As the saying goes, those who would go through fire and water for their brothers often end up being stabbed twice more—once by the brother and once by the brother’s beloved. Lu Xian felt his little life was over.

His heart was stifled, yet he didn’t dare shift the blame back.

Are you kidding? That man surnamed Xie’s favoritism had reached beyond the heavens—could he be trusted? If he dared say one word against Jiang Xuening, heaven knows what would happen afterward.

Lu Xian racked his brains trying to find a suitable excuse for himself.

Who would have expected that Xie Wei appeared completely normal and even smiled as lightly as floating dust, continuing: “Since you’re not free, then shouldn’t you hurry back to keep busy?”

Lu Xian was immediately stunned: “Eh?”

But Xie Wei no longer even looked at him, turning directly toward Jiang Xuening: “This trip of mine to Jinling is to return to my hometown to pay respects to my ancestors. Traveling the same route as you, on the surface we’ll just say it’s a coincidental encounter. Since I have old ties with Jiang Shilang, Minister Jiang, I’m simply giving you a ride along the way. So this journey won’t head straight to the border. We’ll first follow the route back to the capital, and when to change course westward, we’ll see as we go.”

Jiang Xuening was also stunned for a moment before understanding his meaning.

She had originally wondered—Xie Wei was such a close minister to the Emperor. Once he left the capital, who knew how many eyes were watching him? If he didn’t have a suitable reason, it would be problematic. But she had forgotten that on the surface, this person was a son of the Jinling Xie family. Returning to Jinling to pay respects to ancestors was a more than adequate excuse.

And traveling together with her could also be easily explained.

After all, she had been away from the capital for two years. It made sense for Jiang Boyou to bring her back.

This person truly thought everything through at all times…

Using her as a shield.

Jiang Xuening grumbled internally, but on the surface quickly agreed: “Alright.”

Xie Wei said: “Then let’s depart.”

Jiang Xuening hadn’t gotten out of the carriage to begin with, so at this moment she agreed again and was about to duck back inside.

However, just before turning around, she couldn’t resist glancing at Lu Xian.

Really, seeing how this person had acted like he was facing a great enemy earlier, she thought they had unwittingly violated some taboo of Xie Wei’s and something major would happen, making her nervous along with him.

In the end, nothing happened.

Was something wrong with this person?

Though this glance was simple and brief, how shrewd was Lu Xian? After being stunned, he immediately caught on and tasted the doubt and disdain within it. For a moment, he truly had bitterness he couldn’t express, so angry his eyes bulged.

Perhaps finding this scene amusing, Xie Wei smiled slightly.

Lu Xian felt even more stifled.

Both Daoqin and Jianshu were present—one driving the carriage, one on horseback.

Accompanying them were also the dozen or so bodyguards in tight-fitting clothes they had seen earlier below Guanlan Tower. Each one was a master, all following alongside the two carriages.

At this moment, the sky had just brightened. A thin mist shrouded the city gate.

Xie Wei also boarded his carriage.

The group thus swaggered out of the city.

Just as Xie Wei said, if they headed straight for the border and this fell into the eyes of those with ulterior motives, they would inevitably reveal clues and might delay the important matter. So this journey didn’t go in the northwestern direction toward Chuzhou, but instead took the official road going to Yangzhou.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t slept well last night, so the carriage ride was perfect for catching up on sleep.

These past two years she had traveled quite a bit, so the carriage interior was outfitted very comfortably. She wasn’t particularly bothered by any bumps.

But after waking, she felt bored.

At first, she lifted the carriage curtain to look outside, but the Jiangnan scenery was just like this—trees wouldn’t grow in the sky, nor would clouds float on the ground. After seeing it too much, it wasn’t anything special.

Throughout this journey, besides traveling, they stopped to rest.

People spent most of their time in the carriages.

She could only read books.

After all, anticipating the long journey ahead, she had brought several leisure books to read on the road.

But firstly, reading in the carriage was particularly hard on the eyes, and secondly, leisure books weren’t that engaging. After just six or seven days, she had already flipped through most of them.

“Sigh, so boring…”

Lying in her carriage compartment, Jiang Xuening tossed the last book into the corner and stared at the wooden grain patterns on the carriage ceiling, sighing deeply.

Lifting the carriage curtain for a look, outside was withered grass everywhere.

During this time, they had traveled northward all the way, already covering over a thousand li. The Jiangnan scenery had gradually changed, the weather growing colder and colder. Even the red leaves on distant mountains had condensed a thin layer of frost.

Xie Wei’s carriage was not far ahead.

Throughout this journey, except for stopping at relay stations or inns to rest and eat, they almost always stayed in their own carriages and rarely encountered each other face-to-face. It was as if they didn’t know each other—they barely exchanged a word.

When truly bored, Jiang Xuening occasionally thought about this person, contemplating questions related to him.

For instance, did she really know what kind of person Xie Ju’an was?

Without a doubt, this person was like the fog on the mountains.

Difficult to fathom, impossible to guess.

His conduct was measured, rarely careless, and he possessed an innate nobility. Even though she knew what massacres he had committed in the previous life and how ruthless and merciless he had been, it was hard to deny that he truly deserved the world’s praise of him having “the bearing of ancient sages.”

Sometimes, she even wondered—back at the villa when facing Xie Wei, was she more angry or more disappointed?

Using power to pressure people, scheming calculations, a cold heart—bringing her to the border to rescue the princess only to preserve the bigger picture—this naturally gave her a sense of furious indignation at being manipulated. But thinking deeper, perhaps it was because she held hope for Xie Wei.

As if she felt he shouldn’t be like that.

Though he was absolutely not simple, Jiang Xuening’s subconscious seemed to believe that Xie Ju’an, dangerous as he was, calculating as he was, had his own bottom line and principles, and would never collude with those truly sinister scoundrels.

Staring at the carriage ahead, Jiang Xuening spaced out for a while. Only when a cold wind blew against her face did she snap back to attention.

Why was she thinking so much about this?

In any case, after rescuing the princess, they would go their separate ways. As long as she stayed far away, what kind of person Xie Wei was would have nothing to do with her. It would be better to think about how to pass this long, boring journey.

Thinking this way, Jiang Xuening’s gaze naturally fell on Daoqin nearby.

The blue-robed youth with bow and arrows on his back rode his horse alongside her carriage.

She leaned on the window frame and called: “Daoqin.”

Daoqin turned his head and saw her beckoning to him. He instinctively first glanced at Xie Wei’s carriage ahead, hesitated, then still turned his horse to ride parallel with her carriage, drawing closer, and asked: “Does Miss Ning Er have instructions?”

Jiang Xuening blinked: “Can you play chess?”

Daoqin’s body stiffened: “I can, a little.”

Jiang Xuening’s eyes immediately lit up: “That’s wonderful! Get in the carriage!”

Daoqin’s eyelid twitched: “What do you want to do?”

Jiang Xuening didn’t know what kind of reaction this was. Why did he also have the same air of facing a great enemy like that coward Lu Xian? Though puzzled, she directly lifted up a chess board from inside her carriage compartment and said: “The road is too boring. Come keep me company for a couple of games.”

Daoqin: “…”

He looked at Jiang Xuening with a haunted expression, only feeling he had suffered eight generations of bad luck. He truly didn’t have the courage to respond with even half a sentence. He simply didn’t answer at all, directly squeezed his horse’s belly with his legs, and urged the horse forward.

Jiang Xuening had thought that people around Xie Wei usually gave her some face and obeyed her. Seeing Daoqin make a move, she thought he was going to agree. How could she have imagined he would just leave?

Looking again more carefully, this fellow was actually heading toward Xie Wei’s carriage ahead!

He approached the carriage window and seemed to press against the compartment to say a few words to someone inside.

Before long, he returned.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t yet realized the severity of the situation. She said helplessly: “Do you even need to ask your teacher for permission just to play chess?”

Daoqin looked at her: “Teacher requests that you come over.”

“…”

In just an instant, all the expressions on her face froze, then slowly cracked apart.

Meeting Jiang Xuening’s gaze that was practically accusatory, Daoqin felt inexplicably guilty and slowly lowered his head, repeating in a small voice: “Teacher requests that you come over, right now.”

Jiang Xuening experienced the long-lost feeling of wanting to die.

She slowly put down the chess board. When the driver pulled to the side and stopped the carriage, she pulled her lips into a smile at Daoqin: “So loyal to your teacher—I’ll certainly remember this.”

Daoqin didn’t dare respond with even half a sentence.

Jiang Xuening went to Xie Wei’s carriage.

As soon as she lifted the curtain, she saw a chess board set up inside the carriage. Black and white pieces were distributed unevenly across the board, and Xie Wei was still holding a chess manual in his hand—he was actually studying a chess game.

As soon as she entered the carriage, her imposing manner vanished. She said quietly: “Teacher summoned me?”

Xie Wei lifted his eyelids to glance at her: “Didn’t you want to play chess?”

Jiang Xuening immediately felt like she’d eaten bitter herbs.

Xie Wei casually pointed to the position in front of him: “Daoqin said you were bored. Sit.”

I am bored, but I don’t want to seek death!

What exactly did Daoqin say?

Jiang Xuening roared internally, but facing Xie Wei, she was like an eggplant hit by frost. In the end, she still sat down.

Xie Wei asked: “Do you want white or black pieces?”

Jiang Xuening looked at the board, feeling dizzy.

Xie Wei said: “White has better winning odds. You take white.”

Jiang Xuening felt utterly tormented: “Can we not play Go?”

Xie Wei’s hand, which had been reaching for the white piece container to pass to her, paused. He looked at her, eyebrows slightly raised: “Then what do you want to play? Chinese chess? Backgammon?”

Jiang Xuening weakly raised her hand: “Would Gomoku work…”

Xie Wei: “…”

Why did he suddenly have the urge to throw this box of white pieces at her face?

Jiang Xuening felt she was not far from death.

Xie Wei!

This was Xie Wei!

The strategizing, victorious-from-a-thousand-miles-away Xie Ju’an!

She actually dared suggest playing such childish Gomoku with Xie Wei!

But…

Go was so mentally taxing.

She really didn’t want to.

After saying those three words “Gomoku,” Jiang Xuening buried her head low, trying to avoid Xie Wei’s almost tangible gaze.

Xie Wei didn’t speak for quite a while.

After a moment, he began collecting the pieces originally arranged on the board, separating white and black, and placed the box of white pieces beside her again, saying: “Play.”

Jiang Xuening lifted her head: “Play what?”

The corner of Xie Wei’s eye twitched as he said lightly: “If you don’t play, I’ll throw you out of the carriage.”

Jiang Xuening shuddered, and without another word, picked up a white piece and pressed it in the very center of the board.

This was the tengen point.

If this were Go, anyone who dared place a piece at this position was either a fool or a genius.

But clearly, she was neither.

She cautiously looked toward Xie Wei.

Xie Wei stared at that piece for a moment before picking up a black piece and placing it next to hers.

Jiang Xuening looked: Perfect, the rules of Gomoku!

A little happiness rose in her heart, and she immediately followed skillfully with another move.

Jiang Xuening knew that Xie Wei was very formidable at Go.

However, she thought that Gomoku was simpler than Go. Though Xie Wei’s chess skills were high, they might not necessarily apply to such simple games. It was equivalent to her pulling Xie Wei down to her own level, where she could completely defeat him with experience.

But as they played on and the pieces multiplied, there were more and more places to consider. She was only watching the upper right corner and didn’t notice that the pieces on the left side had already formed a pattern. When Xie Wei placed another black piece on the board, it connected five in a row.

She had lost.

Jiang Xuening held back her breath. Feeling the difference wasn’t much and unwilling to accept it, she said: “Again, again.”

Xie Wei glanced at her and said nothing, collecting the pieces together with her.

The two played another game.

This time, Jiang Xuening still fell just short, beaten by one step by Xie Wei. She deeply regretted it and felt quite indignant.

All the way to the third game, she carefully managed her pieces, strived to conceal her intentions, and racked her brains calculating ahead. Finally, she placed a move designed to mislead Xie Wei into making a mistake, then nonchalantly watched Xie Wei to see if he would notice.

Xie Wei seemed not to detect it and really placed his piece where she had hoped.

Once his fingers left the piece, Jiang Xuening finally couldn’t hold back a laugh. She immediately placed her long-prepared next move and said: “Haha, Teacher, you fell into my trap! I win this game!”

Xie Wei said nothing as usual, his expression bland.

But in Jiang Xuening’s eyes, this was just stubbornly maintaining face.

She didn’t care about that.

Happily collecting the pieces, she forgot her earlier reluctance when Xie Wei had summoned her, now singlemindedly focused on the wins and losses before her eyes.

Overall, Xie Wei still won more.

But every three or four games, he would occasionally lose one.

When Jiang Xuening lost, she furrowed her brows tightly. Even when she won, it wasn’t particularly easy.

Precisely because of this, it was especially difficult to pull herself away.

She became addicted to playing.

Especially when she could occasionally win a game against Xie Wei—her joy and excitement were hard to conceal, boredom and depression swept away entirely. It was indescribably delightful.

The thirteenth game—she finally won again.

As she placed down the decisive piece that determined victory, Jiang Xuening’s eyes and brows were full of delight.

She was very pleased: “Teacher’s chess skills at Go are astonishing, but when switched to childish games like Gomoku, they can’t be put to use, can they? This is called: even the wise may err after a thousand considerations; while I, the fool, may gain insight from a thousand considerations.”

Xie Wei looked at her, then lowered his head to look at the board.

The wind lifted the carriage curtain. The lazy late autumn afternoon sunlight fell on the corner of the board with its scattered black and white pieces. Each piece flowed with a lustrous sheen.

Following this beam of light, he looked outside.

Mountains, rivers, and vast fertile plains stretched for thousands of miles.

Southward-flying wild geese swept past in the distance.

Hearing her phrase “the fool may gain insight from a thousand considerations,” the corners of his lips finally curved shallowly. Three to five rays of light fell into his eyes, brewing in the depths of his pupils into an unprecedented tranquil peace. Even those ink-painting-like refined features relaxed slowly, like the undulating contours of distant mountains.

Jiang Xuening was about to collect the pieces when she looked up and caught this sight. She felt as if a mass of ice and snow melted before her eyes, and couldn’t help being dazzled and entranced.

Xie Wei like this was truly too beautiful.

In this moment, possessed by some strange compulsion, not knowing which part of her heart was bewitched, she sincerely murmured: “If only Teacher could forever remain just Teacher, that would be wonderful…”

“…”

Xie Wei heard this and turned to look at her.

The slight curve at his lips slowly faded.

Jiang Xuening had truly been in a trance just now. She didn’t even realize she had spoken her heart’s words aloud. Only when his gaze fell on her face did she suddenly become aware, her body immediately stiffening.

Xie Wei’s face was already expressionless.

That intoxicating warmth from before seemed to have become an illusion. He coldly lowered his eyelids and said only: “Get out.”