Zhao Cheng himself had never imagined that one day he could obtain something from Zhao Hu without a single quarrel.

So when he received the token, his expression still carried some confusion. This made him look deeply at his father before turning to leave.

Zhao Cheng was eager to find answers, so he didn’t investigate further. Taking the token, he headed out.

Zhao Hu couldn’t hold back and called after him, “You just got home…”

Seeing Zhao Cheng turn back, Zhao Hu lowered his voice: “At least change your clothes before going. How can you enter the palace all dusty from travel?”

Zhao Cheng replied, “Sanniang won’t mind such trivial matters.”

He was in a hurry and didn’t want to waste time. It was almost noon, and everyone was busy on New Year’s Eve. If he didn’t see her now, it would be even harder to find her later.

Zhao Cheng took the token and hurried to the palace.

Zhao Hanzhang was leisurely playing chess with Guo Pu in the observatory.

When Zhao Cheng arrived in a rush, Guo Pu had just lost a game. Seeing who had come, he immediately put down his chess pieces and said to Zhao Hanzhang, who was about to start a new game, “General, your guest has arrived.”

Zhao Hanzhang glanced down from the platform. “He’s also yours, Master Guo.”

Guo Pu muttered inwardly—what did this have to do with him?

He hadn’t promised Zhao Cheng anything recently. Wait, hadn’t Zhao Cheng resigned from office?

Zhao Cheng climbed the observatory, first bowing to Zhao Hanzhang, then directly asking Guo Pu, “Master Guo, did you ever calculate and predict that on the twenty-sixth of the twelfth month, winter thunder would strike repeatedly in the eastern suburbs, toppling large trees?”

Guo Pu responded, “Who is so shameless as to deceive people using my name?”

Zhao Hanzhang tossed all her chess pieces back into the container and replied, “That was me.”

Guo Pu swallowed back a belly full of curses, looked at Zhao Hanzhang, then at Zhao Cheng, and sat silently without moving.

But holding back profanity was so uncomfortable.

Indeed, cursing not only hurt others but also oneself.

Taking this matter as an example, whether spoken or not, it would hurt him either way.

Zhao Hanzhang invited Zhao Cheng to sit and talk.

Zhao Cheng wasn’t particularly angry. From his initial suspicion until now, two days had passed. During his journey, he had considered all sorts of doubts—in his heart remained only puzzlement, not anger.

He sat to Zhao Hanzhang’s left. “Why did you deceive me?”

Zhao Hanzhang replied, “I didn’t deceive you.”

“On the twenty-fifth, I told Uncle Cheng that there might be winter thunder in the eastern suburbs on the twenty-sixth. That was a prediction about the future. The twenty-sixth hadn’t passed yet—who could guarantee there wouldn’t be thunder that day? Uncle Cheng chose to exit through the South Gate because of this prediction. At that time, how could you be certain the lightning would only strike trees in the eastern suburbs and not the southern suburbs?”

Zhao Hanzhang continued, “At that time, wouldn’t the safest approach have been to remain in the capital, wait until after the twenty-sixth, and then depart? Uncle Cheng, why didn’t you change your plans? Why did you insist on traveling according to your original schedule?”

These three consecutive questions sparked Zhao Cheng’s interest in debate. Just as he was about to refute them one by one, he heard Zhao Hanzhang say, “As it turned out, your decision was a middle strategy. You didn’t change the timing, so you departed the capital on schedule. But you changed your route, which cost you half a day more than originally planned. If you hadn’t cared about the prediction at the time and left through the East Gate on the twenty-sixth, you would have encountered no winter thunder and wasted no time or changed your itinerary.”

Zhao Cheng’s breathing became slightly rapid. After a moment, he said, “Are you saying that in conducting affairs, one shouldn’t worry about predictions but should forge ahead bravely?”

Zhao Hanzhang responded, “I do what I believe is right, without regret. Uncle Cheng, after leaving the capital and returning, do you have any regrets?”

So she wouldn’t hold back from taking another step forward because of Zhao Cheng’s concerns. What about him? Hesitating and wavering because of various reasons—was that a good thing?

Taking this incident as an example, clearly not. He left the capital only to return, going through all that trouble for nothing, ending up back where he started.

Zhao Cheng opened his mouth but didn’t speak for a long time.

Seeing him bow his head in contemplation, Zhao Hanzhang didn’t disturb him, tapping the chess container to signal Guo Pu to continue.

Guo Pu looked at the chess board and sighed.

Playing chess with Zhao Hanzhang held no enjoyment at all. With Zhao Cheng as an opponent, he had the pleasure of overwhelming superiority. With Fu Tinghan as an opponent, since their mathematical abilities were comparable and they understood each other well, there was back-and-forth, uncertain outcomes, and the excitement of meeting a kindred spirit…

With Zhao Hanzhang as an opponent, this person was too cunning. He could always calculate her several possible moves but could never determine which direction she would ultimately choose. He’d been losing at chess all day—no fun at all!

Unhappy, Guo Pu looked at the board, gritted his teeth, and perked up again as if injected with chicken blood. No, he absolutely had to win once today!

Guo Pu picked up his pieces again, choosing a conventional opening.

Half an hour later, Zhao Hanzhang was hungry, having won yet another game. Zhao Cheng also emerged from his contemplation. He glanced at the board, then at the glum Guo Pu, and decided to help him save face, saying, “You still deceived me—you lied that the winter thunder was calculated by Master Guo.”

Zhao Hanzhang’s hand paused while collecting the pieces. She wavered between sophistry and honesty, then nodded sincerely, “Yes, on that point I deceived Uncle Cheng.”

Guo Pu commented, “Shameless.”

Zhao Cheng nodded in agreement.

Zhao Hanzhang’s expression remained unchanged as she countered Zhao Cheng’s question: “If Master Guo had calculated it, would Uncle Cheng have believed it would definitely happen?”

Zhao Cheng replied, “Though not necessarily definite, it would most likely occur, so I would believe it more.”

Guo Pu appreciated this trust.

Zhao Hanzhang gathered all her black pieces into the container, then scooped up all the remaining white pieces and deposited them into Guo Pu’s container with a smile. “In that case, Uncle Cheng must have known about Master Guo’s prediction when he first met Fifth Great-Uncle and Seventh Great-Uncle, right? Why didn’t you follow that prediction?”

Guo Pu’s initial phrase about “heavenly mandate” had been sealed and not spread publicly, but as the sons of Zhao Song and Zhao Hu, and as important figures close to Zhao Hanzhang, both Zhao Ming and Zhao Cheng knew about it.

Zhao Ming had become even more resolute in supporting Zhao Hanzhang because of it, while Zhao Cheng…

Was it because of Guo Pu’s statement that the Zhao clan would succeed through the people’s hearts and fail through the people’s hearts?

Zhao Hanzhang sighed, “Uncle Cheng is too pessimistic. How can one refuse food for fear of choking?”

Because of fear of future failure, should one give up present success?

Seeing Zhao Cheng’s gaze fall upon him, Guo Pu hastily distanced himself. “It’s just the general trend. I didn’t calculate a specific time. This concerns national fortune—I can’t calculate that either.”

Zhao Hanzhang said to Zhao Cheng, “National fortune, you see~~”

Zhao Cheng: …

This could no longer be called a hint—it was an outright statement.

Zhao Hanzhang asked Zhao Cheng if he would still leave the capital, and whether he wanted to be restored to his official position.

Zhao Cheng declined.

Although his heart was much more settled, he still decided to go out, walk around, observe the people’s livelihood, and listen to their voices.

Zhao Hanzhang always said he stood on high looking down at the land. Although he saw the people’s hardships, he didn’t know how they suffered. He needed to bend down and carefully listen to the people’s voices.

So this time, Zhao Cheng wanted to go out and see for himself.

Seeing his determination, Zhao Hanzhang said, “In that case, Uncle Cheng should take more students with you.”

She named eight students in succession.

—