Chapter 133: Ascending the Tower

At the Imperial Astronomical Bureau’s Heaven-Reaching Platform.

The top floor, besides numerous intricate observation instruments, also served as a repository for books and bamboo slips. Three walls of books rose several *zhang* high, necessitating multiple specialized ladders for retrieving them. It was late at night, and only an old man and a young attendant remained. The old man, whose eyes were ruined from excessive reading, shuffled out of an inner room with an ancient book tucked under his arm. He walked onto the Star-Plucking Path, which was carved out of a wall and projected outwards. This path jutted abruptly from the pavilion for six *zhang*, constructed from eighty-one large, translucent blocks of white jade. Walking on it, a glance down would surely make the timid tremble. Standing here, one could take in a panoramic view of the imperial palace, a blatant breach of regulations. Consequently, no record of the Heaven-Reaching Platform appeared in any maps or historical documents of the current dynasty. The old man reached the end of the jade path and looked up. The young attendant, with his rosy lips, white teeth, and overflowing vitality, quickly ran to drape an outer garment over the Grand Astronomer. The boy, unafraid of heights, sat down beside him, feet dangling, and accompanied the old man in gazing at the vast starry sky, chin in hand, lost in thought.

The young attendant quietly asked, "Grandpa Grand Astronomer, can you really see anything? Lord Qi Hu said he personally witnessed eight enormous qi pillars rising skyward from the territories of the Eight Nations, and they all gradually collapsed, one by one. Now, only the one from our Liyang Dynasty remains, reaching straight to the heavens."

Since he was addressed as Grand Astronomer, he was naturally Nan Huaiyu, the foremost figure in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. The old man adjusted his outer garment and chuckled, "I'm old now; my eyes don't work as well. I can't see very clearly anymore."

The young attendant retorted dismissively, "But Grandpa Grand Astronomer, you have the Heavenly Eye! How could you not see clearly?"

The old man gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Can you believe what Huang Sanjia, the 'Heavenly Eye,' says, my little bookcase? That old scoundrel just wants to use my position to advance his own plans. Don't take it seriously. If anyone has a Heavenly Eye, it's him. My qi-gazing ability is far inferior."

The attendant indignantly said, "No way! Didn't Grandpa Grand Astronomer play two games of chess with that demon Huang? You lost one and then won the next! How are you worse than him? If you kept playing, he'd surely have to call himself Huang Erjia!"

The old Grand Astronomer shook his head. "I didn't win, not at all. He simply didn't want to continue playing halfway through. Although I had an advantage on the board, he would have collapsed if he had made ten more moves. Back then, I thought I could draw with him. Ten years ago, I reconsidered and believed I would lose within twenty moves. Now, reflecting again, it's only ten moves. Heaven knows if, in a little while, I'll feel I'd lose in five moves. Perhaps only on my deathbed will I realize that Huang Sanjia only needed one move to turn the tables. That is his true brilliance. The court established chess officials. The Southern school is led by Wang Jixin, and the Northern school by Song Shutong. Their chess skills are similar to mine, but they are all far inferior to Huang Sanjia. Wang Jixin claimed that Huang Longshi played chess like the general Huai waged war, conquering everything. That's clearly an outsider's remark, made by someone who has only seen chess records and never played against him in person. It should be 'Huai deploying more troops the better.' Huang Sanjia's true brilliance isn't in the mid-game; his real mastery is evident in the endgame. It's just a pity that no one in the world can play a game with him to the endgame. Perhaps that's why he provoked the war with Qiugu—after all, a three-foot chessboard is too small for him."

The attendant, whom Nan Huaiyu (treated by the Emperor as a National Preceptor) affectionately called "little bookcase," clicked his tongue and asked, "So, is that demon truly invincible? Is there really no one who can beat him in chess?"

The old man thought for a moment, then smiled. "No one seems to have ever beaten him, but there have been draws."

The attendant's eyes lit up. He tugged at the old Grand Astronomer's sleeve and asked eagerly, "Who was it?"

Fearing his "little bookcase" might catch a chill, the old man first had the attendant sit up, then placed the book beneath the boy to cushion him. Only then did he slowly say, "In those days, the Late Emperor personally went out to greet him, and hundreds of thousands of Tai'an City residents lined the streets to welcome him. My little bookcase, who do you think it was?"

The attendant exclaimed, "Oh, I know, I know! The white-robed monk, the immortal from Liangchan Temple who proposed instantaneous enlightenment! Grandpa Grand Astronomer, can one really become a Buddha on the spot? Does that mean if I just stand here, I'll turn into a Buddha? If it's true, I want to become a monk too!"

The old Grand Astronomer's voice grew heavy. "Whether instantaneous enlightenment is true or false, I cannot say for certain, as I am not a Buddhist practitioner, even though I have read some Buddhist scriptures. But practicing cultivation leading to financial ruin and meditating leading to scattered fortune—that is absolutely true. If a monarch becomes obsessed with Buddhism or Daoism, it is certainly not a good thing. Revering the tranquility of Huang-Lao Daoism is acceptable; even if it depletes national wealth, it can be seen as taking from the people to benefit the people. But if one reveres Buddhism, it's a different story. Once the nation's fortune dissipates, re-accumulating it becomes as difficult as reaching heaven. When Buddhism first entered the Central Plains, it was met with criticism and disparagement. This was not merely due to superficial differences among the three doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. In reality, it was primarily because Confucianism and Daoism, which greatly emphasized the cultivation of qi, feared that Buddhism would undermine the Central Plains' vitality."

The young attendant made a wry face and said, "Then I'd better not become a monk."

The old man smiled and stroked the young attendant's head.

The attendant looked up and asked, "Grandpa Grand Astronomer, when the Prince of Beiliang came to our Imperial Astronomical Bureau today, why was everyone else scared to death, but I wasn't?"

The old Grand Astronomer stood up and said, "It's good that you weren't afraid. Alright, alright, enough slacking off. We two should go back to work. Once I finish revising this new calendar, I'll be ready to close my eyes for good. If that white-robed monk gets ahead of me, it will be another incalculable disaster. Fortunately, I, this dying old man with failing eyes, have you, my little bookcase, to help. Heh, I reckon I won't be reborn as a human in my next life. This is the fate of one who leaks heavenly secrets."

The young attendant looked sorrowful.

Nan Huaiyu squinted with some difficulty, turned his head towards Beiliang, pointed, and softly said, "Little bookcase, after I die, it will be up to you to suppress that giant python."

There were two large bonfires. Old Daoist Wei and several of his unusual retinue, along with the "female dependents" like Yu Youwei and Jiang Ni, occupied one bonfire. The Phoenix Camp surrounded the other. The two groups were separated by a considerable distance, maintaining a polite and discreet distance. Even as a phoenix in distress, Pei Nanwei still strove to maintain the dignified demeanor of the Princess Consort of Jing'an. With nothing else to do, she observed the movements of the Phoenix Camp. She saw light cavalry moving to and fro in an orderly fashion, taking turns on night duty. After the major battle, both generals were severely wounded, yet neither the officers nor the soldiers showed any sign of dejection. Judging by their lip movements, they seemed to be speaking of their young lord, each of them spirited and energetic.

The more united the Phoenix Camp's morale was, the more uneasy Princess Consort Pei felt. Her initial desire to escape her cage gradually cooled. How could a prisoner, reduced to cleaning carriages, compare to the unique Princess Consort of Jing'an in Qingzhou? Pei Nanwei felt disheartened. She stretched her hands towards the bonfire, warming herself slightly. To her left was the curvaceous woman holding a white cat, who had accompanied her to find the pool. A few brief conversations on the way had revealed her refined speech. To her right was that strange young woman, truly blessed with an ethereal charm. Pei Nanwei, herself a peerless beauty on the Rouge Ranking, still wouldn't dare claim she could surpass this simply dressed woman in a few years. To call her a maidservant didn't quite fit; what maid could glare at the Young Lord of Beiliang and contend with him? Yet, if she were a young lady from a prestigious family, that also didn't seem right. Her rough little hands, which were anything but "jade-like and creamy," clearly belonged to a child from a poor family. Beiliang, indeed, was full of strange people, baffling and incomprehensible.

Pei Nanwei involuntarily looked towards the direction where the young lord had disappeared. What was that shameless scoundrel doing now?

Prince of Beiliang's Estate, Listening Tide Pavilion.

That night, White Fox-Face, no longer bearing his twin blades, ascended to the third floor.