ATPnovel Chapter 1357: 49: How Many People Make Their Move with One Chess Piece
Chapter 1357: 49: How Many People Make Their Move with One Chess Piece
Chapter 1357: Chapter 49: How Many People Make Their Move with One Chess PieceAfter all, there’s no way to win right now. To avoid Jiang Wang becoming enraged out of humiliation, Zhongxuan Sheng hurriedly added, “Come to think of it, I’ve always had my doubts. Back when Su She recklessly left the city to assassinate you, that was simply too bold—completely out of character for him. Of course, one could argue he felt despair for the future, and that failure clouded his judgment, but no matter how you think about it, Su She shouldn’t have been such a weak person.”
As Zhongxuan Sheng spoke to Jiang Wang, he was also swiftly organizing his own thoughts. The more he thought about it, the clearer the picture became, and he couldn’t help but sigh, “Now that I see it, faking his death to escape the stalemate, gaining freedom across sky and sea—what a brilliant move!”
He smacked his thigh, “This is the Su She I know!”
Jiang Wang still felt that Zhongxuan Sheng was being somewhat overly hasty in this matter: “He went out of his way to fake his death in front of me? If it weren’t for Yin Guan, I would have had no way to kill him!”
Zhongxuan Sheng shook his head. “At that time and place, the situation of Jubao Business Association was already beyond saving. He came after you in an attempt to kill me—to exact revenge for me ruining all his hard work. Then, using the Zhong Xuan Family’s hand, he completed his fake death and was reborn.”
As Zhongxuan Sheng elaborated, his thoughts began to diverge again, his eyes lighting up, “Hechang Business Alliance!”
“That newly developed alliance formed by various small trading houses—is Su She’s new identity!”
The final link in Su She’s grand plan from all those years ago had now emerged! The beginning and end both complete!
“Now I finally understand! He deceived us for this long! That venomous snake hid himself so well, his patience is truly remarkable!”
Zhongxuan Sheng grew increasingly excited as he analyzed further, “Being able to discover him early because of this matter with you is truly a blessing in disguise!”
Jiang Wang had been skeptical all along, but upon hearing the name “Hechang Business Alliance,” he immediately believed seventy percent of it.
Although he wasn’t deeply involved in managerial affairs, he still had a general understanding of De Sheng Trading Company’s biggest emerging competitor among the new business associations. He knew that this alliance had grown entirely from the corpse of Jubao Business Association.
If Su She was indeed the mastermind behind it, the reason why this new business alliance could fiercely snatch food from the mouths of giants like Four Seas Business Alliance and the Zhong Xuan Family became crystal clear.
Who else could possibly understand the inner workings of Jubao Business Association better than Su She?
“If Su She is truly involved…” Jiang Wang speculated, “…after faking his death, did he join Equality Country? Or was he possibly part of Equality Country all along?”
Zhongxuan Sheng shook his head. “Organizations like Equality Country hold ideals above all else—higher than talent, intelligence, and resources. Otherwise, they would not have survived to this day. Su She is not a man of ideals; he could never align himself with the people of Equality Country.
I am more inclined to think they simply leverage each other’s strengths for strategic arrangements. They might mutually acknowledge the existence of such a force, but they don’t actively cooperate. Their collaboration isn’t flawless either…”
“Even so, Su She remains incredibly cunning,” Zhongxuan Sheng contemplated. “With your current status and importance to Qi Country, this piece of information can only have maximum impact at this point in time! Su She’s move is a classic case of kicking someone when they’re down—pouring oil on the flames to strike a drowning dog!”
Jiang Wang: …
Although vividly described, the analogy made Jiang Wang’s teeth itch.
“I’ve got it!” Zhongxuan Sheng suddenly proclaimed.
Jiang Wang had long gotten used to his outbursts and couldn’t help asking, “What did you figure out this time?”
“I understand now why this chess game is such an entangled mess—even I couldn’t grasp it for a while. It’s because there are too many chess players involved!”
“What do you mean?”
Zhongxuan Sheng, now surprisingly composed, gave Jiang Wang a faint smile, revealing his calm control. “You mentioned before that you believe the person who killed Huang Yixing was Yang Xuance, correct?”
Jiang Wang responded confidently, “Yes. That’s a conclusion Lin Youxie and I reached together.”
“Huang Yixing rose to power by stepping on the Yang Family’s reputation. Yang Xuance absolutely had reason to kill him. And coincidentally, there was the matter of General Cao criticizing him, which framed it as a suicide and stirred conflict between new and old Qi Country citizens. It was a decently clever setup.”
Zhongxuan Sheng analyzed, “But this setup is easy to dismantle. Just like the Court did—sending you to investigate the case. Using the most representative figure of the new Qi Country to investigate another, everything falls into place.”
“If I were part of Equality Country and saw the Son of Heaven appointing you, the Yellow River Leader, to investigate, I would immediately understand that this setup had already been unraveled.”
“Thus, at this juncture, Equality Country, which had been forced into dormancy earlier, decided to make its move! Seeing the situation with Yang Xuance, they seamlessly built a new setup on top of his!”
“What kind of setup was this?” Jiang Wang asked.
Zhongxuan Sheng shook his head. “All strategies rely on intelligence as their foundation. Just as I wouldn’t be able to deduce Su She’s survival if I hadn’t inferred he was alive, it’s impossible to fully grasp the layout of Equality Country’s maneuver with the limited information available. I cannot yet discern their full intentions.”
“First, Equality Country’s setup was built as a continuation of Yang Xuance’s setup—a seamless addition. Only such a foundation could allow their move to come so suddenly, catching everyone off guard and gaining instant momentum. Su She likely saw an opportunity within this setup and added his own move to it. And there are likely others involved…but it’s not clear who just yet.”
“Second, as for Yue Leng and Li Youjue, whether either is connected to Equality Country remains uncertain. It’s possible both are unrelated. At this stage, all that’s needed for the situation is a single credible piece of information. If it were any other operative pursuing Yang Xuance, you might still blindly follow along.”
This chubby man’s sharp wit was as cutting as a needle’s tip—always squeezing in a jab amidst his analysis.
Jiang Wang couldn’t think this far ahead, so he begrudgingly accepted that for now: “What else?”
“At the very least, the person who pursued you absolutely belongs to Equality Country.”
“No kidding!” Jiang Wang took the chance to strike back, “That’s something I told you!”
“Heh,” Zhongxuan Sheng chuckled, “Then let’s hear your third deduction.”
Jiang Wang’s eyes shifted, “Third, since Equality Country doesn’t want me returning to Qi Country and keeps driving me westward, then I should return to Qi Country immediately! When the enemy doesn’t want something, I must do it—this is the Soldier Home’s strategy for victory!”
“Not bad, Lord Jiang Wang. Where did you learn that?”
Jiang Wang smirked proudly, “Li Longchuan likes to quote military texts, and I remembered a few lines!”
“That’s what they call armchair strategizing!” Zhongxuan Sheng mercilessly dismissed him, “Let me ask you—has Equality Country stopped pursuing you?”
“It seems they’ve stopped.” Jiang Wang indeed gave the matter some serious thought, “Even if they haven’t, my return to Qi would be an excellent bait to lure them out again!”
“You think they’re as easy to fish as you are? Equality Country has the foresight to plan such elaborate setups—they’ll have anticipated your return to Qi and might even be waiting for it!” Zhongxuan Sheng mocked, and then added, “Neutralizing their pursuit by driving you further westward might mean they no longer care where you go. Or perhaps…they’re actually counting on your return.”
Jiang Wang clung to hope, “They didn’t stop pursuing me of their own will—it was Gu Shiyi who saved me.”
“And how can you tell Gu Shiyi is human and not a ghost? What kind of relationship do you two even have?”
“Are you suggesting that Gu Shiyi is suspicious?”
“Not necessarily suspicious; righteous interventions do happen. But I’m certain, given Equality Country’s propensity for this kind of strategic gambit, if you were to return to Qi Country now, there would surely be further traps waiting for you,” Zhongxuan Sheng reasoned. “So, you must avoid returning to Qi right now. You should’ve never left the chessboard in the first place, but since you’ve stepped off for a while, you definitely shouldn’t jump back in.”
Jiang Wang hesitated briefly, “Then where should I go?”
Zhongxuan Sheng waved his hand dismissively, “Find a place to travel and enjoy the scenery. Wait for me to handle everything and eliminate all threats—only then can you return!”
Jiang Wang contemplated, “What kind of traps do you think they’re preparing for me if I go back now?”
“How would I know?” Zhongxuan Sheng scoffed, “I can’t predict the future!”
“Alright.” Jiang Wang curled his lips into a faint smile.
In the depths of Jiang Wang’s usually serene and clear eyes, a tinge of desolation emerged.
Zhongxuan Sheng understood well that Jiang Wang was finding it difficult to tolerate his tarnished reputation and the public condemnation he faced right now.
From unimaginable glory and universal renown one moment to being drenched in disgrace and universally hunted the next—from heaven to hell in a single night. Anyone placed in such a situation would struggle to remain composed.
Though Jiang Wang stayed silent, inside, he was undoubtedly wounded!
Zhongxuan Sheng explained gently, “But we may not be able to resist their traps once they’re set. No matter how self-assured I am, I cannot gamble with your life. Trust me—since you’ve stepped off the chessboard for now, take some time to travel and enjoy yourself. Leave this game to those high-ranking players. When the dust settles, you’ll still be Qi Country’s brightest genius, the foremost talent of the Inner Mansion—countless individuals will rise to reclaim your honor.”
“If others insist on treating you as a chess piece, then step away and stop overthinking their strategies. Let them play their game however they want—go live your own life.”
Looking at Jiang Wang, Zhongxuan Sheng gave him both encouragement and a promise: “One day, when we’re ready, we’ll play our own chess game as the true players.”