“A Luo, your turn.” A young green-robed Daoist lightly tapped the Go board with a stone, teasingly calling his disciple. Obviously he quite liked this nickname. Since hearing that Ying kid start calling it, he occasionally called it too.

The green-robed youth playing against him came back to himself, staring at the board and spacing out a while longer. Not until the young green-robed Daoist pointed with his finger at the newly placed stone did he struggle to prop open his eyelids, finding somewhere to place a white stone, making a double tiger.

“A Luo isn’t serious at all.” The green-robed Daoist pouted aggrievedly but still didn’t dismiss the idea of playing, pondering where to place next.

The green-robed youth covered his lips with his sleeve, giving a small yawn. He hadn’t slept all last night. Just wanting to catch up on sleep, but still had to deal with his master who had a sudden whim to play Go. Heaven knew he was starting to see double images of the board.

Of course, even with good spirits, he couldn’t beat his master. Even though his master this game willfully used a three-star opening from the start.

“Clack!” The green-robed Daoist slapped the black stone onto the board, making a crisp sound.

This time the green-robed youth actually saw this move clearly. This move was a thrust, breaking one eye he’d previously made alive. Seeing this entire area about to be encircled and annihilated by black stones, the green-robed youth’s originally drowsy eyes became somewhat more alert. Even if losing, couldn’t lose too badly.

“Has everything been going smoothly lately?” The green-robed Daoist asked casually.

The green-robed youth pressed his lips together without answering. He didn’t believe Master knew nothing. This morning, eldest prince Fu Su was confined under house arrest and punished to copy books. Though no real reason leaked out, inside and outside the palace, various rumors had already spread everywhere. Some reasons he heard were ridiculous. But even he could hear those two ridge beasts’ nagging. Master, who could frequently enter and exit Xianyang Palace, could definitely also hear them. Why ask him?

“A Luo, your emotions are unsettled—unfavorable for cultivation.” The green-robed Daoist sighed lightly. This disciple’s aptitude was truly rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. He so wished to directly abduct him to deep mountains and old forests, teaching him in complete isolation from the world, yet couldn’t disregard the other’s intentions.

Wanting to assist an enlightened lord, revive his family—then first let him complete this wish before focusing on cultivation wasn’t too late. But cultivation was like rowing upstream—not advancing meant retreating.

The green-robed youth bore his master’s disappointed gaze, hesitating a long while before placing a stone beside an isolated white stone deep in enemy territory, connecting one move.

Since last night, he’d asked Chaofeng and Yaoying to continuously monitor Xianyang Palace and Yong Palace’s movements, selecting several suspects. But ultimately still couldn’t determine who exactly killed Zhao Ji and framed Fu Su.

When he himself was injured before, even knowing the culprit was Jianglü, he felt it wasn’t the right time and didn’t immediately retaliate. But seeing Fu Su injured, he couldn’t help but rage internally. Though Fu Su carelessly knelt it out himself, he wished he could immediately drag that person out and return it a thousandfold.

This should be because his originally good plan was disrupted by someone, producing irritation.

The green-robed youth organized his emotions and honestly said, “Lost. Unhappy. Just like playing against Master.” Before when Master still gave handicap stones, he could occasionally win a few games. Now completely flawless—no wonder he didn’t want playing Go with Master.

The green-robed Daoist curved his lips, obviously quite pleased with his Go skills. He spun several stones in his hand, listening to the ink jade stones making pleasant friction sounds in his palm, raising his eyes to smile at his disciple.

The green-robed youth’s heart jumped from his gaze. His master had handsome features but possessed extremely bewitching peach blossom eyes. When not smiling was fine, but once smiling, simply irresistible. Fortunately, his master’s capricious temperament only showed before familiar people. Before strangers, at least he could put on airs somewhat.

Those peach blossom eyes slightly closed, concealing the profundity within. “Worldly matters are like Go. Beginner Go players only respond to ko fights. Being disrupted by opponents’ plans is extremely common.”

The green-robed youth clenched his fists but had nothing to say. Because he knew he was indeed currently the beginner Go player in Master’s mouth.

“Intermediate Go players can predict opponent actions, calculating several moves ahead, possessing sufficient time to think of countermeasures.” The green-robed Daoist spoke smoothly, voice mellow as wine.

“Then advanced Go players?” The green-robed youth licked his dry lips, asking unwillingly.

“Advanced Go players…” The green-robed Daoist paused, lowering his eyes, soundlessly placing the black stone in his hand at a board corner, smiling shallowly. “Advanced Go players can induce the other to place stones where they want them placed.”

The green-robed youth’s eyes widened, staring at this ingeniously creative move. Expectation had already formed a throughgoing ko.

Throughgoing ko, also called world ko—a major ko fight that could influence a game’s victory or defeat. The green-robed youth calculated repeatedly. No matter how he placed stones afterward, he was at least one move short. This strange throughgoing ko was actually induced step by step by his master!

Unwillingly conceding defeat, the green-robed youth’s sleepiness completely vanished. Resentfully snorting coldly, “Has Master shared these Go theories with others?”

Such theories weren’t only applicable to Go.

Martial combat, palace intrigue, factional struggles, military strategy, etc.—all could use them.

“Mm, once told your eldest senior brother.” The green-robed Daoist smiled carelessly, his face showing reminiscence.

The green-robed youth collecting stones froze. Several stones in his hand slipped to the ground, making crisp jade-on-plate sounds.

Not knowing if he was oversensitive, he always felt this recent series of events was like that game just now—as if someone induced him to walk those steps one by one…

Jianglü had been in high spirits lately.

Eldest prince Fu Su, for unclear reasons, angered the King of Qin and was confined under house arrest, punished to copy books. So recently, many matters were shared and managed by the four princes next in seniority. Though called joint management by various brothers, actually all were monopolized by the most capable Jianglü. Though inevitably panicked when first starting, Jianglü had anticipated this opportunity long. Privately he’d already long imitated Fu Su’s every move. Just half a day and he adapted. Now many officials and eunuchs, upon seeing him, no longer called him “Fourth Prince” but “Prince Jianglü.”

Jianglü also felt that since obtaining a mysterious lord’s guidance, everything had smoothed considerably. Unfortunately, that lord never revealed his true face, only willing to occasionally appear late at night, teaching him some methods or informing some intelligence before leaving.

Days ago, rumors had faintly spread in the palace that the Empress Dowager died before the King of Qin returned to Xianyang. The cause of death was suspicious—this was why Fu Su’s negligent regency received the King of Qin’s punishment. This rumor sounded somewhat credible. But the Empress Dowager had long been secluded in Yong Palace. No formal obituary was issued. Jianglü wanted to investigate but feared being too obvious. That lord who’d been guiding him mentioned last night in response to his inquiry that this matter was true. That lord’s intelligence was as always accurate and secretive, even describing where Zhao Ji’s corpse was placed clearly. But after speaking, he warned him not to casually get involved in this whirlpool. But Jianglü intuited this was a rare opportunity to push his eldest brother into the abyss, never to rise again.

Therefore, this fourth prince was scratching his heart restlessly, yet didn’t know where to find a breakthrough.

The Empress Dowager’s death had spread tumultuously days ago. Even today, rumors emerged saying King Qian of Zhao, following Empress Dowager Zhao Daochang’s orders, presented a pair of poison-coated purple clam hairpins to Zhao Ji, causing her tragic death.

Speaking of that Empress Dowager Zhao Daochang—originally just a prostitute who climbed to queen then queen dowager position. Later, because Li Mu once questioned her improper birth, opposing King Zhao Daoxiang establishing her as queen, she deeply hated Li Mu. King Qian of Zhao believed slander, killing Li Mu, self-destructing Zhao’s Great Wall. Empress Dowager Zhao Daochang’s role couldn’t be underestimated.

Such a vicious woman dared remove even national pillars without changing expression. So after state destruction, losing reason and audaciously poisoning Qin’s Empress Dowager Zhao Ji wasn’t that unacceptable a fact.

But smart people loved overthinking. After destroying Han, King Zheng of Qin didn’t execute King An of Han but settled him in Chen County. After Zhao’s destruction, King Qian of Zhao similarly had no life danger, well settled in Fangling. Some greatly praised King Zheng of Qin’s tolerant benevolence. Similarly, some worried that not eradicating six states’ nobility would bring endless troubles. But a ruler who didn’t wantonly kill was ultimately more reassuring than a brutal ruler. So opposing voices were like rice grain pearls, firefly light—completely negligible.

But Zhao’s situation differed from Han’s. Everyone knew King Zheng of Qin grew up as hostage in Zhao when young. The humiliation suffered remained indelible. After attacking Handan, King Zheng of Qin personally went there, killing all with old grudges, only sparing Zhao’s royal clan. So those skilled at glimpsing hearts said what purple clam hairpins causing Empress Dowager Zhao Ji of Qin’s sudden death—perhaps was an excuse King Zheng of Qin sought for killing King Qian of Zhao.

Jianglü had specially inquired about these rumors. Synthesizing various channels’ information, he had different judgments.

Intelligence obtained from that lord said the Empress Dowager had died yet never had funeral—definitely problematic. This problem should be the Empress Dowager’s cause of death. Meanwhile, Fu Su was confined—what did this indicate?

Jianglü absolutely didn’t believe some negligent oversight implication theory. Know that Yong Palace was over twenty li from Xianyang! If Fu Su could be comprehensive about everything, the one worried would instead become Father King.

So… Fu Su was related to Empress Dowager Zhao Ji’s cause of death!

When Jianglü deduced this conclusion, he froze for quite a while, causing him not to concentrate on matters all afternoon.

This thought was like a poisonous weed seed, growing crazily in his mind, unable to accommodate any other thoughts. Especially when he thought Zhao Ji’s corpse was placed in a sleeping hall not far from him, he grew even more restless. Piled memorials had no mood to handle. Jianglü endured in the warm pavilion a long while. Not until late night did he decide to deliberate tomorrow. He couldn’t stay in the warm pavilion anymore.

He knew this state was dangerous. He might have guessed the truth, but without evidence was futile. Better to hold back and quietly await developments. Yet he was unwilling to do nothing.

Such a good opportunity—should he just let it pass?