Ya She

Chapter 75 Shi Boxing (Part 2)
【Seven】

The night sky was ablaze with stars. Wang Li stood atop the gate tower of Lanchi Palace, gazing intently at the rolling mountains to the north, his eyes deep and unfathomable. Behind him lay his birthplace, the city of Xianyang, already asleep. And in the distance lay the land where his destiny lay.
The turning point.

If he had been more cautious back then, Prince Fusu wouldn't have met such a tragic end. Would the fate of the entire Qin Dynasty have been very different then...?

Wang Li gripped the railing tightly, then slowly loosened her grip. There are no "what ifs" in life.

What has become a fact is history and cannot be changed.

The sound of horses' hooves came from the darkness, growing louder as they approached, finally stopping beneath the city walls. Soon after, the clear, melodious sound of jade pieces striking each other rang out behind him; the sound arrived before the infant.

"Haha! That traitor Zhao Gao has been executed! Hu Hai has admitted that the First Emperor's edict was altered and has been imprisoned. He will be tried after the new emperor ascends the throne." Ying's voice was filled with undisguised joy, and he was beaming with pride, no longer displaying the indifferent demeanor he had shown before.

Wang Li patted the railing approvingly and exclaimed, "Excellent!"

"Not at all, it's all thanks to General Wang's strong support," Ying said sincerely. You see, a leisurely prince like him couldn't possibly have manipulated Xianyang City. Wang Li used the Wang family's connections and power, uniting numerous princes and nobles, even the elite Tiger Army. Moreover, he was incredibly astute, anticipating and thwarting many of Zhao Gao's plans beforehand. Then, he sowed discord between Li Si and Zhao Gao, causing Li Si to break with Zhao Gao and join their side. Even more terrifying was the methodical and swift execution of Wang Li's actions. In just three days, before the First Emperor's funeral, he had transformed Xianyang City with lightning speed.

Wang Li smiled. Ying didn't know that his arrangements, which seemed like impromptu plans, were actually the result of his repeated mental reviews over a long period of time. He also had many backup plans in hand.

But the most basic requirement for these plans to succeed is that the eldest son, Fusu, is still alive. Back then, A'luo only gave him one task, and he failed to complete it.

"Ah... it's almost dawn." The infant stood on tiptoe, straining to open his eyes wide, gazing up at the darkness in the distance to the north. The Lanchi Palace where they were currently located was the northernmost palace in Xianyang City, and also the closest palace to Shangjun.

Yes, the eldest prince Fusu is about to return to the capital. According to the scouts, he should arrive at Lanchi Palace at dawn this morning.

Below the city gate, a large crowd had gathered. Even the Meng clan, who had been imprisoned, donned military uniforms after being rescued and came to Lanchi Palace to welcome the future emperor.

"Ah! Look at those torches on the horizon, are Aro and the others back?" Ying suddenly exclaimed.

Wang Li followed his gaze and saw twinkling torches appearing in the darkness in the distance, contrasting with the night sky.

The starlight shone brightly, as if the Milky Way had fallen from the sky to the mortal world, mysterious and breathtaking.

It must be admitted that Zhao Gao, that treacherous minister, was truly a master of manipulating people's hearts. This illusion was so realistic that it was almost impossible to distinguish from reality; even Ying, who was caught in the game, was completely deceived.

It's okay, he'll let Ying win this round.

Over the past few days, Wang Li subtly inquired several times, deducing Ying's current situation. He believed Ying was still alive, and if he could successfully escape the game, he would return to the correct historical timeline. According to fatalism, the probability of Ying surviving the game was high. Even if Ying forgot everything, the experience of killing Zhao Gao would be deeply etched in his memory, perhaps triggering it at some point, even if only slightly.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? That is the question.

Wang Li didn't know if everything he did would be useful, but even if it was an illusion, if it could overturn the original desperate situation, he would have no regrets even if he died.

However, staring at the torches getting closer and closer in the distance, Wang Li sighed regretfully.

Whether in the illusion of the chess game or in reality, he never saw Aro again. What a pity…

As the first rays of sunlight leaped out from the horizon, Ying seemed to sense something and turned around to look, only to find that Wang Li, who had been standing beside him, was nowhere to be seen.

[White wins this game.]

【eight】

On the rosewood counter, a gilded dragon-shaped incense burner leisurely exhales a wisp of smoke that meanders upwards and slowly dissipates into the air. Through the smoke, the entire room is shrouded in a hazy mist, creating a dreamlike atmosphere that makes it difficult to see clearly.

The boss looked at the doctor who suddenly pushed open the carved door and appeared in front of him. His fingers tightened on the gold-plated mask, but in his heart he felt as if he had heard the sound of the last shoe hitting the ground.

finally come.

Although he didn't want the doctor to get involved in this bizarre game, Zhao Gao had already either tricked or captured everyone around him, so the doctor certainly couldn't escape either.

But when this person actually stood opposite him as his opponent in the chess game, the boss couldn't help but sigh softly. "What's with the sigh? So young, why so many worries?" the doctor said, as usual, familiar with the situation.

Lu Di sat at the counter, casually picked up a doucai bell cup, picked up a purple clay teapot, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and began to drink it by himself.

The boss touched Yu Xuanji's cold chest; this time, Yu Xuanji didn't warm up despite the doctor's approach. However, perhaps it was an illusion; everyone's consciousness had entered the chessboard, not their actual physical form.

"Why are you here?" The boss knew this must be Zhao Gao's arrangement, but he couldn't help asking. "Ah? I just got off work and came straight here!" The doctor put down the doucai bell-shaped cup in his hand, blinking innocently.

"What should we eat tonight? A new lamb spine hot pot restaurant opened nearby, I heard it's pretty good, shall we try it? Or if we don't want to go out, we can order eel rice delivery. Oh, actually, Korean bibimbap is also good..."

"You... have you remembered everything?" the boss asked tentatively, looking at the doctor's expression.

The doctor paused in taking out his phone, then smiled and said, "So what if you remember, or you don't? The important thing is that you're finally back, isn't it?"

The boss frowned slightly. "This is not a place you should be..."

The doctor was taken aback, then awkwardly forced a smile and said, "Oh? I can't even come to the Silent Shop anymore?"

"No, although what you see is the Silent Shop, this isn't the real world, but a chess game." The shopkeeper reached out and touched the celadon porcelain plate on the display shelf. The illusion was very similar, but only in form, not in spirit. These antiques had no soul; they were just empty shells. The shopkeeper withdrew his hand, looked seriously at the doctor, and slowly said, "You and I are opponents in this game. If I'm not mistaken, only one of us can ultimately leave through this door."

"Huh? Chess?" The doctor looked completely bewildered. "Then how do you determine who wins and who loses in this game?" "We're currently in the Silent Shop; I should be the defender, and you should be the attacker." The shopkeeper touched the jade pendant on his chest.

Xuanji, he carried many antiques with him to deal with this chess game, but it is unknown which one actually works. "The key to breaking the game should be the wish of the antique guarding the game. Fulfilling its wish will solve the game. The winning move should be different for each game."

"Oh? As a member of the game, shouldn't I offer some hints?" The doctor closed his eyes and sensed the situation.

The boss didn't think he could guess anything.

After all, even the boss didn't know which of the antiques he brought was involved in the game.

Of course, the most likely one is the jade pendant on her chest, but what wishes might the jade pendant have?

"Ah, I see!" The doctor snapped his fingers, beaming with joy. "Boss, is your wish to have someone by your side? I'll be here with you, how about that?"

The shopkeeper's hand holding the rag trembled, and he subconsciously touched Yu Xuanji's chest. Was Yu Xuanji's wish simply to have someone by her side?
Over two thousand years, he saw off one reincarnation of Fusu after another, wandering from city to city, constantly on the move, without a fixed abode. All that accompanied him were objects, which, eventually weathered by time, became antiques in the eyes of many.

Later, he opened an antique shop, and the Silent Shop became his home.

However, apart from these silent antiques, he was all alone in the house.

Initially, Fusu's reincarnation was his obsession, but after repeatedly failing to keep him and experiencing heartbreak, he could only choose to stay away, avoid any interaction, and protect him from a safe distance.

The doctor was an accident.

The shopkeeper stroked the jade disc, his fingertips tracing the intricate carvings, forcing his wandering thoughts back. Did the desire to guard the antiques directly reflect the owner's wishes?

So, is his deepest desire someone to be with him? But why does the person in front of him know this so clearly?
The boss remained silent for a while before finally looking up at the doctor and slowly asking, "Will you always stay with me?" The doctor smiled matter-of-factly and said, "Of course, I will always stay with you."

The boss nodded, but then turned around and pulled out a Tang sword from the nearby display case. To the doctor's astonishment, he thrust it straight at him.

"This illusion is very well imitated, but it's only similar in form, not in spirit," the shopkeeper said calmly.

The Tang sword pierced the "doctor's" chest, but instead of blood gushing out, it made a few sounds like porcelain shattering. The "doctor" shattered, and pieces of porcelain fell to the ground, turning into dust.

Although the process of turning from a human figure into porcelain shards and then into powder was very quick, the shopkeeper still clearly saw the essence of this porcelain doll: white glaze body, yellow-green and white glaze surface, it should be Tang tri-color.

The tip of the Tang sword pierced a peach pit, which was placed in the heart area of ​​the Tang tri-colored pottery doll. If Fusu were here, he would recognize that this peach pit was the one he had accidentally let go of in Peach Blossom Spring.

Outside the carved gate of the Silent Shop, a few coughs were heard, and a hoarse voice growled unwillingly, "How can you be sure this person is fake? Besides, how could you be so ruthless to the person you care about most, directly trying to kill them?"

The shopkeeper removed the peach pit from the tip of the Tang sword, examined it between his fingers, and coldly replied, "Precisely because he is the most important person to me, I cannot tolerate anyone impersonating him."

Suddenly, "Zhao Jia" outside the door remembered something. He recalled that after escaping from Peach Blossom Spring, he was captured by Zhao Gao, and the latter's gaze towards him was terrifyingly cold.

Zhao Jia chuckled strangely. So that's how it is, so that's how it is. This is a scheme to kill with a borrowed knife. The peach pit in the boss's fingertip seemed to have finally reached its limit, breaking into several pieces in his hand.

The strange laughter outside the door stopped abruptly at that moment. The carved door of the Silent Shop opened by itself without any wind.

The shopkeeper put the peach pit fragments in his hand into a handkerchief, wrapped them up, and exhaled deeply.

[The white player wins this game.]

【Nine】

Xianyang Palace. "Oh dear, they lost so easily! I thought we could drag it out a bit longer!" Zhao Gao said, sounding quite pleased with himself.

He spoke words of regret, but there was not a trace of remorse in his tone. He cheerfully took a black piece with its writing gone from the board, not feeling that it was a loss for his side.

At this moment, three defeated black pieces lay beside him. "Looks like my junior brothers truly live up to their reputation; both of them have won!" Zhao Gao exclaimed in admiration, but then looked at...
The Taoist in the green robe had a gaze as sharp as a knife.

There were two white stones that the Taoist in the green robe had picked up.

At this point, only three black pieces and four white pieces remain on the chessboard, including those representing Zhao Gao and the Taoist in the green robe.

"Tsk, not bad, the game's already over so quickly." Zhao Gao stroked his chin, a dangerous smile curving his thin lips in satisfaction. "My good master, it's your turn."

The Taoist priest in the green robe looked much paler than before. He reached out and picked up the stone tablet, rubbed it between his fingertips, and slowly tossed it onto the chessboard.

"Oh, it's eight." Zhao Gao forced a cold smile.

The Taoist in the green robe touched Shi Boqiong with his hand, raising an eyebrow in surprise. This time, Zhao Gao hadn't lied. He moved two white chess pieces on the board, one five steps and the other three, both landing precisely next to the two black pieces.

"Tsk, trying to wipe them out completely!" Zhao Gao snorted, but his face didn't show any tension from being forced into a corner; instead, he seemed to be in a state of unrestrained excitement.

The green-robed Taoist's eyelashes trembled slightly before returning to calm.

【pickup】

The ornate doors of the Silent Shop were wide open, but it was pitch black outside, and nothing could be seen. The owner, however, did not leave immediately.

He came prepared this time, bringing not only the gold face but also many other carefully selected antiques, including some that could help him escape the game.

However, there's a 50% chance he's been assigned to his master's camp. If he leaves now, wouldn't that be a pointless loss for his master? It's better to leave once it's confirmed he's on Zhao Gao's side.

Just as the boss put the Tang sword he was holding in his right hand back on the treasure shelf, an irresistible force embraced him, and he strode towards the door of the Silent Shop.

Knowing that this might be the situation when a piece is moved, the boss suppressed his instinct to break free of control, silently took his hand out of his pocket, and relaxed his body.

The scene outside the Silent Shop in the illusion resembled the corridors of Xianyang Palace, with distant passageways and covered walkways faintly visible. Along the way, we passed some buildings that looked familiar, but we moved on before we could take a closer look.

Finally, he stopped in front of a building that looked familiar.

The heavy doors opened by themselves without any wind, revealing a spacious inner room with closed windows all around. In front of each mat were embroidery frames. This was... the weaving room?
The boss had visited the weaving workshop a few times. At that time, Caiwei said she wanted to go to the weaving workshop to become a weaver. The boss agreed verbally, but he was still worried. He secretly went to the weaving workshop to observe and found that Caiwei was not being bullied and had received good guidance, so he was relieved.

Picking ferns...

Could his opponent in this round be Caiwei?
A beautiful, delicate face flashed into the boss's mind, and his gaze softened slightly. Caiwei…wasn't she gone so many, many years ago?

Although the weaving room in front of him was large, apart from a few supporting beams, the view was very open, and the boss could see at a glance that there was no one inside.

For a moment, I didn't know whether to feel disappointed or relieved.

The force behind him pushed him into the weaving room, and the door behind him closed silently. His body regained its freedom, and the shopkeeper turned around to check before looking at the shimmering woven dress in the center of the room.

The shopkeeper took a few steps forward, stopped in front of the woven skirt, and examined it closely. He never expected that the woven skirt that had gone missing from the Silent Shop would appear here.

Before the boss could even ponder the significance of this woven skirt in the room, he heard footsteps coming up from underground and a barely audible gasp from behind.

The boss froze on the spot.

A rustling sound came from behind, and someone solemnly prostrated themselves on the ground, their voice trembling. "Your Excellency..."

Caiwei thought she must be dreaming. She had heard footsteps on the ground and wanted to sneak a peek. But that one glance almost made her burst into tears.

Although the High Minister had cut his hair short and changed his robes, as the Weaver Girl, the High Minister's figure was firmly engraved in her heart.

Ah, the gods must have heard her plea, and her wish was actually granted!

When the boss finished gathering his thoughts and turned around, he saw Caiwei seem to have remembered something. She lifted her robe and ran towards the basement, running down and back up, carrying a black garment in her hand.

"My lord, this is a jacquard gauze that Caiwei made for you. The robe you're wearing..." Caiwei carefully examined her lord's crimson dragon robe. She first admired the way the robe, covering his limbs, accentuated his figure, then scoffed at the embroidery of the crimson dragon. After a few more glances, she noticed the robe was a modified version of a traditional banner robe, and handed over the jacquard gauze. "My lord," she said, "your robes are unstable; this jacquard gauze will reinforce them." The shopkeeper took the gauze and found it to be a finely stitched vest, its texture revealing it to be of the same origin as his crimson dragon robe. He had survived only because of the banner robe Caiwei had sewn. Therefore, even though they were on opposing sides, the shopkeeper had no suspicion of her and put the jacquard gauze on without hesitation.

Because of its mesh weave, this type of fabric is very thin. After the shop owner put on this jacquard gauze vest, he felt it was very soft and light.

The patterns on the jacquard silk were all blood-red, and as soon as the shopkeeper put it on, they seemed to grow like living plants. The blood-red patterns, like vines, coiled downwards around the crimson dragon robe, and then gradually enveloped the dragon's body and...

His limbs were bound by chains of blood-red thorns. The red dragon only realized what was happening just before it was firmly locked up. It let out a silent roar, struggled in vain, and was finally trapped.

Caiwei nodded in satisfaction, smiling gently, "That's great, now this dragon can't cause any more trouble!" With the red dragon restrained, the shackles that had plagued the boss for years seemed to have been removed in an instant, making him feel completely relaxed.

Many of them even regained some of their five senses, and could still smell the camphor wood chest in the weaving room.

Caiwei clapped her hands together happily and said with a genuine smile, "By the way, Lord Shangqing, are we playing a game of chess? I think I vaguely know about it."

She took the woven dress down from the rack, and with a twirl, she put it on. The shimmering light of the luminous pearls cascaded down, and the colorful, gradient gauze, the luxurious gold threads, and the layers upon layers of bird feathers... all moved gracefully with Caiwei's movements, lifelike and magnificent.

"The dress's original wish was to wear it for the most important person in my life." The dress's first owner wanted to wear it for her brother. "But now the dress belongs to me! I want to wear it for the High Minister to see. 'High Minister, do I look good?'"

Caiwei was already beautiful and elegant. As the saying goes, clothes make the man. In the boss's memory, Caiwei always wore simple and elegant clothes. This was the first time he had seen her wearing such a rich and luxurious woven dress. Moreover, she was overjoyed because her wish had been fulfilled. She was like a dazzling firework blooming in the sky, so beautiful that it was hard to describe.

"Beautiful." The shopkeeper smiled gently. "Caiwei is especially beautiful."

Caiwei's beautiful eyes lit up, and then she smiled brightly: "That's great, I'm so happy."

The boss had already guessed that Caiwei had likely volunteered to complete the woven dress so that he could win the game. And how could he possibly let Caiwei perish like this?
The shopkeeper swiftly pulled out a water-blue jade pendant from his pocket and put it on Caiwei, successfully preserving her soul before her body faded away.

The door to the weaving workshop was wide open, and the woven skirt fell to the ground. The shopkeeper carefully put away the water jade, then bent down and rummaged through the beautiful woven skirt to find a tattered and simple straw doll.

Is it Tu Chuling...?

That person actually used such a dilapidated thing to contain Caiwei's soul... It's alright, we'll get Caiwei a better body in the future.

The shopkeeper intended to put the Tuchuling doll into his Qiankun bag, but stopped before he could put it away.

He stared intently at the unremarkable Tu Chuling, recalling the unusual sensation of the place he had just touched, and with his fingertips pulled a thin, black needle from the straw.

The needle was two inches long, made of some unknown material, and as thin as a hair. At the end of the needle was a tiny round hole. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the hole at the end of the needle, though seemingly round, was actually a tiny octagon.

The boss seemed to have discovered something and took out the Luoshu Nine Stars Compass from his pocket.

Legend has it that the Nirvana Compass can reverse time and space, allowing a person's soul to flow backward, achieving true rebirth. However, because this Nirvana Compass was too powerful, the compass needle and the compass itself were disassembled and stored away. The disassembled compass is the Luoshu Nine Star Compass, which can only allow people to briefly travel back to a certain period of history, but cannot make any changes.

And this compass needle...

The shopkeeper looked at the Luoshu Nine Stars Compass; the protrusion at the mechanism where the compass needle rotated was a tiny octagon. Why was this Nirvana Compass needle on Caiwei? At first glance, its shape resembled a sewing needle…
Wei is indeed the Weaver Girl. Could she really be mistaking this Nirvana Needle for a sewing needle?

The boss had nowhere to verify this for the time being, so he removed the compass needle from the Luoshu Nine Stars Compass and put the Weaver Girl Needle he had taken from Tu Chuling on it.

With a click, it fit perfectly.

As if waiting for hundreds or thousands of years, the compass needle spun excitedly, not stopping for a long time.

The boss touched the red dragon bound by thorns, held the Nirvana Compass, and strode into the darkness outside the weaving room without looking back.

From now on, we should play this game according to his rules.

[The white player wins this game.]

Eleven

The baby felt like he was still dreaming and hadn't woken up.

He just had a dream in which Zhao Gao and Hu Hai plotted to usurp the throne, and the eldest prince, Fusu, with his and Wang Li's help, reclaimed the throne. How did he end up back in Xianyang Palace in the blink of an eye?

This... isn't the main hall of Xianyang Palace yet, but rather the Imperial Garden...

As was his habit, Ying looked toward a corner of the Imperial Garden and, sure enough, saw a slender figure dressed in heavy robes standing in the corner, looking down at his toes, under the dappled shadows of the trees.

This is...Young Master Hu Hai...

Ying still remembers that when Hu Hai was a child, he loved to go to the study of the eldest son, Fu Su. At first, the eldest son welcomed him to go every day. After all, Hu Hai was a lovable child at that time. Even if he didn't understand, he wouldn't make a fuss. He would just stare intently with his big, clear black and white eyes. No one could refuse him.

However, later, the First Emperor said that Huhai would interfere with the eldest son Fusu's studies and resolutely forbade him from going to the eldest son Fusu's study. Huhai then stood outside the study and secretly listened. Later, when the eldest son Fusu was allowed to participate in politics in Xianyang Palace, Huhai's post was moved to outside the warm pavilion of Xianyang Palace.

Wait a minute, Hu Hai is all grown up and ready for his coming-of-age ceremony, but he still looks like a teenager. Is this a dream? Dreams don't follow logic, that's normal.

Relying on the fact that he was dreaming, Ying swaggered over with nonchalant steps. If it were before, he would have run far away long ago upon seeing this, but it was just a dream!

After taking a few steps closer, Ying realized something was wrong. Why was the young master's shoulder twitching? Was he... was he crying?

Seeing that things were not going well, Ying tried to run away, but Hu Hai spotted him first, raised his head, and glared at him with his red, tear-filled eyes.

"No, no, no, I didn't make you cry, did I?" Ying thought he was about to call for help when he saw him like this. He couldn't let himself be taken advantage of in a dream! Even though he had just beaten up this kid in the last dream.

"It's you." The young man Hai wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve and muttered under his breath, "You got off easy." "What did I get off easy?" Ying was completely baffled.

Hu Hai glanced back at the window of the warm pavilion and sighed softly, "I never thought that the most unforgettable scene of my life would be here. That's right, even at this moment, he still cares about me."

The baby blinked, not understanding at all.

"Minghong's wish is my wish, and my wish is to find my brother. You can win this round, I'm going to find my brother now." Huhai wiped away his tears and smiled contentedly.

However, when Hu Hai looked at Ying, his smile vanished, and he said solemnly, "The next time you see me, you must kill me." Ying was taken aback. What did he mean by that? "Heh, whatever, you'll forget those words anyway, so saying them is pointless," Hu Hai said, scoffing.

The infant heard a bird's cry pierce the sky. Just as he looked up, a streak of crimson flashed overhead and disappeared in an instant. When he looked down at Hu Hai again, he saw that the corner was now empty.

[White wins this game.]

【Twelve】

The boss walked out of the weaving room, put on his gold mask, and glanced at the chessboard. He found that Zhao Gao's side only had one black piece left, while his master's side still had four white pieces.

In other words, he and his master were on the same side, and apart from his master and him, there were two other survivors on their side. This was both good news and bad news.

Taking Caiwei as an example, not all those recruited to Zhao Gao's side were true enemies.

In particular, the boss noticed through the golden face that even when Zhao Gao was facing such an extremely unfavorable situation, he still curled his thin lips into a smile, looking extremely relaxed.

This person must have a backup plan.

But now is not the time to consider that.

The boss memorized the chessboard layout he saw through the gold surface, and by mentally calculating his initial position and the route he took to reach the weaving room, he could roughly deduce the location of the other two white pieces.

First, rescue your own people, then gather them together and head to the main hall of Xianyang Palace.

The shopkeeper carefully put away the gold pieces, stood silently for a moment to determine the direction, and then quickly walked towards the white piece closest to him.

After turning a corner in the corridor, the boss saw someone walking ahead in the shadows. The person in front heard his footsteps, stopped, and turned around.

"Ah! Boss! Boss!" The doctor rushed over in surprise. "Boss, you really are here! This place really scared me to death! I wandered around for ages and couldn't find the exit! Where is this? Is this the legendary ghost wall?"

"Huh? Boss, you finally changed your clothes? Wait, isn't this still the same red dragon robe? Why did you add dragon patterns to it?"

"Ah! Right, boss, I remember everything! What was that brat Lu Zigang up to? He made me forget you completely! Boss, you're really heartless, you came back but didn't even recognize me!"

The doctor was hesitant, wanting to argue with the boss, but after being trapped here for so long, he was finally able to see the boss and felt relieved to be rescued, yet he couldn't bring himself to be cold to the boss.

The shopkeeper glanced at the longevity lock around the doctor's neck, which had dangled from running; the gold and jade repairs on it were clearly visible. Ah, thank goodness, the doctor is alright.

The shopkeeper was only momentarily distracted before he immediately grasped the key point in the doctor's incoherent words and asked, "Have you been walking around in this corridor the whole time?"

"Yes! I came here right after leaving the Cloud Elephant Tomb, and I've been lost in the corridor. Oh, right, boss, I found your friend Ying! He should have come here with me too, but we got separated again. We found a strange jade piece back then..." The doctor rambled on, recounting his extraordinary adventure in the parts he could understand.

Since Zhao Gao arranged for a fake doctor to be placed on the opposing side, it's also possible that he placed the real doctor on the opposing side. However, now that all the haters except Zhao Gao have been wiped out, the doctor can no longer be on the opposing side.

But now it seems the doctor more likely wandered in by mistake with the infant. It's unclear why Zhao Gao didn't include the doctor in the chess game.

Regardless of the truth, the outcome is good.

The boss breathed a sigh of relief and promised, "I'll explain everything to you properly once it's all over."

The doctor stopped talking immediately, pursed his lips, looking like he wanted to get angry but had nowhere to vent. Finally, he let out a breath, nodded, and said, "I know you're doing this for my own good and don't want me to be in danger."

“But it’s not good to keep this from me,” the doctor said earnestly.

"Yes, I was wrong." The boss hadn't apologized to anyone in many years, and he spoke very solemnly.

The doctor then felt a little embarrassed, scratching his head and saying, "So what are we going to do now? I'm already here, you can't just kick me out, can you?"

"Save someone. Follow me." The boss took the lead and continued walking. "We'll talk as we go." "Okay!" the doctor readily agreed.

"By the way, will you always stay with me?" the boss asked casually as he walked forward. "What nonsense are you talking about? Shouldn't I be asking you that? Who abandoned me?" the doctor retorted.

He complained angrily.

The boss smiled silently and began to change the subject, explaining Zhao Gao's series of arrangements to the doctor. After he had spoken for a while, he stopped outside the gate of a courtyard.

The gate to the courtyard was half-open, and the sunlight inside was bright, creating a beautiful spring scene.

The doctor looked at himself in the cold, dark winter night, then at the sight of blooming flowers inside the door, and was marveling at the scene when he saw the boss step in. He quickly followed, squinting his eyes.

The sunlight in the courtyard was blinding, and the doctor squinted for a long time to adjust his eyes before opening them again. "Huh? Isn't that Ying?" Standing next to the boss was none other than Ying, his new friend from the Cloud Elephant Tomb.

"Huh?" The doctor had initially intended to go in and say hello, but after thinking about it, he withdrew and stood at a distance, not following. In a corner of the Imperial Garden, Ying was wondering why the still-young Hu Hai had simply disappeared, when she discovered...
Luo came to find him.

Oh dear, it really was a dream. A'Luo looks handsome with his short hair, and his strange clothes are also very nice... Ying grabbed A'Luo's hand and started rambling on, complaining to him about the strange Hu Hai from earlier.

His Aro listened attentively and even asked him what else he had dreamed about.

Before? Oh, his previous dreams were even stranger! He also dreamed that Zhao Gao and Hu Hai plotted to usurp the throne, and that the eldest son, Fusu, with the help of him and Wang Li, reclaimed the throne.

Oh? Wang Li? Yes! Wang Li put in quite a bit of effort! But it seems he suddenly disappeared later... What about the dream before that? Further back... further back was to buy a glass bead for A Luo, and we arrived at a place called Tian Guang Xu.

The place...

A glass bead…wait, A'Luo actually gave him a glass bead. This glass bead…it looks so familiar. “Ying, take this glass bead and go back.”

How strange, Aro's expression looks like he's about to cry. It's not like it's a matter of life and death, it's just a dream! "Be good, listen to me, take it, go back..."

The infant instinctively took the glass bead handed to him. "Go back."

Ah... Aro's voice is so gentle...

The doctor watched the baby's figure disappear beside the boss, while the boss remained in the posture of handing over the item, looking utterly lost.

The doctor couldn't help but walk over and ask, "So... you're sending him back already?"

"That's good, making him think it's a dream. That's for the best." The boss lowered his head and put away the Nirvana Compass.
Said lightly.

When he looked up again, he had regained his composure. "Let's move on to the next stop."

……

The infant was woken up by a kind old man at the corner of Qifu Lane. Looking at the dim light of dawn, the stall that had been cleaned up, and the glass bead tightly clutched in his hand, he fell into deep thought.

It seems he had a very, very long dream.

(End of this chapter)