Lu Li left Yingchuan Academy a year ago, and now he suddenly appeared in Yingyin, which surprised Xun Yu.
"I heard that Dean Xun is recuperating in Yingyin, so I came to pay him a visit," Lu Li said with a smile.
"Hmm, I see." Xun Yu smiled easily.
Lu Li was just being polite. He knew that his grandfather had been ill for a long time, and Lu Li had stayed at Yingchuan Academy for a year without ever visiting him. Now that he had suddenly appeared, he must have some purpose.
"I wonder how Dean Xun is doing?" Lu Li didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
Xun Yu smiled and then said, "Please follow me, sir."
After saying that, Xun Yu led Lu Li to the backyard of the Xun residence. The scenery in the backyard was very beautiful, with artificial hills, lush flowers and plants, pavilions and towers hidden among green trees, and small bridges and flowing water, making it quiet and elegant.
"Sir, this way please."
After passing through a stone-paved path, a delicate house came into view. The door was closed, but through the window, one could faintly smell a medicinal fragrance wafting through the air.
"Sir, please!" Xun Yu pushed open the door and entered, gesturing for Lu Li to enter before stepping inside himself.
Xun Shuang was sitting at his desk studying chess when he heard footsteps at the door. He looked up and went to the doorway.
Although Xun Shuang is already in his seventies, he is still elegant and refined, with a scholarly air about him.
“Grandfather, Mr. Lu has come to visit you!” Xun Yu said with a smile.
"Oh? Mr. Lu?" Xun Shuang was taken aback, clearly not expecting Lu Li to come and visit him.
"Junior Lu Li greets Dean Xun," Lu Li said with a slight bow.
Xun Shuang quickly waved his hand and said, "Mr. Lu, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat!"
Xun Shuang personally brought a stool for Lu Li to sit down, and at the same time gave Xun Yu a wink, signaling him to leave, and also instructed him not to let anyone near the place.
Xun Yu understood Xun Shuang's meaning, and led Dian Wei away from the house.
After Xun Yu left, Xun Shuang said, "Mr. Lu, you are truly a rare guest. Please have a seat. I am ashamed that I have failed to greet you properly!"
"Dean Xun, you're too kind!" Lu Li said with a smile.
"Mr. Lu, did you come to Yingyin today specifically to visit this old man?" Xun Shuang asked with a smile.
"I only came to see Dean Xun because I heard that he was suffering from a serious illness. But it seems that Dean Xun is in very good health now," Lu Li said with a smile.
"Ha ha!"
"Since Mr. Lu cares about me, then I will not hide anything from you."
"In fact, I was merely avoiding the imperial court's summons."
Lu Li already knew this; their previous conversations were all tests of each other.
Lu Li wanted to test whether Xun Shuang knew of his existence, but the old fox was watertight and didn't reveal any flaws.
"Actually, I've heard Wenruo talk about you before. The chess you invented is incredibly profound," Xun Shuang said with a smile, then pointed to the chessboard next to him, gesturing for Lu Li to sit down.
Lu Li nodded, sat down in his chair, and said, "Dean Xun is learned and knowledgeable; these are trivial matters."
"How about we play a game of chess?" Xun Shuang suggested.
"I couldn't ask for more!" Lu Li readily agreed.
"Please, sir!" Xun Shuang gestured.
The two began their fierce battle on the chessboard.
"I wonder why you invented chess based on the Chu River rivalry?" Xun Shuang asked with a smile while playing chess.
"Back then, during the Chu-Han Contention, the rulers and ministers of both countries were all brilliant strategists and shrewd strategists, and they fought many famous battles," Lu Li remarked with emotion.
"Sir, you seem quite interested in the history of the Chu-Han Contention?" Xun Shuang said with a smile.
“Indeed, I do like the history of the Chu-Han period,” Lu Li nodded in reply.
"But what interests me most is the Warring States period, when the Qin state unified the world."
Xun Shuang raised an eyebrow, continued to place his piece, and said with a smile, "Oh? Speaking of the Warring States period and the early Qin Dynasty, I do know someone whose wisdom and strategy are extraordinary, truly a genius."
Lu Li was taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained his composure and asked, "Oh? Dean Xun is not referring to Li Si, is he?"
Xun Shuang shook his head and laughed, "Not so! Compared to this man, Li Si is like a firefly compared to the bright moon, not worth mentioning."
"Oh? I wonder who Dean Xun is talking about?" Lu Li asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Xun Shuang laughed and said, "Speaking of this person, I'm afraid there are few people who don't know him, because he is not recorded in historical books."
"This man was the most trusted man of Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, an unparalleled hero of his time. He fought many battles where he was outnumbered and swept across the land!"
"Oh, are there really such capable people in the world?" Lu Li asked.
"Indeed, this man is the greatest strategist of the Qin Dynasty! It can be said that without him, the Qin state could not have unified the world!" Xun Shuang exclaimed.
"This person is so powerful, so why is there no record of him in the historical records?" Lu Li's breathing became rapid.
Xun Shuang shook his head and said, "That's the strange thing. There's no record of this person in the history books, as if he never existed."
"I suspect that someone has tampered with history."
Lu Li's expression immediately changed slightly, and he was extremely shocked. This old guy was actually able to guess that someone had tampered with history. He was indeed not simple!
"Then how did Dean Xun know about these things?" Lu Li continued to ask.
Xun Shuang smiled faintly and said, "Sir, our Xun clan has been passed down to this day. Each generation of clan leaders has sealed up the history, summarized and compiled it, and organized various important information into books for future generations to refer to."
"Although my Xun family has no power or wealth, we are second to none in our study of history."
Lu Li immediately gave a bitter smile. The Xun family has no power or wealth? They are more powerful than an imperial family than an imperial family.
"Dean Xun is too modest. May I ask if Dean Xun knows this person's name?" Lu Li asked curiously.
"Hehe, well... I don't know, because even in Xun's books, there is no record of this person's name." Xun Shuang stroked his beard and said with a smile.
Lu Li frowned; this answer was somewhat unexpected.
He couldn't help but curse Xun Shuang, that old fox, in his heart. He was almost revealing Lu Li's identity, but he just wouldn't say it outright.
Originally, Lu Li wanted to use Xun Shuang to obtain more information, but now it seems impossible, because Xun Shuang has clearly told him that he doesn't know who has tampered with history.
But Lu Li is now certain of one thing: history has indeed been altered, otherwise the Xun family would not have known of his existence.
Now, only one question remains: did Liu Bang and Xiang Yu survive?
"Dean Xun, I've heard a little about what you've said. Back then, in the Battle of the Great Wall, Xiang Yu and Emperor Gaozu of Han almost died. Is this true?" Lu Li asked tentatively.
Xun Shuang's eyes lit up, and he stared at Lu Li with great interest, then asked with a smile, "Why would you suddenly ask about this, sir?"
"I was just chatting casually!" Lu Li smiled, but in his heart, a storm was brewing, because Xun Shuang's reaction proved his deduction.
He knows about this!
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