Not surprising
Shangguan Yuqi's gaze returned to the Frost Vine in A Qiu's hand, and she said seriously, "Consort Chen asked me to help you investigate the matter of the Frost Vine's former associates, but I have something I want to tell you now. Please promise me that you will not be surprised."
Since they met, Shangguan Yuqi had rarely been so serious. A Qiu was unsure what she was going to say, and her heart pounded with anticipation. On the surface, she said nonchalantly, "Miss, you don't mean to tell me that you're planning to resign from your official post and retire from the court to go back to your forbidden area for secluded cultivation, do you?"
She had only made it up on the spot, but as she spoke, she began to feel afraid.
Judging from Shangguan Yuqi's condition, she seems to have broken through to the Great Perfection realm and is progressing rapidly.
The previous incident was both a tribulation and a breakthrough for Shangguan Yuqi. It was probably the first time in her life that Shangguan Yuqi had directly confronted the evil of the human world. The heart of a sword immortal is detached and indifferent, viewing worldly affairs as fleeting clouds. But when faced with life-or-death situations, the most despicable schemes and treachery, the sword immortal's Dao heart finally underwent a true engagement with the world.
That is the fusion of "inner" and "outer".
The Shangguan Yuqi of the past may have viewed the world as a game of chess, unable to truly understand the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, nor comprehend the meaning of the sword in her hand in the mortal realm. She was merely fulfilling the responsibilities befitting the head of the family, as required by her clan.
A Qiu was not a cultivator, but even with his intuition, he could sense that Shangguan Yuqi's current state meant that if she wanted to pursue further cultivation, the best way would be to go into seclusion to solidify her Dao heart.
To be tempered by the world and then retreat into seclusion to understand one's true nature—this is the path that all those who cultivate the Tao must take.
But Shangguan Yuqi's seclusion is likely different from the usual three to five days; it will last at least three to five years. A Qiu had seen Li Wujiu in the forbidden area of Dawan Mountain and understood what that state was like.
Seeing that Shangguan Yuqi was staring at her without saying a word, she panicked and stammered, "Did I guess I was right? Huh?"
Shangguan Yuqi looked away and said casually, "If it were you, what would you do?"
A-Qiu was immediately speechless and could not utter another word.
That would be another, even more devastating blow to her spirit, following Lie Changkong's departure.
This was not only because she desperately needed Shangguan Yuqi's strong support during the North-South war.
More than anything, the thought of never seeing her again brought a sudden sense of confusion and bewilderment.
Ah Qiu had never considered the significance of Shangguan Yuqi's existence to her. That was because she had always felt that since entering the palace, Shangguan Yuqi had always stood naturally by her side. Unlike others, she had never felt a sense of distance from Shangguan Yuqi because of his high status.
Only now did she realize that her dependence on Shangguan Yuqi was probably even greater than her dependence on her two senior brothers; they were two completely different kinds of feelings.
Gongyi Xiu and Moyi Mingyue are both men, and their interactions are more of a competitive spirit of mutual respect, a game-like battle of wits and courage.
But she always had complete trust in Shangguan Yuqi.
In that instant, she suddenly understood the feelings of Shangguan Yuqi and Zhao Lingying when they lost Shangguan Yanxiu.
Shangguan Yuqi's calm and insightful gaze returned to her face, revealing surprise, astonishment, and a slight expression of emotion.
A Qiu was unaware of how distraught she appeared in Shangguan Yuqi's eyes. She subconsciously grabbed Shangguan Yuqi's sleeve and mumbled blankly, "Tell me this isn't true. You won't leave."
Gu Yi retired first, then Lie Changkong. Now even Shangguan Yuqi is leaving.
In this Southern Dynasty palace, one by one, those she was closest to and trusted left her. She toiled tirelessly for the sake of the world, and thinking of the long road ahead, she felt only boundless loneliness.
The moment of waiting for a reply seemed longer than eternity. Shangguan Yuqi stared at her hand, which was clutching his sleeve, for a long while before finally sighing and saying, "I really did come here to resign from my post before His Majesty. You can certainly see my current situation."
From her words, A-Qiu sensed there was still a chance, and her eyes finally regained some light. She immediately said, "So you mean you originally planned to resign, but now you've decided not to?"
Shangguan Yuqi said apologetically, "I only knew that Hulü Guang came to ask for a marriage alliance, and that his intention was definitely not for the friendship and peace between the two countries. But I thought that there would not be a major war within three to five years. I did not know at the time that a war between the North and the South was imminent, and that the Northern Qiang had already sent troops south."
Her gaze fell again on the Frost Vine in A Qiu's hand, and she said, "Actually, what I wanted to tell you, and what you shouldn't be surprised about, is not this. Since I agreed to be your henchman before the Emperor, I won't change my mind at the last minute."
A-Qiu was completely bewildered by her, scratching her head and asking, "What exactly is that?"
Shangguan Yuqi said slowly, word by word, "I have seen the Frost Vine."
A Qiu stared in disbelief for a moment before saying, "You said you originally planned to resign from your post before His Majesty, but did you change your mind after seeing this Frost Vine?"
At this moment, she recalled the change in Shangguan Yuqi's eyes when he entered the hall.
At that time, Madam Pei, Mu Huaying, had already noticed Shangguan Yuqi's unusual expression. She subtly asked if she had seen the vine before, but Shangguan Yuqi easily brushed it off by saying, "The Frostflower Vine looks very similar to the gourd vine outside my aunt's window, which reminded me of old friends and memories." No one in the hall, including Emperor Xie Lang, suspected anything. A Qiu, in particular, never doubted it.
Looking back now, Shangguan Yuqi must have changed her mind the moment she saw the Frost Vine and decided to stay and help her. Therefore, she immediately agreed to Consort Chen's request to assist A Qiu in investigating the Frost Vine, and never mentioned resigning from her post.
Shangguan Yuqi said, "Yes! But that's only one of the reasons. The main reason is still the imminent outbreak of the North-South War. At this critical juncture, how can I not contribute to the country and only care about my own cultivation breakthrough?" She carefully examined A Qiu's expression and said, "You don't seem curious about where I saw the Frost Vine?"
Aqiu smiled wryly and said, "In the palace?"
Because Consort Chen had already hinted to her that there were Frostflower Vines somewhere in the palace. As the head of the Flying Phoenix Guard, Shangguan Yuqi often patrolled and took turns on duty in the palace, so she must be familiar with the terrain and vegetation of the palace. It would not be surprising if she had seen them before.
Shangguan Yuqi showed surprise and asked, "There are some in the palace too?" She then shook her head and said, word by word, "I'm talking about the forbidden area of my Shangguan family."
Even with Ah Qiu's mental preparation, she was still greatly shocked and said in disbelief, "The family cemetery guarded by the Shangguan family for generations? My God!"
The reason she changed color was that if this were true, it would only be the tip of the iceberg; the truth hidden beneath the surface was truly unimaginable!
It is no exaggeration to say that, looking at both the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Shangguan family was the backbone of Han Chinese civilization and the pinnacle of Han Chinese culture. This is why both the current emperor, the Xie family, and Hulü Guang diligently sought a daughter of the Shangguan family as their empress. In short, whoever gained the Shangguan family's approval gained the support of the Central Plains' traditions and the hearts of the Han people.
The Shangguan family, with such a prestigious status, had actually made promises and agreements with Madam Huachi, Mo Yi Bi Shuang.
When the master of Shuanghua Hall returns, will the Shangguan family also pledge allegiance to him?
In this way, wouldn't the Northern Qiang be able to easily seize half of the Southern Dynasty's territory without lifting a finger?
A Qiu's mind was in turmoil. She could only stare at Shangguan Yuqi, unable to utter a single word.
Shangguan Yuqi looked at her and said with a wry smile, "So, Consort Chen instructed me to help you investigate the Frost Vine, should we start by investigating my family?"
A-Qiu's mind gradually cleared from the chaos. She tried to organize her thoughts and after a moment said, "It's your family's business, but do you know where to start investigating?"
Shangguan Yuqi gave a helpless smile and said, "As you can see, I'm also very confused right now. I don't know who to ask, or what the result will be."
It's not entirely Shangguan Yuqi's fault. At this moment, anyone who gets involved with Shuanghua Teng is facing a serious matter that could lead to their family's annihilation. After all, the name Shuanghua Teng is practically synonymous with a Northern Qiang spy.
The reason A Qiu was able to let Yuan Si Niang go was because Yuan Si Niang, being a mere merchant, truly lacked the ability to act as a spy after the Hidden Moon Clan withdrew, leaving only the elderly, weak, sick, disabled, women, and children on the first floor, and after Luo Yu Fang closed its doors. Moreover, she was unaware of what Mo Yi Bi Shuang had done.
Yuan Si Niang was unaware that the person who helped her back then was none other than Lady Hua Chi, who was famous throughout the Southern Dynasty and once held immense power.
But if the same thing were to happen to the Shangguan family, the pillars of the Southern Dynasty and the backbone of the nation, A Qiu would never dare to be so lenient. For centuries, the Shangguan family had been the leading political clan among the Han Chinese; whoever the Shangguan family supported could become the new emperor.
A Qiu said in a deep voice, "I only know that whatever promises the Shangguan family made to Madam Huachi, you were unaware of them and had nothing to do with this matter."
Shangguan Yuqi smiled wryly and said, "I am the current head of the Shangguan family. If even I don't know about this, then the person most likely to know the inside story is my uncle, who is the clan leader."
That was Shangguan You, the chief minister of the current dynasty and the Left Chancellor.
A Qiu recalled Shangguan You's performance in the palace just now. Not only did he have no good feelings towards the Northern Qiang, but he also cursed Huli Guang so severely that he could not bear to eat his skin or sleep on his flesh.
However, the change of regime is not based on personal likes or dislikes.
If Lady Huachi had made a promise to the Shangguan family, using the Frost Vine as a token, that the Shangguan family would not be harmed if the Northern Qiang attacked and breached Jianzhang, the Shangguan family would likely not refuse such a benefit. After all, in the face of family ruin and death, preserving the clan is of course paramount.
But what the conditions were for the exchange were, A-Qiu could hardly imagine.
What if it was a coup or a surrender of the city?
Ah Qiu's headache grew worse with each thought, so she steeled herself and said, "My master once taught me something: if you can't figure something out right now, don't dwell on it. Just do what you can do at hand, and your thoughts will gradually become clearer as you work through the situation. Why don't you put this matter aside for now and come with me to the inner palace to investigate the Frostflower Vine? After that, the clues will naturally come to mind, and I'm sure it won't take much time."
Shangguan Yuqi snapped out of her reverie, seemingly somewhat surprised, and glanced at her, saying, "Master? You mean these are the words of the Young Master? They seem quite reasonable. I didn't know the Young Master was such a decisive person."
A Qiu was taken aback by her question. It turned out that this was the way of handling emergencies that Wan Qiqing had taught her back in Lanling Hall. Gu Yi was thoughtful and meticulous in his actions, which was not his usual style. She could only laugh awkwardly and change the subject, saying, "Is that so? Let's go to Tangli Garden first."
When A Qiu slipped away from the crowd and revealed the Frostflower Vine to Lady Sun in its entirety, Lady Sun was initially unaware of its importance. She calmly looked it over and then said, "I have indeed seen this vine before, but A Qiu, you have also seen it, you just may not have noticed it at the time."
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