A turbulent time
When A Qiu returned to the palace, it was nearly dawn.
Her heart was heavy throughout the journey, knowing that Li Chongyu's entry into the palace would inevitably unleash a bloody storm.
This was all because he had made it clear to her that he would not allow Pei Yuanli to live during his visit to Jianzhang.
This was not only to seek justice for his father, Li Mingyuan, but also to deter the powerful clans of the Southern Dynasty: if they wanted to cooperate with the Shuofang Army, they should not try to play any tricks behind the scenes. This was the Shuofang Army's domineering style of not fearing anyone and never compromising.
A Qiu had heard the comment that "Southerners are cunning" from both Princess Wansui and Su Rouhua. Previously, she had dismissed it as a slanderous accusation by the Hu people against Southerners. However, compared to the heroic and magnanimous nature of her sworn brother Li Chongyu, none of the people she knew in the Southern Dynasty had such blatant and ruthless methods.
This state banquet was destined to be anything but relaxing.
As night falls, colorful lanterns hang high in the water corridors around Jixian Palace, and jade trees and flowers adorn the area, transforming the palace into a captivating fairyland.
A Qiu, along with the rest of the music troupe, were already waiting in the rear hall of Jixian Hall in preparation for the performance of "Yanshi Ning".
Looking out from one side of the rear hall, one can also see the officials and guests arriving one after another.
At this moment, many officials and their families have arrived and are sitting around exchanging pleasantries and chatting happily.
Having finished dressing and changed into a red silk dress with black trim and a long-sleeved collar, A-Qiu looked ahead several times.
Knowing that Gu Yi probably wouldn't arrive so early, she still hoped to see him.
Perhaps due to the recent tense situation, she hadn't had many opportunities to speak with Gu Yi. The most recent time was the morning after the assassination attempt on Pei Yuanli, when she met him under the corridor of Jinling Terrace.
She still remembers Gu Yi's last words: "Come back soon."
He seemed to have something to say to her, but there was simply no time at the time, as Jianzhang Division urgently needed to stabilize.
That night, Gu Yi was unable to return, and she went outside the palace to follow Su Rouhua, while also protecting Li Chongyu, who had just arrived in the capital.
This morning, they came to Jixian Palace for the final rehearsal.
On her way back, when she passed by Jinlingtai, she wanted to go up and take a look.
She wanted to tell Gu Yi that she had successfully protected the person he had entrusted to her for protection.
But the thought only flashed through my mind for a moment before I forgot about it.
Gu Yi might not be there. Besides, in these turbulent times, he must be overwhelmed with problems.
Only now did she realize that if she had met with Gu Yi earlier and received some instructions from him, she would have felt much more at ease.
In the hearts of the people of the Southern Dynasty, Gu Yi was an invincible commander who could point the way in any complex situation.
It turns out that Gu Yi's existence makes people get used to relying on him.
Everyone in the back hall was waiting. At that moment, a series of footsteps rushed in like the wind.
When everyone looked up, they saw Fan Liancheng, dressed in military uniform and wearing a mask, barge in.
Her voice was a little hoarse, clearly from a long night's work, but her tone remained calm: "I'm ready to go on stage. Where are the costume and mask?"
Lady Sun was not expected to return at this moment. She looked at Gongyi Xiu and Crown Prince Xie Tiao, who were already dressed and wearing the Four Spirits Masks, and stammered, "Because it was uncertain whether General Fan and Miss Pei would be able to take the stage on time, we specially invited His Highness the Crown Prince and the Left Prime Minister to temporarily fill in."
Without a word, Fan Liancheng took out the tiger tally from his pocket and looked around, saying, "That's perfect! Which one of you is His Highness the Crown Prince?"
This was because Gongyi Xiu and Xie Tiao had both changed into divine attire and were wearing masks. Both of them were also tall and slender, making it impossible to distinguish them from their appearances alone.
Xie Tiao stepped forward and said, "I am here."
Fan Liancheng shoved the tiger tally into his hand, saying decisively, "The Grand Tutor originally entrusted me with the tiger tally of the Jianzhang Army's Northern Camp, but I am ultimately a member of the Northwest Fan Clan. If anything unexpected happens tonight, the Jianzhang Army's Northern Camp will likely not be under my command. I request Your Highness to immediately leave Zhengyang Gate and summon the Imperial Guards. They only need to do one thing: suppress the Jianzhang Army's Northern Camp and ensure that no matter what happens tonight, they cannot move. Can Your Highness do this?"
Upon hearing this news, everyone in the rear hall was stunned.
Xie Tiao, as the Crown Prince, had never experienced anything like this before. He was utterly shocked and, holding the tiger tally, was at a loss for what to do.
A Qiu's first thought was that the Jianzhang Division had mutinied. She disregarded everything else and asked, "General Xiao Fan, where is the Grand Tutor right now?"
If Gu Yi were still in charge, he would never have risked entrusting this task to the Crown Prince temporarily.
Aside from the Pei family, the only people who could command the Jianzhang Army to submit to their will, besides Gu Yi himself, were probably Emperor Xie Lang.
After all, the crown prince had never commanded troops before and had no prestige in the army.
Fan Liancheng glanced at her and said, "I don't know. Yesterday, the Junior Tutor took me and the Grand Commander Sikong to the Jianzhang Army camp. After we decided on the division of the North and South camps, he left alone and I haven't seen him since."
A sense of foreboding rose in A Qiu's heart. With the personnel changes at Jianzhang Division, where was Gu Yi, instead of personally overseeing things?
Having served two dynasties and weathered many storms, An Daoling immediately asked, "The Jianzhang Army's northern and southern camps are under your and Grand Commander Sikong Zhao's command respectively. So what about Miss Pei? Wasn't she with you?"
Fan Liancheng replied, "She will take over Lord Pei's personal guard, the Divine Hound Battalion." Seeing An Daoling's unusual expression, she immediately added, "The Junior Tutor said that this is only the case for the next few days. If Lord Pei recovers, or after the state banquet, Miss Pei or Madam Pei can still take over the entire Jianzhang Division again."
Everyone understood that this was a temporary measure specifically devised to protect Li Chongyu's safety in Jianzhang. It was not that Gu Yi intended to immediately strip the Pei family of their military power.
Fan Liancheng remained calm and said to everyone, "There's no need to be nervous. I'm just making a guess based on the movements of the various camps and some rumors. Even if the Jianzhang Army makes a move tonight, I can still go after I finish performing 'Yanshi Ning.' However, since Your Highness is here, it would be safer for you to go and suppress the disturbance first."
Fan Liancheng, a seasoned soldier, was intimately familiar with military affairs, and no unusual occurrence could escape her notice. From her words, A Qiu immediately understood that Pei Yu must have instigated the Northern Camp of the Jianzhang Army to sideline Fan Liancheng and launch a coup tonight.
Fan Liancheng was all alone, and even if he stayed in the camp at this moment, it wouldn't make much difference; in fact, he might become a prisoner.
She ostensibly came to perform in "Yan Shi Ning," but in reality, she returned to mobilize the Imperial Guards.
But upon seeing the Crown Prince there, she changed her mind. Because the Crown Prince was a more suitable candidate than herself.
Unless Pei Yu and Jianzhang Shi are determined to rebel, they must not show disrespect to the Crown Prince in front of everyone tonight.
Whether or not to go depends on whether Xie Tiao of the Eastern Palace has the courage.
This is an opportunity to gain merit and win public respect, but it is also a risky move.
Fan Liancheng didn't think much of it, because a general must lead from the front, and Li Chongyu had also risked his life to come to Jianzhang alone. This was the style of a true soldier.
Xie Tiao hesitated and said, "Master will most likely arrive soon. The Marquis of Guannei is here tonight, so Master will not fail to come." His original intention was still to wait for Gu Yi to appear so that he could give clear instructions.
Fan Liancheng said in a deep voice, "To be honest, Your Highness, I have asked everyone I met on my way here, and even went to Jinlingtai, but no one knows where the Junior Tutor is now."
Everyone present immediately changed their expressions.
Fan Liancheng glanced at the front hall and said, "We cannot alert the enemy and cause chaos at this moment, so we cannot inform His Majesty. According to my speculation, the Junior Tutor should not be without plans. Your Highness only needs to suppress the Jianzhang Army's northern camp. Commander-in-Chief Sikong Zhao has been in the capital for many years, so suppressing the southern camp should be no problem for him. Pei Yu only has the Divine Hound Camp, which cannot cause much trouble."
She added, "If we can get through tonight, the situation should become clearer."
An Daoling frowned and objected, "This is a risky undertaking. The Crown Prince is the future of the nation; he should not take such a risk lightly."
Xie Tiao remained silent.
Fan Liancheng sighed and said, "Then I will go after I finish performing 'Yan Shi Ning'. However, if I am unable to control the Northern Camp by then, and the Divine Hound Camp joins forces with the Northern Camp to stage a mutiny, things will escalate and inevitably affect the palace."
What she didn't say was that Grand Commander Sikong Zhao's attitude on this matter was also ambiguous. If Madam Pei, Mu Huaying, only wanted to avenge Pei Yuanli's death at the hands of Li Chongyu, Sikong Zhao, given her sisterly bond with Mu Huaying, might not necessarily object.
This also reveals a subtle difference in attitude and stance between Fan Liancheng and Sikong Zhao, despite both being military personnel. Fan Liancheng and Li Chongyu were both border guards and had a long-standing friendship forged in battle. Fan Liancheng ultimately did not want Li Chongyu to encounter trouble in Jianzhang.
Faced with this dilemma, Xie Tiao couldn't help but turn his gaze to A Qiu.
Because Xie Tiao had never been to the Imperial Music Bureau before, and his relationship with the Flying Phoenix Guard was only nominal. Strictly speaking, among everyone present, the person he was closest to and currently trusted the most was A Qiu.
Firstly, because A Qiu is the successor of his teacher Gu Yi, and their relationship is closer than that with others.
Secondly, it's because A Qiu once risked his own safety to save Bai Hu.
These two relationships alone were enough for Xie Tiao to regard her as the most trustworthy person in the palace.
Everyone desires power and status, but few would be willing to exchange their lives for it. Those who are willing to give their lives for their monarch must be truly loyal.
After a moment of bewilderment, A Qiu saw Xie Tiao looking at her questioningly and immediately became much more alert.
She glanced at Fan Liancheng again and decisively said, "I believe that General Fan is right. This is a great opportunity for Your Highness to intervene in the army, establish your prestige, and gain the approval of the court officials and His Majesty."
She met An Daoling's disapproving gaze again and added, "To ensure Your Highness's safety, I suggest that the Left Prime Minister accompany Your Highness and lead the Imperial Guards. Although the Left Prime Minister is not a member of the military, he is the most familiar with the personnel of Jianzhang among those present. At that time, we can use both soft and hard tactics, and with the Left Prime Minister's consideration, there will be no problem."
At this moment, the most crucial thing is to use official authority to suppress any rash actions by the Northern Camp until the situation becomes clear. Gongyi Xiu has been in officialdom for a long time; he is skilled in sowing discord, winning over, and using polite words to subtly and overtly intimidate—he has mastered all the tricks of the trade. Moreover, with his martial arts skills, protecting Xie Tiao and getting him out of trouble in an emergency would not be a problem.
Gongyi Xiu had already understood the situation. Upon hearing his junior sister recommend him, he immediately cupped his hands and said, "I am considered a neutral party in the court, and there is absolutely no problem in mediating between us."
This is why he is more suitable than Shangguan Yuqi and Fan Liancheng, who are present at the moment, in this matter.
Everyone knows that the Shangguan and Pei families are at odds. Shangguan Yuqi, as the top civil official, has surpassed Pei Yu to become the head of the Flying Phoenix Guard, which has already caused great resentment among the Jianzhang Army. If Shangguan Yuqi were to accompany Xie Tiao at this moment, it would inevitably lead the people of the Northern Camp to believe that the Shangguan family also intends to interfere and take a share of the Jianzhang Army's military power.
Fan Liancheng is the heir to the Northwest Army, and his intervention at this moment would make the Jianzhang Division sensitive.
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