Disrespectful to elders
This place is still within the palace, and the other party is Gongye Fusu, the ruler of Wanxiang Kingdom. Even though Xiao Chang'an has a youthful temper, he is not without restraint.
The purple bamboo flute angrily stood in front of Gongye Fusu, but it did not contain any internal force.
Although Gongye Fusu was intelligent and adaptable, he never expected that this silent eunuch would suddenly point his finger at him.
He wasn't particularly angry, but his eyes gleamed with a strange light as he looked at Xiao Chang'an with interest.
Gongye Fusu didn't react much, but the beautiful maid in yellow, Aqin, was furious. With a flick of her sleeve, she stood in front of Gongye Fusu.
Xiao Chang'an felt a blur before his eyes and a numbness in his elbow, and the purple bamboo flute in his hand was snatched away out of thin air.
This was also due to his underestimation of his opponent, as he had no intention of harming anyone.
Ah Qin, however, was furious that Xiao Chang'an had dared to offend her protagonist Ye Fusu in front of her, so she naturally didn't hold back and used all her skills.
Her move was swift and fierce. With one flick of her sleeve, she sealed Xiao Chang'an's acupoint on his forearm, while with her other hand, she intercepted the purple bamboo flute. With a furrowed brow, she said, "How dare you be so disrespectful to your master?"
He then scolded, "Our family doesn't make things difficult for servants; this is just to teach you a lesson!"
Before A Qiu could react, Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi immediately exclaimed in surprise. Xiao Chang'an's handsome face also changed color.
All because Ah Qin's movements were incredibly swift; she picked up the bamboo flute and was about to break it in two.
As a mere eunuch, Xiao Chang'an dared to point his flute at the richest man in Dayan, the "King of Ten Thousand Fragrances," to his face. Aqin only broke his bamboo flute, which was hardly a severe punishment.
The usually unruly Xiao Chang'an's expression changed drastically, his eyes widened in fury, and his murderous aura surged as he tried to snatch the flute back before Aqin could break it.
Most of the people in the corridor cried out in surprise, because everyone could see that Xiao Chang'an was truly enraged.
The expected brawl did not occur.
Gongye Fusu reached out and gently took the purple bamboo flute from Aqin's hand. He then carefully picked up the golden lotus token attached to the flute with a green tassel and jade cord.
His catching of the flute was so casual, as if he didn't know martial arts, that it seemed as if Ah Qin had specially come forward to hand it to him.
Gongye Fusu said gently, "This flute must not be broken. There is a Heavenly Secret Token tied to it."
Lady Sun was completely confused. When did the unique lotus-shaped emblem of the Music Bureau's Chenghua Linggong become some kind of Heavenly Secret Emblem? But at least Xiao had saved her; everything else was less important.
Although An Daoling, the magistrate of Chenghua, is rarely seen, he enjoys extremely high prestige among the members of the Music Bureau. In their minds, the lotus-shaped emblem is the symbol of An Daoling.
If Aqin really breaks this bamboo flute with the mark of Duke An today, even though the Music Bureau is just a group of musicians, actors, and dancers with no power or influence to seek justice from the Gongye family, who are richer than a country, they will still be indignant and difficult to suppress.
Even Sun's wife, who was usually gentle and tolerant, felt that Ah Qin was going too far.
Seeing that Zizhu Xiao was safe, Xiao Chang'an gradually relaxed, but remained vigilant.
Gongye Fusu held the purple bamboo flute in his hand but did not return it to him. He laughed and said, "Young brother, may I ask which of the 'Four Heavenly Mansions' you are a disciple of? You are young, but you have quite the temper."
Xiao Chang'an snorted and said, "I am not a disciple of the Four Stars of Heavenly Secrets. But for Young Master Fusu to be so wealthy and powerful, yet to go to such lengths to flirt with a dancer from the Music Bureau, is truly a case of being rich but heartless, and old but disrespectful."
Although Gongye Fusu was always calm and composed, as gentle and polite as an orchid, he was caught off guard and exclaimed, "What?"
Although he deserved the title of "rich," at twenty-seven or twenty-eight, he certainly wasn't old. But since it came from the mouth of the young eunuch Xiao Chang'an, compared to this group of fifteen- or sixteen-year-old dancers, he might indeed be considered old.
Even with Gongye Fusu's composure, he couldn't help but let out a heavy "humph." He gripped the purple bamboo flute and struck Xiao Chang'an's outstretched hand heavily before releasing it and handing it back.
Lady Sun bowed and said, "This is the disciple of our Lord Chenghua, An. He is young and doesn't know his place. Please forgive him, young master."
She apologized while sighing inwardly. Neither Shi Changqing's daughter nor An Gong's apprentice were easy to deal with.
Gongye Fusu's eyes flashed, and he said, "So you are An Daoling's disciple. No wonder, no wonder!"
Xiao Chang'an reiterated, "I am not An Gong's apprentice; I only learned the xiao (vertical flute) from him."
Only Gongye Fusu and Aqiu could understand this statement. It meant that he had only learned music and flute playing from An Daoling, but his martial arts skills were not inherited from An Daoling.
Even Gongye Fusu shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Good lad. I doubt Duke An has the energy to deal with you." He then gave A Qiu a meaningful look and said, "This child is hard to distinguish between good and evil. It's not a good thing to be favored by him. You should be careful in the future, young lady."
A Qiu thought to himself, "Am I, the head of the Divine Weapon Hall of Lanling Hall, afraid of this half-grown brat?"
Seeing her dismissive expression, Gongye Fusu chuckled and said, "Indeed. With a powerful backer like the Right Chancellor, you probably don't need to fear anyone."
Then they heard Lady Sun, Xue Hongbi, and Xiao Chang'an all say in unison, "What?"
Gongye Fusu realized he had spoken out of turn, but he just smiled and waved his hand before leaving with Aqin.
Xue Hongbi asked first, "Who did he just say was A Qiu's backer?"
Lady Sun hesitated and said, "I think I heard it was the Right Chancellor?"
Xiao Chang'an's eyes flashed with a fierce light again as he asked, "Who is the Right Chancellor?"
A Qiu immediately said, "Let's continue practicing the dance. Since Consort Xiao is here, he can perform a piece for us."
Xiao Chang'an's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Just call me Chang'an."
During the subsequent dance practice, Sun's wife, Xue Hongbi, and A Qiu all harbored their own secrets. No one dared to provoke Xiao Chang'an. Even Xue Hongbi, who was usually quick to anger, softened her tone considerably.
After all, they had all seen Xiao Chang'an's murderous aura before.
Even the richest man in Dayan, Prince Fusu, had to take him seriously. Who knows what kind of background he has?
The dance troupe's rehearsal didn't end until dusk. Xue Hongbi, fearing Xiao Chang'an, didn't say anything to drive him away. Even after the afternoon practice was over, Xiao Chang'an remained lazy and listless. Although he had tucked his bamboo flute back into his waistband, he showed no sign of leaving.
Although Lady Sun felt it was inappropriate, she couldn't help but think that he had just stepped forward that afternoon to stop Gongye Fusu, which was a favor to the Wu Department. Now that they no longer needed him, it would seem too ungrateful to immediately send him away.
Although Prince Fusu may have just spoken offhand and might not actually intend to take anyone with him, as a servant, even an instructor, there was no reason to refuse such a distinguished person.
Over the years in the palace, she had seen too many nobles who could choose whomever they wanted. Even if it was just a casual remark on a whim, the musicians had no choice but to take it seriously and obey.
Therefore, although Xiao Chang'an seemed to be acting rashly out of youthful impulsiveness, his words, "Young master, you should refrain from coveting the people of the Music Bureau!" made her extremely grateful.
She even thought that if Xiao Chang'an, this talisman from Lord An, were always there, no one in the dance troupe would dare to harass them anymore.
But now, even she, oblivious as she was, could see that Xiao Chang'an was clearly doing this for A Qiu. Recalling Gongye Fusu's meaningful words before he left, "Being noticed by him might not be a good thing," and considering he was a eunuch, Lady Sun felt utterly overwhelmed.
If only he were a musician, not a palace attendant.
Both men are talented and good-looking, and An Gong's disciple and Shi Changqing's daughter are actually quite well-matched. There is no significant difference in their social status, making them good partners who can spend their lives together.
It's a pity he was a eunuch.
Sun Neiren pressed her hand to her forehead, looking at Xiao Chang'an who was standing in the corridor and wouldn't leave, and her head ached even more.
Xue Hongbi forced a smile and said to Xiao Chang'an, "Young Master Xiao... oh no, Eunuch Xiao, today's practice ends here. You can go back to your seat now. Thank you for your help today."
He winked again and gestured towards A Qiu with his chin, saying, "Why aren't you seeing off Imperial Envoy Xiao?"
A Qiu looked at Xue Hongbi, then at Sun Neiren, and even the usually clever and insightful Sun Neiren was somewhat confused.
Both Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi have always been reluctant to let the dancers of the dance troupe have too much contact with outsiders, seemingly because they are afraid that the dancers will suffer losses.
When Xiao Chang'an arrived this afternoon, Xue Hongbi acted as if she was afraid he would glance at the dancers too much. Why is she being so polite now, even asking her to see him off?
According to the rules of the Music Bureau, there was no such rule. After all, dancers were not maids or servants of wealthy families, nor were they there to greet or see off guests.
Sun Neiren, however, knew Xue Hongbi's thoughts and said helplessly, "Just take Eunuch Xiao to the Yuezheng Corridor and then go back. We'll wait for you to eat."
Xiao Chang'an, however, stared intently at A Qiu with a smile on his lips, as if waiting to see how she would react.
A Qiu had no choice but to stand next to Xiao Chang'an and make a "please" gesture.
She had been the head of the Divine Weapon Hall and a dancer, but she had never been a greeter or hostess before, especially when she was being so respectful to a half-grown child. She found it funny when she thought about it.
Xiao Chang'an then withdrew his gaze from her, respectfully bowed to Lady Sun and Xue Hongbi, and smiled at the dancers, saying, "Thank you all for your support today. I will come again tomorrow."
His radiant smile was like spring in the entire corridor. The dancers all felt as if his gaze was fixed solely on them, and their faces flushed and hearts pounded as they hurriedly lowered their heads.
Xiao Chang'an's smile remained unchanged as he followed A Qiu.
Xue Hongbi watched his and A Qiu's figures disappear at the end of the corridor, and said in disbelief, "What did he just say?... He's coming again tomorrow?"
Sun's wife sighed silently.
Once the two reached the outside of the corridor, Xiao Chang'an became serious and said, "Sister A Qiu, do you look down on me?"
A Qiu considered herself clever and cunning, but she didn't expect that none of her expressions or thoughts could escape the young man's eyes. She awkwardly chuckled and said, "How could that be? You are extremely brave. You even dared to hit Young Master Fusu. I wouldn't dare."
She really didn't dare. Even if she had the ability, she was afraid her senior brother, Gongyi Xiu, would beat her up.
Therefore, it is true that she admires the boy's uninhibited and fearless nature.
Xiao Chang'an said, "Today, everyone respects and admires me. Only you still treat me like a child. You find it funny that I specially sent a child out?"
A-Qiu was completely taken aback, wondering how there could be such a child who could read people's minds. Although she wasn't a cunning person, she wasn't a blank slate either, yet he could read her thoughts so clearly.
She looked at Xiao Chang'an, intending to make up a story. In the thin twilight, his gaze was intensely bright, fixed on her intently, waiting for her answer.
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