Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

Inside the pavilion, there were two figures, with a jade chessboard placed between them.

The player holding the white pieces appeared somewhat lazy, yawning and muttering verses copied down by his servants.

The one holding the black pieces has thick eyebrows and big eyes, exuding an aura of authority. Although he looks to be about the same age as the person opposite him, he carries an imposing presence that makes one unconsciously think of an old master in a study.

"What does Mr. Qinghe think of these verses?"

Upon hearing the Ninth Prince's question, Cui Qinghe paused slightly in the hand holding the chess piece, but without raising his head, he placed the piece down.

"The poem is good, but the person is not. This person has such talent, yet he spends his days in brothels and does immoral things. He is really wasting the gift that God has given him."

Seeing that Cui Qinghe's attitude was not friendly, Ninth Prince Jun Cheng'an did not mind.

Everyone has their own path, and Mu An's actions and whereabouts are not a bad thing in his eyes. It is one's own business how to use the talent given by God, and living a carefree life is also enviable.

But in the eyes of the old scholars at the Wenchang Temple, it was a completely different matter; it was a serious crime that would warrant being dragged into the ancestral hall and beaten half to death.

Interestingly, the Ninth Sister was the same way when she was in the capital. Every now and then, she would be impeached by the people of the Wenchang Hall.

Nowadays, the geniuses she recruits are even more outstanding, making many old scholars so angry that they want to arrest them on the spot, lock them up, and give them a good lesson.

Such opinions were quite prevalent in the Wenchang Hall. Many people believed that Mu An, who stirred up trouble, was a genius in the field of literature. Although he had gone astray, as long as he corrected his ways, he would surely become a great man and a pillar of the country in due time.

But what these old scholars didn't know was that the person under Ninth Sister's command was no ordinary person.

Those who haven't yet reached their full potential are truly geniuses. A 22-year-old Celestial Martial Saint can no longer be simply described as a genius.

Such a person has already achieved his goal; how could he be easily recruited?

If this man hadn't practically lived in brothels, he would have even suspected that this was the husband that Ninth Sister had chosen for herself.

How come I never met such a talented person?

He sighed inwardly, stared at the chessboard for a while, deduced the next twelve moves, and then placed a piece, blocking the black pieces' path to survival.

"The heir of the Marquis of Zhennan has not been to a brothel for three days, which is quite rare for this young marquis who spends his days in brothels."

On the contrary, the young master under Ninth Sister's command spends his days indulging in brothels and is now quite famous in the capital's entertainment districts.

I've heard that this person only talks about romance and not anything else, does whatever he pleases but never oversteps the bounds, and is also quite accomplished in music.

Many courtesans took the initiative to invite him, willing to pay extra to spend a night with him, just to obtain a single poem.

"Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together; matters of love and romance are ultimately trivial."

Your Highness should always remember that establishing a moral compass for Heaven and Earth, securing a destiny for the people, and seeking lasting peace is the true and glorious path.

As Cui Qinghe answered, he looked at the chessboard, but couldn't make a move for a long time.

He had already lost the game; it wasn't that he deliberately let him win, but that he had truly lost.

Just six months ago, I could easily control the game, winning when I should have won and losing when I should have lost.

He tried his best but still lost. He truly deserves to be the emperor's seed that the entire Wensheng lineage has always favored.

Looking at the young man opposite him, he was filled with emotion and sincerely praised him:

"With heaven and earth as the chessboard and all living beings as the pieces, Your Highness's way of chess is truly becoming more and more unfathomable. Qinghe admires you."

The Ninth Prince, despite being praised, did not show any joy. He sighed slightly and shook his head.

"I visited Master Meng yesterday."

Upon hearing the name of the Sage of Literature, Cui Qinghe was slightly taken aback and looked at the Ninth Prince.

The Ninth Prince did not hide anything from his advisors; he directly recounted yesterday's conversation.

"I ask you, teacher, is it true that my father is seriously ill?"

My teacher told me that as a son, one should prioritize filial piety and never do anything unjust.

I asked my teacher again, "My ninth sister is favored by the Emperor. If she comes to the capital now and does something improper, should I compete with her for her affections?"

The teacher didn't answer, but pointed to the sky, then to the ground, and placed a copy of the Tao Te Ching in front of me.

Confused, I asked directly, "Should we just let Ninth Sister run rampant? Why is she bringing several Celestial Martial Saints and hundreds of Innate Grandmasters to the capital?"

With Father still alive, how can a son do such a thing? Among all her brothers and sisters, she is the one Father loves the most. When has Father ever wronged her?

Seeing the anger in my heart, the teacher sighed deeply and discussed with me the principles of destiny and cause and effect. Finally, he even found several ancient books from ten thousand years ago and told me to read them myself.

At this point, the Ninth Prince stopped. He didn't reveal what was written in the ancient book, but instead leaned against the table and drank a cup of tea.

Cui Qinghe didn't ask. In fact, as the head of the Cui family, he already knew the ending was predetermined the moment he heard the words "Tao Te Ching".

The phrase "invincible under heaven" is not just empty boasting, but rather built upon countless bones.

It's no exaggeration to say that only if all the top experts in the capital were combined could they stand tall before the Celestial Master and spout a few words about the greater good of the world.

Perhaps they could each spit and vent their emotions, betting that the old master was too tired to chase after those who had escaped.

If the Celestial Master truly takes sides, then the struggle for the crown prince is a foregone conclusion.

Cui Qinghe looked at the somewhat dejected Ninth Prince and sighed. He also felt sorry for him, but as an elder, he still stepped forward and patted the Ninth Prince on the shoulder.

"The world has its rise and fall, and people have their ups and downs. Princess Yongning was ultimately just a woman, and her life was not long to come."

Your Highness has a bright future ahead of you, so why bother with this momentary bravado?

Rather than fighting them now and risking mutual destruction, it is better to wait for the right opportunity and seek another chance.

"A dragon lies dormant in the abyss, but one day it will soar through the heavens."

Although he still felt somewhat aggrieved, the Ninth Prince thanked Cui Qinghe and made a rational decision.

"I'm afraid neither my second brother nor my seventh brother will give up, especially my second brother. He has been using his position as regent to plant a lot of people, and now he seems to be planning to take action."

As I predicted, he will find an opportunity to make his move by the end of the year at the latest, and the capital city will likely be engulfed in bloodshed.

Seeing that the Ninth Prince's analysis was exactly the same as his own, Cui Qinghe nodded slightly and bowed.

"What does Your Highness intend to do?"

"The leader of the Vermilion Bird Gate is one of our people. If we really can't stop him, let's do Ninth Sister a favor. She's not the type to kill her father and seize the throne."

"good!"

As if he had thought of something, the Ninth Prince tapped the table and looked up at Cui Qinghe.

"Speaking of which, it seems that my seventh brother is trying to sow discord between us and my ninth sister. I'll have to trouble you to handle this matter, sir."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. I contacted the Cui family branch in Lingzhou a few days ago, instructing them to be extremely careful and not to fall for the schemes of those who try to sow discord."

"That's excellent!"