Chapter 351: The Duel Between Two Old Foxes: Their Unclear Intentions

Yuwen Hu's deep, bottomless eyes scanned Yang Qin and the others, then slowly lifted, his gaze landing evenly on the other side on Dugu Zhao and Zhao Qian.

His solemn expression remained, but his voice was half a beat slower than when he announced the punishment, carrying a world‑worn calm, like a stone dropped into a deep pool, slowly rippling: "Two old Pillar States, do you think my handling is proper?"

Yuwen Hu's gaze lingered on the black‑and‑white interwoven hair at Dugu Zhao's temples; that look concealed something, like a thin mist, indistinct yet weighty as a thousand pounds, "Any objections?"

As the words fell, he gave a slight nod, the corner of his mouth curled faintly, swift as an illusion.

What move is Yuwen Hu playing?.......... Upon hearing, Dugu Zhao's brows knit tightly, muttering a thought, then raising his sharp eyes to meet Yuwen Hu's for a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice hoarse yet full of vigor: "I think it is improper!"

Even with Dugu Zhao's decades‑long experience…

At this moment, one still cannot see this opponent's purpose.

But he knows well that Yuwen Hu would not act without cause; such a light touch must hide an unknown scheme!

"Old scoundrel Dugu, what nonsense are you making?"

Yuwen Yan listened to Dugu Zhao's unexpected reply, his pupils filled with tangled thoughts, first widening in shock, then squinting fiercely, "Yuwen Hu is already so magnanimous, does he still not know contentment?"

Immediately, his brows tightened further, a vein at the corner of his forehead twitched faintly.

The young emperor neither understood nor grasped.

He could not comprehend the duel between these two old foxes.

"Oh?"

Yuwen Hu elongated his tone, the lingering calm still present, now tinged with a half‑smile.

After a pause, he continued, "I wonder what Old Pillar State Dugu thinks I have done wrong?"

As he spoke, the corner of his mouth lifted ever so lightly.

That curve was as pale as a brushstroke spreading in an ink painting.

Clearly smiling, yet his eyes were as still as a lake frozen over, not a ripple at all.

"This is the head of the Duke of Chu…"

Dugu Zhao clasped his fists, his torso bending into a steady arc, his hair swaying with the motion, and in a deep voice said, "Grand Chancellor's handling is overly partial, lacking fairness!"

In those eyes lay a thick probing.

"Old scoundrel Dugu, are you rushing to punish?"

Yuwen Yan was stunned, feeling his mind buzz like countless cicadas chirping, wondering, "What does he intend?"

From the young emperor's view, shouldn't this situation be a smooth downhill ride?

Why then does it go the opposite way?

Yuwen Yan did not understand, but the fellow observer Yuwen Heng saw clearly and chuckled inwardly, "Dugu Zhao is now playing retreat as advance with his elder brother…"

Using a self‑requested punishment to test his brother's true intent.

"Old Pillar State, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Upon hearing this, Yuwen Hu suddenly raised his hand and pressed, his wide robe sleeves sweeping before him, stirring a breeze.

The gesture seemed casual yet carried an undeniable command to halt, as if saying, "If you continue, it will be your undoing."

"You and the venerable Old Pillar State, esteemed and meritorious, act out of goodwill; how could you be punished?" He again spoke slowly, his voice's calm now adding a few warm notes, like medicinal broth sweetened with honey—comforting yet bearing an indefinable meaning, "Speak no more!"

This pompous wording left Yuwen Yan dazed, rubbing his fingertips, unable to help but mutter, "Is Yuwen Hu being overly righteous?"

"Not only does he not seize the chance to cause trouble, he offers not even a symbolic measure…"

"It can't be that he wants to repair everything, can it?"

Thinking of this, Yuwen Yan's chest filled with worry, briefly envisioning the two sides joining forces, which gave him a chill.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.....

After all, can the great pie of power be shared?

Moreover, although his words were airtight, he clearly heard a hint of something unusual in Yuwen Hu's gentle tone—

Not as consolation, but as a shackling of the two great Old Pillar States with a "venerable" label, leaving no room even for self‑requested punishment…

Yet what purpose does his cousin truly seek?

Yuwen Hu gave Dugu Zhao no chance to speak again, flinging his wide robe sleeve, turning sharply, facing the assembled civil and military officials.

He stood as upright as a pine, his voice suddenly rose with undeniable authority, instantly overwhelming the lingering stillness of the hall:

"Gentlemen!"

Those two words rolled like thunder, making every minister in the sacrificial hall look up.

"Heaven sends auspicious omens, a great blessing!"

Yuwen Hu's eyes burned like torches, scanning faces of surprise or doubt, his tone now adding fervor: "All that has passed is merely a prologue. I still hope you all remain sincere and united next year, working together to assist Your Majesty, to stabilize the Great Zhou realm, ensure the people's wellbeing, and achieve glorious deeds!"

"We shall faithfully obey the Grand Chancellor's command!"

Led by Yuwen Heng and Shang Ting, the civil and military officials bowed in unison, the rustle of robes forming a wave like wind over a wheat field.

This accidental yet remarkably successful winter sacrifice drew a perfect concluding period.....

The night's cold seeped to the bone.

Jin Wang Fu.

Inside the inner chamber, however, warmth spread; the silver‑threaded charcoal in the brazier blazed brightly, making the bamboo shadows on the paper screen tremble faintly.

Yuwen Heng held a black piece, his fingertip twirling the warm jade chess piece, slowly placing it at the lower right corner of the board, then lifting the blue porcelain teacup, blowing off the floating leaf, his gaze never leaving the board: "Brother, today's game truly had its twists and turns!"

"Who would have thought those two old clods would labor so hard, only to have the resulting board become a wedding dress for us..."

Between the lines there was a hint of pride and mockery.

After all, Dugu Zhao and Zhao Qian schemed together, not only throwing stones at their own feet, but the greatest gain ultimately belonged to the two brothers...

How delightful!

Yuwen Hu paused, his hand gripping the white piece, his eyes sweeping over the tangled black and white stones on the board, as if dissecting the game and weighing hearts: "There are still many things they didn't anticipate!"

His words were full of deep implication.

This net‑catching round, link after link…

The moves that fell beyond their expectations are still far too many!

Yuwen Heng took a sip of tea; amid the lingering tea vapour, as if recalling something, the light in his eyes was colder than the sparks in the charcoal brazier, "It is this Your Majesty who has not yet reached his coming‑of‑age…"

"Seems his ambition is not small!"

As for Yuwen Yan's discovery, it was an unexpected harvest in this Lazi Festival round…

Earlier, when Yuwen Lun reported, he hadn't thought much of it, didn't pay much mind, wondering what kind of wave a sixteen‑year‑old brat could stir up.

Until today, in broad daylight, I saw it with my own eyes…

Yuwen Hu placed his move like the wind; the white pieces slanted into the black formation: "How could the duke's legitimate son be just a commoner?"

"If one lacks ambition, how could one bear the Yuwen name?"

Regarding Yuwen Yan's temperament and his attempt to seize power, Yuwen Hu already knew, even had foreseen it, and was not surprised…

Yuwen Heng tapped his fingertip on the board; the black piece under his fingertip seemed to bear a thousand‑pound force, and he asked, "Brother, our Your Majesty is certainly not a compliant ruler…"

"Should we set up additional layers of defense, just in case?"

Between his brows lay full of worry.

In this life‑or‑death struggle, no link can be taken lightly…

Lest we capsize in the hidden ditches.

Yuwen Hu lifted his eyes, met his gaze for a moment, then let out a low laugh: "Precautions, of course, must be taken…"

"But such matters need not be our concern!"

Our younger kin's thoughts, meticulous and capable, will handle these trivialities well…

He paused, as if recalling something, then continued, "The shadow body that died for brother, and the ceremonial officer who perished atop the altar, as well as the Imperial Guard, all require generous compensation…"

"Understood!"

Yuwen Heng gave a slight nod, scanned the board, the black pieces were completely devoured by the white, let out a long sigh, and with a bow said, "Brother, I have lost…"

"Your elder brother's chess skill is still superb!"

However, the Grand Marshal showed no trace of disappointment at losing the game, only a burning fervor for the great court chessboard.

Yuwen Hu said nothing and rose directly.

The Brothel brushed the edge of the charcoal brazier, stirring a warm breeze.

He walked to the window, reached out to push open half a pane, and a gust of cold air laden with snowflakes surged in, making the candle flame flicker violently.

With both hands clasped behind his back, he gazed at the plum branches shrouded in snow mist in the courtyard; his figure, illuminated by the light leaking through the window lattice, appeared especially upright, yet also carried a hint of solitary cold.

Snowflakes fell on his hair and shoulders, yet he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed far toward the direction of the Pillar‑State Mansion.

"All matters must be completely settled before New Year's Eve!" Yuwen Hu whispered, his voice scattered by the wind yet carrying an unquestionable resolve, "The new year will again be a peaceful Chang'an…"

Yuwen Heng nodded in agreement, placed the tea cup on the table, a few drops of tea splashed, landing on the board's edge and spreading a small dark stain.

Yuwen Hu stared at the snow outside the window, a low call rolled softly from his throat, not loud yet piercing the indoor warmth and the wind‑snow outside: "Gongyang…"

As soon as the words fell, a faint footstep came from outside the door, like a leaf landing on a thick rug.

"Shuyi present!"

The staff officer Gongyang Hui pushed the door open, a dark cotton robe dusted with a few snowflakes, evidently having waited outside the door.

Yuwen Hu lightly flicked a falling snowflake off the window lattice with his fingertip, and as he turned, the chill in his eyes had largely faded, leaving only a bottomless calm: "Draft the decree…"

"Duke of Wei, Dugu Zhao, is granted the title of Grand Tutor, with his fief increased by three thousand households."

Immediately, he shifted his steps lightly, walked to the chess table, twirled a stray black piece with his fingertip, his voice adding a vague inflection, "Duke of Chu, Zhao Qian, is granted the title of Grand Protector, with his fief likewise increased by three thousand households!"