Returning to the old place
A Qiu thought that with her skills, she should be able to handle any situation. It seemed that Fan Liancheng was unaware that she was originally an assassin.
Feeling a warmth in her heart, she casually said, "Thank you. Is there anything unsettling happening in the palace?"
As she asked, she was puzzled. Since returning to the palace, she had walked through the palace at night with Xie Tiao and Shangguan Yuqi, but had not seen anything unusual. Fan Liancheng was not one to make things up out of thin air; could it be that the unusual situation in the palace was deliberately avoiding her?
Fan Liancheng pondered for a moment and said, "I can't really say for sure. But when I was on duty at night, I heard several palace servants say that there has been a near-demonic presence appearing in the palace recently."
She added, "It's not harmful, it's just that the appearance is frightening. I'm afraid it will scare you."
When A Qiu heard her say this, he knew in his heart that Fan Liancheng must have seen it with his own eyes, otherwise it was nonsense, and a soldier as experienced as Fan Liancheng would not believe it.
But Ah Qiu was no ordinary person; she would never fear monsters or ghosts. Even if it were a real spirit, it probably couldn't withstand her assassination attempt on the Qin emperor, or the sharp edge of Shangguan Yuqi's sword. Instead, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Have you seen it with your own eyes? What did that demon look like? Why was it allowed to roam the palace without being driven away?"
Fan Liancheng hesitated and said, "I have seen it, but I couldn't see it very clearly. That night, I was on patrol in front of Huiyin Palace when someone rushed to report that they had encountered that demon on the Tangli Water Corridor. When I immediately used my lightness technique to rush over, I had already startled the demon. I only saw a large ball of silvery-white light leap up and disappear only after reaching the opposite bank of the lake. I could vaguely see that it was a human shape."
She smiled wryly and said, "If we're talking about driving it away, how can we do that? We don't know its lair, nor do we know what it is. Besides, catching ghosts and demons isn't something our Imperial Guards and Flying Phoenix Guards can handle."
Ah Qiu whispered, "Does anyone else know about this?"
Fan Liancheng also said in a low voice, "You know the situation in the palace recently. His Majesty is seriously ill. Although Consort Zhao is in charge of the overall situation, she is extremely busy. Miss Shangguan only returned to the East Palace two days ago. Since this strange and absurd matter has not actually caused any damage to personnel or property, I did not report it. If you hadn't come tonight, I wouldn't have thought of it either."
As they talked, they crossed the water corridor and bridge and arrived at the Tangli Garden. It wasn't very late, and the West Garden was still brightly lit.
Fan Liancheng had safely delivered her there and knew that she was a former member of the Music Bureau and familiar with everything here, so he cupped his hands and said, "I am fine now and should be fine tonight. I have to return to the Jianzhang Army's northern camp tonight, so I won't keep you company any longer."
A Qiu knew that the most capable people in the army at this moment were herself, Sikong Zhao, and Pei Yu. Pei Yu was leading an army on a distant expedition, and the tens of thousands of Jianzhang troops in the capital were all under her and Sikong Zhao's command, so they must be extremely busy. The fact that they could still take care of her at night under such circumstances showed that Fan Liancheng was also a meticulous person.
Moved by her words, she blurted out, "General Fan, why are you so kind to me?"
When she thought about it, all her interactions with this heir of the Northwest Fan Clan were limited to a few meetings during the rehearsals for the dance "Yan Shining".
Fan Liancheng's expression behind the mask also paused slightly, and after a moment he said, "...You are the one who helped Brother Chongyu. I came from the Northwest, a long way away, and I don't know anyone else in the palace, so I might feel a sense of familiarity when I see you."
A Qiu then remembered that the Northwest Army and the Shuofang Army also had a long-standing friendship. Back then, Marquis Yongding, Fan Ying, had led a small army deep behind enemy lines and risked his life to rescue his old friend's son, Li Chongyu, from the chaos of battle. She had protected Li Chongyu all the way to the capital and fought her way out of the encirclement, so Fan Liancheng naturally took a liking to her.
Fan Liancheng gave her a few more reminders to be careful before leaving. A Qiu felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. Despite his young age, Fan Liancheng spoke like a grown-up, making it seem as if she were the one who needed to be taken care of.
Entering Tangli again now, Aqiu felt a pang of sadness. She still remembered the first night she entered the palace, standing under the dim palace lanterns in the corridor, waiting for Yue Zheng to choose her.
It wasn't that long ago, but now, thinking back, it feels like a past life. Who would have thought that when she set foot here again, she would have become the Grand Master of Music of the Dayan Dynasty, no longer a lowly musician who could be molded and manipulated at will.
A Qiu went directly to the main hall of the corridor where Le Zheng was working and specifically asked to see Cheng Hua Ling An Daoling.
Now she was a different person than before, and was now a superior official of the Music Bureau. When the messenger heard that it was the Grand Master of Music who had come in person, he was so scared that he almost wet himself. He immediately ushered her in, saying that he would ask her to wait a moment and that he would go and invite Lord An to see him.
A-Qiu stood alone in the hall, gazing at the large yellow silk painting depicting the administrative structure of the Music Bureau hanging on the wall, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.
The music bureau of the previous dynasty consisted of ten sections, absorbing and incorporating music from the Western Regions and various foreign countries. Although it was for entertainment and extravagance, and included beauties from various countries, it was also a symbol of the flourishing of culture and art.
In this generation, the Music Bureau only has three parts: sitting, standing, and dancing. However, above the Music Bureau, another elegant music institution headed by herself is about to appear.
That was the Taile Department, which was in charge of music for the imperial family and the royal court.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, her name will be forever recorded in history as the first Grand Master of Music of the Dayan Dynasty.
A series of hurried footsteps sounded, approaching from afar, but it seemed to be the sound of women's delicate yet powerful wooden clogs clattering together, and there was more than one person.
A Qiu turned around in surprise, wondering why a woman would come to the council hall of the Music Bureau when it was already late.
She turned around and froze. Even she, usually so composed, had tears welling in her eyes.
Led by Lady Sun, Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu rushed in. Upon seeing her for the first time, they burst into tears of joy and rushed forward to hug her, crying and laughing, "We're so glad we're alive to see you again!"
A Qiu put his arm around the two women's shoulders, unable to speak for a moment. He simply patted them gently, and after a while, he said softly, "It'll be alright. I've asked His Majesty to let you join me in rehearsing the Six Generations Dance. Even if the Divine Hound Camp had the greatest audacity, they wouldn't dare ask the Dance Department for more people!"
Zhang Exu smiled through her tears and said, "The first time I saw you, I knew you were capable. None of us are very literate, but you can read and interpret texts, and you can even argue with your wife. I was right. Look at you, you've become the highest-ranking official in our Music Bureau!"
Cui Luzhu chimed in, "I heard from my wife that you'll be in charge of us from now on, is that right? That's wonderful! No one in the palace will be able to bully us anymore!"
Ah Qiu embraced their thin but strong shoulders and said heavily, "Of course!"
Once upon a time, Lady Sun, Zhang Exu, and Cui Luzhu had used their not-so-strong shoulders and backs to protect her when she first arrived, from being bullied by Yue Zheng. Later, as she soared higher and higher, she never forgot the trust and care they had given her along the way. Now, she finally had the ability to protect the Dance Troupe under her wings. This was the only time since she had gained her current power and status that she truly felt gratified by this power.
After that, she could speak up for them openly, fight for them, stand with them, and present magnificent music and dance to the prosperous era of Dayan.
Looking at them, Lady Sun's usually stern face softened slightly as she said, "Don't ruin her clothes. It looks like it would have taken a lot of gold thread to make them. I brought you here to thank Lord Sile for saving her life, not to cause her any trouble!"
At this moment, A Qiu was dressed in the light yellow silk official robes of a third-rank female official. With tears in her eyes, she smiled at Sun Neiren and said, "Master, you are too kind. I am glad that I was able to help. I would never dare to put on airs in front of Lü Zhu and E Xu. My initial movements and breathing techniques were all taught to me little by little by them."
Although Lady Sun had long been in the inner palace of the Music Bureau, she was still more worldly-wise than Cui and Zhang. She frowned and said worriedly, "The day you entered the palace, you were barely able to protect yourself. You were only able to enter thanks to the protection of the Crown Prince. I even asked you about Exu and Lüzhu. In just a few days, you have not only been reinstated but also promoted to such a high position, and the troubles of Exu and Lüzhu have been resolved. With such a big move in such a short time, will you get into any trouble yourself?"
Ah Qiu did indeed have countless troubles, but now, facing Sun Neiren and the other two, she felt boundless courage, and nothing could stop her. She smiled and said, "I'm fine, Master, please don't worry." At this moment, she secretly vowed that for the sake of her sisters in the dance troupe, such as Zhang Exu and Cui Luzhu, she would never allow the Hu horses to have the opportunity to enter the territory of the Southern Dynasty and destroy the rare peace and harmony of the Music Bureau that had lasted for hundreds of years.
She immediately remembered the purpose of her visit and said to her wife, "Speaking of which, I do have something to ask Master An. It would be perfect if you were here with me, Master."
She then explained to Lady Sun in detail the task of restoring the "Shao" and "Wu" grand music to counter the "Po Zhen Yue" of the Northern Qiang. Lady Sun frowned upon hearing this and sighed, "This has indeed hit the weak point of our Music Bureau. Currently, the dance troupe consists only of women. In terms of grandeur and might, they are no match for the soldiers who gallop across the battlefield."
He added, “The vigorous dance that expresses strength has been passed down from our ancestors. Although we have learned it, we use it very little and it is not systematic. Even if everyone in the dance troupe were to perform vigorous dances while wielding weapons, women’s strength can never compare with that of men. If the dancers in the Music Bureau cannot be used at present, it will be a big problem just to find performers.”
A Qiu, however, remembered Zhao Lingying's idea and said, "Zhaorong said that if needed, officers can be transferred from the Divine Hound Camp to the Music Bureau for training. They are both men and soldiers, and of noble status. If they can train well, their performance will naturally be no less impressive than that of the Northern Qiang Army's music and dance troupe."
Sun Neiren and Cui and Zhang stared in disbelief for a long while before saying timidly, "We are already thankful that the Divine Hound Camp is not causing trouble for the Dance Department. It would be better not to lead them into the Music Bureau."
A-Qiu knew that unless there was absolutely no other way, it was best not to use the Divine Hound Camp, lest she invite trouble upon herself. So she said, "I came here to seek advice from Master An, but why is it my master who has come?"
Sun Neiren exchanged a glance with Cui and Zhang and said, "We heard the news of your return from the West Garden and rushed over to see you. As for Lord An, he is always elusive, sometimes appearing and sometimes disappearing. Whether he is at the Music Bureau or not, no one can control him."
Sun's wife continued, "The clerk who went to fetch Lord An for you was originally looking for Lord An but couldn't find him. He met us on the way, and I told him that if he couldn't find Lord An, it would be the same for me to come here. That's why he let us in to look for you."
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