stonecrandall Chapter 787: Master Gao, it’s time to hit the road!
Chapter 787: Master Gao, it’s time to hit the road!
Gao Yao was not in the most prominent position. He rode in a plain-looking carriage, mixed in with the convoy of senior officials. The curtain of the carriage window opened a crack, and his sharp eyes swept across the long procession, across the layers of mountains in the distance, and finally seemed to penetrate the space and landed in the direction of the distant Mount Li.
"Mysterious Yi Xiaochuan... the bait has been dropped, and the heavy troops have been dispatched." Gao Yao muttered to himself, tapping his fingers lightly on the edge of the car window, "The wind of Mount Li should start to blow, right? The true form is in the belly of this 'giant dragon'. I am waiting to see how you, the latent dragon, will be forced out of the abyss and fall into the trap!"
Wheels rolled, dust flew. The team moving the capital, carrying the temptation of immortality and a carefully woven death trap, embarked on a long journey back to the peak of power - Xianyang. At the foot of Mount Li, 50,000 troops and the elite Qingyi Society led by Erniu, like beasts with huge mouths, lurked quietly, waiting for the destined prey to appear. A thrilling game around the stars, information gaps and future destiny is about to begin.
Compared to Gao Yao's light carriage and fast horses, the team of his family members behind him seemed particularly bloated and slow. This huge team, personally escorted by Gao Yao's trusted general Wang Li, not only carried Gao Yao's wives and young children, but also servants, guards, wet nurses, doctors and indispensable baggage vehicles. The sounds of children playing, women talking, and the creaking of carriages and horses mixed together, forming a sharp contrast with Gao Yao's solemn and rapid gallop.
The team's pace was slowed down. The children were physically weak and needed to stop frequently to rest and be fed. The carriages that the women rode in were designed to be comfortable, but the long ride still made them exhausted and they needed to get off to stretch their muscles. The huge logistical supply was an even heavier burden. It took a lot of time to set up camp and cook meals every day.
Even though they were traveling on the official road that the court had vigorously repaired in recent years, the team could not move fast. It took them ten days to finally enter the territory of Dongting County.
For Gao Yao, who was in the middle of it, this slow journey became a rare leisure time. Temporarily away from the turbulent court and the tense military life, he seemed to have unloaded a heavy burden.
Every day, when the scenery was still good, he would order the convoy to stop and personally take his wife and children out of the car to "get some fresh air". Watching the children chasing and rolling on the grass, listening to the wives pointing out the mountains and rivers in the distance and laughing, and even learning to identify the wild flowers and weeds on the roadside, Gao Yao's face rarely showed a relaxed smile that belonged purely to a father and husband. This short time away from the center of power became a luxurious "break from the busy schedule" and a different kind of "relaxation" for him.
Inside the carriage, Gao Yao spent his time playing chess. The chessboard was always set up, and his opponent was often his accompanying counselor Xiao He. Gao Yao was in high spirits, making moves quickly and with great momentum. Xiao He responded calmly and carefully. The result was almost inevitable - Gao Yao lost nine out of ten games, and the occasional win was mostly due to his sudden "repentance", "stealing" or "re-arrangement" of cheating.
"Your Majesty, why do this?" Xiao He was once again forced by Gao Yao to play chess. Seeing that the opponent's big dragon was about to be trapped and killed silently by him, Xiao He twirled his beard and sighed helplessly, "You don't allow me to let up, but you insist on forcing me to play. The key is... Your Majesty's chess skills," he paused, weighed his words, and finally chose to speak frankly, "Over the past few days, it seems... that you haven't improved." Xiao He's eyes were full of the meaning of "Why do you have to humiliate yourself?"
Gao Yao was staring at the chessboard, thinking hard. Hearing this, he didn't even raise his head. He tapped the edge of the chessboard with his fingers and said, "Xiao He, what do you know? Playing chess is about mood and fun! Winning or losing? That's secondary!"
Gao Yao was determined not to admit that he was not only lacking in Go talent but also making slow progress, which perfectly illustrates what it means to be "bad at Go but love to play". Xiao He looked at his stubborn attitude and could only shake his head and smile bitterly, continuing to spend time with this lord who was "addicted to Go, had bad Go ethics, and even worse Go skills".
For a moment, the only sounds in the carriage were the crisp sound of chess pieces falling on the board and the rumbling of wheels outside the window. Just when Xiao He thought that this game would end without any suspense, Gao Yao held a black piece in his hand, hanging above the chessboard, and his eyes seemed to penetrate the criss-crossing patterns and look at a deeper place. He spoke casually, but his voice was a little lower, and the previous relaxed "fun" attitude was gone:
"By the way," Gao Yao's fingers unconsciously stroked the chess pieces, "How are the preparations in Nanjun going?"
Xiao He paused slightly, holding the white chess piece, and then steadily placed the chess piece in the designated position. He raised his head, and the last trace of helpless smile in his eyes disappeared instantly, becoming as calm and deep as a deep pool. He naturally understood what Gao wanted to ask about - the plan to make Master Gao "die reasonably".
"Don't worry, Your Majesty," Xiao He lowered his voice to ensure that only the two people in the carriage could hear it, "Everything is going according to plan. The trigger for the 'accident' has been laid, and it's just waiting for the right time and place to trigger it.
The person in charge of the execution is also a lieutenant general under Wu Can, and the number of people is just 500, which is enough to accomplish the task. The relevant "witnesses" and subsequent "investigators" have also been arranged to ensure that the final news will be spread throughout the world through the mouths of Nanjun, and will only point to a regrettable... man-made disaster, but will never implicate the king in the slightest. "
Xiao He's tone was calm, as if he was stating a piece of official business that had nothing to do with him. Only a hint of sharpness flashed through the depths of his eyes, revealing the importance of the matter.
He paused and added, "However, the people around Gongzi Gao still need to be carefully arranged. The final closing of the net must be extremely natural and fast, and he must not be given any chance to react or leave any trouble. I suggest that we issue the final order after we arrive at the Dongting County seat, settle down, and the information channels are more unobstructed, to ensure that nothing goes wrong."
Gao Yao listened, his eyes still on the chessboard, as if thinking about the next move. But Xiao He knew that his lord's mind was no longer between black and white. He slowly placed the black piece in his hand, but the position was not the best solution, and he even lost his composure. He said "hmm" softly, and the voice was low and carried an unquestionable determination:
"Well. Watch it. Make sure it's... neat and tidy. What I want is an 'unexpected' ending that everyone can accept and that the world can't complain about. This matter cannot afford to fail." The air in the carriage seemed to suddenly freeze because of this brief conversation. The previous leisurely chess fun was instantly replaced by the cold chill of the power struggle. The faint laughter of children outside the window made the secret discussion in the carriage even more eerie.