panic
A Qiu knew what she meant; she wanted him to practice with the Ancestral Dragon Sword so he could practice the Emperor's Sword Technique every day.
Then it occurred to her why, throughout history, the Ancestral Dragon Sword has mostly been used as a ceremonial object, with very few monarchs actually using it as a weapon. Even Xie Lang's nighttime outing was just a random hacking spree with the Ancestral Dragon Sword, devoid of any real technique. It turns out that the Ancestral Dragon Sword has a specific sword technique to accompany it, namely the Emperor's Sword Technique passed down to her by Sima Yao. Those who do not inherit this technique cannot use it as a weapon.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Chu Yuanyi stole the sword. Although he spoke with great bravado, he was somewhat guilty inside. Now that he had the approval of the former Princess Huan, Sima Yao, he was overjoyed and said, "Yao Yao, you also think I did the right thing, right? After all, this is a property of the Sima family, not the Xie family. It should be returned to its rightful owner."
A Qiu gently shook her head, picked up the Ancestral Dragon Sword with both hands, and said to Sima Yao, "Aunt Yao, I'll take my leave now and return to the palace. I'll also return the sword to you. This sword is just right for that person to use." She was naturally referring to Xie Tiao, the Crown Prince of Dayan.
Sima Yao and Chu Yuan both exclaimed in unison, "No..."
Ah Qiu said calmly, "Our Southern Dynasty may not be so hopeless. Aunts, please don't worry."
Chu Yuan said anxiously, "Jianzhang Palace is about to fall. The Northern Qiang army will enter the city soon. When I left the palace, I saw many people carrying their belongings and running out of the city with their carriages. That's what I was thinking, which is why I sneaked out to find you. Why are you going back?"
A Qiu stared at Chu Yuanyi with wide eyes in surprise: So Chu Yuanyi's original plan was to bring his belongings and join her in her escape?
She didn't recall Chu Yuanyi doing anything similar when Huan was destroyed last time.
Chu Yuanyi replied matter-of-factly, "Wherever you are, I will be there. I am guarding you, not the palace."
A-Qiu said, both amused and annoyed, "If that's the case, then I'm going back now. Aunt Yuan Yi, will you come back with me?"
Chu Yuan stammered for a long time before finally saying, "I haven't left the palace in a long time either. There's no such thing as escaping out of the palace and running back. It would be too embarrassing."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu immediately knew that Chu Yuanyi no longer wanted to stay in the palace. Indeed, Chu Yuanyi had steadfastly guarded the burned-down Qiwu Palace for over ten years, receiving neither salary nor official status, demonstrating his utmost loyalty and integrity.
The Four Constellations of Tianji originally had a forty-year guardianship pact with the Sima clan. Now that forty years have long passed and the Sima imperial family has been wiped out, Chu Yuanyi should regain his freedom.
She must have come out of the way specifically to keep her company in seclusion.
Chu Yuan looked at A Qiu in disbelief and asked, "You really want to go back?"
A Qiu nodded lightly but firmly, then turned her pleading gaze to Sima Yao once more.
Before she could speak, Sima Yao said, "I am the current caretaker of this tomb. I can decide to take in one more person. She is an old servant of my elder brother and we had a childhood friendship, so I can keep her. However," her voice suddenly turned stern, and she said loudly, "I wonder if anyone will complain that the Shangguan family's land is too dirty, or that the food from the Shangguan family is too hard to handle, and therefore not want to stay here!"
A Qiu simply smiled and bowed, saying, "Thank you for taking me in, Aunt Yao!" She then pushed Chu Yuan forward, adding, "Why don't you thank Princess Langya!"
She was afraid that mentioning the name "Shangguan" would provoke Chu Yuanyi, so she only mentioned Princess Langya, implying to Chu Yuanyi that there was still a close connection between them and the Sima family.
Chu Yuanyi hesitated and said, "It's not that I'm complaining. This place seems fairly clean to me. I haven't eaten yet. I don't know if it will get stuck in my teeth."
A Qiu suppressed a laugh and pushed her away, saying, "I've already eaten for you. Aunt Yao's cooking skills are just as good as her swordsmanship. It was delicious."
Chu Yuan's eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "Really?"
Now she was genuinely overjoyed. The Shangguan Forbidden Area was a place of scenic beauty, with bamboo groves stretching for miles. Although it was called a cemetery, the actual burial area was only a small section behind the mountain. The rest was an excellent place for recuperation amidst the beautiful scenery. It could be said that there were few places like this in the entire capital.
Ah Qiu said solemnly, "Really!"
He then whispered, "However, considering your relationship with Emperor Wu, Aunt Yao is practically your master. You must listen to her and not anger her. Don't curse the Shangguan family in front of her. She is a woman who married into the Shangguan family; if you curse the Shangguan family, it's the same as cursing her."
In fact, since Chu Yuanyi had dealt with Shangguan Yuqi several times and obtained A Qiu again, she no longer hated the Shangguan family as much as before. Although Shangguan Jin had a grudge against her, she was ultimately a chivalrous hero and knew that fighting would inevitably result in death or injury, so she was not petty.
So she sighed, "What bad luck has the lady of the Sima family had to marry into this desolate, lifeless place? It's such a misfortune! Alas!"
She dared not continue speaking, but Sima Yao was glaring at her, and that expression was almost exactly the same as that of Sima Yan when he was a child.
Seeing that she had finally shut up, Sima Yao turned to A Qiu and said calmly, "I know you have great ambitions. Do what you want to do. As for the rest, you know without me having to tell you: protect Yu Qi and don't let anything happen to her. That will be your way of repaying me for saving you today."
A-Qiu held the sword and said, "A-Qiu remembers." She added, "I will definitely find a way to find the Crown Prince and pass on my aunt's swordsmanship."
Sima Yao said calmly, "No dynasty lasts forever, nor does any nation last for a thousand years. The Emperor's Heavy Sword also has its own destiny. There's no need to force things; just let things take their course. Go."
The layout and geography of Jianzhang Palace are now second nature to A-Qiu.
She knew everything about the static city gates, palace alleys, passageways, passes, and garrisons; even the times and shifts of the Imperial Guards' patrols and rotations.
From this perspective, Wanqiqing's initial goal of sending her into the palace has been achieved: if an assassination attempt were to be carried out within Jianzhang Palace, she would now be the most familiar with the terrain within Lanling Hall. Even though his senior brother Gongyi Xiu is the Left Prime Minister, he mainly frequents the area within Jianzhang Palace known as the "Outer Court," and rarely enters the Xuanfeng Gate, the area known as the "Inner Palace."
Only A-Qiu first served as a dancer and musician in the Tangli Music Bureau located in the inner palace, and later had her own office in the previous dynasty as the "Grand Master of Music"—the Taile Bureau. She also participated in politics and became a noteworthy newcomer in court discussions.
As A Qiu used her "Earth Concealment" technique to the fullest extent, taking advantage of the gaps in the heavily guarded area to cross the thick city walls and gradually approach the Hundred Thousand Inner Garden, all her experiences since entering the palace kept replaying in her mind.
Even though she felt she could face it all now, she still felt a sense of感慨 and 怅叹息.
True growth isn't about how many heads you've chopped off, but about how many people you've genuinely connected with, how much you've loved and how much you've suffered, and how much you've witnessed the full spectrum of human nature.
The place she was heading towards was the Eastern Palace, where Crown Prince Xie Tiao resided, which was also the central area of the harem.
A Qiu's original intention was to find Xie Tiao, return the Ancestral Dragon Heavy Sword to him, and take the opportunity to teach him how to practice the heavy sword.
If Xie Tiao could master this Emperor's Sword, ordinary assassins would be no match for him. This heavy sword technique was created specifically to deal with assassinations in front of the palace. When the heavy sword is swirled into a powerful stance, no one can get close within seven feet of him. Moreover, once an attack is launched, it is fierce and ruthless, possessing the aura of dominating the world and swallowing everything in its path. Ordinary martial arts masters would be intimidated by it.
If Xie Tiao can master this sword technique, even if Mo Yimingyue comes in person, he will not be able to harm him in the slightest.
This was her way of repaying Xie Tiao for his repeated protection of her.
In order not to alert the palace and to avoid further questions from Xie Lang, Gu Yi, and others, she did not choose to enter through the main gate and return openly. Instead, she resorted to her old profession as an assassin—sneaking out at night.
For an ordinary assassin, this was, of course, unimaginable. The imperial palace was heavily guarded, with checkpoints everywhere, and there were also secret guards with eyes and ears. Even if one could steal a map, there were many variables, and one would probably be captured by the guards before even entering the inner palace.
This is why, even when Jing Ke attempted to assassinate the King of Qin, he could only appear before the King as an envoy of Yan and then seek an opportunity to assassinate him in public. He could not freely enter the palace and come and go as he pleased.
In the Southern Dynasty today, only A Qiu and Wan Qiqing have achieved this. The reason is that they are both people who have actually lived in the palace for a considerable period of time.
It is evident that infiltration and assassination must be effectively combined to achieve the greatest effect.
But Ah Qiu's purpose in coming here was certainly not to assassinate.
She did this simply to avoid disturbing her old friends in the palace and to prevent an awkward encounter for everyone.
After all, she was already a pawn that the Southern Dynasty had sent away. If she continued to cling to the door, it would make things difficult for everyone.
A Qiu wrapped the Ancestral Dragon Sword in coarse cloth before carrying it on his back. This made it easier for him to leap up and down, and he didn't have to worry about the light reflected by the golden heavy sword in the night being seen from the ground.
The thought of Chu Yuanyi so openly carrying the Ancestral Dragon Sword on his back, practically swaggering out of the palace, sent a chill down her spine.
With Chu Yuanyi's skills, ordinary palace guards wouldn't even be able to spot her. But to a master like Rong Yuexian, it was child's play. Yet even so, no one bothered with her. Did others really think: the Great Yan Dynasty is doomed sooner or later, and the Ancestral Dragon Sword is left here; rather than letting it fall into the hands of the Northern Qiang, it's better to let Chu Yuanyi carry it away?
Upon this thought, a sense of foreboding suddenly arose in her heart.
There was a rustling of clothes behind her, indicating that although the newcomer had arrived, he had no intention of hiding himself from her.
A Qiu turned around without making a sound, instantly raising his mind to a state of perfect clarity for assassination, while the assassination attempt on Qin slipped from his sleeve into his palm.
With the assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang in her hand and the First Emperor of Qin on her back, she fears no one.
But the moment her gaze fell upon the newcomer, all of her spiritual sword realms shattered completely.
Her body trembled slightly, and she immediately lowered her gaze to hide her panic.
She never expected to meet someone at Jianzhang Palace so soon.
In the night, Gu Yi's golden feather black cloak fluttered in the wind, and his unbound, unadorned black hair was free of any silver strands.
Behind him stretched a vast expanse of stars, dazzling and bright like a waterfall.
His eyes were so deep, yet he stared intently at her.
Gone was the slight embarrassment of their first meeting, and the sinister charm of his later silver hair and gray eyes.
He just stared at her quietly, as if her presence there was the most natural thing in the world.
His presence here is also...
Because Gu Yi hadn't been blocking her way, but rather following behind her. A Qiu took a deep breath, made up her mind, met Gu Yi's gaze, and calmly said, "I came here on business, but I'll be leaving in a moment."
Gu Yi's gaze did not even glance at the Ancestral Dragon Sword on her back; he remained focused on her.
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