Xia Houzhe walked out of Shang Pu’s study, directly to the courtyard, and stopped under an osmanthus tree, hands behind his back without turning around: "Now, in your heart, who is truly your master?"
Shang iniang knelt down, her body trembling slightly.
Xia Houzhe turned around, looking down at her, a smirk playing at his lips: "Turning a false act into a real one, have you truly taken yourself as the wife of Shang’s second young master? If so, you should persuade him a bit, not to stubbornly walk down the path to ruin. It’s difficult to reach today, returning to the capital city, not easy, isn’t it?"
Shang iniang dared not utter a word.
Xia Houzhe curled his lips in contempt and turned to leave.
Shang iniang collapsed to the ground, biting her lower lip fiercely until a bead of blood oozed from it.
She crawled up from the ground, staggered to the study door, and was just about to knock when a loud shout ca from inside: "Get out!"
Shang iniang bit her lip again, backed up a few steps, but didn’t leave; she just stood in the courtyard, and soon, light rain began to fall from the sky.
Autumn rain chills, chilling to the bone.
Xia Houzhe left through the secret passage, turning into a small courtyard in the west of the city, where an elderly man lived, attended to by only two old servants, never stepping outside.
This was what outsiders saw, what they didn’t see was the several pairs of eyes secretly watching over the old man.
"Sir."
In the secret room, Xia Houzhe looked at the elderly man concentrating on a chess ga under the lamp.
"You’ve co, let’s play a ga."
Xia Houzhe sat down, taking the black pieces, unlike the old man who pondered each move thoroughly, he moved impetuously.
The old man glanced at him, not rushing, steadily placing his pieces, not long before the black pieces were in total disarray, the whole board lost.
"You’re anxious, the more anxious, the more likely you’ll place your pieces wrong," the old man slowly retrieved his white pieces, his voice faint.
Xia Houzhe’s expression was hard to read, facing the black pieces with little anger, only chuckling: "Lost is lost, but the process of placing the pieces was indeed enjoyable."
There was a touch of resentnt in this tone.
The old man’s hand paused, looked up at him, his eyes half-squinted.
Xia Houzhe stared unblinkingly at him, only after a long ti did he concede, bowed his head, suppressing the unwillingness in his chest.
"Sir, hiding for over twenty years, how long until wishes can be fulfilled? I..."
"You think the ti is ripe, and you can start the affair?" the old man chuckled lightly: "The Emperor Chu’s reign is flourishing, the people’s support strong, not to ntion holding nearly a million lions and a prosperous National Treasury. With just Xuzhou, do you think you can succeed?"
Xia Houzhe’s face turned bright red: "Ti, ti, you’ve been talking about this ti for over twenty years, our side hasn’t made much progress, instead we’ve given Great Chu the ti to breathe and develop, allowing the tiger cub to grow into a fierce tiger. If we wait any longer, won’t Great Chu’s might only grow?"
"Even fierce tigers age, what’s the rush, my lord."
Xia Houzhe’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably: "I can wait, can you wait, sir?"
The old man’s gaze suddenly beca sharp, staring at Xia Houzhe.
The latter, apprehensive at heart, quickly said: "Sir, I didn’t an to offend, just feeling that we’ve prepared too long, instead losing our ambition."
People’s hearts change, after so many years of hiding, these people are used to peace, enjoying tranquil life, would they still be willing to risk their lives?
The old man’s brows twitched twice, saying: "My lord, as long as Great Chu remains stable, we can only hibernate. Opportunities always favor those who are prepared. Your impatience will only spoil things, no one on our side wishes to ruin years of preparation."
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