Chapter 2319: Hair-Raising

Xie Daoyun breathed a slight sigh of relief, then her attention returned to the musical score, her words overflowing with praise.

Zu'an nodded secretly, thinking, 'A gifted woman is truly gifted. Where does she come up with so many elaborate adjectives? If it were me, I’d just be saying "666" or "Awesome, dude."'

The group returned to the waterside pavilion. Xie Xiu asked curiously, "Sister, you’re usually so quiet and gentle. Why do you like such martial music today?"

Zu'an smiled. "Though Daoyun is gentle and demure, a large part of it is out of necessity. As the City Lord's daughter, she was raised to be a refined young lady, so she naturally has to appear reserved. However, despite our limited interactions, I can sense a deep love and yearning for life in her eyes. I had a feeling she would appreciate tales of heroes and knights, which is why I specifically composed this piece. I'm glad to see Daoyun truly enjoys it."

Xie Daoyun's delicate body trembled, and she stared at him in disbelief. She hadn't even fully understood her own feelings, but his words illuminated them, instantly giving her the feeling of having found a kindred spirit.

But why did he understand her so well, when they had barely interacted before?

Could this be the legendary soulmate?

Big Brother Zu truly understands me!

Recalling the romance novels she had read in her chambers, her heart began to pound fiercely.

Xie Xiu had been about to scoff, thinking, 'My sister couldn't possibly be as you describe.' But seeing her expression, he instantly understood everything and stared at Zu'an in astonishment. 'Does this guy have mind-reading abilities?'

Zu'an inwardly sighed in relief, feeling fortunate. He had only guessed based on the historical Xie Daoyun's personality from his previous life. He hadn't expected to be so accurate, and for a moment, he felt a bit disoriented.

Regaining his composure, he said, "Actually, there's a story behind this piece."

The Xie siblings immediately looked at him. Xie Xiu eagerly urged, "Brother Zu, don't keep us in suspense."

Zu'an began, "In ancient times, there were several hermits known as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove... One of them, Ji Kang, advocated for 'transcending traditional doctrines and embracing nature.' He spent his days playing the zither and reciting poetry in the bamboo grove... Unfortunately, his wife, whom he married early in life, was a princess of the current dynasty. Later, a powerful minister usurped the throne. Fearing Ji Kang's reputation, he repeatedly summoned him to serve in the court, hoping to use him to weaken the resistance of the former royal family and make the new regime more acceptable to the people."

"Ji Kang naturally refused, which infuriated the powerful minister. However, due to Ji Kang's immense fame, dealing with him proved difficult. Then, one day, the elder brother of one of Ji Kang's friends, driven by lust, got his sister-in-law drunk and assaulted her. To prevent exposure, the elder brother preemptively accused his younger brother of being unfilial. As an official with connections, the elder brother used his influence to have his younger brother imprisoned."

"Ji Kang was furious about this and spoke out to defend his friend. Since the case involved a court official, the powerful minister suspected Ji Kang had ulterior motives and used the opportunity to execute both Ji Kang and the younger brother."

"Upon hearing this, three thousand students from the Imperial Academy collectively petitioned on his behalf. However, seeing his immense prestige, the powerful minister became even more resolute in his decision to execute him."

"Just before his execution, he requested an ancient zither and calmly played 'Guangling San.' Everyone present was captivated by his composure. From then on, 'Guangling San' became a lost masterpiece, never to be heard again."

After hearing the story, Xie Xiu indignantly declared, "What a noble and refined scholar, it's a tragedy that he fell at the hands of a powerful minister. And that shameless scoundrel who defiled his sister-in-law and then falsely accused his own brother is even more detestable! If I ever meet him, I'll chop off his dog's head!"

Xie Daoyun remarked with emotion, "I imagine Ji Kang's feelings at that time were quite similar to those of the knight-errant in the earlier story—he must have wished to charge straight in and assassinate the powerful minister."

"Daoyun truly is a master of the zither; she can even discern his mood at the time just from the piece's artistic conception." Zu'an clicked his tongue in admiration. In his previous life, many knew Ji Kang's story, but few knew why he played Guangling San at that moment. Xie Daoyun's ability to grasp it simply from the music was truly impressive.

Just then, Xie Daoyun's expression suddenly changed as she thought of something. She lowered her voice and asked, "Big Brother Zu, where did you hear this story?"

Zu'an's heart skipped a beat; he didn't understand her reason for asking. "I read it in an ancient book. Why do you ask?"

Xie Daoyun didn't answer directly. Instead, she first waved for the nearby servants to withdraw, then said, "I just remembered something. The way our current dynasty gained power wasn't entirely honorable at its founding. It bears some resemblance to the powerful minister in your story."

Zu'an was bewildered.

"Moreover, this Ji Kang you spoke of reminds me of someone." Xie Daoyun's expression grew solemn.

"Who?" Zu'an quickly asked.

Xie Daoyun opened her mouth but didn't speak. Instead, she dipped her slender finger in tea and slowly wrote two characters on the table.

Zu'an's pupils constricted when he saw the two characters: 'Jijiu' (Libationer)!

Xie Xiu, standing nearby, also gaped, wanting to speak but his mind unable to process it.

After wiping away the water stains, Xie Daoyun explained, "I only heard about this once when my teacher was recounting academy anecdotes. That person seems to have deep ties to the former imperial family. So, to avoid suspicion, he generally refrains from worldly affairs, and even the teachers and students at the academy are expected to maintain a neutral stance."

Xie Xiu's throat felt dry. "Did our dynasty's founder usurp the previous dynasty's foundation? How come I never knew any of this?"

Xie Daoyun rolled her eyes. "All you do all day is chase after women; of course you wouldn't know this if you don't read. In fact, you might not even know it even if you did read, because it's not a glorious matter. The court keeps it a closely guarded secret, destroying vast numbers of unfavorable books. There are even powerful individuals who cast seals to make those who know forget this period of history."

"Furthermore, with our dynasty's emperor later achieving a great victory against the demon race, his prestige soared. Gradually, no one brought it up anymore."

As the siblings discussed these matters, Zu'an felt his hair stand on end. In that moment, he seemed to understand many things, and many past doubts in his mind gradually began to piece together.

Unfortunately, he was still some distance from uncovering the full truth.

"Big Brother Zu, what's wrong?" Xie Daoyun, though chatting with her brother, occasionally glanced at Zu'an and couldn't help but ask when she noticed his unusual demeanor.

"Nothing, I was just a bit shocked." Zu'an brushed it off.

Xie Daoyun comforted him, "Don't worry, as long as you don't deliberately discuss these matters everywhere, it should be fine. After all, so much time has passed."

Zu'an nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Daoyun."

Not long after dinner, Zu'an stood up, said his goodbyes, and departed. Xie Daoyun sensed his preoccupation and didn't try to detain him, merely reminding him to be careful on his way.

After leaving the academy, Zu'an headed straight for the imperial palace; he had some matters he needed to verify.

Although it was already late and the palace gates had long been closed, his new identity as a Lieutenant-General of the Imperial Feathered Forest Guards granted him much greater freedom to enter and exit the palace.

After entering the palace, he found a place to change into the uniform of Golden Token Eleven, then headed straight for the Embroidery Tower.

Inside the Embroidery Tower, he found Xiao Jianren burning the midnight oil under a dim oil lamp. Zu'an thought to himself, 'If your eyes don't get nearsighted, whose will?'

"Sir Eleven!" Seeing Zu'an arrive, Xiao Jianren quickly stood up to salute, while also wondering why he had come at such an hour.

"Where is the archives room?" Zu'an asked.

Xiao Jianren replied with a smile, "Sir, whatever you wish to look up, just ask me directly."

Although he wouldn't dare claim to have read all the many books stored there, answering most questions was easy for him.

Zu'an shook his head. "No need, I'll go look myself."

Xiao Jianren's heart tightened. As an Embroidered Uniform Emissary, he keenly realized that whatever Zu'an was looking for, he didn't want him to know.

He naturally wouldn't impose himself further with offers of help. Instead, he quickly pointed the way. "Sir, you can go directly. As a Golden Token agent, you can freely access most archives, except for some top-secret ones that require the Commander's personal approval."

Zu'an thought to himself that what he was looking for likely wasn't top-secret. He nodded at Xiao Jianren, then headed straight for the archives room.

Today, a COVID-19 positive case was identified in Chongqing, apparently infected by a colleague from Chengdu who was here on a business trip. The critical detail is that the person from Chengdu arrived on the 22nd, so quite some time has passed. The situation feels a bit grim; we'll have to await the official investigation.

What's even more frustrating is that the hotel where the Chengdu visitor stayed during their business trip in Chongqing is right near my home, damn it!

(End of Chapter)