Chapter 70 070 I am special.
Zhao Jialing's emotions were always fluctuating, and he wasn't really angry with Xie Lanzhao. Seeing the smile on Xie Lanzhao's lips, he knew she was teasing him again. He raised his wine glass, clinked it with Xie Lanzhao's, took a sip of sweet wine, and smiled broadly again.
After dinner, darkness had fallen, but the candlelight inside and the lanterns under the eaves illuminated the mansion as if it were daytime. Zhao Jialing and Xie Lanzao sat in the courtyard watching the moon rise above the curtain hooks. In May, the night air carried a hint of warmth. Zhao Jialing's gaze drifted, sometimes to the bamboo and the moon, sometimes to Xie Lanzao's hand holding the round fan. In the candlelight, it shimmered like jade.
Zhao Jialing remained silent, and Xie Lanzao was equally quiet, fanning herself with a round fan to shoo away the mosquitoes that flew towards her. A gentle breeze rustled through the grass, and the chirping of insects rose and fell in a symphony of sounds. Even amidst this symphony, Zhao Jialing didn't fuss, simply resting his chin on his hand and gazing intently at Xie Lanzao. A beautiful scene, a delightful moment, a sense of tranquility prevailed.
A moment later, Zhao Jialing took the mosquito-repelling fan from Xie Lanzao's hand and said casually, "Why don't you persuade me to return to the palace?"
Xie Lanzhao raised an eyebrow: "Didn't His Majesty intend to stay overnight?" If persuasion had worked, would His Majesty still be at her residence?
“They’re outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant.” Zhao Jialing drawled, waving his fan.
Xie Lanzhao smiled slightly: "Then may I say something now?"
"No, thank you." Zhao Jialing didn't want to hear it. She suddenly stood up, staring at Xie Lanzhao, whose expression was as clear as water under the moonlight, her eyes gleaming with eagerness. She said, "It's getting late."
Xie Lanzhao nodded: "Your Majesty, I have prepared lodgings for you."
"Hmm," Zhao Jialing responded, but after a moment's thought, he raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Aren't I supposed to live with you?"
Xie Lanzhao seemed not to hear those words and said gently, "The room has been cleaned and the bedding is all brand new."
Zhao Jialing: "...Didn't we agree to talk all night and sleep side by side?" She muttered, looking at Xie Lanzhao with pleading eyes, hoping to melt Xie Lanzhao's heart of stone with her pitiful and adorable appearance. But Xie Lanzhao just smiled at her, clearly indicating that the bottom line was right there and there was no way to back down any further.
Zhao Jialing shook her fan and said sullenly, "I have no ill intentions. Are you treating me like a thief?" She leaned closer to Xie Lanzhao and pressed on, "What if I encounter danger while living alone?"
“Your Majesty is right.” Xie Lanzhao pretended to be deep in thought, and finally sighed, “I should escort Your Majesty back to the palace.”
"Oh, that's not true," Zhao Jialing quickly said. "The guards with halberds are still outside, and there are also secret guards. The Prime Minister's residence is naturally safe." After taking a few steps, Zhao Jialing frowned. "Are the mosquitoes in May really that annoying?"
"The Imperial Medical Academy and Mingde Academy should be researching medicines now," Xie Lanzhao said. After May, the weather gradually became hot. The medical books provided by the system said that damp, hot, and foul-smelling conditions, attracting swarms of mosquitoes and flies, easily lead to malaria. Malaria is a deadly disease; in the past, whether it could be cured depended entirely on fate. Now it's different. Doctors have methods to treat it, and people no longer need to pray to the Kitchen God for protection.
Zhao Jialing nodded in agreement, then added, "Mosquitoes are annoying, how about I fan you?"
This was going too far, but Xie Lanzhao didn't respond, nor did she show any impatience. She said gently, "If word gets out, does His Majesty want me to be branded as a traitor to the country?"
Zhao Jialing asked, puzzled, "Is your house riddled with holes?"
Xie Lanzhao scoffed. How could a sieve possibly reveal His Majesty's true feelings? Her current predicament was entirely due to His Majesty. He was quite pleased with himself, leaving her alone in the vortex of rumors.
But you can't say it.
Xie Lanzhao didn't speak, so Zhao Jialing took it as a yes and took her hand, leading her into the house.
The maids standing nearby kept their heads down, pretending not to see anything, and did not follow them inside. When His Majesty and Prime Minister Xie were together, they did not need anyone to serve them.
He said he was just fanning himself, but as soon as he entered the room, he placed the round fan on the table. His eyes darted around, shifting between the copper vase with flowers and the hanging painting. When Xie Lanzhao took out the chess set, Zhao Jialing sat down on his own. His fingers rummaged through the chess box, and the chess pieces clattered as they fell through his fingers.
Zhao Jialing asked, "Aren't you taking the opportunity to bully me by playing chess with me?" Of the four arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—he was mediocre at music, excelled at calligraphy and painting, but his chess skills were extremely poor. There was nothing he could do; after all, not everyone possessed Xie Lanzhao's talent for doing everything so well. Before Xie Lanzhao could answer, she had already placed three pieces on her own.
"Besides playing chess, what else would Your Majesty like to do?" Xie Lanzhao asked. "I don't have many hobbies."
Zhao Jialing blinked and asked again, "Then who do you usually play chess with?"
Xie Lanzhao said, "At home, I'm with my grandmother or by myself."
"Then you can come to me," Zhao Jialing said, beaming. "Seeing me improve will make you feel accomplished, won't it?"
Xie Lanzhao remained silent, memories of the past flooding back, and she showed a somewhat troubled expression.
In the past, there were people in the palace who came to teach chess, but perhaps only His Majesty could anger a scholar to the point of speaking recklessly.
The scholar bluntly stated that His Majesty lacked wisdom, but His Majesty had a moment of inspiration and said, "Games are games. In chess, human effort is used to manipulate pieces and exhaust all possibilities to achieve victory. In gambling, however, fate decides. Even the best-laid plans are not as effective as a stroke of luck. I am a genius; luck is all I need."
These words sent a chill down the spine of the chess teacher, not because he was convinced by the Emperor, but because the word "fate" terrified him. Everyone can talk about destiny, but the word "fate" can easily bring trouble, especially when it comes from a princess. At that time, the Crown Prince had been established and was beginning to compete with Princess Zhongshan.
It is about chess, but it can also be about something other than chess.
The scholars thereafter simply ignored His Majesty's abysmal chess skills.
He was a prodigy in his youth, but his talent was not as great as he became an adult.
Your Majesty, if you are not capable when you are young, you will hardly amount to anything when you grow up.
Only his ability to "take back a move" improved day by day.
For example, at this moment, Xie Lanzhao's gaze fell on Zhao Jialing's hand, which was secretly retracting.
Zhao Jialing coughed to cover her guilty conscience, put the chess piece back in its original position, and asked curiously, "Does everyone else do this too?"
Xie Lanzhao lowered her eyes and said slowly, "Only His Majesty."
Zhao Jialing then asked, "What if Chen Xiyuan also takes back his move?"
Although she knew her senior sister wouldn't do that, she knew that if she answered like that, His Majesty would probably be displeased. She briefly imagined that scenario before finally replying, "Don't come to my house again."
Zhao Jialing smiled, her face beaming, and said smugly, "It seems that I am special in your heart."
Xie Lanzhao: "Regardless of the matter of entertainment, I will not feel unhappy."
Zhao Jialing blinked. Aren't they all just playing chess? After a moment's thought, Zhao Jialing cleverly figured it out. She suddenly realized, "You don't show your relaxed side in front of outsiders."
Xie Lanzhao paused, her brow furrowing slightly, before finally saying, "Your Majesty is not wrong." She entered the Secretariat too young, which was against custom. The court officials thought she relied on her mother and the late emperor's favor... they were all waiting to see her fail. One wrong step and she would be doomed. In those years, she could not and dared not relax.
Zhao Jialing was still self-aware: "I was an outsider a few years ago." But she could understand Xie Lanzao's situation. There was no need to dwell on the past; what mattered was the present and the future. She smiled freely and said with relief, "It's good that we're family now."
Xie Lanzhao's eyelids twitched, and the chess pieces she placed were all misplaced because of Zhao Jialing's natural words.
"Oh my, my chance has come! You absolutely cannot take back your move, watch me dominate this time!" Zhao Jialing exclaimed, his eyes shining, his tone quite enthusiastic.
Xie Lanzhao snapped back to reality, gave a soft hum, and continued placing her pieces with an air of nonchalance.
When the game was over, Zhao Jialing still couldn't believe it, muttering to himself, "Isn't it said that 'one wrong move can lead to total defeat'?"
Xie Lanzhao: "..." That would have to be under conditions of evenly matched strength, okay? Does His Majesty have some misunderstanding about her own chess skills?
It's late at night, and I'm just getting sleepy as I idly tap the chess pieces.
Zhao Jialing naturally took over Xie Lanzhao's bed, and the planned "all-night talk" only lasted for half of the night before he fell into a deep sleep.
Xie Lanzhao studied alone by lamplight, the air filled with the wafting fragrance of incense.
The chirping of insects outside the window became rustling; it was another quiet night, but there was something unusual about it.
After wandering off in her own thoughts for a while, Xie Lanzhao tiptoed to the bedside and silently gazed at Zhao Jialing's sleeping face.
His Majesty slept soundly, his brow relaxed, as if he were having a good dream.
After a long while, Xie Lanzao quietly unhooked the curtain and lowered the veil. The candlelight cast her shadow on the bed curtains, and with her light footsteps, she fell behind the screen.
Xie Lanzhao blew out the lamp in the room and quietly went out, heading towards the side room prepared for His Majesty in the night.
The next day, Zhao Jialing woke up groggily, clutching his bedding. It took him a while to realize that the unfamiliar surroundings were Xie Lanzhao's room.
Her gaze searched for Xie Lanzao's figure, repeatedly recalling fond memories of the previous night. Finally, she let out an "Ah!" and slapped her leg in frustration. After losing three games in a row, they stopped playing chess. Zhao Jialing wanted to whisper sweet nothings, but Xie Lanzao insisted on "betting on books" with her. How could she possibly compete with Xie Lanzao in terms of extensive knowledge and a prodigious memory? She hadn't even answered a few times how to find something in a certain book on a certain page before Xie Lanzao was already embracing "great wisdom" in her dreams.
"Your Majesty?" Yin'e's voice came from outside.
Zhao Jialing pursed her lips, cheered herself up, and then stood up, asking casually, "Where is Xie Lanzhao?" She had specially chosen a good day; today was her day off, so staying at the Xie residence a little longer wouldn't hurt.
"I'm watering the flowers," Yin'e said, then paused and added, "Aren't you practicing your martial arts today?"
Zhao Jialing: "..." What time is it? Still practicing? He's had a few drinks, so it's understandable that he's sleeping soundly.
By the time Zhao Jialing finished washing up, Xie Lanzhao had already finished watering the flowers.
There were pastries on the table. Zhao Jialing glanced at them and casually asked, "Did your chef at home make these?"
Xie Lanzhao smiled slightly and said gently, "I had someone buy Deng's Touhua Ci (a type of sweet rice cake)." She paused, then added, "Her family was already famous far and wide for making this, and now they've added white sugar to create new varieties." The "Sugar Recipe" has already been taught to willing merchants, and it's also sold in bookstores, so it's not exactly a secret. There may only be a few workshops that specialize in making sugar, but the lowered prices have made it possible for ordinary people to enjoy this delicious treat.
Zhao Jialing raised an eyebrow, knowing this could be considered one of her achievements. She smiled brightly: "Hmm? I'd love to try it too."
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