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Book 60: Chapter 10: The Last Move

Hou Xibai appeared on the stairs behind Wang Xuanshu, he laughed aloud and said, “Brothers! We meet again! Huh? Why are your countenance so unsightly? I hope I haven’t missed this once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity to meet Fu Cailin.”

Kou Zhong spoke dejectedly, “We are now at an absolute disadvantageous position, under pressure [orig. badly burned about the head from trying to put out a fire (idiom)], with no thought for tea or rice [idiom: have no appetite].”

Hou Xibai brushed past Wang Xuanshu, who was asking to be excused; he sat down beside Ba Fenghan and said, “When things develop to the extreme, it will lead to change! Change will lead to success. I really don’t believe that there will be people in the world who can stump us. Kou Zhong will always be the unequalled best commander-in-chief. Ha! Tell me.”

Ba Fenghan said, “There is no time! In a sichen we are going to the Ling Yan Pavilion in the Tang Palace to see one of the three great grandmasters in the world Fu Cailin to see how he can use the sword [jian] to play [yi] the enemy?” [Play on words, remember that Fu Cailin’s title was Yi Jian Dashi. Note: yi - ancient name for ‘Go’ (Chinese chess), see also Fu Junyu’s explanation in Book 7 Chapter 2.]

Greatly delighted, Hou Xibai said, “I can finally fulfill this cherished desire. Frankly speaking, among the three great grandmasters, the person I want to meet the most is him.”

Kou Zhong sighed and said, “I have lost all my mood. It would be best if tonight I cover my head and sleep his Niang’s until I am not aware of the ways of the world.”

Knitting his brows, Hou Xibai asked, “What is so serious?”

Smiling ruefully, Kou Zhong said, “The first day in Chang’an, we may have lost our treasure house and Li Shimin, the two things that we greatly rely on - at the same time. Tell me, what else can we do besides sleeping?”

Raising his eyebrows, Hou Xibai said, “I can go and ask Shi Xianzi’s guidance.” Turning to Xu Ziling, he said, “Ziling! Right?”

Kou Zhong’s tiger-body shook.

Ba Fenghan asked in surprise, “The one hearing that and has his heart moved ought to be Ziling, and not you?”

Kou Zhong spoke in distress, “Shi Feixuan, three characters seemed to give me a sudden inspiration, but I could not tell what it actually is.”

Xu Ziling spoke serenely, “Feixuan has returned to Jing Zhai!”

Hou Xibai blurted out, “What?”

‘Slap!’

Stunned, the three men looked at Kou Zhong, they saw him slapping his leg with his palm, his pair of eyes lit up, he said, “I have a way to save the situation!”

Without waiting for everyone to ask him, he sprang up and said, “But it’s only a 20 to 30% chance of saving the situation. I am going out and will be back in half a sichen, and then we’ll go as a group to see Shigong.”

Hou Xibai said, “I saw your Zhizhi in Chengdu, she asked me to tell you that she will come to Chang’an to meet you in person.”

Kou Zhong had just flown toward the stairs; hearing that, he was severely shaken and halted his steps; “What?” he blurted out, “Currently Changan is soldiers-inauspicious-battle-dangerous, how could I let her take risks?”

Ba Fenghan slyly said, “This is called loving-husband-corresponding-passion!”

In an apparently very excited mood, Hou Xibai raised his thumb toward Ba Fenghan and praised, “Lao Ba’s one sentence nails it. Zhizhi already knew that Shaoshuai would have such a reaction, so she wanted me to tell Shaoshuai clearly that she is coming to Chang’an this time is to reward Shaoshuai.”

Staring blankly, Kou Zhong said, “Reward? I hope it won’t turn into punishment, and then I’ll really thank the Heaven and thank the Earth.” Finished speaking, he disappeared down the stairs.

Xu Ziling asked Hou Xibai, “What identity Xibai used to enter the city?”

Ba Fenghan laughed and said, “Ziling is asking whether you climbed the city wall or enter the city through the city gate, because nowadays the city gate is closed early.”

Hou Xibai said, “This is called when there’s a wind, steer the rudder to the utmost? I flashed the Shaoshuai flower and called the gate to enter the city [not sure], alarming their leader Liu Hongji. Fortunately, he has some friendship with me, so he was willing to let me enter the city first before reporting to Li Yuan, and even personally took me here.”

Then he could not help asking, “What do you mean she has returned to Jing Zhai? How could she leave us at this moment?”

Xu Ziling said, “The fairy’s heart is hard to fathom, let’s not spend too much effort to think about it. This moment Qingxuan is in Yu He An in the city, do you want to go to say hello to her?”

Hou Xibai said, “Of course I want to go to see her, but not tonight. Tomorrow we are going pay a visit to her together. Ziling, go! Remember to come back in time.”

Dong Da Si, meditation room.

Kou Zhong sat on the putuan, facing Liao Kong, he sighed and said, “We are in big trouble!”

Liao Kong smiled, “I rarely see Shaoshuai to be so lack in confidence. I wonder if Shaoshuai is distressed and your spirit wounded because Qin Wang is being exiled to the Hong Yi Palace?”

Greatly astonished, Kou Zhong said, “Dashi did not leave the Zen room for half a step, unexpectedly you know what happened deep in the palace not long ago. It is really hard to imagine.”

Tranquil and calm, and at ease, Liao Kong said, “Pinseng [poor/impoverished monk] has always maintained close contact with Qin Wang’s side, such a big thing, naturally they will notify me.”

It was because Hou Xibai mentioned Shi Feixuan that Kou Zhong thought of Liao Kong, this lifeline.

Presently, Liao Kong was the representative of the two schools of Buddhism and Taoism, headed by Ci Hang Jing Zhai and Ning Daoqi, whose influence was hard to estimate - in Chang’an, he could accomplish things they could not do.

Smiling bitterly, he said, “If Li Shimin’s military power is taken away by Li Yuan, or he is relegated to a distant place, it would be like cutting off one of our arms, therefore, we have no choice but to come and ask Dashi to show us how to get to the right path.”

Liao Kong’s pair of eyes were sparkling with the sharp light of profound and touching wisdom, but he quickly closed his pair of eyes again, only opening them again after half a day; he said, “The unfortunate incident that happened tonight, the perpetrators were using sinister method and through meticulous thought; moreover, one move and it hit our weak point, making us lacking in strength to strike back. The biggest problem now is that Shaoshuai cannot come forward to speak to Li Yuan on Qin Wang’s behalf, because the ingenious method will become clumsy instead, it will make Li Yuan even more convinced that Taizi side’s serious accusations against Shaoshuai and Qin Wang for conspiracy is true. Have Shaoshuai ever thought that someone who can work out this plan must be a person with superior intelligence, and must have a deep understanding of you?”

Kou Zhong revealed a thoughtful look, he nodded and said, “Lucky that Dashi brought up this point. When Dashi said that, that kid Xiang Yushan’s repulsive countenance suddenly appeared in my heart. From him, I started to think that the firearms that razed Qing Liang Zhai to the ground were most likely coming from Zhao Deyan’s side. Because after Liang Shidu obtained a large number of firearms, leaving some for his own use is just reasonable and fair, and this vicious scheme must have been figured out by the Xiang kid, he knows my and Xiao Ling’s character better than anybody else. He could even see that Ziling and I coming to Chang’an is to support Qin Wang’s waist.”

Liao Kong cheerfully said, “Since we have figured out the mastermind behind the plot, we can formulate a counterattack strategy. Li Yuan’s aspect, Pinseng could lay out the pros and cons thoroughly via Wang Tong, to point out that under the current situation, if Qin Wang is punished severely, not only internally the troops’ heart will be unstable, it will also destroy the alliance with Shaoshuai. To have many advantages and no disadvantages, it should convince Li Yuan.”

Kou Zhong spoke in delight, “There is no more suitable candidate than Wang Tong. Li Yuan will never suspect that he is speaking good words on Li Shimin’s behalf, because all our troubles were caused by his whistleblowing.”

But then he frowned and said, “Does Dashi know him well?”

Liao Kong said, “He is an old acquaintance of many decades. Before Pinseng cultivated mute meditation, from time to time he would come and chat with me about Zen and discuss Buddha; however, each time we always parted on bad terms, toward Buddhism, all along he has a rejecting heart. Toward our support of Qin Wang, he did not accept it as correct, fortunately Feixuan persuaded him.”

Muttering to himself irresolutely for a moment, Kou Zhong said, “Not that I doubt Wang Tong’s effectiveness and his influence on Li Yuan, but since Li Yuan believed that Li Shimin had poisoned Zhang Jieyu, he has been trying to add to Li Shimin’s guilt. To put it nicely, he wants to take this opportunity to overthrow one side in order to dispel the could-happen-at-any-moment bloodshed and the fire between the three sons. And now that there is such a good opportunity before his eyes, how could he easily let it go because of Wang Tong’s, an outsider, advice? For Li Yuan, he would not think that demoting or banishing Li Shimin would disintegrate the troops’ heart, because of the way of the House of Tang military system. Moreover, Jiancheng’s new victory coupled with triumphant return, plus the imperial concubine party waving the flags and shouting battle cries on the side, Li Yuan would grow the confidence that in military affairs, Jiancheng could completely replace Li Shimin.”

After a short pause, he continued, “As for the contract of alliance with me, apart from my secret relationship with Li Shimin, it should be a matter between Li Yuan and me. Therefore, whether Li Shimin is staying of leaving, from Li Yuan’s point of view, it should not have any impact.”

Liao Kong spoke indifferently, “Shaoshuai‘s analysis is so subtle and profound that I am starting to doubt about Wang Tong’s ability to fill this role. Fortunately, the same firearm incident occurred in Taizi’s Mansion. If Li Yuan is generous toward Jiancheng but unkind toward Shimin, how could he make his subjects accept wholeheartedly? We could even begin from the people killed in the explosion. If we can prove that the victims were executed before the explosion, we could rebut that someone is deliberately framing Qin Wang.”

Kou Zhong nodded and said, “Dashi’s words are reasonable; however, the victims have all turned into dismembered, shattered and nothing-remains-the-same coke, how could we determine that they had encountered treacherous assault before the incident?”

Liao Kong said, “It depends on what kind of technique the perpetrator used. If they used internal school’s technique, there ought to be spider’s thread and horse’s track to be found. Wang Tong is proficient in medical science, he may be able to point out the evidence that will convince Li Yuan.”

Smiling wryly, Kou Zhong said, “I know Xiang kid so well, not inferior to his knowledge of me. If he is the mastermind behind the scenes, he will certainly not be negligent in this regard. He could just knock those people out first and that should do it. Ay! I also understand Li Yuan’s personality, he wholeheartedly wants to keep everything he has before his eyes. Li Shimin has long been reduced to be an outsider inside the palace, an alien among his relatives, so that the sooner he goes away the better. The more I think about it, the more I think something is not right. With the imperial concubine and Taizi parties’ blocking-the-wind-to-light-the-fire, in case Li Yuan decided to deal with Li Shimin in the shortest possible time tomorrow, our heart’s blood will completely go down the drain.”

Liao Kong closed his pair of eyes.

Kou Zhong suddenly remembered something, he asked, “Does Li Yuan know about Dashi staying in Dong Da Si?”

Liao Kong’s eyes closed, he replied, “Pinseng entered the city as an ordinary monk, no one knows that Liao Kong is in Dong Da Si.”

He opened his eyes and continued, “If it’s difficult for Wang Tong to have an effect on Li Yuan, what about Yue Shan?”

Kou Zhong smiled bitterly and said, “Yue Shan can’t always show up at critical moments, it would be strange if Li Yuan is not suspicious in this respect, what’s more, it’s a problem pertaining to Li Shimin, unless Yue Shan is an all-knowing immortal?”

Liao Kong smiled and said, “The person Yue Shan wanted to deal with can be Shi Zhixuan, he does not need to show up, he could only send a letter to him, pointing out that the demonic school’s two sects and six ways headed by Shi Zhixuan are conspiring to pull Li Shimin down, hence he is warning Li Yuan, telling Li Yuan to think thrice.”

Shaking his head, Kou Zhong said, “It’s still inappropriate! First of all, Li Yuan knows Yue Shan’s handwriting, it’s hard to forge! Secondly, Yue Shan has always been coming and going alone, how could he suddenly find someone to send such an important letter? Finally, if Yue San is really Yue Shan, he ought to go to Song Que to give him bad luck first, how could he still have time to meddle in other people’s affairs?”

Liao Kong said, “Pinseng is, after all, an outsider, in this kind of matter, I am far inferior to Shaoshuai’s brains, so I have no choice but to use the last move.”

Staring blankly, Kou Zhong said, “What other move we can use as a magic weapon to deal with this?” [The term I translated as ‘magic weapon’ refers to incantation/spell to activate magic weapon.]

Liu Kong’s tranquil face was like an unbounded ocean without half a trace of a ripple, he said, “Pinseng has no other option but to personally request to see Li Yuan.”

Astonished, Kou Zhong asked, “Does Dashi have friendly relations with Li Yuan?”

Liao Kong replied, “Only the karma to see each other once, there is no friendly relations to be talked about.”

Kou Zhong did not understand, “Then why would he want to listen to you?” he asked.

Liao Kong smiled and said, “I don’t want him to listen to me at all, rather, I am representing Fan Zhaizhu and Ning Daoxiong to give him the most severe warning. If he obstinately clinging to his course by punishing Qin Wang, we will withdraw our support for Li Tang and change it to fully support you, Shaoshuai Kou Zhong. I will enter the city tomorrow morning when the city gate opens, straight toward the imperial palace to see Li Yuan. Afterwards, regardless of success or failure, I will immediately return to Jing Nian Chan Yuan. Everything in Chang’an will be decided by Shaoshuai yourself, if Shaoshuai choose to immediately withdraw, we will have no objection.”

Severely shaken, Kou Zhong said, “Is Dashi serious?”

Liao Kong calmly said, “How could Buddhist tolerate deceit? What Liao Kong said, each word comes from the bottom of my heart. What happen in the future, it will be decided upon Li Yuan’s thoughts, furthermore, it will also depend on how much he attaches importance to the alliance with you. This time Shaoshuai is willing to come to Chang’an simply because of Feixuan’s mediation is an undisputable fact. The warning coming from Pinseng’s own mouth ought to have a certain impact on Li Yuan, I hope it will have the power to reverse the rotation of the sky.”

Kou Zhong nodded and said, “This is indeed the last and the most ruthless move. Losing your support, first Bashu will throw their lot to my Shao Shuai Army, even more, in anger and resentment intersecting each other, the various high-ranking military officers under Li Shimin’s command will defect to me; however, I will have to kill my way out of Chang’an City.”

Liao Kong said, “That is the worst case. If Li Yuan wants to keep everything before his eyes, he ought to know how to choose.”

Xu Ziling came out by leaping over the wall, using the secret method of transforming the true qi, he crossed the street, under cover of the huge trees reaching high to the sky standing in great numbers by the roadside, and landed on the roof of a building of a nearby courtyard, and then from roof to roof he unleashed his nightwalking technique with all his strength to fly in the direction of Yu He An.

Both Ba Fenghan and Hou Xibai thought he was going to see Shi Qingxuan, but in fact, the main target he was looking for was Shi Zhixuan. No one understood the Demonic King of this generation better than him. He decided that because of Shi Qingxuan, he could not help but linger at Yu He An.

He wanted to give Shi Zhixuan the last kind words to persuade him, if it was still loyal advice jarred on the ears, then there was no choice but they all would break off their relationship.

His spirit was elevated to the unprecedented crystal clear, empty and alert Bright Moon in the Well realm. Nothing all around him could be hidden from him. He heard the maid and servants in the house’s discussion in whispered tones, the sound of a child turning over on the bed, a night crow curling up on a horizontal branch of a cypress tree, the rise and fall of a breeze brushing against his body. The feeling was touching to the extreme point.

The originally unsatisfactory world instantly became flawless.

Even if there was someone as brilliant as Shi Zhixuan following his track, it would still be difficult to hide from his spirited sense at this moment. He had full confidence in this, and this unexplainable confidence was precisely an inalienable part of the entire Brightly Lit realm; no joy, no worries, completely at ease.

He sensed the wonderful feeling of somersaulting and soaring over the houses, the true qi within his body transformed and moved following his intention, everything was natural, completely without any trace of a hatchet or a chisel.

Right this moment, he sensed that Shi Zhixuan was in the garden forest of Yu He An ahead.

Kou Zhong resorted to his best efforts, using all kinds of methods to confuse the enemy and test the enemy, until he was certain that no one could follow him without being noticed, and only then did he run in the direction of the Situ Mansion.

There was not much time, he must meet the appointment with his Shigong on time, fortunately, Dong Da Si and Situ Mansion were not far away. For him, it was only an effort of few dozen ups and downs. Half a quarter of an hour later, he was already sitting in the inner hall with Song Shidao, Lei Jiuzhi, Ren Jun, Zha Jie, and Tongtong, five people.

Using the most concise way Kou Zhong explained the situation, “How is the situation on Ma Chang’s side?” he asked.

Lie Jiuzhi said, “Our people have arrived seventy-, eighty-percent, all are settled by Tao Bangzhu’s confidants and trusted aides, they are hiding separately in several fishing villages in the upper reaches of the Chang’an Great River. In the short term there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Kou Zhong said, “Notify Ma Chang immediately, tell him to move out the weapons, bows and arrows inside the storehouse. Without my instructions, nobody can return to the treasure house.”

Lie Jiuzhi nodded in agreement, he said, “This matter could be accomplished within two days.”

Kou Zhong asked about the preparation of the opening of the bank, and Ren Jun replied, “Chi Shengchun is barely able to raise enough gold. We have just sent one hundred thousand taels of gold to the state treasury yesterday. It will take about ten days to cast the gold into gold ingots engraved with the ‘Zhen Guan’ characters.”

Song Shidao said, “One after another wealthy businessmen of Chang’an are vying to join the company, our Furong Ye’s share of the capital has been reduced to three and a half shares.”

Kou Zhong said, “Since we already know Xiang Gui’s whereabouts, the bank’s affair is no longer critical, I wonder if all of you can find an excuse to temporarily leave Chang’an to avoid the limelight, so that we have one less flaw to worry about.”

Immediately Zha Jie’s countenance changed, he hung his head low.

Kou Zhong laughed aloud and said, “Just by looking at Xiao Jie’s reaction, I know that he and Xi’er already reached the loath-to-part [idiom: close and unwilling to separate] stage. Hee …! This is not a problem at all. Xi’er is free, as long as she is willing, you want to take her anywhere, I am okay. Oh! But I think it’s a bit more safe to settle her in Liangdu.”

When his gaze swept across Tongtong, the latter’s pretty face also slightly blushed. She avoided his gaze, stole a glance at Ren Jun, and only then she hung down her small cicada head. Kou Zhong understood, his heart was greatly comforted, but he did not reveal it, he only grinned at Ren Jun.

Ren Jun looked embarrassed, he said, “The bank’s establishment is near at hand, we are being assigned to various locations is only to be expected.”

Volunteering himself, Lie Jiuzhi said, “Xie’er’s affairs, leave it to me, let me explain it to Qing Furen. However, if we all withdraw from Chang’an, inevitably people will be suspicious, let me stay! This way, it will also be a good explanation to Qing Furen.”

Kou Zhong smiled and looked at Lei Jiuzhi until Lei Jiuzhi became uncomfortable. Squinting his eyes, he said, “What are you looking at?”

Tongtong covered her mouth and snickered, Song Shidao and Ren Jun exchanged a knowing smile, only Zha Jie did not dare to show the slightest bit of difference in countenance toward this benefactor.

Laughing involuntarily, Kou Zhong said, “I can’t help but looking at you because you are so good-looking. Your entire being looks to be ten years younger, it does not seem to be as simple as you are being proud of yourself in the casino.”

Turning to Zha Jie he said, “Xiao Jie, tell me honestly, did Lei Dage accompany you playing chess with Xi’er every night?”

Zha Jie stammered, “I don’t know!”

Kou Zhong, Song Shidao, Ren Jun and Tongtong were unable to bear it any longer, they all burst into a laughter filling the hall.

Lie Jiuzhi’s old face blushed, he cursed, “Good kid, unexpectedly you have the impertinence to meddle into my private affairs.”

Smiling apologetically, Kou Zhong said, “Not meddling, but caring about you. Lei Dage, you are staying here for the time being should not be a problem. Wanwan should not launch any killer move before the matter matures. As for the details of the evacuation, you should discuss carefully, don’t reveal any traces.”

Then he turned to Song Shidao and said, “Zhizhi is coming to Chang’an.”

Aghast, Song Shidao said, “What?”

Kou Zhong spoke heavily, “Let’s talk about it after Zhizhi arrives in Chang’an! At that time, perhaps things already develop rapidly after abrupt turn [idiom: dramatic change]. I, Kou Zhong, definitely will not let Li Shimin to get trampled on. His granny’s bear! After obtaining the weapons, Ma Chang is ready to get in the city any time, to cope with sudden changes. Just like Bi Xuan said, when there is no choice, everything can only be solved by military [or martial art] force.”