“I concede defeat!” Huang Beishuang replied with difficulty. She had lost terribly, never so badly before. “Your Majesty’s chess skills are unparalleled. I suppose you’ve never lost a game?”
Na Zhan smiled, “I have lost, in an even match, to a boy eight years my junior!”
After speaking, he began to put away the chess pieces, then suddenly said softly, “Do you want to know? About King Jing Tian! If you want to know, let’s play another round. I’ll tell you as much as you can hold out.”
Hearing this name she had murmured countless times in her dreams, Huang Beishuang’s heart skipped a beat. She hesitated for a moment, then gently placed three pieces on the board.
“Why do you like someone you don’t know?” Na Zhan placed a piece.
“Some people you can know for a lifetime and never fall for, while others capture your heart with just one glance.” Huang Beishuang made her move.
Na Zhan looked at the board, his gaze serene. “The last time I saw him was at the Four Nations Territory Conference held in Zhun City of the Eastern Desert Fortress. He was eighteen then, looking every bit a cold youth. That year was also the last time he attended the Kings’ Council. Most notably, he brought two Queen Consorts with him.” With that, Na Zhan placed another piece.
Huang Beishuang’s hand trembled slightly as she held her piece, then placed it with a clang.
“At fifteen, he had already established two stunningly beautiful Queen Consorts, didn’t take any concubines, yet many women willingly served in his bed without titles!” Na Zhan picked up a piece and tapped it on the board. “Qing Yun was that kind of man!”
Huang Beishuang paused, feeling the lotus on her arm burns like boiling water. After a while, she reluctantly made her move.
Na Zhan smiled, “That day I played chess with him, I lost even worse than you did today!” With that, Na Zhan placed his piece, utterly destroying Huang Beishuang’s poor board layout.
Huang Beishuang stopped. “Were you upset? About losing the game?”
Na Zhan looked at her, “I was. So I threw all the chess pieces at his face.” He chuckled softly, remembering that he was already twenty-six then, with five princes and two princesses. It was the first time he, skilled in chess since childhood, had conceded defeat mid-game, losing completely.
Huang Beishuang was startled, “What happened next?”
Na Zhan unhurriedly sipped his tea. “It’s your turn!”
Huang Beishuang made her move.
“Afterwards, he sliced the chessboard with his sword. Since then, I never saw him again. Most news about him came from Mang Liu.” Na Zhan placed another piece.
“Mang Liu?” Huang Beishuang searched the board frantically and hastily made a move.
Na Zhan looked at where she placed her piece. “Playing so chaotically, you won’t last long!” He made a killing move. “Mang Liu is a spy organization that regularly trades in political secrets from various countries. No one knows how they get their information, but it’s usually accurate.”
“Related to Tian Du?” Huang Beishuang made another chaotic move.
“I’ve always suspected that Mang Liu is Tian Du’s shadow. Since Zi Ruo Wen established Fen Tian and disrupted Da Mo’s structure, this guess has become undeniable.” Na Zhan placed his piece. “You’re about to lose.”
Hearing this, Huang Beishuang moved randomly. “What’s the last thing Your Majesty wants to tell me?”
Na Zhan smiled, “Men have their pride. You should understand, that Guang Han Palace will no longer be a place he can come and go as he pleases.” He made his final move and collected the pieces.
He is her husband, yet has never heard her whispers on the pillow.
She is his wife, yet has never seen the scars on his chest.
He knows her intentions, she understands his heart.
They are two petals blooming towards the south and north,
Opening on the same flower, yet tasting different dewdrops.
Guang Han Palace was vast and complex, with not only main halls and consorts’ quarters but also numerous secret passages and hidden chambers. One can imagine how many secrets an ancient royal family might have to conceal. The worried often overthink, and the thoughtful often overanalyze. Those cold, unknown palace corridors must have witnessed countless worries and regrets. The strangest thing about those in power is that they can never let go of their concerns. However, the very places meant to protect secrets inevitably become targets for prying eyes, like a clear glass of fine wine left on a table.
If Na Zhan would worry about this wine, then Qing Yun was the elusive drinker.
In the year 332, on the Day of Zi Jian, Na Zhan personally sealed 78 secret passages to the Shadow Hall in Guang Han Palace and added 17 sentry posts, letting secrets become mere specks of dust in his heart, destined to fade with time. During that period, the sound of walls being destroyed and passages being filled echoed through Guang Han Palace every night, like a warning, sealing off everyone’s restless hearts.
By the time the Jie Ma tree in Guan Ying Palace’s courtyard had grown past knee height, Yun Pei closed its borders.
No one could enter the city, nor could anyone leave the country.
The wind was cold, stripping the swaying trees bare, yet unable to dry the icy rain clinging to their trunks. That night, one could see a long caravan leaving Hu Gai and heading north. At the front of the procession was Tian Du’s renowned General Ji Hua. Despite the raindrops on his rugged face, his gaze remained deep as he looked ahead, where at the end of the long journey lay his beloved homeland.
The border city of Mai Ka in Hu Gai had been as chaotic as Yun Pei’s Guang Han Palace these past few days. After King Jing Tian placed King Gu Cha under house arrest, he began transferring Hu Gai’s resources to Tian Du, gradually emptying this powerful nation with 170 years of history.
Tian Du’s Southern Garrison troops patrolled Mai Ka’s streets daily, armed and armored, their expressions solemn. Their resounding footsteps seemed to crystallize the cruelest northern wind of this winter. The first rule for the Heaven’s Army entering the city was not to harm civilians who didn’t resist, with death as punishment for violators. However, to others, this seemed just another form of hypocrisy in the world. If they were poor, how could they not resist when you took their property? In this world, blood-stained shoes are worn by those desperately trying to survive.
For every innocent Hu Gai citizen who mourned, there was an equally innocent Tian Du citizen giving thanks.