Clinging to life and fearing death
Because she had spent many time with Shangguan Yuqi, he always seemed to treat her differently, being extremely polite and gentle, which even made her feel like she was his sworn sister.
But Shangguan Yuqi's tone was very cold at this moment, as if they had never had any relationship.
Moreover, the direction in which the ice bamboo sword in her hand deflected was pointing directly at A Qiu.
Although A Qiu had lost her martial arts skills, her keen senses as an assassin remained. What alarmed her was that this meant Shangguan Yuqi intended to kill her.
Binghuang is a gentleman's sword, but A Qiu has never felt any real killing intent from Shangguan Yuqi, a beautiful woman who is almost a sword immortal.
But the moment Binghuang locked her finger to him, a strong killing intent did indeed flow through him.
Even Shangguan Yuqi herself probably didn't realize that thought that had crossed her mind.
A-Qiu felt that there were probably too many things she didn't understand at that moment.
But she remained as calm as possible and said gently, "Miss, have you come here to find the Han brick that General Li Mingyuan presented to you back then?" At the same time, she raised the Han brick in her hand to indicate that it was there.
Shangguan Yuqi said calmly, "So that's how it is. But after seeing Dian Le, I suddenly changed my mind."
Even Chu Yuanyi sensed the hostility in her words and warily moved to A Qiu's side, asking, "What do you want to do?"
Shangguan Yuqi gazed calmly at the moonlight reflected on the sword's edge and said, "Dian Le, please answer one question for me."
A sense of foreboding arose in A Qiu's heart, but she still honestly said, "Please speak, Miss."
No matter how hard she racked her brains, she couldn't understand why Shangguan Yuqi was so hostile towards her tonight. Anyone else in the palace was more likely to be her enemy than Shangguan Yuqi. If it were Pei Yu, she could understand it better.
Shangguan Yuqi came from a noble family of civil officials, and in no way could she be related to a musician like her.
Ah Qiu never imagined that the person who would make the usually indifferent Shangguan Yuqi feel murderous intent for the first time would be herself.
A strange sense of regret spread through my heart.
A Qiu looked up and saw that Shangguan Yuqi's eyes, as he gazed at her, seemed to hold the same regret.
Then, Shangguan Yuqi stopped looking at her, looked away, and closed her eyes, saying, "Tell me your name."
These words struck like a bolt from the blue.
A Qiu's mind went completely blank for a moment.
The blade of the Ice Bamboo Sword was now pointed directly at her without any concealment, and Shangguan Yuqi, who was like a celestial being, seemed to be illuminated by a layer of ice and snow-like radiance.
Her expression seemed both sorrowful and a sigh of resignation to her fate.
A Qiu felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured down her spine. Her identity was fake. If Shangguan Yuqi, the top royal guard, became suspicious and investigated the matter, he certainly wouldn't let her go.
Shangguan Yuqi sighed, "I already know the answer if you don't answer."
Binghuang's clear whistle rang out again, accompanied by her melodious voice, each word seemingly recited, as beautiful as music: "Shi Wanqiu, daughter of Shi Changqing, the former musician of Xianshao Academy. If you die tonight under Shangguan's sword, it will all be because of these three words, Shi Changqing!"
Ah Qiu was once again stunned and couldn't come to his senses.
It turns out that Shangguan Yuqi wanted to kill her not because of her suspicious background, but because she was Shi Changqing's daughter.
Before Shangguan Yuqi's voice had even faded, her figure had already moved. Her body followed the movement of her sword, and Binghuang, like a silver dragon, unleashed a waterfall of sword light as it swirled towards Aqiu.
Chu Yuanyi was unaware that A Qiu had lost her martial arts skills, but instinctively he leaped forward and immediately protected A Qiu, shouting, "You go! I'll deal with this Shangguan girl!"
Within just a few moves, Chu Yuanyi realized how formidable Shangguan Yuqi was, and even changed his address from "bitch" to "Shangguan girl," expressing his admiration for her superior swordsmanship at such a young age.
After all, being born into a powerful family is innate, but swordsmanship skills must be cultivated bit by bit through practice.
A Qiu could only manage a bitter smile. She wanted to leave, but Shangguan Yuqi's sword moved like lightning. Although she was dealing with Chu Yuanyi's continuous attacks, she had a feeling that the Ice Bamboo Sword was always targeting her.
If she were to escape now, Shangguan Yuqi would risk killing Chu Yuanyi on the spot to stop her immediately.
The sword immortal cultivates, of course, the sword of ruthlessness.
The whistling sound of the Ice Bamboo Sword continued unabated. As Shangguan Yuqi parried each "Wind and Thunder Slash," she managed a brief pause before speaking in a deep voice: "Miss Shi, although I do not know why Senior Chu is protecting you, if you have any backbone, you should fight me personally. Hiding behind others like this is not the way of someone like us."
A Qiu was speechless when she asked him a question. Just as he was about to reveal that he had lost his martial arts skills, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.
According to Shangguan Yuqi, she was convinced that she knew martial arts and was qualified to fight her to the death. Otherwise, if Shangguan Yuqi really wanted to kill a female official of the Music Bureau, she could have done so at any time; why would she have bothered with all this talk?
If A Qiu had not lost his martial arts skills, he would not have hidden behind Chu Yuanyi like this, letting others stand up for him.
She was now truly caught in a dilemma. She was not someone who feared death, but to die so unjustly at the hands of a gentleman was truly a terrible injustice.
She paused for a moment, then raised her voice and said, "But has my father offended the young lady's family? I will apologize to the young lady on behalf of my father. The young lady is of noble character and should understand this, and should not make things difficult for a descendant because of the legacy of her ancestors."
According to Shangguan Yuqi, her life depended entirely on the name "Shi Changqing." However, her master, Wanqiqing, entered the palace as Shi Changqing more than twenty years ago. Even if this Miss Shangguan had been born, she would probably only be a few years old. Her master could not possibly offend her.
Therefore, the only ones who could have a grudge against their master are other members of the Shangguan family.
Under the moonlight, Shangguan Yuqi's usually aloof and ethereal face suddenly revealed a hint of extreme anger, which quickly turned into disdain. If A Qiu was not mistaken, there was also a trace of disappointment mixed in.
This was the first time A Qiu had seen Shangguan Yuqi display such a rich and human range of expressions.
But she held her sword coldly in her hand and said in a voice devoid of any emotion, "If an apology could solve the problem, why would I need to draw my sword from its sheath!"
Ah Qiu was completely confused.
Her next sentence was: "You're just like your father, clinging to life and afraid of death, preferring to sacrifice others' lives rather than take any risks!"
"I misjudged you, and he... he misjudged you too!"
The last sentence was spoken very softly and calmly.
Along with this sentence came the chilling, bone-deep blade of the "Ice Bamboo".
A Qiu clearly saw the sword, as sharp as thin ice, hurtling straight towards his chest, but he didn't have time to retreat. His movements were slower than his eyesight, an inevitable consequence of losing his internal energy.
Shangguan Yuqi was able to calmly attack A Qiu while facing Chu Yuanyi, demonstrating that her agility was unparalleled.
Three angry shouts and exclamations rang out simultaneously in the room: "She is not Shi Changqing's daughter!"
A Qiu watched helplessly as the tip of the Ice Bamboo Sword pierced straight into her clothes. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, but it didn't go any deeper. It was Shangguan Yuqi who heard the sound and withdrew her sword.
However, the ice bamboo was extremely sharp, and Shangguan Yuqi's internal strength was astonishing. With this thrust and retraction, A Qiu, who had no martial arts skills, was already spitting blood from his chest and fell backward.
The wind swept past her from behind, carrying a familiar, crisp, bittersweet scent. Even through her clothes, she could feel a pair of strong arms instantly catching her, and with a flick of their sleeves, they pressed on several acupoints on her chest to stop the bleeding.
Enraged, Chu Yuanyi and another woman who had just landed in the courtyard surrounded Shangguan Yuqi.
A Qiu only glanced at the woman's black, gem-like hair and bright yellow embroidered dress before recognizing her as Consort Chen, the head of the six palaces, and Li Lanxiu, the "Golden Goblet Moonfall" from the former Flying Phoenix Four Guards.
Their fierce fighting had already caused quite a commotion, so it wasn't surprising that it had attracted the attention of Consort Chen. After all, the last time A Qiu and Chu Yuan fought, Consort Chen had arrived in time to stop them.
A Qiu leaned weakly against Gu Yi's chest, but dared not look into his eyes—without martial arts skills, she was still wandering around aimlessly, and she was bound to get a scolding this time.
Shangguan Yuqi stood still, her black hair falling down, concealing most of her expression, but her gaze was still fixed on A Qiu with an expression of disbelief.
A Qiu is not Shi Changqing's daughter.
If all three of them are saying this in unison, then it can't be wrong.
The Four Constellations of Tianji are renowned figures in the martial arts world of previous generations, Consort Chen is the most favored woman in the imperial harem, and Junior Master Gu Yi is known throughout the land for his golden words and unwavering promises.
She had several opportunities to get close to A-Qiu, and when A-Qiu was imprisoned, she was even asked by Consort Chen to visit her. She only knew that everyone called this girl A-Qiu, but she unintentionally saw her full name, Shi Wanqiu, in the Eastern Palace records.
Shi was born into the Yuefu (a type of folk music) family and was skilled in playing the Qiang flute.
Now, there's no need to expend much effort investigating. A simple inquiry within the Music Bureau is enough to learn everything about A-Qiu's initial experiences upon joining. This is because A-Qiu has become the most prominent person in the Music Bureau. Not only is she the first female official, but she has also become the disciple of the renowned Junior Tutor Gu Yi, so naturally, everyone is eager to talk about her.
So, it didn't take her long to learn about her background. She was a former musician at the Xianshao Academy and the daughter of Shi Changqing.
"What's so great about Shi Changqing's daughter being favored by the Grand Tutor! Shi Changqing was once known as the King of the Flute and a prodigy of the Music Bureau. I dare say that for twenty years, no one in the Northern and Southern Dynasties could rival him!"
When Instructor Xue mentioned A Qiu, his face practically lit up with pride.
After all, the renowned Shao Shi didn't choose his apprentices from among scholars, military families, or high-ranking officials. Instead, he chose a dancer from the Music Bureau, a place considered the lowest and most insignificant. Although there might have been consideration of keeping the benefits within the family, since the Music Bureau was under Gu Yi's jurisdiction, it was still a momentous occasion that brought honor to the entire dance troupe and even the Music Bureau.
Even the composed Lady Sun showed a rare expression of relief when she mentioned that A Qiu was Shi Changqing's daughter.
What so many people know is obvious to all. Even dancers of previous generations have testified to it, so it cannot be false.
However, Shangguan Yuqi did not expect that this matter would be denied by Grand Tutor Gu Yi, Consort Chen, and Chu Yuanyi.
The moonlight shone on her cool and aloof face. Her eyes were fixed on A Qiu, and she said, "Are you Shi Changqing's daughter or not? Answer me yourself!"
"I..." A-Qiu was about to speak when she suddenly remembered her master's words.
"If you were Shi Changqing's daughter, he would be extremely happy."
The master was Shi Changqing.
She is certainly not Master's daughter. If she were, Master would not hesitate to admit it.
A Qiu raised her eyes, met Shangguan Yuqi's clear gaze, and whispered, "I am indeed not."
Shangguan Yuqi stared intently at her lips until A Qiu uttered those words. At that moment, Shangguan Yuqi's face seemed to lose all color, turning as pale as snow, and she swayed precariously.
Her face, like her clothes, was a pure white.
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