Chapter 565 - 323: Oh No, the Son-in-Law is Dying!
Chapter 565: Chapter 323: Oh No, the Son-in-Law is Dying!
The night was late, but far from peaceful.
When Chen Yi returned to Spring Lotus Garden, there was already some clamor outside. Armored Warriors brought several Physicians, fanning out from the central courtyard to the surrounding ones. They checked and questioned everyone one by one, instructing them to boil medicinal herbs.
Actually, there was no need for such trouble. Those infected by the plague poison would fall into a deep slumber within an hour. They would look as though they had been poisoned, their lips and teeth turning dark purple. However, the Xiao Family was a large clan after all. With people constantly coming and going from the estate, it was hard to guarantee that no hidden dangers would slip through the cracks.
Chen Yi naturally didn’t dwell on it, leaving the Old Master to worry about it. After changing into a light, casual robe, he headed straight to the study to wait, without waking Xiao Wuge and Xiaodie. He lit the oil lamp, poured some water, and ground the ink. Sitting at the desk, Chen Yi’s face was illuminated by the candlelight, a contemplative look in his eyes.
Although the actions of Liu Hong and the Five Poison Sect had stirred up the Prefecture City both inside and out, they had also exposed more flaws. The gathering of refugees, the rising grain prices, the plague poison, Xinglin Hall, the conflicts involving the Jing State Liu Family, the Peacock King Banner, the Barbarian Race...
Stringing all these incidents together, Chen Yi drew a few conclusions—to throw the Shu State into chaos!
To some extent, Liu Hong’s schemes shared the same goal as the White Tiger Guard’s layout in the Shu State; both aimed to throw the Shu State into turmoil. However, the former was far more audacious and unscrupulous. The latter was much more subtle, operating without a sound. They often used a seemingly insignificant incident to fulfill a certain condition and push things forward step by step. In other words, they advanced steadily, calculating every step.
It was like a Chess Master using the world as their chessboard, placing a piece in the Shu State to leverage a corner of the game. This inevitably gave Chen Yi a sense of familiarity. This was exactly how he operated: strategizing before acting. While others calculated three steps ahead, he calculated ten. Even if he occasionally miscalculated—like with Du Cang, or the sudden attack by the Five Poison Sect—most of his plans still came to fruition.
"The White Tiger Guard... Pavilion Master?" Chen Yi couldn’t help but think of that enigmatic Pavilion Master of the White Tiger Guard.
Many of the things the White Tiger Guard did indeed left no traces, but they couldn’t prevent some of their people from being too careless. Like Liu Si’er probing him in Tonglin Town—it was clumsy. Ge the Third hid the deepest, yet he was forced to flee for silver coins. Xiao Dongchen was too selfish, merely using the White Tiger Guard to seek profit for the second branch. Cui Qingwu clearly had no real dedication to the White Tiger Guard; she acted too much like a pampered young lady, obeying only in name but not in spirit.
If Chen Yi were the White Tiger Guard Pavilion Master, he figured he wouldn’t entrust Cui Qingwu with any heavy responsibilities either. Comparing them all, among the White Tiger Guard members he had encountered, only three were qualified.
One was Uncle Gui, who had died accidentally. He hid the deepest, never showing off his abilities. The second was Lou Yuxue. She hid in the Bright Moon Building and did a lot for the White Tiger Guard; otherwise, she couldn’t have been promoted to Golden Banner Officer. The last person was "General."
Although Chen Yi didn’t know how many Golden Banner Officers there were in the White Tiger Guard, it wasn’t hard to gauge the caliber of the others based on General. Whether in terms of bearing, tactics, intellect, or Cultivation, they were all commendable, with no obvious weaknesses. Had Chen Yi not grasped a lot of information and seized the initiative, given the White Tiger Guard’s capabilities, it would have been almost impossible for him to turn the tables. He would only have been dragged along like a marionette by the White Tiger Guard, and ultimately, a Fledgling like him would hardly have met a good end.
From this, it wasn’t hard for Chen Yi to see the formidable nature of the White Tiger Guard Pavilion Master.
"Playing chess... Could he also be someone accomplished in the Chess Dao?" Chen Yi made a few guesses, and the chessboard in his mind began to move once again.
Beneath the chessboard formed by illusory mist, the Nine States and Three Prefectures of the Great Wei could be faintly seen. Even though only the Shu State was somewhat clear at the moment, he already felt like Zhuge Kongming during his Longzhong Dialog. In this world, the Wei Dynasty reigned supreme. To the north lay the untamed wilderness, to the south the Barbarian Race, to the east the Pirate Wokou, and to the west the Buddha Country. Surrounded by a pack of wolves, dark currents surged within. In short, the world was on the brink of chaos.
After a moment of thought, Chen Yi picked up a few Heizi from the chessboard, crushing them into flying ash in his grip. His gaze then focused solely on the few Heizi in the Shu State’s corner of the board. Liu Hong, Zhu Hao, and the rest.
"The schemes Liu Hong planned align with the White Tiger Guard’s goals... Hmm, it should be a temporary alignment. Like two people walking together for a short distance before going their separate ways," Chen Yi pondered. "Their destinations should be the same, so over at the Imperial Court..."
Chen Yi vaguely understood. It must be that the Capital Prefecture was preparing for some major event, which ended up dragging a lot of people into it. The game between these various factions was complex and intricate. Those caught in the middle, like the Xiao Family, probably couldn’t see it clearly.
"So this is just the prelude. Or perhaps... some kind of probe? Whether it succeeds or fails might affect the outcome of that major event?" he wondered.
Chen Yi didn’t know for sure, but he was clear on one thing—the Shu State would not descend into chaos, nor could it!
"The Shu State cannot fall into chaos. The Xiao Family has to be the stabilizing anchor, and it can only be done by the Xiao Family," he reasoned. "It’s time for the Old Master to make a decision. If he doesn’t make a move, Liu Hong’s merit for this matter will likely vanish. In that case... the White Tiger Guard Pavilion Master’s layout is truly far-reaching..."
Chen Yi shook his head, unrolled a sheet of Yunsong Paper, and lowered his brush, writing a few words as smoothly as flowing water.
"In the end, Liu Hong is just a chess piece. And one tucked away in a corner, fancying himself smart," Chen Yi mused. "However, he has indeed brought a lot of trouble to the Xiao Family."
Sometimes, grudges formed just that inexplicably. Like how the Xiao Family flourished for two hundred years, only to suddenly decline, like a tiger falling onto the plains. Surrounded by a pack of wolves, they naturally became a target.
Without the Xiao Family, there would be others to take over the Dingyuan Army. It could be the Liu Family, Noble Families of the Shu State, or other Nobles of the Great Wei Dynasty. It had nothing to do with right or wrong; it was all driven by human nature and profit.
Thinking of this, Chen Yi stopped his brush and looked at the two lines written in Cursive Script on the Yunsong Paper: