Chapter 120: King and Rook Exchange, Good Luck to the World

Imperial Academy, Wuyu Terrace.

The wind was blowing vigorously, the clouds were moving, the sky was getting dark, and there was a hint of rain.

The chief priest Zhang Shizhong was playing chess with Che Wenyuan, who was no longer a doctor of the Five Classics.

The assistant doctor Zuo Zhisheng had been standing there for an hour, but he still hadn't figured out where he went wrong.

Zhang Shizhong and Che Wenyuan also ignored Zuo Zhisheng. Compared with Zuo Zhisheng, Zhou Tieyi was the real problem.

Suddenly, the chief priest Zhang Shizhong stopped playing chess. Even if no one notified him, it would be easy for him to observe the movements of the Zhou Mansion with his Confucian ability of "making statements".

Anyone passing by in front of Zhou’s mansion, as long as they are Confucian disciples, is his eyes and ears!

"He came out with eight people, five seventh-rank guards, an eighth-rank general named Feixiong, the son of General Qingchen, Mei Juncang, and his eldest brother Zhou Tiege. It seems that he also understood the emperor's intentions."

Che Wenyuan stopped playing chess and said with a smile, "He is also half a chess player, how could he not understand it?"

"The emperor is moving his carriage and horses, and the soldiers are crossing the river. We naturally cannot use our power to overwhelm him, and we cannot even use our official status to stop him."

"But this little soldier has to go through the rivers and lakes to cross the river, so we can only stop him by the rules of the rivers and lakes. Your Majesty is giving us a chance to make us give up."

Zuo Zhisheng understood what was said. He looked at the title of Doctor of Five Classics that Che Wenyuan had placed aside. It was the title that he had been thinking about so much. It turned out that the other party had resigned today and was going to take the responsibility himself!
······
In the carriage, Zhou Tieyi, wearing a golden crown, was drinking wine leisurely. He did not look like he was going to kill anyone, but rather like he was going on a spring outing.

It is the end of spring, and the best peach blossoms this year are just right for making a pot of first wine, which is the most mellow and sweet, and can reduce the murderous intent in your heart.

However, his elegant scholarly appearance was directly kicked away by Zhou Tiege.

"Tell me what to do later."

Under normal circumstances, Zhou Tiege would naturally know what to do, but the current situation was too treacherous and unpredictable. He was afraid that he would not do well and ruin his brother's plan.

Zhou Tieyi looked at his brother. If it was anyone else, he certainly wouldn’t tell anyone, but after all, this was his brother.

Feeling the gazes coming from the carriage, Zhou Tieyi pointed to the sky with one hand and to the ground with the other, sealing off the world inside the carriage.

This Xiuer’s Buddhist Dharma is really useful!

"Brother, do you know the difference between Go and chess?"

Without waiting for Zhou Tiege to answer, Zhou Tieyi looked at the prosperous scene outside the window and continued.

"Go relies heavily on luck, so you can anticipate your opponent's moves and win before they happen, just like the Taoist saying that the highest good is like water."

"Chess emphasizes the replacement of pieces and fighting, whether it is exchanging a big piece for a small one or a small piece for a big one. Even if the opponent has all the chariots and horses, as long as your pawns cross the river and checkmate the general, you will still win, just like the military strategist who kills the general and seizes the flag."

Zhou Tiege understood immediately, "So we are just pawns crossing the river?"

Zhou Tieyi turned his head and smiled, "Although I still have some questions that I haven't figured out, the emperor did not summon me to the palace directly, but issued a secret decree, which is to set up a 'righteous battle' with the Confucians and give them a chance. He does not want to turn against them directly."

"So the forces that both sides can deploy are equal, just like a chess board. The loser must be willing to accept the loss."

In this way, there will be fighting but no destruction in the court, and the emperor and Confucianism will be able to maintain their last face.

This is a good thing for people all over the world.

This is a bad thing for the Zhou family.

"This……"

Zhou Tiege suddenly understood why his younger brother did not ask his mother and uncle for help.

Because the more soldiers the Zhou family sends out, the more Confucianists will naturally increase their stakes.

"Should I not have come? Should I get off now?"

Zhou Tiege said embarrassedly.

He had been leading troops abroad for so many years, but this was the first time he felt so foolish.

Seeing his brother looking like he had done something wrong, Zhou Tieyi laughed out loud.

"That's not necessary. Brother, you came here today and helped me make a decision. In this game of chess, we can't just look at the game that others have set up in front of us. We must look further to win."

"What's the meaning of this statement?"

Zhou Tieyi spread out his palms, "In this round, my Zhou family, the Confucian school, and even the hundreds of officials, His Majesty, have all been eliminated. Who else has not been eliminated yet?"

"Queen of Heaven!"

Zhou Tieyi's dimples appeared on his cheeks and he smiled, "So in this game, my Zhou family and His Majesty will at most remain undefeated, but the Queen will definitely win big!" Zhou Tieyi said this with such certainty that Zhou Tiege had to believe it.

Yes, no matter how the game between the Zhou family and the Confucian family ends, there will be a loser in the end, and the loser will have to pay the price. The queen who does not lose the game can benefit from it.

Now that things have come to this, Zhou Tieyi is ready to say a few more words.

"Brother, do you know what the most important thing our Zhou family should do after I shine in Fengyu Lake?"

Zhou Tiege thought about it seriously.

It seemed as if his brother had done everything he was supposed to do.

And there is nothing imperfect about him, he is simply a perfect person.

This is to show your strength to the enemy.

That corresponds to...

"Hide your strength and bide your time, and show your weakness to the enemy?"

Why else can the Zhou family show weakness?

Zhou Tiege suddenly opened his eyes wide, "My bet with Shenxiu!"

Yes, if his Zhou family beats the Confucian family this time, it would be better for them to lose a game to the Queen Mother, making the Zhou family weaker so that they can gain some spare strength.

This is what my brother meant by the queen’s big win!
The queen didn’t get out, but in the current situation, she has to win twice!
This is called anticipating the enemy's moves. The outcome of a game of chess can be determined before it is even over.

“The Queen probably thinks so too.”

Zhou Tieyi laughed loudly, then looked at Zhou Tiege who looked conflicted, "But you have to win this time, and win beautifully."

"why?"

Zhou Tiege looked conflicted. It was really difficult for him to make a choice between family interests and his desire for martial arts.

Zhou Tiege looked at his palm and stretched out his fingers. "First, our game with the Queen has just begun. It is not something that can be decided in one or two wins. Since she wants to win, why not let her win once? After all, she is the Queen. However, who will have the last laugh in the end depends on who lives longer. We Taoists are quite capable of this."

"Second, but I cannot let her win the second time. If I follow the Queen's way in everything, it will appear that I, Zhou Tieyi, have no ambition, and others will look down on me and look away."

"Third, my mother and I have already been trapped. We are the fish in the trap. So if we want to enter the first rank, we will inevitably attract the wrath of thunder. It will be difficult, difficult, difficult to jump out of this trap."

"We can't just be the fish in the game. We have to play our own game. If we put it out in the open, it will be a big chess game that can confuse the world."

"So from today on, the stronger I am, the more I can attract the world's attention, and the more I can make a big deal, making it easier for people in the world to 'ignore' you. But only when you enter the first rank, my Zhou family will be stable."

"That's why I brought you here today, so that you can be unstoppable in the future."

A top-notch military strategist can shake a country!

This is something that even my second uncle Shu Sheng could not do even if he reached the first rank.

Only by doing this can the people of the world be afraid of the Zhou family. As long as my brother achieves the first rank, he can leave Tianjing and lead the troops outside.

In addition, his mother will definitely become a first-rank official in a hundred years, and his second uncle will have the chance to become a first-rank official within a few decades.

Even if the emperor is as bright as the sun and the moon in the sky in Tianjing, even if he is suspicious of the Zhou family at that time, as long as he does not want to destroy the Great Xia kingdom, he must recognize the status of the Zhou family "sharing the country's fate"!

Everyone thinks that I, Zhou Tieyi, am the hidden talent of the Zhou family, but I can also play a third game.

A great move that only happens once per move and per game.

The king and the rook exchange positions, and good luck to the world!
I would trade my limitless future for a trick that could confuse the whole world. If I put myself in the game, I would surely be able to defeat everyone in the world!

He pressed Zhou Tiege's shoulder and said, "Brother, your path of cultivation is the most important thing in the family. You can abandon everything else."

Then he said proudly, "In this game, you are the chess player. The rest of us, including me, are chess pieces and can be discarded. You have to play against the most powerful person in the world, and I can only give you advice."

Zhou Tiege clenched his fists.

Today, he finally understood the situation in the world.

At this time, the carriage slowly stopped, and Mei Juncang's respectful voice came from outside, "Teacher, we have arrived at the Hero Building."

　Castling is a chess move in which you can swap the positions of your king and rook. According to the rules, it can only be used once in a game. Generally, if played well, it is a 'god move' that can immediately resolve an impending crisis, turn danger into safety, and turn defeat into victory.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)