46Chapter 46: The Great Han Chess Master, Storm is Coming
AI Model: gemini-2.5-flash
At the end of Emperor Wen's twelfth year, the Prince of Wu came to the capital with his heir apparent to pay respects.
This was the first time in many years that the Prince of Wu had come to the capital to pay respects to the Emperor, and he even brought his successor, which held profound implications.
After all, the Prince of Wu was not someone to be trifled with.
.... .....
Inside Weiyang Palace,
Liu Heng coughed a few times, his face showing a hint of weakness and pallor. He looked at Liu Qi, who was attending to him, and forced a smile.
"The Prince of Wu has come to the capital this time… What do you think he wants to do?"
Liu Qi lowered his gaze slightly and concluded, speaking with a thoughtful expression, "He probably wants to sound out Father Emperor's intentions. After all, over these many years, Father Emperor has already stripped several vassal princes of their power."
"Even with the Prince of Wu's formidable influence, he would still be concerned about his status and safety."
"Therefore, he brought his heir apparent to the capital. This both expresses his submission to the court and allows him to probe the court, especially your attitude, Father Emperor. This can be described as a move that kills two birds with one stone."
Liu Heng, with the assistance of an Inner Attendant, drank his medicine in one gulp. After catching his breath, he sat there and said, "Indeed, his visit this time is likely to test Us."
He sneered, "But unfortunately, We do not wish to be tested so easily."
"How can the Emperor's majesty be tested by a vassal prince? Since he dared to make such an overstepping move, he must be prepared to pay a price he cannot bear!"
Liu Qi was slightly startled, then looked at Liu Heng and said, "Father Emperor, are you planning…?"
Liu Heng suddenly smiled and looked at Liu Qi, saying, "No, it's not about what We are preparing to do."
"We are the Emperor. If We were to act personally, it would inevitably lead to a major upheaval—at that time, the Prince of Wu might have an opportunity and an excuse to raise an army."
"But… you are different."
"Crown Prince, do you understand?"
Liu Qi paused slightly upon hearing Liu Heng's words, then nodded, "Your son understands."
Liu Heng then smiled with satisfaction, "Go."
.... .....
Guandu Marquis Residence
"Teacher, Father Emperor's intention is probably to have this disciple act against him."
Liu Qi's face showed bitterness, "But that is the Prince of Wu's heir apparent after all! Without a suitable excuse, I, though the Crown Prince, might still not escape punishment."
"What exactly does Father Emperor mean?"
Chen Yun, however, smiled slightly. He looked at Chen Xi, who was sitting nearby, and said, "Chen Xi, do you understand His Majesty's meaning?"
Chen Xi smacked his lips. Did he understand?
There was probably no one in this world who understood Liu Heng's meaning better than him—wasn't it just to have Liu Qi kill the Prince of Wu's heir apparent?
He looked at Liu Qi, his eyes blinking slightly.
He had originally thought that the incident with the Han Chess Sage was sudden, coupled with Liu Qi, this Emperor Jing, having a fierce and irritable temper, which led to the impulsive killing, smashing the Prince of Wu's heir apparent with a chessboard. But now it seemed there were many unexpected "dark hands" involved.
Whether it was the Prince of Wu or Emperor Wen, this was probably a game of chess manipulated by two people.
Even someone as high and mighty as Liu Qi, being the Crown Prince, was merely a chess piece.
Under Liu Qi's gaze, Chen Xi slowly nodded, then said, "Actually, it's very simple."
"The Prince of Wu's heir apparent has a temperament similar to the Prince of Wu, both being violent and somewhat opinionated. Such a person, with just a slight provocation, will reveal flaws and utter some offensive words."
"If His Highness were to guide him further at this point, it's foreseeable that the Prince of Wu's heir apparent might say something rebellious."
"In such a situation, whatever His Highness wishes to do will be a very simple matter."
Chen Xi, in a few words, analyzed the current situation for Liu Qi and what he should do. However… he did not make everything completely explicit, because in his opinion, if he spoke too clearly, it would mean that the "blame" would fall entirely on him.
The current level of euphemism, which seemingly explains things but doesn't quite, and seemingly doesn't explain but actually does very clearly, was just right.
As for whether Liu Qi would kill the Prince of Wu's heir apparent?
That was another matter entirely.
After Liu Qi left, Chen Yun looked at Chen Xi, sighed, and said, "Do you think the Prince of Wu's heir apparent can still live?"
Chen Xi shook his head directly.
The people of the Old Liu family were all natural political monsters; they all relied on their instincts to choose what was right for themselves—the entire Old Liu family, in its early stages, only produced one fool who made a blunder regarding the heir apparent.
Emperor Xuan, Liu Bingyi.
He was the protagonist of the 'Loyalty to the Deceased Wife' story.
The world said he was a good emperor—and he was, after all, during the Restoration of Emperor Xuan. But in the choice of his heir, he was the most muddle-headed emperor in the entire Han Dynasty, perhaps even without exception.
Even an emperor like Emperor Ling of Han, who could be ranked among the worst, might have done better than him.
Why?
Because he clearly knew that his son did not have the ability to be emperor, yet he still allowed the son of the woman he supposedly loved to ascend to the throne because of so-called love.
Even Emperor Ling of Han knew to choose a suitable person, not a favored, untalented child to ascend, but this enlightened ruler did not know.
Badness and foolishness can be cured, but simp and love-struck people are incurable.
Chen Xi's lips curved into a smile. He looked at the distant Weiyang Palace and said, "Father, please ask Grandfather to return to court."
He slowly stood up, tucking his hands into his sleeves.
"I fear the greatest storm of this dynasty is about to arrive."
.... .....
Eastern Palace
Liu Qi sat there, playing chess with the Prince of Wu's heir apparent. A chessboard lay before them, with black and white pieces intertwined, making it appear incredibly complex.
Maids and Inner Attendants served nearby.
While the two were playing, Liu Qi briefly said something, and the Prince of Wu's heir apparent's face showed anger. Then he played his moves faster and more aggressively.
Finally…
"Clack—"
He placed a chess piece on the board, as if deciding the victory of this game.
The Prince of Wu's heir apparent said with a hint of arrogance, "Your Highness, how was it?"
He said meaningfully, "This black dragon… was directly cut off by this one move. Some people are just like that; don't look at them as Crown Princes, for whether they will truly have the ability to sit here in the future is yet to be known."
The anger from being mocked earlier erupted at this moment. The Prince of Wu's heir apparent didn't even know what he was saying anymore.
"Given Your Highness's current state, it's no wonder the Empress favors the Prince of Liang and not you. It's truly pathetic—"
Before he could finish his sentence.
Liu Qi had already swiftly and coldly picked up the chessboard from the table.
"Thud—"
A loud crash.
Liu Qi stood there, holding the blood-stained chessboard, looking down at the dying Prince of Wu's heir apparent. He smiled and said, "This game, I won."
"Didn't I?"