Chapter 3 First meeting
After three hundred years of traveling through time, Xiu Yu had thought she could be as hard as steel, having learned and accustomed to facing separation. But when the moment of departure finally arrived, she couldn't help crying. She was still a teenager, after all. From then on, she would be separated from her father and mother, and she didn't know when they would meet again. How could she not be heartbroken?
"Father." Xiu Yu was still Xiu Yu after all. She wiped away her tears, a gentle smile creeping back onto her face. She untied a purse tied around her waist and handed it to San Guan Bao: "On your birthday before, the gift your daughter gave you was too big for you, but you said it would be very useful on the battlefield. I've made an improved version these days. It's very compact and very useful. Here it is for you."
Sanguan Bao grasped the purse and realized it contained a small telescope. He was naturally delighted, but looking at his daughter's attire, he kept a straight face and said, "Yu'er, no princess would enter the capital in men's clothing. You insist on riding a horse instead of a carriage. This... is unbecoming!"
Xiu Yu took Sanguan Bao's arm, winked at Dong E, and said coquettishly, "But the capital is too far away. If I go by carriage, I might have to be carried into the palace when I arrive. But if I ride a horse, I can reach the capital earlier."
"Just let her be." Dong E, always well-educated, gentle, and well-behaved, actually gave in to her daughter this time. She patted Xiu Yu's hand and said with a smile, "Mother has said everything that needs to be said. Yu'er, mother will often pray to the shaman god, asking him to bless my daughter with eternal peace and happiness."
"Mother." Xiu Yu had been holding back her tears, but now her eyes reddened again. "My daughter will live a good life, she will."
No matter how reluctant they are, they must eventually part. Sanguan Bao held his wife's shoulders, watching his daughter's back gradually disappear. Even the tough man who had fought on the battlefield shed a tear.
"Madam, will we be able to see Yu'er again..." Seventeen years later, the precious daughter he held in his hands for fear of dropping her, held in his mouth for fear of melting, had finally left home. Thousands of miles away, by the time they met again, she would probably no longer look the same as she does today.
Dong E's tears didn't stop the moment Xiu Yu got on the horse. "Master, I'm afraid we'll never see Yu'er again."
Sanguan Bao gripped his wife's shoulders tightly, knowing full well that the road his daughter must travel was fraught with obstacles. But his daughter, like a man, would bravely forge ahead, the harder the road, the more courageous she would become, slicing through the thorns to reach her most desired destination. His Yu'er, not only among Manchu women, but even among all the daughters of the world, was one of the most beautiful and intelligent. His Yu'er was surely fortunate enough to live a peaceful and happy life.
Even though Xiu Yu rode at top speed, it was almost Chinese New Year by the time she reached Beijing. After washing up in the inn, she changed into men's clothes and went out.
The capital city at the end of the year was undoubtedly bustling with people selling sugar melons, peanuts, melon seeds, candied haws, and New Year pictures. She had seen many of these in her previous life, but rarely in this life outside the Great Wall. This time, she finally had a full view of them all, and it felt quite refreshing.
She grabbed the sugar figurine of Sun Wukong flying in the clouds, and even the servants following behind her could feel the joy emanating from their princess's body.
After strolling around the market for a long time and spending all the money she needed, Xiu Yu touched her deflated purse and looked up, finding herself walking to the door of a chess club. She pursed her rosy lips, raised her eyebrows slightly, and simply handed everything in her hands to the servant who followed her, then turned and entered the chess club.
Not far away, the current emperor Aixinjueluo Xuanye, who was happy about Geng Jingzhong's surrender and the impending victory in the Three Feudatories War, originally wanted to go out of the palace to see the lively scene of the people in the capital celebrating the New Year after the great victory. But as fate would have it, when Xiuyu was buying candy figurines, Xuanye saw this "tomboy". Her gentle and unusually handsome appearance was unmatched by any man in the world. If he had not walked up and bought a "Tang Monk Riding a White Horse" from the old man blowing candy figurines, and "accidentally" glanced at the three ear holes on Xiuyu's round earlobes, he would have thought that he would become "gay" because of this "young man".
"Master, the ancestor ordered..." Liang Jiugong saw Xuanye was stunned with the sugar figure in his hand, not knowing what was going on, and was about to remind the emperor that it was time to return to the palace.
Unexpectedly, Xuanye handed the candy man to Liang Jiugong, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Here's a reward for you." Then he strode into the chess club on the street.
Liang Jiugong didn't have time to thank the Lord for his grace, so he quickly followed.
The owner of a chess club that dared to open one on the street was certainly somewhat refined, so the layout of the club was quite elegant. Of course, Xiu Yu only came to play chess to fill her purse, so she didn't really care about the layout of the chess club.
During the Lunar New Year, many people were busy shopping for New Year's goods, so naturally, fewer people were playing chess. Xiu Yu's eyelids drooped, and just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard someone behind her say, "Hey, sir, do you want to play chess?"
Xiu Yu turned around and saw a fair-skinned young man with a few pockmarks on his face. She didn't doubt it, raised her head slightly, and replied, "That's right."
"What a coincidence! I'm also itching to show off my skills today." Xuanye signaled Liang Jiugong to pay for the tea and prepare for the game. He opened the two chess boxes and handed the black piece directly to Xiu Yu.
Xiu Yu blocked it with her hand and said, "Huh? Let's just follow the rules and guess odd or even."
As he spoke, Xiu Yu grabbed a handful of white pieces and placed them on the chessboard. He smiled slightly and said, "Please."
Xuanye would have been stunned again if he hadn't been so well-mannered when he saw Xiuyu's tomboyish appearance. Such a beautiful woman actually existed in this world. What was even more rare was that she was a Manchu girl. She was probably this year's imperial concubine. In the future...
"Guess odd or even?" Xiu Yu waited for a long time. Seeing that the guy opposite him was reluctant to put the black piece in his hand onto the chessboard, he became anxious and started to urge him again.
Xuanye smiled and said, "My friend is very well behaved, so I guess..."
"Wait a minute." Xiu Yu suddenly grabbed Xuanye's wrist, but as soon as she held it, she felt something was wrong and let go, her pretty face slightly flushed.
The black piece in Xuanye's hand didn't fall onto the chessboard after all. He smiled and asked, "Young friend, do you have anything else to say?"
Xiu Yu quickly recovered and said, "Since this is a hand game, we still have to discuss the winners and losers." She took off the purse from her waist and placed it on the chessboard. "We still have to place a bet. Brother, do you want to join?"
When Xuanye went out, he naturally left the silver with Liang Jiugong. Liang Jiugong was about to take out the silver, but Xuanye stopped him with a look.
In almost the same manner as Xiu Yu, Xuan Ye also removed the item he had tied around his waist—a jade pendant. He placed it next to his purse and said, "If I win by chance, I won't want the contents of the purse. Please give me the purse. If I lose, please take this jade pendant. How about that?"
Xiu Yu glanced at the jade pendant. It was of excellent quality, probably one in a million. Unfortunately, it was difficult to cash in, which made her unhappy. But after all, she was facing this "master" across from her, so she couldn't utter the word "no." "This bet is barely acceptable. Guess odd or even. Brother, please make your move."
"Then I'll guess single." Just as the words fell, a black piece fell next to the pile of white pieces.
After Liang Jiugong counted the number of chess pieces, Xiu Yu still had the first move.
Xuanye smiled and said, "It is God's will. It is hard to go against God's will."
Xiu Yu finally took the box of black chess pieces and said, "Since it's God's will, I won't be polite."
As the saying goes, "A true gentleman watches chess without speaking." While two players are discussing chess, the observer is not allowed to speak. In the past, the most popular players in this chess club were the veterans who had been playing for years. After all, their experience was vast, and the audience benefited greatly from watching. Today, the most attention was naturally drawn to the table of Xiu Yu and Xuan Ye. The two players were relatively young, yet their every move betrayed the skill of their seasoned masters. Black pieces made unexpected moves, white pieces cleverly resolved the situation, and the game went back and forth, time slipping by silently, yet the winner remained undecided.
Xuanye was the emperor, and Liang Jiugong believed that no one in the world could defeat him. Firstly, he didn't dare to win, and secondly, his master was truly powerful. However, there was one exception: his master "voluntarily" lost.
I can't remember which move it was, but after the white piece landed on the chessboard, several experts among the group of people watching the game sighed softly, feeling deeply sorry for this slightly older young man.
Xiu Yu had always been someone who refused to admit defeat. She vaguely sensed that she had been given a piece by the opponent, but her desire to win prevailed. She dropped the black piece in her hand and said with a bow, "Thank you for letting me take it, brother!"
Xuanye lowered his eyelids and said with a smile: "If my friend wins, my jade pendant will belong to you. But unfortunately, your purse..." He glanced at the purse that smelled of powder. Although he felt regretful, he was willing to lose to the friend opposite him.
"You may be young, but you possess a superb skill in chess." Xuanye stood up and greeted him. "It is truly a fate to be able to play a game of chess with you. Could you please tell me your name?"
Xiu Yu raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "If I told you, would you tell me?"
Xuanye laughed out loud, then looked at Xiuyu seriously and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't say it. We are destined to meet again."
"He's quite a carefree person." Xiu Yu saw that man had already left the chess club, picked up the jade pendant, and praised it, "It's of good quality."
The sun was setting, and Xuanye hurried back to the palace. After entering the Palace of Heavenly Purity, he ordered, "Go and fetch all the portraits of the concubines to be selected this year."
Liang Jiugong was a little surprised. Ever since the queen passed away, the emperor had lost interest in the selection of concubines. Did the sun rise from the west today?
As the portraits unfolded before Xuanye's eyes, he rubbed the ring on his thumb and shook his head. It wasn't until Xiuyu's portrait slowly unfolded that he finally smiled and said, "So, she's the daughter of the Guo Luoluo family. No wonder..."
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