Chapter 85: Playing Go
Seeing Lu Yun being led in, Xiahou Ba placed the chess piece back into the chess box, stood up, and saluted the Initial Emperor: “Your Majesty still has matters, your humble servant will take his leave first.”
“This is Lu Xin’s son,” the Initial Emperor smiled at Xiahou Ba: “Call him over to join the fun. Grand Tutor, why not sit down quickly? Let’s play another game.”
“No more.” Xiahou Ba quickly waved his hand with a bitter smile: “Your humble servant wants to live a few more years.”
“I will let you have a few more pieces again.” The Initial Emperor hypocritically exchanged pleasantries.
How could Xiahou Ba not know? The Initial Emperor was seeing off the guest; otherwise, why would he have that boy summoned in?
Moreover, he had not come today to accompany the Initial Emperor in playing chess. Rather, upon learning of the matters with several princes, he had specially used the pretext of reporting official business to come see what medicine the Initial Emperor was truly selling in his gourd.
The Initial Emperor seemed to have heeded the Heavenly Master Dao’s advice and temporarily ceased activities, but Xiahou Ba was not reassured at all.
As soon as Xiahou Ba arrived at Yingfeng Pavilion, the Initial Emperor pulled him to start playing chess. After losing three games in a row to the Initial Emperor, Xiahou Ba explained to the emperor that yesterday’s matter had been Xiahou Bumie’s unauthorized decision, and he himself had been unaware.
The Initial Emperor, however, did not take it to heart: “Uncle dotes on nephew; it is only natural. The Old Grand Tutor is too cautious.”
“In any case, several princes have not yet entered politics, and Xiahou Bumie’s action was too abrupt. Your humble servant has already ordered him to be suspended for self-reflection.” Xiahou Ba said in a deep voice.
“I was just about to tell the Old Grand Tutor,” the Initial Emperor instead laughed: “In a few days, have Zhen’er report to you. Old Grand Tutor, see how to temper him a bit.” Saying this, he sighed with emotion: “My son has grown up and can share my worries…”
“This…” Xiahou Ba was somewhat confused by the Initial Emperor’s attitude. He had originally thought the emperor wanted to knock on the mountain to shake the tiger, warning the several princes not to get too close to the Xiahou Clan. But now the Initial Emperor was proactively sending Huangfu Zhen to follow him—could this still be a test?
“Old Grand Tutor, do not decline. If I place my son elsewhere, no one would dare to manage him.” The Initial Emperor continued pouring bewitching soup into Xiahou Ba: “Only at his outer grandfather’s place can he be a bit more rule-abiding.”
“The Second Highness is intelligent, benevolent, filial, and follows rules diligently; he is not the arrogant and rampant type.” Xiahou Ba could only agree: “Your humble servant will certainly take good care of the Second Highness.”
“Not take care of—teach!” The Initial Emperor placed a chess piece, emphasizing his tone.
“Yes.” Xiahou Ba nodded and pondered deeply. After placing the black piece, he softly asked: “Since the Second Highness is beginning his training, should the other Highnesses also… At least the Eldest Highness should have some arrangement?”
“Don’t mention that scoundrel!” The Initial Emperor heavily placed a white piece, angrily saying: “He could infuriate me to death!”
“After all, there is order of seniority…” As he said this, Xiahou Ba stared closely at the Initial Emperor, wanting to see his reaction.
“Heh heh…” The Initial Emperor instead sneered: “I do not believe in that at all! Otherwise, this throne would not have fallen to me!”
“…” Xiahou Ba was stunned upon hearing this, played a few more terrible moves, and was utterly defeated.
At this time, Lu Yun arrived.
.
After Xiahou Ba took his leave, the Initial Emperor wearily let out a long breath, leaned his back against the cushion, and lazily looked at Lu Yun kneeling before him: “You are Lu Xin’s son?”
Lu Yun then raised his head and looked at the Initial Emperor. This man named Huangfu Yu was not the first time he had seen him. Back when he was still crown prince, this amiable and approachable Uncle Prince Ping would from time to time bring a bunch of fun and rare things into the palace to see him.
In the view of the naive young crown prince at that time, his second uncle was the best person under heaven! Unfortunately, later facts proved that it was merely a means for Prince Ping to numb the Qianming Emperor and hide his own ambition. When he suddenly struck, the so-called family affection was worth nothing. Prince Ping personally participated in the Baoen Temple Incident, even sent troops to besiege their mother and son, leaving them no way to escape, which led to the raging fire at Phoenix Temple!
Ten years had passed, and the Prince Ping of back then had become the emperor high above. That once young and harmless face now bore two deep lines of decree. The gaze that was once clear as bottomless water had long become profound and inscrutable, his entire body shrouded in the halo of the supreme ruler!
The Initial Emperor was also sizing up Lu Yun, feeling that this handsome young man looked somewhat familiar, but it did not connect him to anyone. The emperor thus thought Lu Yun might resemble someone from the Lu Family, and indifferently withdrew his gaze. Faintly: “Do you know how to play chess?”
“In my childhood, I often accompanied my father in playing chess.” Lu Yun respectfully answered.
“And later?” The Initial Emperor caught the implication in Lu Yun’s words and smilingly asked.
“Later, I stopped.” Lu Yun answered.
“Indeed, studies are important.” The Initial Emperor faintly smiled: “I heard that in the Summer Palace, you still study diligently every day without slacking. Rare.”
“My father often taught your humble servant that skills are honed through diligence and wasted in play.” Lu Yun softly said.
The Initial Emperor found these words a bit grating, just about to lose interest in Lu Yun, when he heard him change tack: “But your humble servant privately thinks that was merely my father’s pretext. The real reason is that he was no longer my match.”
“Oh?” The Initial Emperor was amused by Lu Yun’s manner of speaking and could not help laughing: “So, you boy are quite the expert?”
“Fang Guozhen passed through Yuhang and played a game with my father, resulting in a draw.” Lu Yun softly answered.
“Real or fake? You can beat the National Master? He has second-rank chess skill!” The Initial Emperor looked incredulously at Lu Yun. Fang Guozhen was a famous chess national master; though still not the emperor’s opponent, he had truly made the Initial Emperor rack his brains. For this, the Initial Emperor had specially kept Fang Guozhen in the palace to accompany him for three months, solely to play chess with him. Only until the other was thoroughly no match did he disinterestedly let him go.
Even so, the Initial Emperor considered Fang Guozhen a rare opponent and specially bestowed upon him the title of ‘National Master’ before parting.
“Father feared your humble servant would hurt the National Master’s face and did not let your humble servant play against him.” Lu Yun faintly said. In truth, not only Go, but anything he wanted to study, he would master and excel at with speed beyond ordinary people.
To achieve this, Lu Yun’s extraordinary talent was one aspect; the Imperial Extreme Profound Cave Skill he practiced played a great role. There were many martial arts schools under heaven, but they were all roughly the same: externally training muscles and bones, internally training dantian. Only this profoundly mysterious cultivation method specifically cultivated the ancestor’s aperture at the glabella!
The ancestor’s aperture is also called the spiritual root of heaven and earth. Cultivating it reopens the innate spiritual light obscured by the mortal world, allowing one to see true nature, generate wisdom naturally, until understanding the mysteries of heaven and earth, hence called Profound Insight!
Lu Yun was still ten million miles from understanding the mysteries of heaven and earth, but his memory and thinking abilities already far exceeded ordinary people. With such excellent conditions as foundation, naturally whatever he did was twice the result with half the effort, outstanding among peers!
“Then let’s play a proper game!” The Initial Emperor immediately perked up. He had no other hobbies in life, only obsessed with the chessboard. “Let me see if you boy are bragging!”
“Better to obey than to be polite.” Lu Yun then sat upright opposite the Initial Emperor, deftly cleared the chessboard, and invited the emperor to take white and go first.
“Since you say you are even better than Fang Guozhen, I won’t let you have pieces first.” The Initial Emperor picked up a white piece made of ivory and placed it on the chessboard.
Lu Yun also quickly placed a black piece made of rhinoceros horn. In the blink of an eye, two hundred and two black pieces were placed at the diagonal star points, completing the setup, and the game formally began.
In this era, quick talent was revered; whether composing essays or playing chess, speed was prized as superior. Thus, the two also placed pieces like flying, in the blink of an eye each having played dozens of moves. As the saying goes, an expert reveals himself with one move. After dozens of moves, Lu Yun discovered that the Initial Emperor’s chess skill was truly brilliant! Whether grand layout or small schemes, all were unprecedentedly formidable!
This was completely different from what he had previously thought: that Fang Guozhen and others lost to the Initial Emperor because they dared not win against the emperor and deliberately threw the game. The Initial Emperor was truly strong; others could not beat him even without holding back!
But thinking about it, this was normal too. Go requires meticulous thinking and long-term layout, and the emperor treated the world as his chessboard, similarly needing meticulous thinking and long-term layout. Playing Go naturally complemented it perfectly, with superhuman skill!
Had he not also bitterly studied Go back then precisely to train his own thinking and layout?
Thinking of this, Lu Yun rallied his spirits and focused entirely on the situation on the chessboard.
