Chapter 341 Talent (Sixth Update)

The old beggar nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood—

Are all little kids these days so arrogant?

The old beggar rolled up his sleeves: "If you're so capable, play a game with me! I'll give you a nine-piece handicap! If you can beat me... never mind, you don't have to beat me, a draw is a win for you! Here's ten taels of silver for you!"

"Okay." Gu Jiao agreed without hesitation.

The old beggar looked at Gu Jiao suspiciously: "You agreed so readily? Aren't you afraid I'll renege on my debt?"

Putting aside whether he has confidence or not, this kid is definitely arrogant and conceited to dare to speak so recklessly. But he is an old beggar. Isn't she afraid that he will cheat her?

"I'm not afraid," Gu Jiao said, shaking her head.

The old beggar gave her a deep look and nodded secretly.

Although the little boy is a bit arrogant, he has a kind heart and is willing to trust others.

Gu Jiao: You're overthinking it. If you dare to renege on your debt, I'll beat you up!

The old beggar cleaned up the stone chess pieces on the board, placed them into two broken bowls according to color, and put a bowl of black stones stained with ink next to Gu Jiao: "You play black."

Play black first.

He said he would give her nine children.

Gu Jiao didn't stand on ceremony. He was the one who wanted to give way; it wasn't like she forced him, right?

The old beggar looked at Gu Jiao's first move. It was standard, with three or four small eyes. If he had placed a three-three move himself, it would have been alive immediately. However, he had promised to give her nine pieces, so he would wait and see how she would take control of the territory and the situation.

Gu Jiao's journey with the previous nine children was unremarkable, making the old beggar feel that she had wasted the nine children he had given her.

Does she know how to play chess? Was breaking his game just a lucky accident?

"Alright, it's your turn," Gu Jiao said to the old beggar.

The old beggar picked up a white piece... which was actually just a small pebble, and placed it on the chessboard.

An old man and a young boy were squatting on the road playing chess. One of them had a book lying face down on his head, and the other was wearing a flamboyant mask. The moves on the chessboard were chaotic and bizarre.

People would occasionally pass by, stopping curiously for a moment, but they couldn't understand what the two of them were doing at all.

"Is this how you play chess?" a young scholar asked. He knew chess, but he had never seen this way of playing before. It was simply absurd! They didn't attack where they should have attacked, and they didn't defend where they should have defended.

"An old beggar and a madman, do you really expect him to know how to play chess? That kid is probably not out of his mind, but he actually plays with him."

"I think those two are either crazy or stupid. What kind of crap did they play!"

"Let's go! What's so interesting about two idiots playing chess? Let's go to Qinghuan Chess Club. I heard some masters have come there, and there are three matches of masters today! Have you heard of Master Maoshan?"

"I've never heard of Master Maoshan! He's a master from our Zhao Kingdom! Is he also at the Qinghuan Chess Club?"

"That's right."

"We need to go check it out right away!"

The crowd that had been watching scattered as soon as they heard the name of the hermit of Maoshan, leaving only a three-year-old child eating a candied hawthorn. He didn't understand chess; he was just looking for a place to sneak a candied hawthorn.

Neither the old beggar nor Gu Jiao cared about what others thought; whether anyone watched, cheered, or ridiculed them had no effect on them.

The two were engrossed in their game of chess.

If that hermit of Maoshan were here, he would probably be able to see clearly what kind of surging killing intent and turbulent waves were hidden in the seemingly chaotic chess game.

The old beggar was indeed not paying attention at first, but after walking a few steps, he sensed that something was wrong.

What a tricky trend!

Her nine sons, seemingly scattered and without any order, were in fact a vast net that tightly blocked every path he could take.

He played seriously in the second half of the game and eventually tied with Gu Jiao.

The old beggar chuckled in surprise: "Young man, you're the first person so young to have fought me to a draw. Who is your master?"

“I didn’t have a teacher.” In her previous life, she had watched people play chess in the park and then learned to play on her own. She would occasionally play chess with her godfather.

The Godfather is a very busy man, but as a reward for her completing each mission, he will take some time to play with her.

The old beggar looked at Gu Jiao intently, making sure she wasn't lying, and he was genuinely surprised.

The reason we ended up in a draw today was because I was careless and underestimated my opponent. I thought this little kid wouldn't play, so I played haphazardly. If I had played seriously from the beginning, even if I had given him a nine-piece handicap, I would still have won against this little kid.

But this little girl had never formally sought out someone to teach her chess; in other words, she had figured it all out on her own.

This talent is terrifying.

The old beggar then asked, "Have you ever played chess with a master?"

Gu Jiao thought for a moment: "Hmm...we've played against each other, haven't we?"

The Godfather should be considered a master, anyway, she never beat him.

The old beggar breathed a sigh of relief. That was more like it. Otherwise, if she and her companions had reached such a level, it would be too terrifying.

However, even with experience playing against masters, figuring it out is not easy.

He is a gifted child.

The old beggar looked at Gu Jiao with admiration, and was about to ask her name and where she lived, but Gu Jiao spoke first: "You said that if it's a draw, you lose, and you get the silver!"

The old beggar's lips twitched.

Can you please not ruin the atmosphere at such a crucial moment?

With a dark expression, the old beggar pulled out a few loose silver coins from his crumpled purse, totaling about ten taels of silver—his entire fortune.

He handed it to Gu Jiao, saying, "Here, take it all, take it all!"

Gu Jiao counted them, then weighed them in her hand, and picked out the smallest one to return to him: "I said I only wanted ten taels."

Honest and fair dealings with everyone, young and old!

After taking the silver, Gu Jiao got up and left.

The old beggar called out to her, "Hey! Wait a minute! You haven't told me your name yet! Are you coming tomorrow or not?"

Gu Jiao walked away.

"Ten taels per round!"

Gu Jiao is back.

The old beggar: "..."

...

Gu Jiao returned to the clinic and changed her clothes.

Little Jingkong trotted into her little courtyard: "Jiaojiao, jiaojiao!"

He was running too fast and he slipped and fell again.

Fortunately, the little monk's reputation for wrestling wasn't undeserved. He covered his head and rolled like a little winter melon across half the yard, finally reaching the steps.

He then got up as if nothing had happened, strode confidently up the steps, and wasn't delicate at all!

"Jiaojiao!"

He entered Gu Jiao's room clutching a letter.

Gu Jiao had just put away her mask when she turned to look at him: "You got out of school so early today? Who brought you here?"

“Brother Yan,” Xiao Jingkong said.

It wasn't given away for free; he paid for the travel expenses!

That's right. In order to expand his debt repayment business, Gu Yan developed a project to send the little guy to the clinic after school, charging twenty copper coins per trip.

"Where is he?" Gu Jiao took the little guy's hand and led him to the washbasin stand, where she filled a basin with water and wiped his sweat.

Little Jingkong obediently offered his little head, letting Jiaojiao wipe it for him: "He ran into his classmate outside the clinic and is talking to him!"

"Did you fall again?" Gu Jiao asked after wiping his head, noticing that he was covered in grass clippings.

"Hmm." Little Jingkong suddenly looked aggrieved, pulled up his little trouser leg, and said with teary eyes, "It hurts so much!"

Gu Jiao looked at him... a non-existent wound, and then washed his face and hands: "Okay, let me rub it for you."

Xiao Jingkong squinted his eyes in pure enjoyment.

After massaging his calves, Gu Jiao looked at the letter in his hand: "What are you holding?"

"A letter!" Xiao Jingkong exclaimed. "I received a letter from Brother Ming'er!"

Ming'er, the son of Prince Yu and his wife, was a young envoy from Liang. Before leaving, the two little ones made a promise to exchange letters.

I didn't expect Ming'er's letter to arrive so quickly.

"I want to watch it with Jiaojiao!" Xiao Jingkong said earnestly.

Gu Jiao smiled and said, "Okay."

Xiao Jingkong climbed onto Gu Jiao's lap, found a comfortable position to sit down, rested his little head on Gu Jiao's arm, and handed her the letter: "Jiaojiao, read it."

Gu Jiao opened the letter.

"Personally opened by Jingkong—"

Jingkong, I hope you are well. This is Brother Ming. Do you remember me? My trip to Zhao Kingdom was very fruitful. I was so happy that I didn't want to leave. After returning, I missed you and Brother Yu very much. Are you both well?

The children's letters weren't all written in plain language, but Gu Jiao understood the general meaning.

Ming'er and Prince Yu and his wife have returned to Liang Kingdom. They arrived three days ago, and Ming'er has since begun fulfilling her promise to write a letter to Xiao Jingkong.

Ming'er used the falcon of Prince Yu's mansion to deliver the letter to the royal post station of Zhao Kingdom, which is why Xiao Jingkong was able to receive Ming'er's letter so quickly.

It's very hot in Liang Kingdom. Ming'er said in his letter that he's almost as hot as a steamed bun because he's about to turn ten years old and is no longer a child. He should start learning the etiquette of a prince, so he'll be very busy from now on.

On the way to report back to the King of Liang, a major event occurred: the King of Liang was displeased with Prince Yu for taking it upon himself to exchange glassmaking technology with the Zhao Kingdom, and almost punished Prince Yu.

From this, Gu Jiao could see how much concession Prince Yu had made for Ming'er back then.

However, the letter also said that the King of Liang did not punish Prince Yu in the end, only because Ming'er presented the long-lost original musical score of Master Yueying, "Zhaoying".

Lord Moonshadow was the foremost musician of the six kingdoms. He not only created the finest imitation of the Fuxi Qin, Moonshadow, but also composed the unparalleled divine music "Startled Swan" and "Reflection" that were perfect for playing together with the Fuxi Qin and the jade flute.

"Jinghong" is the first half of the piece, and the score is in the Liang Kingdom's royal palace, but the score for "Zhaoying" has been lost.

Lady Moonshadow herself disappeared from Liang Kingdom five years ago.

The King of Liang was very fond of music and was also proficient in it. He recognized it at a glance as Lord Yueying's original manuscript, and he was so excited that he couldn't speak for a long time.

Because of the recovered score of the "Zhaoying" melody, the King of Liang pardoned Prince Yu's transgression.

In his letter, Ming'er said that he did not expect Xiao Jingkong to give him something so precious.

Okay, actually Ming'er just picked it randomly.

Xiao Jingkong gave Ming'er a gold ornament as a parting gift, but Ming'er thought it was too precious to accept, so she picked out a piece of tattered paper that she considered to be worthless.

I wonder if this means that sometimes children who aren't greedy get to eat more candy.

In the letter, Ming'er expressed her gratitude and told Xiao Jingkong that he had also prepared a gift for him, which was on its way.

In addition, Ming'er asked Xiao Jingkong how he obtained the sheet music and whether Xiao Jingkong knew Lord Yueying.

Xiao Jingkong shrugged: "I don't recognize them. Those are things that Master doesn't want!"

Gu Jiao's lips twitched: No, you don't want this?

Is an old white-bearded monk really that wealthy?

In a certain city of a certain country, at an inn, a handsome young monk with a teardrop-shaped mole under his right eye, who was drinking wine and eating meat, suddenly sneezed: "Achoo!"

The moonlight was like a hook.

In the small study of the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess was kneeling on a cushion, intently playing chess.

She was alone with herself.

A young palace maid serving beside her gently fanned her.

"Okay, I'm done." She put down her last piece, let out a long sigh of relief, and instructed, "No need to fan me anymore."

The weather isn't so muggy after the heavy rain.

"Yes." The little palace maid closed her fan.

The lady-in-waiting stepped forward and asked, "Your Highness, are you still going to board? Why don't you rest for a while and get up and walk around? You've been boarding for quite a while now."

"Ah, that's fine too." The Crown Princess also felt her body was a little stiff and sore, so she stretched out her hand.

The female official quickly stepped forward to help her up and said to the maid beside her, "Go and get some snacks and brew some flower tea."

"Yes!" The little palace maid accepted the order and left.

The Crown Princess strolled to the bedside. A cool night breeze blew gently, carrying the fragrance of the entire courtyard, which made people feel refreshed and relaxed.

The Crown Princess stood before the bed, staring blankly at the flowers in the garden that had already closed. She didn't even accept the tea and snacks offered by the maid.

The young palace maid looked at the female official with a troubled expression.

The lady-in-waiting took the tray from her and said in a low voice, "I'll take it. You may leave."

"yes."

The young palace maid withdrew as instructed.

The lady-in-waiting placed the tray on the table beside her, poured a cup of flower tea, and handed it to the Crown Princess: "Crown Princess, please have some tea."

The Crown Princess sighed, took the teacup, and took a small sip.

The lady-in-waiting asked, "Does the Crown Princess have something on her mind?"

The Crown Princess glanced at the tea in her cup: "I wonder if His Majesty has received the letters he wrote to the five kingdoms?"

The female official said, "Does the Crown Princess mean that His Majesty informed you of the solution to the Kun formation? Chen is the closest to us, so it should have received it, followed by Jin and Liang."

"What about the Yan Kingdom?" the Crown Princess asked.

The female official thought for a moment and said, "The Yan Kingdom... is not the longest in terms of distance, but there are too many checkpoints, and many places do not allow us to travel through the lower kingdoms."

The State of Yan was the hegemon of the six states, firmly occupying the leading position. It could decide which way to go and who to leave.

The lady-in-waiting continued, "However, it should be soon."

The Crown Princess's eyes flickered slightly: "I wonder if I can win the favor of Elder Meng?"

The female official smiled and said, "It's definitely possible! The Crown Princess is the first person in the six kingdoms to solve the Kun formation. How could Elder Meng not be amazed by your talent?"

The Crown Princess murmured, "If only... I could be Master Meng's disciple."

In this way, she would have the backing and influence of the Yan state.

Only when a person has been deeply hurt will they remember it vividly.

Even now, the memory of her mission to the Liang Kingdom still feels like a needle piercing her heart!

She was clearly the most learned and the most talented, yet she never had a chance to speak. No one paid attention to her or cared about her. She shone like a bright pearl in Zhao, but in Liang, she was nothing more than a grain of millet falling into the ocean.

They didn't care about her extraordinary abilities or her stunning beauty.

They praised those plain-looking girls, saying they were as beautiful as angels and had dignified manners, even though they couldn't even walk a proper catwalk like her.

In order to shine in the Liang Kingdom, she walked 10,000 steps a day, until her legs were numb. When she bowed, she was the most elegant one.

But who cares?

She watched as those so-called daughters of the upper class answered the simplest questions and recited the most meaningless poems, while she sat alone in the corner.

Finally, no one could answer anymore, and she thought her chance had come. But then she heard the princess of Liang say, "In that case, let's end it here for today. Congratulations to Miss Murong, Miss Lin, and Miss Zhuge for being the top three winners of this banquet! I, the princess, will reward you handsomely!"

Top three, A?!

How ridiculous.

This level of skill can make it into the top three, while the truly talented one spent the whole night on the bench.

Miss Zhuge, one of the top three, is from the State of Zhao, which is a lower state. However, because she has a teacher who is a great Confucian scholar from a higher state, she is also favored by the princess of the State of Liang.

Old Master Meng was actually a native of Xiaguo. After becoming the chess master of six states, he was personally invited to the capital by the King of Yan, who bestowed upon him the title of Grand Master of Yan and gifted him a mansion.

If she could become a disciple of Master Meng, she would never be looked down upon again. She would have the opportunity to compete fairly with others, and she would become famous throughout the six kingdoms based on her true abilities!

After making a bet of ten taels of silver with Gu Jiao, the old beggar fell into deep melancholy.

There is no other reason.

He's a beggar, where would he get the money?

He saved up those ten taels of silver with great difficulty!

But if he doesn't have that, the little boy won't play chess with him.

The old beggar was at a loss.

As he passed by a chess club, he heard people coming out sighing: "I never expected that Master Maoshan would lose. That new chess player is really good. I should have bet on him!"

The old beggar, quick-witted, grabbed him and said, "Young man, do you want to earn your money back?"

Crown Princess: Heaven has blessed me with such talent! ╭(╯^╰)╮

Jiaojiao: God is chasing after me to feed me! o(*￣︶￣*)o

(End of this chapter)