"I've been to the blacksmith shop in Alley Thirteen. The blacksmith there is very skilled. The sword at my waist came from there."
Zhou Yuan didn't answer Zhou Wuji's question. He remained silent for a long time, then lightly patted the sword at his waist twice, as if slapping someone's face.
"Alley Thirteen... blacksmith shop..."
Zhou Wuji's triumphant smile froze. He knew very well what kind of place that blacksmith shop was. The workers there were informants who contacted him directly from the Weaver Heaven Pavilion. They knew many of his secrets. Even Xian'er Jiu didn't know about their existence. How could Zhou Yuan possibly know? httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Zhou Wuji fell silent for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice, "What do you want?"
Zhou Yuan bowed respectfully, clasping his hands, and said, "I've heard that my imperial brother finds little amusement in the military camp and enjoys playing chess the most. By coincidence, I also have some skill in this area. The Grand Sacrificer once played several games with me and was ultimately defeated by my hand."
"Put aside your official duties today. It won't be too late to catch spies after a game of chess."
Zhou Wuji looked at Zhou Yuan, pondering for a long time. The information held by the man at the blacksmith shop was crucial for his future advancement in court and the establishment of his own power base. If he lost it now, he would likely be suppressed by his fourth imperial brother, whose maternal family was immensely powerful, for a long time.
When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman benefits. If he insisted on storming this mansion today, Zhou Yuan might never have a chance to rise again, but he himself would also suffer severe damage. The only one to benefit would be the fourth prince.
Would he do something like this?
Zhou Wuji looked at Zhou Yuan, then shook his head and laughed after a long silence, "I must say, my imperial brother, you are truly wise. If I were Father Emperor, I would surely favor you more."
"You flatter me, imperial brother."
"Virtuous brother, have you ever read a book that speaks of an ancient story called the Three Kingdoms?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan remained silent and said:
"During the Guangxu era, the ruler of the Great Sui Dynasty died suddenly. The thirteen legitimate princes were brutally murdered by the imperial guards during their mourning period. Decades of chaos followed, ultimately dividing the empire into three.
Among them, the forces led by the Duke of Chu occupied the capital, the forces led by Duke Qi occupied the Jiangnan region, and the remaining faction established their own dynasty, known as the Later Sui.
The ruler of the Later Sui, Sui An, was the nephew of the ruler of the Great Sui Dynasty. He possessed legitimate royal blood but had not received imperial education. In the first half of his life, he only read poetry and books. Later, by chance, he managed to establish a foothold in the harsh and cold northwest."
A hint of admiration flickered in Zhou Wuji's eyes. He nodded and praised Zhou Yuan, "Excellent, excellent. I didn't expect you to remember such ancient history, and so clearly at that. You truly are the most capable young man in our Great Zhou Dynasty."
Zhou Yuan remained silent.
Zhou Wuji continued to laugh, "Then you should also know that among the Three Kingdoms, the Duke of Chu's forces were the most powerful, as he occupied the capital and commanded seven hundred thousand troops. The next strongest was Duke Qi, because he occupied the wealthy Jiangnan region, far from the capital, with ample provisions. Even if he couldn't defeat the Duke of Chu at the time, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
Among these Three Kingdoms, both the Duke of Chu and Duke Qi were from powerful landlord families but occupied the two most advantageous positions in the world. Sui An, with his royal blood, could only root himself in the harsh and impoverished northwest. In the following decades, he nearly perished several times, yet in the end, it was they who unified the land. Both the Duke of Chu and Duke Qi were executed. Do you know why?"
Zhou Yuan said indifferently, "I believe Sui An was able to triumph for three reasons. Firstly, his cause was just, he won the people's hearts and minds. Secondly, he was diligent in his studies, respected the learned, and spent twenty years revitalizing the northwest. Thirdly, he knew how to heed advice and was adept at employing people; he was a wise ruler. That is why he could survive and grow under the oppression of the other two forces and ultimately unify the land."
Zhou Wuji smiled slightly and nodded, "Your words are indeed true, virtuous brother. But I believe that Sui An's ability to unify the land owes a great deal to the Duke of Chu among the Three Kingdoms.
With the empire divided into three, Later Sui was weakened, while the Duke of Chu, with his strong army, repeatedly attacked, extracting benefits from between the two warring states and strengthening himself. He believed that by doing so, he could gradually devour the entire empire. When the forces in the northwest began to rise, he feared them but did not resolve to eliminate them. This was the crux of the problem.
Zhou Yuan frowned upon hearing this, "Between the Three Kingdoms, there were no true enemies or friends. If the Duke of Chu had led his army to destroy the Later Sui back then, Duke Qi in the Jiangnan region would surely have taken advantage of the situation. My brother cannot possibly not understand the principle of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
Zhou Wuji shook his head slightly, his eyes darkening, and his voice hoarse, "Duke Qi merely gained an advantage through his geographical location. In terms of imperial strategy and military command, he was no match for the Duke of Chu or Sui An. How could such a person be the oriole?"
Zhou Yuan shook his head again and retorted, "Since Duke Qi could command the Jiangnan region, he must have had his reasons. Even if he was not as capable as the Duke of Chu or Sui An, he was still an extraordinary talent. How could the Duke of Chu not fear him?"
Zhou Wuji looked at Zhou Yuan and smiled again, "Yes, but even if he was an extraordinary talent, he was no match for the Duke of Chu. The latter could bloody the royal family overnight, overthrow the dynasty, and command half the empire. How could such a formidable figure have Duke Qi in his sights?"
"I believe that regardless of whether the Duke of Chu's forces were stronger or weaker than Duke Qi's, he should have had the confidence to win. Therefore, he should have exerted his greatest effort back then to eliminate Sui An, who was weak but had the potential to become as strong as him in the future."
"Even if that cost him dearly, and he was severely weakened, allowing Duke Qi to take advantage and reap great benefits, or even appear to be on the verge of national collapse in the eyes of outsiders, my dear brother, you should know that since the Duke of Chu was more capable, stronger, and more heroic and intelligent than Duke Qi, he should have won."
Zhou Yuan understood Zhou Wuji's meaning and calmly asked, "So, imperial brother, if you were the Duke of Chu back then, would you have eliminated Sui An at all costs, even if it meant being attacked and losing your country to Duke Qi?"
Zhou Wuji's aura regained its majesty. He looked at Zhou Yuan and nodded faintly, "Yes, I would have done so. But Duke Qi would not have been able to conquer my country. Even if he had the favor of heaven and the advantage of the land, the support of the people would always have been with me. No matter how difficult it was, no matter how long it took, the Duke of Chu would still have won."
Zhou Yuan sighed, "Couldn't he have chosen a more stable approach? The Duke of Chu's forces developed the fastest. Once he was confident enough to achieve a complete victory, he could have attacked proactively?"
Zhou Wuji said earnestly, "That is precisely what the Duke of Chu did, and that is why he died. But I am not the Duke of Chu, because I have read the Three Kingdoms."
Zhou Yuan looked into the man's eyes. Those eyes held a world-weariness and ambition unbecoming of his age. The pressure enveloped him like a mire, forcing him into silence.
The so-called Three Kingdoms were none other than the two of them now, plus the fourth prince.
"Imperial brother uses history as a guide; you are a man of great talent."
"Virtuous brother exaggerates."
"Is there no room for further discussion?"
"No."
"Even if we add the tea house in Alley Eighteen facing the street, the Rain House behind Yuhe Pond, or even your aunt's meticulously maintained book tower, it's still not possible?"
Zhou Wuji fell silent for a long time. Then he looked at Zhou Yuan and said, "I don't believe you have evidence for all of that."
Zhou Yuan nodded, saying helplessly, "Of course, I can't do it alone. Despite my efforts, I've only uncovered some clues. But every great undertaking begins with a difficult first step. I've conquered the most challenging part, and I'll leave the rest to Fourth Brother."
This was a threat.
Even if I destroy it, those things and people that I know of but lack the ability to investigate or act upon, Fourth Brother will naturally help me deal with them. Just like if, hypothetically, only two kingdoms remained in the Three Kingdoms, and after the Duke of Chu spent all his effort to eliminate Sui An, Duke Qi would have no reason not to strike while he was down.
Zhou Wuji understood this. He looked at Zhou Yuan with a ferocious gaze, his chest involuntarily rising and falling, as if a mountain weighed him down, forcing him to exert all his strength with every breath, his veins bulging.
He hadn't expected Zhou Yuan to have investigated those places. Furthermore, that book tower was even more important than the blacksmith shop. If these were all eradicated, the person in charge of the military department would no longer support him, and he would become a truly isolated figure.
If Zhou Yuan fell off a cliff, he would also lose an arm and a leg. Could that useless person alone ride a horse down the Sacred Dragon Avenue?
Zhou Wuji held it in for a long time, finally exhaling a heavy breath. The flush of blood disappeared from his face, and a trace of madness appeared on his pale features.
He had initially thought he had overestimated Zhou Yuan, but he never expected Zhou Yuan to surprise him repeatedly. The banquet at the Crown Prince's mansion was one such instance, and so was today.
Therefore, he would not be the Duke of Chu who steadily grew his power. Instead, he would be the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Wuji, who would gamble everything on one desperate throw!
The two men locked eyes. Zhou Yuan understood how Zhou Wuji would choose, and he could only lower his head in silence, gazing at his toes along the hem of his robes.
In this way, he had no other good options left.
Zhou Wuji sat quietly on his horse, closing his eyes. He listened to the sounds of carriages approaching rapidly from beyond the street outside, followed by gasps of astonishment as they stopped a hundred meters away. A hint of color returned to his pale face.
"The lords have all arrived."
"Brother, please open the door."