Chapter 22: The World as a Chessboard, Who Is the Pawn?

Within the Great Yong Dynasty, there exists a department under the direct command of the Emperor, known as the Qingwu Guard. It is rumored that the Qingwu Guard is headed by Lang Qingzao. Under his command are ten captains of a thousand and fifty centurions. However, the exact size of the Qingwu Guard is known only to the Emperor and Lang Qingzao; not even the Crown Prince or the Empress has the authority to know.

The duties of the Qingwu Guard include gathering intelligence and surveilling the noble relatives of the Great Yong Dynasty, as well as all civil and military officials. When necessary, they may, with direct imperial authorization and without consulting the Six Ministries, arrest anyone. In other words, as long as the Emperor permits, everyone from princes and dukes down to the common people falls within the scope of the Qingwu Guard's jurisdiction.

"Does anyone else know about the Crown Prince meeting with someone from Northern Qi?" Emperor Shenwu asked languidly, holding a memorial.

Beside him, Zhang Yao was busy performing a foot bath for the Emperor.

"Reporting to Your Majesty," Zhang Yao replied, "when the Crown Prince met with the person from Northern Qi, he dismissed all his confidants. He likely did not wish for a second person to know of this matter."

"What puzzles me most," the Qingwu Guard agent added, "is that for the past month, no one has entered Jinyong City from the Northern Frontier. I wonder where this person could have popped up from. Therefore, my preliminary conclusion is that this person may be a plant embedded in Jinyong City by Northern Qi, having been hidden within the city for at least half a year."

"That is possible," the Emperor said. "Tell the Qingwu Guard not to alert the enemy; just keep a close watch on this person. As for the Crown Prince, I trust he does not have the gall to commit the crime of colluding with foreign enemies. At most, he is merely..."

Halfway through his sentence, Emperor Shenwu seemed to lose interest in continuing. However, he set down the memorial, his expression showing a spark of intrigue.

"You just said that the Sixth Prince went to the military camp, and after he left, Dou Yuan came to the Imperial Palace with such fanfare?" the Emperor asked, staring at the agent.

"He only stopped outside the palace gate; he did not enter," the agent corrected.

"There is no need to correct me on such trivial details," the Emperor dismissed. "I am actually curious about what the Sixth Prince said to Dou Yuan."

Emperor Shenwu stroked his beard in contemplation.

"This subordinate is incompetent!" the agent immediately kowtowed, trembling. At the time, only Gao Changsheng, his two companions, and Dou Yuan were in the main military tent. Unless one of those four was a Qingwu Guard agent, the agent would need to be Sun Wukong, capable of seventy-two transformations, to know what transpired inside.

"I was merely speaking casually; why are you so afraid?" the Emperor said. "Zhang Yao, you guess what the Sixth Prince and Dou Yuan might have discussed. If you guess correctly, I shall reward you handsomely."

Emperor Shenwu seemed like a playful old man, completely devoid of his usual overbearing air.

"This servant cannot guess," Zhang Yao said with a wry smile, shaking his head. He would sooner trust a ghost than Emperor Shenwu. One could never tell if the Emperor’s apparent interest was genuine or feigned. Furthermore, if Zhang Yao were to guess correctly, the Emperor would likely turn around and suspect Zhang Yao of colluding with Gao Changsheng or Dou Yuan. That would be a loss that outweighed any gain.

"Fool!" the Emperor chided. "Actually, it is not difficult to guess what the Sixth Prince and Dou Yuan discussed. It is nothing more than seeking Dou Yuan’s protection to avoid being plotted against by the Crown Prince and the Empress in the Northern Frontier. What truly interests me is what the Sixth Prince used to persuade Dou Yuan. It appears now that Dou Yuan has been persuaded, otherwise he would never have defied the Empress and the two princes. I must admit, even I have underestimated him all these years. Among my many sons, the Sixth Prince, who originally seemed the most insignificant, has managed to carve out a path to survival without any bargaining chips. For that alone, he is far superior to the Second and Third Princes!"

Emperor Shenwu said this with great animation. Fortunately, Gao Changsheng was not present, or he would have been terrified to death. In Jinyong City, everyone had their own schemes, yet none could escape the Emperor's discerning eye. If one spoke of terror, a hundred Crown Princes would not equal a single finger of Emperor Shenwu. Yet, such a formidable figure toyed with everyone like a monkey trainer with his charges.

"Since Your Majesty knows the Sixth Prince is in such a predicament, why do you allow the Crown Prince and the Empress to secretly sabotage him?" Zhang Yao asked, puzzled. He was not feigning ignorance this time; he truly could not understand the Emperor. They were all his sons, yet in the eyes of Emperor Shenwu, some were mere tools, while others were treated as less than dogs. Was this the thinking of a normal human being?

"You naturally would not understand; otherwise, would it not be you sitting on this dragon throne?" The Emperor's seemingly joking remark left Zhang Yao nearly paralyzed with fear.

"Jinyong City has been too tranquil for too many years. It is time for someone to stir this stagnant pool for me. What I never expected was that this person would be the Sixth Prince, whom I regarded the least! Interesting, truly very interesting!"

...

At the Prince's Mansion, a table laden with sumptuous dishes and fine wine was but a drop in the bucket of this luxurious residence. Two Seven-Pearl Princes were hosting a banquet for Dou Yuan, a level of protocol rarely seen among the court officials, which showed the importance Gao Changwen and Gao Changfei placed on him.

"I toast to the Great General's success in the northern expedition!" Gao Changwen raised his cup and drained it in one gulp. Seeing this, Dou Yuan had no choice but to accompany him with a drink. After three rounds of wine, the two princes' cheeks were flushed red.

"It is a pity that we brothers cannot accompany the General on this expedition," Gao Changfei said, full of resentment. "It is all the fault of that ungrateful Gao Changsheng!"

Before Dou Yuan could speak, Gao Changwen added, "However, General, do not worry. He, Gao Changsheng, will not be able to leave Jinyong City. Even if he were lucky enough to leave, he would not arrive at the Northern Frontier alive. As long as the General continues to work with us, all the affairs of the world will be within our grasp!"

The brothers had begun to indulge in wild fantasies before even going to sleep. Dou Yuan couldn't help but sigh for the Empress. She was such an intelligent woman, yet she had given birth to two such useless fools.

"I do not understand," Dou Yuan feigned ignorance. "Are the two Princes' opponents not the Crown Prince? Why target the Sixth Prince?"

"Haha!" Gao Changfei laughed. "General, you are unrivaled in leading troops in battle, but when it comes to psychological warfare, you are lacking. Targeting Gao Changsheng is the same as targeting the Crown Prince. Think about it, General: with whom does Gao Changsheng have a grudge now? Naturally, it is the Crown Prince! Who in Jinyong City doesn't know this? If Gao Changsheng dies in Jinyong City, who will take the blame first? Naturally, it will be the Crown Prince. So, we call this... what is the term again?" Gao Changfei asked, looking drunkenly at Gao Changwen.

"Diverting the disaster," Gao Changwen said, shooting a glance at his brother.

"Exactly, diverting the disaster, and right into the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace! Hehe!"

"General, I won't hide it from you," Gao Changwen continued. "Today, Gao Changsheng even went to my mother the Empress's bedchamber to offer his allegiance. He knows his days are numbered and is delusionally seeking her protection. That fool probably won't understand until he dies that while my mother promised to cooperate with him on the surface, she still treats him as nothing more than a discarded pawn!"