257 Yin Huaixi Will Definitely Rebel
In the past, it wasnât that he hadnât used chess pieces before. He felt that it was rare and had its own merits. There was no difference between them, and it wouldnât affect his interest in playing chess because of the difference in the quality of chess pieces.
It was obvious that the preferences of chess pieces also varied from person to person. It was also something that the little girl had given him. It was more to her liking and easier to use.
Yu Youyao was spoiled.
At the thought of Yu Youyao, Zhou Linghuai couldnât help but think of the Flower Festival at the Marquis of Changxingâs Residence.
âAmitabha.â A clear and gentle voice sounded. âYour heart is in a mess.â
Zhou Linghuai sneered. âYouâre a monk, yet you still care if othersâ hearts are in chaos. Iâm afraid youâre in the Buddhist Sect and your heart is in the mortal world. Why are you pretending in front of me? Itâs as if everyone knows who you are.â
The gray-clothed monk clasped his fists together, his expression calm. âPlease donât speak nonsense. Iâve been a monk for many years, and my Dharma name is Hui Ji. The past is like three thousand threads of worry which will be cleansed by time.â
His eyes were distant as he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion. He closed his eyes and twirled the prayer beads in his hand. He was as old as Zhou Linghuai. Although he was wearing a gray servantâs monk robe, it could not hide his magnificence!
Zhou Linghuai burst out laughing. âKeep pretending. Iâll just watch you pretend.â
Zen Master Hui Jiâs eyes did not move. They were clear.
Zhou Linghuai sneered. âYou little bald donkey, youâre really smart. In order to cleanse these three thousand threads of trouble, you probably polish them every day. Youâre really fooling me.â
Zen Master Hui Ji couldnât be bothered with him. âItâs your turn.â
Zhou Linghuai simply lost interest in playing chess. With a flick of his finger, he flicked the white chess piece between his fingers onto the chessboard. âIn any case, thereâs no winner. Itâs boring.â
Zen Master Hui Ji finally looked up. âItâs not as interesting as playing with your cousin.â
His tone was calm, and the word âyourâ exuded a faint strange aura.
âYouâre just a little bald donkey. Why are you comparing yourself to my cousin? To see whose head is smoother?â Thinking of Yu Youyaoâs long raven-colored hair that was soft and beautiful, Zhou Linghuai waved his hand. âNo, no, you win!â
In the past, when he played chess with Yu Youyao, the little girl would scratch her ears, bite her lips, pinch her earlobes, frown, and roll her eyes while chattering non-stopâ¦
Zhou Linghuai couldnât help but laugh.
He was used to letting the little girl cause trouble. Now that he was playing chess with this little bald monk, he felt bored.
However, the little girl had led him astray.
No matter how well-mannered he was, Zen Master Hui Ji couldnât help but twitch his temples. âYour cousin also knows that youâre a person that looks down on people?â
Back then, this person had dismantled a few night pearls on her motherâs phoenix crown and played with them. When his father discovered this, he was so angry that he took a whip and chased him away for three streets.
Zhou Linghuai smiled faintly. âYouâre not pretending anymore?â
These words successfully made Zen Master Hui Ji shut up.
The two of them sat in the quiet meditation room and did not speak for a moment. Only the Qingtian Light Stone in Zhou Linghuaiâs hand was elegant and colorful.
The beauty of stone depended on quality.
The quality of the stone depended on its appearance.
He examined its skin, then touched it. He analyzed the inside of the stone and observed its spirituality.
Zhou Linghuai frowned. With the Kunwu Knife in his hand, the knife and stone collided, and a clang entered his ears.
There were many types of tools used for carving, but the more skilled an inscriber was, the fewer tools they needed. A top-notch inscriber would only need one Kunwu Knife.
Zhou Linghuai did not even raise his head as he said calmly, âKing Ping and his son arrived in Tongzhou this morning. They can enter the capital before midnight at the latest.â
Zen Master Hui Ji looked down at the wooden chessboard. He took out a white chess piece and placed it on the chessboard. The entire chessboard exuded a murderous aura.
He pressed his palms together, and his face revealed sorrow and compassion. âLife is like chess. All living beings in the world are nothing. In the universe, there are white knives and black blades.â
Zhou Linghuai said nothing.
Zen Master Hui Ji said, âBack then, after you and Mr. Xian Yun interacted, Mr. Xian Yun personally came to my house to meet me. He said that in the important place of the capital, under the emperorâs rule, there was only a talented Song Mingzhao. Since ancient times, there have been outstanding people and places in the south, but only Xie Jingliu was unique.â
Zhou Linghuai was a little surprised.
Zen Master Hui Ji continued, âThereâs a prince in Youzhou whoâs a genius, and thereâs also someone like him. Thereâs no other in the world. People like you are rare in the world. Even if one comes out in sixty years, they can manage the prosperity of the country for half a century. Now, once four of them appear, itâll be chaos and cause the collapse of the country.â
Zhou Linghuai was slightly stunned but said nothing.
Zen Master Hui Ji said, âThere canât be two tigers on one mountain. The four heroes of Youzhou will monopolize two. They will be divided into rulers and ministers. If Yin Huaixi doesnât die, he will definitely rebel.â
Zhou Linghuai chuckled. âYin Huaixi is already dead.â
Master Hui Ji looked at him. âBack then, the Di people mobilized a large number of troops and approached the north. The You King led his troops to fight. The heir, Yin Huaixi, had already seen through the first move, so he used Youzhou as a chessboard to set up the overall situation. Then, the twelve-year-old heir of the You King rushed to the battlefield and turned the tide to recover the lost land. However, when he fought the Di people, he asked one of the generals under the Marquis of Weining, the Marquis of Changxing, to shoot his horse and he was trampled to death.â
There was a smile on Zhou Linghuaiâs lips, making it impossible to tell if he was happy or angry.
Master Hui Ji lowered his eyes. âAs far as I know, when Yin Huaixi was on his way to the battlefield back then, he used his status as the heir to write a letter to the vassal lords of the three lands. No one knows the contents of the letter, but itâs not difficult to guess. Zuo Ji only sensed that the You Kingâs residence was doomed, so he hoped that the vassal lords of the three lands could help save King Youâs life when his life was in danger.â
Zhou Linghuai lowered his head and carved.
Master Hui Ji said, âYin Huaixi thinks highly of himself. All the ordinary people in the world are in front of him, and he doesnât take them seriously. How can he not know that the vassal lords of various places are governing separately? How can he have feelings for them? How can he not know that the Imperial Court is afraid of the vassal lords? How can he take the risk to plead for King You? Others think that heâs just a child whoâs desperate, but this letter is really heartbreaking.â
Zhou Linghuai gently carved the patterns on the stone.
âAfter killing all the benevolent and loyal hearts of the vassal kings, disputes arose when the vassal kings moved. King Ping brought the heir into the capital. Itâs obvious that Young Master Yin knows everyoneâs hearts.â At this point, Hui Ji looked up at him.
Zhou Linghuai blew on the stone chips on the Qingtian stone. âYe Hanyuan is about to enter the capital.â
Zen Master Hui Ji suddenly closed his eyes and did not move. After a while, he said, âThere is karma. Heâs also seeking benevolence.â
Zhou Linghuai put away the Kunwu Knife, wrapped the light stone in a silk cloth, and placed it in his sleeve. Then, he took out a palm-sized round box. âUncle Sun has refined a special pill called the Essence Protection Pill. It can nourish oneâs vitality. Take it once a day and split it into two portions. Itâs not beneficial to take too much.â