Brothers in distress
Instead of weighing the pros and cons and deciding whether or not to accept the offer, he instinctively thought of accepting it, only struggling to find an excuse.
Xiao Chang'an said proudly, "I will provide him with a way to operate. In order not to directly defy the imperial decree, I suggest that the Crown Prince does not need to go to pick you up in his name. I can just step forward and use the banner of the Music Bureau to bring our female officials who went out to collect folk songs back to the city. Even if it is Sikong Zhao, she cannot refuse you entry to the city without a reasonable reason."
He added, "Moreover, in order to strengthen the Crown Prince's determination to defy his father's orders, I also found him an excellent reason to comfort his fragile conscience."
A-Qiu asked, puzzled, "What is that?"
Xiao Chang'an said earnestly, "His Majesty's greatest wish for the Crown Prince is for him to become a wise ruler. But does the Crown Prince know how His Majesty can become a wise ruler?"
Before A-Qiu could ask a question, he answered his own question: "Because he received the assistance of the Junior Tutor. Similarly, if the Crown Prince wants to become a wise ruler in the future, he only needs the assistance of one person."
He suppressed a laugh and said, "You are the successor of the young master, Sister A-Qiu."
When A-Qiu came to her senses, even her serious and solemn mood turned into a smile through her tears.
She said with mixed feelings, "He actually believed such a ridiculous reason. To persuade an ordinary person, you have to appeal to their interests and emotions; but my senior brother, the Crown Prince, is the exact opposite. He has already made up his mind, and then you just make up a bunch of utilitarian arguments to convince himself that this is in line with the way of the emperor. Sigh."
She is currently being completely ostracized by the Jianzhang political group. If the Crown Prince truly cares about his future, he should at least avoid having any contact with her for now.
Xiao Chang'an keenly noticed the change in her address of the Crown Prince and smiled, "Therefore you must assist him even more and not leave, lest such a kind prince be instigated and used by a villain like me, and cause the bright future of Dayan to be ruined."
Ah Qiu understood his unspoken meaning and finally raised her head, looking towards the front of the car, and said, "Xiao Xiao, to be honest, do you really want me to come back?"
At this moment, many people in Jianzhang didn't want her to return; otherwise, Sikong Zhao wouldn't have blocked her way at the gate. Even those in the palace, like Duke An and Lady Sun, who hoped for her return out of personal affection, didn't necessarily want her to return as Gu Yi's successor. As for Xiao Chang'an, if he wanted to be her enemy, she would rather he make it clear as soon as possible than accept any more favors from him.
Xiao Chang'an paused slightly, then said lightly, "I hope you come back, but I don't want Gu Yi to come back."
A Qiu's heart skipped a beat.
Gu Yi is unlikely to return. But if she exists at the center of power in Dayan as the successor of the Junior Master, wouldn't that be continuing to exert Gu Yi's influence?
She already knew that Xiao Chang'an's ambition was to replace Gu Yi, and Xiao Chang'an had made it clear that he didn't care if she came back, but he cared about Gu Yi, because that was the person he was determined to replace.
Thinking of Li Wujiu and Gu Yi's deliberate tolerance of Xiao Chang'an's actions, A Qiu said with a sour tone, "Xiao Xiao, did my appearance disrupt your plans? If Master had not chosen me as his successor, would you have stayed by his side peacefully until he imparted all his knowledge to you, and then you could have smoothly become the next Imperial Tutor?"
Xiao Chang'an hadn't expected A Qiu to be able to express his thoughts so clearly. He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Assumptions are meaningless, and I don't want an assumption without you. If you insist on asking this, yes. Without you, Gu Yi and I would be fine, but with you, that becomes impossible. It's either him or me, it's either him or me, that's how it is."
He immediately added, “But for you, I will always stand by your side. Because, believe it or not,” he said with a wry smile, “I want to see a complete Southern Dynasty more than you do. To unify the world, cleaning up the mess of endless war and widespread suffering is much more difficult. Believe me, if it can be resolved politically, I don’t want to resort to force.”
A Qiu almost cried out, "Why can she do it, but Gu Yi can't?"
But from Xiao Chang'an's words, she had already vaguely understood the answer.
Xiao Chang'an considered her one of his own, even though there was no basis for it. But Gu Yi did not.
The oxcart suddenly stopped, no longer moving forward. The curtain had been lifted halfway, and Xiao Chang'an reached in with a long, strong hand to help her down.
His tone remained as light and gentle as ever, still reminding her of their first meeting, as if in his eyes she was still that graceful, delicate geisha.
"We've arrived at the East Palace. Sister, watch your step. Let me help you down."
This was A Qiu's first time entering the East Palace since she entered the palace. From afar, the three large characters "Guanlan Hall" came into view, solemn and imposing.
She paused slightly when she saw those three words, searching her memory for any clues.
For no other reason than that these three words looked somewhat familiar.
Crown Prince Xie Tiao did not wait in the palace, but stood anxiously below the jade steps. Only when he saw A Qiu did his expression relax instantly, a smile finally appearing on his lips. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Junior Sister!"
When A Qiu saw him, her heart was also filled with waves of emotion. She immediately stepped forward, bowed and kowtowed, saying, "Senior Brother Crown Prince!"
Xie Tiao's nervousness was understandable. Although he had been "bewitched" by Xiao Chang'an to the point of being determined to bring her back, taking someone from Sikong Zhao's hands was by no means a risk-free matter. If he was not careful, he himself would also be held accountable.
Xie Tiao hurriedly tried to help her up, but couldn't pull her up. After performing the grand salute with utmost respect, A Qiu stood up on her own and looked sincerely at Xie Tiao, saying, "This time, I am only able to enter the city without any trouble thanks to my senior brother, the Crown Prince, thus avoiding a direct conflict with the people of the capital."
Xie Tiao looked at her gently and said, "Why are you still saying these things? Now that our teacher is not here, we should be in the same boat and help each other."
Seeing that A Qiu kept looking up at the plaque of the East Palace, he explained, "This plaque was inscribed by the last emperor of the previous dynasty. He lived here when he was the crown prince. After my father ascended the throne, he did not think of removing it, because my father and the last emperor had grown up together. The last emperor of the previous dynasty was also my uncle. Since it was written by an elder, it was not replaced."
As if realizing something, A Qiu asked, "Then, besides this place, are there any other palaces in the entire Jianzhang Palace that were inscribed by the last emperor?"
The calligraphy wasn't particularly good, but it was vigorous and resolute, full of personality. She felt a sense of déjà vu about the handwriting, but couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
Xie Tiao thought about it carefully for a moment and said, "As far as I know, this is probably the only place. When the last emperor was the crown prince, he might have had the leisure to write inscriptions, and he probably even thought his calligraphy was quite good. But at that time, the only place in the palace that he could really control was the East Palace. The other palaces, such as the concubines' sleeping quarters and the late emperor's study, all had inscriptions by previous emperors, so it wasn't his place to write one. After he ascended the throne, there were years of civil unrest and military rebellions in the country. He was also fond of grand achievements and set up many female musicians, which led to the neglect of state affairs. I'm afraid he had even less time to write inscriptions everywhere."
Historically, plaques have been the most demanding in terms of calligraphy skill. Unlike handscrolls, which are only appreciated by a few enthusiasts, plaques are seen by everyone who enters or leaves the area, thus subjecting them to the scrutiny of thousands. Only those with exceptional confidence in their calligraphy would readily inscribe plaques or carve inscriptions.
A Qiu couldn't help but laugh when she heard him speak so eloquently and interestingly: "Now that you, Senior Brother Crown Prince, have some free time, you can also change the characters on this hall to your own."
Xie Tiao smiled and said, "I have neither the leisure nor the confidence to do so." He put his hands behind his back and gazed at the plaque in the hall, saying, "Although the last emperor was a ruler of a fallen country and his calligraphy was mediocre, leaving this calligraphy here will remind me from time to time that not every emperor has to be perfect. Of course, I will try my best to be a wise ruler, but emperors are also human beings and always have human weaknesses. I will not belittle myself, nor will I give up easily."
A Qiu hadn't had much interaction with Xie Tiao. But she found that although Xie Tiao, her senior brother, didn't show off and even seemed a bit ordinary at first glance, each time she met him, she felt a sense of surprise. For example, his remarks at this moment were enough to show that he had a deep and clear understanding of himself and the last emperor, which alone made him incomparable to ordinary sons of powerful families.
At this moment, Xiao Chang'an coughed lightly behind the two and said, "It's too crowded here, Your Highness and Lord Dianle, please go inside to talk."
Upon entering the hall, Xie Tiao's first question was: "Why are you the only one who has returned? Where is your teacher?"
Upon hearing this, A Qiu immediately understood. It seemed that no one had told Xie Tiao about Gu Yi's changed appearance. And all her subsequent activities with Gu Yi at the Hidden World Sect probably couldn't be kept from Xiao Chang'an. Xiao Chang'an also guessed that something must have happened to Gu Yi, but he wouldn't tell Xie Tiao.
A Qiu glanced at Xiao Chang'an, who was standing quietly to the side. On one hand, she was secretly surprised that among the four Flying Phoenix Guards, he had become so trusted by Xie Tiao that Xie Tiao did not dismiss him when mentioning such an important secret as Gu Yi. On the other hand, she found her own thoughts amusing.
When it comes to secrets, Xiao Chang'an probably knows far more than Crown Prince Xie Tiao.
She hesitated for a moment, but Xiao Chang'an, observing her expression, understood her intentions. He bowed to Xie Tiao and said, "The time for the night patrol and shift change at the Eastern Palace is approaching. I will go and inspect it first."
Xie Tiao agreed, and Xiao Chang'an calmly withdrew from the hall, allowing the two senior and junior siblings to talk, though there was still a hint of melancholy in his expression.
A Qiu ignored him and said to Xie Tiao, "Master is unwell and is recuperating in the mountains. He instructed me to return to the palace to continue his grand plan."
Xie Tiao seemed to understand, but knew it was absolutely not advisable to ask further. If Gu Yi was truly healthy and only needed a short rest, why would he entrust such an important matter to A Qiu? And why would the Southern Dynasty's central government treat his successor A Qiu in such a way?
Having grown up in the inner palace since childhood, he had little experience but knew how to behave properly. He didn't press further, but sighed and said, "Junior Sister has returned at just the right time."
A Qiu, puzzled, asked, "Is it the right time?"
She was expelled from Jianzhang Central Group, yet she says her return is just in time. Is someone waiting for her to come back?
Xie Tiao finally showed a bewildered expression. Disregarding the hierarchy, he stepped forward and leaned close to A Qiu's ear, anxiously saying, "Not long after you left, Father Emperor suddenly suffered a headache and fainted. He is now seriously ill, and the Yunlong Palace is heavily guarded inside and out. Even I cannot enter or leave at will."
A Qiu's expression changed drastically, and she immediately asked, "How long ago was this?"
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