Lord Shangguan
Shangguan Yuqi was silent for a moment, then said, "You should have heard that the Shangguan family's Gentleman's Sword was originally passed down only to men, not women. The corresponding technique for the Gentleman's Sword is the fierce and sharp Xuan Yang Internal Energy, which is the source of the Yang energy in my body."
She gazed at the deep night sky, slowly exhaled a long breath, and said, "Our Shangguan family's martial arts are actually divided into two lineages. The male sword is the gentleman's sword 'Binghuang', and the female sword is the soft sword 'Qixing'. These are the martial arts passed down through generations of tomb keepers. The male sword is passed down to men but not women, while the female sword is passed down to women but not men. I am the only successor who wields both swords."
A Qiu wanted to ask her why she could possess two different internal energy cultivation methods, but she knew that this must be a secret of the Shangguan family, so although she was curious, she did not answer.
Shangguan Yuqi suddenly asked, "Are you aware of the background and strength of my Shangguan family?"
Shangguan Yuqi and Aqiu had known each other for a long time, so his sudden question was not meant to show off his family's status. Aqiu thought for a moment and replied truthfully, "I only know that the Shangguan family has produced many virtuous ministers, famous prime ministers, and empresses throughout the dynasties. Therefore, each generation has been powerful and influential. After hundreds of years of accumulation, they have achieved such glory. Although they are known as the first family of civil officials, they can probably be called the first aristocratic family in China."
This assessment, however, was something she had heard from her master, Wan Qiqing, years ago. The Shangguan family's prominence predated even the previous Huan Sima dynasty; they were a powerful clan that spanned dynastic cycles.
Shangguan Yuqi nodded and said, "That's exactly right."
Her tone was neither arrogant nor boastful; she was simply asking her friend how much they knew about her background.
After a moment, she said, "In fact, throughout history, the Shangguan family's prominent learning has been poetry, classics, calligraphy, and literature. Therefore, the family has always produced many talented scholars and elegant ladies. As for martial arts, it is a secret art passed down only by each generation of tomb guardians. The Shangguan family sword manual is divided into two parts: the female sword Seven Stars and the male sword Ice Bamboo. Each generation of tomb guardians, if male, practices Ice Bamboo, and if female, they practice Seven Stars. Tomb guardians can never leave the tomb for their entire lives, nor can they serve as officials. This is due to the family's principle of not producing military generals from a family of civil officials."
Ah Qiu thought of someone and immediately said, "Isn't the former Grand Secretary Shangguan Jin, a man of both literary and military talent, an exception?"
Shangguan Yuqi said, "You are right. He is an exception because when the Former Huan was facing a crisis of destruction, the emperor of the Sima family personally ordered him to be summoned from the tomb to save the day. According to the family rules, this was an exception."
A Qiu continued, "Then what about you? You know martial arts, so you must also be a descendant of the tomb guardians. Therefore, your becoming a member of the Flying Phoenix Guard is naturally an exception."
Shangguan Yuqi was silent for a moment, then said, "It is an exception. Because those who voluntarily become tomb keepers are destined to forever abandon worldly pleasures and only seek to cultivate the Tao. If they are men, they will never have any hope of fame, fortune, or high office. If they are women, they will never marry, have no children or descendants, and can only live out their lives in the cemetery."
A Qiu exclaimed, "But you are the eldest daughter of the Shangguan family. Shouldn't you bear the responsibility of revitalizing the family? If you don't marry or take up an official post, what will become of the Shangguan family's future?"
For the first time ever, Shangguan Yuqi smiled and said, "Our eldest daughter of the Shangguan family is different from the eldest daughter of the Pei family. Pei Yu is called the eldest daughter of the Pei family because she is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Dongguang and Madam Pei. Our eldest daughter of the Shangguan family is not born first, but is the most talented among her peers and is designated by the previous head of the family."
She said deeply, "Before me, the eldest daughter of the previous generation was my aunt. And I was chosen by my aunt from among her cousins and carefully guided and nurtured as the heir to the family head."
A Qiu was somewhat confused and asked, "Since you are the future head of the Shangguan family, why would you become a tomb keeper? These two things should be contradictory, shouldn't the head of the family bear the mission of expanding the family's influence in the world?"
Shangguan Yuqi remained silent for a moment before finally answering, "It was my aunt's passing that completely changed my mind. It was only after my aunt's death that I resolutely decided to resign as head of the family and become the tomb keeper." She hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Actually, looking back now, the reason I was willing to take over as head of the family was out of gratitude towards my aunt. After my aunt passed away, I no longer had any desire to engage with the world."
A Qiu said, "But His Majesty still summons you out of the forbidden area to serve in the palace."
Shangguan Yuqi smiled and said, "He now understands very well why I was willing to leave the cemetery and enter the palace to serve. He should no longer have any illusions that I will marry into the royal family."
She said wearily, "Let my aunt be the last empress of the Shangguan family. The era when the Shangguan family influenced the court and held great influence, and worked for the benefit of the world, should come to an end. The descendants of the Shangguan family do not have such ambitions, nor do they have such abilities. Our family has paid a heavy price for the world, and we do not owe the world anything."
Ah Qiu now fully understood that Shangguan Yuqi's agreement to enter the palace had absolutely nothing to do with becoming the future empress. On the contrary, she wanted to investigate the cause of her aunt's death. This was clearly not what Xie Lang wanted to see, thus igniting his furious rage.
She suddenly remembered something and hesitated, "When the young lady was here, she pointed her sword at me and almost killed me, just because you thought I was Shi Changqing's daughter. Is this also related to Empress Shangguan?"
Upon hearing the name "Shi Changqing," Shangguan Yuqi's expression suddenly tightened, clearly hesitating whether or not to reveal the family secrets to A Qiu.
Seeing this, A Qiu quickly said, "If it's inconvenient for Miss to say, then let's just forget about it."
She already had a vague guess in her mind, but she couldn't say it out loud.
According to Zhao Lingying, the last emperor suspected that Empress Shangguan's child was not his own, and Shangguan Yuqi hated Shi Changqing intensely, repeatedly vowing to kill her, Shi Changqing's daughter, to avenge her aunt. Therefore, it is clear that Shi Changqing was responsible for Empress Shangguan's death.
But what methods could a man possibly use to harm a woman, especially an empress?
Based on her understanding of her master, he wasn't such a boring person.
Shangguan Yuqi bit her lip and said, "I only learned about this from my thirteenth uncle, Shangguan Jin. I did not see or hear it myself." She carefully considered her words and finally said, "In fact, my thirteenth uncle was just guessing and had no evidence. It was because that person did it very cleverly that no one suspected him."
For some reason, A-Qiu suddenly had a bad feeling.
For no other reason than that Shi Changqing was once the palace incarnation of her master, Wan Qiqing.
His master had infiltrated the palace several times, either to stealthily accompany her or to kill her with swift and decisive action. If he had ever infiltrated the Southern Dynasty court for an extended period, it certainly wasn't for virtuous deeds or simply out of a whim.
She heard Shangguan Yuqi say, word by word, "Shi Changqing, the musician of Xianshao Academy, is very likely a spy from the Northern Qiang. He infiltrated the palace to sow discord between the Emperor and Empress, and also to alienate my Shangguan family from the imperial Sima family. This is why the last Emperor became suspicious of my aunt."
A-Qiu suddenly paused in a daze.
Although my master is ruthless and cunning, he is not the kind of person who would exploit women and children.
"But the last emperor was only suspicious. My aunt had someone else in her heart, but she didn't know who it was. That's why he said he was very discreet. But his various actions could not be hidden from the spies in the palace that my thirteenth uncle had placed there."
A Qiu thought to himself, even so, if even the former Grand Secretary of the Great Huan Dynasty, the powerful minister Shangguan Jin, couldn't be certain about something, why was Shangguan Yuqi so certain, to the point that he would draw his sword and kill Shi Changqing's daughter as soon as he saw her?
Shangguan Yuqi possesses exceptional cultivation and a refined temperament. She is not the typical arrogant and reckless woman. If she makes such a judgment, it is certainly not based on mere hearsay.
Aqiu hesitated and said, "The former Grand Chancellor should only be able to deduce that Shi Changqing might be a spy for the Northern Qiang, but as for the matter of assassinating the Empress, I'm afraid there is no evidence."
Shangguan Yuqi said, "That's right. Thirteenth Uncle has no evidence. But I know this clearly."
A-Qiu asked in surprise, "Why?"
Shangguan Yuqi was just a young girl at the time, and it must have been difficult for her to enter the palace. If her master, a master who could come and go freely, wanted to do something, how could there be any trace left in the eyes of a young girl?
Shangguan Yuqi said, word by word, "Because I have personally witnessed my aunt bursting into tears upon hearing the name of Shi Changqing."
That was the last time she saw Yanxiu in her life.
She was brought into the palace by Shangguan Jin, who took her to Qiwu Palace, casually asked Yanxiu a few questions, and then went to Jingyang Palace to discuss military matters. Yanxiu was very happy to see her and immediately took her hand, sat her down at the desk, first examined her recent writings, and then asked about her family situation.
Shangguan Yuqi didn't consider herself a talented woman like Yanxiu; her poetry and prose were merely average. In truth, if asked about her true aspirations, she would rather be a master swordsman like her great-uncle, Shangguan Jin. However, as the current head of the Shangguan family, this thought remained merely a fleeting thought.
After answering Yanxiu's questions one by one, she noticed a stack of papers scattered on the desk and couldn't help but ask, "Aunt, have you been practicing calligraphy these days?"
Upon hearing her question, Yanxiu's eyes suddenly lit up, and she excitedly replied, "I've been doing something really interesting lately. Yuqi, have you ever heard of the White Silk Dance?"
"White Silk" was a representative work of the refined music and dance of Jiangnan at that time, and it was often played at banquets of princes and ministers. Most of the men in the Shangguan family were dashing and debonair, and they often frequented places of song, dance and banquet. If you asked any of the men in the Shangguan family what Yanxiu said, they would probably have seen it. However, when asked, Yuqi, the prudent and reserved young lady, only shook her head with a blank look.
However, seeing Yanxiu so happy, she was also gratified, because since marrying into the palace, she had intuitively known that Yanxiu had not been happy. Since Yanxiu was unusually interested today, she went along with it and asked, "What kind of music and dance is that?"
Yan Xiu's eyes sparkled, and her serene face revealed excitement. She said, "A friend told me that it was originally a song sung by weavers in Wu to their lovers while washing clothes and weaving, expressing their longing. Later, it was adapted and arranged by professional musicians and turned into a graceful dance. When dancing, the white silk flutters and the dancers sway like fairies. It is one of the most popular dances in recent years, but it has never been performed in the palace."
Shangguan Yuqi, being the future head of the family, smiled demurely and said, "This friend of my aunt's really knows a lot. May I ask if he is a man or a woman?"
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