Prime Minister - Behind the Chess Game

“Rest well when you return, and recuperate for half a month.”

The manor's physician packed up his medicine box and added another reminder.

A dislocated shoulder blade wasn't easy to correct. Shen Mengzhi rubbed his still-aching shoulder, his face a little pale, and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

Qi Yu said, "Then he...... then what about the bruises on my young master's neck?"

The physician glanced at him. "They'll be hard to get rid of in two or three days. Let them fade slowly."

"Fade slowly?" Qi Yu said, dissatisfied. "How can he show his face like this?"

The physician was stumped for a moment before he slowly took out a small box from his case. He opened it, revealing the white powder inside. "How about...... using this to cover it up."

Shen Mengzhi was speechless.

He stood up decisively and was about to leave when Qi Yu stopped him. "What are you running for?"

"I won't use that stuff," Shen Mengzhi said. "Applying cosmetics, how improper."

The refusal was written all over his face, as if touching a bit of powder was something extremely hard to accept.

Qi Yu knew this fellow had cultivated his moral character on the mountain for several years, living a very pure and abstinent life. For him, dabbing on some powder was no different from falling into a pit of worldly desires and rolling around a few times.

Once Shen Mengzhi made up his mind, it was basically impossible to change it. Qi Yu was helpless. "Then...... Young Master, you'll just go out like this?"

"I'll change into a shirt with a higher collar," Shen Mengzhi said.

Just as Qi Yu was about to say where he was supposed to find such clothes, Li Sheng sauntered in. He swept his gaze over the two of them, then looked at Shen Mengzhi and stated plainly, "Someone wants to see you."

Qi Yu immediately grew vigilant. "Is it the Prince of Liang again? The physician said my young master needs to recuperate for half a month."

"Whether he goes or not is not for you to decide," Li Sheng sneered coldly. "We leave for Fengling tonight. There are people who want to see you on the way, Young Master Jiang. Fend for yourself."

On the way back to Fengling City?

Shen Mengzhi's eyes flickered as he realized that Li Sheng planned to take him along. The purpose of entering the capital had been achieved, yet there was no trace of happiness on his face. He accepted the news with exceptional calm. "Thank you, Lord Censor. It's just that if an unidentified person suddenly appears by your side, won't it arouse suspicion?"

Every move of a high-ranking court official was watched by others. If the Grand Censor were to bring someone back from Xufang to the capital without a word, it would indeed be too conspicuous.

This was also a problem Li Sheng was considering. He glanced at the other man. "What do you suggest?"

Shen Mengzhi pondered for a moment, then smiled lightly. "I hear that the hundred-day banquet for the Censor's son is coming up soon? In that case, there would be nothing improper about you bringing back a scholar to write inscriptions for the celebration. I, Jiang, am a student of Heshan Academy, and I am particularly well-versed in fate and literary arts."

He spoke nonchalantly, as if it were just a casual suggestion, but Qi Yu immediately focused, holding his breath.

Their most important objective on this trip was to infiltrate the Censor's hundred-day banquet. But even now that they had successfully joined Li Sheng's camp, getting into the banquet was by no means an easy task.

Everything depended on the Grand Censor's thoughts.

When Li Sheng heard the words "hundred-day banquet," his brows twitched almost imperceptibly, and he immediately stared at Shen Mengzhi's expression. The latter's narration remained calm and unchanged, as if it were truly an unintentional remark.

After a moment, he seemed to think of something, and his expression relaxed. "The method you propose is acceptable."

It was indeed the only plausible reason.

"Then pack your things, Young Master Jiang," Li Sheng said faintly. "After leaving tonight, who knows what year it will be before you can return."

Shen Mengzhi paused, then smiled. "Indeed."

Whatever the path ahead held, there was no turning back now.

"Are you really going alone?"

Qi Yu frowned, looking at him with great disapproval.

The carriage to Fengling moved exceptionally slowly. Shen Mengzhi lowered his head, turning a box of cosmetic powder over and over in his hands. After learning that an invitation to the hundred-day banquet had also been sent to the Regent's Manor, he had changed his mind at the last minute and had Qi Yu buy a box, just in case.

He had thought that since Li Sheng and Chu Jin had been on bad terms for a long time, it was normal for them to ignore each other. Who would have thought that one would send an invitation, and the other would actually accept.

"Yes, I'm going alone." Shen Mengzhi had a bit of a headache. "If I see him, I can still handle it. If you come with me, he'll definitely get angry."

Qi Yu rolled his eyes coldly, then said, "Then be careful. And there's still that unknown person to meet soon. We don't know what their intentions are."

"Alright, once we reach Fengling City, you can leave," Shen Mengzhi said. "I remember the Song Family has moved into the city now, Song Sifan he......"

Qi Yu interrupted him glumly. "I'm not going to see him. It's embarrassing."

In the past, he had often mocked Song Sifan for being very stingy. Now that he had fallen on hard times and become even stingier than the other man, Qi Yu simply couldn't bear to face him.

Shen Mengzhi said helplessly, "Alright, as you wish. If anything comes up in the future, I'll contact you."

The two sat in silence for a long while, listening as the sound of the carriage wheels grew slower and slower, until finally, they came to a complete stop.

The coachman lifted the curtain and said, "Young Master, this is the place Lord Censor mentioned."

Shen Mengzhi nodded and got out of the carriage.

This person lived in a secluded house in the mountains. A bamboo forest stretched for ten li, spreading out a vast expanse of serene green. Following a winding path into the depths, one could see a rustic cottage built of bamboo and wood, half-hidden among the myriad bamboo leaves, appearing and disappearing from view.

A clear zither sound drifted from the window, like a mountain spring, elegant and otherworldly.

"What important person lives here?" Qi Yu whispered.

If it were truly a person of great importance, how could there not be a single guard on duty? How could two outsiders of unknown origin be allowed to come and go so freely and without defense?

"Shh," Shen Mengzhi said softly.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing the thousands of leaves in the forest to rustle endlessly. And amidst this rustling of wind and leaves, the two caught the faint twang of an arrow string being drawn taut.

—Someone was secretly observing their every move from within the bamboo forest. Any unnecessary action would instantly trigger a volley of ten thousand arrows.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Qi Yu's expression changed. "Could it be......"

A faint smile touched the corner of Shen Mengzhi's lips. He raised his voice and said slowly, "This commoner, Jiang Zhen, pays his respects to Prime Minister Wei."

The zither music in the house stopped abruptly, the last note reverberating.

The only one who could have the leisure to live in seclusion in the mountains was the Prime Minister of Great Qin who had taken leave due to illness, Wei Junlan.

After a long pause, a clear voice came from within, "Enter."

The room was filled with the fragrance of incense, its scent light and bitter, exceptionally refreshing. The two walked around a bamboo screen and into the central courtyard.

Heaven and earth seemed to be imprisoned beneath the four-cornered eaves. A man sat peacefully on a bamboo couch, dressed in green robes, with a refined and slender bearing. A zither made of sandalwood rested by his side. Two attendant boys stood behind him, each holding a chessboard and two bowls of chess pieces.

Shen Mengzhi's gaze swept over the items in their hands, and he then bowed. "Greetings, Prime Minister Wei."

Wei Junlan raised a hand slightly and pointed to the bamboo chair in front of him. "Sit."

Shen Mengzhi did as he was told. Qi Yu stood behind him, and after a brief exchange of glances, he respectfully lowered his head.

The two attendant boys came forward, placed the chessboard on the stone table, and then withdrew.

Wei Junlan picked up a black stone. His gaze lingered on Shen Mengzhi for a long time before he smiled faintly. "Come, play a game of chess with me."

He didn't ask anything, which made Shen Mengzhi rather unsure of his motive. He lowered his eyes and reached into the bowl to pick out a white stone.

The two focused their minds, no longer speaking, both concentrating their thoughts on the ever-changing game before them.

Shen Mengzhi's chess skills were personally taught by Fang Hechao, in the same lineage as the former Prime Minister of Yanling. His style was like still waters running deep, luring his opponent into a false sense of peace before suddenly closing the net. The seemingly harmless hidden moves planted earlier now became an airtight formation, sharp and aggressive, forcing the opponent to surrender.

However, Wei Junlan's strategy was one of concealment. Hiding his strategy, hiding his purpose, hiding his method, every move was placed with an unremarkable air, hovering around Shen Mengzhi's white stones, seemingly close yet distant.

Even so, Shen Mengzhi felt immense pressure. The speed of his moves grew slower and slower. The hidden moves he had just set up were, in the next moment, used against him by Wei Junlan. In the end, there was almost nowhere left to place his pieces; every path was a dead end.

With no moves left, he finally put down his hand and smiled helplessly. "I have lost."

Wei Junlan stared at the board where victory and defeat were already decided, seemingly still savoring the game. After a while, he suddenly asked, "I heard from the Grand Censor that you are from Heshan Academy?"

Shen Mengzhi said, "That is correct."

"Your chess style greatly resembles that of an old friend of mine," Wei Junlan said with a faint smile. "I've been living in the mountains for all these years and haven't heard much news of him. Where is your teacher now, and is he well?"

Shen Mengzhi was startled. Even Qi Yu's hand, hanging at his side behind him, tightened slightly.

If not for today, perhaps no one would have known that the Prime Minister of Great Qin had long been acquainted with the former Prime Minister of Yanling.

"My teacher's surname is Fang, his given name Hechao." Shen Mengzhi did not fully trust the other's words, but he still said slowly, "He passed away in the forty-second year of the Yuan calendar. His remains are buried at the foot of Heshan, to be accompanied by the Qiu Jiang for all eternity."

Wei Junlan's hand, holding a chess piece, paused.

"So that's how it is," he said, smiling with a sense of relief. "No wonder he never came to meet me for our appointment."

Wei Junlan's expression remained calm, but when he reached into the bowl for another piece, he unexpectedly found it empty.

Shen Mengzhi noticed the empty bowl and frowned. "I have only played a dozen rounds with you, Prime Minister Wei. Why are the pieces already gone?"

"These pieces are made of Kunshan Jade, exceedingly rare. In the entire world, only these thirty black and thirty white pieces could be made." Wei Junlan's gaze fell on the empty bowl. "Back then, Minister Fang and I were evenly matched, often ending in a draw. We made an agreement that from then on, we would use these sixty pieces to determine the true winner."

He smiled faintly and shook his head. When he spoke again, there was a fleeting hint of melancholy.

"Sadly, after that...... there were no more games left in the world."

Shen Mengzhi's fingers clenched abruptly. He was silent for a long time before asking in a low voice, "Did Prime Minister Wei seek me out just to play a game of chess with me?"

The melancholy seemed like a momentary illusion. In the blink of an eye, Wei Junlan had recovered his unflappable demeanor. He looked at him with a slight smile, his gaze unfathomably deep.

"Playing chess can reveal many things," he said slowly. "It can reveal a person's thoughts, the depth of their strength, their style of conduct, and the changes in their state of mind."

"—I saw the shadow of another person in your moves."

His sudden statement made Shen Mengzhi's pupils shrink, but his tone remained steady. "What does Prime Minister Wei mean by this?"

Wei Junlan's gaze slowly swept over him, seemingly with a hint of interest, and he continued, "The strange thing is, you are clearly a commoner, yet your moves are like deploying troops and arranging battle formations, executed with extreme familiarity. You are more like a battle-hardened general."

"This is truly strange," he smiled meaningfully. "Don't you think?"

The pressure from facing Wei Junlan was even greater than that from facing Li Sheng. This Prime Minister of Great Qin seemed to have been born for his position. Power, schemes, and cunning were all at his fingertips. In his presence, one felt seen through in an instant.

"I do not understand Prime Minister Wei's meaning." Shen Mengzhi lowered his eyes, avoiding his probing gaze. "I, Jiang, have been frail since childhood and have never practiced martial arts. I have only studied the art of war and read military treatises. Perhaps it is related to that."

"Mm, it is as you say," Wei Junlan said. "For you to be able to study the ways of warfare and integrate them into your chess game is indeed rare."

By saying this, he indicated he would not pursue the matter further. Shen Mengzhi had yet to compose himself when he saw Wei Junlan rise calmly, pick up a white jade piece from the board, and slowly hand it to him.

Shen Mengzhi took the white jade piece and asked with a frown, "This is..."

Wei Junlan said, "A small gift, as an apology for calling you here to play chess with me without notice. To see the piece is to see the person. If you ever need anything, you can come find me."

"But this..." Shen Mengzhi hesitated. "Then the sixty pieces won't be complete."

Hearing this, Wei Junlan burst out laughing. "No matter."

After a moment, he stopped laughing, and his voice was calm when he spoke again. "After all...... there is no one left who could make me use this Kunshan chess set."

The author has something to say:

Transitional chapter~ We'll get to the hundred-day banquet soon. Chuchu went to the Censorate and a Zhizhi fell from the sky, haha.