364 God-like Moves
At this point, Old Madam Yu looked dejected. “It’s not that I’m biased towards Second Brother. Eldest Brother’s talent is a little shallow, and his future is limited. However, he needs money and some effort to build some connections to stand tall in the royal court. I’ve been planning for the two of them in every way, and I think that I’ve settled everything. In the end, I lost Second Brother’s entire future and a life…”
Nanny Liu acted as if she hadn’t heard her.
Old Madam Yu sighed softly. “If it were me back then… Forget it, it’s too late to say anything. I don’t want to do anything guilty, but this guilty thing came to me.”
In the dead of night—
The study was dark and deep. There was only a pewter stick. The firelight danced slightly, and the weak light gave off a dark feeling.
Zhou Linghuai played with the cooling summer pearls with one hand and rested his forehead on the other as he leaned against the wheelchair. There was a faint fragrance of medicine in his nose, exuding a faint bitterness and fragrance of flowers.
Below, a black-clothed and masked man was reporting, “Ye Hanyuan disguised himself as Mr. Xian Yun’s servant and entered the capital with him. Young Master is indeed as accurate as a god…”
“Why did you think he went to Youzhou three years ago? Was it really to travel? Heh.” Zhou Linghuai slowly raised his head. His flawless white face revealed a sickly paleness under the dark firelight. It actually made one’s heart skip a beat. “He’s following the example of the Saint to travel the world, but his heart is with the royal court.”
King You was treated as a traitor. Mr. Xian Yun suddenly accepted Song Mingzhao as his disciple with the intention of nurturing him. In the future, when Song Mingzhao entered the court, he would be placed in an important position and quickly gain a foothold in the royal court.
This move was to balance the power of the parties in the court.
Now that King Ping had entered the capital, the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence had contributed greatly, and the Marquis of Weining’s family was famous.
How could that old man sit still?
Zhou Linghuai said coldly, “Mr. Xian Yun, you look at the world clearly. As a capable person, you’re famous in the world. Without peace, how can you be free and unfettered?”
Yin San lowered his head. “Young Master is right, but…”
If not for that, how could Young Master have set up the Allheaven Chess Game to lure Mr. Xian Yun into it?
It was only Young Master’s first move to plan for King Ping to send the heir into the capital to be a hostage.
This move counted as the vassal lord’s disloyalty.
This second step counted as creating a backer.
Zhou Linghuai brought the cooling summer pearl bracelet to his nose and sniffed it gently. “Back then, when I met Mr. Xian Yun, I narrowly won, but just as he said, it was an unfair victory. But now, he’s only worthy of being my chess player and at my mercy. No matter how the situation develops, I can still achieve my goal in the end. Why should I personally participate and dirty my hands?”
Yin San was slightly stunned.
Zhou Linghuai opened his hands. His hands seemed to be carved from beautiful jade, and they exuded an exquisite aura. “These hands are playing the zither, painting, carving, calligraphy… It won’t be good if they’re stained.”
Yin San was stunned. Young Master had a surly personality since he was young. He was in the mortal world, but his heart was in the purgatory.
Everyone said that the heir of King You, Yin Huaixi, was unpredictable. Although he smiled, he might not be happy. When he did not smile, he might not be angry. He was vengeful and unpredictable. His methods were ruthless and unpredictable. Anyone who dared to provoke him would not have a good ending.
In the past three years, he had followed Young Master’s side and personally witnessed how Young Master schemed and laid down his pieces in the chessboard of the world. From then on—
His god-like moves were endless.
His killing intent was endless.
If anyone stood in his way, he would kill them. If Buddha stood in his way, he would kill him.
However, it was still different in the end.
The butcher’s knife in his heart had a scabbard and restraints.
Eldest Miss Yu’s body and mind were clean, and her heart was like glass. With her glass-like body, she looked magnificent, illuminating the darkness heart. From then on, not only did he have the goal of killing, but he also had the goal of protection.
He was willing to crawl in front of Buddha and listen to Buddhism. His killing intent was endless, and he only felt at ease.
Zhou Linghuai wore the pearls on his right wrist and said softly, “It’s not a good sign when things look too good. Often, one will climb too high and fall too hard, and their bones will be shattered.”
The next day was the day Mr. Xian Yun entered the residence.
Old Madam Yu had brought Yu Youyao to the second house early in the morning to help Madam Yao manage it.
At ten o’clock, a green-topped carriage drove all the way from the entrance of the Yu Residence into the courtyard. Yu Zongshen was already waiting in front of the door.
After Mr. Xian Yun alighted from the carriage, Yu Zongshen stepped forward and greeted, “Greetings, sir.”
It was the etiquette of a scholar.
Mr. Xian Yun was dressed in a crane-patterned gray robe. His hair and beard were all white. He stroked his white beard and nodded. “Lord Yu, you’re too polite. I’ve already disturbed you by visiting you rashly today and using your residence to greet an old friend.”
The two of them exchanged pleasantries. Yu Zongshen did not waste any time and brought Mr. Xian Yun to Mr. Hu Shan’s courtyard.
Mr. Hu Shan was sitting in an octagonal pavilion. A chess game had already been made on the chessboard. When he saw his old friend coming over, he said, “We haven’t seen each other for many years. Why don’t we play a game?”
Mr. Xian Yun sat opposite him and held a white chess piece. He nodded. “That’s what I meant.”
The two of them drank their tea.
Mr. Hu Shan asked, “Is your visit to the capital related to Youzhou?”
Mr. Xian Yun sighed slightly. “Do you know the You Prefecture’s Ye Xiaoci, Lord Ye?”
The vassal lords led troops and guarded the vassal lands. The imperial court set up state capitals in the vassal lands to help the vassal lords govern the vassal lands, but also to monitor and restrain them.
Mr. Hu Shan nodded. “I know a little. I heard that this person is from the side branch of the Ye family in Linjiang. He’s a scholar. As he’s quite talented, he was sent to Youzhou to take on the position of governor.”
Mr. Xian Yun twirled the white chess piece and placed it in a corner of the chessboard. “Ye Xiaoci has a son called Ye Hanyuan. This person is good at the art of war, riding, and archery. At the age of 12, he joined King You’s camp and made extraordinary contributions.”
Mr. Hu Shan’s heart skipped a beat. “The Great Zhou Dynasty is weak, but there are many talents in Youzhou. Not to mention people like Yin Huaixi and Zhou Linghuai, there’s actually a general like Ye Hanyuan. No wonder you wanted to make a trip to Youzhou back then.”
Back then, when he wrote to Mr. Xian Yun, he happened to praise Zhou Linghuai’s talent.
Now that Zhou Linghuai was in the Yu Residence, he had even become his student by mistake. Things were really unpredictable!
Mr. Xian Yun nodded. “A few days ago, it was said that a Di spy had infiltrated the city in Youzhou. The Marquis of Changxing made a fuss and searched for the spy. This so-called spy is Ye Hanyuan. I brought him into the capital this time.”
Hu Shan was about to drink his tea when he paused. “Why is that?”
He had heard that back then, the evidence of King You colluding with the enemy to commit treason had included Ye Xiaoci’s confession. In the past few years, Ye Xiaoci had been in Youzhou and was very close to the Marquis of Changxing.
How did Ye Hanyuan become a spy and suddenly enter the capital?
...
Mr. Xian Yun did not even play chess. “Do you know why the Di people invaded the Northern Region back then? And why King You, who has always been outstanding in battle, was retreating step by step?”
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