Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Pipa Conference.
Gu Huaijin took a sip of tea and said calmly, "It's okay."
"This year's Qingming Festival, newly produced Junshan Silver Needle." Chang Da grabbed the teacup and took a sip, his mouth tutting. "It was originally a tribute tea. Unfortunately, there are not many produced this year. Since this prince particularly likes this tea, he intercepted the imperial tribute history and ordered all of it to Prince Ding's Mansion. There is no such thing in the imperial palace."
Gu Huaijin understood what he meant and didn't want to get entangled in trivial matters, so he just smiled.
"I've heard that Mr. Gu doesn't like crowds, so inviting him under the pretext of a pipa competition seems rather rude." Chang Da attentively filled his teapot. "I'm a rough man, and I don't understand the refined tastes of a scholar. I can only offer these inferior dishes to entertain him."
"You are too modest." Gu Huaijin responded perfunctorily, looking down aimlessly.
Downstairs, the hall was overflowing with guests. Dozens of round tables were filled to the brim, all looking up at the stage. Everyone wore splendid attire, adorned with jade belts and golden swords. Even the down-and-out scholars, often unappreciated, were dressed in their finest attire. Servants flitted among the guests, serving tea and water. The guests chatted and laughed, socializing and exchanging compliments, creating a lively atmosphere.
The stage was still empty. A brocade screen depicting landscapes, flowers, and birds stood as a backdrop. From behind the screen, the sounds of stringed instruments drifted softly. The stage was decorated with vases of fresh flowers. Pots of peonies and other flowers were placed around the dais, creating a vibrant and flourishing scene.
"Today's Pipa Competition is being held, and all who have come are renowned Pipa masters in the capital. If Mr. Gu doesn't mind, you can stay a little longer to see who will emerge victorious."
Gu Huaijin leaned on the railing, sipping tea, and did not respond.
He had come to Changda Mansion today because Prince Ding had repeatedly invited him and Emperor Jiaqing had repeatedly requested him, and he had no interest in listening to the pipa. Now, he was tired of the world and people.
"Prince Ding invited me to visit you today. What's the matter? Why not get straight to the point?"
Chang Da smiled. This highly acclaimed Imperial Master disliked nonsense and official rhetoric, and he wasn't one to mince words or play along.
"Mr. Gu is straightforward. I'm just a warrior, and I don't know how to get along with people who are good at sweet talk. But when I met Mr. Gu today, I felt like we were old friends."
Upon hearing this, Gu Huaijin bent his elbows and placed them on the railing, leaning back in his chair and smiling lazily.
"I have invited Mr. Gu here today to ask you what the Emperor thinks about my younger sister being imprisoned in Jingsi Pavilion."
Emperor Jiaqing's attitude was already very clear. Chang Da asked this question just to ask what Gu Huaijin thought.
"The Emperor is reluctant to leave his mother and has repeatedly asked me to find a way to release the Concubine Dowager. I was deeply moved by this and offered to serve the Emperor."
Chang Da heaved a sigh of relief, his shaggy beard moving with his cheeks as he smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Gu, for taking such a long time to think about me. I wonder if Mr. Gu..."
Before he could finish his words, the pearl curtain of the elegant room was suddenly lifted, and a respectful servant came in, holding a wooden tray in his hand. On the tray was a brocade hat decorated with crescent-shaped white auspicious cloud patterns.
"Sir, the hat you ordered from Jinxiu Pavilion a few days ago is ready today and will be delivered to you."
"You little dog!" Chang Da glared. "I'm just discussing something with Mr. Gu, you blind bastard!"
The servant immediately lowered his head even lower, a layer of cold sweat on the back of his neck: "You said that you want us to finish it and send it to you as soon as possible... servants..."
"You dog brain! Did I tell you you're shallow? You have no vision!" He grabbed the wooden tray, put on his brocade hat, and smashed the tray into the servant's face. "Get out!"
The wooden pallet was smashed in half in an instant. The slave rolled on the ground and couldn't get up for a while, groaning. He wanted to show more diligence, so he knelt on the ground and picked up the wood chips one by one.
Unexpectedly, when he picked up the person at Chang Da's feet, he was kicked on the shoulder by him, "Get out of here! Someone come! Kill him!"
The servant immediately raised his head and said, "Sir! Sir, please be kind and spare my life. I will never dare to do it again, Sir..."
Two burly warriors came in, each holding one arm, and took the man away without saying a word.
The man's crying gradually faded away.
Gu Huaijin watched the farce in front of him quietly, without any emotion, as if he didn't see it.
Across from him, Chang Da straightened his hat and said to Gu Huaijin, "A few days ago, I ordered a hat from Jinxiu Pavilion. It was embroidered by the best embroiderer in Beijing. I wonder what Mr. Gu thinks of it?"
Gu Huaijin leaned back in the armchair with a half-smile on his face, casually turning the teacup.
White hat.
The king has a blank word.
Chang Da’s intention is obvious.
He thought to himself, what a pity that servant must have received an order from Chang Da, specifically asking him to bring his hat in during their conversation. Unfortunately, he hadn't guessed Chang Da's intentions in advance and blindly obeyed, becoming a bridge that was demolished after crossing the river.
He sighed, "Your Highness, don't wear plain clothes, don't adorn your hat with white. You used crescent-white brocade to make a hat. I guess you were deceived by that slick-tongued clothes seller."
The smile on Chang Da's face froze for a moment, his eyes rolled around, and then he smiled again with his beard raised.
"Yes, yes, yes. I hate those who flatter and sweet-talk people the most! Come here!" He shouted outside, "Bring the clothes seller from Jinxiu Pavilion to me! I want to settle the score with him!"
Gu Huaijin listened absentmindedly.
How long will I have to perform in front of him?
That day, in Xiaole Garden, he casually said, "The emperor needs someone to assist him in governing the country." Unexpectedly, he was actually remembered by others.
There were the Junshan silver needles, the moon-white brocade hat, and the beating and killing of servants.
Unfortunately, Gu Huaijin had no intention of going against Chang. He hoped that Chang and Li would fight each other, and it would be best if both sides were defeated and died together.
He took another sip of tea and looked towards the high platform on the first floor.
On the stage, the performance has begun, and the musicians take turns to play on stage, each of them is graceful and charming.
He was not interested, so he turned his gaze back and listened to Chang Da's self-righteous temptation.
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Mu Shanzi's shadow flashing behind the screen on the first floor.
He suddenly sat up straight and looked down over the railing.
Chang Da saw that his nonchalant expression had changed and that he looked very concerned. He hurriedly bowed and said with a smile, "If Mr. Gu takes a fancy to any of these prostitutes today, I will redeem her immediately and send her to your residence! The palace will pay for it!"
That graceful figure flashed in the field of vision for only a moment, then disappeared into the blind spot and could no longer be seen.
As long as she was here, even if she was far away from him, he still felt worried, as if a knot had suddenly appeared on a rope, making him uncomfortable.
"Mr. Gu."
Gu Huaijin did not answer.
"Mr. Gu." Chang Da was puzzled to see him so lost in thought. He called out again and looked towards the first floor.
But I don't know who he is looking at.
After all, could he see clearly even with his eyes blindfolded?
"Excuse me." Gu Huaijin turned around and took a sip of tea. "Please continue."
"There were many suspicious points about my younger sister's poisoning back then, but the Palace Justice Department had written records, making it difficult to overturn the case. The Regent repeatedly stopped us." Chang Da took a sip of tea, making a slurping sound. "I wonder what Mr. Gu has to say."
Gu Huaijin tapped his fingers idly on the table. "Regarding what happened back then, no matter who the real culprit was, the Regent's mother was poisoned to death. He won't let her go. It's to be expected."
"But the Regent is truly a man with a heart as cruel as a wolf! He even ignored the Emperor crying on the ground and remained unmoved!"
"That's just his temper." Gu Huaijin responded indifferently.
"So, am I going to spend the rest of my life in the Jingsi Pavilion, mourning for a dead man? Sir!" Chang Da said, "The Regent only wants to find the real murderer!"
Having said this, Gu Huaijin also understood the hidden meaning.
Who the real murderer is is important to the Regent, but not important to Chang Gu and the other party.
As long as a real murderer is brought out to take the blame for Concubine Chang, and there is detailed and rigorous evidence to convince the Regent, Concubine Chang will be released from Jingsixuan soon, and Emperor Jiaqing will be reunited with his mother as a matter of course.
As long as Emperor Jiaqing gets his mother back, his mission will be completed and he will never be bothered by this matter again.
It's just that they fabricated evidence and pushed innocent people to take the blame.
Even though he had experienced the disaster at Tianshan and his character had changed drastically, he still felt that it was better not to do such things if possible.
"That's what Prince Ding meant."
"My intention is to find the real culprit. It's easy. I just need you to be in the Forbidden City and take care of things for me."
"Why doesn't Prince Ding go look for Concubine Sheng?"
"Lin Yan is just a woman, how can she reach Gong Zhengsi!"
Gu Huaijin could only sigh.
If this matter is not resolved, Emperor Jiaqing will certainly be dissatisfied. After all, he is a minister, not a rebel.
What Chang Da said is the easiest and perhaps the most likely way.
Seeing that Gu Huaijin was just drinking tea and keeping silent, Chang Da was unsure for a moment. He leaned half of his body on the table and stared at his expression intently.
Gu Huaijin's eyes were covered with black silk. Chang Da cursed in his heart, "Son of a bitch, he doesn't even have the slightest expression on his face. I wonder what this person is thinking."
After a long while, Gu Huaijin said, "Please continue."
Chang Da's heart suddenly relaxed as he said repeatedly, "You can go to the Imperial Household Department and pick out a palace maid at random. Bribe the people around him, fabricate charges, forge evidence, and hand him over to you for trial. Once you get the testimony, convict him directly and overturn my sister's verdict."
Gu Huaijin sneered: "You are so rude in arranging this for me."
Chang Da's mouth was immediately blocked.
He had commanded an army for many years, and everyone in the army obeyed his orders. He had never been ridiculed by anyone.
"So what do you mean?!" Chang Da suddenly slammed the table and stood up, his eyes wide open. The table immediately shook, and the teacups clashed with each other. The guests on the first and second floors all looked over in surprise. "Finding a palace maid to replace him is the fastest and easiest way! Sir, you have also received the task. Don't you have to go to great lengths to thoroughly investigate the old things?!"
The servants guarding outside the elegant room all knelt down in panic.
The sound of the pipa on the stage stopped, and the musicians looked up in surprise and confusion.
Gu Huaijin just smiled slightly and looked at him furiously.
Chang Da always liked to lose his temper suddenly. Ordinary people could not withstand his rage and often gave in immediately.
Unfortunately, Gu Huaijin didn't buy it.
He stretched out two fingers and gestured downwards casually.
The air around them suddenly swirled and swirled, and everything in the elegant room twisted like waves, the beaded curtains clattering against each other. The guests in all directions, as well as the musicians competing on the stage, all looked up in confusion, whispering among themselves.
Suddenly, Chang Da, with his face flushed and eyes as big as bells, stood there, trembling all over, as if he could not stand still.
His shoulders were slightly sunken, as if they were supported by a jack.
The two faced each other in silence, neither of them saying anything.
Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound and the floor sank several inches.
There was a cry of surprise in the hall.
Chang Da's eyes were wide open, and in a moment, his knees went weak and he sat back heavily in the armchair.
The armchair made a cracking sound and cracked into several pieces.
He slumped down in the chair, gasping for breath and breaking out in a cold sweat.
Gu Huaijin casually poured himself a cup of tea.
Infinite mind method.
Chang Da, also a martial artist, had heard of the rarely seen Wuliang Heart Method in the martial arts world. It was said to be a profound internal skill, capable of telekinesis, something unmatched by ordinary people. Because it was so difficult to practice, it was nearly lost.
Unexpectedly, at this time, he met a person who had achieved great success in mental skills.
Damn it.
If this troublesome person wants to, I will kill him on the spot today if I have the ability.
"What I mean is," Gu Huaijin said casually without any anger, "Prince Ding, think about it carefully. If the real murderer is indeed Concubine Chang, what will you do?"
Chang Da's chest heaved with rage, and he spoke rapidly. Finally, his lion nose wrinkled, and his face was full of ferocity. "Sir, do you mean that you want me to beg you?"
Gu Huaijin leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table for a while, and smiled casually: "Almost."
Chang Da was so angry that he slammed his hands on the armrest and tried to stand up again.
Didn't stand up at all.
The air twisted and fluctuated, and Gu Huaijin advised calmly, "Prince Ding, please take a good rest."
Chang Da sat in the armchair, his whole body flushed red, like a big red shrimp that was gradually being cooked.
After enduring again and again, and enduring again and again, the armrest of the armchair was broken into several pieces by him, and they fell to the ground in disarray.
When he was angry, his voice sounded like the growl in the throat of a wild beast.
"What exactly do you want, sir?"
Gu Huaijin said slowly: "What Prince Ding said is indeed reasonable. However, I have my own rules when doing things."
He said, "I will take care of this matter."
"Are you determined to conduct a thorough investigation?" Chang Da was worried.
The Chang family members all have bad tempers, and Concubine Chang might be capable of poisoning someone.
Gu Huaijin knew what Chang Da was worried about and smiled.
The only person who cared about the true murderer was Li Xuanbai. Gu Huaijin didn't care at all. ——Or rather, the more unhappy Li Xuanbai was, the happier he was.
He just didn't want innocent people to die in vain.
Gu Huaijin smiled: "It won't be traced back to the Concubine Dowager."
Chang Da didn't understand what Gu Huaijin wanted, and he didn't understand why he refused his easy method.
Finally, he said: "Then, what the gentleman wants is."
Gu Huaijin blew the hot steam from the tea, looked up at the high platform on the first floor, and was speechless for a moment.
After a long pause, he said, "There is a branch of the imperial guards in the palace, under the command of General Chang He. Chang He is also a member of your Chang family."
"yes."
"The Daming Palace's Golden Spear Guards were personally selected by the Prince Regent from his personal army."
"If that's the case," he put the teacup to his lips, "Gu has a favor to ask."
*
The Pipa Conference did not end until nightfall.
Because he caught a glimpse of the purple shadow of Mu Shan, Gu Huaijin stayed in Prince Ding's mansion until night.
The person he was waiting for did not show up until the conference was nearing its end.
Gradually, a figure emerged as the star of the stage. Her face was veiled in red, her eyes and eyebrows were dazzling, and she wore a crimson dress that trailed the ground. In her arms, she clutched a lacquered and jewel-inlaid pipa, and with her slender, nail-painted fingers, she plucked the strings with swift movement.
He looked calm and composed, yet his voice was full and clear, like pearls falling on a plate, and even an amateur could tell that he was a very skilled musician.
"This person is Miss Qu Huan from my mansion." Chang Da was eager to have Gu Huaijin stay in his Dingwang Mansion. He entertained the guest attentively and introduced her to him with a bit of pride. "She is an expert at playing the pipa and she is also very beautiful. To be honest, I am a rough man and cannot appreciate other things, but I can appreciate this beauty. If you are interested in this..."
As he spoke, he glanced at him tentatively.
Gu Huaijin continued to look down without saying a word.
Chang Da felt that he was asking for trouble, and he also realized that after sitting there for a whole day, he had become a little lax, and had been rude and said something inappropriate, so he kept his mouth shut.
The teapot on the table is full and empty, empty and full again.
Chang Da, half flattering and half showing off, presented all the famous teas in the mansion to Gu Huaijin one by one and asked him to taste the tea.
On the stage, the woman in red carefully made a stroke, and a clanging sound followed. The guests applauded, and her opponent, who was waiting on the side of the stage, lowered his head dejectedly and left the stage.
The pearl curtain of the elegant room was drawn aside again, and a servant came in carrying a teapot and respectfully poured tea for Chang Da.
Chang Da said with a smug smile: "This is the new snow fragrance produced this year. It is made from..."
Before he could finish his words, the servant's hand trembled, and the spout of the teapot tilted half an inch, leaving a small circle outside Changda's teacup, and he quickly turned it back.
"You little dog!" Chang Da yelled, and the tea table creaked. He had slammed his palms on the table, cracking it. "How dare you mess with such a treasure! Drag you away and chop off your paws!"
"Prince Ding." Gu Huaijin finally couldn't bear it anymore and stopped him lightly.
Chang Da hurriedly said, "Excuse me, excuse me." After that, he leaned over the table, slurped the tea into his mouth, and smacked his lips twice. "The fragrance of snow condenses, it's truly worthy of its name, it has a wonderful aroma, sir, try it."
Gu Huaijin looked at him for a long time, very shocked.
In the end, there was not a single word, and I continued to look towards the stage.
Under the bright lights, a familiar figure finally came onto the stage.
His heart skipped a beat.
The man had his face covered, and wore a smoky purple cloud-like feather dress on his shoulders, a moon-like white skirt underneath, a full-moon-shaped mercury silver necklace on his head, and a large round pearl hanging from his brow.
She walked slowly, her feathered robes trailing the ground spread out like ripples, and the layers of dreamy purple were dotted with flickering gold flakes, like the thick mountain fog at dawn, ethereal and otherworldly.
At nightfall, the lights on the stage were already bright. She was adorned with necklaces and rings. As soon as she came on stage, the light all around her was like broken snow, making it difficult to look at her directly.
The first floor, which was originally noisy and bustling, suddenly became silent.
moment.
Everyone seemed to be strangled by the neck, and then suddenly let go. They breathed a sigh of relief and there was a burst of whispers.
Gu Huaijin only glanced at the guests from the second floor a few times before he couldn't stand it anymore. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling in frustration.
On the opposite side, Chang Da was also leaning on the railing and looking down. His short neck was stretched so long that he almost fell down.
Gu Huaijin: "Prince Ding, what are you looking at?"
Chang Da didn't hear it.
Gu Huaijin bent his fingers and knocked them heavily on the table twice.
Chang Da came to his senses and was surprised to find that this distinguished guest, who was calm even in sharp confrontations, was actually a little angry. He didn't know how he had offended him and hurriedly said, "Go ahead, go ahead."
Gu Huaijin said nothing more.
On the first floor, the woman in red stood quietly at the edge of the stage waiting, while the person in the middle of the stage gently plucked the strings of the pipa, and the music flowed out as smoothly as flowing water.
The sound of the pipa differs from that of the flute. While the flute's sound is like a silken thread, a gentle, uninterrupted string, the pipa's is like the cascading of round beads, one by one, leaving a trail of afterimages. Continuously plucking the pipa's notes is like a torrent crashing against rocks, creating ripples that linger in layers of echoing sound. A single note is like a magpie pecking at a round fruit on a branch, its fullness and crispness splattering with fruit juice.
On the stage, Nan Qiongshuang's fingers fluttered like butterflies, without any hesitation or nervousness, and she played the music she had practiced for the past half month with ease.
The sound was like a torrent rushing over rocks, fast and fierce, bright and clear. Soon, it came to an end.
Gongsun Hong, who was standing by, held the pipa in her arms, plucking it with a clang sound, and continued with the next section.
In Gongsun Hong's section, the score is even more passionate, with each sound like chasing the moon with a knife or a horse galloping in the desert. Just like the vast expanse around, the hind hooves of the galloping horse almost step on the front hooves, leaving no gap or breathing space.
The people in the audience held their breath.
Nan Qiongshuang sat on a chair in the center of the stage, her eyes lowered and focused.
Suddenly, Gongsun Hong made a rubbing sound.
The pipa music suddenly stopped.
Two spinning afterimages whizzed across the stage, as fast as arrows shot from a bow.
When she reached her face, Nan Qiong Shuang suddenly turned around.
The two darts separated and merged, passing under her spinning long hair, colliding with each other and creating a spark.
Gongsun Hong had already picked up the pipa and played another piece.
Nan Qiong Shuang finished her circle and just as her toes touched the ground, she heard a sound of breaking air behind her. Without saying a word, she leaped up and bent her body on the spot, running towards the bright lights in the ceiling like a fish out of water.
Two darts whizzed past her waist.
She bent down, her toes touching the ground like a dragonfly skimming the water, and she turned around and twirled her fingers. Two or three spider silk threads gleaming with light suddenly emerged from between her fingers and nailed onto the stage setting.
A silk thread, like a snake, went straight towards Gongsun Hong's face.
Before she was hit, she blinked her eyelashes and turned her head away.
The silk thread had just been nailed to her veil, but as she turned her head, the red veil with gold and gold fluttered down.
Gongsun Hong's beautiful face suddenly appeared before everyone, as clearly as mountain flowers after the fog had cleared.
The people in the Paradise Hall were all so beautiful that their mere appearance could draw a crowd of people to the streets. This blatant appearance stunned the guests, and even the three Fuyu guards, who had rushed in from outside the hall at the command, froze for a moment.
Nan Qiongshuang waited for a moment on the stage with a half-smile on her face, giving her a chance to amaze everyone - Gongsun Hong said before going on stage, "I can give you the title of Pipa Master, but I must also make a name for myself" - after waiting for a moment, she immediately reached out to pull the strings, and a shining ice silk thread passed through her back, and a bright one went straight through her neck.
Gongsun Hong lowered her eyes and glanced for a moment, without a moment's hesitation, she twisted her body like a snake and crawled out from between the two lines, bent down to the ground, and suddenly stretched her arm under the cabinet where flowers were displayed, and drew out a three-foot green sword.
Nan Qiong Shuang suddenly retreated several steps.
The cold sword light was coming at him from all directions.
She opened and closed her palms, and her fingers hooked and fiddled, and the vase potted plants on the stage were pierced and exploded one by one by her silk thread.
The silk threads crossed in all directions, forming a formation in front of her that was difficult to break into. The sword blade slashed at her silk threads with a clang and then bounced off with a thud. She calmly threaded and reeled in the threads, then turned away.
The three guards of Fuyu have already pressed onto the stage from all sides.
Nan Qiong Shuang clenched her palm into a fist, and the silk threads that were shining in all directions suddenly shrank into a point in her palm.
Suddenly, a dart flew towards her, leaving an afterimage, and in the blink of an eye it was right in front of her nose.
She dodged and spun around, and another flash of white sword light appeared before her eyes.
This sword will be placed half an inch from the side of her neck, which is the signal for the end of the play.
Nan Qiong Shuang moved half an inch, without even glancing at the sword tip, and turned to look out the window on the second floor.
Yun Man Yue was sitting by the window with her legs crossed and her arms around her shoulders.
Suddenly, before she could turn around and dodge, a loud bang that shook the earth and exploded from the stage.
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