CHAPTER 1109: CHAPTER 607: THE STORY OF XU JIANWEN

Nighttime.

When Zhao Douan returned to the temporary inn known as the "Governor Mansion," he found the hall brightly lit with three shadows reflected on the window paper.

"Creak." Zhao Douan led Jin Jian in, pushing open the door as candlelight spilled out from the threshold, piercing the night like a burning hole.

Inside the room, Mo Chou, Yu Xiu, and Ji Yue were gathered around a square table, playing leaf cards.

A cushion was placed on the table, and after a new round of card drawing had finished, the three women turned their heads upon hearing the sound.

Yu Xiu and Ji Yue seemed unchanged, but Mo Chou... had strips of paper plastered all over her forehead, as if she was wearing a curtain on her face.

A cold wind blew in from behind Zhao Douan, making the paper on Mo Chou’s face rustle noisily.

"..." Zhao Douan took a deep breath, "What are you..."

The priest Yu Xiu spoke in a calm tone, "Mo Zhaorong said she would wait for your return. Left with nothing better to do, we played cards to pass the time."

Ji Yue, with her hair disheveled, nodded, "Yes."

No... I’m not blind, of course, I can see you’re playing cards. I was asking why only Mo Chou is losing... Zhao Douan was on the verge of speaking but stopped.

Only Mo Chou lowered her head, glancing at the pile of bad cards in her grasp. She released a silent sigh of relief and then stood up with a semblance of composure, placing her cards face down on the table and casually peeling the paper strips from her face, "Now that the governor has returned, I was just about to discuss something with you."

With that, she walked towards the door.

Yu Xiu noticed this and smiled cryptically, saying to Jin Jian, "One more for the game?"

Jin Jian hesitated, "Are we playing for money?"

"Yes."

Jin Jian’s eyes lit up, and he walked straight over, seating his small frame on the stool, grabbing Mo Chou’s cards, furrowing his small brows.

...

Zhao Douan quietly closed the door, leaving the room to the three women playing cards.

He looked at Mo Chou beside him, and delicately comforted her, "How much did you lose?"

"..." Mo Chou stared at him expressionlessly, "You don’t have to speak if you can’t find the right words."

Ku ku ku... Zhao Douan stifled a laugh, exhaling lightly, and sincerely said, "In the Worldly Realm, the Divine Sense of the Realm Mage stands out. Miss Mo, playing cards with them as a mortal, inevitably spells defeat."

They were cheating... Why didn’t you say that earlier... Mo Chou’s hand inside her sleeve clenched tightly.

Fortunately, Mo Zhaorong was not the type to hold grudges.

Quickly collecting her thoughts, she pointed to the swing across the courtyard, "Let’s sit over there."

The so-called "Governor Mansion" was actually a local Hu Ting residence. The owner fled during the war, and when the court took over half of Hu Ting, the vacant property was put to use.

Thus, many facilities remained in the house, including this swing. It had been swept bare and free from snow, woven with rattan, yet more comfortable than the stone bench in the courtyard.

Tonight wasn’t particularly cold.

Under the sparse starlight, Zhao Douan and Mo Chou sat side by side on the swing, surrounded by silence, only the faint sound of card games echoed from inside the room.

"Was everything successful?" Mo Chou got straight to the point.

Zhao Douan nodded, "Jiang Wangsun has pledged his allegiance to us. This old man has a big appetite, but his courage is lacking, so we have him in our grip."

He succinctly described the process of turning Jiang Wangsun, then pulled out the intelligence on the enemy’s deployment from his sleeve and handed it to Mo Chou.

"More smoothly than I expected," Mo Chou said, weighing the intelligence and furrowing her brow, "I’m just not sure if this pledge of allegiance is a deception."

Zhao Douan replied calmly, "That’s why we need to verify the authenticity of this deployment map. You can let Shi Meng and his team handle it. Also, they will release Feng Ju as a token of sincerity. I’ve arranged for Song Jinxi to keep an eye on things."

Mo Chou’s face lit up with joy, "That would be best. If successful, it will greatly boost our army’s morale. Once Jiang Wangsun’s reliability is confirmed, with him as our insider, recapturing Hu Ting is within reach. With Prince Jing away at Coastal, we can catch him off guard."

Imagining the future, the female chancellor serving as the Emperor’s supervisor in the army, cast a different look at him, "You do seem to be a lucky star."

Zhao Douan chuckled, "Don’t speak too soon."

"Why not?"

"It’s just that everything seems a bit too smooth for my liking," Zhao Douan leaned against the swing, gazing at the night sky, speaking softly, "Since I arrived, with Prince Jing’s absence and Jiang Wangsun’s easy allegiance, things have progressed more smoothly than expected compared to the western front."

Mo Chou tightened her brow, "Maybe you’re just overthinking it."

"Maybe, but let’s not dwell on it," Zhao Douan suddenly changed the topic, turning to his rival, "I have something to ask you. You’ve been at the palace for many years, so you should know Second Prince Jian Wen well. Can you tell me about him? No need for official records, just your personal opinion."

Mo Chou paused, "Why are you suddenly asking about Jian Wen?"

"Curiosity, is that explanation sufficient?" Zhao Douan replied in a carefree tone.

Though filled with doubts, Mo Chou, knowing his temperament, didn’t question further. After some thought, she said, "Jian Wen... before the coup, he was actually a good person, or rather, someone who hid it well."

"Tell me more."

"Well... he was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, far surpassing other princes and was the most dazzling in the Royal Family school. Um... that’s not from me; it’s what His Majesty said privately. Though His Majesty is also extremely wise, favored by the Grandmaster, he was younger when he entered school, and Jian Wen was the one most valued then. At that time, the Grand Tutor Zhuang Xiaocheng was teaching, and Jian Wen was very competitive, always wanting to compare himself with the Crown Prince."

Mo Chou seemed to fall into a trance, recounting the past:

"For instance, when Jian Wen and the Crown Prince were young, they often visited each other. At that time, the Crown Prince lived in the Eastern Palace, which was much more prestigious than the other princes’ residences, often hosting gatherings for siblings. At one such gathering, during a discussion about literature, Jian Wen quoted extensively, gaining much attention. It was then that the Crown Prince’s Horse Washer, Song Zhi, jokingly said to Jian Wen, ’I understand everything you’re saying. But what I know, you don’t know.’ It put Jian Wen in his place..."