Chapter 52 The Game of Chess: The game of chess is like the affairs of the world; once a move is made, there is no going back.
The sound of the night watchman's drum at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM) slowly faded away between the palace walls. In the bamboo grove on the west side of the East Palace, the unfinished game on the stone table had been going on for half an hour.
Galorin's hand, holding the white piece, hovered in mid-air, hesitant to bring it down. He smiled and said, "I remember before, you always liked to use the black pieces to set traps, cutting off my retreat when I was isolated and deep in enemy territory."
Bai Lian's gaze remained fixed on an inconspicuous corner of the chessboard. "Back then, I was young and impetuous, unaware of the proper order of things." The black piece under her finger finally landed on the side lane, a position where she sought neither merit nor demerit.
The palace maid, who was standing at a distance, came forward for the third time to change the tea, but was waved away by Garo Rin.
He looked up and carefully examined Bai Lian. The bamboo shadows swayed, and the moonlight was cut into fine silver foil, sticking to her lowered eyelashes. She was focused on the chessboard, like a figure in a meticulous painting.
"If I were to say..." Galorin suddenly leaned forward, her voice extremely low, "would I be willing to trade half the country for you to set another trap?"
Bai Lian's fingertips trembled slightly as she held the chess piece, but she did not answer.
The black jade chess piece spun three times between her fingers before finally settling firmly in the safest position. "Your Highness is too kind," she said, looking up at Galorin. "A game of chess is like life; once a move is made, there's no going back."
-
The following night at midnight, Galorin arrived near the Han residence with her guards.
He instructed the guards to wait outside the mansion, while he himself took the secret passage behind the Han mansion and went to the study with familiarity. The moment he pushed open the door, he smelled a mixture of aged ink and medicine.
"Your Highness shouldn't have come." Minister Han's voice came from the shadows. The oil lamp in his hand cast a swaying halo on the wall, illuminating his face. In just half a month, this once spirited Minister of War had already turned gray at the temples.
"I want to hear the truth." Galo Lin stood in the shadows, her gaze piercing. "Back in the Eastern Palace, you told me that a minister should prioritize the well-being of the nation."
Minister Han's hand trembled violently, nearly spilling the lamp oil. He staggered back a few steps, slumped into the grand chair, and slowly said, "Years ago, I was ordered to accompany the Third Prince on his mission to the Northern Barbarians. The Third Prince was threatened, and to protect him, I feigned seeking peace, which inadvertently gave him leverage..."
"So, you're just going to watch the Northern Barbarians' iron hooves trample the border?"
"It's too late to undo what's done," Minister Han sighed. "For the Han family, for Liu'er and Yue'er, one wrong step led to another..."
"Now that things have come to this, I don't know if I can still make amends." With that, Minister Han took a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Jialuolin, his fingertips trembling. "The delegation will arrive in the capital in three days. Among them are important figures they need to meet. Your Highness, you must... be extremely careful."
Galo Lin took the secret letter, his fingertips touching the unique texture of the envelope. It was mulberry paper, the kind used exclusively by the Northern Di royal court; the paper was rough yet extremely tough. He noticed that when Minister Han handed over the letter, he deliberately scratched a shallow mark in a certain spot with his fingernail.
When she left the Han residence, the night fog was thick. Just as Galo Lin turned into the dark alley, a whooshing sound filled the air.
Three crossbow bolts landed squarely on the spot where he had just stood, their fletchings still trembling slightly. Suddenly, several dark figures descended from the eaves on all sides, their blades gleaming with a cold, bluish-gray light in the moonlight.
Galorin's guards immediately engaged in a fierce battle with several men in black, but they were clearly outmatched and more than half of them were killed or wounded in an instant. Galorin was also surrounded, and he picked up his sword to try to break through the encirclement.
At this moment, a silver thread suddenly shot out from the sycamore tree beside her, accurately wrapping around the assassin who was about to stab Galorin in the back with his short sword. Bai Lian flew over the wall like a nightingale, her long sword drawing a sharp arc in the night, and she took down the three assassins in a few moves.
"Go!" She grabbed Galorin's wrist and hurried away. Just then, a cold arrow shot out. Bai Lian hurriedly pushed Galorin away, and the arrow grazed her shoulder. Blood instantly spread on her blue clothes, like a slowly blooming ink plum blossom.
When they returned to the side hall of the East Palace, the blood on Bai Lian's shoulder had congealed into a dark brown color. Jia Luolin looked at her with concern and wanted to treat her wound, but she avoided Jia Luolin's outstretched hand, saying, "It's alright, the wound will heal on its own in a little while."
"How did you get here?" Galorin's voice was filled with suppressed emotion.
"I guessed you would be visiting the Han residence tonight, and I was worried about an ambush," Bai Lian said. "Your Highness's safety is a matter of national importance, and it is my duty as a subject. I have some official business to attend to, so I will be leaving now."
One second Galorin was overjoyed at the word "worry," but the next second her smile froze on her lips.
He was speechless for a moment, and the hand he tried to reach out several times could only slowly fall down as he watched Bai Lian leave.
-
Three days later, the Northern Barbarian delegation moved into the post station.
When Bai Lian came to the post station to inspect the roster of her entourage, her gaze lingered on a certain name. This name was all too familiar. Back in Beiting, she had fought this person three times, the last time chasing him for a hundred miles across the snowy plains and almost capturing him alive.
"What is the general looking at?" the postmaster asked cautiously.
Bai Lian closed the booklet: "An old friend."
She walked slowly along the corridor, and at the corner she brushed past a man dressed as a merchant. The man's sleeves were empty, indicating that he was missing an arm. The musky scent on his body made her pause. This was a fragrance that the Jia royal family often used.
As he turned around, the man also turned around. Although he had disguised himself and put on a fake beard, the sinister look in his eyes was exactly the same as it had been years ago.
"General Bai." Jia Xuanyu's lips curved slightly, the sandalwood prayer beads on her wrist twirling between her fingers. "How have you been?"
"It's been many years, and I'm at a loss for how to address you, Third Prince," Bai Lian said coldly. "Or perhaps I should address you as the Special Envoy of the Northern Barbarians?"
Jia Xuanyu chuckled softly, her prayer beads spinning rapidly between her fingers: "General Bai is too kind. I'm just an ordinary merchant now. I've come here because the Northern Barbarians have come to visit, so I'm just here to talk to them about trade and make a little money."
The distant chimes startled the gray pigeons perched under the eaves. Amidst the flapping of wings, their gazes clashed in the air, creating a silent battlefield.
Bai Lian quietly pressed down on the short blade hidden in her sleeve, looking warily at Jia Xuanyu.
Jia Xuanyu looked at Bai Lian, a playful glint in his eyes. "General Bai, I heard many stories about you on my way back to Luoyang. They are truly... quite fascinating." He deliberately softened his tone on the last four words, his gaze seemingly sweeping over Bai Lian, making her very uncomfortable and almost ready to sell herself.
At this moment, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside the post station, and the air became noisy. General Bai Ziyuan suddenly arrived with a troop of imperial guards, saying that he was ordered to strengthen the defense of the post station.
"General Bai!" Bai Ziyuan rushed over and glared angrily at Jia Xuanyu.
"Making such a big fuss." Jia Xuanyu glanced at the two men and said, "Is there anything else, gentlemen?"
Bai Lian and Bai Ziyuan remained silent. Seeing this, Jia Xuanyu snorted coldly, turned around, and left.
-
At the East Palace, a carrier pigeon flew in. Han Luliu removed the small note tied to its leg; it was a message from an informant. Han Luliu quickly went to the study to report to Jialuolin.
"Jia Xuanyu has checked into the inn," Han Luliu said, leaning forward.
“Perfect timing, I’ll go meet him tonight.” Galorin looked at the book without looking up.
"Your Highness, please take me with you. I'm afraid it might be a trap," Han Luliu said hurriedly.
“For him, this game has just begun, and he won’t be in a hurry to make a move,” Galorin said with a smile.
That evening, Jia Luolin arrived at the inn and pushed open the door to find Jia Xuanyu playing a game of chess.
The candlelight flickered on his face, making his merchant attire look particularly eerie.
"Third brother, you have a refined taste." Galo Lin sat down opposite the chessboard.
Jia Xuanyu, holding the black stone, placed it on the center point: "Brother, do you know which move I admire most in this game?" Without waiting for an answer, he lightly tapped the stone with his fingertip, "It's White's 'Small Kick to the Corner,' seemingly a retreat, but actually concealing a deadly intent."
Galorin remained motionless, simply gazing at him: "You went to such lengths to infiltrate the delegation; it shouldn't just be for commenting on a chess game."
"Of course not." Jia Xuanyu suddenly leaned forward, the candlelight reflecting two cold stars in his eyes. "I've come to deliver a great gift to my elder brother."
He took out a sheepskin map from his sleeve and slowly unrolled it, revealing detailed troop deployments of various desert tribes. "The Left Wise King of the Northern Barbarians is willing to exchange 30,000 iron cavalry for a promise from my elder brother."
"What promise?"
"It's very simple." Jia Xuanyu's fingertip traced across the map. "When my elder brother ascends the throne, he will cede three hundred miles of grassland outside Yanmen Pass to the Left Wise King's tribe. In return, he will help my elder brother eliminate future troubles." The last four words were spoken very softly, yet they made the candlelight tremble.
Galo Lin gazed at the familiar cities on the map, then suddenly laughed: "Third brother, have you forgotten how the Left Wise King treated you when Father sent you as an envoy to the Northern Barbarians? And now you want to cooperate with him?"
Jia Xuanyu's expression changed slightly, and the chess piece landed on the board with a "thud": "Those who achieve great things don't bother with such trivial matters."
The air between the two suddenly became tense. The sound of footsteps of night patrol guards came from outside the window, growing louder as they approached, then stopping outside the courtyard gate.
"I'm very curious." Galo Lin suddenly stood up and walked to the window. "If I were to summon the Imperial Guards now and expose your identity... I wonder if the Left Wise King's 30,000 iron cavalry could save you from the encirclement?"
Upon hearing this, Jia Xuanyu chuckled softly, and the sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist suddenly snapped, scattering the beads to the ground. "Brother, why don't you give it a try? But before that…" He picked up a chess piece and toyed with it, "General Bai, I wonder if anything will go wrong while you're receiving the Northern Di delegation?"
Galorin suddenly turned around and stood up, a murderous glint in her eyes.
"Just kidding," Jia Xuanyu said leisurely. "Brother, you're still so easily amused. We haven't seen each other for so many years, let's not ruin our friendship." He took a sip of tea, as if waiting for Jia Luolin to ask a question.
"If that's the case, I'd like to know, why did you leave back then?"
"Hahaha," Jia Xuanyu laughed, "So what if I don't leave? Am I going to drag this crippled body around and live off your charity? Brother, you didn't save me that day, so don't try to persuade me now. You should take care of yourself!" He suddenly stood up, walked to the window, stared intently into Jia Luolin's eyes, and said, "Oh, and please give my regards to General Bai. Well then, I won't see you off any further." He then made a "please" gesture.
Galorin gave him a cold look, then opened the door and left. The sound of the door closing echoed in the night. He walked in the darkness, a broken piece of paper in his hand, lost in thought.
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