Chapter 88: Everyone’s Here
Huangfu Xuan came to find Lu Yun, not for a game of chess, of course. Lu Yun’s performance on the previous two occasions had left a deep impression on him. After nearly being killed by those around him, Huangfu Xuan reflected deeply and realized that what he truly needed were not scholars full of empty knowledge, but truly talented individuals like Lu Yun, who possessed exceptional strategy and keen insight.
Realizing this, he felt great regret for his previous caution, even for the petty schemes he had hatched to claim Lu Yun’s talents for himself. He wanted to make amends quickly. As soon as he heard that Lu Yun had been arranged next door to him, he hurried over under the pretense of playing chess, fearing his brothers would get there first.
Huangfu Xuan knew very well that with his extraordinary chess skill alone, Lu Yun was an individual worth recruiting by any prince. Given Huangfu Zhen’s opportunistic nature, he would absolutely not let Lu Yun go.
As expected, while they were talking, the palace attendants outside announced, “Greetings to the Three Highnesses!”
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Xuan’s expression changed. He sneered at Lu Yun, “My three younger brothers are truly everywhere. I may have to pour some honey into your ears later, so Virtuous younger brother, be sure not to fall for it!”
“I know,” Lu Yun replied vaguely. He understood that this attitude would not satisfy Huangfu Xuan. However, the experiences of the past two days had taught him that being overly eager never leads to success, especially with Huangfu Xuan.
The stage for self-recommendation was over; now it was Huangfu Xuan’s turn to pursue him. How could he not be visited thrice?
Huangfu Xuan didn’t know what Lu Yun was thinking, and naturally felt a slight displeasure. But at this moment, Huangfu Zhen and his two brothers had already entered. He had no choice but to stop talking and pretend to place a chess piece.
Actually, Huangfu Zhen and the others weren’t in a hurry to see Lu Yun before. After all, the Initial Emperor was not an incompetent ruler of ancient times. No matter how good the Imperial Chess Masters were at Go, they did not gain promotions or the Emperor’s trust to participate in state affairs.
The three of them heard that Huangfu Xuan had come over, and that’s why they hurried here. This was a habit they had cultivated since childhood; even if they didn’t covet something themselves, they couldn’t let Huangfu Xuan have it.
As soon as they entered the room and saw Huangfu Xuan playing chess with Lu Yun, Huangfu Shi exclaimed, “Oh, Older Brother is here too!”
Huangfu Xuan frowned unhappily and said, “I am playing chess with Young Master Lu. Don’t disturb us.”
“Older Brother, you can’t even beat me,” Huangfu Xuan exclaimed with wide eyes, “and you dare to play with Young Master Lu? Isn’t that just masochistic?”
“Alright, all of you, be quiet.” Huangfu Zhen glared at his two younger brothers as if reprimanding them, and then smiled at Lu Yun, who had risen to greet them, “I am Huangfu Zhen. We brothers are accustomed to being informal, so please excuse us.”
“Greetings to Your Highnesses,” Lu Yun said with sincere deference.
“Sit, sit. You continue your game. We will watch the game without speaking, for we are true gentlemen,” Huangfu Zhen said, and he and his two brothers sat by the chessboard, adopting an air of civilized observation.
Now, the two could only play chess honestly. Huangfu Xuan’s chess skill was indeed average; even with Lu Yun letting him win, he couldn’t. Moreover, Lu Yun had no intention of yielding. Under the gaze of the three princes, he played like flying, his moves sharp and fierce. In the middle of the game, he captured Huangfu Xuan’s large group of stones.
Seeing Huangfu Xuan utterly defeated, Huangfu Shi and Huangfu Xuan could no longer help but burst into laughter, “We told you, you’re asking for humiliation!”
Huangfu Xuan’s face was very unpleasant, but he didn’t want Lu Yun to look down on him, nor did he want to lose face in front of Huangfu Zhen and the others. He chuckled self-deprecatingly, “Virtuous younger brother Lu only narrowly lost when playing against Father Emperor, so it’s not surprising that I lost so badly.” He had wanted to keep Lu Yun all to himself, but he had lost so miserably that he was too embarrassed to ask for another game.
Huangfu Xuan had no choice but to yield his seat to Huangfu Zhen, saying, “Let you also experience Virtuous younger brother Lu’s masterful move.”
Huangfu Zhen, without yielding to others, swapped places with Huangfu Xuan. While helping to tidy up the chessboard, he smiled at Lu Yun, “Virtuous younger brother, please go easy on me and my three pieces, how about it?”
“As you wish,” Lu Yun nodded with a smile and quipped, “However, if I lose later, you must return those three chess pieces to me.”
“Hahahaha!” The princes were amused by Lu Yun’s wit. Huangfu Shi and Huangfu Xuan found him quite interesting and genuinely felt a desire to befriend him.
“Then it’s settled,” Huangfu Zhen said, placing a white stone. The two began to play against each other. As the saying goes, an expert reveals their skill with their first move. After a moment, Lu Yun discovered that Huangfu Zhen’s chess skill was far superior to Huangfu Xuan’s.
This second prince placed himself in the position of the weaker party, his defense was impregnable, and every move was meticulous, solid, and extremely cautious. He sought no merit, only to avoid mistakes. This was truly a correct and extremely rare battle tactic. It is known that in this era, chess emphasized fierce engagement and combative play, so regardless of skill level, when faced with attacking, defending, or waiting calmly, players would often solely focus on offense.
In this way, although the games were intense and exciting, the weaker party would often amplify their weaknesses and be quickly defeated.
However, Huangfu Zhen could disregard the situation and his status, cautiously playing defensively and minimizing any opportunities for Lu Yun. Lu Yun had not encountered this style of play before, and it proved somewhat tricky. Furthermore, he had no intention of trying to break Huangfu Zhen’s spirit. As a result, as more chess pieces accumulated on the board, the gap between the two sides remained not very large.
The game lasted for a full hour. In the end, Lu Yun ‘only’ defeated Huangfu Zhen by seven points. Considering he had given up three points at the start, this was already a significant lead, but the princes knew the Initial Emperor’s chess skill, and in comparison, it was already quite commendable for Huangfu Zhen.
“You are too kind,” Huangfu Zhen said, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face. He said sincerely to Lu Yun, “Despite my tenacious efforts, I am still no match for Virtuous younger brother!”
“Your Highness almost won against your humble servant,” Lu Yun also said with a smile.
“That’s not just a little bit!” Huangfu Zhen burst out laughing.
“Shall we play another round?” Lu Yun took the initiative to invite, as he had developed no small interest in Huangfu Zhen’s moves.
“No more, no more!” Huangfu Zhen quickly waved his hands, “I’ve already exhausted my mind and body; if I play any more, I’ll be spitting blood.” He then looked at his two younger brothers and asked, “Which one of you will go?”
“I’ll pass, I think,” Huangfu Shi quickly shook his head, “My skill level is only good enough to compete with Older Brother.”
“I will!” Huangfu Xuan had long been eager to try, and he impatiently replaced Huangfu Zhen.
Seeing the three brothers getting along so well with Lu Yun, Huangfu Xuan, standing to the side, felt a pang of envy and couldn’t help but interrupt, “Are you going to let Lu Virtuous younger brother eat or not? He has to accompany Father Emperor for a game of chess this afternoon.”
“Older Brother is right,” Huangfu Zhen agreed wholeheartedly and stopped Huangfu Xuan, who looked displeased, saying, “This is important business. It’s better to let Lu Virtuous younger brother conserve his energy and see if he can win back some face from Father Emperor this afternoon.” He then looked at Lu Yun with anticipation and said, “It’s been so many years, Your Majesty has never even encountered a draw. Virtuous younger brother, you must avenge us defeated subordinates!”
“I will do my best,” Lu Yun smiled and nodded. He made another appointment to fight Huangfu Xuan again later, then got up to see the four princes out.
As they were leaving, Huangfu Xuan wanted to linger behind to say a few more words to Lu Yun, but was disrupted by Huangfu Shi and Huangfu Xuan, and ultimately, nothing was said.
Watching the First Prince leave in a dejected mood, Lu Yun felt a slight sense of satisfaction. This could be considered revenge for his own feelings of disappointment on the previous two occasions.
This morning, Lu Yun had officially met the four princes.
Frankly speaking, Huangfu Zhen possessed a graceful demeanor and radiant charm, treating people with a gentle and pleasant manner. Among the four princes, he was indeed outstanding. However, Lu Yun was not seeking to serve a wise lord; rather, he intended to use them to achieve his goal of instigating a complete rupture between the Emperor and the Xiahou Clan.
Naturally, he could only help the weak, not the strong. But the weak party was clearly still full of thorns and needed to be thoroughly honed before they would be terrified, obedient, and completely follow his plans, step by step, without deviation…
