Worth the trip
Both A-Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi wore light veils to cover their faces today, and changed into ordinary plain brocade dresses. Their attire was no different from that of ordinary wealthy women. However, after concealing their faces, they appeared even more slender and elegant.
As soon as the two of them stepped off the carriage and entered the vermilion gate with the plaque inscribed "Bifu Pavilion," Aqiu immediately sensed that something was amiss.
According to Gongye Fusu, Bifu Pavilion was originally a business venue open to the public, and should have had many visitors. Even with a limit on the number of visitors, it would not be as quiet and solemn as it is now, except for the entrance.
The servant who came forward greeted them with a fawning smile: "Are you two Miss Shi and Miss Shangguan?"
Since both A-Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi were to be disguised as ordinary women today, neither of them carried a sword. However, to be on the safe side, A-Qiu still concealed the dagger "Assassinate Qin" under her elbow in her sleeve.
She replied, "It is indeed us. Why is the garden so quiet today?"
The servant replied with a smile, "So that you two ladies may know, a young master named Huli has booked the entire Bifu Pavilion today to entertain you. This way, please." He gestured for them to lead the way, while at the same time giving Aqiu a wink.
A day earlier, A Qiu had sent an invitation to Hulü Guang, specifying that he should meet at Bifu Pavilion that day, and affixing the newly made seal of the Grand Master of Music as proof. In fact, according to the etiquette among the Southern Dynasty nobles, it was considered impolite to make an appointment a day in advance; normally, an invitation should be sent at least half a month in advance to allow the recipient ample time to make arrangements. However, A Qiu did this intentionally, aiming to leave Hulü Guang with no time to prepare and force him to accept the invitation hastily at the last minute, thus giving A Qiu the advantage in terms of location.
However, Hulü Guang was able to figure out what Bifu Pavilion was in such a short time and even obtain the status of a VIP there. Now, the situation had turned around, and he was taking the lead in entertaining the two of them. If this were just an ordinary date between a man and a woman, Hulü Guang's move would be extremely clever, demonstrating both his strength and ability, as well as his sincerity and attentiveness.
However, the current situation clearly does not fall under this category.
A Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi exchanged a glance, both secretly feeling a chill. They had already glimpsed the extent of Hulü Guang's influence in Jianzhang City. He had once said that he was unfamiliar with Jianzhang and had entrusted A Qiu and Xie Tiao to help him arrange a meeting with Shangguan Yuqi and find Mo Yi Bishuang's tomb, but it seemed that wasn't the case at present.
A-Qiu whispered, "Let's go in with him and see what Hulü Guang can do. Anyway, in the open-air pavilion and courtyard, you don't drink anything, you just say a few words and leave, let's see what he can do?"
Shangguan Yuqi smiled slightly and said, "This is the territory of the Gongye family. How much trouble can Hulü Guang cause? It's probably because Hulü Guang acted in haste, and the Gongye family head didn't want to alert him, so he agreed to let him stir up trouble first, which is a good opportunity to expose his strength in Jianzhang."
A Qiu, reminded by Shangguan Yuqi, realized this was indeed the case. Hulü Guang must have used a middleman to do this, and this person must be quite influential. Gongye Fusu's willingness to comply was clearly intended to lower his guard. If Bifu Pavilion flatly refused his request, it would obviously indicate a problem with this appointment.
The servant led the way, introducing the tea ceremony: "This is your first time visiting Bifu Pavilion, ladies. We are renowned for our beautiful gardens and elegant bamboo groves, but our most famous feature is our tea ceremony. This season, our finest tea is the Golden Phoenix from Fujian, known for its mellow and sweet aftertaste. It's a rare and precious variety specially selected by our master from the local tea mountains. The accompanying tea and pastries are also specially made by our kitchen, featuring floral ingredients. Dishes like peony pastries and chrysanthemum cakes carry the natural fragrance of the flowers, are sweet and delicious, and will surely not disappoint you."
At the mention of "tea," A Qiu felt a headache coming on. She said, "You don't need to introduce us anymore. We're not good friends with that Young Master Huli, and we don't have the patience to drink tea and chat. We'll just stand in the courtyard, say a few words, and leave wherever he is."
Upon hearing this, the servant with his head wrapped in a cloth calmly said, "This way, ladies."
Looking in the direction he pointed, one sees an exquisite and spacious building with well-ordered corridors, a stream winding around the house, and blue brick and tile roofs, magnificent yet understated.
Even Shangguan Yuqi stopped in her tracks and asked in a deep voice, "Where is this?"
This was quite different from their original plan, as they only intended to meet in places like courtyards or pavilions, and had no intention of going into houses or rooms. The reason was simple: their goal was to meet with Hulü Guang in crowded public places as much as possible, and to avoid places with a high degree of privacy.
The servant said with a smile, "Young Master Huli is among them. This is the 'Youlan Pavilion' that he specially reserved for the two young ladies. It is the largest and most magnificent banquet hall in our Bifu Pavilion. Please go in, and I will escort you here."
A Qiu was also full of doubts, but the servant simply bowed to the two of them and then turned around and went back the way he came.
At this moment, the area was filled with lush flowers and trees, making the houses with green tiles and blue bricks look particularly vibrant. However, the two of them stopped at the same time.
A-Qiu asked Shangguan Yuqi, "Should we go in or not?"
Shangguan Yuqi pondered for a moment and said, "Don't you think there's something wrong with our journey so far?"
A Qiu smiled bitterly, "We haven't seen a single person along the way. If we say there are no guests, it's because Huli Guang has booked this place and doesn't allow strangers to enter. But there isn't even a single servant or maid to serve tea and water. This is too strange."
Shangguan Yuqi also smiled wryly, "I don't know why, but I also feel a sense of trepidation. Could it be that they're waiting for us to come in so they can trap us like turtles in a jar?"
Aqiu pondered deeply and said, "Young Master Fusu has no reason to harm us. Even if he did, everyone knows that it was his idea to send us to Bifu Pavilion, and he can't escape responsibility. No matter how stupid he is, he wouldn't do something like this to himself."
Shangguan Yuqi looked up at the magnificent buildings of Youlan Pavilion and said, "Only now do I realize that we were a bit presumptuous. We knew nothing about Huli Guang's true strength, and we didn't even bring Binghuang. We just blatantly came in like this."
Ah Qiu also smiled wryly, "Who would have thought that a romantic date would turn out like this?"
As the two were still discussing, they saw someone open the window on the second floor. It was Hulü Guang. When he saw A Qiu and Shangguan Yuqi standing side by side, his eyes lit up and he called out, "Please come up, both of you. I have been waiting here for a long time. It seems that this trip has been worthwhile. I am extremely honored."
Shangguan Yuqi and A Qiu exchanged a glance, both knowing there was no way to retreat and that they could only grit their teeth and take it one step at a time.
The two walked up the steps one after the other. Shangguan Yuqi said in a low voice, "I have suddenly changed my mind and plan to kill Huli Guang as soon as I enter the room."
A Qiu knew that she originally planned to publicly challenge Huli Guang to a duel, but now she realized that the situation was not good and that she was afraid that there would be no more room to deal with him.
A-Qiu looked up and saw the closed door of the side room was almost in front of her. She said in a low voice, "If there is no other way, this is the only option. You decide for yourself." She then raised her voice and said, "No matter what happens, whatever decision you make, I will always support you."
Shangguan Yuqi asked curiously, "Aren't you going in?"
Ah Qiu whispered, "I'll stand guard outside the door to keep watch and provide backup, so that we won't both become sitting ducks once we go in. Once you're inside, assess the situation and react accordingly. If anything goes wrong, immediately smash the cup as a signal, and I'll rush in to help you."
Shangguan Yuqi pondered for a moment, knowing that what she said made sense, and said decisively, "When you are outside, if anything unusual happens, just give me a call and I will come out immediately."
A Qiu then called out to the inside, "I am only accompanying the young lady, but it would be inconvenient to disturb His Highness Prince Ning and the young lady's meeting, so I will not go in. Please forgive me for my absence, His Highness Prince Ning."
Shangguan Yuqi also pushed open the door and entered at the same time, saying, "Greetings, Prince Ning."
A Qiu heard Hulü Guang's flattered voice say, "Hulü Guang did not expect that Miss would be so straightforward as to come in person. It is truly an honor. Please allow me to offer you a cup of tea as a gesture of goodwill." Then, the sound of water being poured into the teacup could be heard.
The sound was not very stable; it must have been because the person holding the pot was trembling slightly.
For some reason, even though she knew that Hulü Guang was treacherous, cunning, and extremely scheming, A Qiu intuitively sensed that his current amazement was not an act.
Shangguan Yuqi should have removed her veil upon entering the house, just as she had done when she last met Huli Guang, as a sign of courtesy.
Her unparalleled beauty and radiant presence stunned Hulü Guang at that moment.
A Qiu herself was a beauty, but she knew that Shangguan Yuqi possessed a unique quality that she lacked. That quality was the ethereal and transcendent aura of sword cultivation, a quality that transcended the mundane world.
It could be said that it was a kind of pure and otherworldly beauty that would make men who were obsessed with power, flattery, and deceit feel ashamed and even inferior.
That is the extraordinary character that only the Shangguan family, with its centuries of integrity, could produce.
Shangguan Yuqi's clear, cold voice rang out: "Thank you, Prince Ning, but I don't like small talk and prefer to speak frankly. This tea can be dispensed with, and Your Highness should know why I have come."
Suddenly, Huli Guang declared with boundless pride, "Does Miss suspect there's something wrong with my tea? I can assure you, I have absolutely no intention of harming you!"
Then came the sound of him raising his glass and drinking it all in one gulp.
Hearing this, A Qiu was very surprised and wondered when Hulü Guang had changed his ways and started acting like a good guy and a hero.
Shangguan Yuqi remained unmoved and calmly said, "Both Your Highness Prince Ning and I are extraordinary beings, and our time is far more precious than tea. Therefore, please forgive me for being brief. If Your Highness Prince Ning wishes to marry me, you only need to do one thing."
Hulü Guang seemed completely unprepared for the matter to be so easy, and asked with a mixture of surprise and delight, "May I ask what it is? No matter where you are, I will do my utmost to help you."
Shangguan Yuqi said calmly, "That means defeating me in front of everyone from the Southern Dynasty."
Hulü Guang seemed to pause for a moment, then said incredulously, "Although I am not very talented, I am known as the best spearman in the Northern Dynasty within our country. I should have no problem defeating Miss Hulü. However, weapons are indiscriminate and I am afraid that I might accidentally hurt the beauty. If that is the case, how about we compete in something else? Music, chess, calligraphy, painting, archery, and horsemanship are all things I can try."
Ah Qiu spoke of Hulü Guang in a tactful and humble manner, but in reality, he was extremely arrogant, appearing confident and certain of victory in both literary and martial arts contests. However, he miscalculated one thing: Shangguan Yuqi's swordsmanship skills.
But thinking about it, it's not surprising. Although Shangguan Yuqi was known as a sword immortal in the Southern Dynasty, she hadn't actually fought many people. People respectfully called her the number one expert of the Southern Dynasty's powerful clan, mainly because of the influence of the Shangguan family and her uncle Shangguan Jin's reputation for "a single sword in green robes that could conquer the Jiangnan region." It's reasonable to assume that her descendants must be quite formidable.
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