Chapter 179: The Fallen Qin

In the inner room behind the Zhuoqin Hall, Dao Qin stood quietly in the shadow of the corner, dressed in blue. Although he had no presence, his gaze occasionally swept across the room, frequently landing on the man sitting below with a grand and imposing manner.

His messy hair was tied with a hemp rope, and in this early summer weather, he wore a simple and even somewhat shabby short coat, which easily outlined his smooth muscles and broad chest. His eyebrows were sharp as if cut by a knife, and his eyes, devoid of any scholarly air, had a dangerous edge.

He was none other than Meng Yang, who had escaped from the battle in Tongzhou.

In the same room sat a smiling peddler with a hunched back, a traveling doctor with a medical kit, a well-known and aloof scholar, and a serious and unsmiling merchant…

Meng Yang sitting among them did not seem out of place.

However, the others would turn to look at him after saying a few words, showing a hint of apprehension and confusion.

The scholar holding a folding fan took a sip of tea, thought for a moment, and couldn’t help but say, “With the situation in Tongzhou causing such a stir, aren’t you worried that the leader will break ties with you and fight to the death?”

Xie Wei replied indifferently, “Where’s the evidence?”

The traveling doctor frowned, “Then what will you do next—”

Xie Wei gently lifted the lid of the tea cup and then put it down with a soft “clink,” saying calmly, “Gongyi Cheng is in the capital, and he is in charge of all matters; the Tongzhou incident was an ambush by the court. If I had forcibly rescued him, wouldn’t I have exposed myself, and might not have succeeded? In such a situation, it is natural to abandon the pawn to save the chariot. Reporting to Jinling, how can it be blamed on me? At most, he suspects that I stood by and watched, and took the opportunity to calculate Gongyi Cheng. In this world, emotions are unreliable, but interests are the most solid. The situation in the capital cannot do without me. Without Gongyi Cheng, trying to get rid of me is like cutting off one’s own arm. It is better to pretend to cooperate and fight after the big event is achieved. Therefore, the urgent task is to keep him busy with the situation in the capital, give him something to do, so we can sit back and watch the tigers fight.”

The others exchanged glances.

The smiling peddler fiddled with a small drum in his hand, thought for a while, and then looked at Meng Yang, vaguely feeling that Master Xie’s plan might be related to this fierce and evil man.

So he said, “I suppose Meng Yang can be of great use?”

Xie Wei then turned his head to look at Meng Yang.

Meng Yang, however, was not very appreciative of Xie Wei.

He usually acted alone, and when he saw the situation in Tongzhou was bad, he escaped first. Later, when the Ministry of Justice pursued him, he also escaped. Who would have thought that Xie Wei’s intelligence was even more informed than the court’s? Just when he thought he was safe, several knives were placed on his neck, and he was tied up and brought here the night before. Today, he was brought to listen to these leaders of the Tianjiao discussing matters, making him really unsure of Xie Wei’s intentions.

At this moment, he said, “I am just a commoner and have no interest in your affairs.”

Xie Wei had already run out of patience with this person and said flatly, “You managed to escape from the prison, have no material desires, and are not afraid of death. I suppose you want to avenge your deceased wife? But I still have some use for Monk Yuanji. If you don’t understand and ruin my plan, even if I appreciate your talent, I will have to take drastic measures.”

Meng Yang sneered, “If I see Yuanji, I’ll kill him! Either you kill me now, or let me go.”

Xie Wei did not get angry upon hearing this, but simply said, “Your late wife has been buried for several years, hasn’t she?”

Meng Yang stood up abruptly, “What do you mean?”

Xie Wei’s expression remained indifferent, “I won’t kill you, but if you ruin my plans, I won’t hesitate to involve the dead. I’ll have your late wife’s remains exhumed and hung up somewhere.”

The leaders of the Tianjiao present did not dare to speak.

Meng Yang was furious!

He was as strong as a tiger, and with a murderous intent, he untied the bandage on his arm and lunged at Xie Wei’s neck. However, Dao Qin, who had been anticipating this move, intercepted him before he could touch Xie Wei. Dao Qin grabbed Meng Yang’s claw-like hand and kicked him, sending the burly man crashing into the tea table!

“Clink!” A mechanism on Dao Qin’s arm, hidden under his sleeve, activated, revealing a small crossbow with a blue, poison-tipped arrow aimed at Meng Yang like a venomous snake.

Dao Qin, ruthless and silent, stared at him without moving.

Xie Wei remained unfazed by the scene and said, “I haven’t killed you yet because I value your talent. If you can’t be of use to me, you won’t leave this room today. I always keep my word. If you don’t believe me, you can try.”

Meng Yang’s eyes were bloodshot like a beast’s as he faced off against Dao Qin.

At that moment, Jian Shu hurriedly entered. Seeing the tense scene inside, he was not surprised. He approached Xie Wei and whispered a few words.

Xie Wei was slightly taken aback and asked, “How long has she been here?”

Jian Shu replied, “She just arrived. I thought you were discussing matters in the Zhuoqin Hall, so I asked her to wait in the Bi Du Hall.”

Both the Zhuoqin Hall and the Bi Du Hall were places not accessible to ordinary people.

The Bi Du Hall was even Xie Wei’s study.

However, Xie Wei did not find this arrangement inappropriate and said, “I’ll go take a look.”

The people in the inner room did not know what Jian Shu had reported. Xie Wei did not explain anything to them, simply saying he would step out for a moment. He left the Zhuoqin Hall and headed to the Bi Du Hall.

The summer trees cast shadows, and the cicadas chirped incessantly.

Outside the Bi Du Hall, two apricot trees were planted by the window. The flowering season had long passed, and small green apricots hung sparsely on the branches, hidden among the leaves. Just a glance would remind one of their sour taste, making the mouth water.

Jiang Xuening was visiting this place for the first time.

To the north was an empty wall, devoid of any decoration, exuding a sense of strictness under its simplicity, which matched the name “Bi Du” (Wall Reading) and Xie Wei himself—

Reflecting on one’s mistakes, examining oneself thrice daily.

She only dared to look around and did not dare to touch or move anything.

After Jian Shu left, she waited for a while without seeing anyone. She glanced at the apricot tree outside the window and couldn’t resist pulling down a small branch, with two leaves and a small green apricot, placing it in her palm. It was quite cute and full of summer vitality.

It was at this moment that Xie Wei walked in.

Jiang Xuening caught a glimpse of a shadow at the door from the corner of her eye and immediately placed the branch on the windowsill, turned around, and greeted him with a bow.

Xie Wei glanced at her, then at the windowsill, but said nothing. He only asked, “What brings you here?”

The qin she was holding was quite heavy, and she had placed it on the table shortly after entering.

After Xie Wei finished speaking, his gaze shifted and he noticed the qin.

The qin was still wrapped in its cover.

Xie Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, “Here to learn the qin?”

Jiang Xuening’s lips curved into a smile, but she almost stumbled at his words and quickly said, “No, no, no, not at all. I just remembered that you love the qin, and today I was selecting one at the Youhuang Pavilion. I heard this qin is excellent, so I brought it to present to you.”

Xie Wei, dressed in a white robe, stood before her, looking at her. She then took the qin and handed it to him.

Xie Wei said, “Being so obedient always makes people feel you have ulterior motives.”

As he spoke, he uncovered the qin.

It was a qin made of cedar wood, with a round head and a double-curved waist, modeled after the Fuxi style. The strings reflected on the body of the qin, casting faint shadows under the sunlight. A gentle pluck produced a melodious sound.

Wasn’t this the Kunshan qin of Lu Xian?

He immediately recognized it as the one he had inquired about from Lu Xian in the past. However, Lu Xian, being a cunning merchant, had hidden it away, refusing to sell it unless at a high price. Xie Wei, not being desperate for the qin, had left it alone, waiting to see how long Lu Xian could hold out.

Unexpectedly, it was brought to him by Ning’er today.

Jiang Xuening thought to herself that she indeed had ulterior motives. She hoped to leave a good impression on Master Xie before leaving the capital, so that when she needed his help in the future regarding the princess, he would remember this favor and assist her.

Of course, she couldn’t admit this in her words.

She said, “Since entering the Fengchen Hall to study, I have been fortunate to receive your teachings. Although I dare not claim to understand everything, I have made some progress in learning the qin and literature. Your kindness is above all, and as a student, I have nothing to repay you with, so I chose a qin to please you. If you don’t mind, I will be at ease when I leave the capital this time.”

“Zheng—”

Her ring finger lightly plucked the qin string, but it lacked precision, producing a harsh sound. Jiang Xuening’s hair stood on end.

Xie Wei, standing in front of her, suddenly stopped moving. Only the slightly hot wind from outside blew in, lifting his white robe.

She looked up and saw Xie Wei’s hand, which had stopped on the qin, and his face, which had lost its expression, with a pair of deep eyes silently watching her.

An unspoken intimidation.

Jiang Xuening didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt breathless.

Today, she was wearing a smoky purple pleated skirt, with two strands of bangs hanging down from her single snail bun. The icy blue agate earrings hung like crescent moons on her snow-white earlobes. Under her willow-leaf eyebrows, her eyes were bright, but now they held a hint of unease.

That strange feeling appeared again…

Xie Wei listened to the cicadas outside, feeling extremely annoyed, but he asked nonchalantly, “Are you leaving the capital?”

Jiang Xuening’s heart raced. She had come to personally thank her teacher and say a simple farewell, not intending to stay long. She quickly bowed her head and said, “Yes, with the recent chaos in the capital, both Yan Lin and the princess have already left. My father and I have decided to leave the capital for a while to avoid trouble and relax. So today, I came to bid you farewell.”

Xie Wei did not respond.

Jiang Xuening grew increasingly nervous, her eyelids twitching, and she was starting to panic. “Thank you for your teachings, sir. When I return to the capital, I will definitely visit you. I don’t dare to disturb your important matters now, so I will take my leave.”

The atmosphere was indeed tense.

She didn’t dare to look at Xie Wei’s expression, bowed again, and moved past him to leave.

But just as she stepped out the door, a hand reached out from inside, with long fingers tightly gripping her left wrist. The force was so strong it felt like it was digging into her skin, causing real pain!

At the same time, there was a “thud” as something hit the ground.

Jiang Xuening was terrified, almost pulled back, and found herself facing Xie Wei’s icy gaze.

He asked calmly, “Where are you going?”

Jiang Xuening felt as if she were in a nightmare. She then noticed that Xie Wei’s hands were empty. Her eyes shifted stiffly to the side—

The Kunshan qin had fallen to the ground, damaging one of its bridges!

In that moment of silence, memories of learning the qin flooded back.

The qin had fallen…

A loud explosion went off in her mind, and everything, whether she dared to think it or not, possible or impossible, surged forth, overwhelming her like a storm.

She finally understood where that strange feeling came from.

Jiang Xuening, with her wrist tightly held by him, felt as if a venomous snake had crawled up her arm. A deep-seated fear gripped her, making her tremble uncontrollably. Her voice shook along with her body, but she still held onto a faint hope, “Sir, please, please let go of me.”

Xie Wei didn’t glance at the fallen qin by his feet. He just stared at her, repeating without any emotion, “Where are you going?”

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