Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 412 - 387: Numbers Reveal the Truth

Chapter 412: Chapter 387: Numbers Reveal the Truth

"Tell me, you didn’t come in the middle of the night just for The Path of Runes, did you?"

Zhang San shook his head with a smile and said, "Would I really bother you in the middle of the night over something so trivial, Wisdom Immortal Zen Master?"

Wisdom Immortal Zen Master looked at Zhang San expressionlessly and thought to himself: Weren’t you the one who bothered me in the middle of the night over such trivial matters before?

"Wisdom Immortal Zen Master, I am actually quite curious about the grudge between Kaihuang and the Yuwen Imperial Clan. Do you know about it?"

Wisdom Immortal Zen Master guessed that someone must have told Zhang San something, which is why Zhang San came to ask him.

"You’ve come to the right person about this matter. Speaking of it, I am indeed quite familiar with the affairs between Kaihuang and the Yuwen Imperial Clan."

Zhang San immediately sat down cross-legged on the ground, ready to listen attentively.

Although Wisdom Immortal Zen Master felt somewhat annoyed because Zhang San had disturbed his sleep in the middle of the night again, he couldn’t help but be appeased by Zhang San’s handsome appearance and high attractiveness.

"Kaihuang’s Yang Family was originally a major official of Northern Zhou, and Kaihuang even once was a Pillar of the State of Northern Zhou. Their status was noble and honored, which you can imagine even without my saying. But outsiders only saw the glory of the Yang Family when they were still major officials of Northern Zhou, yet no one knew how suspicious the Emperor was at that time. There were many ministers attending the court daily, but it was not certain that as many would leave afterward."

"Even at that time, Kaihuang had once kept a low profile, merely to preserve himself. Under such circumstances, it was impossible to say that Kaihuang didn’t want to change the situation."

"Of course, in our hearts, we also know that the so-called inevitabilities are just excuses. After all, if Kaihuang had not had the intention, he would not have taken that step to become who he is now."

"But at that time, with such circumstances and ambitions as big as mountains and rivers, how could one be content to live a life under constant suspicion?"

Hearing this, Zhang San nodded slightly, already somewhat drawn into the precarious court scene of that time.

"But I heard that before Kaihuang came to power, he had all the people of the Yuwen Imperial Clan killed, especially the Five Kings. Even..."

Wisdom Immortal Zen Master nodded and sighed, "Many say that Kaihuang was cruel and bloodthirsty. But the situation at that time was..."

"Kaihuang wanted to advance further, but there were still forces of the Yuwen Imperial Clan in various places of Northern Zhou. If the Five Kings were not eliminated, any of them could have returned to their fiefs and immediately raised troops. You know, the Emperor of Northern Zhou had been unjust for a long time. If the kingdom was not stabilized quickly, Northern Zhou would face fragmentation again!"

"Moreover, after the Five Kings entered the Capital, they also wanted to kill Kaihuang. At that time, Kaihuang had already gathered a group of capable and extraordinary persons around him for his protection, which allowed him to escape that disaster."

"From that time on, Kaihuang realized that he had to act, and he had to act quickly. Therefore, he carried out a bloody slaughter on the Five Kings and their kin."

"Kaihuang’s son-in-law was the Emperor, but he was frail and passed away not long after ascending the throne."

"Kaihuang’s grandson was young, and although Empress Dowager Yang Lihua could support him a bit, ultimately, Kaihuang nearly held all the power in Northern Zhou. It was only a matter of time before Kaihuang advanced further."

"Only by completely eradicating all the bloodlines of the Yuwen Imperial Clan could certain people’s aspirations be utterly ended. Otherwise, even if the people of the Yuwen Imperial Clan did not want to rebel and were content to be peaceful dukes, do you think those who had once followed the Yuwen Imperial Clan, those ambitious ones, those who were not favored and sought to carve their own path, could let the Yuwen Imperial Clan go?"

"Therefore, Kaihuang had to completely cleanse the bloodline of the Yuwen Imperial Clan. Even his own grandson could not be spared. Only by doing so, could he end the aspirations of all rebels and traitors."

"Zhang San, think about it. If Kaihuang even killed his own grandson, tell me, who in this world would believe that descendants of the Yuwen Imperial Clan still existed? Even if there truly were any who escaped the net, who would believe it?"

At this point, Zhang San understood that behind the bloody slaughter, there was such logic.

Initially, Zhang San thought that Kaihuang exterminated the Yuwen Imperial Clan just to prevent them from rising again.

Turns out, it was also to consider people who might cause trouble under the banner of the Yuwen Imperial Clan.

"But Kaihuang’s own grandson... this..."

Zhang San didn’t know what to say, but at least according to his own former-life values and thoughts, he found it quite difficult to accept this point.

Wisdom Immortal Zen Master also sighed helplessly.

"Actually, over the years, Emperor Kaihuang himself sometimes regretted that if he had spared that little grandson’s life back then. It was just a small grandson after all, and even if he grew up, as long as he remained under his control, what could he have done? But... the past cannot be chased."

"Over these years, Emperor Kaihuang has occasionally come to talk to me, and I have often advised him. What’s past is past. It’s just that the dead are gone, but the living must go on. Regrettably, Chamber Head Changle has always refused to acknowledge Emperor Kaihuang as her father."

"Chamber Head Changle, that’s Lady Yu from Yu Family, the biggest merchant in the capital, right?"

Zen Master Wisdom Immortal nodded and then asked, "Do you know why Yang Lihua calls herself Lady Yu?"

Zhang San shook his head.

"In the past, Wang Mang usurped the throne and came to his own daughter in the inner palace to ask for the Jade Seal. Wang Mang’s daughter despised her father’s act of usurpation and threw the Jade Seal at Wang Mang. She styled herself as Lady Yu for this reason."

Suddenly, Zhang San thought of something and hurriedly asked, "Then, when Emperor Kaihuang killed his own grandson, did he send his own trusted follower to do it?"

Zen Master Wisdom Immortal asked curiously, "How do you know? Did you discover something?"

Zhang San then told Zen Master Wisdom Immortal about the body he found in the Mass Burial Mound outside Daxing City in the northeast and the token bestowed by Emperor Kaihuang that was found on it.

Zen Master Wisdom Immortal sighed deeply.

"Emperor Kaihuang grew up by my side in his youth, which is why King Jin initially sent you to hide with me. King Jin knew that hiding you anywhere else would bring trouble to others, but here with me, Emperor Kaihuang would not blame."

Hearing this, Zhang San was startled, never expecting Zen Master Wisdom Immortal to be Emperor Kaihuang’s half foster mother.

"At the time, there was a pair of young twins by Emperor Kaihuang’s side, and that boy later became Emperor Kaihuang’s most trusted guard, his closest confidant. The task of poisoning his own grandson, of course, was carried out by him. However, after completing that task, it inevitably led to a rift in the father-daughter relationship, so he chose to leave too."

At this moment, Zhang San’s brain was rapidly piecing together all the clues.

"Zen Master, may I borrow some paper and a pen?"

Zhang San took the paper and pen and, based on all the clues he had now, wrote a large tic-tac-toe on the paper.

On the right side, he wrote "seven".

On the bottom right, he wrote "six".

On the top right, he wrote "two".

On the top left, he wrote "four".

On the left side, he wrote "three".

On the bottom left, he wrote "eight".

On the top, he wrote "nine".

After writing down seven numbers, Zhang San could already deduce that all rows, columns, and even diagonals summed up to fifteen.

Therefore, the only number missing at the bottom was one.

And the number missing in the center was five!

And soon, it would be fifteenth of August.

Under the full moon of the Mid-autumn Festival, the karmic cycle of the Yuwen Imperial Clan would come full circle!