After rebirth, I joined forces with my mortal enemy to seek revenge.

On a late summer night, the palaces of Chang'an were shrouded in a sweltering heat. Even the ridge ornaments on the eaves seemed to breathe in the moonlight. An occasional breeze blew through the palaces, bringing a warm, oppressive atmosphere. Only the cicadas, nestled in the dense shade, chirped tirelessly, adding to the night's unbearable heat.

In the Shangshu Province's duty room, Jia Gonglu leaned against a table, his eyes closed, resting. The slight coolness emanating from the ice mirror seemed unable to suppress the sudden surge of heat. He had just finished listening to the message sent by Yuan Zhengze.

"The King of Wu has been confined to the palace, but he is being held captive by your Majesty. This servant cannot free him."

Upon hearing this, Jia Gonglu breathed a sigh of relief, stunned for a long moment before regaining consciousness. Yuan Zhengze had finally nailed down the most crucial task. Successful usurpation of the throne in ancient times relied on two key factors: control of the imperial guards and control of the emperor. Now, with the crown prince still imprisoned, the King of Wu was imprisoned by the emperor, effectively embracing the advantage of proximity. While the Emperor of Wei might fight tooth and nail, the King of Wu was also his son and held the title of heir. Even if the crown prince could return, they could easily forge an imperial edict and have him executed.

To navigate this world smoothly, every step must be planned for the future. A personal political career is a long-term one, and the possibility of being liquidated by the new ruler is even more so. He didn't care about these things at the moment. He was the mentor appointed by the Wei Emperor to the King of Wu, and naturally wished the best for him. However, his humble origins meant he couldn't compete with the aristocratic families, so with the Wei Emperor's tacit approval, he gave the King of Wu the power to stand on equal footing with the Crown Prince. He knew the Wei Emperor intended to suppress the aristocratic families and support the humbler commoners.

He had originally assumed that the Crown Prince would one day disobey his father and sovereign, meeting the same fate as Crown Prince Li. However, he had never imagined that Pei Jiaoran, appearing unexpectedly, would disrupt all his plans. Her actions had also forced the King of Wu to return to his fiefdom. As a former minister of the King of Wu, he naturally could not enjoy the political privileges afforded by the Crown Prince's accession to the throne. His only way to reverse the situation and gain advantage was to plot a dethronement.

Looking up at the blue-robed eunuch who was delivering the message, Jia Gonglu said gently, "Go back and tell Jueguan to take good care of His Royal Highness the King of Wu and not let him get into any trouble."

"Here."

The eunuch took the order and left.

As soon as the eunuch sent by Yuan Zhengze left, Sun Shaofeng appeared in the duty room of the Shangshu Province.

Looking at Sun Shaofeng before him, Jia Gonglu frowned. The court lady before him wasn't beautiful, just pretty. But she always wore a faint smile, which made people feel relaxed and comfortable. He seemed to understand why the Emperor of Wei kept her in his presence, serving as a scribe.

Jia Gonglu suddenly smiled and asked, "Sun Zhangyin, what advice do you have?"

"Prime Minister Jia." Sun Shaofeng bowed and saluted. "His Majesty has summoned you to the Lizheng Palace."

Hearing this, Jia Gonglu remained silent, staring at Sun Shaofeng sharply. It was not a good thing for the Emperor of Wei to suddenly summon him at this time.

"Your Majesty summoned me at this time? Is there anyone else?" Jia Gonglu asked.

"Your Majesty, I only ordered this servant to come and invite you. As for…" Sun Shaofeng paused, then continued, "Whether Your Majesty has sent anyone to invite others, this servant has no idea."

"Your Majesty, I'm the only one you see..." Jia Gonglu's eyes flashed with thought, and his smile deepened. "Let's go."

That night, Jia Gonglu was on duty at the Secretariat and heard the emperor's edict to enter the Forbidden City.

When Jia Gonglu arrived, the Wei Emperor, who was playing chess alone, had already reached a crucial point. Without saying a word, he simply waved his hand, signaling Jia Gonglu to sit down.

Jia Gonglu knelt before the Wei Emperor as instructed, his eyes thoughtful as he gazed at the stalemated chessboard before him. White's momentum was unstoppable, while Black, seemingly in the ascendancy, was in reality cornered, unable to slay his opponent. In an instant, a myriad of thoughts surged through his mind.

With this thought, Jia Gonglu couldn't help but look up at the Emperor of Wei. The Emperor before him was no longer the same man he once was, and he, too, had lost his youth. When he had won the championship that year, the Emperor of Wei was merely the unloved Prince of Jin, tall but seldom smiling. Yet, after the Qujiang Banquet, he had stopped him and humbled himself to ask for his advice. This was how the bond between emperor and subject came to be.

By this point, the ruler and his subjects no longer understood or supported each other, and their political aspirations diverged widely. Bitterness flashed in Jia Gonglu's eyes, and as he thought of the past, he let out an inaudible sigh. If this matter was accomplished, he would one day, in the afterlife, apologize to the Emperor of Wei.

With a "click", the white piece in the Wei Emperor's hand fell, and Jia Gonglu's thoughts were also pulled back.

"Xijun, come and see for me why the black piece lost." said the Emperor of Wei.

"Yes." Jia Gonglu frowned, looking at the tangled pieces on the chessboard. After a moment's reflection, he said in a deep voice, "Although the black pieces' arrangement is quite ingenious, its flaw lies in the seemingly interconnected and complex nature of the pieces. The player's constant defense has turned the clever move into a dead end. This has led to subsequent defeats and made it difficult to continue." He then murmured, "I have neglected my chess skills recently. If I have spoken inappropriately, Your Majesty, please forgive me."

The Emperor of Wei smiled and said nothing. "We have known each other for many years, how come we are so distant today?"

Just now, the Emperor of Wei had been playing two roles in a chess game, asking him to explain the situation. It seemed like a casual conversation, but in reality, he was trying to see if he had grasped the underlying meaning. After all, with the King of Wu already in the palace, they could strike at any moment. While the King of Wu was temporarily imprisoned, the Crown Prince was also away. They had far greater flexibility than the Crown Prince's allies.

"I dare not. But just now, when I followed Master Sun here, I smelled the fragrance of lotus on the wind. I couldn't help but think of many past events." Jia Gonglu smiled. "I remember those lotuses were planted by Your Majesty in the first year of his reign. They must be in full bloom now, a dazzling array of green and red."

As the words fell into his ears, the Emperor of Wei's eyes were blurred. "'In the past, I planted willows, and they swayed to the south of the Han River. Now I see them withering, and they are sad by the river. If even trees are like this, how can people bear it?' Xijun, you and I are both old now."

Jia Gonglu said: "Your Majesty is a true dragon in the sky. You should be like the white deer and the chaste pine, the green ox and the silky cattail. Their roots are intertwined and their spirits are spread out from the cliffs. Why should you lament the falling leaves and the long years of sorrow?"

The Emperor of Wei had summoned Jia Gonglu today simply to teach him a lesson, but he hadn't expected him to show any appreciation. He had considered imprisoning Jia Gonglu in the palace to pave the way for the Crown Prince. But judging by his attitude, he seemed to be considering parting ways with him. Now, the situation was beyond his control, and he couldn't afford to leave two dangerous individuals around. He had no choice but to hand the knife to someone else.

"My dear minister, you have looked quite haggard of late. I imagine it's due to the numerous trivial matters in the Secretariat. Go back and rest." The Emperor of Wei waved his hand, signaling Jia Gonglu to withdraw. Tormented by illness and having played a game of chess with himself, the Emperor of Wei was unwilling to continue entangled with a fox like Jia Gonglu.

After Jia Gonglu left, the Emperor of Wei cast a gloomy gaze on the table in front of him, and picked up his pen and ground ink.