Qingyun Shortcut
Gu Yi accompanied her here, originally for her safety, but even after his identity was revealed, he hardly had to say a word from beginning to end.
He felt a long-lost sense of ease.
A Qiu smiled and said, "I've been spending a lot of time with them since I was little, so I've picked it up naturally."
He added, "Nominally, I am the Third Hall Master, but among the three halls, the Divine Weapon Hall is actually the strongest, and the Divine Weapon Hall Master has always been the strongest of the three hall masters."
Gu Yi realized for the first time that he seemed to have gotten a great deal from Wan Qiqing. And Wan Qiqing's willingness to let A Qiu return to his side so readily was naturally due to his own calculations.
It's simply that his current position as the most powerful person in the Southern Dynasty is paving the way for A Qiu.
Gu Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "Why didn't you mention the foreign woman with the white veil to them just now?"
Aqiu was slightly taken aback and said, "Master still remembers that woman even now? And you also realized that she was a foreigner? Why didn't you mention it back then?"
Gu Yi paused for a moment, then said, "It's not that I specifically remembered her, it's just that her appearance at Beining Pavilion at this moment was too abrupt and eye-catching."
Moreover, when the woman passed by them, she used her divine aura to probe their strength. Gu Yi calmly protected A Qiu at that time.
He added, "I have entrusted this matter to you, and I will not interfere again." He trusted those he employed and did not employ those he distrusted. This was his consistent approach.
A Qiu suddenly realized, and replied with a wry smile: "At this moment, Chu Mao and his son only see us as cunning Southern Dynasty people who have come to probe their strength. No matter what I say, they will not believe it. They will only see it as sowing discord and making a futile effort to alert the enemy."
She added, "But they still come to us in the end. Not because of trust, but because they have no other choice."
Gu Yi sighed, "In some aspects, you've already graduated."
A-Qiu asked, "Master, the purpose of our trip was to investigate whether there were any problems with Li Chongyu's background. Have you gotten the answer?"
Gu Yi remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed softly and said, "Yes."
Ah Qiu, being so perceptive, knew that Gu Yi would not receive the answer he expected. Her expression changed in surprise as she said, "Chu Mao spoke so confidently, proving that Li Chongyu was a Han Chinese, but he was actually lying?"
Gu Yiwen's gentle gaze swept across A Qiu's face, and a bitter smile appeared on his usually calm face. He said, "If what he said is true, what's so difficult about making an oath? Why make an excuse to get rid of him?"
Hearing Gu Yi's analysis, A Qiu recalled Chu Mao's reaction at the time, and it was indeed as Gu Yi had said. She wanted Chu Mao to swear on his life to prove that Li Chongyu was indeed a Han Chinese. For soldiers who often faced life and death on the frontier, swearing an oath was no small matter. But if Li Chongyu's parents were indeed Han Chinese, Chu Mao could have easily dispelled the Southern Dynasty's suspicions with a single oath. Why did he change his expression on the spot and immediately make a big fuss by indirectly expelling him?
Aqiu felt a huge headache coming on and asked worriedly, "If the Marquis of Guannei is really half Xianbei, what does Master plan to do?"
Gu Yi looked at her with amusement, his voice softening slightly as he said, "You seem more worried than I am."
Throughout his conquests, he had often been caught in bloody battles, but never before had anyone stood before him, offering solutions to his problems. Moreover, he understood that A-Qiu's worries stemmed from him.
Aqiu said with distress, "Of course. When Master has something to do, the disciple will do his best. If Master finds something difficult, the disciple should share the burden. But I really don't know how to share this burden. I can't just put Li Chongyu into the Han woman's belly and have her give birth again!"
Gu Yi, who was usually stern-faced and rarely smiled, couldn't help but break into a smile for the first time.
He said softly, "Don't worry. If there's no way to control him just because he's a Xianbei, then I wouldn't be able to be the Junior Tutor."
A Qiu expressed his heartfelt reverence, saying, "The Southern Dynasty has a master, which is a blessing for all the people."
Although Hu Miaorong was the wife of a military officer and had recently been granted an imperial title, she came from the northern border and was not a particularly remarkable person in the capital city where the court was full of dazzling officials. Therefore, her unexpected death at this critical juncture did not cause much of a stir.
Or rather, the undercurrents were suppressed by the joint efforts of the imperial court and the Shuofang Army. The Shuofang Army claimed that the wife of the military advisor died suddenly from exhaustion after a long journey from Xueyang Pass to the capital.
But only two days after news of her death reached the palace, Jinling Terrace welcomed two uninvited guests.
After A-Qiu was taken away by Gu Yi from the Imperial Prison, she lost her martial arts skills and found it unsafe to move around the palace surrounded by experts. Therefore, A-Qiu never returned to the Music Bureau's dance troupe, nor did she see the other dancers. However, she learned from Gu Yi and An Daoling that they were not implicated in Huang Chao'an's case, were all declared innocent, and had resumed their previous lives of practicing martial arts, rehearsing, and serving at banquets in the Music Bureau.
Because of their outstanding performance at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the dance troupe is now frequently invited to banquets in the palace or by government officials in the capital. Although the dance troupe often serves at banquets, they do not need to flatter or fawn over anyone; they only need to focus on honing their skills.
This was Aki's wish when he first joined the dance club.
Not only do men refuse to compromise their integrity and suffer humiliation, but women do too. No one in the world willingly chooses to live by selling their dignity.
Ah Qiu had no idea that at this very moment, he would see his wife Sun and Xue Hongbi visiting.
Given their status, they were far from qualified to visit Jinlingtai. However, the Junior Master Charioteer was well-versed in all the information within the palace and knew that the Junior Master's successor, A Qiu, was originally a dancer in the Music Bureau. Therefore, when they mentioned A Qiu's name and explained their identities, they were granted the special privilege of being allowed to pass.
Upon seeing Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi, whose faces were still wet with tears, A Qiu immediately bowed down.
Although she had been in the martial world for a long time and had been taught by extraordinary masters such as Wan Qiqing and Gu Yi, it was Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi who showed A Qiu the perseverance of ordinary women. It was truly a strength as supple as a reed, yet unyielding.
Sun's wife helped her up, overwhelmed with emotion, unable to express it in words.
A Qiu was first promoted to the position of Dian Yue, rising from a female entertainer to an official, something unprecedented in the history of the Music Bureau. This honor made Sun Neiren and the other members of the dance troupe extremely proud.
Now that she has risen to a high position, the affairs of the dance troupe are no longer of much concern to her. Yet, she still risks her life for her mistress. Whether she is a person who covets wealth and power and has impure thoughts is already quite obvious.
Sun Neiren knew from the beginning that Gu Yi had taken a liking to her. She had even warned A Qiu about this, hoping that she would recognize her own status and not try to curry favor with the powerful, lest she fall from grace one day.
But now that Gu Yi has taken A Qiu as his disciple is known throughout the world. This is an extremely glorious and noble path to success, akin to a lucky carp transforming into a dragon, ascending to heaven in a single day.
Sun's wife could neither, nor intended to, obstruct A-Qiu's future. But she could also foresee that this extraordinary path was destined to be fraught with undercurrents, hidden dangers, and perils.
However, the fact that the dance troupe has such disciples who have carried on its legacy makes her proud and without regret.
Xue Hongbi got straight to the point: "Your master has come to say goodbye."
Ah Qiu, who had just been helped up by Sun's wife, was caught off guard by the news and exclaimed in shock, "What?!"
The usually stern Lady Sun looked at her with affection and sighed, "I am originally from Guangling. I moved to the capital with my family when I was young, and that's how I got into the Music Bureau. Although I have no parents in my hometown now, I still have distant relatives. I used to leave the palace because I was worried about the dance troupe. Now that Hongbi has taken over the instructor position, and you are there to support and take care of me, I... have nothing to worry about anymore."
A caged bird longs for its old forest, a fish in a pond yearns for its familiar pool. It's understandable that a palace maid, having spent half her life in loneliness, would want to return to her childhood home in her old age. However, this change was far too sudden for A-Qiu.
She always thought that Sun Neiren should be like the eternal lamp in the Temple of Music, burning there forever, accompanying her without ever leaving her.
The dance troupe was her first home outside Lanling Hall, and Sun Neiren was like a strict but dutiful mother.
Who dares to deny that the survival of the Yuefu Dance Troupe was half a lifetime of hard work and support by Lady Sun?
A Qiu wanted to dissuade them, but couldn't bring herself to speak. She had already seen the white flowers in the hair of Sun Neiren and Xue Hongbi.
They must have just visited Hu Miaorong's memorial hall today, and then came to say goodbye to her.
The rabbit dies and the fox grieves; creatures grieve for their own kind.
Lady Sun had never mentioned returning to her hometown before, and A Qiu always assumed she would spend her remaining years in the Music Bureau. After all, she had no children outside, but in the palace she still had disciples like A Qiu, Zhang Exu, and Cui Luzhu. As long as the Music Bureau existed, Lady Sun would still enjoy a glorious old age.
But the sudden death of Hu Miaorong, a perfectly healthy person, at this time must have been a wake-up call for her.
Three thousand Shuofang soldiers marched straight into the capital, and the situation inside and outside the capital was tense. Of the three leaders of Baizhu in the past, one of them was now gone, and Hu Miaorong seemed to be the most successful and honored among them, yet she ended up like this.
The power struggles and intrigues in the imperial court, and the fierce competition between the various forces in the north and south, were not something a dance and music instructor could understand. However, A Qiu knew that his music teacher had an intuitive and clear understanding of human affairs.
However, as the head musician, A Qiu knew that the dance troupe of the Music Bureau could not afford to lose his wife, Sun Neiren.
Although she was the head of the Baizhu dance troupe of her generation, she only knew Baizhu and was completely ignorant of other dance styles. Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu, on the other hand, had learned more dance styles than her, and could dance any dance choreographed by their predecessors, but they had absolutely no ability to create their own.
Xue Hongbi is talented enough to take on the main role, but it would be very difficult for her to do it alone. After all, rehearsing and performing requires both mental and physical strength. Even with two instructors present, they felt exhausted after rehearsing for days and nights for "White Silk".
A Qiu had once been praised by Gu Yi for "possessing the advantage of speaking eloquently," but now, facing the departure of the person she trusted and relied on most, she didn't know how to dissuade her. After hesitating for a long time, she tugged at Sun Neiren's sleeve and said, "Master, please stay and help me. Of the dancers from the previous generation, only you and Instructor Xue have survived to this day. But we will still have many more occasions when we need to perform grandly."
If this prosperous era continues, the development of music and dance will only become more and more prosperous over the next twenty, thirty or forty years.
However, if what follows is a chaotic era with years of war and widespread famine, then there will be no more large-scale song and dance performances.
A Qiu didn't know where her confidence came from to dare make such a promise to Lady Sun. She was just a minor musician, and although she was the successor of the Junior Master, even the Junior Master Gu Yi himself, and perhaps even the current emperor, wouldn't dare to guarantee it.
There will surely be lasting peace.
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