The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

When the imperial edict punishing the Fourth Prince Zhou Bin for confinement echoed across the white marble plaza in front of the Qian Yuan Hall, every official felt a weight on their hearts.

Some people felt the punishment was too lenient. The Jiangning Textile Bureau embezzlement case involved a wide range of people, and if it were an ordinary prince, he would probably have been stripped of his title and imprisoned.

Some people felt the punishment was too harsh. After all, the Fourth Prince hadn't embezzled the money himself; he had only failed to properly discipline his servants. The punishment of three years' salary plus three months of confinement was seen as His Majesty's way of making an example of him.

But those who truly understand Zhou Qian know that the harshest part of this decree is not "a three-year salary deduction" or "confinement to reflect on one's mistakes," but rather the last four words.

"To serve as a warning to others."

This was addressed to all the princes, and also to all the civil and military officials.

However, the Fourth Prince's faction did not cease their activities because of this imperial decree.

On the contrary, they moved even faster.

Because they knew better than anyone else that the three-month confinement was the last chance His Majesty had given them, and also the last window of opportunity for the Fourth Prince to turn the tables.

If he can't do anything during these three months, by the time the Fourth Prince reopens his residence, he'll probably have no place in the court anymore.

The Ministry of War's office was located on the west side of the imperial city, right next to the Grand Commandant's residence.

Although Marquis Zhao Xi of Wu'an was one of the four marquises, he rarely appeared at the Ministry of War.

He was the de facto commander of the southwestern border army, stationed in Sichuan year-round, only returning to the capital to report on his duties around the winter solstice each year.

But this year is different. He returned to the capital as early as the Spring Equinox and has remained in the Ministry of War ever since.

Nominally, he was assisting the Grand Commandant's office in handling military affairs on the southwestern border, but everyone in the court knew that he stayed in the capital to support his son-in-law, the Fourth Prince.

In the duty room, Zhao Xi sat behind his desk, holding a newly delivered military report from the southwestern border.

The military report was sent by the Sichuan Provincial Administration Commission. The wording was vague, only saying that there were "unidentified tribes" active on the border recently. No substantial conflict had occurred, but their "movements were suspicious."

The Ministry of War receives more than a dozen of these military reports every year, but they are usually just routine matters and are simply archived.

But Zhao Xi read the military report over and over again three times, then picked up his pen and wrote a line at the end of the report.

"The tribes are acting strangely, which may lead to a major battle. I request the Ministry of War to quickly discuss the matter of increasing troop numbers."

He put down his pen, handed the approved military report to his advisor, and said in a low but unwavering voice, "Send this report to the Grand Commandant's office, and make copies to the Ministry of War's Department of Military Affairs, the Ministry of Revenue's Department of Finance, and the Ministry of Works' Department of Construction."

"Given the instability on the southwestern border, I suggest that the court prepare to reinforce troops in advance to guard against unforeseen circumstances."

The staff member took the military report but hesitated to speak.

He was a long-time associate of Zhao Xi, having served him for over a decade, and knew the Marquis's style of doing things all too well.

Marquis Wu'an never speaks without a purpose.

He had read the contents of the military report; it was just a brief encounter between several tribes in the mountains.

It doesn't even qualify as a conflict; in previous years, military reports like this didn't even include any comments.

This year, however, copies were sent to three government departments, and there was also a requirement to "quickly discuss increasing the number of troops."

This is not about increasing troop numbers; it's clearly a case of ulterior motives.

"My lord," the advisor lowered his voice, "if the wording of this military report catches the eye of the people at the Grand Commandant's office, things could get complicated. That old man at the Grand Commandant's office is not someone to be easily fooled."

Zhao Xi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and a faint, cold smile appeared on his lips: "I want the Grand Commandant's mansion to see through my scheme."

"So what if the Grand Commandant's office noticed? There are indeed tribal activities on the southwestern border, clearly stated in black and white in the military reports."

"I annotated according to the rules and sent copies according to the rules. Which rule did I break? As for what the Grand Commandant's Office thinks, I don't care."

"What I care about is that when this military report is sent to the Ministry of Revenue's Department of Finance, the people there will see the words 'increased troops' and start calculating."

"Increasing troops requires silver, but where does the silver come from? From the Grand Canal, from salt and iron, and from the textile industry."

"Once they start settling accounts, they will pin the blame for the Runzhou official ship case on the Jiangning Textile Bureau, and then pin the blame for the Jiangning Textile Bureau's problems on the Fourth Prince."

"But I insist that they do another calculation. If a war really breaks out on the southwestern border, who will pay for the military expenses? Do you think they can still hold onto those old debts from the Jiangning Textile Bureau?"

He put down his teacup and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "This is called 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,' stirring up trouble and stretching out the battle lines so they don't have time to focus on one place."

"Three months? I only need three months. After three months, the Fourth Prince will reopen the gates of the manor, and this game will still be going on."

The staff member said no more, took the military report, bowed, and withdrew.

Zhao Xi sat alone in the duty room, his fingers slowly tapping on the table, his gaze fixed on the "Southwest Map" on the wall.

The edges of the map are marked with the locations of passes and garrisons throughout Sichuan, each one marked by him personally.

He returned to Beijing this time to fight for him.

They fought for the throne, for the crown prince position, and for the future wealth and glory of the Zhao family.

He knew better than anyone that the Fourth Prince's mishap was ostensibly due to Liu Heng, but in reality, it was because of those people who appeared out of nowhere in Runzhou.

The Wudang Boxing School, the Workers' Association, and Heshengyuan—these people seemed to spring up from the ground, uprooting Liu Heng and exposing the entire secrets of the Jiangning Textile Bureau in the process.

The person who can set up such a scheme is no ordinary person.

He hasn't figured out the other party's strength yet, so he can't confront them head-on.

The only way is to attack from the side, muddy the waters, and make it impossible for the opponent to see his true strength.

What he needs to do in these three months is not to retaliate, but to stop the damage and buy time for the Fourth Prince.

Meanwhile, in the back garden of the Taibao Mansion, Yuwen Lie was sitting alone in a pavilion, with a chessboard in front of him.

The black and white pieces on the chessboard are intertwined, representing a game he is playing against himself.

He played very slowly, pondering for a long time after each move, as if the game held some great secret.

The old steward tiptoed into the pavilion, bowed, and handed over a visiting card, whispering that the Fourth Prince's principal wife, Lady Zhao, requested an audience and was waiting in the side hall.

Yuwen Lie took the invitation card, glanced at it, and casually placed it on the edge of the chessboard, his gaze never leaving the chessboard.

His fingers held a black piece suspended in mid-air, as if he was considering where to place it.

"Did she come alone?" Yuwen Lie's voice was calm, as if he were asking what dishes the kitchen had prepared that day.

The old steward nodded, saying that he had come alone, without a maid or attendants, and in an inconspicuous sedan chair.

Yuwen Lie nodded slightly, placed a black piece in a corner of the chessboard, then stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "Please come to my study."

Today, Zhao was dressed in a very plain moon-white dress, with only a silver hairpin in her hair. She looked more like an ordinary official's wife than a noblewoman or the principal wife of a prince.

But Yuwen Lie was a man of the world, and he immediately noticed something unusual about her slightly reddened eyes.

This woman didn't come to visit; she came seeking help.

After entering the study, Madam Zhao did not rush to speak, but first gave a proper bow.

She presented a brocade box with both hands, saying that Taibao's birthday was approaching and she had prepared a small gift to celebrate in advance.

Yuwen Lie took the brocade box, opened it, and found that it contained no gold or silver jewelry.

It was an old wild ginseng, not large in size, but with intact roots and excellent quality.

He closed the brocade box and gently placed it on the table, then asked her to sit down and had the old steward make tea.

The two sat facing each other across a coffee table, and the study remained quiet for a while.

Yuwen Lie picked up the teacup and gently stirred the tea leaves floating on the surface with the lid. He didn't seem to be in a hurry to speak, but was just quietly waiting for her to open her mouth.

Zhao finally lost her temper.

She placed her hands on her knees, her back ramrod straight, but her voice trembled slightly as she spoke: "Grand Tutor, I have not come to offer birthday wishes."

"There are some things I don't know who to say to. The Fourth Prince is currently under house arrest, and people outside are kicking him while he's down. Memorials impeaching him are coming one after another in the court, and even his chief steward has been convicted."

"I know that Your Highness has been tricked this time, but I am of lowly status and have no say in the matter."

"I've come today to ask the Grand Protector, is there any way out for His Highness the Fourth Prince?"

Yuwen Lie paused slightly in the teacup he was holding, but did not answer immediately.

He certainly understood Zhao's intentions.

During the month that the Fourth Prince was confined to his quarters, Yuwen Lie remained silent, neither kicking him while he was down nor offering any assistance, as if the whole affair had nothing to do with him.

This is precisely what makes the Zhao family most uneasy.

The Taibao Mansion's attitude was too ambiguous, so ambiguous that it was impossible to tell whether they were friend or foe.

Her visit today was less about seeking help and more about sounding out someone's intentions.

"Does Your Highness know that the Grand Tutor's residence had some connections with Consort Rong back in the day?"

Zhao suddenly raised her eyes and looked directly at Yuwen Lie, "My aunt was on good terms with Consort Rong when she was in the palace."

"My aunt said that Consort Rong is an extremely intelligent person. She has been able to stay in the palace for so many years without fighting or grabbing. This is not because she is weak, but because she knows how to conceal her strength."

"This junior has always respected Consort Rong and also the Grand Tutor."

"My visit today is not only for the Fourth Prince, but also for myself. I would like to know, Grand Tutor, do you think there is any room for maneuver in this situation?"

Yuwen Lie put down his teacup, leaned back slightly in his chair, and slowly shifted his gaze from Zhao Shi's face to the window.

The begonias in the garden outside the window are in full bloom, clusters of pink and white blossoms, translucent in the afternoon sunlight.

He remained silent for a while before turning his gaze back to Zhao Shi's face and saying something meaningful: "Your Highness, this game of chess is not over yet, there is no need to rush."

"Your Highness should be more careful. Some things cannot be rushed, nor can they be delayed."

"At my age, I've seen more chess games than most people in this world have walked roads."

"Your Highness, what you should do now is not to fight back, but to wait, to wait for your opponent to show a weakness, and to wait for the people in the court to turn their attention elsewhere."

"As for the things Your Highness wants to know, I can only say that you will know when the time is right."

After a long silence, Zhao slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Yuwen Lie.

She didn't ask any further questions, only saying "Thank you, Tai-bao," before taking her leave. Her eyes were slightly red when she arrived, and they were still slightly red when she left, but her clenched fingers had loosened.

She walked along the covered walkway of the Taibao Mansion, pondering Yuwen Lie's words from earlier.

He made no promises, but he didn't reject her either.

He said, "You will know when the time is right."

This statement itself is a promise.

The Fourth Prince's residence has not been abandoned yet, and the connection with the Grand Tutor's residence has not been severed.

As long as the Taibao Mansion remains silent, the Fourth Prince still has a chance to turn the tables.

Yuwen Lie sat alone in his study, the tea in front of him had gone cold.

He didn't call the old butler to refill his tea; he simply leaned back in his chair, gazing at the begonias outside the window, remaining silent for a long time.

Zhao's visit today, ostensibly to sound out the Fourth Prince's intentions, was far too humble, far beyond what one would expect from a noblewoman and the principal wife of a prince.

This indicates that the situation at the Fourth Prince's residence is worse than he had anticipated.

He had become so isolated and helpless that he needed a woman to step in and test his attitude.

He placed a black piece and muttered to himself, "This game has only just begun, what's the rush?"

It's time to make some moves regarding Consort Rong's side as well.