tallest building

Chapter 263 Hitting the Seven Inch

Mr. Wu's words were like a wake-up call for King Zhao.

That's right. If it weren't for Ying Bai, the King of Chu wouldn't have bothered to find fault with him, and going back further, he wouldn't have caused trouble for the King of Chu either.

What both sides are fighting for is simply that position, which they both know the truth about but cannot say aloud.

“Your Highness, think about it. If we don’t strike at the heart of the problem, we’ll never be able to eliminate the threat. The King of Chu, that venomous snake, will surely bite.” Mr. Wu’s old eyes shone brightly, even with a fierce glint, in the candlelight on the table.

"That's true, but Yingbai is still just a child, and I really can't bear to do that," King Zhao sighed.

“Your Highness, you cannot be so sentimental at this time. You must understand that this matter is of utmost importance. Take Xiang Yu, for example. If he hadn’t let Liu Bang go at Hongmen, would he have suffered such a crushing defeat? Your Highness should think of the greater good, even if you don’t think of yourself. He’s just a kid. Can he be more important than the state?” Mr. Wu knew that the Prince of Zhao might be able to be ruthless, but he still wanted to put on a compassionate act in front of him. So, he had to make the decision for him.

King Zhao pondered for a long while before asking, "Then, in your opinion, what method should be used?"

“There are many ways. As the saying goes, illness enters through the mouth, and fortune and misfortune are unpredictable. Even if he accidentally ingests poison or something goes wrong, as long as he is crippled, that will be enough.” Mr. Wu smiled slightly. “When the time comes to investigate, we won’t have to worry about finding someone to take the blame.”

“But if we do that, wouldn’t that be tantamount to angering the King of Chu? He certainly won’t let me off the hook,” said the King of Zhao. “If we push him to this point, he will definitely choose to fight to the death.”

"He may be willing to fight to the death, but he has to see if anyone will allow it. If something happens to the Crown Prince of Chu, the King of Chu will be furious and will definitely turn his anger towards you, Your Highness."

But when that time really comes, we could say he was so heartbroken he went mad, which is why he bit people like a rabid dog.

"But he does have evidence against me," King Zhao couldn't help but worry. "If he really digs these things up, it won't just be me; many high-ranking officials and nobles will be implicated."

"If that's the case, what is Your Highness afraid of? We have more people on our side, and fewer on his side. Let people know that he holds so much dirt on so many people, and see who can let him off the hook?" Mr. Wu said confidently. "The Sanjing Academy may be impressive, but are all the scholars in the court incompetent?"

Since the interests involved are illicit and cannot be concealed, everyone involved is in the same boat.

Thus, the King of Chu was not only targeting the King of Zhao, but was making enemies of everyone.

"Your Highness, why worry? We have the advantage of timing, location, and popular support. As long as we seize the initiative, we can turn black into white and confuse right and wrong. Strike quickly and decisively, don't miss this opportunity!" Mr. Wu urged again.

King Zhao stared at the candles on the table for a long time before finally slamming his fist on the table and saying, "That's right! Since he is unrighteous, he shouldn't blame me for being unjust! Those who achieve great things throughout history do not concern themselves with trifles; the victor becomes king or noble, the loser becomes a bandit, let's not talk about anything else!"

The candle flame flickered twice as he patted it, casting a dim light on King Zhao's face, making it appear indescribably gloomy.

Prince Chu's Mansion.

The Queen Consort of Chu asked the King of Chu, "Why is there no movement from the King of Zhao? This matter can't go wrong in the end, can it?"

"I hate discussing important matters with you women, always hesitant and impatient!" King Chu shook his head and said, "You can either go for a stroll in the streets, or have a few people keep you company at home playing dominoes to kill time. Don't ask about anything else."

"I was just worried and confused. I feel like this matter is getting bigger and bigger, and I don't want it to get out of control later," Princess Chu said with concern.

"Your words are laughable. We've already come this far; how can we possibly give up halfway? Even if we were willing to stop, how could the King of Zhao possibly rest easy?" the King of Chu retorted. "I know all that you're saying, but I can't help worrying," the Queen of Chu said. "After all, they have the Grand Tutor and the Empress backing them up!"

"That's precisely why we can't back down. Otherwise, what good will come of it for us? If we fight, there might be a glimmer of hope. If we just sit and wait to die, the outcome will only be worse," the King of Chu sneered.

Princess Chu wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent. She knew that saying anything would be futile; the die was cast, and she was in a bind, with no way to back down. She could only grit her teeth and press on.

The next few days were unusually quiet, with neither the King of Zhao nor the King of Chu making any moves.

But both sides knew in their hearts that this so-called calm was just a prelude to building up momentum, so neither side dared to slack off in the slightest.

In winter, the masters in the palace didn't like to leave their rooms; they preferred to gather together and play dominoes.

The Empress is now sleeping well and in good spirits, so she is naturally in the mood.

These past few days, he has summoned Consort Hui and others to his palace to play dominoes or leaf cards, which quickly while away the days in the short winter.

Before the game even started, the eldest princess arrived with a beaming smile, and everyone rushed to offer her a seat.

"I heard it's quite lively here, so I came to join in. I hope I haven't offended you?" the princess asked with a smile after sitting down.

"Your Highness, what are you saying? It's good enough that you don't mind our stupidity," Consort Hui quickly said.

"I haven't been able to get together with you all often these past few days because Duanmin was with me. Now that she's gone back, I'm really bored by myself." The princess took the tea and took a sip.

“It’s certainly a good thing for the couple to be loving and affectionate,” the Empress said with a smile. “We are all happy to see it happen.”

After playing two rounds of cards, Princess Zhao entered the palace.

She found Wen Mingqian: "Have you heard? Mr. Hua Ying from the Sanjing Academy has actually been staying at the Chu Prince's residence for quite some time now."

"Really? I've never heard of that." Wen Mingqian shook his head. "Is it true or false?"

“Of course it’s true,” Princess Zhao sighed. “Master Zhuge also greatly admires Ying Bai’s writing. Indeed, Tong’er has never been good at this kind of thing.”

I had originally planned to keep Chang'an in the palace as a study companion, to bolster our prestige, but alas…

The implication was that she regretted introducing Gong Chang'an into the palace. This also implied that she was blaming Wen Mingqian.

How could Wen Mingqian not understand? But she was not flustered at all: "The princess introduced them to the palace with good intentions, but in the end, Chang'an and the others are just icing on the cake. It is good to have them as a foil, but it is the same without them."

Besides, no matter how well one writes, at most one can enter the Hanlin Academy. Which emperor of any dynasty was confined to books, paintings, and writings every day? Wouldn't that make them a foolish ruler?
I may not be very knowledgeable, but I do know that pretty pieces of wood are only good for display; only truly useful timber can be used as beams and pillars!