One person bears
An Daoling frowned and said, "A short while ago, someone shot a letter into the palace. It said that Lady Shuanghua was paying respects to an old friend. The innocent palace maids picked it up and asked each other in private who Lady Shuanghua was. When I heard this, I knew that it must be an old friend coming to repay a favor, so I rushed here."
Shangguan Yuqi repeated, "An old friend from the past? You mean, the remnant of Shuanghua Hall, Lady Huachi Mo Yi Bishuang, is this old friend of yours?"
She spoke each word with extreme clarity, aiming to confirm the relationship between Mo Yi Bi Shuang and An Dao Ling.
To everyone's surprise, An Daoling did not refute, but nodded and said, "That's right."
Aqiu couldn't help but interject, "Do you know who Lady Huachi is? She was originally a spy from the Northern Qiang who infiltrated our country. The destruction of the former Huan dynasty was probably largely due to her. How could you owe her a favor and then form this Frost Flower Alliance with her?"
Actually, for some reason, Ah Qiu already had some emotions when she asked this question.
An Daoling had white eyebrows that reached his temples, and his beard and hair were completely white. He possessed a refined and scholarly air and was known as the Immortal of the Flute. He was a figure comparable to Shi Changqing, the incarnation of Wan Qiqing. She had always regarded this old man as a respected mentor, finding him to be upright, honest, and principled. As for Madam Huachi, frankly speaking, her reputation was not so good. To put it bluntly, one was a leader of the righteous path, a symbol of justice and fairness, while the other was almost a femme fatale who brought ruin to a country. She really didn't want to associate the two of them together.
Unbeknownst to her, Shangguan Yuqi, standing beside her, was also having the same thought, only her focus was not on An Daoling.
It is said that when Lady Huachi was in the Former Huan Dynasty, no man could resist her charm. Everyone was proud to be her devoted follower.
An Daoling's expression of surprise flashed by, but it wasn't in response to A Qiu's words; rather, it was a reaction to her subtle emotions.
He calmly said, “Back then, Lady Huachi was very skilled at social maneuvering and reading people. She was adept at navigating the palace. In those years, few people, whether in the imperial court or the inner palace, had not received her favors. We old folks have been stationed in the palace for so many years, how could we not see that her background was suspicious? We originally did not want to have anything to do with her, but in the end, we had no choice but to accept a favor from her. But since we have received a favor, we must repay it, regardless of whether she is good or evil. Tianji Sisu is not someone who does not speak his mind.”
Upon hearing these words, A Qiu realized that An Daoling did not owe her a favor for personal reasons.
An Daoling sighed and said, "Only after hearing what you said today do I learn her true identity. Before, we only regarded her as an ambitious woman who loved power and would do anything to climb the social ladder. But if that's the case, she probably held back against the Southern Dynasty."
To A Qiu, An Daoling and Mo Yi Bishuang didn't seem to have much contact, yet An Daoling seemed to have a fairly good impression of her. But then she realized why.
With her shrewdness and cunning, Mo Yi Bi Shuang naturally presents different faces to different people. If she weren't so adept at switching between social situations, she wouldn't possess such captivating charm.
Given her expertise, she would never show her bad side to strangers, because it would do her no good.
So far, she has presented an unforgettable and moving image to everyone. Only a criminal expert like Mu Huaying, meticulously piecing together fragments of her past, can barely discern the evidence of her influence over the political situation and her deliberate corruption and division of the former Huan regime.
This is precisely the opposite of the Mohist school of thought's supposed role in establishing and building a nation: the downfall and destruction of the country.
A Qiu did not refute An Daoling's words, but said in a deep voice: "If Lord An's desire to repay kindness is so firm, then if Mo Yi Bi Shuang's request today is to let the Four Constellations of Tianji assassinate the emperor and force him to abdicate, or to act as an inside agent when the Northern Qiang army is at the gates of the city, would Lord An still put personal gratitude first?"
As she said this, she stared intently at An Daoling, watching to see how he would react.
To everyone's surprise, An Daoling said knowingly, "It's most likely not her who will come, but her successor. Otherwise, why would she have gone to all the trouble of having us plant this Frost Vine? If it were her, she could have just come and told us, and that would have been enough."
He met A Qiu's gaze without flinching and said, "That's why, as soon as I heard about this, I immediately ordered the news to be kept under wraps and came here in person."
Before A Qiu could react, he continued, "Whatever demands her heir makes, I, An Daoling, will bear them all. If we are unable to fulfill them, or if it violates loyalty and chivalry, I will repay with my life."
A Qiu was completely shocked to learn that An Daoling had this plan, and for a moment he was too stunned to say another word.
Shangguan Yuqi's face was also pale, clearly she had also thought of the Frost Vine in her family's forbidden area.
A-Qiu's mind was in turmoil. He felt that something was wrong with the whole thing, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
An Daoling looked at her kindly and said gently, "I think I have made myself clear. Lord Siyue and Chief Shangguan should no longer worry that I will betray the Southern Dynasty, right?"
If it were anyone else, A Qiu would not have believed such empty words, especially since they concerned the safety of the Southern Dynasty. But An Daoling was such a gentleman; having already made the decision that he would rather die than betray the dynasty, how could A Qiu dare to doubt him?
Seeing that A Qiu was still hesitant and silent, An Daoling assumed that she was still unsure whether to trust him. Just as he was about to speak again, A Qiu suddenly waved her hand to interrupt him, saying, "No."
Both An Daoling and Shangguan Yuqi were puzzled. Shangguan Yuqi asked first, "What's wrong?"
A Qiu slowly said, "There are too many things that don't make sense." She gathered her thoughts and said, "First of all, where is the letter that was shot in? Secondly, what exactly is written in the letter? Also, why was Lord An so certain that the person who came must be a descendant of Mo Yi Bi Shuang as soon as he heard the name Shuang Hua?"
An Daoling was taken aback by her counter-question and said, "Let me answer your third question first: Only the four of us and Lady Huachi herself know about our pact with Lady Huachi using the Frost Vine. There is no sixth person who knows about it. I think it is impossible for Lady Huachi to reveal such an important matter to others. Because asking the Four Constellations of Tianji to do something for her is no small favor, and she should understand that."
He continued, “As for the letter that was shot in, and its contents, I had no chance to see it. The palace is quite large, and I only have jurisdiction over the Music Bureau. I have no authority to search other palaces for this letter, and doing so would only escalate the situation. I believe that whoever shot the letter in did not expect that the four of us would be the ones to find it. He simply wanted to spread the word that he was looking for us, and if we still had the sincerity to keep our promise, we would find a way to contact him once we received this message. Therefore, he would not have actually written anything important in the letter.”
He sighed softly, "This letter is not even signed by Lady Huachi, but by Lady Shuanghua. Now, apart from us, no one in the palace understands what the name Shuanghua means."
A Qiu thought that might not be the case. At least Madam Pei, Mu Huaying, had studied at Shuanghua Hall in her childhood and was Madam Huachi's junior sister. But this relationship between the two was known only to the parties involved, so it was normal for Tianji Sisu not to know.
However, An Daoling's deductions are mostly reasonable.
Ah Qiu finally understood the most crucial point and said, "Actually, before I came here, the person I thought I would meet was not An Gong."
An Daoling's eyes suddenly lit up, and he said, "Who do you think it could be?"
Ah Qiu finally uttered the name, word by word: "Senior Zhongli."
She continued, “After learning that the Frost Vine in the palace was located in the Temple of Music, the only person I wanted to get it from was Senior Zhongli. Because the Temple of Music has always been her territory, and she would never allow anyone else to plant this Frost Vine here without permission.”
An Daoling smiled slightly and said, "Is there a difference? The four of us are one, advancing and retreating together. Whoever owes a favor, whoever repays it, it's all the same. Qiu'er, you're meddling a bit too much."
An Daoling was always kind and gentle, so it was clear that A Qiu's persistent questioning today had already aroused his resentment.
Shangguan Yuqi, standing to the side, understood perfectly. As a martial arts senior who had been famous for nearly fifty years, he didn't need to explain his actions to these two juniors. Whether he was repaying a debt of gratitude or seeking revenge, it was his own business. If, given the current situation, he needed to explain himself to the Grand Master of Music and the Flying Phoenix Chief, who represented the imperial court, he had already made it clear that he would never betray the Southern Dynasty.
Ah Qiu's repeated questioning had clearly displeased this gentleman.
Shangguan Yuqi, who was always detached and indifferent, couldn't help but reach out and pat A Qiu's shoulder, saying, "Perhaps we should leave first. Lord An has already promised to handle this matter himself, and it is indeed inappropriate for us outsiders to interfere."
Ah Qiu replied decisively, "There is a difference!"
An Daoling and Shangguan Yuqi were both stunned.
A Qiu said, "The difference is that it was Senior Zhongli who planted this Frostflower Vine, but it was Duke An who came. If the news has already spread throughout the palace, Senior Zhongli should have received it by now. So why didn't she come? Or at least she should be on her way here."
A calm and composed female voice sounded behind the three of them: "That's because she was the first to receive the news, and she has already left the palace to keep her appointment with the Frost Flower Master."
All three of them immediately turned around, then stared in disbelief.
A handsome scholar in a blue robe stood on the steps of the temple, looking at them with a solemn expression.
This person had a face like jade, eyebrows like spring mountains, and a pair of bright and captivating eyes that shone like stars. A Qiu was certain that he had never seen her before, yet he instinctively felt a sense of familiarity with her.
Moreover, the use of "she" is because, although she was dressed as a scholar, anyone with eyes could see that she was a woman.
The three people in the garden, whether it be A Qiu, Shangguan Yuqi, or An Daoling, are all top-notch masters of their time.
But this woman crept up behind them so silently that no one noticed. If she hadn't spoken just now, they probably still wouldn't have realized her presence.
Such cultivation has reached a level of unparalleled mastery, beyond the comprehension of even ghosts and gods.
Of all the people A Qiu had ever seen, perhaps only his two masters, Gu Yi and Wan Qiqing, could compare to him.
She racked her brains but couldn't figure out who it was, so she turned to Shangguan Yuqi for help.
Shangguan Yuqi's expression was one of surprise, but even more so, alertness. In an instant, she drew the "Ice Bamboo" from her back, ready for battle. She asked, "Who are you?"
Her reaction was also reasonable, as she was a member of the Eastern Palace Flying Phoenix Guard, whose primary duty was the safety of the palace.
The appearance of such a suspicious expert with an unknown origin and the ability to come and go freely right under her nose at Jianzhang Palace naturally triggered hostility in her.
If they were friends and not enemies, it would be impossible for them to enter the palace without going through the main gate or being notified.
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