The Child Emperor

Yang Feng was the enemy of all fate seers, having captured or killed hundreds of sorcerers of the pugilist world, with seven or eight fate seers dying directly by his hands.

“Defeating you would be the greatest honor of my life,” Lin Kunshan said with a smile. “Going with the flow of power – in the past, your influence was too strong for us to act. Send assassins? That’s not our style. Master Chunyu taught us that ‘power is formless, but observers have form.’ If we wait patiently, we’ll eventually encounter the great power we need, even if it only lasts briefly. As long as we seize that moment firmly, we can achieve what seemed impossible before.”

Yang Feng sat against a pillar, bound with ropes and visibly injured, his gaze cold as he ignored the fate seer.

Compared to strategists, Shang-guan Sheng trusted direct force more. Suspecting Yang Feng had obtained the Imperial Seal, he immediately subjected him to severe torture, even personally participating, but failed to extract any information.

Instead of being thrown in prison, Yang Feng was tied to a pillar outside the Founding Emperor’s Wardrobe Chamber. Shangguan Sheng suspected Yang Feng had obtained the Imperial Seal there and had searched the place thoroughly, but found nothing.

Lin Kunshan sat on the steps, able to look Yang Feng in the eye with a turn of his head. He exhaled leisurely, “Your loss of power will only last a few days. Once the Weary Marquis enters the Capital, Master Yang will become the most powerful eunuch in the realm. However,” Lin Kunshan smiled and shook his head, “you must ensure you survive until then.”

Yang Feng stared at his feet, “Did Chunyu Xiao send you? Among the fate seers I’ve met, your skills are second-rate at best.”

“That’s precisely why power is important.” Lin Kunshan wasn’t bothered by Yang Feng’s belittlement, and even seemed somewhat excited. With no one else in the courtyard, he could speak freely. “When you’re wealthy, even officials treat you with respect. When you’re destitute, even porters and merchants can berate you. Though I may not be a first-rate fate seer, Master Yang is no longer as free as he once was.”

Lin Kunshan sighed unnecessarily, “Power flows endlessly, and life’s circumstances are unpredictable. Take Shang-guan Sheng – if his uncle Shang-guan Xu had been more assertive, he wouldn’t have sole control of the palace guards today. Consider Cui Hong – had he looked further ahead, he could have played both sides instead of being left with only Prince Donghai as his option. And the Weary Marquis – the rise and fall of power is most evident in him. Tomorrow, with the Northern Army’s timely aid, he could be a brilliant emperor; without it, he’ll be remembered as an ambitious traitor struck down by Heaven. At this moment, who can see through the Weary Marquis’s fate?”

“What is cause? What is effect? Master Yang’s thinking is too rigid. We see power about to shift and give it a gentle push. The more power changes, the more we push; the more we push, the more power changes. Going with the flow is also riding the waves of power.”

Yang Feng fell silent for a moment, “I finally understand how annoying I must have been to others.”

Lin Kunshan was briefly stunned, then realized Yang Feng was mocking his pedantic, endless talking.

“Haha, please forgive my momentary conceit, Lord Yang.” Lin Kunshan turned slightly, moving closer to Yang Feng. “Shang-guan Sheng suspects you hid the Imperial Seal in the Wardrobe Chamber, but he’s searched it and found nothing. That leaves only one possibility – you have already passed the seal to someone in the palace.”

“There’s another possibility – I never touched the Imperial Seal. Why would the Empress Dowager entrust something so important to me?”

“The Empress Dowager’s thoughts can no longer be explained by ‘power,’ but I believe she did give you the seal.”

“Continue.”

“From my perspective as a fate seer, Lord Yang made his decision too early by planning to give the seal to the Weary Marquis.”

“Hmm, go on.”

“I understand Lord Yang’s intentions. How can one receive great rewards without achieving extraordinary merit? The suffering would be worth it. However, presenting the Imperial Seal depends on timing – different timing brings different merits. When the Northern Army arrives and the Weary Marquis seizes power through force, the seal would merely be icing on the cake. That merit wouldn’t even match the suffering Lord Yang is enduring now. But if we act now, before dawn tomorrow, giving the seal to the Weary Marquis would allow him to command the officials and get both the Southern Army and Palace Guards to stand down. That would be a tremendous achievement.”

“Hmm, continue.”

“For Lord Yang’s benefit, the seal must be delivered to the Weary Marquis as soon as possible…”

“What a coincidence – you’re thinking of me, while I’m thinking of you.”

“Haha, quite a coincidence indeed. My thoughts are simple – I hope to clear my name…”

“No, try another explanation,” Yang Feng said sternly, unconsciously displaying his pedagogical severity.

Lin Kunshan’s face reddened slightly. “I follow the flow of power. The Weary Marquis has the clearest path to success, so…”

Yang Feng shook his head. “Try again.”

“Delivering the Imperial Seal would be a great achievement. I don’t want Lord Yang to claim all the credit…”

“Better, but not enough. Try again.” Yang Feng remained unsatisfied, determined to extract all of Lin Kunshan’s thoughts, perhaps even some that didn’t exist. Though bound to the pillar, he seemed more like an interrogator questioning a suspect.

Lin Kunshan scratched his head, stood up, and paced around the courtyard. He suddenly stopped, a slight smile appearing on his face. “I’ve got it. Lord Yang is indeed clever. It’s a shame you’re not a fate seer.”

Yang Feng remained coldly silent.

“I want to give the seal to the Weary Marquis to help him reclaim the throne, but I also want to choose the right moment to inform Cui Hong and Shang-guan Sheng, persuading them to flee the Capital in different directions. The Shang-guan family originally came from Donghai – it borders the Princedom of Qi. If Shang-guan Sheng could unite those two regions and expand slightly outward, he could maintain independence. Prince Donghai has no foundation in Donghai, so Grand Tutor Cui could take him to the south. With many bandits there and through the Hua family’s connections, they could defend themselves using the rivers…”

Lin Kunshan grew excited. “This would create a three-way split of the realm, accelerating the flow of fate. The fate seers would thrive, but what benefit would Lord Yang gain from this?”

“Think carefully,” Yang Feng refused to reveal his thoughts.

Lin Kunshan fell into contemplation again, then suddenly laughed. “I came to persuade Lord Yang to surrender the seal, but somehow it’s turned into Lord Yang persuading me?”

Yang Feng, unable to move, slightly raised his head, gesturing for Lin Kunshan to stay focused.

“Does Lord Yang think the Weary Marquis might not secure the throne even with the Northern Army’s help? No, with their strength, they certainly could… Ah, so Shang-guan Sheng and Cui Hong must unite then, regardless of how fiercely they’re fighting now. Once the Northern Army appears, they’ll have no choice but to ally. Then there will be a great battle. Even if the Weary Marquis wins, it will be a pyrrhic victory. Many will die inside and outside the city. The desperate Palace Guards and Southern Army might massacre people in the city – palace servants, officials, scholars… Lord Yang seems particularly concerned about the scholars?”

Yang Feng disdained to answer such a question.

Lin Kunshan chuckled. “In short, Lord Yang hopes the Weary Marquis can inherit a relatively intact Capital and court. You’d rather split the realm into three, letting him gradually deal with the other two forces, is that right?”

“You’ve understood enough. Anything more would be beyond your comprehension,” Yang Feng said flatly.

Lin Kunshan laughed heartily. “Indeed, mutual understanding is sufficient – no need to dig deeper. So, will Lord Yang tell me where the seal is, so I can take it to the Weary Marquis?”

Yang Feng considered carefully for a moment before responding deliberately: “No.”

Lin Kunshan’s expression changed slightly as he forced a laugh. “Did Lord Yang lead me through all this conversation just for amusement?”

“Well, since we’re sitting here with nothing better to do, I thought I’d test your wit and wisdom.”

“Is Lord Yang satisfied?” Lin Kunshan’s smile grew increasingly stiff.

“Hmm…” Yang Feng examined him carefully for a moment. “You’d make a decent lackey, but not an advisor. I suggest you return to your master for another decade of study.”

Lin Kunshan laughed loudly – a fate seer’s typical tactic to mask embarrassment, confuse opponents, and buy time to think.

This trick had no effect on Yang Feng, who closed his eyes as if preparing for a nap.

Lin Kunshan stared at Yang Feng for a while before turning to leave the courtyard, his smile gone. He had lost again, not because of the Imperial Seal, but because as a fate seer, he had allowed Yang Feng to plant certain ideas in his mind – ideas so logical he couldn’t help but consider them, nor could he dismiss them.

“I should just kill him…” The thought occurred to Lin Kunshan as he pushed open the door. But with one foot over the threshold, he changed his mind. Even a gambler who turns to robbery chooses unrelated victims – one doesn’t suddenly rob their gambling partner mid-game. Such behavior would make them unworthy of even being called a “gambler.”

The contest between the fate seers and Yang Feng was indeed a gamble. Though Yang Feng was temporarily ahead, the fate seers have not admitted defeat. Lin Kunshan stamped his foot as an idea struck him.

Shang-guan Sheng was arranging the next morning’s attack. After finishing and dismissing his generals, he finally addressed the fate seer who had been waiting. “Did you get it?”

“It’s not even dark yet,” Lin Kunshan smiled. He had promised results by midnight, with several hours still remaining. After his encounter with Yang Feng, he desperately needed to rebuild his confidence through someone else, making his smile appear especially sincere.

“The Weary Marquis must be eliminated, the sooner the better,” Shang-guan Sheng said without looking up, as if this had been his idea all along.

The fate seers loved dealing with such people. He stepped forward to face Shang-guan Sheng and smiled. “If we get the Imperial Seal, we could eliminate more than just the Weary Marquis.”

Shangguan Sheng coldly replied, “Don’t play your fate seer games with me. Speak plainly.”

“Yes, yes, right now I’m not a fate seer – just a commoner seeking merit,” Lin Kunshan paused briefly. “Yang Feng has given the seal to someone in the palace.”

“Who?”

“He wouldn’t say.”

“Heh.”

“But I have a way to find out.”

Shang-guan Sheng finally looked at the fate seer seriously.

“Please spread word that General Shang-guan will launch a joint attack on the Weary Marquis tomorrow morning.”

“That’s a fact… but aren’t you worried about leaking information?” Shangguan Sheng frowned.

“The Weary Marquis can’t do anything even if he knows. He’s in a difficult position now – if he retreats, not only will his Southern Army scatter, but the Northern Army might lose faith in him too.”

“So who are we spreading this news to?”

“To those in the palace. Let whoever is hiding the seal understand that time is of the essence – they must deliver the seal to the Weary Marquis tonight, and then…”

“Then I’ll relax the guards slightly, and whoever sneaks out of the palace tonight must be carrying the seal.”

“Brilliant plan, General Shang-guan will surely succeed,” Lin Kunshan praised.

“Are you truly loyal to me?” Shangguan Sheng asked.

“I’m going with the flow. The momentum is clearly on General Shang-guan’s side – what choice do I have but to be loyal to you? I must, I have to, I cannot do otherwise.”

Shangguan Sheng responded with a cold grunt.

Matching wits with Yang Feng had been like climbing an insurmountable mountain. Though he couldn’t reach the summit, tackling smaller hills afterward seemed much easier. For this reason alone, Lin Kunshan felt Yang Feng deserved to live.

Lin Kunshan believed this night’s strategy would be enough to defeat Yang Feng. Once he achieved just one victory, the fate seer could kill this eunuch without any regrets.

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