Covering the sky with one hand
Gu Yi's thoughts were suddenly exposed by his words, and for a moment he forgot his earlier sarcastic retort, asking, "Why are you so sure?"
Xiao Chang'an smiled and said, "If I guess correctly, could you give me Sister A Qiu's hairpin?"
Gu Yi realized he'd been tricked and decisively shook his head, saying, "You really think I'm a pushover!"
With a flick of his wrist, he unfurled the document sealed in the bamboo tube and began to read it word by word.
Xiao Chang'an then said calmly, "It's good that the Junior Tutor is not someone to be trifled with. You should know that there are many things in the world that cannot be dealt with by being soft-hearted."
As Gu Yi continued reading, his expression gradually became serious. By the end, a hint of anger was hidden between his sword-like brows, as if thunder was about to erupt.
Since meeting Gu Yi, Xiao Chang'an had never seen him truly angry. Seeing Gu Yi like this, he disregarded the difference in rank and snatched the document to see what had happened.
Gu Yi let him take it without saying a word, stood up, and walked to the window.
Xiao Chang'an skimmed through the text, then flew into a rage, his face turning pale. He yelled, "What kind of person is this! How dare he mess with Sister A-Qiu! I'll go kill him!"
Gu Yi heard his own extremely calm voice say, "A Qiu and the others are all in the Tingwei prison right now. This matter also involves the Divine Hound Camp."
Xiao Chang'an roared, "The Divine Hound Camp! It's Pei Yuanli's men again! He deserves to die!" He suddenly calmed down and said, "Young Master, please go back and deal with Sister Aqiu's matter. As for the Marquis of Guannei, I will persuade him."
Gu Yi turned around, his gaze sweeping back and forth over Xiao Chang'an several times before he asked, "Are you absolutely certain?"
Xiao Chang'an calmed down completely, and that lazy and meaningful smile reappeared on his lips. He said, "I wouldn't dare say I'm 100% sure, but it's a bit better than what I could do for the Junior Tutor. Chang'an has never wanted to be a gentleman like the Junior Tutor, so I probably have more options."
Despite his sorrow, Gu Yi chuckled and said, "I'm not the gentleman you imagine."
If that were true, the world wouldn't be in his hands.
If that were true, then the scene that Xiao Chang'an witnessed that night would not have happened.
Xiao Chang'an's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he said, "Young Master, you should set off now. By the time you return to the palace, my report of victory should have reached you. That way, when you meet the Emperor, you can simply say that the matter has been settled, and it won't seem abrupt."
Otherwise, there is no way to explain why Gu Yi abandoned the overall situation and returned midway through the negotiations.
Gu Yi stared intently at him and asked, "Should I believe you?"
He thought to himself with admiration, "Li Wujiu, where did you find such a shrewd and capable disciple? At such a young age, he already understands the ways of the world and has a keen insight into both the times and human nature."
Xiao Chang'an smiled again and said, "I cannot force you to believe me. So, Junior Tutor, please do as you please."
The small dungeon was damp and dark. In the dim candlelight, the shadowy figures of a group of people flickered.
No one could speak. The girls huddled together, warming themselves by each other's body heat.
Although all were under the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice, there were naturally higher-ranking and more comfortable cells. These were for high-ranking officials who were temporarily implicated in cases.
What was given to these lower-class geishas was the worst and most deplorable environment.
A Qiu sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, her long hair disheveled, her tattered clothes already covered by Cui Luzhu and Zhang Exu.
Her eyes shone like cold stars in the darkness of the prison night.
She has never wanted power more than she does now.
One sixth-rank musician is far from enough.
It's not enough to escape the oppression of certain superiors, and it's not enough to fight for more of the right to live safely for everyone in the dance club.
In the past, she could easily kill powerful officials and important court figures, killing one person every ten steps and leaving no trace for a thousand miles. But now, she is experiencing for the first time the ruthless feeling of being imprisoned by the iron claws of power.
Xie Lang is a good emperor; he won't exile them all so easily. He will definitely investigate the facts.
Lord An and Senior Zhongli will surely find a way to help.
Yin Shang, the young officer of the Divine Hound Battalion, is one of the Second Senior Brother's men, so he must have already reported this matter to our hall.
...
And there's Consort Chen. And Miss Shangguan.
She racked her brains, recalling each and every person she had come into contact with since entering the palace. If they heard of this, would they help her, or had they already forgotten about this nobody?
...
Only one name flickers in my heart, like a distant and uncertain star.
But she dared not hope for it.
Gu Yi has already helped her too much.
Moreover, he was not in Jianzhang at that time.
What A Qiu didn't know was that at that moment, outside the prison gate, someone stood with a sword on his back, dressed in white as snow, and was knocking on the gate.
Ignoring the surprised looks from the crowd, Shangguan Yuqi's clear, melodious voice rang out: "I am Shangguan Yuqi, a member of the Eastern Palace Flying Phoenix Guard, here to visit a friend from the Music Bureau."
The guard at the gate whispered, "Please forgive me, Lord Shangguan, but this is no ordinary case. It involves a wide range of people. The higher-ups have said that no one is allowed to see the criminals before the verdict is handed down."
Shangguan Yuqi finally lost her patience and shouted, "Then how can we guarantee they'll live to see the results!"
The guard's expression changed several times before he finally pleaded, "Sir, that's beyond my knowledge."
A sharp glint flashed in Shangguan Yuqi's usually serene eyes.
Given the powerful Shangguan clan behind her, her status as the clan's top swordsman and the Crown Prince's chief Flying Phoenix Guardian, the fact that a mere soldier from the Court of Justice so resolutely blocked her demonstrates the immense influence of the person behind her.
As Shangguan Yuqi was pondering whether to force her way in, a gentle and polite male voice came from behind her.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Miss Shangguan. Please excuse me."
Shangguan Yuqi turned around and saw the handsome and elegant Left Prime Minister Gongyi Xiu, wearing a silver crown and white robe, standing behind her.
The Left Prime Minister, known for his romantic escapades, held a scroll in his hand, appearing relaxed and carefree. However, Shangguan Yuqi could sense a slight frown between his brows, a hint of heaviness in his expression. She couldn't help but sigh softly and step aside.
The soldiers guarding the gate remained unyielding, respectfully saying, "Sir, no one is allowed to enter the prison at this time, not even the Left Prime Minister."
Gongyi Xiu and Shangguan Yuqi finally changed color. Gongyi Xiu angrily said, "Are you trying to trap a murderer alive in there? Can't even I go in and check the case file?"
Gongyi Xiu, who had always appeared as a scholar-official, was startled by his stern shout. The soldier dropped his spear with a clang and knelt down with a thud, still trembling as he said, "My lord, please calm your anger. The imperial prison... you are absolutely not allowed to enter." He raised his head, his face full of pleading, and said, "The orders from above... even if it costs me my head, I dare not disobey!"
Gongyi Xiu's usually warm and gentle expression finally turned cold. He said, "To be able to control the Imperial Prison with such power, making it so tightly organized and impenetrable, who else but 'Handsome Yama' Madam Pei could possess such skill? I just didn't expect that although Madam Pei retired many years ago, the Court of Justice is still entirely under her control. Her power is truly formidable!"
A leisurely female voice rang out from inside the door: "I've only ever heard that the Left Prime Minister is gentle and refined, but I never expected him to dare to openly smear my Pei family like this. I suppose you're relying on Miss Shangguan's influence and limelight today?"
The sound of metal clashing against armor rang out, and Pei Yu, the eldest daughter of the Pei family, dressed in red and exuding an air of elegance as if she were in military uniform, suddenly appeared at the door.
When no food or water was brought in for two consecutive days, A-Qiu realized the seriousness of the problem.
She possessed internal strength, and was only slightly exhausted, her lips dry. But the other dancers were all lying or sprawled on the ground, barely alive and weak.
She couldn't help but start calculating the worst-case scenario.
The worst-case scenario is that Xie Lang didn't even have time to deal with the matter. After all, in his view, locking up thirty or forty musicians for a few more days was no big deal.
Even if it is later discovered that they all died suddenly, Xie Lang may investigate and pursue the matter, but he will not be able to find anything.
Ultimately, a group of geisha are not very important people; they are essentially slaves, and if they are gone, they can simply be replaced.
All of them have been eliminated, and Huang Chaoan is dead. This matter will never again involve the Pei family's Divine Hound Camp.
Once new dancers were recruited, the Divine Hound Camp behaved themselves and did not repeat the offense, and the matter became a thing of the past.
Such an iron fist, such clean and efficient.
If not Madam Pei's skill, then who else could it be?
A-Qiu realized once again the importance and lethality of power at the heart of the dynasty. Killing could be done without a knife, without even lifting a finger.
No matter how much Duke An wanted to help, he was still just a high-ranking eunuch and had no influence over the imperial prison.
Even though Senior Zhongli was a martial arts master, he was powerless to help.
Master and fellow disciples must already know about this, but even if Lanling Hall had the will, it would be impossible for them to use all their strength to attack the Heavenly Prison; that would be blatant treason and rebellion.
As the headquarters of assassins across the land, Lanling Hall always operates in the shadows and will never attack the government unless absolutely necessary.
So, am I just supposed to sit here and wait to die?
At this point, if A-Chiu had any regrets, it was that he shouldn't have let all the dancers come along.
As originally planned, she and her apprentice, Sun Neiren, went to see Huang Chaoan.
She even went alone.
In that case, regardless of success or failure, at most one or two of them will go to jail. At least, the dance club will be safe from now on.
A Qiu had calculated repeatedly that taking Huang Chao'an's life was not difficult, but the difficulty lay in the fact that she would ultimately have to pay the price for it.
Or perhaps their identities were exposed, forcing them to disappear from the Music Bureau forever.
Or perhaps he has been captured and imprisoned as he is now.
This is the struggle for power, a war far more complex than any physical confrontation, because no one can emerge unscathed.
Simply calculate the costs and then make a decision.
Is the sacrifice greater or lesser? Is it sacrificing others or sacrificing oneself?
This must be the master's true intention in sending her to the palace to learn.
After taking the poison, Sun's wife was already weak. After two days and two nights without food or water, her face became so pale that she was almost collapsing.
Seeing Ah Qiu's haggard appearance and bloodshot eyes, she said softly, "I've dragged you down, and I've dragged all of you down with me."
A Qiu said with a sour tone, "If that's the case, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have stood out from the crowd and attracted Huang Chao'an's attention on my first day in the palace. After that, he made things difficult for you and Instructor Xue many times because you refused to hand me over."
Sun Neiren said softly, "Even if things are like this after you arrive, what about the dancers who died before? Even if you've never been to the Music Bureau, does that mean the Dance Department is safe and sound?"
A Qiu suddenly realized that although her dance teacher did not possess the extraordinary talent and transformative abilities of her master, Wan Qiqing, she had a clarity and rationality that was difficult for ordinary people to attain. She always viewed the world with indifference, and within that indifference lay true wisdom.
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