The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 380 Death of Yuan Chonghuan

On the coffee table was a white tea tray, four black amber cups and a bluish-purple wine gourd.

"Before meeting Master Huiran, I heard from Commander Zhao that you possess extraordinary swordsmanship. Two years ago, at the summit of Mount Unknown, you fought one against three, defeating Lin Yu, Shen Lian, and Wu Xiao, and escaped unscathed. This time, on the outlying island of Nagasaki, two hundred soldiers were unable to capture you."

"Hahahaha, people are exaggerating. Prefect Yuan is well-educated and should be able to distinguish true from false. However, over the years, more than 700 people have asked me to serve as their assistant. And I have successfully completed all of these duties."

Yuan Chonghuan had been stationed in Japan for two years. He had witnessed desperate samurai committing suicide by disembowelment, and he also knew what kaishakunin was.

It is not surprising that a four-hundred-year-old monster has chopped off more than seventy heads in his long career.

However, if I lose this game, will the evil monk become my kaishakunin? If I die, will the Japanese pirates inevitably counterattack, and will Emperor Wuding's rule also collapse?
Yuan Chonghuan was good at governing the country but poor at managing his own affairs, and his Go skills were even more average. However, since things had come to this point, he had no choice but to go ahead.

"I heard that Emperor Wuding is surrounded by rebels and that troops from Liaodong have been withdrawn to support him. The emperor is too busy taking care of himself to care for you. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, without the support of Qi, you and your men are doomed to not leave Japan safely."

Huiran turned around and looked at the acolyte who was kneeling in the distance. Next to the acolyte, a long sword wrapped in black cloth was placed on a piece of red velvet.

"If you want to know the truth about life and death, why bother asking about safety and fate? People must do something while they are alive. I am in this position and I am planning my policies. We have just started and the outcome is unknown. Please take action!"

Yuan Chonghuan covered his knees with the hem of his official robe and focused his attention on the chess game.

The price of losing the game was that the Kaiyuan army had to withdraw completely from Kyushu. This was the condition proposed by the evil monk when he invited him to fight, and it was also the voice of the Japanese rebels.

“If you want to win,” his father had taught him, “you must give up the desire to win.”

Yuan Chonghuan made a safe move, connecting with Heizi's southern army and setting up a bridgehead position in front of the enemy.

The cautious sound of the chess pieces being dropped sounded like Blind Ke knocking on the bricks with his cane at Zuoanmen.

Ke Zhenwu once told Yuan Chonghuan: "This noble man from Lingnan, I'm afraid you will live to be a hundred years old and reach the highest position in the country in the future."

It’s a pity that I will die in Fusang today.

Huiran made an eye in the south (Note 1) to consolidate the southern army's position.

Blind Ke's cane tapped faster and faster, and for a moment, the sounds of pieces dropping from both sides could be heard continuously.

After a few moves, Yuan Chonghuan's white pieces captured eight black pieces in one fell swoop.

"These black guys are destined to die," Master Huiran said with a double meaning.

"Originally, it was just barely surviving." After saying that, the evil monk placed a spy behind Baizi's eastern border.

Yuan Chonghuan remained indifferent and opened up a path between the Eastern Army and the Central Army.

Huiran quietly dropped a strange black spot on the insignificant southeast side.

After two moves, Yuan Chonghuan only needed to send three more vanguards to connect the bridge. Of course, Yuan Zhifu thought, the evil monk would not let me complete my goal smoothly.

Huiran placed a piece next to the spy in the east, forming several stations with obvious functions.

In Yuan Chonghuan's view, those post stations connected together formed an unbreakable front line of troops, stretching from the northeast to the southwest, which was unstoppable.

At the last moment, Heizi stopped Yuan Chonghuan's army from gathering and cut his dominant legion into four isolated territories.

Only two chess pieces were left to connect the two, and Yuan Chonghuan placed one.

Huiran remained calm and deployed his troops at the other end of the battlefield.

The situation on the battlefield then reversed.

Yuan Chonghuan reviewed the entire chess game in his mind: I moved this way, then that way, I moved this way, then he moved that way, then I moved this way, then he...

Suddenly, Yuan Chonghuan's eyes flashed with the scene of the capital's fall, bandits breaking into the city, and Emperor Wuding martyring his country. He suddenly couldn't remember what to do first.

The White army is divided and the outcome is decided unless Black makes a serious mistake.

Could a four-hundred-year-old monster make a mistake?

of course not.

Go is a competition between prophets; whoever can see the farthest wins.

The game can still be sustained, but White's advantage has turned to disadvantage.

"Master, have you ever thought," Yuan Chonghuan said, "that it is not we who manipulate the chess game, but the chess game that manipulates us."

"You, Magistrate Yuan, are full of witty remarks. I had hoped to fight you for three days and three nights, but I didn't expect it to end in half an hour..." Yuan Chonghuan smiled awkwardly and said politely, "The Qi army in Handong is out of food and supplies, and short of manpower. Like the white pieces in this chess game, they are already trapped. Retreat is only a matter of time. As long as I am alive, I will abide by the agreement between you and me."

After saying that, he pointed to the green wine gourd placed beside the chessboard.

"Do you know about the wine on the volcano? I heard it's fine wine."

Hui Ran stroked his beard and smiled, "An old monster like me, who has survived until now, relies not only on magic power, but also on caution. I assassinated the Qi official a few days ago. It was unavoidable. It was only to end the war, facilitate today's chess game, and reduce unnecessary casualties on both sides. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I hope that Governor Yuan will forgive me."

Forgive me? I want to cut you into pieces.

Yuan Chonghuan echoed this sentiment, saying, "If the Shogun could be as kind-hearted as you, there would be no war between us."

The acolyte took the purple gourd and poured wine into four amber cups.

The hall, like a beast's lair, was silent. The breeze from the corridor gently blew through the gauze windows, and the curtains fluttered like spirit-calling banners.

I never thought that I would die in Japan.

Are my old friends in Lingnan safe and sound? Will Emperor Wuding finally achieve his great ambition?
Yuan Chonghuan looked at the cautious monk Shiranui and felt uneasy.

The monk gave the first cup of wine to the prefect, one to the master, and returned to his seat with the other two cups, distributing them to himself and his senior brother.

Yuan Chonghuan raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp. The Sanhe mud glaze of Jingdezhen gave his lips a rough and cool touch.

The wine brought by the volcanic monk was just like the old monk himself, sour and astringent, with a lingering aftertaste, just like the cat urine I drank when I was a child playing in the countryside of Dongguan.

"Good wine!"

Yuan Chonghuan said this against his will.

Fortunately, this will mask the taste of the things added to the wine.

Whether it was the effect of the poison or his own hallucination, Yuan Chonghuan saw the tragic deaths of those girls.

Over the past four hundred years, how many young men have there been? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands?
The vivid and charming faces are like the cherry blossoms planted in the courtyard of Lord Fengxing's mansion, blooming, withering and dying.

Yuan Chonghuan was overwhelmed with emotions. To conceal his nervousness and excitement, he immediately composed a poem:
A lifetime of work is always in vain,
Half a lifetime of fame and success is just a dream.

After death, there will be no shortage of brave generals.
Loyal souls still guard Liaodong.

Master Huiran put down his wine glass, clapped his hands and said in praise:
"Good poem! Good poem! Magistrate Yuan has finally come to his senses. Leave Japan and return to Liaodong to properly defend it! If it weren't for your master's warmongering, you and I might have become close friends. We are both stubborn people."

I am different from you.

Yuan Chonghuan was thinking and waiting, but Huiran and his apprentice didn't drink.

Despair enveloped Yuan Chonghuan. Did the evil monk know about the poisoning?
Despite such a great sacrifice, the demon monk still saw through his plan? Did Zhao Lujiao betray Da Qi?

Should I pull out my pistol and blow this monster's head off? Can I kill someone who even Lin Yu couldn't kill?

Yuan Chonghuan forced a smile and slowly opened his eyes, estimating his chances of success. Finally, Huiran and his apprentices drank up the wine in the amber cup.

A tingling sensation spread from the soles of my feet throughout my body, as if I had been stung by a poisonous bee, followed by a burning pain as if my skin was peeling off.

He heard his heartbeat gradually weakening.

The seagulls flew through the spokes of sunlight, flew over the elegant roofs, picked up the entrails of animals from the market, and fled over quiet courtyards, spiked walls and triple-barred doors.

"You...what did you put in the wine?!"

Huiran noticed something strange and reached out to touch the scabbard, but her arm seemed to be frozen in mid-air.

The monks on both sides rushed forward with weapons in hand to chop Yuan Chonghuan, but they collapsed to the ground after taking just two steps.

"A kind of venomous snake that lives in the dense forests of the south. Its venom is colorless and odorless and can be dissolved in wine."

Yuan Chonghuan's face was dark purple, his breathing was rapid, and the venom was flowing throughout his body, attacking his heart and lungs.

Before he died, he looked at Huiran, who was curled up on the chessboard and whose body was rapidly aging.

"Master, you have lived for hundreds of years and have harmed countless women. The Buddha will not accept you. Let me accompany you to hell."

Note:
1. Eye, a Go term. When several connected Go pieces surround one or two empty intersections, that point is called an "eye," also known as a real eye.

(End of this chapter)