The Joyous Spring Garden theater was one of the most luxurious and famous entertainment venues in the Imperial Capital. This place hosted not only classic plays but was also the location where officials and wealthy young masters came to discuss matters that could not be spoken of in the Imperial Court. Beneath the brilliant red lanterns and melodious music lay countless conspiracies and power transactions.
Tran Kien, in his identity as Strategist Ve Nhan, followed Black Crow inside. He no longer bore the demeanor of a scholar; he wore the black official robes bordered with silver of the Six Gates. The attire was not flamboyant, but it carried a cold majesty, causing those around them to unconsciously part and yield the way.
Black Crow did not lead him into the main hall. He guided him through winding corridors, finally stopping before the finest private box on the second floor, a place offering a panoramic view of the entire stage.
"Lord Tao is inside," Black Crow said, then stepped back, standing guard at the door like a statue.
Tran Kien took a deep breath. He knew the play Tao Chinh wanted him to see was not on the stage. It was right inside this room.
He pushed the door and entered.
Inside, Tao Chinh was not alone.
Tao Chinh sat at the head seat, leisurely sipping tea. But seated beside him were two other people. One was Duke Dinh Quoc, a white-haired, white-bearded veteran general. Although he was not in the military camps, he wore battle armor; his entire being exuded an aura of iron and stone, as imposing as a mountain. The other was none other than Thuong Quan Van, the "Little Sword God" of the Thuong Quan Clan.
Tran Kien was inwardly shaken, but outwardly remained expressionless. He clasped his hands and bowed, his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing.
"This junior, Ve Nhan, pays his respects to the Duke, and pays his respects to Young Master Thuong Quan."
Duke Dinh Quoc said nothing, only using his sharp tiger eyes to look the youth up and down. That gaze carried no coercive pressure, yet it felt as if it could pierce straight to the marrow, making it impossible for one to lie. Thuong Quan Van nodded in greeting, his eyes harboring curiosity and a glimmer of gratitude.
"Dispense with the formalities," Tao Chinh waved his hand. "I invited you here today because I wanted you to meet these two. They also share a portion of the merit in the Gathering Treasures Pavilion and Vuong Tung case."
Tran Kien immediately understood. This chessboard had not been played by him and Tao Chinh alone. Duke Dinh Quoc and the Thuong Quan Clan had also covertly lent a hand. This was a true political alliance.
"Lord Ve," Duke Dinh Quoc finally spoke, his voice robust like a bronze bell. "Your stratagem of 'Luring the Snake out of its Hole' was excellent. But merely catching a small snake like Vuong Tung is insufficient to fell the colossal tree that is Marquis Vinh An. Do you have a subsequent stratagem?"
This was a test.
Tran Kien did not answer immediately. He knew this was not the time to display ruthless schemes like he did before Tao Chinh. Against an upright and honorable veteran general like Duke Dinh Quoc, he needed a different approach. An open, righteous stratagem.
"Reporting to the Duke," he said, his voice incredibly tranquil. "Vuong Tung is merely a link. To shatter an entire chain, one cannot merely sever a single link. We must find the next weakest link, and use it to cause the entire chain to collapse on its own."
"Let us hear it."
"Although Vuong Tung has been arrested, he will never confess and implicate Marquis Vinh An, because his entire clan is held captive by the enemy," Tran Kien analyzed. "Therefore, we cannot rely on his confession. We must create a situation that forces Marquis Vinh An to 'sacrifice his pawn'!"
He pointed down at the stage below, where the actors were performing the play "Lu Bu Toys with Diaochan."
"Reporting to the Duke, Your Excellency, gentlemen, observe. Lu Bu and Dong Zhuo were nominally father and son, their relationship incredibly close. Yet over a single woman, they turned into enemies and slaughtered each other."
"The crux does not lie with the woman," he said, his eyes shining. "It lies in the human heart. In jealousy, in mistrust."
He turned back, looking at the three men. "Marquis Vinh An has many lackeys, but their relationships are built upon mutual benefit, lacking any true trust. As long as we plant a seed of suspicion, it will sprout on its own, shattering their alliance from within."
"This subordinate's stratagem," he said deliberately, "is named 'Borrowing a Corpse to Resurrect a Soul' (Tá Thi Hoàn Hồn)."
"Politically speaking, Vuong Tung is already a corpse. But we can 'borrow' this corpse. We do not need him to confess anything. We only need to 'help' him 'confess' exactly what we desire."
"We will dispatch men to secretly spread rumors. We will say that Vuong Tung, in exchange for a lighter sentence, has agreed to cooperate with the Six Gates and surrender a complete list of officials who have accepted bribes, but with one condition: he will only expose those holding lower positions than himself."
"One stone, casting three ripples!"
"First, the minor officials who followed Marquis Vinh An, upon hearing this news, will undoubtedly panic, fearing they will become the next sacrifices. The hearts of men will begin to waver."
"Second, those holding positions higher than Vuong Tung will temporarily feel secure and lower their guard."
"And third, the most important element," Tran Kien looked at Tao Chinh. "What will Marquis Vinh An do upon hearing this news? He cannot possibly allow Vuong Tung to open his mouth. He only has one choice: silence him! And when he moves to assassinate a major criminal inside the grand prison of the Six Gates, that is exactly when he will expose his fox's tail!"
The entire room fell silent.
Duke Dinh Quoc, Tao Chinh, Thuong Quan Van. Three men—a veteran general who had spent his life in war, the overlord of the underworld, and a genius of the sword—all stared astounded at the youth before them.
This stratagem was no longer merely ruthless. It had reached an entirely different realm. It did not employ blades or swords; it did not use brute force. It used the human heart, weaponizing the enemy's own paranoia. It turned everyone, including themselves, into chess pieces in a game directed by him alone.
A long while later, Duke Dinh Quoc was the first to burst into laughter. His laughter was hearty and heroic, shaking the very pavilion.
"EXCELLENT! TRULY EXCELLENT! Tao Chinh, you have found a true Qilin! With a Strategist like this, why worry about our grand enterprise failing!"
He stood up, striding over and heavily patting Tran Kien's shoulder. "Boy, I entrust this matter entirely to your handling! My Duke Dinh Quoc's Estate shall be your most solid backing!"
The chessboard in the Imperial Capital had truly begun. And the one moving the pieces was neither Tao Chinh nor Duke Dinh Quoc.
It was Ve Nhan—a Strategist of unknown origins, a minor chess piece newly placed upon the board.