Chapter 43: 第43章: A Game's Meaning
"So really why are you insisting that we go?"
She gave him a glare. This was something that was best discussed, it was serious as the expectation of many would said. She knew that this would be how he would reply. That was what he did as always.
Even as finding him was tough. "There is something which has happened. Which lead to Madame Yuan summoning you and me having to tell you what." Not comfortable to speak of until they were in the safe place.
He obliged until they were in a room set aside for meetings. Even as he detested them. Clear to Feiyu as he had only appeared for a grand total of five times since she was here. And that was once each year.
He took a seat down. She had to tell him. The south had been in his control mostly under his supervision. Just as she heard the door open to reveal another man, the person who was here for most part. A man who once served in the civil service of the country. His name was Yin Rui.
And of course why they were taking their seats here. "Madame Yuan needs to look into the affairs of Luoyang and whether the sect of Fate would be interfering here. They have begun their move in Chang'an."
"The sudden change in their operations and choosing to extort money." The man noted it for its strangeness, fraud was not uncommon. Especially when it was coercing them. Even when the were unable to really afford to do so.
"And using merchant families to gain money." Without toppling the balance and playing on the fears of aging men who founded the business or maintained it. And thus allowing them to become easy prey for them.
On the mind of those who were about to pass and realize that they wanted to do something for their soul.
Even as he could tell. Such a massive shift in wealth could change things. It would make things easier for them. And why they needed to act. "Madame Yuan would remain in Chang'an to try and manage the situation."
To salvage as much as they could have despite them having the upper hand. "And the investigation would need to head to Luoyang. Any evidence?"
"Yuan Shao told me about finding some of them lurking and talking about plans of how they are going to use the merchants of Luoyang. He can attest to it with his own eyes." And it was not something that Yuan Shao would just claim. He knew better than to do that. Given that it had been quiet since he was left here.
He nodded. It was an agreeable understanding. Even as Feiyu left out Dianyu since she witnessed nothing. It was enough to not bother her at any form. And would bring Yuan Shape quite a bit of trouble to explain why. She figured sending a letter to his mother was enough.
"That is something." The man had an agreement with it. It was an acceptable piece of evidence. "So what should we do?"
"One thing is to go around asking for the rich family. For any family to have seen themselves at the receiving end of it. They came to us at Chang'an." Something that they could not solve. "If they don't hand it over, they would simply harass them until it becomes impossible."
The loss of wealth didn't matter to them. As though this didn't matter in the long term. Even when it was better to keep the wealth. "You are right that it is more than that."
The man who was a former Magistrate, handling the small cases. He had agreed. If they could do it to one family, they could do it to another. And the wealth had to be for something. There was just no sense in claiming so much.
Even as Liao Yue was not interested. She gave a glance to
"I would need to do an immediate investigation." Yin Rui sighed, knowing that there was little else to do. This could escalate, or it already had escalated.
"So, do I have to do something?"
"We need you to find out how far they have gone." He gave a nod. Knowing that he could not expect leaving this alone.
"Alright." It was decided on what should be done. They could not move too much, but they could take the chance to figure out just how the situation was here.
--
Dianyu had listened to him even as she looked at the possibility while they could. While sitting around at the end of the day. She had to wait for Feiyu to come.
Their game ended with her asking just one question. Why is this game passed down? Something that she could not understand. Tradition did not give her the answer and neither did looking into history. Just why was it so was the only answer.
"Learning weiqi?" She looked up to see Zhixun. Who was still bringing around his birdcage. Sitting around the edge where it allowed them to do as they wished while they were here.
"Feiyu wanted me to do it." That was something that she admitted. Even as she was curious as to how to play. It was easy to know that it was every move can change the game. And it was to take advantage of them all.
But she couldn't really use it to her own advantage. She couldn't really understand the game. "You know that the game is meant to take advantage of every move." And to advance them so much that they were no longer able to make a comeback. Or make it so hard that it becomes difficult itself.
"I know but I don't know the exact rules. Feiyu asked me to mostly learn it." And why she had laid out the book. Even then she could barely tell.
"How about I play with you?" A suggestion but it was one where she could take advantage of. Nothing that they could have really thought about it. "It's how many people learn. This game has plenty of strategies but it's a good way to learn the rules of the game."
"I'll let you have the first move since the board isn't suitable for a beginner. And the first move is often the best time to seize the advantage."
He has taken the laid out stones. Choosing black while leaving her with white. She took it first, placing on the dot. Remembering how Feiyu did it.
He would do it placing it on the side. Even as she built her hand from that side. Before carefully placing it on the side. He would take the chance above her.
Dianyu knew that the moment it surrounded her it would be the end. And as long as she continued to built her end it would be difficult for them to surround her. This game was to figure out the mechanics of the game. And Zhixun had offered to play a game with her to help her.
He would chose it before her. Even as she realized that the best move was to block him. And carefully ensuring that she could continue.
"Weiqi is a game where people can attack of defend. You're only defending. You're not taking a risk for yourself." She stopped for a moment. Where she had not really intended to really take any of those pieces.
Feiyu had not said much about it. Even as there was no sign of displeasure, anger or even anything of the sort. But told her to look deeper and further. To just go with her feeling.
But he was pointing something that she had lacked in this. She didn't know how she could attack and that was why she was stuck defending. And neither did she thought that it could be turned around.
Even as he had taken the chance to put his piece on the board. And she now had to consider her actions carefully. She needed to attack but not neglect it. Before she made the choice to place it just above it.
The next few rounds would go in an impasse. Which was the best they could attempt in such a setting. Until he placed a piece that seized her white pieces. It was a move which changed things.
And meant that she would need to buck up. Even as she continued to place pieces that countered his every move. And not understanding why it was so easy to lose. Eventually she had lost all.
"You were busy countering my moves, but you haven't seen the big picture yet. This is a game that takes that." He had taken a longer amount of time; with his decisions that sometimes didn't make any sense. "Look at the board. I think it'll do better before I explain."
Those pieces that he sometimes placed, they were the basics of her strategy. The ppplannin every move, the need to think several steps ahead. It was something that needed hindsight or experience or playing games. Countless games to know.
"You were only think for the short term. You couldn't guess what was the strategy and the choice that I would play." Something that to her was understandable especially if she was fresh and new.
"Is it expected?"
"That's what all do. To learn the game you need to play it. The way a general should never be one unless they have served in the field." And that was something she would need to continue to work upon.
She looked at the game once more, even as she helped to keep it. It was something new. "Would you mind if we have a game sometime?"
"I'm always up for it." She smiled. Before keeping it. She understood the game a lot more now than before. Better than if she was looking at the paper. As much as she could guess that the same could be applied to life.
Life was a bit of that. A game against the Master of Fate and trying to break of it. Even as she noticed that it was often changing. Nothing was fixed. One move could turn the tables.
Like the unstable nature of fate. This board could represent fate, and to play was meant to put a piece. History said that this went back to the Zhou Dynasty. An awfully long time for this to still have remained. When others were phased out and replaced it.
"So what is your answer?"
"The way this represents life." Even as she remembered what Liao Yue told her. The two opposing forces. Like yin and yang, the black and white pieces. One maneuvered by the Master of Fate and the other by the person who wished to seek her own future.
"It is an understandable answer." Something that they would be able to question and understand. Adn to figure out just what was going on.
"And that these two may represent the energies of the world." She held up the two different colors of the stone. Something which suggested that it was more. But she knew that he mentioned it.
"In a sense there is something that is allowing us to change the world. That we are simply left to face fate without having something." Which was unfair. Many would say that their roads were laid out for them, but Dianyu often knew that it was not but rather the fact that none of them were willing to pay the consequences of their own choices.
"This is the energy that gives us the choice. The alternative." The thought or something more. She could see it now. "This game in a sense may have been created by a man who had saw through fate or he may have not. Perhaps it was by a woman. Since it became an art that even women were allowed to enjoy."
But there was none. Except that this spreaded. "The myths suggests that this may have been the work of a great Emperor. The founders of our country." But nothing was certain except that this eventually became the game many were familiar with.
"But it outlined the way fate is played. And that the best way to beat it is to ensure that it's can force you to choose his option." That people always had a choice.
"And this would be because of how fate is. He can't see everyone that is why he prefers sects to do the work for him."
Even as she placed it down. "But you understand that strategy is often something that only you can understand. The logic behind it may matter to you but others may find frivolous."
The girl nodded. "Let's have another game. For this there is no better way than to practice."
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