Chapter 92: Rumors (2) [VIP]

"That depends on who I'm dealing with..." Chu Qingluo suddenly curled her lips and replied softly, feigning tenderness. "If I were dealing with a gentle and refined gentleman, I would be more tactful."

Her sharp gaze fell on the man again. She spoke softly, her smile gradually turning colder. "But if it's someone rude and uncouth, I'll return the favor with equal rudeness and insolence."

At the same time, several palace guards quickly stepped out of the gate and surrounded the people in front of the mansion.

The palace guards respectfully made way to the side, and then a cold and aloof young man walked out.

"Anyone who dares to spread rumors and mislead the public in front of the Ministry of Music will be escorted to the government office and will be sentenced by the prefect, Lord Li!" Qu Hanjin said coldly, as if he had no mercy on these people who gathered to meddle in other people's affairs.

Upon hearing that Mr. Qu was really going to send them to the government, one of the scholars could no longer contain his excitement and shouted, "Everyone says that Mr. Qu is of noble character and a kind and courteous person. How can you send someone to the government without saying a word?"

The person who came here must have known that Mr. is highly respected outside, and knew that Mr. would not punish him seriously, so he dared to come here and make trouble.

But today, the master seemed to be really angry, and he was determined to send the troublemaker to the government office regardless of his reputation...

"I don't want to waste my breath on such a vulgar person." Qu Hanjin waved his elegant sleeves sternly. He remained calm, said something coldly, turned around and left.

"If you have anything to say, please discuss it with the prefect."

She had never seen her master so angry before. Jian Jing followed him lightly and returned to the mansion in silence.

Standing on the long corridor, gazing at a corner of the garden, Chu Qingluo whispered, her thoughts suddenly drawn away: "If it weren't for the master's advice, I would have really taken that man's life just now."

The stone pavilion and stone path deep in the garden are still there, but all the flowers have withered, leaving only a few plum blossoms in bloom.

She still remembered the time she and Meng Ying'er leisurely admired the flowers here, sharing their concerns without any worries. She also remembered Sheng Youzhang sitting alone in the pavilion, irritated for several days by the teacher's harassment...

She still remembered how Feng Yan, a shadow guard, was dragged by her to stroll around the courtyard just to piss off her master...

Things have changed, people have dispersed, and the people I met in the past seem to be gone forever.

This mansion was truly like a dream she had had, a treasure she had stumbled upon on her road to revenge. Now, having finally awakened from the long dream, everything was gone, and she actually felt a slight reluctance to leave.

Fortunately, her husband was still by her side, and fortunately, she had Mr. Qu's consent...

"The birthday banquet is coming soon. Making a big fuss now will do more harm than good," Qu Hanjin said lightly about the current situation. Suddenly, he glanced over and saw her standing behind him. He asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"For some reason, I miss it. I miss the scene when I first entered the academy..." She smiled, feeling a little sentimental. "Although I harbored hatred at that time, it was the happiest time of my life in the past few years."

Her eyes softened, and she raised her red lips slightly, sighing, "Now that I think about it, it's great to be a student of Mr. Qu..."

The young master beside him looked up at the huge mansion, thought for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "The course will be completed in a month, and the disciples in the Qin Hall will go their separate ways. You can take this opportunity to spend some more time with them."

"I understand. After graduation, I will never meet many people or things again." Chu Qingluo understood, looked at him silently for a few more times, and sighed with regret.

"The shared ideals and deep affection we spoke of during that time will all dissipate like the mist..."

She felt she had wasted time, so when the guards finally escorted the people outside the palace away, she respectfully said goodbye and prepared to head to the outskirts of the city: "Ningzhu is still waiting at the parade grounds, I'll go first."

The training ground was located in an extremely desolate place. There was no crowing of cocks for a thousand miles, no human habitation for tens of thousands of miles, and there was also a long mountain road to the city gate.

She abandoned the carriage and rode across the mountains and forests. After several detours, she finally found a wasteland.

This place is overgrown with weeds, and wild grasses sway in the wind, making it really difficult to find anything. That is why Emperor Daning has not noticed anything yet.

From then on, it was thanks to Fu Zhao's right envoy who spent a long time to explore this place. Chu Qingluo dismounted decisively and looked at the wild grass around her. After a few moments, she saw her confidant appear in the jungle beside her.

Ning Zhu held his sword and clasped his fists, as if he had been waiting for her for a long time: "My Lord, these are 20,000 soldiers of the Long State, and they are now on standby."

After walking through several winding narrow roads and bypassing a dense forest, the view suddenly opened up. Chu Qingluo walked up to the high platform and saw 20,000 elite soldiers of the Long State appear in an instant. His heart trembled for a moment.

The officers and soldiers saw the person coming and knelt down in unison, respectful and loyal, knowing who she was without a word.

Looking down at the generals with a cold gaze, she suddenly opened her mouth and asked the soldiers in the parade ground, "I wish to ask you a question. The Long Kingdom has been destroyed for nearly six years. You could have forgotten the past and lived in peace. Why did you risk your lives by coming here?"

"My wife and children died in the war. How can I forget such hatred?"

One of them shouted loudly, his voice filled with indignation and an inconsolable sadness.

"No sooner had I finished speaking than another general came in: 'My family has been scattered and disappeared, and their whereabouts are still unknown. I am left alone, and I will pay with blood for it!'"

The cries were sad and angry, lingering lonely in the sky.

Since the fall of the country, so many people have been displaced, their families broken up...

"The young man, Chu Qingluo, frowned slightly and asked in a stern voice, "Are you also separated from your family and your wife and children?"

The young man shook his head, his eyes firm as he replied, "Born as a Long Dynasty man, I must die for Long! Long once gave me peace.

If my mountains and rivers are taken away by others, I will take them back!"

She closed her eyes and listened, listening to the lingering sound lingering over the training ground. After a long pause, she raised her voice and asked, "Da Ning has seized our territory, and I will return it in kind. During the Daning Emperor Xuanlong's birthday banquet, we will face a desperate battle. Soldiers must unite and not underestimate the enemy. Do you have the confidence?"

"Destroy Daning and revive the Long Dynasty!"

"Destroy Daning and revive the Long Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers and generals all stood up, shouting so loudly that it was deafening and could stop the clouds from moving, even making the surrounding trees tremble. Their morale was unstoppable.

Ning Zhu bowed respectfully beside her, and when she finished reviewing the troops, she whispered in her ear, "My Lord, the people of Fuzhao have been waiting for a long time, and wish to see you."

Fu Zhao...

She understood and followed his steps, signaling everyone to continue training and not to slack off because of her arrival.

Fu Zhao was left behind by her mother before she died. Since she decided to enter the Music Bureau alone, she has never seen his full appearance again.

Chu Qingluo turned a few more bends along the rugged mountain road. At the end, a large number of mysterious figures suddenly appeared and silently paid tribute to her.

She couldn't even call out the names of most of the shadow guards. Because of her mother's order, they swore allegiance to her and to protect her, and to protect the remaining power of the Long Kingdom...

"Fu Zhao is a shadow guard carefully trained by my mother. They are selfless and have extraordinary skills," she said with a wistful look. After a long while, her voice trembled for no reason. "You are about to deal with the guards of the Imperial City. Their swords are ruthless and can kill them in a moment. You..."

"Your Majesty, rest assured that the people of Fuzhao will never betray you."

Seeing the situation, Ning Zhu hurriedly ordered the assassin in front of him to retreat, and then comforted him with a serious face.

"I'm just afraid something might happen..." With an inexplicable emotion hidden in his eyes, Chu Qingluo lowered his eyes slightly and whispered after a moment, "Ningzhu, I'm afraid that those who believe in me will die in a pool of blood, and the tragedy of the past will be repeated..."

"No, Princess, don't worry." Ning Zhu suddenly smiled softly, feeling that the master had shouldered too much over the years and that it was time for a final decision. "Princess, you are our only remaining hope..."

His smile deepened as Fu Zhao's right envoy looked up at Bi Xiao and said softly, "The Concubine Zhao is still in heaven protecting the princess."

"Mother..."

She muttered to herself, then looked up and said with a sweet smile: "My son has come to Long State. The phoenix has attracted nine chicks, and the world is at peace..."

It was the dead of winter, and everything was bleak. However, the sound of the zither could still be heard in the Siyue Palace. The melodious and continuous music played from time to time made people recall the apricot rain and pear clouds of spring.

The girls in the zither hall are all learning music for the birthday banquet. Today, with Mr. Qu here to give them guidance, they will probably be able to improve a little.

Listening carefully to the sounds of the pianos played by various disciples, Qu Hanjin walked past the piano stands and stopped in front of a piano seat.

Meng Yatou was sitting next to the Yaoqin. The originally smooth tune suddenly changed, as if she had played it wrong on purpose, or as if she had lost her concentration unintentionally.

He stood aside, silent for a moment, then asked solemnly, "Master, I remember this piece is the best you've ever played in the entire qin hall. Why did you deliberately play it wrong?"

Unexpectedly, Meng Ying'er sat up straight, looking as if she understood something but didn't quite understand. She didn't care much about the teacher's authority and muttered softly, "I didn't mean to do that. I'd like to ask for more guidance, teacher."

"There are several obvious mistakes in what you played just now. The first is the introduction. The melody should be peaceful and tranquil." Qu Hanjin slowly leaned over, lightly tapping the strings with his jade fingers, and replied solemnly.

"You play too fast, slow down a bit..."

The student at the next table only glanced at it for a few moments, and without noticing anything unusual, he continued to practice his piano music.

Noticing that no one paid any attention, Meng Ying'er lowered her voice and mustered up the courage to say, "I dare to ask, sir... please let Qingluo and I meet again."

"I know that Qingluo was venting her anger for me yesterday, and the teacher was hiding it with good intentions..." The girl pursed her lips and paused. Her eyes, which were about to evade, suddenly became firm. For the first time, she spoke to the teacher about something other than piano lessons.

"Every harsh word she said had its own reasons. I have never hated her..."

The young master paused when he heard the voice, and instantly understood the purpose of the girl's action just now.

She didn't want to see Meng Yatou, but she wanted to ask him for help, and tried her best to reconcile with them...

But she was not the kind of person who could make peace with him in just a few words. She clearly intended to completely break off this relationship.

After a moment of silence, Qu Hanjin politely declined, saying indifferently, "I'm sorry, but I never force her to do anything she doesn't want to do."