Chapter 251 Win or Lose

Cao's mansion held a grand banquet, with the Queen and the Crown Prince in person, and it was glorious and lively.

In the front hall, Yu Zheng and Yu Cheng were surrounded by a group of young men from aristocratic families, reciting poems one after another.

Cao Sheng was mixed in the crowd, looking at Yu Cheng, who was full of vigor and was treated like a star, and felt disgusted in his heart. He really wanted to see Yu Cheng being humiliated.

But Yu Cheng was the crown prince, and he was also very talented. Most ordinary people dared not and had no ability to defeat him.

After thinking about it, Cao Sheng looked at Yu Zheng, who was also brilliant.

With a flash of light in his mind, Cao Sheng pulled over the young man he usually hung out with and whispered a few words in his ear.

"This... is not good, what if..." The man hesitated.

Cao Sheng patted his shoulder and said, "What are you afraid of? This is in the Cao family, in front of so many people, they can't blame you. You just talk and don't show up, no one knows who you are."

Seeing that the man was still hesitant, Cao Sheng snorted coldly, "If you don't tell me, the last time..."

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you..." The man compromised.

After separating from Cao Sheng, the man went into the crowd, shrunk his head and shouted, and said something in the laughter.

"I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Jing are both excellent chess players. Today is a rare opportunity. Can we watch them?"

There was a brief silence in the hall, and then someone echoed: "I also want to watch and learn a thing or two."

"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Jing, let's play a game..."

With high interest and enthusiasm, Yu Cheng looked up at Yu Zheng who was not far away, and asked loudly: "Third brother, are you willing?"

With so many eyes staring at him, Yu Zheng had no reason to refuse.

"Please, my royal brother." Yu Zheng happily agreed.

What to say in secret is another matter, but in public, it must be impeccable.

The two sat down, and the servants quickly set up the chess sets.

Everyone rushed up, vying for a good seat, and watched the chess game with interest.

I don't know who started it, but they started placing bets. The hall was noisy and lively.

Yu Cheng made the first move, and Yu Zheng followed without hesitation.

As the number of black and white pieces on the board increased, the speed of their moves gradually slowed down.

The two brothers had a rare chance to sit down and play chess. Yu Cheng looked up at Yu Zheng, feeling mixed emotions.

He and Yu Zheng were of the same bloodline, grew up together, studied together, and learned state policy together...

At first, facing such a smart and extraordinary brother, Yu Cheng liked him very much, and gave in to him and took care of him like an ordinary brother.

But every time the emperor met them and tested their knowledge, his eyes always fell on Yu Zheng, and he always held Yu Zheng on his lap, so he could only stand aside and watch.

Of course, the emperor would also praise him, but he was not as loving and doting on him as he was on Yu Zheng.

Everyone said that he was born with a good fate, had the most noble status, and would become the most noble person in the future. Although Yu Zheng was a prince, he was still a step behind him.

But no one knew that he did not care about this noble status, he envied Yu Zheng.

Although he was born in the royal family, Yu Zheng had a complete family and was loved by his parents. And he...

"Brother, it's your turn." Seeing that Yu Cheng did not move for a long time, Yu Zheng reminded him.

The eyes of the people around him fell on Yu Cheng, wondering why he was absent-minded.

Yu Cheng smiled indifferently, focused his mind and stared at the chessboard to think.

Although it was a leisurely game of chess, it should be taken seriously.

"Third brother, your chess skills have improved a lot." Yu Cheng smiled and praised after making his move.

Yu Zheng looked at the chessboard, thinking while saying, "So is my royal brother."

When the two of them were learning chess from Master Zhou, they often played against each other and were very familiar with each other's moves.

But since they became adults and entered the court, and Yu Zheng left the palace, the two of them rarely had the opportunity to sit down and play chess.

Everyone watched the two of them chatting and laughing leisurely, with a look of brotherly friendship and respect, and became more and more curious about the outcome of this game of chess.

Although most of the people present were idle children, they were all smart and understood that this was a silent competition.

Time passed bit by bit, and the black and white pieces were like two armies fighting and confronting each other. Every piece that fell on the chessboard was a collision of wisdom and strategy.

Both of them knew each other's temperament, so they did not give in when they made their moves. Taking things seriously is a sign of respect for each other.

"Pah!" The sound of the white jade chess pieces falling on the chessboard was crisp and pleasant.

Yu Cheng smiled and praised: "Third brother, you are a good chess player."

"Thank you, my royal brother." Yu Zheng's dark eyes were calm.

Countless pairs of eyes stared at the chessboard, not coming back to their senses for a while.

Is this the end? His Royal Highness Prince Jing won?

"His Royal Highness Prince Jing won, come on, place your bets."

"I also bet on His Royal Highness Prince Jing..."

After a moment of silence, everyone started talking.

Yu Cheng had a smile on his face, as gentle as jade, and he didn't care about the outcome of this game.

Yu Zheng's face was calm, without any joy of winning the game.

Only he knew that Yu Cheng let him go. Although he didn't need it at all, Yu Cheng still let him go.

"His Royal Highness Prince Jing's chess skills are truly superb."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is also very good. If it were me, I wouldn't even last a cup of tea."

"I'm fortunate to see such a wonderful chess game today. It's not in vain..."

Cao Sheng listened to everyone's discussion, and saw that Yu Cheng's face was as gentle as usual, and he couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.

Why didn't things develop as he expected?

"Come on, let's have a competition."

"You two are playing chess, but no one is betting, haha..."

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere was harmonious and joyful.

Shen Changze looked at Yu Zheng at the top, his emotions were complicated and difficult to discern.

The drizzle outside the house had grown heavier at some point, and it was falling.

The ladies and ladies in the backyard gathered together to listen to short operas, drink tea and chat.

In the absence of the empress, Cao Muxue and Madam Cao became the center of attention. Everyone gathered around them and chatted. The topic somehow turned to Jiang Shu.

"Come to think of it, we haven't formally met Princess Jing yet."

Although Jiang Shu had been seen before, her status was different at that time, and the meaning was naturally different.

"Maybe she is pregnant and can't travel, so she is recuperating in the mansion." Cao Muxue said very casually.

Everyone was shocked when they heard it.

"Princess Jing is pregnant? So soon?"

"It's been half a year since they got married, so it's normal to be pregnant."

"This is the first child of His Royal Highness Prince Jing, so it's very precious. No wonder she didn't come today..."

Mother Shen sat at the edge of the crowd, listening to their conversation, her expression was a little embarrassed, and her eyes were dim with regret.

But no matter how much she regretted, nothing could be changed.

In the midst of the bustle, the empress came back in a dignified manner.

"Your Majesty." Madam Cao stood up and helped the empress sit down.

The empress had a dull expression, her eyes fixed on the opera on the stage.

At this moment, she really couldn't laugh. Fortunately, she was of noble status, so it was normal for her to look dignified, and it would not arouse suspicion.

Seeing that the empress was staring at the stage, everyone thought that the empress was interested in the opera, and they all kept silent, not daring to disturb the empress. The opera

being sung on the stage was "The Eight Immortals Celebrating Birthday".

The empress was moved and heartbroken, but she didn't dare to show it on her face. She clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves, and she didn't feel any pain even when her nails dug into the flesh.