Chapter 19 The Crown Prince's Formidable Rival: She herself is the most powerful force...
Yu Jingshu's eyes lit up, and a thoughtful look appeared between her brows: "Is that really so?"
“It’s absolutely true. A-Yue is a member of the martial arts world. She said that she would leave after the Crown Prince’s wedding,” Li Yaoguang hurriedly added.
Yu Jingshu nodded: "I see, thank you Yaoguang..."
After talking with Yu Jingshu, Li Yaoguang felt he had done a good deed and happily went to find Gu Shanyue.
Under the eaves of the small courtyard, Gu Shanyue was reclining on a deck chair with warm milk and pastries on a small table beside her. Qi Baitong walked over expressionlessly, put down a plate of sliced honeydew melon, and even stuck silver skewers in it.
Gu Shanyue tried a piece; it was sweet, crisp, and refreshing with a cool sensation—it tasted wonderful.
She nodded and lay back down.
Qi Baitong glanced at her, Gu Shanyue lazily looked back, Qi Baitong looked away, and then looked back again after a while.
Gu Shanyue found it amusing: "Why are you staring at me like that? Do you have something to say?"
There should be, but the image of her embracing the Crown Prince last night reappeared before my eyes, and the Crown Prince's warning echoed in my ears again.
He was just a bodyguard.
After a long silence, Qi Baitong said, "...No."
Gu Shanyue took a bite of the sliced melon, thought for a moment, and held up one finger: "Fifth, you must answer my questions."
Qi Baitong paused slightly, her eyelashes fluttering, and Gu Shanyue's eyes were so clear that one could see right through them.
She might also be a little worried about him.
The crown prince said she was a heartless person.
Qi Baitong recalled how she had ventured into the imperial city alone twelve years ago, the bottle of wound medicine she had thrown to him in the dilapidated temple, how she had casually rescued Yu Jingshu from her predicament on the desolate mountain, how she had protected him several times, and how she had stormed into the theater to save Nanxing...
He had only known her for a short time, yet he had already witnessed all of these things.
How could such a person be heartless?
Is it simply because her gestures of bestowing favors were too casual, disregarding classical Chinese and moral principles, that those favors can be considered nothing more than a young girl's impulsive playfulness, and therefore unrecognizable?
"I'm wondering, why did you save Nanxing?" Qi Baitong asked.
"Does saving people need a reason? Just save them if you want to, just like killing people if you deserve to kill them."
Gu Shanyue answered casually, her tone light and airy, with a touch of innocent indifference.
What should someone else say?
Qi Baitong had heard this kind of talk too many times: to save people from suffering in the name of benevolence and righteousness, to kill in order to cleanse the world, to stop killing with killing... Every single one of these statements made perfect sense.
In reality, everyone defines benevolence and evil based on their own reasons and perspectives, judges who is good and who is evil, and determines whether a person should be killed or saved based on their own self-interest.
However, in order to sound good, to fool others, and to appease oneself, one must add a series of moral titles to one's behavior.
Ultimately, no matter how nicely those people speak, or how many preconditions and titles they add, it's nothing more than saving someone when they want to save them, and killing someone when they want to kill them.
Rather than those high-sounding reasons, Qi Baitong preferred to accept Gu Shanyue's seemingly domineering and cold-hearted frankness.
If it's this kind of heartlessness, then everyone might as well be heartless.
Qi Baitong's lips curled into a smile: "You're right."
Gu Shanyue lay back down, holding the Wugou Sword in her arms, her cheek pressed against the hilt, creating a small indentation.
"Ah Yue!"
Li Yaoguang pushed open the door and ran in cheerfully, her skirt fluttering like a flower in the wind.
Gu Shanyue twitched his eyebrows and looked up.
It really has been a long time since anyone called her Ah Yue.
What brings you here?
"Didn't we agree yesterday that I would come to see you?"
Li Yaoguang, having shaken off her previous cowardly demeanor, squeezed closer to Gu Shanyue as soon as she saw her. Qi Baitong immediately brought her a chair: "Your Highness, please sit down."
Li Yaoguang kicked the chair away and squeezed herself onto the recliner: "I'm not sitting, I'll sit with A-Yue."
Fortunately, the recliner was spacious enough. Gu Shanyue moved to the side, and it was just enough for the two girls to lie down together.
"There's nothing fun here, why did you come?"
Gu Shanyue's expression was indifferent, which seemed rather cold to the guests.
Qi Baitong saw her arm fall off the recliner, and then glanced at Li Yaoguang lying flat on her back, trying to get closer to Gu Shanyue.
Qi Baitong paused for a moment, then suddenly turned and smiled.
"Qi Baitong! What are you laughing at?" Li Yaoguang noticed Qi Baitong's actions and immediately grabbed Gu Shanyue's arm to complain, "Ayue, look at him!"
Gu Shanyue looked at Qi Baitong, then at Li Yaoguang, and finally at the arms that were tightly embracing her.
Li Yaoguang tucked the hilt of the Wugou sword under his wide sleeves, and the end of the scabbard curled up.
Gu Shanyue pointed at Wugou: "Doesn't it hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt at all!" Li Yaoguang stared at the Wugou Sword with great interest, as if he had seen some kind of treasure. "This is the famous Wugou Sword, the number one sword in the world! I could have touched it before my head even rolled off the ground, that's enough for me to brag about. How could I complain that it hurts!"
Gu Shanyue: "Hmm... While Wugou is sharp, it's not exactly the best sword in the world."
“Everyone says you’re arrogant, but I think you’re quite humble,” Li Yaoguang said with a grin as he moved closer to her. “You are the number one swordsman in the world, so your sword is naturally the number one sword in the world.”
"The greatest swordsman in the world..." Gu Shanyue shook his head, "I wouldn't call myself that."
“You’re really too honest. This won’t do. You need to learn from those scholars in the court. They can turn black into white with their mouths, and turn a broken stone pulled out of the river into a divine revelation. You’ve already made a name for yourself, so why are you tearing your own reputation down?”
Li Yaoguang rattled off a whole bunch of things, looking at Gu Shanyue with a disappointed and disapproving gaze.
Gu Shanyue remained unchanged, completely unmoved.
"What use is this title? I am a swordsman. As long as I am Wugou, I will still be myself."
No matter how glorious the title, it can't make Wugou progress any faster.
Upon hearing this, Li Yaoguang's eyes instantly filled with admiration: "Yes, that's exactly the feeling! The dashing swordsmen in the stories are just like you!"
Gu Shanyue: "...Heh."
Li Yaoguang lay back down, leaning on Gu Shanyue's shoulder: "I ran into Yu Jingshu when I came here today. Have you seen her?"
"I have seen him," Gu Shanyue replied.
Li Yaoguang asked curiously, "So what do you think of her?"
After a brief moment of thought, Gu Shanyue offered a fair assessment: "She's quite pretty, but she talks a lot."
"Pfft, hahahahaha!"
Li Yaoguang laughed heartily: "Ladies from noble families like them only strike up a conversation with you if they're interested in befriending you. Others probably wouldn't even have the chance to say a few words to them, and you're complaining that she talks too much..."
Gu Shanyue said "Oh": "Then she chose the wrong person. I don't want to associate with her."
Moreover, judging from Yu Jingshu's appearance, it's not that she only wants to befriend her.
Although they may not be interested in these things, a top swordsman's sensitivity will unconsciously be applied to all aspects of life, including the flow of emotions between people.
After laughing, Li Yaoguang also felt that what she said made sense: "You are on good terms with the Crown Prince, so it's better to have less contact with her. Don't see her in the future."
Gu Shanyue uttered two words: "Hard to say."
Li Yaoguang immediately asked, "Why is it hard to say?"
“I promised Yu’er that I would accompany him to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, and I also promised him that I would attend his wedding,” Gu Shanyue pointed with her finger, “and at least I will see Yu Jingshu a couple more times.”
"The Mid-Autumn Festival palace banquet?" Li Yaoguang was startled and sat up. "This palace banquet is for members of the royal family and important officials of the court. Most of the concubines in the harem are not qualified to attend, and I cannot go either. Why does my brother, the Crown Prince, want you to go?"
Gu Shanyue remained calm: "I don't know."
Li Yaoguang pressed further, "Didn't he explain the reason? Didn't you ask?"
He said he was bored and wanted me to keep him company, so I agreed.
Gu Shanyue spoke so easily, but Li Yaoguang was dumbfounded.
That was a palace banquet! In her memory, the Crown Prince was a bodhisattva with a thunderous face and ruthless methods. Even though he had only been back for two years, he had already gained influence in the court and was a force to be reckoned with against the Third Prince's faction, which had been lying low for decades.
This person said the palace banquet was boring and wanted Gu Shanyue to keep him company?
Did Gu Shanyue really agree to that?
"Are you sure it was my brother, the Crown Prince, who said that? Could it be that someone else is falsely conveying his meaning?"
Li Yaoguang still couldn't believe that such words could come from Li Yuheng's mouth.
“He said it himself,” Gu Shanyue asked, seeing Li Yaoguang’s anxious expression. “Is there anything wrong with it?”
"This is extremely inappropriate. Although these palace banquets are called family banquets, they are actually still venues for court officials to engage in power struggles. Right now, the Crown Prince and the Third Prince are openly and covertly fighting each other. If you, a commoner girl without an official position, go to a palace banquet, you will likely be drawn into the vortex..."
Li Yaoguang muttered anxiously, her face clearly showing her worry.
“Don’t worry,” Gu Shanyue said, holding her trembling hand in an extremely calm tone, “They can’t kill me.”
Li Yaoguang stared blankly at Gu Shanyue.
Gu Shanyue remained calm and composed, unaffected by her anxiety, while the sword, said to be the fastest in the world, lay quietly in her arms.
Li Yaoguang's heart suddenly settled down.
"Yeah, nobody can beat you."
Li Yaoguang had personally experienced the feeling of losing and regaining power, and knew even better how terrifying the crushing power of the imperial authority was.
She was used to measuring everything by that kind of power, but she forgot that Gu Shanyue's power did not need to rely on any authority.
She herself is the most powerful force.
She is the greatest swordswoman in the world.
No one could hold her back; amidst conspiracies, intrigues, and power struggles, who could withstand her sword?
Gu Shanyue raised the corner of her mouth: "So what if he goes?"
Li Yaoguang relaxed and puffed out his chest: "That's right, who would dare to cause you trouble? Real swordsmen don't hold back because of official rank or background. Their methods won't work on you."
"nature."
Gu Shanyue popped a piece of melon into her mouth.
She's not a senior student; she won't be trapped by anyone.
Li Yaoguang lay back down, leaned on her shoulder, and ate snacks with her. They were stunned as soon as they put the pastries in their mouths.
"Your pastries taste quite good," Li Yaoguang said in surprise, glancing at the sweet cake in her hand with a complicated expression. "These are the most popular pastries in Shengjing recently, and they're not easy to buy. Your Highness has really gone to great lengths."
"These?" Gu Shanyue pointed to Qi Baitong, who was busy in the courtyard. "They weren't bought by Yu'er, but by him."
"ah?"
Li Yaoguang was even more surprised.
The pastry was still warm and tasted delicate and delicious. It was definitely not something bought yesterday and reheated today; it must have been freshly baked this morning.
Looking at the sky and the distance to the pastry shop, I'm afraid I'll have to queue up to buy pastries before dawn.
After going through all the trouble to buy it, the pastry was just casually placed on the edge of a small table, and didn't seem to receive much attention.
If you eat it any later, the heat will dissipate, and the taste will be much worse.
Thinking about it this way, Li Yaoguang felt sorry for Qi Baitong.
"A-Yue, try this pastry, it's still warm." Li Yaoguang picked up a piece of yellow cake shaped like an osmanthus flower and brought it to Gu Shanyue's lips.
Gu Shanyue ate it in one bite.
Li Yaoguang asked expectantly, "How is it?"
"It smells good." Gu Shanyue gave a brief answer and ate another piece.
Li Yaoguang looked up and saw Qi Baitong, who had been tending to the flowers and plants with her back to them, turn around and glance at Gu Shanyue eating pastries.
"Tsk tsk tsk," Li Yaoguang exclaimed, "Where did you get this bodyguard? He seems to know how to serve people well."
How come her bodyguards are like shadows, impossible to even see?
Gu Shanyue said, "Yu'er brought it."
"ah……"
Looking at Gu Shanyue lying there leisurely, Li Yaoguang thought, "My brother, the Crown Prince, has personally delivered a formidable rival to me."
I only hope that he will remain the same as he was in his youth, simply admiring Gu Shanyue.
Otherwise, the current situation might not end well.
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