Feelings or not?
Wan Qiqing may be the most affectionate person in the world, but he is also the most ruthless and heartless person Gongyi Xiu has ever seen. When he is affectionate, it is like a vast and boundless sea, which can lift you to the peak of the times and give everything to create and fulfill you. But his heartless side is that he regards everything as straw dogs, keeping what he needs and discarding what he doesn't, with a ruthless and decisive attitude without any regrets.
However, deep down, Gongyi Xiu still felt that the three of them, including the eldest sister whom he had never met, held a different significance for their master.
Wan Qiqing reserved his best, most gentle, and most fatherly side for them. From a young age, he taught and instructed them earnestly, his love never being fake, and he was the one who smiled the most and was the happiest in front of them.
How could Master treat them the same way he treats everyone else?
After sighing, Wan Qiqing calmly pushed the paper on the table back to Gongyi Xiu: "Then, Xiu'er, go and check whether the owner of this handwriting is indeed Junior Tutor Gu Yi!"
Gongyi Xiu trembled as he took the note and bowed his head, saying, "Yes."
This clearly placed the task of providing an explanation on his shoulders. Whether the handwriting was indeed by Gu Yi, and what the true relationship was between Gu Yi and A Qiu, were all crucial questions. If even one word was false, both he and A Qiu would face dire consequences.
As the headquarters of assassins with a thousand-year-old tradition, Lanling Hall can freely exercise its own power in all other aspects, but its loyalty to the sect must never be compromised. This is also the reason for the existence of Xingfeng Hall, one of the three halls, which specializes in interrogating and eliminating traitors through torture.
Gongyi Xiu sighed inwardly: Ah Qiu, you still don't understand your master at all. Although Master taught us not to distinguish between men and women, even someone as hard-hearted as him has some things he has never been willing to let you see. Therefore, you have never seen his other side.
If you had seen it, you would never have done something so conspicuous as to have Gu Yi relay the message.
Seeing him trembling and standing there in fear, Wanqiqing asked softly, "Is there any news from the Music Bureau?"
He was not referring to the message from A Qiu, but rather to the official activity.
Gongyi Xiu reported back: "This morning it was decided to add an item to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at the Changuang Palace: the Music Bureau will present the 'White Silk Dance' performed by our ancestors before the banquet. The Music Bureau... has only recently been revived, and there is nothing else of great importance to do besides this."
In the years since the establishment of the imperial court, the most important matters to be dealt with have been the administration of various regions under the Ministry of Personnel and border military reports. Music, dance, banquets, and ceremonial rites have never been the main issues and are usually glossed over. The fact that the court could specifically raise the issue of female musicians for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet at this court meeting is already extremely unusual.
But the master's reaction was completely unexpected by Gongyi Xiu.
Wan Qiqing suddenly picked up a slender, white hand that had been resting on the table.
He stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his back to Gongyi Xiu.
He appeared to be admiring the sunset over the distant mountains outside the window, the misty, rosy scenery of the evening. But knowing Gongyi Xiu as he did, he knew that his master didn't want his disciple to see his expression at that moment.
The master, dressed in snow-white robes, with his tall and elegant figure, appeared somewhat forlorn in the early twilight.
He heard his master slowly say, "Is it... the music bureau where A-Qiu is?"
Gongyi Xiu was even more puzzled. His master was always quick to remember what he heard and made decisions, and he never had the habit of repeatedly confirming what he had heard. This showed how much this news had impacted his master.
Music, A Qiu, White Silk Dance. Which of these could have caused Master to lose his composure like this?
Strange as it was, he still replied respectfully, "That's right."
Wan Qiqing remained silent for a long time, simply standing quietly, as if waiting for the darkness outside the window to completely engulf him.
Gongyi Xiu thought there was nothing more to it, and prepared to quietly get up and leave, no longer wanting to disturb his master who was lost in thought.
From childhood to adulthood, he often saw his master standing alone, gazing intently at a painting, a piece of calligraphy, or a beautiful garden landscape.
He felt that his master must be missing someone. But that must be a deep secret in his master's heart, and he dared not ask.
Wan Qiqing's voice rang out calmly, "Who made this suggestion?"
Gongyi Xiu reviewed the scene of the court meeting in his mind and replied, "It should be Junior Tutor Gu Yi. He is currently concurrently serving as the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Music Bureau is nominally under his command."
After saying this, he immediately realized something, as if he had found a clue in the midst of chaos that led to the connection between A Qiu and Gu Yi.
As for the truth, he certainly needed to investigate further. And—it would be best to ask her in person.
This was the second time Wan Qiqing had heard Gu Yi's name today. But this time, he seemed even more moved than before, exclaiming, "What?"
Gongyi Xiu, unaware of why his master was paying such attention to Gu Yi, hurriedly explained, "The Junior Tutor probably hasn't seen the White Silk Dance. He said he had only heard that the White Silk Dance was the most famous among the dances of the previous generation, so he mentioned it casually. Later, he also said that if the ministers objected, it could be replaced with other music and dance, but the Emperor ultimately made the decision."
After a moment of contemplation, Wan Qiqing finally asked a crucial question: "How old is Gu Yi? How old does he look?"
Gongyi Xiu hesitated for a moment and said, "It has been ten years since Grand Tutor Gu established the new dynasty. In my opinion, he looks to be about twenty years old, but he has some silver hair mixed in with his hair, which makes him look older. It is possible that he is over thirty years old."
Wan Qiqing said decisively, "If he is in his thirties, then he would only be in his early twenties when he pacified the world with his killing and conquest. It is not impossible that he saw the White Silk Dance of the previous dynasty. But why does such a person seem to have appeared out of thin air? Before he came into the public eye, no one had ever heard of his whereabouts."
Lanling Hall's attention to Gu Yi naturally didn't begin today, after all, Gu Yi was too famous, known to everyone in the world. However, in the past, Lanling Hall had focused its energy on expanding its own strength and had never directly confronted Gu Yi. Moreover, Gu Yi had been extremely low-key in governing for the past ten years, so they hadn't paid much attention to him.
But Gongyi Xiu knew in his heart that since his master placed A Qiu as a pawn in the inner palace, it marked another step forward in the Lanling Hall's infiltration of the central government, and it was only a matter of time before they clashed with Gu Yi.
He recalled the words Gu Yi had written for A Qiu and thought that perhaps it had already begun.
He didn't need to answer his master's question. Gu Yi's background was unknown, which was a well-known secret in the court. But he still answered tactfully, "This is something that only His Majesty knows. After all, it was he who appointed Young Master Gu. If it weren't for the Xie family's century-old reputation as a powerful clan, the Jiangzuo aristocracy might not have submitted to Young Master Gu's leadership back then."
Wan Qiqing said in a deep voice, "Good, good! Talented people emerge in every generation. First there was Master Gu, who could save the country from the brink of collapse, and now there will be a new 'Flying Phoenix'. I thought the Southern Dynasty was beyond saving, but it seems there is still some interest!"
Gongyi Xiu was moved by these words, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
Wan Qiqing regained his composure and said with a wistful look, "The dance of 'White Silk' is extremely elegant and moving, a rare masterpiece of music and dance. I would like to go to the palace to appreciate it and, by the way, meet that Gu Yi."
These words struck Gongyi Xiu like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, shaking him to his core.
The news that Wan Qiqing, the master of Lanling Hall, was going to enter the palace to participate in the Changuang Palace Banquet, a grand celebration where imperial concubines and officials of the court would gather, would only elicit the same shock and fear from anyone who heard it, just like Gongyi Xiu.
Furthermore, Gongyi Xiu also holds the position of an official. If his master were to go on a killing spree in the palace due to the exposure of his identity or because of a confrontation with Gu Yi, then even with A Qiu and the two of them making a desperate breakout, the outcome would be unimaginable.
Although Master is not such a willful person, this matter is too risky and would be far more dangerous than it is worth.
However, he had never dared to disobey his master in his life, so he could only bow and say, "...Would you like me to arrange a place for you in the palace?"
Wan Qiqing turned around, looked at him carefully, and chuckled, "Do you look down on your master? Do you think your master will hold you back and affect your hard-earned career and reputation?"
Gongyi Xiu replied, "This disciple dares not."
Wan Qiqing said calmly, "Did I only tell A Qiu and not you that I also lived in the palace of the previous dynasty for many years? At that time, no one knew that I was Wan Qiqing."
Gongyi Xiu breathed a sigh of relief; that made things easier. He had never imagined that his free-spirited, unrestrained master had also experienced a life of quiet endurance within the palace.
Wan Qiqing seemed to have remembered something else and said, "By the way, the Bai Zhu dance of the previous dynasty was of excellent quality, but now the Music Bureau has suffered several setbacks and its talents have dwindled, so it may not be able to produce the same level as before. When you pass on the message to A Qiu, you can add a sentence that she can try to go to Qi Wu Palace in the palace. It has been sealed for many years and contains many old things from the previous dynasty. Perhaps she can find something there."
"Firstly, it could serve as a stepping stone for her to advance in the Music Bureau. Secondly," his tone gradually turned languid, "I also do not want to go through the trouble of entering the palace, only to have my dream of the Forbidden City shattered, the past gone, and the desolate feeling that people today are far inferior to those of the past."
Gongyi Xiu thought that his master was truly contradictory. On the one hand, he seemed to hate the Southern Dynasty and hoped that it would become corrupt and decay to the core. On the other hand, he seemed to yearn to see the peaceful and prosperous Southern Dynasty again.
For a moment, he also felt a strange sense of unease about his master's contradictory mindset.
Wan Qiqing glanced at him casually and said indifferently, "Go. Next time you see me, remember to tell me what I asked you about."
That must be the relationship between A Qiu and Gu Yi, Gongyi Xiu thought to herself. For some reason, she had a very ominous feeling. Was her master watching A Qiu and Gu Yi so closely because he also believed that the key to the rise and fall of dynasties lay in their relationship?
If that's the case, he must order A Qiu to immediately sever any possibility of contact with Gu Yi.
Gongyi Xiu bowed deeply, took one last look at his master's solitary figure standing in the darkness by the window, and then turned and left.
With a loud crash, in the corridor where the dancers practiced their skills, Lady Sun's bamboo clappers were slammed heavily onto the floor, sweeping over a large, rotten wooden and stone screen.
However, it was not Lady Sun who threw the bamboo clappers, but a beautiful lady wearing a red silk shawl, with golden sparrow and pearl earrings, red lips like paintings, and eyebrows like spring mountains.
At this moment, she was glaring angrily at the trembling dancers and the silent, biting-lipped Lady Sun.
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