I will do my best to repay
A Qiu felt even more guilty towards Sun's wife.
From the moment she entered the palace, Consort Sun shouldered all her burdens, even risking her life for her. But Consort Sun never knew her true identity.
Sun Neiren was unaware that the person she had been trying so hard to protect was actually a Lanling assassin.
And A Qiu could never tell her that she was not Shi Changqing's daughter.
Unable to reveal his true feelings to this strict teacher, this will always be A-Qiu's regret.
A Qiu remained kneeling and said heavily, "This disciple swears that I will never implicate any of my sisters on this journey, nor will I implicate you or Uncle Xue."
Sun's wife turned around, a pale, weak smile on her face. She helped her up and said softly, "You're talking nonsense again. We're going to the Northern Qiang anyway, where else can you drag us down?" Then she sighed, "What could be worse than falling into the hands of the Northern Qiang?"
Aqiu was suddenly shocked and said in disbelief, "Master, you didn't have any confidence in our trip to the Northern Qiang."
Therefore, Lady Sun never believed the promise she made to the geishas—the promise that she would protect them. Lady Sun simply watched silently, trying her best not to expose the empty promise.
Sun Neiren's eyes finally showed a kind but weary look as she softly said, "A Qiu, don't underestimate your master. Although I've spent half my life in the palace, I've still witnessed the chaos of dynastic changes and the turmoil of war, with rampant armies. And those were our own Han Chinese armies. I can imagine what the Northern Qiang people will ultimately do to us, a group of weak women who can't even kill a chicken."
A Qiu suddenly froze.
During the chaos at the end of the Huan Dynasty, Consort Sun led the young dancers to hide in secret rooms and side rooms, only able to venture out at night to gather food and water. She had personally witnessed the carnage caused by the atrocities of the rebel soldiers.
A Qiu shivered.
She remembered that she had witnessed it firsthand, and had even personally drawn her sword to kill a rebel soldier. She was only six years old at the time.
The horror of that night was deeply etched in her heart.
This is why, no matter what happened to her later, whether she was forced to leave Gu Yi or abandoned in the snowy wilderness behind the Divine Weapon Hall, she persisted in practicing martial arts without stopping.
Because subconsciously, one feels safe only when a sharp weapon is in one's own hand.
Sun's wife calmly said, "Before we set off, I will ask Senior Zhongli for poison. We will each have a bottle and hide it close to our bodies. An Gong has also promised to make a batch of pearl hairpins for us so that they will not be detected during body searches. They are mainly for use in emergencies as a means of suicide."
She opened her palm, revealing a hairpin about an inch long with a single pearl inlaid at the tip. The end of the hairpin had a slight blue sheen, and it would have gone unnoticed by anyone other than an expert like A Qiu, who was skilled in assassination.
A Qiu's fingers trembled slightly as he took the medicine and examined it carefully.
This hairpin looks no different from an ordinary hairpin, used to adorn the head with pearls. The only difference is that its edge is sharper, and the end is coated with a deadly poison. Musicians entering the palace would inevitably undergo a body search, but this hairpin, being a common decoration, was too short to be used as a weapon and would not be confiscated.
Holding the pearl hairpin, A Qiu felt as if this tiny needle weighed a ton.
Because every needle tip carries a human life.
Her voice trembled as she asked, "How could Lord An... possibly agree to that?"
For dancers to bring sharp weapons to a banquet is strictly forbidden in any dynasty. Now, they are nominally going to the Northern Qiang as state envoys. If anything goes wrong, and they are accidentally injured or discovered, the entire delegation will be implicated, and there may even be immediate bloodshed.
Sun's wife calmly said, "This is the condition I agreed to for going to the Northern Qiang. Lord An had no choice but to agree."
A-Qiu was shocked.
She finally understood how Sun Neiren felt when she accepted the mission to perform a dance in the Northern Qiang region.
She had already resolved that she would never return.
If An Daoling hadn't agreed to her condition, she might have chosen to commit suicide before even setting off, just like Cui Luzhu.
Sun's wife looked at her and said softly, "I know you must have a mission to do so by suddenly coming with us. All I want to say is, no matter what happens, don't worry about us, just do your own thing."
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Now you know, we need to take care of ourselves. Don't let us be a burden to you."
A Qiu couldn't say another word. He took a step forward and rested his head on his wife's knee.
She said softly but firmly, "I will definitely protect you."
Although the surrender agreement has been reached, Jianzhang City has not yet been taken over by the Northern Qiang royal army.
The Northern Qiang King's army, led by Hulü Guang, was still refused entry to the palace. Now, however, they were fully prepared to escort Hulü Guang and the Da Yan peace-seeking delegation back north.
As Aqiu and the dancers came out to board the carriage, they happened to catch a glimpse of Hulü Guang, who was beaming with pride and saying to one of them with a forced smile, "Your country is truly capable, managing to get the Khan to recall me. But you seem to have forgotten that I am now the one in the Northern Qiang court whose heart is most inclined towards the Southern Dynasty."
The implication was that if he were transferred back, the person who would take over Jianzhang would likely be even more ruthless than him.
The man, dressed in a white fox fur coat, exuded an air of nobility, yet he chuckled dryly and said, "The Great Khan values Prince Ning highly, saying that there is trouble in the north, and only Prince Ning's return can withstand the Shuofang army of Youzhou. This has nothing to do with our dynasty."
He then whispered in his ear, "Perhaps the Khan means that His Highness Prince Ning should not miss the upcoming coronation ceremony in Luoyang, or perhaps the Khan intends to bestow upon you the title of Crown Prince."
This person was none other than Gongyi Xiu, A Qiu's senior brother, and the deputy envoy of the delegation that went north to seek peace. A Qiu had already learned yesterday that the chief envoy was Shangguan You, who represented the century-old Jiangzuo gentry group.
Gongyi Xiu's words, a combination of veiled attacks and subtle maneuvers, caused even the cunning and treacherous Hulü Guang to lower his guard. A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he asked, "Is this really true? Where did the Left Prime Minister hear this from?"
Gongyi Xiu smiled and whispered something in his ear.
Ah Qiu could no longer hear, but through the shape of his lips, he could clearly read: "A message from an old friend of Shuanghua Hall."
Hulü Guang's expression first showed shock and surprise, then joy, and he whispered, "So Gongyi Jun also came from Shuanghua Hall?"
Gongyi Xiu smiled and said, "Of course. I come from a prominent family in Luoyang, and only moved here to Jianzhang after the war. After arriving in the north, I will need Your Highness to take good care of me. It would be best if..." Seeing that no one was around, he leaned closer and said, "If you can guarantee that I can also obtain an official position in the new regime, I will certainly do my best to repay Your Highness."
He added, "I dared not acknowledge Prince Ning before because of the circumstances. I hope Your Highness will understand."
For Hulü Guang, this was truly an unexpected delight. He had come to the Southern Dynasty as an envoy with the intention of "no pain, no gain," but his repeated attempts had all ended in failure, and even his eighteen Yan Yun riders had been reduced to only Ye Xiao.
He thought the Northern Qiang army would arrive soon, and he could take advantage of the army's momentum to take over all the wealth, power, and beauties of the Southern Dynasty. However, rumors spread to the capital that he had the intention to seize power and establish a separatist regime. The Khan's reply to the Southern Dynasty's surrender edict immediately included a clause ordering Hulü Guang to return north with the delegation. This was to take away the territory that had been taken from him.
Hulü Guang was also a man of great strategic acumen; how could he not know that someone was plotting against him from behind? This was the reason he spoke those words to Gongyi Xiu in the beginning. It was a combination of intimidation and threats, to make the Southern Dynasty understand that even if they could use a divisive tactic to bring him back, the Southern Dynasty would not fare well, and they shouldn't be too complacent.
But unexpectedly, before setting off, he received these two wonderful pieces of good news from Gongyi Xiu, which was truly a pleasant surprise.
Firstly, Gongyi Xiu hinted to him that Huli Jin had summoned him back because he intended to appoint him as crown prince. In the Northern Qiang tribe, succession passed from brother to brother, and now that the Southern Dynasty had surrendered, the unification of the world was within reach. Huli Jin had decided to change the name of the country to "Wei" and would soon hold a grand ceremony to worship Heaven and enthronement. It would be in accordance with common sense to appoint a crown prince at the ceremony.
Secondly, there was Gongyi Xiu's declaration of allegiance. Huli Guang's trip to the Southern Dynasty had only allowed him to subtly intimidate the Four Stars of Tianji, leaving him little time to bring out the other members of the Shuanghua Hall, a fact he deeply regretted. However, he was overjoyed to have unexpectedly gained Gongyi Xiu as a powerful ally.
He himself was a utilitarian man whose ambition outweighed everything else. Therefore, he believed that the Southern Dynasty was doomed and that Gongyi Xiu, like a wise bird choosing a good tree to perch on, should now make the decision to submit to him. This was the wisest thing to do and the most reasonable thing to do.
Aki, who was not far away, overheard their conversation and was very glad that she had made the decision to hide in the geisha troupe.
Not only can they protect the geisha at all times, but they can also gather a lot of useful information.
At this moment, Ah Qiu, after being disguised, had become an ordinary-looking geisha with rather mediocre appearance. To conceal her figure and demeanor, she deliberately changed her walking posture, hunching slightly to make her figure no longer outstanding and slender.
Even so, she—or rather, this group of dancers—still stood out in the snow-covered city.
Since dancers are beauties carefully selected through multiple rounds of screening by the Music Bureau, A-Qiu cannot make herself too ugly.
She mingled in the group, dawdling as she moved forward with the crowd.
As they were envoys visiting Luoyang, the capital, their attire was more dazzling than usual, so as not to embarrass the Southern Dynasty. The sight of a group of dancers, wearing white fur-trimmed red cloaks and pearl-adorned hair, walking in the snow and boarding the carriage was extremely pleasing to the eye from afar.
While Gongyi Xiu was talking to Hulü Guang, he had already caught a glimpse of the commotion out of the corner of his eye. He intentionally blocked Hulü Guang's view with his body and deliberately distracted Hulü Guang by talking about the Luoyang Grand Ceremony.
However, the long line of dancers was too dazzling and the formation was too grand for Gongyi Xiu to completely conceal his figure.
A Qiu then heard Hulü Guang say, "Eh? Are these the women who are going to Luoyang to perform the traditional Chinese music pieces 'Shao' and 'Wu'?"
As he spoke, he began to walk this way.
Seeing that he could no longer stop them, Gongyi Xiu followed him, saying, "Yes. 'Shao' and 'Wu' are national musical pieces passed down through generations, which were originally lost long ago. In this generation, it was probably due to the divine power of the Northern Qiang king that the opportunity for the unification of the world appeared, and finally, they had the chance to be restored. The palace did its best to recruit people, and that's how these people were assembled. If anything happens to them, the sacred music of 'Shao' and 'Wu' will be lost forever."
Ah Qiu knew that Gongyi Xiu was using the power that men love most to quell Huli Guang's lust.
His words were a subtle but clear suggestion: if Hulü Guang had any ambition to vie for the position of the Holy Ruler of the World, he should not have any designs on these dancers.
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