Aunt, please don't chase me. I don't want to be the emperor.

Eventually, the brutal and cruel Shang Dynasty fell, and King Wu of Qi established a new dynasty, the Great Qi. The old man surnamed Jiang was also granted the title of Duke of Shang, the fiefdom of Qingzhou, and a permanent title.

Later, this famous old man surnamed Jiang got a name, Jiang Shanggong.

It was also at that time that the world knew that the fish that Jiang Shanggong wanted to catch was actually King Wu of Qi!

.....

Ji Xian listened to Ye Mingqiu's story about the "willing ones take the bait" and nodded in understanding, but soon shook her head in confusion: "I understand, but what does this have to do with the current situation? We are here to catch real fish!!"

Ji Xian was so angry that she threw the fishing rod to the ground and stepped on it twice.

Damn it, what does "those who take the bait" have to do with the current situation? Should they also use baitless fishing rods to fish for the purple star? But the problem is that he is the emperor. What does this mean? He has caught himself, right?

"Fuck your sister!"

Ji Xian cursed as he picked up the fishing rod and threw it directly into the shallows. The fishing rod shot out like a javelin, splashing a large amount of water in the water.

When Ji Xian stretched out his hand to release his spiritual power, the fishing rod he threw out flew back into his hand, with a blue-green sea fish stuck on the tip of the rod.

Ye Mingqiu stared at this scene in amazement, his brows twitching twice: "Ji Xian, you..."

"What's wrong with me?" Ji Xian squinted at him. "Don't they say that those who are willing take the bait will be caught? I don't even need a hook to catch fish. What's wrong with that?"

"No, nothing..." Ye Mingqiu waved his fan: "Brother Ji has good tricks."

"Let's go. Didn't we say we were going to find an old man to play chess with?"

"Yes."

So, Ji Xian and Ye Mingqiu rushed to collect the last set of materials.

But on the way, Ye Mingqiu murmured a poem in a low voice: "Today I hear the ancient thoughts and my heart is not in vain, I am so angry and young..."

Ye Mingqiu composed a poem on the spot, which meant that Ji Xian was a little crazy...

Ji Xian's wild way of fishing also made several leaders of Tianji Pavilion who were watching break out in cold sweats.

Di Kunzi was speechless for a while, then looked at the other sect leaders around him and said, "Um, what did he do just now?"

In fact, there is no fixed requirement for catching the Liuhua fish. As long as the fish can be caught, it will be fine. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Ji Xian's approach.

But he had just thrown the fishing rod to the ground and stepped on it, and seemed to be cursing and saying something. This star map projection can only see the picture, not the sound, so the people in Tianji Pavilion didn't know what Ji Xian was cursing.

But their intuition told them that he seemed to be cursing...

Many people looked at Jiang Shanggong.

Jiang Shanggong was seen holding something in his hand. When he opened his hand, he saw that it was a fishhook. However, the fishhook had no bait and was not a curved hook. It was straight and looked more like a needle.

Seeing this scene, the leader of Tianji Pavilion understood.

Master...is still fishing.

Three thousand years ago, he was fishing for the Ziwei Star, and eventually came out of seclusion to help it end the troubled times and establish the Great Qi Dynasty.

Now, what he was fishing for was the most noble of the Five Saints, but what would he do this time?

3.14 His Majesty the Emperor is sick of watching chess

There is a peach blossom forest in the southwest of Jinhua Island. The peach blossoms are in full bloom all over the mountain. The white scene is as bright as snow, which is similar to the Cherry Snow Mountain in Yuzhou, Central Plains.

An old man also sat in the pavilion in the forest. He looked to be around sixty years old, with hair that was a mixture of black and white. Although his appearance was slightly aged, his every move exuded an air of immortality. The aura he exuded didn't resemble that of an old man at all, but rather that of an accomplished Taoist master.

Ji Xian and Ye Mingqiu found the peach blossom forest and met the old man.

When the old man saw Ji Xian and Ye Mingqiu approaching, he stood up from the embroidered chair and bowed to them from a distance: "Greetings, fellow Taoists."

This old man's generation was not comparable to Ji Xian and Ye Mingqiu's age, but he addressed them both as fellow Taoists.

Ye Mingqiu also stepped forward and saluted: "May I know your name, Senior?"

But the old man just stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes fixed on the chess game on the stone table in the pavilion, a game that had not yet started.

Ji Xian's eyes also fell on the chessboard, and she asked bluntly, "You don't want us to play chess with you, do you?"

The old man still smiled and said, "Please join us, fellow Taoists."

“…”

Ji Xian stood there for a long time without saying anything. After a moment, she whispered to Ye Mingqiu, "Are all the people in Tianji Pavilion a little abnormal?"

First, he lets people go fishing without bait, and now he wants to play chess on his own. What is he trying to do?

Ye Mingqiu was fine, and stepped forward: "The Tianji Pavilion's move should be to test the character and character of the disciples. If so, then let's join in and give it a try."

Ye Mingqiu said this and sat down on the chair opposite the old man, slowly picking up the chess piece from the chessboard.

The old man smiled and asked Ye Mingqiu, "What's your name, friend?"

“The night is bright in autumn, the bamboos by the window chirp in autumn at night, but the brightness is the brightness of the day.”

"The Sword Immortal's poem?"

"Yes."

"Haha, then I wonder if Fellow Daoist Ye knows how to play Tianqi?"

"meeting."

"Then let me start the topic. It's about the world situation." The old man said, "Currently, the Great Zhou Dynasty is in power. Although it has been eighteen years since the restoration, the situation in the martial arts world remains turbulent. I wonder what you think and what we should do?"

Then, the old man bowed to Ye Mingqiu and said, "Please start the game, fellow Taoist."

After the inscription was finished, the old man signaled Ye Mingqiu to start the game, that is, he would make the first move.

Ye Mingqiu stared at the chessboard, hesitant to make a move. Instead, he pondered for a moment before picking up the black piece and placing it in the northeast corner of the board. "The world is in turmoil, and the situation in Jizhou is the most serious. If we truly want to end this turmoil, we must start here."

Ye Mingqiu said that he was from Jizhou, so naturally he knew the situation in Jizhou best.

Jizhou was the area of ​​the Nine Provinces that suffered the most from the Daxuan rebels, and it was left with many scars.

First, the sixteen northeastern counties were ceded to the Liaodan tribe of the Northern Desert by the rebel empress Zhao Tianyue. This fragmentation of territory allowed the influx of foreign tribes, leading to chaos in Jizhou. Then, the Kuanglong Gang was allowed to wreak havoc and commit crimes recklessly in Jizhou, causing untold suffering for the people.

In the following years, Jizhou was also a gathering place for all kinds of monsters and demons, including bandits, killers, and alien cults. Almost all kinds of people could be found in Jizhou. It was an absolutely chaotic and turbulent place.

Eighteen years ago, the Great Zhou overthrew the Great Xuan and completed its restoration. Naturally, Jizhou was subjected to a rigorous rectification campaign. First, the sixteen northeastern counties of Jizhou were reclaimed from the Liaodan tribes in the Northern Desert. Then, a large number of bandits were eliminated, especially those led by the Crazy Dragon Gang.

The people of Jizhou suffered terribly, and only when the Great Zhou was restored did they finally see the light of day.

But... Jizhou was already scarred, and even with the full force of the Great Zhou, it would not heal so easily. Major turmoil had ceased, but minor disturbances still swirled. The situation in Jizhou was still not good, and it still required the full force of the Great Zhou to maintain and rectify it.

Therefore, Ye Mingqiu's move here represents his opinion that in the face of the current situation in the world, he must start from Jizhou.

The old man smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist, you want to create a truly peaceful and prosperous world."

Ye Mingqiu replied: "This is what the world wants."

"Haha, what you said is quite true, but..." The old man also picked up the white chess piece, but not less than one. With a flick of his hand, several of them landed in various places in the northeast corner of the chessboard, surrounding Ye Mingqiu's black chess piece. He said, "But Jizhou is very large and the situation is very chaotic. On the surface, there are bandits and foreign tribes that the Great Zhou has not yet wiped out, and secretly, the remnants of the Xuan Dynasty rebels are eyeing them covetously. How can you change the situation in the world with your own strength?"

Ye Mingqiu picked up the white piece and placed it in the lower northeast corner of the chessboard. "So I came to the Tianji Pavilion, hoping to learn from a master and acquire magical skills to change the world situation."

The old man placed his black piece in the northwest corner of the chessboard: "Fellow Daoist, wouldn't you consider joining the Great Zhou?"

"Perhaps." Ye Mingqiu picked up the white piece and after a moment's consideration, placed it in the northeast corner of the chessboard. "However, I still have unfinished business, so I won't consider joining the imperial court for the time being."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Please don't ask too many questions, senior."

"...I understand. Now it's my turn to make my move." The old man placed the white piece on the south side of the chessboard. "I heard a while ago that the remnants of the Xuan Dynasty, the Mad Dragon Gang and the Flame Phoenix Cult, have been causing trouble in the Jingzhou area. There's even been an appearance of a demonic beast from the Xuanyuan era. What are your thoughts on this?"

"..."

Ye Mingqiu didn't say anything and looked like he was thinking.

After a long time, he made a move and expressed his opinion.

Ji Xian stood by and watched the two people play chess. It gave him a headache and bad memories flooded his mind.

Playing Tianqi, Ji Xian felt a headache when she saw this thing.

The so-called "Yan Tian Qi" is not just any ordinary chess game. It is a method of calculating the affairs of the world through the chessboard. The chessboard is the world, and the chess pieces are the people and affairs of the world.

This is not something mysterious like divination, but a deduction and calculation based solely on wisdom and intuition.

For example, Ye Mingqiu placed his piece in the northeast corner of the chessboard at the beginning, which represented Jizhou. He wanted to start from Jizhou.

Then the old man waved out several chess pieces to surround Ye Mingqiu's chess pieces. This represented that the undercurrent in Jizhou was too great and Ye Mingqiu was left alone with no idea what to do.

Ye Mingqiu landed on the lower northeast side of the chessboard again. This place was Qingzhou, the location of Tianji Pavilion, representing that Ye Mingqiu came here to seek the Tao.

The old man then placed the chessboard in the northwest, which was the location of Chang'an in Yongzhou. This was to ask Ye Mingqiu whether he would consider joining the Great Zhou.

Ye Mingqiu then placed his chess piece in the northeast corner of the chessboard, saying that he had unfinished business and did not want to serve the court for the time being. Although Ye Mingqiu did not specify what his unresolved business was, he placed his chess piece in the northeast corner again, indicating that this matter had to be resolved in Jizhou.

The world is a chessboard and everyone is a chess piece!

This is the game of chess.

The reason why Ji Xian felt troubled when seeing Yantianqi was that Luoxue's former master, the Taoist Pang Yuanchu, loved playing chess the most besides drinking, and the chess he played was Yantianqi.

In the past, Ji Xian was always dragged by Taoist Pang to play chess every now and then. He had to play even when he was about to vomit. To be honest, if Ji Xian was not too young at that time and could not beat Pang Yuanchu, he would have drawn his sword and attacked him long ago.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the only person who could ignore the difference in status and strength and play chess with the old Taoist again and again was his beloved disciple Su Luoxue.

Later, after Ji Xian became emperor and broke through the Yangshen realm, Pang Yuanchu was tactful and stopped playing Tianqi with Ji Xian. Ji Xian finally felt a little relieved. But what followed was the daily pile of memorials that piled up like a mountain, which made Ji Xian want to cry.

I thought that after escaping from the palace, I could finally say goodbye to those piles of memorials for a while.

But she had never expected that after arriving in Qingzhou and at the Tianji Pavilion, Ji Xian would actually see Yan Tianqi again. Ji Xian clutched her chest, and bad memories flooded her mind, making her almost vomit out of nausea.

Ye Mingqiu and the old man both noticed Ji Xian's reaction, and were embarrassed and speechless for a moment.

Ye Mingqiu hesitated for a moment and then asked Ji Xian: "Um, Brother Ji, are we playing chess very badly? Why do you look so uncomfortable?"

3.15 The Emperor's Hegemonic Move

Ye Mingqiu and the old man played Yantian chess until almost evening. The black and white layout on the chessboard was a mess. If you look at it from the perspective of Go, you can't understand it at all.

But if you play Tianqi, it is indeed that messy.

Because all the major events in the world can actually be laid out so easily?

Ye Mingqiu stood up and said respectfully to the old man, "Senior, your skills are superior. I am willing to admit that I am inferior to you."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled: "Haha, you and I have won and lost in chess, and this game can only be considered a draw. How can you say that I am more skilled than you?"

The so-called "playing chess with the sky" is to deduce the affairs of the world by using the chess game. To put it bluntly, it is to see who is more reasonable or who can speak better.

Ye Mingqiu and the old man had just played chess, and the subject of the game was the current turmoil and rebellion. The old man listed various examples of turmoil in the world, and Ye Mingqiu proposed solutions one by one. The overall solution was basically consistent with the current benevolent governance of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Even though Ye Mingqiu could come up with a solution, he still felt inferior to him.

The reason was that many of the solutions Ye Mingqiu proposed relied on the power of the Great Zhou, not his own. The Great Zhou people loved their people like their own children, and they would have done the same thing even if Ye Mingqiu hadn't said it.

But the old man didn't care about this, but just looked at Ji Xian beside him.

Ji Xian covered his chest and gasped for breath, almost crying as he finished the game. When he noticed the old man looking at him, he pointed at himself in disbelief: "Old man, you don't want me to play against you..."

The old man stood up, smiled, and saluted Ji Xian: "Please join us, fellow Taoist."

After saying this, the old man waved his sleeves, and when the white Taoist robe swept across the table, the chessboard had returned to its original state and the game started again.

Ji Xian's eyelids were twitching and the corners of her mouth were twitching.

He hated playing Tianqi the most, but he didn't expect that he would have to play it in Tianji Pavilion!

Ji Xian did not hide the disgust on his face at all. He turned around and wanted to leave, but Ye Mingqiu suddenly grabbed him.

"what!"

"Brother Ji, please stay." Ye Mingqiu quickly persuaded him: "Brother Ji, this must be the trial of the Tianji Pavilion. If you want to join the Tianji Pavilion, you must play this game."

"..."

Ji Xian didn't say anything and seemed to be persuaded by Ye Mingqiu.

For a while, Ji Xian ignored Ye Mingqiu and instead looked up at the sky, gazing at the starry night. Seeing the stars in the sky, he was moved again, remembering his motivation for coming to Qingzhou Tianji Pavilion.

Thinking of this, Ji Xian's expression calmed down a lot and she looked at the old man sitting in front of the chessboard.

The old man still had that smile on his face: "Please join us, fellow Taoist."

“…”