He also sent people to Huaibei to find out everything about her in Huaibei, except how she learned such superb Taoist skills.
Gu Ce, the former Marquis of Dingyuan, is Gu Yanfei's biological father. He was once a famous general of Dajing and was brave and good at fighting.
Xiahou Qing had heard of this man, but that was all. Gu Ce was just a piece of history.
When a person dies, it is like a light going out; it is of no importance.
Xiahou Qing casually opened his folding fan, revealing a pale wrist that looked like it had not seen the sun for years. While fanning himself with the folding fan, he turned his gaze to Chu Yi.
"You, what do you know now?" His cold voice was filled with interest and his tone was firm.
Chu Yi met the other party's probing gaze without any evasion, nor did he intend to hide it, and said calmly: "Nine years ago, the Kingdom of Yue sent out an army of 100,000, but only 70,000 returned."
Since he wants to cooperate, he naturally has to show sincerity.
If he wants to get information from the other party, he has to use his bargaining chips.
Chu Yi only said this briefly.
"It's interesting!" Xiahou Qing was stunned at first, then he laughed.
The corners of her red lips curled up, and the smile on her flawless face gradually expanded, turning into a strange and evil smile.
This Young Master Yi is indeed interesting.
During the eight years he was held hostage in the State of Yue, he was like a bird in a cage, and could not leave the hostage house without the permission of the saint. To put it bluntly, he was just a trophy of the saint, and would be taken out and exposed to the public when necessary.
But even so, Chu Yi was able to seize the opportunity to discover these clues.
According to the records in the files, the army that returned victoriously to the Kingdom of Yue should have numbered 80,000, which means that there were actually 10,000 fewer troops.
Xiahou Qing waved the folding fan in his hand twice again, and a few strands of hair on his temples were blown up and then fell down. The flying hair caressed his cheeks, adding a bit of charm to him, and a gleam of light suddenly appeared in his eyes.
He recalled the files he had read and said, "According to the files of the Ministry of War, not long after the peace talks between the two countries, the emperor issued an amnesty decree for the whole country, and the army was also pardoned. The 80,000 soldiers were all demobilized and returned to their hometowns..."
At that time, everyone in Yue State was grateful for the saint's kindness. Now thinking about it, the saint might have done this to hide the missing 10,000 people.
“Knock knock.”
There was a sudden knock on the door of the private room, interrupting Xiahou Qing's unfinished words.
Old Qi, dressed in black and with silver hair, walked in from outside the private room with an expressionless face. He did not look away and only said to Xia Houqing: "Master, Baili Yin is here."
"Alone?" Xiahou Qing asked casually.
"There is also King Dajingkang Chu You, General Jianwei Wang Nan, and King Kang's cousin Yuan Zhe." Old Qi's eyelids were half drooped, and his dry voice had no ups and downs.
These three people hold important positions in the court of Dajing.
Xiahou Qing looked down out the window. The window of the private room where they were sitting faced the entrance of the lobby below. From his position, he could just see Chu You, Baili Yin and his group standing at the entrance of Tianyin Pavilion.
Xiahou Qing only glanced at him, then slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at Chu Yi with certainty, "I came to see you."
The sunlight coming in from the window made his shadow thin and long, with half of his face submerged in the shadow. The light and shadow formed an extreme contrast, outlining his outline more clearly, beautifully and charmingly.
He propped his face up with his elbows, casually tapped the end of his eyebrows with his slender jade-like index finger, and asked nonchalantly, "Where did you two go today?"
There was a hint of disdain in his tone, which attracted everyone to him.
Chu Yi and Xiahou Qing looked at each other, one smiled gently, the other smiled coldly.
"Lord Xiahou, do you want to stay?" Chu Yi asked instead of answering.
The implication of this sentence is equivalent to acknowledging that Baili Yin, Chu You and others are here to find him.
Stay? Xiahou Qing seemed to have heard some interesting suggestion, raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "You are not shy at all."
Xiahou Qing narrowed her charming phoenix eyes and stared at Chu Yi closely, wanting to see if he was being polite.
Chu Yi's eyes were like two deep wells, calm and still as a mountain.
Since Xiahou Qing couldn't see any clues, he simply stopped moving. He glanced outside again and saw that Chu You and the others had already walked into the lobby greeted by the waiter.
He enjoys watching plays and watching people lose their composure.
Then he might as well stay here, since he was invited to stay anyway.
Xiahou Qing leisurely picked up the wine pot and poured himself a cup of Xiaoyao Niang. Even the action of pouring the wine was very ostentatious and gorgeous.
Old Qi retreated silently, like a ghost, his steps soundless and silent.
Xiahou Qing casually drank two sips of wine, then suddenly his face changed, he turned his head, covered his face and coughed twice.
His already snow-white face became even paler, less enchanting than usual and more frail and sickly.
Gu Yanfei glanced at the wine in Xiahou Qing's cup and muttered in his heart, "I told him that he was not energetic enough, but he was still drinking cold liquor. He was really asking for death!" Xiahou Qing took out a white handkerchief, wiped his mouth, threw it away, and then took out a red handkerchief and slowly wiped his fingers.
"..."Gu Yanfei's mouth twitched slightly.
She originally wanted to get a cup of magic water for Xiahou Qing to drink, but seeing that he wanted to wipe his fingers carefully three times, she knew that this man's cleanliness obsession was even worse than the third senior brother in the sect, and he would definitely not drink it.
If it was an injection, he would probably ask for a new needle and then throw it away after use.
That's all.
Gu Yanfei's mind raced with thoughts, and finally he stretched out his index finger and pointed at the table: "Hand."
Xiahou Qing, who was wiping his palms with a handkerchief, curled his lips and thought: Why should he listen to her? As he thought so, he stretched out his hand.
"Keep it close to you." Gu Yanfei slapped a piece of talisman paper into his hand, feeling reluctant: this talisman is not easy to draw. She drew dozens of them before she made one like this one, which can warm the body.
The talisman paper was pasted on the palm of his left hand. When the wind blew, a corner of the talisman paper flew up with a rustling sound.
Xiahou Qing lowered his eyelashes, and the corners of his eyes were tense, as if he was forcibly enduring something.
Mysophobia is a disease. Gu Yanfei couldn't help but think of the joking comments that Ninth Senior Sister had made about Third Senior Brother.
While I was thinking, I heard the sound of "dengdengdeng" coming up the stairs outside the private room. Several people were coming towards this side, and the footsteps were approaching, mixed with some voices.
Chu Yi brewed another cup of tea slowly and leisurely, without any hurry or rush from beginning to end, and seemed totally unconcerned about the approaching footsteps in the corridor outside.
Three people each had a cup of Biluochun.
The messy footsteps stopped outside the private room, and a waiter outside the door called out in a panic, "Dear guests, this private room has guests."
"Isn't there no one here?"
A familiar male voice sounded with a hint of arrogance, and the door of the private room was pushed open from the outside with a creaky sound.
Outside the door, Chu You, dressed in a royal blue brocade robe, appeared in the corridor outside the private room. He met Chu Yi's eyes, and a cold light like ice and snow flashed across Chu You's eyes.
"Hey, isn't this Ayi?" Chu You smiled at Chu Yi who was inside the door. At first glance, the uncle and nephew seemed to get along well.
After not seeing him for more than ten days, Chu You looked much more haggard, his cheeks were slightly sunken, and he looked a little sick, but his eyes were very bright.
It was an ambition that penetrated into the bones, a determination as solid as rock, and a bit of arrogance in its sharpness.
Behind him were Baili Yin, Yuan Zhe and another tall and mighty middle-aged man with a curly beard. As for Jingshan, who had been guarding outside the private room, he had left long ago.
"What a coincidence." Chu You, who was walking in the front, laughed loudly and said to the waiter behind him, "We all know each other, so it's okay to fight here."
"Give us a few jars of your signature wine."
"..." The waiter looked at the three people in the private room at a loss.
Chu You didn't care about the waiter's reaction at all and walked straight into the private room.
Yuan Zhe and the middle-aged man in the back followed closely and bowed to Chu Yi:
"Young Master."
Yuan Zhe had just been released from the imperial prison not long ago. Like Chu You, he looked a little thin. He was wearing a green robe and a black silk scarf, and looked elegant and refined.
Seeing that they really knew each other, the waiter said cheerfully, "Take your time chatting, I'll go get the wine."
Yuan Zhe seemed to be chatting casually, but also seemed to be explaining: "I heard that the Tianyin Pavilion's "The Road to the Blue Sky" is wonderful, so a few of us came to join in the fun. We didn't expect to meet the eldest master here by chance."
As he spoke, Yuan Zhe looked meaningfully at Gu Yanfei who was sitting next to Chu Yi, "I didn't expect that Miss Gu Er was also here."
When he said this, everyone's attention was drawn to Gu Yanfei, including the strange middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man glanced at Gu Yanfei casually.
Originally, he only took a look at this Miss Gu Er because Yuan Zhe obviously knew her, but when he met those eyes that were like vast stars, he suddenly felt a sense of inexplicable familiarity.
He had clearly never seen this girl before... Wait! Gu?! Her last name is Gu?! The middle-aged man's eyelashes jumped, and he vaguely guessed something. He looked at Gu Yanfei and blurted out, "Are you Gu Ce's daughter?"
As he spoke, he took two steps forward, and it suddenly dawned on him: It turned out that the second Miss Gu, who had become famous because of the Yu family case, was actually Gu Ce's daughter.
"Yes." Gu Yanfei nodded slightly at the other party.
When she raised her chin slightly, the lines of her jaw became clearer, revealing a sense of coldness.
The middle-aged man looked at her, and Gu Ce's face appeared in his mind. His eyes were as sharp as a knife. "If I remember correctly, today should be Gu Ce's death memorial, right?"
He glanced at Gu Yanfei coldly, with a hint of displeasure in his expression.
It turns out that this is Gu Ce’s daughter.
The second Miss Gu who was causing trouble and stirring up trouble in the capital.
Like father, like daughter. This girl is really like her father Gu Ce, impetuous, flamboyant, and likes to be in the spotlight.
A girl came to listen to an opera on her father's death anniversary. It was both unfilial and ill-mannered! "So today is the anniversary of the death of the late Marquis Dingyuan." Yuan Zhe pretended to have suddenly realized something and sighed, "It's been nine years in the blink of an eye."
Baili Yin fell behind last, leaning leisurely against the door frame, looking at the turbulent situation in this private room, not in a hurry to join in, just watching the fight from the other side of the river.
Gu Yanfei put down the teacup in his hand and looked at Yuan Zhe calmly, "Thank you, Mr. Yuan, for still thinking about my father."
"My brother and I have held a ceremony for my father at Wuliang Temple today and have offered sacrifices to the tablet. If you, Mr. Yuan, want to pay tribute to my father, you can go directly to Wuliang Temple now."
Gu Yanfei was not interested in beating around the bush with Yuan Zhe, so he made it clear directly that Chu Yi had gone to Wuliang Temple with a full entourage, so how could King Kang not know about it? He must have come to Tianyin Pavilion for this reason.
Chu Yi liked her straightforward manner, so he smiled softly and poured her more tea.
“Worship?” The middle-aged man sneered, frowning on his brows, and said unhappily, “Does Gu Ce deserve it?!”
"General Wang, why is my father unworthy?!" Gu Yanfei restrained his expression and asked slowly.
Her father protected the people, fought on the battlefield for more than ten years, and killed tens of thousands of enemies. Why is he not worthy!
Gu Yanfei pursed his lips slightly, and there was a coldness between his beautiful and delicate eyebrows, and his whole person looked a little more stern.
"How can a spineless coward with no responsibility be worthy of the title?" Wang Nan snorted disapprovingly, his eyes gloomy and he said contemptuously, "All soldiers of my generation have sacrificed their lives and shed their blood to defend every inch of our country, but your father was greedy for life and afraid of death, surrendered in the face of the enemy, and harmed tens of thousands of Dajing soldiers and civilians."
"Your father is the eternal sinner of Dajing!"
Nine years ago, the Yue army was coming with great force. With many people in the enemy's army and few in numbers, Yangzhou was in a difficult situation. However, Tailing City was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Gu Ce was not without other options, but he finally stubbornly chose to open the city gates and surrender to the enemy.
To put it bluntly, it is Gu Ce who is afraid of death.
Wang Nan thought of something, and a deep shadow flashed in his eyes. He said firmly: "People like him should be ground into dust and scattered into ashes to commemorate the tens of thousands of dead souls. What else is there to worship!"
"Instead of setting up a temple, it would be better to copy a few more scriptures for those souls who died with their eyes wide open, to atone for your father's sins!"
Although Wang Nan disliked the behavior of those high-ranking families, he hated people like Gu Yanfei even more. This little girl stirred up trouble and successively brought down the Yu family and the Feng family, causing unrest in the court.
“General Wang,” Gu Yanfei stared at Wang Nan, his pupils as clear as a mountain spring, and as deep as the abyss, deep and boundless, lazy and arrogant, “You lost your father and mother when you were young, and lived on the streets. When you were eight years old, you were taken in by your adoptive father, but just one year later, your adoptive father’s family was destroyed.”
"You followed a good teacher into the army, and with his help, you rose through the ranks. But then the good teacher died... Well, it seems he died in battle, so he can be considered a hero."
"Tsk. General Wang, you have Pojun as your destiny star, so your life is destined to be full of twists and turns. Pojun is a 'consumption star', which means destruction and consumption. You should try to resolve your anger more often to protect the health of your family and teachers."
She hid one hand in her sleeves and calculated rapidly. Her voice was cold and gentle, and each word was clear, with a chill like autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.
There was a sudden chill in the private room.
"You... are so insolent!" Wang Nan's face was full of clouds, turning pale and blue, and veins popped out on his forehead. He felt ashamed as if his hidden illness and scars were revealed in public.
He was a man who had fought on the battlefield for decades and had fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. When he was angry, his bloodthirsty anger burst out.
Others present knew that Wang Nan was General Jianwei, who had a bright career in the army. They only knew that he came from a poor family, but they did not know that he had such a hard life in his youth.
Seeing Wang Nan's excited expression at this time, Chu You, Yuan Zhe and others understood that Gu Yanfei was right about everything.
The complicated looks from others made Wang Nan even angrier, and his face felt hot.
Wang Nan grabbed the handle of his saber and was about to draw his sword in anger...
Chu You watched coldly from the side without trying to persuade Wang Nan. He observed Chu Yi's every move out of the corner of his eye, and the corner of his lips curled up almost imperceptibly.
He wanted to see whether Chu Yi would offend General Jianwei for the sake of a beauty.
"brush--"
The long sword was half out of its sheath, shining with a cold light.
Gu Yanfei raised his right hand hidden in his sleeve, holding a talisman between his fingers, and pushed it forward casually...
It was as if a gust of wind came out of nowhere, and her wide sleeves were blown up by the wind.
Wang Nan felt his chest tighten, as if someone had pushed him hard on the chest, while there was clearly no one in front of him.
He was pushed back by the invisible force and fell into a chair at the back.
With a "clang", his sword fell to the ground, and the long sword was half out of the sheath, overlapping with the loud and rapid gong sounds in the hall below.
Wang Nan looked at Gu Yanfei in confusion, not yet figuring out what was going on.
"The show has begun." Gu Yanfei said with a double meaning.
There was a hint of a smile on the corner of her lips, and her usual laziness had completely disappeared. Her whole temperament was cool and clear, as if a snow leopard had revealed her sharp claws.
The gongs stopped, and all the noisy and chaotic conversations in the lobby disappeared. The musicians downstairs started playing the strings and drums, and a long and leisurely string music sounded, and the show finally began.
Downstairs in the lobby, the actors began to sing and there was a lot of joy and excitement, but in the private rooms the atmosphere was tense.
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Baili Yin, who had watched such a good show, clapped his hands repeatedly and laughed, "Second Miss Gu, not only is your swordsmanship superb, your Taoism is also profound!"
Baili Yin is the third prince of Yue State, and he doesn't care whether his words will offend Wang Nan.
As soon as these words came out, Wang Nan's breath stagnated slightly, and his face darkened even more.
Baili Yin stared at Gu Yanfei with burning eyes, his handsome face showing no sign of hiding his admiration and amazement for her. However, when his eyes swept across Chu Yi who was standing beside her, a trace of unhappiness emerged in his heart.
Ever since he proposed a marriage between the two countries in the Golden Palace that day, Chu Yi has made it clear several times in the past half month that he can return to the Kingdom of Yue.
But he just refused to go back.
Baili Yin smiled provocatively at Chu Yi, walked to Chu You's side, and stood shoulder to shoulder with him, as if they were on the same page.
The princess of Yue State can marry anyone, it can be Chu Yi or Chu You.
but……
Baili Yin's gaze as he looked at Gu Yanfei became even more passionate, and he couldn't take his eyes off her smooth and flawless white face.
This little beauty was really interesting. He had never seen such a woman in Yue State.
He is determined to get her! (End of this chapter)
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