Chapter 488: Deploying Troops to Zhuya County, Characters Dance Like Dragons!

Zhang Yuzhi gently traced her fingers over the scroll in her hands, her brow furrowed in deep thought, as if she had become a player in a game of war between two nations.

Are the demon races of Jiannan truly seeking to join the Dragon Palace's banner, or are they merely feigning loyalty?

Or did the Dragon Palace deliberately spread rumors to test the waters? Or is there truth to it, but the underlying complexities remain hidden?

How will the Great Qi court respond? Will it strike with thunderous force to eradicate the threat, or will it wait and observe, plotting in silence?

Zhang Yuzhi found herself unable to decide.

If she rashly dispatched troops and fell into a trap set by the demons and the Dragon Palace together, all her efforts would be undone. Her worries weighed heavily; unconsciously, she looked up toward a golden parasol tree in the courtyard.

But if Great Qi stood idle, and Jiannan fully defected to the Dragon Palace, wouldn't that empower Great Sui behind it, making it even more menacing toward Great Qi?

Jiannan, the vital throat of Great Qi's northwest, lies merely two provinces from Bianjing.

How can one allow another to sleep peacefully beside one's bed? This concerns Great Qi's very survival—no room for error.

The demons of Jiannan have indeed played a masterful hand, setting a clear, open strategy: whether Great Qi moves or not, they secure their foothold.

Zhang Yuzhi prided herself on her wit, yet even she now found herself trapped in a dilemma, her brows tightly knitted.

The several guests behind Xie Yuan were lost in thought; Zhang Yuan's expression was especially grave. Great Sui had already bested Great Qi once—if they won again, court turmoil would only deepen.

He Xiao was pondering how to phrase his remarks to draw Zhang Yuzhi's attention.

The entertainers listened with half-ears, letting the words drift out the other; whether it was the court or the hooves on the border meant nothing to them—their thoughts were fixed within this Xie Fu.

Xie Yuan let out a light laugh, breaking the silence: "Brother Guan, let us make a wager today—where will these demon races of Jiannan ultimately end up? Or rather, how should Great Qi respond?"

His gaze was sharp, his tone laced with amusement: "If your prediction proves correct, I, Xie Yuan, will wholeheartedly submit—henceforth, I'll follow your lead. You tell me to dismount, I won't dare ride a donkey."

With that said!

He shifted tone: "But if you're wrong this time, all you need do is help me with one thing—how about it?"

Zhang Yuzhi lifted her eyes slightly toward Yu Ke, wondering how the boy would choose. She already suspected what Xie Yuan wanted him to do.

Facing this, you decide…

1. Agree to this. (Hint: A favorable change may come.)

2. Disagree to this. (Hint: An unfavorable change may come.)

3. Help Xie Yuan directly, without the wager. (Hint: An unfavorable change may come.)

4. Participate personally. (0/3)

The inscriptions on the great tripod slowly stabilized.

Yu Ke stared at the four options.

First, eliminate "Participate personally."

Option 2, disagree, hinting at unfavorable change—discard immediately.

Option 3, helping Xie Yuan directly, may also bring unfavorable change.

This matter, for "Xie Guan," may not be beneficial at all.

Eliminate them!

Only one option remains: "Agree to this."

If you win, given Xie Yuan's nature, he'll take it seriously—and truly follow "Xie Guan" as his leader.

1. Agree to this. (Hint: A favorable change may come.)

Simulation continues.

【You smiled and said: "Sixth brother, since you've spoken, how could I refuse?"】

【Xie Yuan beamed: "Good!"】

【His expression turned slightly embarrassed and mischievous: "Actually, the favor I need—I can let you in on a bit of it. I'm being forced by Mother."】

【Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuzhi burst into laughter, her smile like a spring blossom—bright and captivating; even He Xiao stared, spellbound.】

【"Xie Yuan, you're not asking Obscure Young Master to take your place at a matchmaking meeting, are you?"】

【Xie Yuan, caught out, flushed awkwardly: "Mother's pushing me hard—she insists I meet Li's sixth daughter. I'd rather die than go!"】

【"What if she takes a fancy to me? What if she throws herself at me? I, the Cloud-Roaming Young Master, vowed to wander the rivers and lakes—how could I be shackled by romantic entanglements and become a laughingstock?" Xie Yuan shook his head dramatically.】

【Zhang Yuzhi laughed harder than ever, losing all semblance of a refined lady for the first time.】

【Xie Yuan rolled his eyes—if Zhang Yuzhi weren't his cousin, raised with him since childhood and always teasing him, he'd have already turned on anyone else.】

【"Brother Guan, no backing out now!"】

【You declared firmly: "A gentleman's word is binding—four horses cannot catch it."】

【"Hah! I knew it—you're loyal and true-hearted, Brother Guan!"】

【You merely smiled calmly: "The outcome isn't decided yet—I might not lose."】

【After hearing this, Xie Yuan chuckled and asked: "Then, Brother Guan, what do you think is the true intent behind these three demons stirring chaos in Jiannan? How will Great Qi respond?"】

【His confidence stemmed from two reasons. First, though Xie Guan was exceptionally clever, he knew nothing of court politics or military affairs, and was utterly ignorant of the news from Jiannan and the Dragon Palace—like a deaf man.】

【He ignored the world outside, devoted only to the sages' books.】

【Second, the matter was intricate and ever-shifting. Having learned the news from his uncle, he knew the court's military ministers were equally indecisive—only after the Inner Cabinet's small assembly could a decision be made.】

【Xie Yuan secretly rejoiced, certain of victory.】

【Facing this, you paused in thought, and decided…】

1. Great Qi attacks the Dragon Palace. (Hint: The situation may worsen further—or lead to collapse.)

2. Great Qi refuses to attack. (Hint: The situation may turn unfavorable.)

3. Great Qi attacks Jiannan. (Hint: The situation may worsen further—or lead to collapse.)

4. Great Qi attacks Great Sui. (Hint: The situation may turn unfavorable.)

5. Great Qi launches two-pronged attack on Jiannan and the Dragon Palace. (Hint: The situation may turn unfavorable—or end in defeat.)

6. Great Qi attacks Zhuya County, evacuating all civilians of Jiannan to Longyou Province. (Hint: The situation may improve.)

7. Participate personally. (0/3)

The characters on the great tripod slowly stabilized.

Yu Ke stared at the seven options before him.

He analyzed each one, especially noting how the hints suggested this choice would have lasting consequences.

Option 1: Great Qi attacks the Dragon Palace—hint: "unfavorable," even "collapse."

Yu Ke was startled. Even if Great Qi lost this battle, collapse was impossible.

Didn't the invincible Master still live? Wasn't the greatest academy still standing?

As long as the Master lives, Great Qi lives!

How could such a scenario arise?

Great Qi had ruled for a thousand years, mostly the strongest power in the Central Plains—could one defeat destroy such a colossal state?

Yu Ke couldn't explain it—but the Kunxu Ding never erred.

Then the reason behind it demanded deep thought.

Still, this option was immediately discarded.

He turned to the second option.

2. Great Qi refuses to attack—hint: unfavorable situation.

Yu Ke understood this: doing nothing lets Great Sui reap the benefits.

Discard immediately.

He examined the following options—Option 3 carried the same hint as Option 1: the worst word, "collapse."

Clearly, attacking either Jiannan or the Dragon Palace was the gravest mistake.

Option 5, attacking both, could only end in defeat.

Option 4, attacking Great Sui, avoids the issue—but still hints at an unfavorable outcome.

Discard!

Yu Ke reviewed all options from start to finish—only two remained.

"Participate personally" was eliminated.

In truth, only one remained.

Option 6: hint suggested a favorable turn.

Yu Ke made no hesitation—chose it directly.

6. Great Qi attacks Zhuya County, evacuating all civilians of Jiannan to Longyou Province. (Hint: The situation may improve.)

Simulation continues.

【You took out paper and, without a word, slowly sketched upon it.】

【Xie Yuan leaned in curiously, seeing only "Great Qi" and "Great Sui" written on the page, then ink splashed into a landscape map of terrain.】

【Seeing this, He Xiao already had a plan—he decided to seize the initiative, strike first.】

【He glanced at Zhang Yuzhi and quickly spoke: "Young Master Yun, I have a humble opinion."】

【"A mere brick to throw before jade—for Obscure Young Master!"】

【Xie Yuan frowned: "Old He, why do you always pick the wrong moment? I'm in the middle of a wager with Brother Guan…"】

【You continued sketching, unconcerned: "No matter—listen to Master He's insights."】

【Seeing your open attitude, Xie Yuan no longer objected.】

【He Xiao cleared his throat and spoke slowly: "I believe the demons of Jiannan harbor ill intent. Since their true intentions are unclear, the best response is to remain unchanged."】

【"Yin and Yang reverse: movement is Yang, stillness is Yin. Let stillness control movement—wait for their next move. This is the most stable approach."】

【Zhang Yuzhi nodded slightly, finding He Xiao's view highly agreeable.】

He Xiao noticed Zhang Yuzhi paying attention to his words, a pleased expression crossing his face as he asked, "Miss Yuzhi, what are your thoughts on this?"

Xie Yuan chimed in with a smile, "Fourth cousin, do share your opinion."

He knew this fourth cousin was deeply invested in the affairs of the Zehu Dragon Palace and had an intimate grasp of the political landscape within the Great Qi court.

Zhang Yuzhi shook her head without speaking.

Xie Yuan met with awkward silence—his cousin was the type who kept all her thoughts locked within.

To understand a woman's heart? Like fishing for a needle in the ocean!

Xie Yuan's gaze accidentally fell upon the paper; the drawing there made his eyes flare with surprise. "Brother Guan, when did you learn such skill in painting?"

On the white paper appeared a simplified map of the empire's prefectures and states, drawn in black ink: endless mountains and rivers, forts and cities.

The locations weren't precisely detailed, yet for some reason, a certain rhythm seemed locked within the strokes.

Vivid and alive!

At first glance, the mountains appeared ordinary; upon closer look, layered peaks unfolded, especially where the mountain ranges converged—as if a vital energy rose from the paper itself.

Zhang Yuanlai had already stepped closer, staring at the painting in clear astonishment.

He had never seen such a vivid, lifelike piece among the treasured works of renowned painters—and this was the work of a boy, seemingly done at random.

Xie Hou'er couldn't help but exclaim, "Young Master Guan, your painting is truly masterful!"

Zhang Yuzhi had remained seated on her horse stool, indifferent to the cluster of guests and entertainers gathered behind Xie Yuan.

Yet when she saw the rare look of astonishment on Xie Yuan's face, she felt a flicker of surprise. She knew Xie Yuan, as a wealthy young master, had seen countless antiques, jade, and paintings—rarely was anything able to startle him.

She had sat long enough; it was time to stretch her limbs.

Slowly, Zhang Yuzhi rose, and the crowd naturally parted to make way.

You gently laid down the final stroke, marking a few key place names, then slowly set down the brush.

"This is..."

Zhang Yuzhi stared at the simple yet spiritually resonant map on the white paper, stretching from the eastern reaches of Great Qi to the western borders of Great Sui.

Thirteen circuits of Great Qi, the distant northwestern Jiannan Circuit, the mysterious Zehu Dragon Palace—all leapt forth from the page.

She had seen detailed imperial maps in her father's study; compared to those, this one might seem sparse.

Yet!

This map possessed "form and spirit in harmony, brushwork grounded in bone method."

To judge a painting, the foremost task is to observe its qi and rhythm. Qi and rhythm refer to the inner spirit and character of the work—must achieve vividness, vitality, and distinct presence; only when the spirit is captured can the qi come alive.

For such maps, the core lies in "arranging the composition."

Arranging the composition means the method of spatial layout—how to skillfully position elements within the picture.

In composing the layout, one must master yin-yang orientation, vertical and horizontal undulations, opening and closing, embracing and supporting, linking and echoing; one must also properly handle relationships between subject and guest, response and harmony, emptiness and fullness, complexity and simplicity, density and sparsity, concealment and exposure, irregularity and balance.

Though simple, this map was harmonious and alive.

Zhang Yuzhi's eyes widened as she noticed the inscriptions upon it.

Jiannan Circuit, Great Qi, Dragon Palace, Zhuya Commandery...

The brush flowed like a dragon, the script in running regular script—proper yet effortlessly graceful.

Each character, examined closely, resembled a crouching tiger, rising like a dancing dragon.

Zhang Yuzhi came from the Zhuge family, steeped in poetry and calligraphy; her father was a master of the brush, and she had practiced calligraphy since childhood.

She had even been privileged to view the calligraphy of the Second Master of the Academy—but these characters gave her an entirely new sensation. She could not help but praise:

"Such mighty, such beautiful script."

Xie Yuan, hearing this, wore a smug smile and said to Zhang Yuzhi, "Fourth cousin, I told you before—Brother Guan's calligraphy is unparalleled."

You paid no heed to their praise, but pointed to a spot on the paper—Zhuya Commandery.

"When Great Qi launches troops into Zhuya Commandery, there's no need to overthink the motives of the demons in Jiannan Circuit. Instead, the civilians of Jiannan should be relocated to Longyou Circuit."

At these words, silence fell over the group.

Zhang Yuzhi's gaze settled on Zhuya Commandery near Zehu Lake—the place Great Qi had retreated to after its crushing defeat against Great Sui.

She wondered inwardly: Why choose this place as the target for military action?

(End of Chapter)