Chapter 53 The chess pieces I gave you are the only ones you truly own.
Every day, Bai Ziyuan would personally inspect the post station. Ever since the arrival of the Northern Di delegation, the air in the post station was filled with the mixed smell of mutton and leather from the Northern Di people. Stepping inside would make one feel uneasy. Bai Ziyuan held the sword at his waist, his sharp eyes sweeping over every corner of the post station.
Ever since Jia Xuanyu appeared, his heart had been in suspense. This Third Prince was more cunning than the entire Northern Di army.
"Reporting to the General," a personal guard hurried over and whispered, "I've noticed two Northern Di people lurking around in the backyard, as if they're recording something."
Bai Ziyuan's eyes sharpened, and he immediately led his men to the backyard of the inn. Sure enough, two men dressed in Northern Di attire were squatting in the corner, one keeping watch, the other quickly sketching on a sheepskin with a charcoal pencil. Upon seeing Bai Ziyuan arrive, the lookout immediately stood up to stop him, but was pushed aside by Bai Ziyuan's personal guard.
"What are you drawing?" Bai Ziyuan asked in a cold voice.
The Northern Di man who drew the map hurriedly stuffed the sheepskin into his clothes, a gesture that only fueled Bai Ziyuan's suspicions. He strode forward and ripped the sheepskin out, revealing clearly marked routes from the post station to the palace, and even simple records of the changing of the guard among the patrol soldiers.
"How dare you!" Bai Ziyuan roared, "Take him down!"
"Who dares!"
A rough voice came from the moon gate, and a burly Northern Di man with a full beard strode in. It was Wuzhu, the deputy envoy of the Northern Di. Bai Lian had told Bai Ziyuan that she had fought this man many times when she was in the Northern Frontier, and now he was also in the delegation.
"Bai Zhonglang," Wuzhu grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, "what, now the Feng Kingdom even questions our movements within the post station?"
Bai Ziyuan threw the sheepskin on the ground. "General Wuzhu, explain what this is?"
Wuzhu glanced at it and shrugged nonchalantly: "It's just a leisurely travel route drawn by a servant in his spare time. What, is that illegal?"
"Does playing require recording the shift change times of the patrol guards?" Bai Ziyuan refused to budge an inch.
Wuzhu suddenly took a step closer, the leather of his clothes creaking: "Bai Zhonglang, back in the Northern Frontier, if it weren't for your sister's desperate defense of the isolated city using the terrain, the one standing here now would be our Northern Di general. You Feng people, is this all you've got?"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers behind Bai Ziyuan drew their swords in unison, and the Northern Di people immediately surrounded him, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.
"General Wuzhu, you have quite the arrogance." Bai Ziyuan sneered, waving his hand to signal the soldiers to take the two Northern Di people who were drawing the map away.
Enraged by this, Wuzhu suddenly threw a punch straight at Bai Ziyuan's face. Bai Ziyuan, anticipating this, dodged to the side and grabbed Wuzhu's wrist. The two instantly became entangled in combat, and the surrounding soldiers drew their weapons, making a chaotic brawl inevitable.
"stop!"
A cool voice came from under the corridor. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw that Jia Xuanyu was standing not far away, looking calm and composed.
"What's going on here?" He walked slowly over, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene. "General Wuzhu, this is wrong of you. Since you've come to Feng Kingdom, you should abide by its rules."
Wuzhu angrily withdrew his hand and glared fiercely at Bai Ziyuan.
Jia Xuanyu turned to Bai Ziyuan and bowed slightly: "General Bai, my servants are ignorant and I hope you will forgive them. These two are at your disposal." He spoke in a gentle and slick tone, like a reasonable businessman.
But in the instant he turned around, Bai Ziyuan caught the look he exchanged with Wuzhu—cold, sharp, and full of unspoken meaning.
Bai Ziyuan immediately informed Bai Lian of this matter.
"They're testing us." After listening to Bai Ziyuan's account, Bai Lian tapped her fingertips lightly on the table. "Jia Xuanyu had Wuzhu deliberately cause trouble, both to test our bottom line and to divert attention."
"you mean?"
"They must have a bigger scheme." Bai Lian rose and looked out at the deep night. "Jia Xuanyu is too composed; this is unusual. We must break his rhythm."
She pondered for a moment, then snorted coldly, a sharp glint in her eyes: "It's time to inform His Majesty and bring the Third Prince back to Phoenix Dance City."
-
Two days later, in the early morning, Bai Lian personally led a group of people to the post station.
"Third Prince," she bowed to Jia Xuanyu, who had just risen, "by His Majesty's decree, to ensure Your Highness's safety during your stay in the capital, Your Highness is hereby requested to relocate to Fengwu City."
Jia Xuanyu paused slightly in the hand that was holding the prayer beads, then smiled and said, "General Bai, you're too kind. Please tell my father that I'm doing very well here."
"With Your Highness's return, His Majesty the Emperor is deeply missing his son," Bai Lian's tone left no room for refusal. "Phoenix Dance City is heavily guarded and more suitable for Your Highness to reside in."
Jia Xuanyu's gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he finally nodded slowly: "In that case, I shall respectfully comply."
Under the watchful eyes of the Northern Di delegation, Jia Xuanyu boarded the carriage bound for Fengwu City. Along the way, he tried several times to extract information from Bai Lian, but she skillfully thwarted his attempts. As the carriage entered the imposing palace gates of Fengwu City, his expression gradually darkened.
Jia Xuanyu was settled in an exquisite courtyard in the northeast corner of Fengwu City, heavily guarded on all sides. Just as he was pondering his next move, the door of the side hall was pushed open, and a figure in bright yellow appeared in the doorway.
Jia Fengtian stood there, looking at him calmly.
In that instant, Jia Xuanyu felt as if the blood in his body had frozen.
"Father... Your Majesty the Emperor." He changed his address with difficulty.
Jia Fengtian slowly walked into the hall. The accompanying eunuchs quickly arranged the chairs and then quietly withdrew and closed the door, leaving only Bai Lian guarding outside.
"I heard you're doing well in the Northern Barbarian lands." Jia Fengtian's voice was eerily calm. "How does the Left Wise King treat you?"
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Jia Xuanyu's forehead: "Your Majesty, I do not understand your meaning..."
"Thirty thousand iron cavalry in exchange for three hundred li of grassland outside Yanmen Pass." Jia Fengtian gently tapped the armrest. "Do you think this deal is worthwhile?"
Jia Xuanyu suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with horror. He never expected that his conspiracy with the Left Wise King had already been known to his father, the Emperor.
"Since Your Majesty knew, why...?"
"Why didn't I stop you?" Jia Fengtian leaned forward slightly, his deep eyes devoid of any emotion. "Xuanyu, you still don't understand. What I give you is yours. If I don't give it to you, even if you want to take it, you can't."
These words struck Jia Xuanyu like a heavy hammer. He staggered backward until his back hit the cold wall.
"You...you knew all along?"
"From the moment you set foot on the land of the Northern Barbarians," Jia Fengtian's tone remained calm, "you thought you chose the Northern Barbarians? No, it was I who sent you. A pawn placed on the enemy's chessboard must always play its role."
Jia Xuanyu's face turned deathly pale. All his struggles, betrayals, and humiliations over the years had been nothing but a pre-arranged drama in Jia Fengtian's eyes. His self-proclaimed status as the player in the game had been nothing but a joke.
"Why?" His voice trembled. "Since you knew all along, why did you leave me there when I left and fled to the Northern Barbarians? Just because my arm is crippled, you abandoned me?"
Jia Fengtian slowly rose, his bright yellow dragon robe gleaming coldly in the candlelight: "In the royal family, the relationship between ruler and subject comes first, then father and son. Since you chose to leave Feng Kingdom and become a pawn of the enemy, you should be prepared for this."
He walked up to Jia Xuanyu, looking down at his once-favored son: "Now, I'm giving you two choices."
"First, you will disappear from this world. You are no longer the Third Prince of the Phoenix Dynasty, nor are you allowed to remain in my country. I don't care where you go, but I might consider giving you a respectable posthumous title."
Jia Xuanyu's breathing suddenly became rapid.
"Second," Jia Fengtian lowered his voice, "you can continue to be a 'collaborator' with the Northern Barbarians. You can still be Jia Xuanyu, but from now on, you must truthfully transmit messages to me."
Jia Xuanyu collapsed to his knees, tears of fear and despair welling up in his eyes. He recalled the humiliation he suffered when he left for the Northern Barbarians, and the days he had endured humiliation and hardship over the years. In Jia Fengtian's eyes, he was no longer the third prince of the Phoenix Kingdom, but a pawn that could be discarded at any time.
Bai Lian stood outside the door, listening quietly. Even she couldn't help but feel a chill at the ruthlessness of imperial power.
"I hope you can make a wise choice this time," Jia Fengtian said coldly. "As for Minister Han, don't have any more illusions. After he has played his part, I will personally send him on his way."
After Jia Fengtian left, Jia Xuanyu knelt on the cold ground for a long time. Only when night fell did he slowly get up and walk towards the inner room with empty eyes.
As night fell, a servant who brought him food secretly slipped him a note. It was in a handwriting familiar to Wuzhu, and it demanded in a forceful tone that he provide a map of the border defenses or the location of the armory within two days, or the Northern Barbarians would release all the evidence of his treason.
"A discarded pawn..." Jia Xuanyu clutched the note, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "In your eyes, I'll always be a discarded pawn."
He walked to the bronze mirror and looked at his haggard figure reflected there. His former high spirits were gone, leaving only devastation.
The surrounding silence made Jia Xuanyu feel suffocated. Memories flashed through his mind like a slideshow. He finally lowered his eyes, hiding the deep despair in them. When he opened his eyes again, all that remained on his face was an almost insane determination.
A daring plan gradually took shape in his mind. He stood up, carefully straightened his clothes, wiped away the tears on his face, and a cold, almost ferocious smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Good, very good," he whispered to himself in the mirror, "Since you all treat me as a pawn, then I'll show you how a single pawn can overturn the entire game."
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