The battle between black and white never ends

Tiandu, defending the Shitai Prison.

Su Yuanbai's snow-white robe was out of place in this prison covered with dark green moss. The damp and rotten smell in the air evoked some unspeakable memories, making him frown.

"Well...what's the matter? Master Su hasn't been here for a long time. Are you not used to it?"

Li Qingyun raised his eyes and caught a glimpse of Su Yuanbai's slightly wrinkled brows, and couldn't help but sneer out loud.

However, his situation is much worse than when Su Yuanbai came in. Although His Majesty has warned us not to let him die, the necessary procedures must be followed.

Su Yuanbai's eyes swept over the dried blood stains on Li Qingyun's ochre clothes. Even though he and Li Qingyun had been at odds with each other for most of their lives, he couldn't say anything sarcastic to hurt him at this moment.

"I have submitted all the evidence and documents to His Majesty. This is your last chance to explain yourself."

This matter was not originally his responsibility, or rather, he had no real power in the court and had always done whatever His Majesty arranged for him to do.

Normally, Li Qingyun's case should have been handed over to Yu Shitai for trial, but he was very stubborn and insisted that he would not confess unless he tried the case. The officials under him tried the case for half a month but could not find anything, so they reported the case to His Majesty, who then let him take over the case.

Su Yuanbai put down the scroll in his hand and looked at Li Qingyun's gloomy eyes with a complicated expression.

The outcome of the matter was indeed beyond his expectations.

Li Qingyun's abdication was indeed not in collusion with King Cheng. On the contrary, King Cheng was defeated so quickly, and Li Qingyun's contribution was indispensable.

"Confess?"

Li Qingyun sneered softly, looking indifferent and looking directly into Su Yuanbai's calm eyes with deep sarcasm.

"Lord Su is upright and honest, ahem... he is very perceptive, I believe he will be able to restore my... ahem... innocence..."

Of course he knew that Su Yuanbai was very observant and that his whole body exuded the pedantic air that he hated so much.

But now, he can only trust Su Yuanbai, and believe that this extremely pedantic fool will not kick him when he is down like others.

It's so ironic, his whole life is so ironic.

Even someone with a good temper like Su Yuanbai was aroused by his repeated provocations, not to mention that this matter concerned His Majesty.

"I can only prove that you did not collude with King Cheng to abdicate, but that does not mean you are innocent. The crime of disrespecting His Majesty without the courtesy of a subject is enough to cost you your life!"

"Haha... cough cough cough... haha, how disrespectful?"

Li Qingyun seemed to have heard some ridiculous joke. Even though his unbridled laughter caused him to cough violently, he did not stop.

"You said I was disrespectful. Was it because of what I did with His Majesty?"

He raised his head and stared at Su Yuanbai's sanctimonious face, tears flashing in his stubborn and crazy eyes, and it was unclear whether they were from laughter or coughing.

"In that case, Lord Su, are you innocent?"

"Why can you, Su Yuanbai, touch it, but I, Li Qingyun, can't?"

"How can this be so? Am I born lowly and inferior to others?"

“That’s enough!”

For the first time, Su Yuanbai's body was stained with red anger. He clenched his fists so tightly that he could almost hear the sound of blood beating in his veins, and then it gradually died down through his trembling fingertips.

Why should he get angry over such a person?

"You know very well that this is not the case. Don't try to confuse people."

"If you don't tell me, you will die!"

"Tsk, boring."

Seeing that he could not anger Su Yuanbai, Li Qingyun's previous madness disappeared completely. He leaned lazily against the cold and dark stone wall, sneered, and his tone was extremely arrogant.

"Then let His Majesty come. I want to see His Majesty."

"you……"

"Okay, I'm here, you can talk."

The door of the compartment was suddenly pushed open, and Ji Mingxiu, who had been listening on the side, looked at everything in front of him calmly.

Including the flames burning in Li Qingyun's dark eyes.

*

Things were indeed simpler and more complicated than he had imagined.

Li Qingyun did allow corrupt officials in the Ministry of Revenue to provide food, military pay and even weapons to King Cheng, and his people were active in the process and closely controlled the entire transaction.

But when everything was agreed that King Cheng had started his army, he unilaterally cut off contact with him, and at the same time, cut off the money that was used to support King Cheng.

This move is not smart, and even a little stupid.

Even if everything went as Li Qingyun expected, Gu Zi'an was killed and King Cheng was defeated, the civil and military officials in the Manchu dynasty would never allow him to ascend the throne.

The best outcome is that he can win the support of the emperor and command the princes, thus sitting in a high position.

If the situation changes, Daxuan will end up with military separatism and disintegration.

Once Gu Zi'an or Cheng Wang entered Tiandu, it would not be a good ending for him. It would probably be like now, a prisoner, waiting for the end of his fate.

so……

"You tease me and my uncle like this, have you ever thought about where you will end up today?"

Ji Mingxiu thought so and asked the same question.

In response to him, Li Qingyun gave him an indifferent smile, mixed with a ghostly madness.

"What's the point of living? I just want to be with Your Majesty."

No matter life or death.

Ji Mingxiu read his unfinished words from his cold eyes. He was stunned for half a second and cursed.

"Mad."

Ji Mingxiu knew that when Li Qingyun put the dagger against his neck, he really had such thoughts.

"Your Majesty."

Li Qingyun stared at Ji Mingxiu's cold eyes for a long time. He slowly lowered his eyes and sighed softly. The tail of his words was swallowed up by the hoarse characters, like a sob with tears in his eyes.

"What?"

Ji Mingxiu subconsciously leaned over to listen. At this moment, there were only two of them in the cell. It was so quiet that it seemed to be isolated from all the noise.

At that moment, he seemed to hear Li Qingyun's heartbeat.

It was right next to his ears, deafening.

"Why can't you remember me?"

He leaned over and met the flash of tears in Li Qingyun's eyes and the smile at the corner of his lips, which was so stiff as if it was casually painted with the roughest brush.

It was this smile that suddenly made him feel dazed.

Almost subconsciously, he reached out and pressed down the corners of Li Qingyun's raised lips.

"Stop laughing, it's ugly."

"……His Majesty!"

In the short few moments that he spoke, he saw dark and complex emotions in Li Qingyun's eyes, like a deep pool.

All the shocks, obsessions, expectations, disappointments and stubbornness were finally sunk to the bottom of the pool.

"The list is in... ahem... the secret compartment on the second shelf of the left wing of the Prime Minister's Mansion."

Li Qingyun closed his eyes solemnly, his tone calm and indifferent.

"Not everyone was truly involved in this matter. Most people did not know the full picture of the plan and only accepted a small gift. Your Majesty must have made his own decision on this point."

"Of course."

Ji Mingxiu was surprised by Li Qingyun's sudden confession, but he instinctively believed the truth of the confession.

Now, he had one last question.

Li Qingyun leaned against the wall tiredly. His obsession had always been so big and so small.

And now, he is waiting for the final decision.

"Why didn't you do anything in the end?"

He heard the question that had been echoing in his ears.

Why didn't you do anything?

This is obviously the only way to be with His Majesty forever, why didn't you take action?

Why don't you do anything? It's you who ruined everything.

Shut up!

He suppressed the crazy thoughts in his heart and said the words he had said during their last joy.

"People like me deserve to go to hell."

*

In the third year of Tianyuan, the left chancellor Li Qingyun colluded with traitors and committed ten unforgivable crimes. He was imprisoned in Taiwan and hanged himself to death.

At the same time, under the apricot tree in the Yu Garden, a chessboard was set up.

The pink and white pieces fell on the chessboard, just like the heavy white pieces surrounding the black pieces.

"Oh, I lost again."

Li Qingyun raised his eyebrows, pointed at the black spot, and a mischievous smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Your Majesty, does this count as hiding a beautiful girl in a golden house?"

Before Ji Mingxiu could say anything, Qiu Ling beside him couldn't help but stab him.

"Hidden Jiao? Prime Minister, an old man in his thirties, dares to say that he is Jiao?"

"Oh, I forgot. You are no longer the Prime Minister, but the scapegoat."

He has tolerated Li Qingyun for a long time. Now that he is old, he really has no shame at all.

Ji Mingxiu didn't say anything either, but just tilted his head and watched the excitement with joy. Ever since he arranged Li Qingyun to enter the palace, such quarrels seemed to happen every day, adding a bit of fun to the dull days.

He held the white piece between his fingertips, and the cold piece gradually warmed up in his hand.

Neither he nor Li Qingyun is the manipulator of the chess game, but they are both chess pieces in the game, and no one dares to determine who will win or lose.

Ji Mingxiu recalled that he had once asked the Imperial Master how to deal with Li Qingyun.

Su Yuanbai was silent for a long time, but asked who he was asking.

"I want to know what the teacher thinks."

"Li Qingyun is an expert at reading people's minds and calculating, and he has considerable power. Your Majesty has Gu Zi'an in the military and Chen and Xu Yan in the civil service, but no one can replace him."

Su Yuanbai's tone was calm as usual, but Ji Mingxiu saw that his knuckles were turning white as he held the teacup, and it was obvious that he was extremely reluctant.

"If Your Majesty can tame this man, I think..."

There was another long pause. Ji Mingxiu waited for a long time and finally heard his gritted teeth words.

“Available.”

It was rare to see the Imperial Master being so childish, Ji Mingxiu held his hand with amusement and gently stroked his palm to comfort him.

"When Your Majesty asked me the question, didn't you already have the answer in your heart?"

There was a hint of grievance in Su Yuanbai's words. If His Majesty had asked Su Yuanbai what he thought instead of what his teacher thought, he would never have given such an answer.

Yes, he had already made up his mind.

Ji Mingxiu raised his head. Under the bright warm sunshine, the petals were entwined with each other, half falling in the spring breeze and half hanging on the branches.