Turned away
A Qiu suddenly remembered that after An Daoling learned about Mo Yi Bi Shuang's identity, he said in the backyard of the Sile Temple, "If she really is a spy, she probably held back against the Southern Dynasty." Now it seems that this is indeed the case.
At least she prevented Shangguan Jin from assassinating the emperor, thus averting a major upheaval for the former Huan dynasty. If Shangguan Jin had actually killed Sima Yan, the various powerful families would have inevitably risen up in conflict. Although Shangguan Jin might have been able to keep them in check, he might not have been able to unite the people and win the battle against the Northern Qiang's southward invasion across the river.
Shangguan Jin's reputation will be severely damaged, and it is highly questionable whether he can still rally Li Mingyuan in the north and Fan Ying in the southwest.
Thus, although Mo Yi Bi Shuang was a spy sent by the Northern Qiang to infiltrate Qian Huan, her already extremely mysterious personality and goals were once again shrouded in mystery.
When Ah Qiu recalled how Mo Yi Bi Shuang had miraculously and effortlessly rewrote the situation on the most perilous night in Qian Huan's memory, he couldn't help but feel deep respect for his second senior brother's mother.
After learning of Shangguan Yanxiu's death, Shangguan Jin, the former Grand Chancellor of the Great Huan Dynasty, once broke into the Golden Palace at night with a sword for his niece, even intending to risk the crime of regicide. This gave her a deeper understanding of the character of the Shangguan family.
Shangguan Jin should never have told Shangguan Yuqi about this matter; he had taken the blame for it all from beginning to end.
More than a decade later, Shangguan Yuqi never forgot her aunt's death. She went to Qiwu many times to investigate, even risking angering the current emperor Xie Lang and being forced to stay in the inner palace to await punishment.
A Qiu was lonely from a young age, but the Shangguan family's emphasis on kinship stirred deep feelings in her heart.
Aqiu suddenly thought of something and asked, "When the Grand Chancellor heard the news of the Empress's death, he immediately grabbed his sword and stormed the palace because he believed that the Empress had been put to death by Emperor Wu. But judging from Emperor Wu's reaction, it seems that it had nothing to do with him. What about Empress Shangguan's sudden death that night...?"
She asked about this because Shangguan Yuqi had been investigating the matter. And at this moment, she suddenly felt that she was very close to the truth.
Zhongli Wuyan suddenly changed the subject, saying, "People really do become more talkative as they get older. Look, we've talked so much along the way that we've unknowingly returned to the palace gate."
Looking up at the massive stone gate of Jianzhang Palace, which was over ten feet high, several dozen feet away, A Qiu was surprised to realize that he had been so engrossed in the stories Zhongli Wuyan had told him that he had unknowingly been brought back here.
Now that they had arrived, it was time for the two to part ways. A Qiu had an official document protecting her when she left the city with Shangguan Yuqi, while Zhongli Wuyan, a former palace concubine, must have disguised herself and used her martial arts skills to escape the palace. Now that they were returning to the palace, they naturally went their separate ways to avoid revealing her true identity.
Zhongli Wuyan made a gesture, reaching out to A Qiu with a smile, "You've carried this all the way, so give me the food box, and I'll send someone to deliver it to Yuan Yi."
A Qiu was about to say it was alright, that she could go to Qi Wu and give it to Chu Yuanyi herself, since she was a junior and it was only right for her to do such things, but Zhong Li Wuyan's hand was outstretched, looking as if she could not refuse.
Completely baffled, A Qiu had no choice but to hand over the food box she had brought from the Narcissus Pavilion to Zhongli Wuyan.
Zhongli Wuyan picked up the food box, her veil trembling like flowing water, and said with a light laugh, "Thank you." She took a few steps and had already blended into the crowd. Suddenly, she turned back and recited to A Qiu, "The autumn wind rises and the leaves fall, the Wu River flows and the perch are fat."
A Qiu knew that these were the lines of poetry written on the letter when Huli Guang met with Tianji Sisu in the name of Mo Yi Bi Shuang today. They resonated with the feelings of a southerner who longed for home and found it difficult to cling to power.
The mutton soup and fish sashimi that Zhongli Wuyan brought to Chu Yuanyi were Chu Yuanyi's favorite foods when he was young, and they also represented his buried memories of his hometown.
Just as she was about to ask Zhongli Wuyan why she was reciting these two lines of poetry to her at this moment, Zhongli Wuyan said loudly, "Little Aqiu, the Forbidden City is beautiful, but it is not a place to stay for long. The four of us have been detained here for forty years, just for a promise. But you are still young, with a vast world to explore, and you can go anywhere. I hope you can open your heart and live for yourself, knowing that this is something that many people cannot do."
Upon hearing this, A Qiu was taken aback, sensing that Zhongli Wuyan wanted to tell her more than just that. Before she could ask, Zhongli Wuyan, carrying the food box, had already disappeared into the crowd and vanished in a flash.
At the same time, another strong hand landed on her shoulder from behind, and a steady, powerful female voice said, "Let's talk."
A Qiu suddenly turned around, only to be faced with someone she had never expected.
The former White Crane Guard, one of the Four Flying Phoenix Guards, is now the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard, known as General Sikong Zhao, nicknamed "Silver Saddle and White Horse".
Unlike her usual image of wearing silver armor and white robes, carrying double maces, Sikong Zhao was calm and composed at this moment, her composure undeniable even in ordinary cloth robes. After patting A Qiu's shoulder, she immediately put her hands behind her back, her bright and sharp eyes scrutinizing A Qiu intently.
Of the four guards from the previous generation, the one that A Qiu was most familiar with and close to was Consort Chen, "Golden Goblet Moonfall" Li Lanxiu. Although Zhao Lingying, who had passed away, did not have much contact with her during her lifetime, A Qiu always felt that she had an unusually deep feeling for her.
"The Slender-Handed Yama" Mu Huaying and she have always been enemies, not friends. If given a choice, A Qiu would never want to meet her alone under any circumstances.
Sikong Zhao, the "Silver Saddle and White Horse," is a very special case. She rarely forms bonds of gratitude or enmity with anyone, thus maintaining her neutral stance of being loyal only to Xie Lang.
Sikong Zhao, who always obeyed Xie Lang's orders, came to her door to wait for her for no reason.
However, Sikong Zhao did not intend to alert the soldiers and civilians at this moment, so she did not wear her usual silver armor and white robes, nor did she carry any weapons. Otherwise, given her appearance and the fact that she was in front of the palace gates, she would have been recognized by the guards at the gates immediately, since as the commander of the Imperial Guards, she was their superior.
A Qiu pondered this in her heart, but she had no choice but to follow Si Kongzhao and walk in the opposite direction of the Imperial Street from the palace gate.
As she strolled through the streets behind Sikong Zhao as if taking a leisurely walk, she was actually quite surprised.
After Rong Yuexian received the military report from the Southern Dynasty's front line in the Narcissus Pavilion, saying that the Northern Qiang royal army had engaged in battle with the Southern Dynasty's army north of the river and had captured three cities in succession, and was advancing southward with unstoppable momentum, Rong Yuexian immediately took Shangguan Yuqi back, but made it clear that she didn't need to be busy, and even asked Zhongli Wuyan to accompany her to go shopping for a while, she already felt something was amiss.
However, his mind was drawn to the stories of the previous dynasty that Zhongli Wuyan told him along the way, and he almost forgot about the current predicament of Dayan.
Even upon arriving at the gate of Jianzhang Palace, one still feels as if the past is a hazy dream, and one has just awakened from it.
This is why Sikong Zhao patted her shoulder from behind, and why she was startled and regained consciousness.
If Rong Yuexian intended for Zhongli Wuyan to accompany her on her leisurely stroll through the streets so that Zhongli Wuyan could take this opportunity to tell her about the past events between Tianji Sisu and Shangguan Jin, then Sikong Zhao's presence here at this moment seemed even more strange.
Because Sikong Zhao is different from Zhongli Wuyan: the latter is a former imperial concubine who has long since retired from the palace and is practicing Buddhism with her hair still intact. No matter what the situation is, no one will order her around. But with the war so urgent and Pei Yuanli gone, Sikong Zhao is currently the highest-ranking and most prestigious person in the Southern Dynasty's military. Logically speaking, she would not have any energy to wander around outside at this moment.
Not to mention that he specially changed into casual clothes, as if he had come specifically to accompany her on a stroll.
Ah Qiu thought this to herself, but instead of asking questions, she decided to remain calm and wait for Sikong Zhao to explain her purpose. After all, she had more time than Sikong Zhao at the moment.
Sikong Zhao led her along at a leisurely pace, occasionally avoiding the noisy crowds or circling around oncoming carriages and sedan chairs, while casually saying, "Recently, it seems that many people in the capital have begun to flee outwards, presumably after learning of the news of the Northern Qiang's southward advance."
Aqiu suddenly sensed something was wrong and immediately said, "Even we received the military report in just one or two days. Why would ordinary residents and merchants in Jianzhang react so quickly?"
The two had to stop and wait, because they saw a long line of mule carts loaded with all kinds of luggage and goods pass by, followed by several sedan chairs. It was clear from their appearance that they were moving their families and female relatives with their belongings.
Sikong Zhao's proud and beautiful face also showed a bitter smile. He said, "That is naturally the work of the Northern Qiang King Ning. If he intentionally or unintentionally spreads some news, whether true or false, we can't do anything about it."
Ah Qiu felt disgusted just thinking about this person, saying, "It's extremely annoying that he's still running around like this at a time like this. Doesn't he have a death wish?"
Sikong Zhao shrugged and said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Some political opportunists are just reckless gamblers. Oh!" She stepped aside to let a speeding carriage pass, and at the same time, she pulled A Qiu away so that neither of them would be hit.
A Qiu said, "Thank you, Commander." With her skills, she wouldn't normally need help, but since Sikong Zhao offered his assistance, she accepted the favor.
Sikong Zhao said leisurely, "Actually, the purpose of my visit is to ask the Grand Master of Music if you also have any plans to leave Jianzhang to travel to other places, or even to live in seclusion."
A Qiu was taken aback by this sudden question and couldn't react for a long time.
She then recalled that before Zhongli Wuyan left, he had recited to her, "The autumn wind rises, the leaves fall; the Wu River flows, the perch are fat," and advised her to be a free person who could roam freely in the vast sky and the boundless world, and not to be confined to the palace.
She dismissed it at the time, because Sikong Zhao arrived immediately.
In retrospect, it's highly likely that Zhongli Wuyan saw Sikong Zhao appear behind her and immediately decided to break up with her, leaving her with Sikong Zhao.
Sikong Zhao's words, seemingly inquiring about her intentions, actually revealed the Southern Dynasty's desire for her to leave.
A flash of memories crossed A Qiu's mind, and in an instant, she suddenly understood Sikong Zhao's true intentions.
The Southern Dynasty was facing a formidable enemy and was beset by internal and external troubles. The officials in the court no longer had the energy to keep a mere Lanling assassin in the palace to deal with him.
Previously, due to Gu Yi's favor and entrustment, both Emperor Xie Lang and the two generations of Fei Feng gave her the opportunity to prove herself and establish her prestige.
But clearly, now that all unstable factors need to be eliminated, no one has the energy to gamble on where her heart truly lies, or whether she might suddenly launch an attack.
Moreover, since Lie Changkong led the Junior Master Charioteers to retreat, she no longer had any strength under her command. In this battle facing the Southern Dynasty, it made no difference whether she was there or not.
As for the music and dance she was in charge of under the title of Grand Master of Music, at this moment, with the crisis of national subjugation and family destruction approaching, it seemed more like a joke and had no reason to exist.
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