Deliberately showing weakness
Back in Lanling Hall, both Gongyi Xiu and A Qiu had received guidance in calligraphy from Wan Qiqing. Gongyi Xiu, in particular, was the foremost calligrapher in the school and was therefore especially familiar with the calligraphic styles passed down through the ages. A Qiu himself was not very good at calligraphy, but he had been influenced by his surroundings and had browsed through many of the authentic calligraphy works piled up in Songxue Hall.
Therefore, the two men immediately recognized that what Hulü Guang said was probably true. He had indeed copied the original works of Empress Xining, because there was an original work by Empress Xining, Shangguan Yanxiu, in Songxue Hall, which hung in front of Wanqi Qing's desk for many years. Its brushstrokes were elegant and refined, truly unique and easy to recognize. Hulü Guang had also indeed studied the art of legal writing under a master of criminal law.
A Qiu looked at Xie Tiao, signaling him not to speak, and replied, "Since His Highness Prince Ning is indeed a disciple of Lady Hua Chi, then we can try to find Lady Hua Chi's tomb. However, this tomb may not be so easy to find."
What she was calculating was that since Mo Yi Bi Shuang had been executed by "The Slender-Handed Yama" Mu Hua Ying, even if she had a grave, it probably wouldn't be the kind of tombstone-stamped mausoleum that ordinary people had. It was already a miracle that she wasn't thrown into a mass grave. But she couldn't tell Hulü Guangming about this.
Hulü Guang said in surprise, "How could it be difficult to find? Lady Huan Huachi was a very influential figure in the Southern Dynasty court. She was a famous person of her time, and even my Northern Qiang knew about her. However, after your country established a new dynasty, we never heard her name again. But I heard that your country has a tradition of treating the nobles of the previous dynasty well. Even if Lady Huan's glory has faded, she should still have a tomb."
A flash of insight struck A Qiu, and in an instant, he understood something.
That is, the arrest and execution of Mo Yi Bi Shuang was carried out by Mu Hua Ying in secret, without being publicized. After that, all the Northern Qiang spies in the Southern Dynasty were eradicated, so the Northern Qiang never learned of Mo Yi Bi Shuang again.
They could roughly deduce that after so many years, Mo Yi Bi Shuang might have already passed away, otherwise there would have been no information sent back. But it could also be betrayal. In any case, Mo Yi Bi Shuang had always hidden herself very well. The most likely explanation was that after the establishment of the new dynasty, the court was completely purged, the old officials were dismissed, and she could no longer serve as a pawn, so she retired to some place.
Gongyi Xiu was not retained to participate in the secret discussion after the court meeting, so he did not know the final fate of Mo Yi Bi Shuang. However, Xie Tiao was aware of the situation, and his expression became particularly solemn as he replied, "We can inquire and investigate for Your Highness, but we are not entirely certain."
A Qiu added, "Since Lady Huachi belongs to the past era, as Your Highness knows, she has not been seen in public since the establishment of the new dynasty. Our generation has also rarely heard of her. Therefore, we must start by investigating from her old friends. This is not something that can be done in a day or two. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Highness."
These words were a watertight way of temporarily smoothing over the matter of Mo Yi Bi Shuang.
Hulü Guang immediately nodded and said, "I understand. It is truly my good fortune to have the three of you lend such strong support." He continued with a beaming smile, "On the one hand, it shows that Heaven is looking after me, and on the other hand, it is also a blessing for the people of both countries. I thank you in advance!" He then bowed deeply.
When they left the inn, the bloody battle that had just taken place in front of the gate had been completely wiped out, leaving not a trace. A stretch of willows and clear water, green grass and white sand, and several tall, magnificent horses grazed leisurely, completely unaware of the bloody battle that had just taken place—a battle even more dangerous than the battlefield.
The only difference was that no Northern Qiang soldier dared to look any of the three of them in the eye anymore. Groups of soldiers leaning against the wall kept their heads down and pretended not to see them. The nearby camp was also completely silent; even the sound of the wind rustling through the treetops could be clearly heard.
It was completely different from the noisy and bustling scene when they arrived.
Hulü Guang personally saw them off at the door, expressing his gratitude profusely. Judging from the scene at that moment, he truly resembled a prince who treated his guests with respect and courtesy, warmly bidding them farewell, a scene of tranquil rural charm.
But only A Qiu and the other two knew in their hearts that if they had been a little softer when they entered, or if the three of them were truly just ordinary officials who didn't know martial arts, they would have been unable to escape the humiliation they were facing today. If they were female officials, they might not even have been able to save their lives.
After this battle, the Southern Dynasty people were definitely not to be trifled with, and their ruthless killing style should have been deeply etched into the minds of this Northern Qiang King's army, enough to make them linger in fear for quite some time.
Xie Tiao spurred his horse and caught up with A Qiu, asking with some hesitation, "Junior Sister, what is your opinion of this Prince Ning? Are we really going to do these two things for him?"
He actually disapproved of both things, but because A-Qiu had already expressed his agreement, he couldn't refuse outright on the spot.
This also shows how important A Qiu is to him. Although she still cannot replace Gu Yi, she has become someone he trusts and relies on.
A Qiu said in a deep voice, "This man's scheming and cunning far surpass ours. He truly deserves to be called the number one person after the emperor of the Northern Dynasty." He then turned to Gongyi Xiu and said, "Master..." He immediately realized what he was about to say and stopped himself from uttering the word "Senior Brother," and asked, "What does the Left Prime Minister think?"
Her asking Gongyi Xiu for his opinion was not without reason. In terms of dealing with people and having extensive experience, Gongyi Xiu was far superior to her. After all, she had only focused on the way of the assassin, while Gongyi Xiu was a versatile talent who traveled to all corners of the world and never failed in his mission.
Gongyi Xiu nodded and said, "I think so too. It's just that we used to think that northerners were mostly brutes, cruel and bloodthirsty but lacking in wisdom. But Hulü Guang is going to change our perception."
He then smiled wryly and said, "I wonder if this is a negative effect of the Sinicization of the Hu people. Their cruel and ruthless nature seems to have not changed, but their outward appearance has become increasingly difficult to deal with."
Upon hearing this, Xie Tiao was extremely surprised and said, "In my opinion, Prince Ning's words and actions may not be entirely truthful, but compared to those rude soldiers, he is quite reasonable and easy to communicate with. Why do you all have such a negative opinion of him?"
Gongyi Xiu smiled wryly and said, "What else can we say about a Northern Qiang royal family member who can perform such deep affection and sincerity so vividly?"
He then turned to Xie Tiao and said, "Your Highness, have you ever seen any gentleman, whether it be your father or the Junior Tutor, who, when discussing matters with someone for the first time, displays such intense emotions on his face, as if afraid that others will not know how sentimental he is?"
Xie Tiao pondered for a moment and said, "No, not at all. Neither my father nor my teacher, nor any of the elders I have met who have been in politics for a long time, would deliberately show their affectionate and righteous side to others. It's not because they are heartless or ungrateful, but rather..." He hesitated, seemingly unable to find the right words to express himself.
Gongyi Xiu rode forward and said, “Your Highness’s observation is very accurate. First, because it is easy to be suspicious of ulterior motives when people are not familiar with each other and speak too intimately. Second, because sentimentality is a person’s weakness. If a politician who has been in power for many years deliberately makes you think that he is a sentimental person, he is openly exposing his weakness to others. And this will only happen under one circumstances.”
Xie Tiao blurted out, "That means he doesn't actually have this weakness; he's just deliberately feigning it."
Gongyi Xiu gave him a deep look and said, "Your Highness's insight is extremely clear. Please remember, a person usually flaunts something because he has nothing."
A Qiu couldn't help but secretly admire Gongyi Xiu's insightful observations, for although she had a general understanding of Hulü Guang, she couldn't describe it as clearly as Gongyi Xiu. Xie Tiao grew up in the deep palace, and although he was lonely due to the lack of family affection, there had never been anyone around him who harbored ill intentions towards him. Therefore, his understanding of human nature was still relatively simple.
If a person grows up in a friendly environment, it is difficult for them to judge the people they meet with ulterior motives, and they cannot imagine that there are despicable, shameless, heartless and ungrateful people in the world.
Xie Tiao asked again, "If that's the case, why should we agree to do things for him?"
This time, it was A Qiu who answered: "Your Highness should know that he has already said that he came to Jianzhang a month in advance specifically to act as a commoner and handle these two matters. Even if we do not agree, he will still use various means to achieve his goal. And even if he asks us for help, he will not be so naive as to think that we will obediently run errands for him and hand over a perfect result that satisfies him with just a word."
She held the reins and said casually, "Since that's the case, we might as well agree first. It would show that we are gentlemanly and willing to cooperate. In addition, we should also send people to monitor his actions in Jianzhang. He will not be content to stay at the post station and wait for us to finish just because he has handed these two matters over to us."
Gongyi Xiu laughed and said, "That's right. He's not new to this business, and he's not so naive as to think that if we agree, he'll definitely do it for us."
Xie Tiao was somewhat confused and asked, "So, should we do these two things or not?"
This time, Gongyi Xiu said with a wry smile, "Let's talk about the first matter. Does Your Highness think that even if we wanted to do it, we could actually do it?"
He was referring to his act of arranging a meeting between Hulü Guang and Shangguan Yuqi. In the Southern Dynasty, even if Emperor Xie Lang issued an edict, Shangguan Yuqi would not be summoned if he refused. The top swordsman of a powerful clan was above all authority; if Xie Lang were to forcefully summon him, it would only provoke resentment and resistance from the entire martial arts world and various powerful clans.
Xie Tiao felt disheartened whenever he thought about it. From a personal perspective, he naturally didn't want Shangguan Yuqi to see Huli Guang. However, from a business perspective, even if he, as the Crown Prince, ordered Shangguan Yuqi to see him, Shangguan Yuqi still wouldn't listen to him; at most, he would just get a cold shoulder.
Ah Qiu calmly replied, "I can persuade Miss Shangguan to go and see what this person is up to."
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