Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 366 - 365: Playing Chess

Zhu Yu sat to the side, thinking Lu Qing might take this opportunity to give Lu Yan some advice, speak candidly and reflectively, but instead he just smiled slightly upon hearing Lu Yan’s words, "No rush, let’s play a game of chess first. You win a round, then we’ll talk."

Lu Yan couldn’t focus on playing chess with Lu Qing. If it were someone else sitting across the chessboard, he might have already lost patience and got angry, but right now, it was Lu Qing, so he had to show some respect.

On one hand, although the two hadn’t interacted much before, and their relationship was originally distant, this chance encounter involved drinking and martial arts sparring, allowing Lu Yan to see a side of Lu Qing that he hadn’t known before. Whether it was his frank demeanor or outstanding skills, Lu Yan was impressed and felt a sense of closeness.

On the other hand, his public and private relations with Lu Zhang were quite discordant. There were three people with the surname Lu, and while Lu Qing hadn’t explicitly said it, his overall considerations aligned more closely with Lu Yan’s.

Lu Yan didn’t want to miss an opportunity to ally with Lu Qing, only to push him towards Lu Zhang.

So, no matter how reluctant he was, he endured, steeling himself, picked up the chessmen, and started playing with Lu Qing.

But playing chess with a calm mind versus an impatient one obviously results in very different outcomes.

Zhu Yu wasn’t highly skilled at chess but could see the general situation.

Silently watching from the side, she observed that every move Lu Qing made was standard, not rushing into attack, yet his defense was meticulous.

On the contrary, Lu Yan seemed to lack any strategy, apparently wanting to swiftly conclude the game, to put the chessboard aside so that Lu Qing could talk to him properly.

His approach was fierce, appearing quite aggressive, but often there was a plan with no follow-up. Originally charging forward with great momentum, even if he couldn’t directly checkmate, he intended to capture several of Lu Qing’s pieces — the rook, knight and cannon. Yet, before succeeding, he found himself in a perilous situation, discovering that his retreat was blocked by Lu Qing.

After several tries, Lu Yan, desperate to strike first, suffered losses, almost left with only a solitary old marshal, protected by two advisors and a pitiful pawn, completely defenseless.

"Again!" Lu Yan, somewhat irritated, realized there was no chance to turn the tables in this round, quickly waved his hand, indicating to Lu Qing that he conceded, hurriedly setting up the chessboard for another game.

In the second round, Lu Yan again seized the initiative. As the game progressed to the latter half, the situation changed, and he was completely defeated by Lu Qing.

In the third round, Lu Yan became increasingly anxious; the more impatient he was, the more he lost his grip, losing faster than the first two rounds combined.

"This chess game is hopeless!" Frustrated, he scattered the chess pieces across the ground, glaring at them rolling with a clattering noise, as if losing was the fault of the pieces conspiring against him, "I’m inferior in skill to my brother. Continuing like this, whether playing from dusk till dawn, I still can’t beat my brother!

We don’t have the luxury to waste time on chess!"

Lu Qing watched the chess pieces scatter across the ground, neither hurried nor annoyed, smiling slightly, "This is called ’haste makes waste.’ Your eagerness for victory becomes a stumbling block."

Lu Yan paused, pursed his lips, and didn’t respond.

"In the past, your achievements, among the brothers and even compared with people like Cao, Yan, and Situ, weren’t significantly inferior." Lu Qing continued, "But the sole issue lies in being overly aggressive, blindly charging forward while forgetting to balance with other considerations.

Your chess pieces only rush forward, thinking about capturing as many of mine as possible, but neglecting that organizing troops and charging are equally important. While indeed capturing some pieces, it leaves your rear vulnerable, resulting in a loss.

It’s similar to those mountain bandits claiming to be Jie Country bandits causing trouble; while defeating them is commendable, you overlooked the fundamental purpose of defeating them is not merely to kill those causing chaos, but to use their testimonies to uncover the mastermind.

You thought it was a group of scattered bandits, without considering other possibilities.

Today’s circumstances are the consequences of past actions turning into today’s results.

Like the three chess rounds you lost to me earlier, the outcome was destined the moment you recklessly charged forward."

Initially, Lu Yan disliked mentioning his previous act of killing the bandit captives — whenever brought up, his face darkened. Yet today, as he was about to react, details surfaced in his mind about tax collectors he sent out, coupled with the grim news Lu Qing and the others brought back through the tunnel the previous night.

The anger that had risen to his throat extinguished like smoke and dust, causing a hot sensation in his throat, turning his earlier fury into a profound sense of defeat.

Looking up at Lu Qing, his gaze and expression carried no trace of disdain or reproach, only calmness.

This calmness, pointing out mistakes while being somewhat tolerant and sincere, left Lu Yan without excuses, even sparking a sense of guilt.

His nature was such that he disliked being dictated and reprimanded harshly; even if knowing he was wrong, he’d stubbornly refuse to admit it, choosing to ignore and indulge in his errors completely.

However, if someone affirmed and accepted him, treating him with kindness, he wouldn’t put up resistance, internally questioning whether he was indeed wrong, fearing disappointing the one person still willing to affirm and refrain from blaming him.

"Holding back doesn’t signify cowardice; sometimes planning is more crucial than action, and within planning, maintaining patience and awaiting the right moment is an essential skill.

Ignoring the bigger picture may be thrilling when invincible but only adds headaches when consequences arise.

Impulsive actions are akin to granting others leverage. Being a martial artist, the third brother naturally understands the risks within."

Lu Qing sighed softly, "Next time you’re restless, think of the tax collectors. Calm down even the most turbulent thoughts.

Third brother is like a treasured sword — with proper guidance, he can become invincible, eliminate evil and bring peace.

If someone exploits your straightforward nature, deliberately provoking your anger, the consequences aren’t merely losing your promising future."