Chapter 87: Paying A Visit
Lu Yun valued the match with the Initial Emperor so highly, beyond his indelible self-respect and competitive spirit. More importantly, he wanted to use this rare opportunity to gain some understanding of the Initial Emperor.
The ancients said that chess skill reveals character; a person’s style of conduct and personality traits will inevitably be reflected in the match. As the saying goes, worldly affairs are like a chess game, and vice versa. A single game is like a condensed life: the player may lay out meticulously with measured advances and retreats, or harbor luck and advance rashly out of arrogance; they may hesitate indecisively with excessive caution, or persist unyieldingly without arrogance in victory, fully revealing their character and style.
Of course, only when facing a worthy opponent with no clear victory or defeat can you force out the side your opponent keeps deeply hidden. Isn’t life just the same—vast sea flows sideways, revealing the hero’s true colors?
Especially for someone like the Initial Emperor and Lu Yun, whose chess skill had reached the First Rank, Entering the Divine realm, where victory or defeat hinges entirely on mental character, layout, strategy, and tactics beyond chess skill, it was even more possible to see the opponent clearly.
Of course, Lu Yun would similarly expose himself to the Initial Emperor’s gaze, but for him at this stage, wasn’t that exactly what he sought?
They kept reviewing the game until late into the night. Lu Yun finally settled on a strategy for tomorrow’s match, then fell into a deep sleep. Since entering the Summer Palace, he had not meditated for cultivation, fearing others might detect traces of his cultivation method.
.
He slept until daylight was bright, and Lu Yun felt refreshed with renewed energy. Palace servants helped him wash and dress, then brought a sumptuous meal. While eating breakfast, Lu Yun asked the eunuch serving nearby, “Does Your Majesty have any decree summoning me today?”
“Your Majesty should be handling state affairs right now. Even if he wants to invite Young Master Lu for chess, it will be in the afternoon,” the eunuch replied with a smile.
Lu Yun nodded and said no more. After breakfast, he prepared to read a book for a while, but he heard voices of palace servants in the courtyard. “Welcoming Your Highness!”
Lu Yun set down the book and went outside the door to look, only to see Huangfu Xuan in a blue robe standing in the courtyard, smiling at him.
Lu Yun was slightly stunned. The palace servants nearby hurriedly whispered an introduction: “Young Master, this is First Prince Your Highness. Hurry and pay your respects.”
“Oh?” The expression on Lu Yun’s face was extremely vivid, mixing surprise and realization. He hurriedly gave Huangfu Xuan a deep bow and said, “Your humble servant failed to recognize Mount Tai; my offense, my offense!”
“Quickly rise,” Huangfu Xuan also stepped forward hurriedly, supporting Lu Yun with both hands and subtly gripping his arm firmly, laughing heartily: “I heard there’s a young national master who fought an evenly matched game with Father Emperor yesterday. I’m truly curious, so I came to visit early—forgive my rudeness, forgive my rudeness.”
Lu Yun understood that Huangfu Xuan did not want others to know they had met before, so he cooperated with a ashamed smile: “Your Highness overstates it. It was Your Majesty who saw your humble servant as young and held back his masterful moves.”
“That’s impressive enough!” Huangfu Xuan praised, rubbing his hands eagerly: “How about we play a game too? Let me witness Young Master Lu’s masterful moves.”
“Better to obey than to decline.” Lu Yun smiled and nodded. “There’s Go in the room. If Your Highness doesn’t mind, please come inside.”
“Haha, excellent.” Huangfu Xuan warmly linked arms with Lu Yun and entered.
Palace servants attended to the two, seating them before the chessboard and offering fragrant tea, then quietly withdrew.
Inside the room, only Huangfu Xuan and Lu Yun remained. After placing a chess piece, the former said softly, “I hid my identity before because I truly didn’t want to lose a rare friend like you.”
“I understand.” Lu Yun nodded, toying with the black piece in his hand: “I never expected to encounter Your Highness at the Setting Sun Tower.”
“It’s all fate.” Huangfu Xuan looked at Lu Yun with fervent eyes: “To be honest, virtuous younger brother, you’ve helped me greatly on both meetings. I’ve always wanted to find a chance to speak well of you before His Majesty…” His expression darkened as he said, “But alas… I feared it might backfire and harm you instead.”
“Your Highness has already helped me.” Lu Yun shook his head with a slight smile: “Otherwise, Your Majesty probably wouldn’t even remember your humble servant.”
“You mean?” Huangfu Xuan’s heart skipped a beat at these words, a trace of panic appearing on his face as he looked at Lu Yun: “Does His Majesty know we’ve met?”
“Of course, though it might be a coincidence.” Lu Yun offered Huangfu Xuan a bland reassurance.
“No, it can’t be a coincidence.” Huangfu Xuan had already pieced together yesterday’s events, lowering his head with a dry voice: “Father Emperor must have had someone secretly watching us to see what little actions we’d take.”
“Oh…” Lu Yun responded perfunctorily, then saw Huangfu Xuan suddenly look up, his face pale: “It must be that, otherwise how would Father Emperor know I sent someone to the Wei Clan?”
“Your Highness sent someone to the Wei Clan?” Lu Yun’s expression also changed, as if Huangfu Xuan had committed a grave error.
“It wasn’t someone I sent; my subordinates acted without authorization.” Huangfu Xuan shook his head dejectedly: “Father Emperor severely reprimanded me yesterday—that’s also why I didn’t dare introduce you rashly.”
“How did Your Majesty punish Your Highness?” Lu Yun asked with concern.
“Father Emperor ordered me to drive all my reading companions and lecturers out of the palace.” Huangfu Xuan’s expression was somber; clearly, this had struck him hard, though it hadn’t shown earlier—the royal children’s composure was indeed extraordinary.
Lu Yun laughed instead, shaking his head: “Forgive my bluntness, Your Highness. If His Majesty had directly decreed to expel Your Highness’s reading companions from the palace, that would be true punishment. Now His Majesty has made Your Highness do it himself. In my humble opinion, this is not punishment at all, but rather protection for Your Highness!”
“Protection?” Huangfu Xuan was stunned by Lu Yun’s words, incredulous: “Didn’t you see? His Majesty looked like he wanted to devour me—how could that be protection?”
“Fatherly love is always like that, Your Highness.” Lu Yun said softly: “Moreover, to say something far-fetched, given Your Highness’s current situation, the more His Majesty distances himself and treats you harshly, the safer you are.”
Seeing Huangfu Xuan still unconvinced, Lu Yun lowered his voice: “Your Highness is too involved to see clearly. Why not step outside your identity and think from an observer’s perspective—isn’t that the reason?”
“This…” Hearing Lu Yun’s words, Huangfu Xuan calmly assessed his situation for the first time. The more he thought, the more Lu Yun’s words seemed reasonable. But he still wouldn’t yield: “Even if it’s for my protection, distancing would suffice—why the constant scoldings every few days?”
“Heh, Your Highness, that’s love deepened by stern reprimand…” Lu Yun smiled at Huangfu Xuan: “In the horse farm, the finest steeds get the most whips because the master has the highest expectations! If His Majesty truly had no expectations for Your Highness, why waste words on you?”
“Really?” Huangfu Xuan was half-believing.
“If Your Highness is willing to believe it, then it is.” Lu Yun knew he couldn’t change Huangfu Xuan’s attitude immediately. He steered the topic back: “What other arrangements does His Majesty have for Your Highness?”
“Father Emperor told me to go to the Ministry of Personnel and figure out those three questions.” Mentioning this, Huangfu Xuan’s anger surged: “And no one is allowed to help—I must do it myself!” He added petulantly: “I have no clue about any of it; it’ll probably take me a year!”
Lu Yun gently clapped and smiled: “Earlier it was a guess; now your humble servant can almost confirm that His Majesty is cultivating Your Highness!”
“Don’t just speak well for him!” Huangfu Xuan glared at Lu Yun somewhat annoyed.
“Don’t be hasty, Your Highness. Think calmly: His Majesty’s three questions cover the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Revenue, and Ministry of Justice—the three key areas of court affairs. If not for His Majesty’s cultivation, would Your Highness get this chance to understand them thoroughly from the ground up?”
“Uh…” Huangfu Xuan was stunned, then gave Lu Yun a bitter smile after a long moment: “How is it that everything sounds reasonable coming from you?”
“Because that’s how things really are.” Lu Yun smiled faintly: “Your Highness is just obsessed.”
“Sigh, then I’ll believe you for now.” Huangfu Xuan gave a bitter smile.
“Believing me is right.” As Lu Yun spoke, he placed a chess piece at the center point, his tone brimming with strong confidence that deeply infected Huangfu Xuan across from him.
