Chapter 130: The Demise of the Grand Commandant's Office
On the black and white checkered chessboard, Lei Taiwei and Lei Hong played back and forth, and before they knew it, they had played a hundred pieces.
White moves long, black moves diagonally, white moves retreat, black moves connect – the variations are exquisite and the shapes become increasingly complex and difficult to deal with.
Shen Lixue's gaze deepened. She knew a little about Go, though not an expert. She could see that the two large black and white dragons on the board were intertwined. The white dragon was like a killing machine, often making unexpected moves and launching killing attacks. The black dragon was cunning and unpredictable, launching powerful sneak attacks. The two were in a life-or-death situation, a critical moment where their lives were at stake.
Lei Taiwei was a civil official with a deep mind. He was an expert in chess, with ingenious and meticulous strategies. He was ruthless and merciless in his actions.
It is truly astonishing that Minister Lei, a military officer, possesses such superb chess skills and such profound cunning.
"Does the princess also know chess?" Grand Commandant Lei placed down a white piece and glanced at Shen Lixue casually.
"I only know a little bit!" Shen Lixue replied perfunctorily, her gaze fixed on the black and white pieces on the chessboard. By watching people play chess, one can discern their character. When Lei Taiwei and Lei Hong made their moves, they were ruthless and vicious, showing no mercy. Indeed, their nature was like that; once they found the opponent's weakness, they would strike without hesitation.
"I don't know how to make this move. Could you please give me some pointers, Princess?" Lei Hong held a black piece between his fingers, his gaze towards Shen Lixue full of provocation.
"Life is like a game of chess, and playing chess is like gambling with fate. Minister Lei's chess is exquisite and full of killing intent. My chess has also been played, and I will not easily admit defeat!" Shen Lixue said indifferently and walked slowly to the side.
"Then I'll wait and see!" Minister Lei sneered, pressing the black piece heavily onto the chessboard. Trying to gamble with fate was futile.
The living room was decorated with a pear wood screen and white jade pillars, exuding nobility, luxury, and grandeur. Chen Lixue walked slowly, her sleeves flowing and her skirt trailing slightly on the ground. The gold threads on the embroidery shimmered under the light of the luminous pearls. Her cool gaze quickly scanned the hidden corners of the living room.
Lei Hong led the men in black to the Prime Minister's residence, killing some and capturing others. When she and Lin Yan escorted him to the palace, they did not leak any information. Grand Commandant Lei was summoned to the palace without warning, so there should not have been time to transfer the poison.
Raising Gu requires a Gu jar and Gu worms. Gu worms are small and can be hidden away quietly without being found, but the Gu jar is a relatively large object and not easy to hide. The guards searched every corner of the Grand Commandant's mansion, even carefully examining the pots and pans in the kitchen, but found no clues. Something was amiss.
A maidservant entered the hall carrying a food box: "Master, the midnight snack is ready!"
"Hmm!" Commander Lei, holding the white piece, casually agreed, then quickly placed it on the board.
The maidservant hurried to the round table in the center of the room, opened the food box, and brought out plates of exquisite pastries. The aroma instantly filled the entire room, making everyone's mouths water.
Commander Lei stood up, rubbed his forehead, stretched his limbs, and carefully washed his hands in the copper basin held high by the maid.
Lei Hong put down the black chess pieces, washed his hands, and slowly walked to the round table. He picked up a pastry, took a big bite, and glanced at Shen Lixue by the vase. He said sarcastically, "Princess, you must be hungry after working all day. Why don't we have some late-night snacks together?"
After searching for most of the day and finding nothing, he was incredibly foolish. He gave her a few pieces of pastry as a 'reward', as if it were an early farewell meal for her.
Shen Lixue smiled slightly, like a hundred flowers blooming: "Thank you for your kindness, Minister Lei. My godfather repeatedly instructed me not to eat out casually, lest I eat something unclean."
Lei Hong's face instantly darkened, and his large hand quietly clenched into a fist. Shen Lixue mocked him for tampering with the food. Hmph, he was about to die, and he couldn't be bothered to scheme against her anymore. She was ungrateful.
"Hong'er!" Grand Commandant Lei called softly, secretly giving Lei Hong a wink.
Lei Hong understood immediately. He glared at Shen Lixue, suppressed his anger, and sat down in a chair. He would let her be arrogant for a few more hours. When dawn broke and she couldn't find the poison and admitted defeat, he would make her wish she were dead.
Shen Lixue stood in the corner, looked at the antique vase that was as tall as a person next to her, grabbed the neck of the vase, leaned to the side, and looked inside. The white walls of the vase were spotless, and you could see to the bottom at a glance.
Through the chess game just now, Shen Lixue learned that Lei Taiwei was cunning and liked to create mystery. He must have hidden the poison in a place that no one would expect. The garden, ice room, bedroom, woodshed, and kitchen were not the best places to hide the poison.
Shen Lixue opened the vase and saw Grand Commandant Lei Hong sitting leisurely at the round table, enjoying his snacks and tea. His eyes were bright and his expression was cheerful, as if he had victory in his grasp. A thought in his mind stirred slightly.
She waved her hand, and a guard stepped forward: "What are your orders, Princess?"
"How long have those two been sitting here?" Shen Lixue asked, looking at Grand Commandant Lei and Lei Hong in a low voice.
The guard bowed slightly and reported, "Your Highness, after returning to the manor during the day, Grand Commandant Lei and Vice Minister Lei set up a chessboard here and have been playing chess ever since. To make it easier for the guards to search, their whole family has been having lunch and dinner here together!"
After returning to their residence, Grand Commandant Lei and Lei Hong did not leave the main hall. Usually, they both had things to do and would occasionally play chess. It was extremely rare for them to play chess for several hours straight without showing any signs of fatigue or exhaustion. The black and white chess pieces were truly incredibly attractive!
Shen Lixue smiled, her gaze falling on the half-finished chessboard, and slowly walked over.
"Shen Lixue, what are you doing? Don't mess with our chess pieces!" Lei Hong strode over, his tall figure completely blocking Shen Lixue's view of the chessboard, his gaze cold.
"I just want to see your game, I won't make any moves!" Shen Lixue smiled slightly, took a step to the side, and tried to look past Lei Hong to see the black and white pieces.
Lei Hong also made a move, continuing to cover the chessboard: "My father and I have finished our midnight snack and are about to play chess. If you want to watch, please stay away and don't disturb us!"
"I would like to ask you for advice on chess, but I can't see clearly from this distance!" Shen Lixue probed subtly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"The worst thing when playing chess is to be disturbed. How can we play chess in peace if there is an outsider sitting next to us?" Lei Hong said with a slightly arrogant expression, his words righteous and stern. He glanced at Shen Lixue with disdain: "Moreover, chess is an elegant game, the favorite of scholars and literati. If ordinary people get close, they will be tainted with filth and will only ruin this white jade chess set."
Shen Lixue smiled coldly: "You are using this elegant game of chess to do despicable things, which is indeed a waste of this white jade black and white chess set."
"Shen Lixue, don't make false accusations." Lei Hong's expression changed slightly as he looked coldly at Shen Lixue, a sharp glint flashing deep in his eyes.
"If you haven't done anything wrong, why are you stopping me from investigating this chessboard?" Shen Lixue had only suspected that there was something wrong with the chessboard, but Lei Hong's repeated obstruction seemed like an attempt to cover it up, and she was now quite certain that there was something wrong with it.
Lei Hong snorted coldly through his nostrils and said arrogantly, "The Grand Commandant's mansion doesn't tolerate lowly people messing around!"
“I think there’s something wrong with this chessboard. You’re all feeling guilty and don’t dare let anyone get close!” Shen Lixue’s eyes narrowed, and with a swift turn, her slender figure deftly passed Lei Hong and instantly arrived at the chessboard, reaching out to take half of the chess pieces and the chessboard.
"You're courting death!" With a furious shout, a sharp, cold light slashed down at Shen Lixue's arm.
Shen Lixue narrowed her eyes slightly, quickly withdrew her hand, and slammed the sharp blade into the table. The hard table was instantly split in two, and the chessboard and chess pieces scattered all over the floor with a crackling sound.
"Shen Lixue!" Enraged, Lei Hong drew his sword and slashed fiercely at Shen Lixue.
With a flick of her wrist, Shen Lixue unleashed a nimble, swift, and powerful cyan whip that lashed out at Lei Hong's wrist.
The whip was both soft and strong, flexible and unpredictable, with a sharp and powerful wind. Lei Hong dared not take it head-on, so he feinted and dodged the whip, while his sharp sword quickly stabbed towards Shen Lixue.
With a light tap of her feet, Shen Lixue's slender body instantly appeared on the chessboard, quickly reaching out to grab it.
Lei Hong was shocked, and a deep panic flashed in his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, the long sword flew out of his hand and he thrust it fiercely at Shen Lixue.
Shen Lixue grabbed the chessboard and blocked it forward. The longsword struck the chessboard with a crisp sound, and then fell to the ground. A thin crack appeared on the chessboard, and then the crack multiplied into two, three... countless cracks, quickly covering the entire chessboard.