Chapter 216: The Game·Return·Tacit Accord

The side hall of the Hall of Reverent Posture had soft lighting.

Zhao Kuangyin took off his heavy dragon robe, wearing only a plain moon‑white robe, and sat before the chessboard. Wang Xu sat opposite, placing his pieces unhurriedly.

"Wang Xu, do you think this move of mine is superb?" Zhao Kuangyin picked up a white stone, which landed with a slap on the board, cutting off Wang Xu's black stones' retreat.

Wang Xu glanced at the board, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Your Majesty, this move is indeed brilliant."

He said this, yet without hurry he placed a stone elsewhere, actually opening up a new realm for himself.

Zhao Kuangyin stared for a moment, then burst into loud laughter.

"You little brat, you always do this! I block your path, and you just open a new one for yourself!"

"I am dull, I can only do this." Wang Xu smiled gently, "But Your Majesty, the matter you just mentioned seems even more wonderful than this game."

Zhao Kuangyin grew interested and set down his piece.

"Oh? You also think my move of pulling the firewood from under the pot is marvelous beyond words?"

"More than wonderful." Wang Xu rose, walked to the window, and gazed at the distant palace wall. "Your Majesty, you have sent all the Wang family's descendants back to Yangzhou, calling it a favor, but in truth you make them fight tooth and nail over that tiny plot of land. This move is simply……

He paused deliberately.

"What is it?" Zhao Kuangyin pressed.

"It's a stroke of genius!" Wang Xu turned, his face full of admiration, "I dare say, Chancellor Zhao's plan truly is pulling the firewood from under the pot. My clansmen all think highly of themselves, yet now they're all crowding back into Yangzhou where offices are few; it's no wonder they'd come to blows."

Zhao Kuangyin laughed heartily, his mood growing ever more relaxed.

"Still, you understand my thoughts! Come, come, let's keep playing!"

Wang Xu reseated himself, picking up a black stone in his hand.

His expression remained gentle, yet a faint ripple flashed in the depths of his eyes.

Will they fight?

How could they?

……

Three days later, the imperial edict arrived in Yangzhou.

Wang Family Fort, council hall.

Wang Che sat in the chief seat, holding the gilded imperial edict, reading it over and over.

The hall was filled with people.

Wang Hao, Wang De, several officials from the Science Academy, and those twenty‑two newly graduated jinshi of the Wang family.

These youngsters, some just twenty, some already thirty, were without exception the family's carefully cultivated elite.

At this moment their expressions varied.

Some were excited, some anxious, some calm.

"You've all seen it, right?" Wang Che placed the edict on the table, "The emperor's meaning is clear: you all are to be posted out to Yangzhou."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

A young man named Wang Zhao could not hold back and spoke.

"Head of the family… is the emperor suppressing us?"

"Suppressing?" Wang Che laughed, "Do you think this is suppression?"

Wang Zhao stared, stunned.

"The emperor's intention is for you to return to Yangzhou and take up various official posts." Wang Che said slowly, "Yangzhou Prefecture governs six prefectures, each with several counties. The positions of prefect, county magistrate, chief clerk, county lieutenant… together they number well over a hundred."

"You twenty‑two people couldn't even fill them."

Wang Zhao wanted to say more, but the person beside him tugged his sleeve.

That person whispered, "Don't say anything."

Wang Che rose and walked to the center of the hall.

"Do you think an official post at court is better than one in Yangzhou?"

"An official at the court works for the emperor. No matter how hard you strive there, you remain merely a pawn of the court. But in Yangzhou……

He paused.

"In Yangzhou, you work for yourselves, for the family, for all of us."

"Every inch of Yangzhou's land, every trade route, every workshop is the foundation of our Wang family. Holding office here, you grasp not only power but also the lifeline of our family's future."

The young people in the hall had their eyes light up.

Wang Che continued, "Moreover, do you think Yangzhou is just Yangzhou?"

He walked to the wall and lifted a heavy curtain.

Behind the curtain lay a huge map.

On the map, Yangzhou was merely a tiny dot.

And to the east of Yangzhou, across the sea, the ports of Zhenbei, several mines of Dongying, and even the faint outline of a distant continent were densely marked.

"Look." Wang Che pointed at the map, "Yangzhou is merely our starting point. The true future lies beyond the sea."

"At Zhenbei Port, we need many talents to manage the mines, docks, and shipyards. Those places are truly unclaimed lands, where we can fully exert ourselves."

"After serving a few years in Yangzhou, once you've learned how to govern a region and balance interests, I will assign you to more important posts."

His voice was full of allure.

"By then, what you hold will not be the taxes of a few counties, but the copper, silver, and coal mines of all Dongying! You will govern not tens of thousands of people, but hundreds of thousands of workers and untold wealth!"

The young people in the hall began to breathe heavily.

Wang Zhao's eyes shone brightly.

Yangzhou, merely a stepping stone.

The Emperor thought that confining them here would keep them under control.

Little did he know, the Wang family's vision had long since crossed this land and reached farther afield.

"The Head of Family is wise!"

I don't know who started it.

Immediately, the hall filled with rising and falling echoes of agreement.

Wang Che waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.

"Enough, stop shouting." He walked back to the main seat, "From now on, I'll assign you specific posts according to your abilities—some will go to the prefecture, some to the county. But remember this——

His gaze swept over everyone present.

"You are all members of the Wang family. No matter which seat you sit in, your roots are here."

"Yes!"

The crowd replied in unison.

Wang Che waved his hand, dismissing them.

The hall soon emptied.

Only Wang Hao remained, still standing there.

"Che'er." Wang Hao stepped forward, lowered his voice, "Do you really intend to send them all to Dongying?"

"Not all of them." Wang Che shook his head, "Some are suited to stay in Yangzhou to consolidate our base; others are fit to go forth and expand our territory."

He paused.

"Uncle Hao, do you think Zhao Kuangyin's move is helping us or harming us?"

Wang Hao fell silent for a moment.

"He thinks he's harming us."

"But actually, he's helping us." Wang Che laughed, "He's stuffed all our talent back into Yangzhou. That way we don't have to waste effort placing people—Yangzhou will be firmly under our control."

"Furthermore!"

Wang Che walked to the map and lightly tapped the spot marking Yangzhou.

"He thinks Yangzhou is just a small place, but he doesn't realize that to us, Yangzhou has never been the end point."

Wang Hao gazed at the vast ocean on the map and suddenly felt moved.

"Zhao Kuangyin will never understand this in his lifetime."

"Understand what?"

"What we, the Wang family, want has never been his dragon throne."

……

Kaifeng, Hall of Suspended Reverence.

Zhao Kuangyin was reviewing memorials.

A eunuch hurried in.

"Your Majesty, a letter from Yangzhou."

Zhao Kuangyin took the letter and unfolded it.

The letter was written by Wang Hao, its tone respectful, thanking the Emperor for his grace, and stating that the entire Wang family, moved to tears by the imperial edict, would certainly make those scholars serve the court diligently in Yangzhou.

Zhao Kuangyin finished reading and let out a cold laugh.

"Moved to tears? I bet they'd rather tear me apart limb from limb."

He tossed the letter onto the table, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Issue the order—have Han Wei keep a close watch. I want to see what trouble this pack of wolf cubs can stir up when they return to their den."

"Yes."

The eunuch withdrew.

Zhao Kuangyin leaned back on the dragon throne and closed his eyes.

He felt this move of his was truly brilliant.

Confine all the Wang family's talent in Yangzhou and let them fight among themselves.