“So you were prepared all along. The three northeastern divisions are all fierce warriors. Even if the Crown Prince left you thousands of troops, without a general well-versed in military strategy, you couldn’t hope to stop the iron cavalry of the Northeast,” Emperor Yuning glanced at the Go board beside him.
He carried the board while Liu Sanzhi hurriedly followed with the container of Go pieces.
Moyu drew his sword cautiously as Emperor Yuning approached, but Shen Xihe raised her hand slightly, and Moyu lowered his blade.
“Would you care to play a game with me?” Emperor Yuning set down the board and sat across from Shen Xihe.
The round wooden table was small, with the board placed in the middle. Both could easily reach any position on it. “Your child obeys your command,” she responded.
Emperor Yuning smiled at how Shen Xihe still maintained proper etiquette even in this situation. He gave her the white stones.
White moves first. Understanding this, Shen Xihe placed her first stone. Emperor Yuning followed immediately.
Neither seemed to need time to think. The sound of stones being placed on the board continued without pause. After some time, Emperor Yuning placed a stone, surrounding three of Shen Xihe’s pieces. “Who is your commanding general? What makes you so confident?”
Shen Xihe’s moves remained steady, reflecting her calm state of mind. She showed no signs of panic.
Ever since suspecting the Crown Prince might have faked his death, Emperor Yuning had kept a close watch on Shen Xihe and others like Xiao Changqing – every royal family member in the capital. Shen Xihe had no one left to send unless Xiao Huayong took the field himself.
The white stone landed steadily under the soft light as Shen Xihe spoke without raising her eyes: “It’s not who Your Majesty thinks it is.”
If possible, Shen Xihe wished he would return now. She felt neither tired nor afraid, but longing was like the wind, leaving her heart desolate.
“Besides him, I can’t think of anyone else,” Emperor Yuning said.
Shen Xihe looked up, her obsidian eyes seeming to gather silvery light: “It’s someone beyond Your Majesty’s expectations…”
In the Northeast, Emperor Yuning’s most secure territory, the land that the loyal old Prince Xun had stabilized for His Majesty, war erupted at the first watch. The Black Water Division’s governor’s mansion was ambushed in the dead of night – not from outside, but by enemies who had long infiltrated the governor’s inner circle, killing him swiftly.
The Black Water Division’s headquarters fell into chaos without leadership. Before the underground forces could prepare resistance, someone rode swiftly to the Black Water military camp carrying the governor’s head, shouting: “I am His Majesty’s sixth son, hereby imperial command to arrest traitors! The traitor has been executed – follow my orders!”
Some commanders were bewildered and wanted to object, but one commander immediately knelt in submission: “We obey the Sixth Prince’s commands.”
The confused commanders suddenly understood – this was long planned. The governor’s death was so swift they’d received no warning. The ease with which troops surrendered showed they had already switched allegiance.
What should they do now?
They looked at each other uncertainly. If they questioned it, who knew how many in the army had already turned? Would they lose their lives immediately?
Resistance meant certain death. Not resisting might still mean death if they lost, but victory offered a chance to live.
The Black Water Division had long been Xiao Huayong’s territory. He had simply never moved against the governor, letting His Majesty believe he still controlled it.
Xiao Changyu easily assembled the Black Water Division’s army and led them along with Xiao Huayong’s men in a mighty force toward the agreed gathering point of the three divisions, waiting for His Majesty’s elite troops to arrive.
“Sixth Son!” Emperor Yuning’s hand paused, extremely surprised.
“Sixth Prince didn’t die. He simply grew tired of the palace intrigues and flew from the cage with his beloved to live together,” Shen Xihe placed another stone. “Your Majesty, it’s your turn.”
Xiao Changyu was the child Emperor Yuning paid the least attention to – not out of bias, but because Xiao Changyu appeared mediocre in everything and never competed for power. Even so, Emperor Yuning didn’t doubt Xiao Changyu’s abilities.
None of his sons were truly mediocre!
“Just Sixth Son?” Emperor Yuning’s surprise lasted only a moment, and he placed his stone without hesitation.
“Has Your Majesty seen a gyrfalcon?” Shen Xihe’s eyes suddenly softened. She asked but didn’t wait for His Majesty’s answer, instead taking out a bone whistle with two holes producing different notes – one to summon people, the other…
She blew the whistle. Zhao Zhenghao, the Imperial Investigator, didn’t move. Instead, a clear cry rang out as a massive gyrfalcon circled above Qinzheng Hall. It flew one circle before landing on the window sill Shen Xihe had opened earlier, tilting its head to observe the room.
This gyrfalcon…
How could Emperor Yuning not recognize it?
Back then at the temporary palace, someone had wanted to catch it as a tribute for him. Later, with that giant snake, if not for this gyrfalcon…
So it had always belonged to someone.
“Changling…” Emperor Yuning looked at Shen Xihe.
Ignoring the emperor’s scrutinizing gaze, Shen Xihe extended her arm. The gyrfalcon flew in and landed on it. The hand holding her Go stone gently tapped its head. Shen Xihe raised her arm slightly: “Go…”
The gyrfalcon leaped up and flew out through the main door. It often came to the palace, but previously always silently – almost no one had seen it inside the palace.
“Beichen spent several days in Black Water Division taming this gyrfalcon,” Shen Xihe placed the stone that had touched the gyrfalcon’s head. This move was extremely aggressive, transforming the previously gentle game into a deadly dance of swords. “I forgot to tell Your Majesty, Beichen has a falconry in Black Water Division with thousands of birds. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to show it to me.”
A falconry with thousands of birds – how vast must it be?
Yet no one had reported it to him. What did this mean? It meant the Black Water Division had long been under Xiao Huayong’s control!
Having brought this up, Shen Xihe didn’t plan to stop there. Her tone, like her moves, grew sharp: “Your Majesty gathered the three divisions’ troops, waiting for news from the Northwest. Once the elite troops fall there, those sent to the three divisions will join their armies. If these three divisions have already become my people, Your Majesty’s elite troops sent there will be like fish in a barrel.”
With a click, a stone landed, trapping black in one corner.
Emperor Yuning’s gaze grew cold: “It seems you and your husband have long plotted in the three divisions. Are you so certain of victory in the Northwest?”
“The Northwest is also thanks to Beichen, who cleared out Your Majesty’s spies for me early on.” When she and Xiao Huayong visited the Northwest, they had thoroughly cleaned the house. “Your Majesty has few useful people left, though one person could be unexpected.”
Emperor Yuning placed another stone, remaining silent.
“Master Xue,” Shen Xihe said, looking toward the Empress Dowager. “In this game, I can defeat Your Majesty – thanks to the Empress Dowager’s help.”
Master Xue naturally wasn’t His Majesty’s man – otherwise, knowing Xiao Huayong’s true nature, he would have told His Majesty.
But with the Xue family in the capital, however open-minded Master Xue might be, if His Majesty threatened his entire clan, he might compromise.
The Empress Dowager excelled at using young ladies, being limited to such schemes herself.
His Majesty wasn’t so small-minded. Someone both useful and unexpected – Shen Xihe could only think of Master Xue.
The Turks had been scattered and couldn’t regroup. Even with the Northwest in chaos, no outside force could invade quickly.
As for Tibet, it would face attacks from both the Northwestern and Southern Shu armies.
However, after suspecting Master Xue, she hints to her brother to turn the situation to their advantage. She revealed to Master Xue how the Empress Dowager had manipulated Xue Jinqiao. Once Master Xue confirmed this, he would lower his guard against Xue Jinqiao.
Then she had her brother secretly order someone taken from Xiao Changyan to borrow Xue Jinqiao’s soul-controlling technique. Learning the truth, Xue Jinqiao would surely feel too guilty to face her brother and herself, perhaps even becoming suicidal.
To comfort Xue Jinqiao, they could only let her earn merit to wash away her guilt.
Now Xue Jinqiao was watching Master Xue, likely not wanting her grandfather to wrong her husband’s family again.
“Brother will let Qiaoqiao steal the Northwest’s ‘defense map.’ Master Xue will receive a copy to send to Your Majesty’s elite troops. When Tibet rises in chaos, Brother will lead troops to assist, and Master Xue will personally guide the elite troops into the city.”
Shen Xihe calmly placed a stone and met His Majesty’s increasingly cold gaze, still unhurried: “With Brother leading troops away and Father inspecting the borders, Your Majesty’s elite troops will surely enter the city for a quick victory.”
She paused, her white stones pressing into black’s territory: “But what if Father isn’t inspecting the borders?”
The elite troops’ entry would be walking into a trap.
As for victory or defeat, that would depend on each side’s ability.
Father must be eager to properly test his skills against His Majesty’s carefully trained elite troops.
Thinking of this, Shen Xihe’s lips curved slightly – not in smug satisfaction, but imagining how her father and brother must have argued over such an opportunity to face the elite troops.
Both were eager to fight, but one had to lead the main army away as cover. Without needing communication, Shen Xihe knew certainly that Father had stayed to wait for the elite troops.
Father must have won by insisting this might be his last battle in life while Brother was still young and would have other chances, using both soft and hard tactics.
They couldn’t ignore Tibet – the Empress Dowager had used Noble Consort Shu to reach an agreement with the Tibetan prince.
But the Tibetan king was following His Majesty’s orders, waiting for his chance.
Whether His Majesty’s arrangements or the Empress Dowager’s schemes…
She, Shen Xihe, would shatter them all!