Yuqi must have been acting on the Emperor's orders to help her completely resolve the matter of Princess Wanshang.

Intimidation by force or forced expulsion are both acceptable.

Shangguan Yuqi opened her eyes, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she looked at her, and smiled, "Once we arrive, Dianle will be in charge of everything. I'm just a minor character acting as a henchman. Dianle doesn't need to worry about anything."

Being able to use the most beautiful woman from a prominent family in the Southern Dynasty as a henchman, A Qiu truly felt that this trip was worthwhile. If this job were sent out elsewhere, countless young masters from prominent families in Jianzhang City would fight tooth and nail for it.

Before the two even stepped into the inn, they could already hear the commotion coming from afar.

A woman's voice, tinged with a strange, foreign accent, shouted, "I am the Princess of Kucha, sent by the Marquis of Guannei. I wish to see your Emperor. Who dares to stop me?"

A clanging sound of weapons rang out from inside, clearly the inn's guards blocking the entrance with their weapons, but no one dared to answer her.

After all, no one dares to lightly bear the crime of obstructing foreign envoys from meeting the emperor.

A Qiu gave Shangguan Yuqi a wry smile, only to see that Shangguan Yuqi had automatically fallen half a step behind her, just like her attendant.

Seeing that A-Qiu was looking at her, Shangguan Yuqi simply smiled and gestured for her to come in.

Ah Qiu steeled himself, straightened his official robes, and went inside.

The soldiers guarding the entrance of the post station all lit up with excitement when they saw A Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi.

It was as if the sun had suddenly set before the inn, making not only the humble abode shine, but also illuminating the entire courtyard.

Ever since Princess Wansui's dance and music troupe was settled here, the postmaster in charge of the area has had a headache every single day.

Logically, the Court of State Ceremonial should have handled the arrival of foreign envoys, but the Court of State Ceremonial didn't send a single person to inquire about their whereabouts. On the contrary, the Imperial Guard sent a troop of soldiers to strengthen surveillance and defense, strictly preventing unauthorized personnel from entering or leaving the area.

The postmaster immediately understood that this meant house arrest. He had originally thought that these musicians were just weak women far from home who wouldn't cause any major trouble, and that he only needed to ensure their food and personal safety.

Who would have thought that the princess leading them, the one who was called "Long Live the Emperor," would not stop for a moment from the moment she entered. She kept claiming that she was the princess of Kucha, who had come to admire the profound culture of the Central Plains and wished to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor.

Initially, the messenger claimed that the Emperor was too busy with the Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet to handle the matter. Indeed, Xie Lang hadn't given any instructions on how to deal with it. First, the Grand Commander Sikong Zhao was seriously injured and his fate unknown; then, a white tiger attacked someone at the palace banquet; afterwards, Xie Lang learned that Wan Qiqing, the leader of the Lanling Hall, had dueled with Gu Yi at the Jinshui Tower that very night; then he was busy negotiating a deal with Pei Yuanli, getting the new Flying Phoenix Four Guards in place; and then he and Gu Yi devised a strategy to deal with Li Chongyu… Xie Lang, who was not interested in women, was overwhelmed by all these events and had no interest in even being polite to this foreign beauty. He simply sent word that she should be placed under house arrest.

Then, a troop of soldiers in bright armor, armed with swords and spears, arrived and surrounded the entire post station, sealing it off completely.

Seeing this, Princess Wansui began to make a huge fuss, repeatedly banging her head against the soldiers' blades. When that failed, she led the other concubines in a hunger strike. In short, when she had the energy, she would insist on going out; when she didn't, she would refuse to eat or drink. After this series of antics, the postmaster's hair had turned quite a bit white.

Upon seeing A Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi, they were truly overjoyed, as if saviors had arrived. They exclaimed repeatedly, "Please come in, gentlemen!" They busied themselves serving tea and water, and moving seats. They completely ignored Princess Wansui, who was about to run into the blades of the guards at the gate.

When Princess Wansui saw A Qiu and his companion enter, she stopped bumping into them. Her beautiful, deep green eyes darted around, constantly scrutinizing the two. Behind her, the group of Hu women, some sitting and some leaning lazily, didn't seem particularly arrogant; they appeared to have been brought in simply to make up the numbers.

When the two women entered, the group of Hu women stood up, their eyes filled with amazement.

In fact, the music bureau still has some Hu women left over from previous generations, but most of them are not of pure blood and their appearance is not as dignified and beautiful as that of Princess Wansui. Princess Wansui has skin as white as snow, deep-set eyes and a high nose. Her exotic dress of lake blue gauze accentuates her extremely exquisite and curvaceous figure. She is indeed a rare exotic beauty.

They sized up the princess, and the princess sized them up in return.

Aqiu remained silent, standing with a smile, waiting for the princess to scrutinize the two of them from head to toe. Finally, the princess spoke in fluent Chinese: "Who are you? I want to see His Majesty the Emperor, not you."

When A Qiu spoke, Shangguan Yuqi was almost speechless with shock. She smiled and said, "We are the Emperor's women."

Before Shangguan Yuqi could protest, A Qiu whispered, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the land, all people are subjects of the king."

Well, so the women on the king's land can all be called the king's women, and there's nothing wrong with that.

When she first met the Princess's gaze, she had already caught a fleeting glimpse of insecurity in her eyes. And so, she began to understand why Emperor Xie Lang had wanted Shangguan Yuqi to accompany him.

These Hu women were indeed beautiful, but compared to Shangguan Yuqi's otherworldly and carefree demeanor, it was a world of difference—one was only skin deep, the other was in her bones—they were simply incomparable.

Princess Wansui asked somewhat hesitantly, "I've heard that the emperor's women are also ranked. What rank are you?"

A Qiu said leisurely, "I am of humble talent, holding only the rank of sixth grade. This superior official..."

Shangguan Yuqi interrupted, saying, "I am merely a guard of this sixth-rank official, a very low-ranking position, not worth mentioning." He then naturally clasped his hands in a salute, neither humble nor arrogant.

But her every move exudes the grace of an exceptional swordsman, something that cannot be faked.

Princess Wansui looked at the two men with suspicion. After a long while, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Only now did she finally acknowledge that A Qiu and the other person had the right to speak with her.

A Qiu smiled and said, "I'll take you into the palace and into our music academy."

Princess Wansui's face lit up with joy upon hearing that she would be allowed to enter the palace, but then she asked suspiciously, "The Music Bureau? What kind of place is that?"

Aqiu said calmly, "Similar to your birthplace, it's a place for training palace musicians and dancers. I suppose your country also had a similar court music institution in the past."

Princess Wansui retorted angrily, "I am no ordinary musician or dancer. I am a princess of the Kingdom of Kucha! Your country's treatment of me is extremely rude!"

Aqiu retorted, "How can you prove that you are not an ordinary musician and dancer, but a princess of the Kingdom of Kucha? If you are a princess, why do you not come with your country's envoys according to the etiquette of a princess, but instead mingle among musicians and dancers as a tribute to the court from our country's Marquis of Guannei?"

Princess Wansui angrily replied, "Our country is already lost. Therefore, I cannot."

A Qiu spread his hands and said, "Since you cannot enter the palace with the courtesy due to a princess, our dynasty naturally cannot entertain you with the same courtesy. Therefore, the Music Bureau is the most suitable place for you to go at present."

Princess Wansui refused, saying, "I will not go with you. I want to see His Majesty."

A Qiu said, "How can you expect to see His Majesty of our dynasty as you please? Even we have to wait in line for a long time before we can be granted an audience with him." She was not exaggerating when she said this. A Qiu herself had practiced diligently for a long time and performed a white silk dance before she had the opportunity to enter the Emperor's court.

She patiently added, "If you join the Music Bureau and present songs and dances, you will have the opportunity to meet His Majesty."

Although Princess Wansui was not Han Chinese, she was not stupid. At this moment, she still had the opportunity to send an envoy to pay tribute, and she insisted that she was the princess of Kucha. If she did not seize this opportunity to amaze the emperor of the Southern Dynasty, she would be tortured by the many beautiful women of the Han Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty's harem. She would be severely beaten and would be lucky to escape with her life. She would never have the chance to see the emperor again.

Just as she was about to shake her head in refusal, she heard a clear, whistling sound.

Shangguan Yuqi unleashed a burst of sword energy from her scabbard, and with a light leap, she landed in the courtyard. But then she heard Shangguan Yuqi laugh and say, "I know no other dances, only a sword dance. You may challenge me to a dance contest, young lady. If you win, Lord Dian Le will seek an audience with the Emperor for you."

Seeing Shangguan Yuqi's leaping movements, A Qiu understood her intention.

Princess Wansui is a cunning and resourceful woman who is not easily given up on. Otherwise, she would not have traveled thousands of miles from the Western Regions to enter Xueyang Pass, infiltrate this music and dance troupe, and then been sent to Jianzhang City by Li Chongyu's Shuofang Army Vanguard Battalion.

A few words wouldn't be enough to make her back down; the only way was to prove her skills.