"I've been to the blacksmith shop in Thirteen Alley. The smiths there are very skilled; the sword at my waist is from there."
Zhou Yuan did not answer Zhou Wuji's question. He remained silent for a long time, then lightly patted the sword at his waist twice, as if to slap someone's face.
"Thirteen Alley… the blacksmith shop…"
Zhou Wuji's triumphant smile froze. He knew very well what kind of place that blacksmith shop was. The workers there were informants who communicated with him through a single line from the Weaving Heaven Pavilion. They knew many of his secrets. Xian'er Jiu didn't even know of their existence, so how did Zhou Yuan find out?
Zhou Wuji was silent for a moment, then asked in a hoarse voice, "What do you want?"
Zhou Yuan respectfully cupped his hands and bowed, then said, "I've heard that Your Highness finds court affairs tedious and enjoys playing Go the most. Coincidentally, I also have considerable skill in this area. The Grand Scholar once played several matches with me, and I ultimately defeated him."
"You can set aside your official duties for today. After a game of Go, it won't be too late to catch spies."
Zhou Wuji looked at Zhou Yuan, pondering silently for a long time. The information held by the person at the blacksmith shop was crucial for his future advancement in the imperial court and the establishment of his own power. If it were lost just like that, he would likely be suppressed by his fourth brother, whose maternal family was immensely powerful, for a very long time.
When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits. If he insisted on forcing his way into this mansion today, Zhou Yuan might never have a chance to rise again, but he himself would also suffer severe damage, and only the fourth prince would gain.
Would he do such a thing?
Zhou Wuji gazed at Zhou Yuan, then shook his head with a smile after a long silence, "I must say, Imperial Brother, you are indeed very clever. If I were the Emperor, I would certainly favor you more."
"You flatter me, Imperial Brother."
"My esteemed brother, have you ever read a book that tells of an ancient story called the Three Kingdoms?"
Zhou Yuan fell silent at this, then said:
"During the Guangxu era, the ruler of the Great Sui Dynasty died suddenly. His thirteen legitimate princes were all killed by rebel guards while in mourning. After decades of civil war, the empire was eventually divided into three parts."
"Among these, the forces led by the Duke of Chu occupied the capital. The forces led by Duke Qi occupied Jiangnan. The remaining faction established its own dynasty, known as the Later Sui."
"The ruler of the Later Sui, Sui An, was the nephew of the ruler of the Great Sui Dynasty and possessed legitimate royal blood. However, he had not received imperial education and spent the first half of his life merely reading poetry and books. Later, through a twist of fate, he managed to establish a foothold in the harsh and barren northwestern regions."
A hint of admiration appeared in Zhou Wuji's eyes. He nodded and looked at Zhou Yuan, praising him, "Indeed, indeed. I didn't expect you to remember such ancient historical records, and to remember them so clearly. You are truly the most outstanding young man of our Great Zhou Dynasty."
Zhou Yuan remained silent.
Zhou Wuji continued with a smile, "Then you should also know that among the Three Kingdoms, the Duke of Chu's forces were the most powerful because he occupied the capital and commanded seventy thousand troops. The next strongest was Duke Qi, as he occupied the Jiangnan region, far from the capital, and was the most prosperous with ample provisions. Even if he couldn't defeat the Duke of Chu at the time, he was still a force to be reckoned with."
"Among these Three Kingdoms, both the Duke of Chu and Duke Qi originated from wealthy aristocratic families, yet they occupied the two most advantageous positions in the empire. Sui An, with royal blood, could only root himself in the impoverished and barren northwest. In the following decades, he even came close to being annihilated, but in the end, it was they who unified the empire, and both the Duke of Chu and Duke Qi were executed. Do you know why?"
Zhou Yuan said lightly, "I believe Sui An was able to achieve victory for three reasons. First, he was legitimate and possessed the hearts of the people. Second, he was diligent in his studies, treated talented individuals with respect, and spent twenty years revitalizing the northwest. Third, he knew how to heed advice and was adept at employing people. He was a wise ruler, which allowed him to survive and grow under the oppression of the other two factions and finally unify the realm."
Zhou Wuji smiled slightly and nodded, "What my esteemed brother says is certainly true, but I believe the Duke of Chu also played no small part in Sui An's eventual unification of the empire."
"The empire was divided into three. The Later Sui was weak, while the Duke of Chu possessed a strong army and repeatedly attacked, extracting benefits from both sides to strengthen himself. He believed that by doing so, he could gradually devour the entire realm. When the forces in the northwest began to rise, he was wary but did not resolve to eliminate them. This was the crux of the problem."
Zhou Yuan frowned, "Among the Three Kingdoms, there were no true enemies or friends. If the Duke of Chu had led his army to destroy the Later Sui back then, Duke Qi in Jiangnan would certainly have taken advantage of the situation. Imperial Brother surely understands the principle of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
Zhou Wuji shook his head slightly, his eyes darkening, and his voice grew hoarse, "Duke Qi only developed due to his geographical advantage. In terms of imperial strategy and warfare, he was no match for the Duke of Chu or Sui An. How could such a person be the oriole?"
Zhou Yuan shook his head again to refute him, "Since Duke Qi was able to control Jiangnan, he must have his reasons. Even if he was not as capable as the Duke of Chu or Sui An, he was still a dragon among men. Why would the Duke of Chu not fear him?"
Zhou Wuji looked at Zhou Yuan and smiled again, "Yes, but even if he was a dragon among men, he was no match for the Duke of Chu. The latter could overthrow the imperial family and seize half the empire overnight. How could such a formidable figure have paid any attention to Duke Qi?"
"I believe that regardless of whether the Duke of Chu's forces were stronger or weaker than Duke Qi's, he should have had the confidence to win. Therefore, back then, he should have spared no effort to eliminate Sui An, who was weak then but had the potential to become as strong as him later."
"Even if the cost would have been devastating, making him vulnerable to Duke Qi's opportunistic exploitation, and even to outsiders it might have seemed like he was risking national destruction, my dear brother should know that since the Duke of Chu was more capable, stronger, and possessed greater martial prowess and intelligence than Duke Qi, he should have won."
Zhou Yuan understood Zhou Wuji's meaning and calmly asked, "So, Imperial Brother, if you were the Duke of Chu back then, would you have eliminated Sui An at all costs, even if it meant being attacked and destroyed by Duke Qi?"
Zhou Wuji's aura regained its majesty. He looked at Zhou Yuan and nodded faintly, "Yes, I would have done so. But Duke Qi would not have been able to destroy my country. Even if he possessed the best timing and location, the support of the people would have remained with me. No matter how difficult, no matter how long it took, the Duke of Chu would still have won."
Zhou Yuan sighed, "Could you not have chosen a more secure path? The Duke of Chu's forces were developing the fastest. When he was confident of a complete victory, could he not have launched a proactive attack?"
Zhou Wuji said earnestly, "The Duke of Chu did exactly that, and that is why he died. But I am not the Duke of Chu, because I have read the Three Kingdoms."
Zhou Yuan looked into the man's eyes. They held a weariness and ambition not befitting his age. The pressure enveloped him like a quagmire, forcing him into silence.
The so-called Three Kingdoms were none other than the two of them and the fourth prince.
"Imperial Brother uses history as a mirror; you are a man of great talent."
"My esteemed brother is too generous."
"Can we not discuss it further?"
"No."
"Even if we include the teahouse in the eighteen alleys along the street, the rain house behind Yuhetang Pond, or even your aunt's meticulously maintained book tower?"
Zhou Wuji was silent for a long time upon hearing this, then looked at Zhou Yuan and said, "I don't believe you have evidence for all of that."
Zhou Yuan nodded and said with a hint of helplessness, "Of course, I can't do it alone. Despite my best efforts, I've only uncovered some clues. But every great endeavor begins with difficulty. I have conquered the most challenging step, and the rest I will leave to Fourth Brother."
This was a veiled threat. Even if I destroy it, those things and people I know but lack the ability to investigate or act upon, Fourth Brother will naturally help me. It would be like if, in the Three Kingdoms, only two nations remained, and after the Duke of Chu painstakingly destroyed Sui An, Duke Qi would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to strike.
Zhou Wuji understood this. His gaze toward Zhou Yuan became ferocious, and his chest involuntarily heaved, as if a great mountain were pressing down on him, forcing him to exert all his strength with each breath, his veins bulging.
He had never imagined that Zhou Yuan could investigate those places. Moreover, that book tower was even more critical than the blacksmith shop. If these were all eradicated, the official from the Ministry of War would no longer support him, and he would become a true loner.
If Zhou Yuan fell off a cliff, he would have to lose a leg and an arm. Would that useless person be the only one who could gallop on horseback on the Sacred Dragon Avenue?
Zhou Wuji held his breath for a long time, then finally exhaled a heavy gust of turbid air. The flushed redness on his face disappeared, replaced by a hint of madness on his pale countenance.
He had initially thought he had overestimated Zhou Yuan, but he never expected Zhou Yuan to surprise him each time. It was the same at the Crown Prince's banquet, and it was the same today.
Therefore, he would not be the Duke of Chu who steadily grew stronger. Instead, he would be the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Wuji, who would go all in!
The two looked at each other. Zhou Yuan understood Zhou Wuji's choice, and thus he could only lower his head silently, gazing at his own toes along the hem of his robes.
In this way, he had no other good options left.
Zhou Wuji sat quietly on his horse, closing his eyes. He heard the hurried arrival of carriage after carriage outside the street alleys behind him, their stopping a hundred meters away eliciting gasps of surprise. A touch of color returned to his pale face.
"The lords have all arrived."
"My brother, please open the door."