Ye Zhao couldn't quite control his restless hands. Just as he was about to reach out and touch the model, Pei Shian’s voice drifted over, pulling his wandering mind back to reality.
"Years ago, the hundred-thousand-strong army of Xize invaded, their momentum as unstoppable as splitting bamboo. Later, they were defeated right here, in this city filled with the mechanisms of Tianshu. They were forced to retreat in a single day." One by one, Pei Shian opened the long-sealed windows of the Star-Plucking Tower. The howling winter wind rushed in from all sides, thinning the heavy scent of incense in the room.
Ye Zhao knew this story. In fact, practically every child in the Kingdom of Wei knew it.
Scratching his cheek, Ye Zhao followed the thread of the conversation, though he wasn't entirely sure where it was leading. "I remember... they said the troops were led by Xin Muyi and the Crown Prince of Xize."
"Yes." As the wind poured through the wide-open windows, the candles in the hall flickered and died out in swathes. Pei Shian’s voice remained perfectly level. "Back then, Xin Muyi led his troops through the North Gate, while the Crown Prince of Xize entered through the South Gate. In the end, they led their broken remnants back out through the South Gate."
"They arrived like wolves and tigers, fierce and overbearing. When they left..."
He trailed off. Ye Zhao watched him, puzzled. "How were they when they left? Defeated generals can't exactly stay arrogant, can they? Did they just tuck tail and run in disgrace?"
That seemed like the logical conclusion.
An image from that day surfaced in Pei Shian’s mind. After a few heartbeats, he turned to look at Ye Zhao. "No. They were terrified, soul-shattered, and clinging to life by a thread."
"Eh?"
Ye Zhao’s expression faltered. He felt that what Pei Shian was describing was technically what he meant, yet the weight of the words was entirely different.
At this point, that great war of the past had thoroughly piqued Ye Zhao’s curiosity. He leaned casually against the edge of the wooden platform, pondering for a moment before guessing, "They were scared out of their wits?"
Pei Shian replied, "You could say that."
"Tch," Ye Zhao chuckled. "Xize had a hundred thousand soldiers. How many did Tianshangjing have back then?"
Pei Shian held up a single finger.
"Ten—" Ye Zhao started to say the word, but stopped abruptly.
Wait, Wei was weak back then and had to split its forces to defend against Dongling. How could there have been a hundred thousand soldiers guarding the capital?
"Ten thousand?!" he exclaimed.
The disparity in numbers was staggering.
Pei Shian saw the same expression on Ye Zhao's face that many others had worn years ago. He answered calmly, "Yes. There weren't enough soldiers, so many civilians joined the fight. Combined with the guards and servants from various estates, they managed to win that battle."
Ye Zhao felt a fresh wave of admiration. This was a textbook example of a massive comeback against all odds! It had the same spirit as the guerrilla fighters from his own world's history.
"Impressive!" he praised sincerely.
Pei Shian looked up at him. "It was indeed impressive. After all, no one back then thought he could win."
Since it was just the two of them, even within the Star-Plucking Tower—a place draped in historical glory—Ye Zhao quickly relaxed. He asked with great interest, "Can you tell me more about that battle?"
Even though he knew this predecessor was a legend, he couldn't help wanting to hear just *how* legendary the man truly was. How could the gap between two human beings be so vast?
"I can. But aside from what I’ve already told you, I suspect you’ve heard most of the rest before."
*What he’d already told him?*
*The route the Xize army took from entry to exit?*
*But what about the process?*
Perhaps Ye Zhao’s expression was too obvious, for Pei Shian added tonelessly, "If you want to know how Tianshu commanded that victory, I’m afraid no one knows except the man himself."
His gaze fell upon the city model behind Ye Zhao. "This model of the city still bears the marks of Tianshu’s command during that battle. However, even if those who see it can decipher the sequence of maneuvers, no one can replicate Tianshu’s original thoughts regarding the timing and the deployment of forces at every juncture."
...
Fine. It seemed the full details of the engagement were known to no one but the commander himself.
Truly a "Greatest Brain." Ye Zhao glanced at the towering spires within the model, feeling a genuine sense of reverence.
"So, when the Xize army fled in defeat, how many men did they have left?"
They must have been hammered pretty hard by the big boss...
Pei Shian replied, "Over ten thousand."
"Hmm?"
Wait!
"That’s not right! How were there so many left?" Ye Zhao did some rough mental math and found it increasingly odd. Why did so many escape? That many men would have been enough for a counter-attack. Why did they just run away?
Then he realized that Xize hadn't dared to cross the border for over twenty years since then.
*Were they really that traumatized?* Ye Zhao thought silently.
Pei Shian explained calmly, "When Tianshu opened the city gates to let the Xize army in, the Crown Prince of Xize and Xin Muyi were each supposed to lead fifty thousand men. However, the Crown Prince was arrogant; he left ten thousand men outside the city and only brought forty thousand inside."
*And then he got slapped in the face so hard it swelled up,* Ye Zhao mentally completed the story.
But this was the first he’d heard that Tianshu had opened the gates himself to let the enemy in.
A city of mechanisms... indeed, it would require people to enter for its power to be unleashed. Still, one had to admit it was an incredibly bold move.
"Right, what was that 'Chess Master's Pact' all about?" Ye Zhao shifted to another rumor. "I heard that although Xin Muyi lost that battle, his chess skills were quite good, and Lord Tianshu made some kind of agreement with him?"
There was such a thing, but if Ye Zhao hadn't brought it up, it was unlikely anyone would have volunteered to speak of it. The scene witnessed that day had been truly chilling.
Recalling a certain memory, Pei Shian fell silent for a long while. Eventually, he said, "It wasn't exactly an agreement. It was more of a..."
He paused, finally uttering the word, "...deterrence."
*Deterrence?*
*What did that have to do with chess? Using chess to deter someone?*
*That’s ridiculous.* Ye Zhao silently dismissed the impractical thought. He couldn't figure it out after a moment's reflection, and since he had learned most of what he wanted to know, he ran out of questions. "Oh, I see."
He leaned down again to examine the massive city model closely. This time, his gaze started from the South Gate and moved toward the central district. The mechanisms within the model were laid bare before his eyes. As each mechanism appeared, the little figures representing the enemy army gradually decreased. Ye Zhao could only think of one phrase: divine foresight!
It was as if the great man had installed surveillance cameras throughout the city; the enemy's first split, every single route they took—everything had been firmly within his grasp.
Ye Zhao picked up a tiny wooden arrow, no longer than a fingernail, and scrutinized it as if in deep thought. His gaze then fell on several small mechanisms next to the arrow—interlocking parts, some even featuring tiny gears. The design was ingenious. Ye Zhao really wanted to try triggering one to see the effect.
But he couldn't. This was something intentionally preserved for observation. Who knew what would happen if his "dog paws" touched it?
He set the item down and stood to the side, involuntarily wondering: *What exactly did that senior do for a living? How was he so knowledgeable about mechanisms and military strategy? And politics too?*
"Military officer? Government official?..." He cycled through several national departments but couldn't settle on one. He sighed, but he was certain of one thing: the man's rank must have been very high.
"Did you figure something out?" Pei Shian’s voice pulled him back from his thoughts.
Ye Zhao snapped to attention and gave a light cough. "Ahem, nothing."
Perhaps to hide his guilt, Ye Zhao scanned the room. Realizing there wasn't much else to see, he said, "We’ve been here long enough. Shall we head back?"
Pei Shian looked at him without speaking. His gaze was very similar to that one look from before, making Ye Zhao feel strangely uneasy again.
"Alright."
Ye Zhao turned to walk toward the hall doors when he suddenly heard Pei Shian call his name. "Ye Zhao..."
"Hmm?" Ye Zhao turned back, looking at him in confusion.
As their eyes met, Pei Shian swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and simply said, "It’s nothing."
Hesitant to speak, with no place to begin, Pei Shian said nothing more.
The two of them descended the Star-Plucking Tower and walked toward the Hall of Eternal Light.
A light snow drifted through the sky. On a nearby gate tower, a figure had been standing for a long time, watching the two men enter and then leave the Star-Plucking Tower.
The white snow fell silently, covering his shoulders.
A paper umbrella blocked the falling flakes, and a clear, gentle voice spoke: "Father, why are you standing here?"
It was Xie Yisong. Today, he was dressed in white, which further emphasized his noble and peerless temperament.
The man he called father wore a deep gray cloak. He was tall and lean, and their features bore a faint resemblance, though the older man’s eyes were deeper. His aura was calm and still, giving off an unfathomable impression. This was none other than the immensely powerful Duke of Mingde—Xie Mingyuan.
"That is..." Xie Yisong spotted the two figures walking through the distant snow. It took him a moment to recognize them. "Ye Zhao and the Duke of Anguo?"
Beside him, Xie Mingyuan spoke. His voice was low and somber, betraying no emotion. "You know that Ye Zhao?"
Xie Yisong thought for a moment and replied, "We only met recently."
After asking the question, the man beside him fell into silence. No one knew what was hidden beneath his calm exterior or what he was thinking.
Xie Mingyuan slowly descended the gate tower.
Xie Yisong took one last look in the direction where the two had disappeared, his brow furrowing slightly.
When Ye Zhao returned and knelt back down beside Jiang Ziqi, the person next to him whispered, "You’re finally back. Well? What’s inside the Star-Plucking Tower?"
Ye Zhao sat on his heels, hands tucked into his sleeves, and thought it over. "Wind. Bright lamps. A chair. A wooden platform."
He paused, looked toward the ceiling, and added, "And a magnificent story."
"...That’s it."
Jiang Ziqi’s expectant expression froze. "Just that?"
"Yeah. What else did you expect?"
Jiang Ziqi felt a wave of disappointment. He curled his lip in boredom and muttered, "I thought there’d be something special. Honestly..."
He knelt properly for only a moment before leaning his upper body over again. "By the way, Ye Zhao, I forgot to ask earlier—when did you learn martial arts?"
"Huh??"
Ye Zhao was stunned. "I didn't."
Jiang Ziqi’s large, clear eyes stared at him. With a wooden face and a lowered voice, he said, "Still pretending? Every time we fought in the past, I was the one charging in front. If I’d known you were this good, I would’ve let you handle it."
Jiang Ziqi’s tone was quite resentful.
Only after he finished speaking did Ye Zhao realize what was going on. He fell silent for a moment. "...Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?"
Jiang Ziqi gave him a look that said *see for yourself*.
Ye Zhao: *Fine, looks like he doesn't believe me.*
He said, "We grew up together. The longest we’ve gone without seeing each other is ten days. Don't you know everything about me?"
"So, you actually went to such lengths to hide it from me for so long?"
"I didn't hide anything. It really was an accident."
Jiang Ziqi couldn't help but let out two emotionless chuckles. "Forget it. Only you would have 'accidents' like that. Are your hands not listening to you, or are your feet out of control?"
"...Neither." Ye Zhao wanted to bury his face in his hands and sigh. "He just happened to crash into me, so I just happened to make that move."
The only response was more mocking laughter.
Jiang Ziqi caught a glimpse of the fan at Ye Zhao’s waist. His mind flashed back to that moment when Ye Zhao had nearly taken Zhang Zuyao’s life. His heart was full of confusion and bewilderment. In that instant, he felt like Ye Zhao was possessed, becoming someone entirely unlike himself.
Ye Zhao offered a few more brief explanations and then stopped talking. Seeing Jiang Ziqi’s expression return to normal, he thought his friend finally believed him and focused on kneeling.
Meanwhile, Jiang Ziqi was already thinking—
*Maybe I should find an accomplished monk one of these days to perform an exorcism on Ye Zhao.*
As it turned out, Jiang Ziqi’s train of thought was truly peerless!
***
**Glossary**
