At this moment, Tie Ci was heading to Ningfang Pavilion.
This was the most prosperous building in what used to be the most bustling area of the capital—a comprehensive entertainment venue combining restaurants, teahouses, pleasure houses, recreation, and shopping, covering a hundred acres. Near the expensive Tiannan Street, it even had its own private garden.
This had also been the place where the Xiao family and the Prince of Liaodong secretly colluded and planned. Here they had brewed conspiracies that nearly shook all of Da Qian, and it was with things from here that they had tempted the endlessly greedy Consort Jing, thus causing that far-reaching disaster in Chongming Palace.
After the Chongming Incident, Ningfang Pavilion was burned down and fell into ruin overnight. Afterward, the entire garden was sealed off.
But few people knew that only the main building had been burned. Behind the dilapidated walls, Ningfang Pavilion still retained many structures. After the incident, someone had acquired the property rights to Ningfang Pavilion at an extremely low price. This garden had changed hands and was soon after given to Tie Ci.
The one who bought the garden was Murong Yi, who gave it to Tie Ci.
Since Tie Ci wasn’t convenient to leave the palace often, this place was later managed by Dan Shuang and Chi Xue. Chi Xue was often in the palace, and Dan Shuang, after leaving the palace to study and having more leisure time, took over management here.
At daybreak today, Dan Shuang had left Da Qian Academy and come to Ningfang Pavilion.
A woman followed beside her, carrying a bag and pressing it tightly with her hands all along the way, as if carefully afraid the bag might break.
Dan Shuang seemed somewhat absent-minded, asking the woman: “Senior Sister, isn’t your laboratory always very busy? How do you have time to follow me today?”
The woman said: “It’s Master’s instruction. She said you’re coming today with a mission to have a heart-to-heart with His Majesty, and she’s afraid His Majesty might get angry at you if the conversation goes poorly, so she sent me to watch.”
Dan Shuang laughed: “How could His Majesty possibly get angry at me?”
“That’s hard to say. His Majesty will definitely be angry once she knows your thoughts.”
“I’m doing this for Da Qian’s future, for His Majesty’s freedom. I’m doing this for His Majesty’s good. Even if there are temporary disagreements, His Majesty will understand me.” Dan Shuang said. “Besides, even if His Majesty gets angry, what could you protect me from? Senior Sister, you don’t even know martial arts.”
The woman glanced down at her bag and smiled: “Don’t underestimate laboratory researchers. Even though we have no strength to tie up a chicken, we’re actually the most powerful people.”
We can make one person’s anger cause blood to flow like rivers.
She kept this thought to herself, though a trace of contempt flashed in her eyes.
Dan Shuang didn’t notice this look. She turned to look at the dilapidated building ahead: “I arranged to meet His Majesty here, but I don’t know if she has time.”
“If you invite her, she naturally has time.”
Dan Shuang was dazed for a moment, then suddenly said: “Senior Sister, Master is right, isn’t she?”
“Of course, how could Master be wrong?” the woman said. “You yourself are Master’s disciple and have always known what Master strives for. You joined the Progressive Society and eventually became its leader, which shows you’ve always deeply understood Master’s ideals and consistently implemented them. Universal harmony, equality for all beings, constitutional monarchy, human freedom—what a beautiful and glorious future this is. How could you ask such a question at this time?”
“Have you forgotten your own experiences back then? If your family’s land hadn’t been seized by landlords, if you hadn’t been displaced and lost your parents, how would you have become an orphan nearly dying on the roadside?”
Dan Shuang was dazed again for a long while, then lowered her head: “Yes, it’s my lack of determination. I’ve failed Master’s teachings.”
The woman smiled: “You’re different from others. Master has formally accepted you as a disciple—you’re Master’s final disciple, her most beloved little student. Others may question, may not agree, may ignorantly resist, but you shouldn’t. Don’t forget Master’s mountain-deep kindness to you.”
“Yes, Senior Sister.” Dan Shuang said. “My life was given to me by Master. However, Master promised me that no matter what His Majesty does, she will never harm His Majesty.”
“That’s natural.” The woman smiled. “His Majesty is also Master’s favorite disciple, supported all the way to now. Even with political disagreements, it’s just a temporary inability to come around. How could Master harm her?”
She patted Dan Shuang’s shoulder: “So if you don’t want the master-disciple relationship to break, persuade His Majesty well when the time comes.”
“Alright.”
The woman smiled slightly, gently stroking her bag.
This place had small bridges over flowing water, green trees and flourishing flowers, and some fruit trees were planted. The pear trees had ripened, hanging many golden pears that attracted many birds to peck at them.
The woman leaned against the fruit trees, casually scattering some grain-like things to attract birds to peck.
Dan Shuang was preoccupied. She glanced over and though she found it somewhat strange where Senior Sister had gotten grain to carry around, she didn’t ask much.
Then she heard the sound of a carriage.
She looked up expectantly and saw a carriage enter the gate, with Tie Ci stepping down from it.
Driving the carriage was Wan Ji, accompanying was Jingxu, and Pingzong sat on the carriage roof enjoying the scenery.
After completing her mission of entering Da Qian Academy to destroy the laboratory, Tie Ci no longer brought student guards to avoid unnecessary sacrifices.
These three people by her side were sufficient—Wan Ji represented the generals, Jingxu represented physicians, and Pingzong represented martial force.
Dan Shuang immediately went forward to greet her.
Behind her, the woman opened the door to an elegant room, gently placing a flower vase on the small table with a magnolia flower in it.
Over there, Dan Shuang greeted Tie Ci. Seeing the expression on her face, Tie Ci knew she was unaware of what had happened last night and today. She said nothing more, only: “Don’t return to Da Qian Academy recently, and don’t return to the palace either. Ningfang Pavilion here is quite secret—you should stay here, pay attention to safety, and don’t come out.”
Dan Shuang invited her into the room, asking in surprise: “Your Majesty, has something happened?”
But Tie Ci’s gaze fell on the woman who had come out to greet them. After a brief assessment, she said: “Laboratory research personnel?”
The woman bowed to her with an indifferent expression: “Your Majesty, I am also Master’s disciple, just specializing in laboratory management. I don’t usually come out, so Your Majesty doesn’t recognize me. Strictly speaking, I should be Your Majesty’s senior sister.”
Dan Shuang said: “Your Majesty, this is Senior Sister Mei.”
Tie Ci looked at her again, thinking: Hmm, a person from Master’s era.
Only people from that era would be completely unmoved by her status, even slightly contemptuous, looking at her as if she were a worn-out antique that should have long been swept into the garbage bin.
She now had no good feelings toward these people either. She didn’t call her senior sister, just nodded: “Then please stay outside with them and keep watch.”
Dan Shuang was slightly stunned, wondering why His Majesty, usually warm and courteous, was so cold toward this senior sister. And Senior Sister Mei, usually strict and proud, might get angry.
Contrary to her expectations, Senior Sister Mei not only didn’t get angry but stepped back a few paces, smiling: “Yes, I dare not disturb your conversation.”
Tie Ci nodded, pulled Dan Shuang inside, and the two sat facing each other by the couch, with a magnolia flower blooming gracefully between them.
Tie Ci stared at the magnolia flower, but her gaze went beyond it, looking into empty space: “Dan Shuang…”
“Your Majesty…”
Both spoke simultaneously, then both stopped.
“I’ll speak first.” Tie Ci said directly. “Are you meeting me today on Master’s orders? If so, then don’t say anything. I still have important matters and can’t stay long. Remember my words—hide quickly. You’re familiar with the people and weapons here at Ningfang Pavilion. When necessary, organize them to protect yourself.” She paused, then added: “If I am in the capital, you needn’t worry about anything. But if I’m not in the capital, self-preservation comes first.”
“How could Your Majesty leave the capital? How could Your Majesty leave the capital without taking us?” Dan Shuang said in amazement. “Your Majesty, what has happened? Is there some misunderstanding between you and Master?”
Tie Ci gazed at her for a long time. Dan Shuang’s face showed simple bewilderment.
Four years of university life had changed Dan Shuang greatly. Her former icy demeanor had faded, and now she was more like a simple and cheerful young woman. Tie Ci knew how much she admired Master—her lifesaver, her enlightening teacher, the guide who had given her new life and new horizons.
She knew Master’s charm. If initially Dan Shuang had only respected and felt grateful to Master, after four years of influence and following, Dan Shuang now had fanatical worship and devotion toward Master, just like those passionate young people at Da Qian Academy.
She could live for her, die for her, spill blood and sacrifice her life for her.
Dan Shuang had always been stubbornly determined to the point of obsession.
Given this, some things couldn’t be said to her. She might not believe them, and Tie Ci didn’t want to destroy her faith or put Dan Shuang in a difficult position between Master and herself.
She knew that would be very painful.
She never wanted to force the fiery-tempered Dan Shuang.
“You’ve always known about our disagreements,” Tie Ci said. “There must be a resolution eventually.”
Dan Shuang stared at her sensitively: “What resolution? Your Majesty, you possess the realm and command great armies. You and the Grand Tutor have political disagreements… You wouldn’t punish the Grand Tutor because of this, would you?”
Tie Ci was silent for a while, then said: “What if I would?”
“Your Majesty!” Dan Shuang suddenly leaned forward to grab her hand. “You cannot! She is your master! Proposing reforms is also for you, for your Da Qian! Master has no selfish motives. What she wants is only a free, equal, beautiful Da Qian, just like Da Qian Academy. You’ve also said Da Qian Academy is lively and free, broad-minded, the light of academies. If such an atmosphere could spread throughout all of Da Qian, if everyone could live under such relaxed and pleasant atmosphere and management, what would be wrong with that!”
She leaned forward too urgently and knocked over the flower vase on the table with a bang.
Some liquid flowed out, flowing toward Tie Ci across from her, with the magnolia flower gently floating in the liquid.
For a moment, Dan Shuang caught a whiff of a strange scent, which then dispersed.
But she was emotionally agitated at the moment and didn’t notice this detail at all. Her violent movement also caused the kang table to shift, and the table corner hit Tie Ci’s right ribs.
That was exactly where the bullet had struck earlier.
Tie Ci suddenly bent over, her right arm protecting her right ribs. Because of this wave of intense pain, she couldn’t avoid the flowing water.