King of Soldiers
At this moment, Zhao Lingying, whose face showed great displeasure, said to Xie Lang from behind, "Young Master!"
Seeing that the hot potato had been passed to Gu Yi, Pei Yuanli was quite displeased. His Pei family had secret methods of taming beasts for generations, and Pei Yu was naturally talented and had inherited the true teachings; a tiger was nothing to him. However, he was convinced that Gu Yi was siding with the Shangguan family, and naturally he wouldn't give the Pei family this opportunity to shine.
Gu Yi nodded slightly to Zhao Lingying, indicating that he had heard her words. After a moment's thought, he said, "It's alright. All four guards will be there, as will I, and Miss Pei and Miss Shangguan will also be there."
The meaning is clear. Even if a tiger were to suddenly attack, the palace banquet is a gathering of the entire imperial family, including not only General Sikong Zhao and Lantai Lingying, but also Consort Chen, the head of the harem, and Lady Pei, who holds an imperial title. In addition, with himself, the top martial artist of the Southern Dynasty, and Pei Yu and Shangguan Yuqi, who are about to become the new phoenixes, he should be able to handle any situation.
Zhao Lingying said sullenly, "Alright then. With so many of us keeping you company, I hope Miss Pei can have a good time with her tiger-playing act."
Her sarcasm was self-evident. Pei Yuanli was gambling with the safety of the emperor and all the officials, making a stunning entrance for his daughter.
Gu Yi's expression of support for Pei Yu bringing the tiger into the palace was something Pei Yuanli hadn't anticipated. In reality, Gu Yi didn't take sides with either side; he was simply stating the facts, doing what was feasible and stopping when necessary.
Although Pei Yuanli was slightly surprised, he remained outwardly calm and smiled, saying, "Consort Zhao is too kind. I simply wish to offer a sincere surprise for the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, just as Lord Shangguan did."
This statement dragged Shangguan You into the mess as well. If Zhao Lingying were to refute it again, she would be insulting Shangguan You as well.
Zhao Lingying snorted and said nothing more.
Seeing that Gu Yi had already given his consent, Xie Lang's expression softened slightly as he said, "The Left Prime Minister and Lord Pei are both thinking of the country and are great men who consider the overall situation. The two young ladies are also exceptionally talented. They are truly a blessing to the nation."
Just as Pei Yuanli was about to say a few polite words, Sikong Zhao, a military officer, stepped forward from the crowd, knelt on one knee in the hall, raised the document he had just received above his head with both hands, and kowtowed, saying: "Your Majesty, I have just received a military report from the border. Marquis Li Chongyu of Guannei has mobilized 80,000 troops from the Shuofang Army and is traveling day and night to Jianzhang. He claims to have been summoned to court, and no prefecture or county along the way dares to stop him."
The news struck like a thunderbolt from the blue, sending shockwaves through the court. Compared to the earlier news of Pei Yu bringing the white tiger into the court, this was a moment of genuine panic.
Li Chongyu's Shuofang Army had always served as a bulwark north of the Yangtze River, repeatedly repelling the southward incursions of the Hu (non-Han) forces. However, strictly speaking, the Shuofang Army was composed of local northern forces. Although they were Han Chinese like the people of the Southern Dynasties, they were located on opposite sides of the Yangtze River and were not truly subject to the constraints of the Jianzhang regime. The Shuofang Army's submission and subordination to the Jianzhang regime were more of a formality.
Li Chongyu, hailed as the number one military figure, was known as the "Immortal God of War" for his skill in surprise attacks and his numerous feats of valor on the border.
The Marquis of Guannei was originally required to attend court every five years. However, at the end of the Great Huan Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and warlords vied for power. It was fortunate that the Marquis of Guannei, Li Mingyuan, did not get involved in this mess. Afterwards, Gu Yi emerged and pacified the world. Later, Li Chongyu succeeded as Marquis of Guannei, but he did not continue to attend court every five years, and the reason for this was known to everyone.
Li Chongyu's father, Li Mingyuan, was a loyal minister of the Huan dynasty. However, when he cooperated with Jianzhang Shi to attack the Di-Qiang allied forces, a spy provided false intelligence, leading to underestimating the enemy and causing his army to advance deep into enemy territory. At that time, Jianzhang Shi, commanded by Pei Yuanli, did not come to their aid as agreed. Li Mingyuan, a renowned general, was trapped in a desperate situation and died in battle.
Upon hearing the news, Marquis Yongding Fan Ying immediately dispatched a light cavalry force to try his best to rescue Li Chongyu, but in the end he only managed to rescue Li Chongyu.
After the founding of the Dayan Kingdom, Emperor Xie Lang repeatedly bestowed wealth and fine horses upon the Shuofang Army as a gesture of appeasement, but Li Chongyu declined them all. He replied, "My father's killer is still alive, and I dare not accept gold and silk or ride fine horses, otherwise I would have no face to tell the spirits of my ancestors."
In truth, no one can say for sure what happened back then, and even Shangguan Jin, who was in charge of the overall situation at the time, is no longer alive. No one knows whether Pei Yuanli held back his troops at that time because he was instructed by someone else, because of strategic considerations, because he misjudged the enemy situation, or simply because he had personal motives and wanted to take the opportunity to annex the Shuofang Army, which was known as the "King of Soldiers in the World".
In short, because Li Chongyu returned under Fan Ying's protection, the Shuofang army did not fall into chaos due to a lack of leadership. Instead, despite losing their commander, they continued their advance, pursuing the Northern Qiang cavalry for thousands of miles, driving them all the way to the outside of Xueyang Pass. However, from then on, Li Chongyu controlled the Shuofang army in the northern frontier and never paid homage to the emperor again.
It wasn't until this year, when Gu Yi issued the famous "Decree of Junior Tutor," that Li Chongyu reluctantly agreed to come to court.
But no one expected that he would not come with the imperial entourage, but instead directly assemble the most elite "Wolf Division" of the Shuofang Army and march south. Although the Jianzhang Division guarding the capital was currently capable of resisting the 80,000 Wolf Divisions, no one knew how things would ultimately turn out once the flames of war broke out.
If the Shuofang army goes to war with the Jianzhang army, the various Hu tribes will surely be eager to make a move. Since the founding of the Dayan Dynasty, it has only been ten years of peaceful recuperation, and if this period ends soon, the Southern Dynasty will surely fall into a state of fragmentation once again.
The ministers, who had initially been shocked and whispering amongst themselves, now stared at each other in bewilderment, remaining silent. A stagnant stillness descended upon the hall.
With the nation on the brink of collapse, who dares to speak lightly or offer reckless opinions?
Gu Yi turned his head and said to Sikong Zhao, who had already stood up and was standing to one side, "Send another urgent report to inquire at the post stations along the way when General Xiao Fan will arrive in the capital."
In the afternoon, the dance troupe received a notice from the music bureau: Junior Master Gu Yi would personally play the zither to accompany the music for "White Silk".
The messenger was none other than the handsome young eunuch Xiao Chang'an. He carried a purple bamboo flute and a lotus-shaped plaque at his waist, still displaying a refined manner yet exuding a carefree and unrestrained air.
As he was the apprentice of Cheng Hua, the chief steward of the Music Bureau, and An Daoling, it was only natural that he should be the one to relay the orders from his superiors.
After delivering this crucial news, he stood with his arms crossed, smiling, under the eaves, his charming eyes quietly watching Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi, as well as the dancers behind them.
This time, Xue Hongbi no longer cared about Xiao Chang'an's handsome appearance. She grabbed his sleeve and said in a trembling voice, "Is this true? Why did Master Gu decide to compose the music himself? Good heavens!"
She didn't even need Xiao Chang'an to answer before turning to her maid and shouting, "The dance troupe is finally going to see the light of day! Gu Yi, the number one scholar in this dynasty, is going to provide music for us. What an honor! What a rare privilege!"
When Sun's wife heard the news, she was also surprised, but her first reaction was to look at A Qiu with a complicated expression.
Xiao Chang'an, ever observant and quick-witted, immediately sensed something amiss. He smiled and said to his wife, "Could this matter possibly have anything to do with Sister A-Qiu?" At the same time, he glanced at A-Qiu several times.
Before Sun Neiren could answer, Xue Hongbi immediately snapped out of her daze, moving aside to block his gaze from the dancers, and said impatiently, "Nothing of the sort! How could we dancers and musicians have any connection with someone as noble as Master Gu! Besides, there are no sisters or cousins of yours here. Since the eunuch's message has been delivered, please leave!"
As she spoke, she half-pushed and half-shoved Xiao Chang'an around, letting him leave.
Xiao Chang'an was turned around by her, but his smile remained unchanged. He said, "What I just reported was only the most important one. There are two other things I want to say, but since the instructor is letting me go, I don't know whether I should report them or not."
Lady Sun knew that since Xiao Chang'an was a disciple of An Daoling, anything he wanted to convey must be important. Sending him away before he could finish speaking would cause problems.
She immediately stopped Xue Hongbi from making a scene, and then solemnly said to Xiao Chang'an, "Please give me your instructions, Eunuch."
Seeing that Consort Sun was serious, Xiao Chang'an also put away his joking expression and said seriously, "The two items were originally one. In addition to the Yuefu piece 'White Silk,' two more items have been added to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet agenda. One is Miss Shangguan's sword dance 'The Song of Heaven and Earth', which will be accompanied by His Highness the Crown Prince playing the zither. The other item is that Miss Pei will lead a white tiger into the court to pay homage as a performance."
Before the dancers could even gasp in surprise, he looked at Lady Sun and said, “The ‘Song of Heaven and Earth’ precedes ‘White Silk’ and is the opening dance—this is not to say that ‘White Silk’ is not important, but rather that we are to be the grand finale. As for the Tiger Play, it will be after us.”
The young geisha were still immersed in their surprise and wonder. To them, Miss Shangguan and His Highness the Crown Prince were like immortals, figures they had only heard of but never seen. As for the white tiger performance, that was something unprecedented, something that hadn't been seen in generations.
Hearing this, Sun's wife remained silent. Xue Hongbi, being an expert, frowned deeply upon hearing this and muttered, "We finally got a chance to shine, but Miss Shangguan's performance was brilliant, and Miss Pei's performance was unexpected. Alas, this dance is going to be difficult."
Sun's wife sighed and remained silent. She herself had lived a low-key life, but she didn't want the girls in the dance troupe to live their lives in obscurity like her. Especially… A-Qiu.
Because she is Shi Changqing's daughter. She deserves a life as brilliant as her father's and to become the dream of many.
Seeing that Sun's wife looked worried, A Qiu stepped forward and asked, "Is that 'Qiankun Dingshi' sword dance really that amazing?"
Xiao Chang'an, unusually, remained silent, his eyes filled with longing as he awaited his wife's reply.
Sun's wife said softly, "I only saw him from afar at the Jinshui Tower city gate when the country was founded. At that time, the square was crowded with people, and I couldn't see the details clearly. I only felt that Lord Shangguan was wielding his sword and leaping, his body like a dragon, with flashing blue light and crisscrossing sword energy. He was very majestic."
Xue Hongbi snorted and said, "I haven't seen it." A Qiu naturally understood that when the "Three Wonders" gathered, the square was packed with onlookers. Even if the Pei family sent carriages to bring their wives and children to see it, it would only be Madam Pei and Miss Pei.
Xue Hongbi continued, "But I've heard that the Shangguan family's 'Gentleman's Sword,' the Young Master's 'Young Master's Zither,' and the Wanxiang Kingdom's 'Thousand Gold Incense' have been known as the Three Wonders of the Southern Dynasty since that meeting. Fortunately, the Young Master is on our side this time, so we're not entirely without a chance of winning. Humph!"
A clear, gentle voice sounded behind her: "Teacher, you flatter me. However, this time, it's not just 'Young Master Qin' who's on your side, but also 'Qianjin Xiang' from the Gongye family."
A Qiu recognized the voice of the person who came from behind. She was both surprised and delighted, and she craned her neck to look behind Xue Hongbi.
Then they saw a handsome young man in a light blue brocade robe, with a graceful and elegant appearance, walking slowly from the end of the corridor with a pretty and lovely maid in a yellow dress.
The scent that filled my nostrils was the familiar fragrance of hibiscus.
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