Trying to catch fish by climbing a tree
Xiao Chang'an glanced at Shangguan Yuqi again, his gaze immediately becoming complicated. He said, seemingly intentionally, "Haven't you heard the saying 'playing with fire will get you burned'? Don't be so quick to risk your life for others in the future, okay?"
By the last sentence, his tone had become accusatory.
Before A Qiu could answer, Shangguan Yuqi's gentle and pure voice, like heavenly music, rang out, saying each word clearly: "Are the people of the Lanling Xiao family so fond of using underhanded tactics? Young Marquis Xiao, your desire to test the Shangguan Sword is probably not something that just arose today, is it?"
Shangguan Yuqi directly pointed out Xiao Chang'an's identity and background, which was her way of fighting in accordance with the principles of swordsmanship.
Xiao Chang'an is cunning and resourceful, and no one can fathom his words and motives. However, Shangguan Yuqi is ruthless and unpredictable, leaving him no chance to be distracted or distracted.
Xiao Chang'an was originally chosen by Gu Yi as a disciple of the Hidden Sect, so most of the powerful families in the court would not investigate his background anymore, which was out of respect for Gu Yi.
At this moment, Gu Yi had already distanced himself from court affairs, and various forces were naturally eyeing him covetously. Shangguan Yuqi's ability to immediately identify Xiao Chang'an's family background indicated that the Shangguan family, as the leading aristocratic family in the Southern Dynasty, had already paid special attention to Xiao Chang'an.
If Xiao Chang'an were to retreat and distract himself again, it would only expose that he had fallen behind the Shangguan family in terms of information, so he dared not confront them head-on.
Xiao Chang'an took a deep breath, his eyes brightening as he met Shangguan Yuqi's gaze without flinching. He smiled and said, "The Shangguan Sword has two branches, male and female, but it is an anomaly that Miss has inherited both branches. She is a genius unlike any other. It is said that no one has ever been able to force Miss to reveal the female sword. Therefore, Chang'an is also eager to see if he has the ability to do so."
He revealed the secret of Shangguan Yuqi's family sword technique in one sentence. A Qiu had only heard about this from Shangguan Yuqi a moment ago, so she was secretly surprised, but of course she could not show it on her face.
The first clash between the two most influential families of the time, the Xiao family of the Northern Dynasty and the Shangguan family of the Southern Dynasty, has finally begun.
Shangguan Yuqi remained calm and said indifferently, "So, do you think you have the ability now?"
In terms of martial arts cultivation, A Qiu was certain that Shangguan Yuqi was superior to any of her peers. Even if she herself were to fight, she might not be able to defeat Shangguan Yuqi, let alone now that she knew Shangguan Yuqi possessed a female sword that had never been drawn.
She couldn't discern the true extent of Xiao Chang'an's martial arts skills, because she had a feeling that since she had known Xiao Chang'an, he had never used his full strength in any of his attacks.
Xiao Chang'an's lips curled slightly, and after a moment he said, "Even if we don't have it now, I think we will have the opportunity to witness the Shangguan family's twin swords combined, shining like the sun and moon."
This is an open admission that he is still not as good as Shangguan Yuqi at the moment, but he is confident that one day he can be on equal footing with Shangguan Yuqi.
Only now did A Qiu learn that the Shangguan family's twin swords, when used together, had a beautiful name: "Sun and Moon Shining Together." He simply couldn't imagine what a divine and earth-shattering move that would be. After all, even Shangguan Jin, the most outstanding swordsman in the Shangguan family in the last hundred years and the Grand Secretary of the Great Huan Dynasty, displayed unparalleled brilliance with just one sword, the Ice Bamboo Sword.
He then laughed and said, "Miss Shangguan's Gentleman's Sword Technique should have been passed down from your great-uncle, the former Grand Secretary Shangguan Jin. But if I remember correctly, the former Grand Secretary passed away ten years ago. I wonder who taught Miss Shangguan her Gentleman's Sword Technique all these years?"
A hint of fierce killing intent finally surfaced on Shangguan Yuqi's usually calm face. She held her sword horizontally across her chest and said, seemingly unrelated to the question, "You know far too much about the Shangguan family's affairs. This is probably not good for you."
Xiao Chang'an smiled and said, "As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' I dare not underestimate the number one family in the Southern Dynasty, so I have learned a lot about them. Please don't be offended, Miss."
He then turned to A Qiu, his eyes sparkling, and said, "Actually, I've been waiting for my sister to return in the palace, and I haven't slept almost all night."
A Qiu knew that no matter how charming she was, she couldn't possibly make Xiao Chang'an "think of her day and night, tossing and turning in bed," because she simply didn't believe that someone like Xiao Chang'an could be a romantic. How could someone who could scheme and manipulate even his own sister truly be moved by a woman?
But she remained outwardly calm and asked, "What do you want from me?"
Xiao Chang'an's expression finally turned serious, and he said, "I heard that you promised Lady Sun."
When Xiao Chang'an drove A Qiu to the palace in an oxcart, Consort Sun mentioned to A Qiu the disaster the dance troupe was facing: the Divine Hound Camp was demanding two dancers, Zhang E'xu and Cui Luzhu, from the emperor. Xie Lang was currently ill and couldn't give an answer; it all depended on Zhao Lingying. But even Zhao Lingying, if the Divine Hound Camp pressed too hard, would probably give in, since no matter who was in power, it wouldn't be worth offending the central army for such a small request.
Even the fearless young lady Pei Yu chose to stay out of this matter.
Shangguan Yuqi, who was about to enter Guanlan Hall, stopped upon hearing the voice and asked, "What did you promise Consort Sun?"
A Qiu then truthfully informed Shangguan Yuqi of the situation. Since the Divine Hound Camp's demand for dancers occurred after Shangguan Yuqi entered the Yeting prison, this was the first time she had heard of it. She frowned and said, "This matter is not easy to handle. The status of musicians is always equivalent to slaves. If His Majesty is unwilling to even give two female entertainers, it will surely chill the hearts of the Central Army." After much deliberation, she sighed, "Alas, this is the disadvantage of the Grand Tutor's absence. If he were here, he could stop it with just a word. Everyone knows he acts for the public good, and no one can question his decision."
At this moment, even Emperor Xie Lang and Zhao Lingying, the Imperial Library Director, could not easily refuse. This demonstrates that Gu Yi's prestige in the Southern Dynasty was unmatched by anyone else.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Chang'an looked extremely uncomfortable and quickly said, "I have already come up with a solution for you, but sister, there is something you need to think about carefully."
When A Qiu heard that Xiao Chang'an actually had a solution, she was pleasantly surprised and immediately asked, "What do I need to figure out?"
Xiao Chang'an gazed at her and said, word by word, "At this moment, you are merely a guest and advisor hidden in the Eastern Palace. If you wish to withdraw, you can do so at any time. However, if my plan succeeds, then Sister Exu and Sister Lüzhu can naturally be saved. But you will officially appear before the world as Gu Yi's successor. At that time, you will be caught in the current political situation of the North-South divide, and you will not be able to withdraw as easily as you wish."
He took another step forward and said in a deep voice, "What I mean is, do you really intend to dedicate yourself to the world until your dying breath? After all, once a person embarks on the path of vying for power, it is almost a lifelong endeavor. Unless one dies, it is difficult to turn back, because one wrong move can lead to the loss of all previous efforts and the complete defeat. In this respect, whether you are acting out of a sense of public duty or personal lust for power, it makes no difference."
When Xiao Chang'an said this, even Shangguan Yuqi looked at her intently.
A Qiu was taken aback for a moment, then met Xiao Chang'an's gaze and asked, "Why would you ask such a question?"
Xiao Chang'an was taken aback by her question and asked in astonishment, "What?"
A Qiu said softly, "You certainly won't ask my master, the Crown Prince, or even Miss Pei about this question, even though they're doing the same thing. But you'll only ask me. Do you look down on me, or do you think I wouldn't have such determination?"
Xiao Chang'an was speechless for a moment, then chuckled and said, "I won't ask them, because I don't care if they drop out of this game of vying for the world halfway through, and I'm very clear about each of their motives for participating in this game. But you are the only one..."
He emphasized, "I care about your determination, but I don't understand why you want to get involved."
Suddenly, all around fell silent, as if the air had suddenly frozen.
Xiao Chang'an said softly, "I'm worried that you're doing this just for Gu Yi."
Shangguan Yuqi, who was standing to the side, understood what Xiao Chang'an was saying and secretly praised him for his sharp and insightful observation, which had pinpointed the core of the problem in just one sentence.
As A Qiu said, Gu Yi's struggle for power was to realize his political ideals, and this was not just empty talk, but a fact that had already been accepted by the people. As for Xie Tiao and Pei Yu, they both bore the innate mission of revitalizing their families, and their families and the country were originally one.
In fact, Xiao Chang'an and Shangguan Yuqi themselves were in the same situation.
But A-Qiu is different.
She used to be a lone assassin, a sharp blade of the Lanling Hall that pierced the Dayan Palace, but ultimately betrayed her sect because of Gu Yi.
Shangguan Yuqi said bluntly, "What you mean, Young Master Xiao, is that if you're only doing this for the sake of the Junior Tutor, you actually have another option."
A-Qiu asked in confusion, "What?"
It's no wonder she was confused. Back in Lanling Hall, she always obeyed her master Wanqiqing's orders without question. Even when she developed her own ideas, she still considered following her master's orders as the only principle for her actions. After entering the palace, she often spent time with Gu Yi, and through this exposure, she naturally came to believe that everything Gu Yi did was right, and she wanted to fulfill his wishes. This all happened very naturally.
Seeing that A Qiu didn't understand, and not wanting her to understand, Xiao Chang'an immediately stopped her, saying, "I didn't mean that!"
Shangguan Yuqi, however, did not allow him to interrupt. She glared at him and said casually, "So that means if you only care about the young master, you could have chosen him as a person instead of his unfinished career. Otherwise, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse and trying to catch fish by climbing a tree?"
Xiao Chang'an roared, "Miss Shangguan, what nonsense are you spouting? Of course, A Qiu has her own ideas; she's not Gu Yi's puppet!"
At this moment, A Qiu was completely confused and couldn't utter a single word.
Shangguan Yuqi's cultivation as a sword immortal has given her a clear and keen Dao heart, making her see problems more directly and closer to their essence.
This was an angle that A-Qiu had never thought of before.
Shangguan Yuqi said bluntly, "Since the Shangguan family has already decided to retire, I no longer need to act as a lobbyist for the dynasty. In my eyes, people should live according to their own hearts. Those who think they are the masters of power are often also its slaves. As for an individual, spending one's entire life striving for the world is a sacrifice. If there is nothing else to do, then doing so is not necessarily a bad thing. But if one clearly has something more in mind, why waste time on this trivial matter and go around in circles?"
She emphasized her words, saying, "I might be saying this to you, Xiao Chang'an."
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