It's impossible to guard against.
The duel is now over. Regardless of the outcome, the entire palace must have laid a trap, waiting for Wanqiqing to fall into it.
This has nothing to do with whether the duel was fair or not, but rather that since Wan Qiqing dared to enter the palace alone and violate the state banquet at night, he had to bear the consequences and the price.
Upon hearing this, A Qiu did not hesitate and cupped her hands to Gu Yi, saying, "Thank you for taking care of me these past few days, Young Master. 'White Silk' is now complete, and A Qiu has done a small part for Young Master's wish to spread his virtuous reputation throughout the world. As for the dance troupe... I will entrust it to Young Master from now on."
She pronounced each word clearly and quickly.
Gu Yi seemed somewhat disoriented. He listened, yet felt only a daze; each word was so close, yet so distant. He felt as if he had returned to that great fire long ago, to that moment when they were separated by flames.
She's leaving again. But this time, she's going with someone else.
She has grown up.
He could only respect her will.
A thousand emotions flashed through his mind in an instant, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
Those moments when she was a child and he depended on each other for survival in the abandoned palace.
The night was long then, and he held her hand, teaching her to identify the frets on the violin.
Her first smile was because of him.
But more often than not...
When she first saw him at the music academy, her pupils dilated suddenly, almost to the point of infatuation, as her eyes and brows blossomed into beautiful features.
Every time I bumped into him, I was both terrified and forced to remain calm, my heart pounding like a deer's as I stood there dumbfounded.
He's smart in other things, but he gets a little confused when he's around.
He had already tried his best to avoid seeing her, but he still had to rush to help when he realized something was wrong with her.
...
Just as A Qiu leaped up to follow Wan Qiqing, Gu Yi suddenly came to his senses and quickly chased after her.
He couldn't let her go.
She was originally his disciple, so why would she follow Wan Qiqing to conquer the world?
She was originally... the most noble woman in the Southern Dynasty, so why would she walk with a Northern Qiang person?
Besides personal feelings, there is also the distinction between national righteousness and right and wrong.
Gu Yi had always been reluctant to force others to do things against their will, but he suddenly decided that even if he had to fight Wan Qiqing again, he would keep her here.
A Qiu fell backward, landing precisely in Gu Yi's arms, who had fallen a short distance behind her. It was as if he had caught her.
Wan Qiqing stood tall and proud, his robes fluttering, as he withdrew the sleeve he had just flicked out.
He gazed at the full moon in the sky and said resolutely, "Girls are outgoing; if their bodies are physically present but their hearts are not, it's all in vain. There's no need for them to come any further!"
Even now, he still hasn't turned around to look at A-Qiu.
Ah Qiu hurriedly said, "Master! This disciple did not mean to oppose you!"
She was eager to explain how she, Gu Yi, and Zhongli Wuyan had joined forces to suppress her master's flute playing at the Jixian Palace.
Wan Qiqing raised her hand to stop her from continuing.
He turned around, and under the moonlight, a faint smile finally appeared on his handsome face.
His smile was extremely faint, and his usually deep, passionate, and almost magical eyes were now completely still.
Gu Yi understood perfectly. The look he gave A Qiu was originally full of deep affection and love for his disciple, but it was quickly suppressed.
"Master knows!"
Along with that indifferent, seemingly heartless voice, Wan Qiqing's free-spirited and proud figure also vanished in an instant.
"How can one escape the sorrows and regrets of life? My soul is consumed by boundless emotions!"
"I dream of returning to my homeland, but when I wake up, tears are streaming down my face."
"Who will climb the high tower with me? I will always remember gazing at the clear autumn sky."
"The past is gone, like a dream."
The person is gone, but the sound of singing still echoes from afar. It was the "Midnight Song" that Zhongli Wuyan had just recited on the "White Silk".
Under the moonlight, A Qiu felt that the song was filled with tears and was extremely desolate.
My master has always been a lonely person; no one can get into his heart.
As the singing and shouting ceased, Wan Qiqing's voice lingered again, this time with a smile: "I also casually presented a great gift to the Young Master. It is probably already before the Emperor. Young Master, please go and take a look, or it will be too late!"
Gu Yi's expression changed upon hearing this.
Wan Qiqing is truly a man who is impossible to guard against. Anyone who has such an enemy would have an extremely troublesome situation.
He quickly recalled in his mind that Wan Qiqing had entered the palace alone this time. Judging from his behavior, he had nothing of value, and even his flute was borrowed from someone else. What kind of grand gift could he possibly have given?
From the southeast of the palace, a faint sound of the earth shaking suddenly came, followed by a line of black smoke shooting into the sky.
Then comes the southwest corner. The situation there is the same.
Gu Yi frowned and asked, "The Divine Machine Battalion, the Fire Cloud Crossbow?" At this moment, he hesitated, unable to attend to both matters at once.
Judging from the location and direction of the fire in the palace, it should be one of the two Shenji Camp garrisons in the Imperial Guard that stockpiled heavy firearms.
Seeing this, A Qiu knew that it must be his second senior brother's men outside the palace gates supporting their master.
The second senior brother, Mo Yimingyue, was codenamed "Nie Zheng" in the hall. His subordinates, the "Eight Steeds" of Xingfeng Hall, specialized in assassination, sabotage, and information gathering. In the past, every time A Qiu attempted an assassination, Xingfeng Hall's undercover agents would cover the way and erase all traces.
In addition to handling interrogation information and purging traitors, Xingfeng Hall was also responsible for dealing with gangs and businessmen. At major transportation hubs between the north and south, Xingfeng Hall had personnel at all levels, from merchants in the capital to wharves on the Grand Canal and official roads between the north and south.
Little did they know that the influence of Xingfeng Hall had already infiltrated the outer perimeter of the palace.
Therefore, even though he and his senior brother were both confined to the palace, their master was able to leave unscathed and without any trouble. Although their master appeared to be alone and free to come and go as he pleased, he had actually made meticulous arrangements beforehand, and there was indeed no need for him to accompany him.
An ochre-colored figure emerged from the night and landed before the two.
The man was tall and thin, but his face was ashen and pale. He wore a magnificent ochre-colored outer robe, the kind worn by palace eunuchs. In his hand, a whisk was as white as snow, with an exquisitely carved ivory handle, which was very conspicuous in the moonlight.
A Qiu felt a chill run down her spine. The fact that this person had appeared so suddenly without alarming either her or Gu Yi indicated that he must be a master of at least Zhongli Wuyan's level. For such a person to be willing to serve as a eunuch suggested that his background was far from simple.
The man ignored A Qiu, only nodding slightly to Gu Yi, and expressionlessly extended one palm. "The Grand Commander Sikong is still unconscious. Please lend us the Tiger Tally, Junior Tutor, so we can mobilize troops to quell the current chaos."
Without a second thought, Gu Yi immediately took out the tiger tally from his robes, handed it to the other party, and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Grand Eunuch!"
A sudden realization dawned on A Qiu's mind, and he suddenly remembered who the person in front of him was.
Besides Consort Li Lanxiu, Lady Pei Mu Huaying, Lantai Ling Zhao, and Grand Commander Sikong Zhao, all of the former Flying Phoenix Four Guards, there is another highly skilled expert in the Imperial Palace whose abilities are unfathomable.
According to the information obtained by the second senior brother, this person's skill seems to be even greater than that of the former Flying Phoenix Four Guards, but he rarely shows his abilities, so his reputation is far less than that of the former Flying Phoenix Four Guards.
This is the man before me, who served two emperors and held the prestigious position of Grand Palace Attendant, the head of the palace servants and eunuchs, for over thirty years.
The position of Grand Palace Supervisor, under the current emperor's decisiveness, the inner palace's dignified administration, and the powerful female official Zhao Lingying in charge of the Imperial Household Department, may not seem particularly prestigious. However, every change in the thousands of people in the palace, large or small, is under his surveillance.
Rong Yu kept a low profile simply because he believed there was no need to get involved.
Rong Yu accepted the tiger tally, and a faint smile finally appeared on his withered face before he glanced at A Qiu.
That glance, however, seemed to hold a profound meaning.
Before A Qiu could even process the meaning behind that glance, Rong Yu had already vanished in an instant, moving as swiftly as the wind, disappearing without a trace in just a few leaps.
Gu Yi let out a long sigh and said, "With the Grand Palace Eunuch taking action, the city's defenses are surely secure. Let's hurry to the Jixian Palace to check..."
Before he could finish speaking, his body suddenly trembled violently, as if he could not stand up.
Before A Qiu could react, Gu Yi, who had been holding her, instinctively shifted his arm to support her, asking anxiously, "Are you alright?"
Gu Yi closed his eyes, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat constantly seeping out, his face alternating between pale and bluish. Clearly, he was enduring intense pain.
A Qiu immediately reached out and felt his pulse, and his expression changed instantly.
His internal energy was running wildly and erratically, clearly out of control. A chilling, venomous energy, like a venomous snake, was relentlessly eroding and penetrating his meridians.
A Qiu immediately understood that Gu Yi was not as unscathed as he appeared in the battle with his master. On the contrary, he was not only injured, but also suffered severe internal injuries.
However, until just now, he had been forcibly suppressing his injuries with his internal energy, without showing any abnormality.
It wasn't until Rong Jian received the Tiger Tally that a major matter was resolved in his mind. With the pressure slightly reduced and his vigilance relaxed, the suppressed internal injuries surged forth with overwhelming force, leading to his current situation.
By extension, the master certainly wouldn't have escaped unscathed either.
Gu Yi seemed to know what she was thinking and said, "He's not as badly injured as I am, you don't need to worry." Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly grabbed A Qiu's hand, his face flushed, and then he spat out a mouthful of black blood.
Upon closer inspection, the black blood contained traces of green, like the color of copper rust.
I have never heard of anyone coughing up blood from internal injuries like this.
Although A Qiu was well-informed and experienced, she was already flustered. This was because Gu Yi had always been an unshakeable figure in her heart. It was as if nothing could make him even frown. His injury instinctively made her heart flutter, and she lost her usual composure.
A Qiu knew that the palace was currently beset by internal and external troubles, and everything depended on Gu Yi to take charge. She forced herself to calm down, helped Gu Yi steady, and said in a decisive tone that did not allow any delay, "Your injury cannot be known to outsiders. Now I will send you back to Jinlingtai."
Gu Yi originally wanted to hold on a little longer, but he knew she was right. He closed his eyes, exhaled, and opened them again, saying, "I don't need you to take me back. You... hurry to the Jixian Palace to check the situation."
There were many things he wanted to say but never said.
A Qiu's stance was completely different from his. If Wan Qiqing's idea of "the world is not chaotic enough" were true, the more chaotic the palace would be, the better. It would be even better if something happened to the emperor, so that his risky trip to the palace would not have been in vain.
Given the current chaotic situation, it's already a miracle that A Qiu isn't finishing off the enemy.
Ah Qiu also thought of this, her clear black and white eyes brimming with tears, as if she were thinking about something.
Gu Yi could no longer stand and fell to the ground. He grabbed A Qiu's hand tightly and looked at her with unprecedented sincerity, saying, "A Qiu, answer me, since you entered the palace, has anyone in the palace treated you badly?"
A Qiu carefully recalled everything. Apart from Huang Chao'an, that lecherous man, whether it was Sun Neiren, Xue Hongbi, Zhang Exu, Cui Luzhu, or Consort Chen and Zhao Lingying, whom she had dealt with before, many people might not seem like nice people on the surface, but they really hadn't treated her badly.
Not to mention Gu Yi right in front of him.
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