The kite soared into the sky, and soon attracted people.
Wei Dongchen wore a red, round-necked, narrow-sleeved robe, a black belt with subtle patterns around his waist, and a jade crown to tie his hair. With a bright smile, he looked every bit the handsome young man.
When Wei Huaixu saw him, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "What brings you here?"
"What fun is it for you, Crown Prince, to fly kites alone? I'll keep you company."
"I am not alone."
Wei Dongchen seemed to only notice Qingying at this moment. His star-like eyes curved into crescents as he smiled and said, "So you have a beautiful companion with you. With Miss Liu here, my Crown Prince brother doesn't feel lonely anymore, does he?"
Qingying sensed the sarcasm in his tone and felt confused. She said, "My daughter and His Highness the Crown Prince only met by chance, and there was no overstepping of boundaries between us. Please don't misunderstand, Your Highness."
Why are you afraid I'll misunderstand?
Wei Huaixu said, "Miss Liu is still young and unmarried. You mustn't spread rumors and slander her."
Wei Dongchen then calmed down and waved the kite in his hand, saying, "Look, Crown Prince, this is a kite I made myself. It will definitely fly very high."
"You made this yourself?" Wei Huaixu couldn't help but be a little surprised.
"Yes, I had someone find the best craftsman in the capital to teach me personally. It took me seven whole days. I failed many times during that time, but finally I made this one."
As Qingying listened, she couldn't help but wonder: This Prince Yu's son is usually good-for-nothing and his studies are terrible, but he is quite dedicated to amusing and playful things.
Wei Dongchen ran off to fly a kite on the other side, while Wei Huaixu remained standing with her.
"Does Your Highness and the Crown Prince have a good relationship?" Qingying asked.
"Yes, I was named Crown Prince from birth. My mother died early, and everyone in the palace was wary of me. Only Ah Chen never cared about any of that. He was my best playmate when I was a child."
Qingying knew very little about the Crown Prince.
Rumors circulate that the current emperor and the late empress had a very deep affection for each other. However, the late empress was frail and died young, leaving behind only the crown prince as her sole son. To this day, the emperor has not appointed a new empress, but has instead entrusted the imperial concubine with the management of the harem and the imperial seal.
However, it is said that the Emperor does not like this son. Although he has not deposed the Crown Prince, he has practically stripped the Crown Prince of his power. There are many theories about the reasons, but the most credible one is that the late Empress died young due to an illness that occurred during childbirth. The Emperor was heartbroken by the loss of his beloved daughter, which is why he disliked the Crown Prince.
As for the truth, only the parties involved probably know the truth.
Wei Dongchen launched the kite into the sky in one go.
"See that?" He put his hands on his hips and looked smug. "My kite really does fly the highest."
Qingying looked over and muttered softly, "It's clearly His Highness the Crown Prince's kite that's flying higher."
Wei Huaixu said indifferently, "It's just for fun, let it be."
Since he said that, Qingying didn't say anything more.
After playing for a while, Wei Dongchen handed the spool to the servant and walked over, saying, "This is so boring, let's go play backgammon."
"What is backgammon?" Qingying asked, puzzled.
Just as Wei Huaixu was about to explain, Wei Dongchen pulled him toward the pavilion, saying, "You'll see when you see it later."
The tables and chairs in the pavilion were somewhat dilapidated, but they looked fairly tidy after being cleaned and wiped by the palace maids.
After they sat down, someone came over and set up a chessboard.
"So they were playing chess."
Wei Huaixu explained: "This game is not difficult. There are six rows on the left and right sides of the backgammon board. The horses made of sandalwood are arranged in a cone shape. The white horses are placed from right to left and the black horses are placed from left to right. There are fifteen black and fifteen white pieces. Two people play the game and roll the dice. The movement of the pieces is determined by the number rolled on the dice. The first player to move all the pieces off the board wins."
Wei Dongchen said, "If you don't understand, we'll play a round for you and you'll understand quickly."
Qingying had already understood the rules, but she still nodded in agreement, "I'll watch you guys play."
The two then decided to decide who would roll the dice first by playing rock-paper-scissors.
In the first round, Wei Huaixu went first and rolled a large number on his first throw.
"Although this game has a large element of luck, strategy is still very important. Each time the dice are rolled, the player must choose the best move from a variety of options in order to win faster," he explained to her as he played the game.
Qingying rested her chin on her hands as she looked at the chessboard. Upon hearing this, she simply nodded obediently.
She watched intently and quickly grasped the principle behind it. A desire to play a game arose in her heart, but with the young prince on her left and the crown prince on her right, she dared not utter a word.
The first round of the game ended with Wei Dongchen winning, and he jumped up happily.
After watching the whole thing, Qingying couldn't help but praise, "Wow, that's amazing! They were about to lose, but they managed to survive against all odds and turn the tide."
He proudly raised his chin and said, "When it comes to having fun, I'm second to none in the entire capital!"
Uh... this guy really is the kind of person who can open a dye shop with just a little paint.
Wei Huaixu didn't care about winning or losing at all. He simply picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then asked Qingying, "Would you like to join in the fun?"
Qingying was still young and had some childlike qualities. She had been eager to try it out for a while, and as soon as she was asked, she immediately started rubbing her hands together and getting ready to go.
Wei Huaixu offered her his seat, saying, "You can play here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Wei Dongchen said with a smile, "Miss Liu, I will definitely show mercy."
"Then thank you very much, Your Highness."
As the game officially began, Qingying realized that watching from the sidelines was completely different from playing herself. As the saying goes, those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly. When she was in the thick of it, she was bound to be confused. She often regretted her mistakes afterward, but by then it was too late to turn back.
Fortunately, Wei Huaixu was watching over her the whole time and occasionally gave her some pointers, which prevented her from losing too badly.
After the game, Qingying felt a sense of admiration for Wei Dongchen. "The young master seemed to be both on the sidelines and outsiders in the game. His deep thinking and careful planning made Qingying far behind him."
Wei Dongchen gave a roguish smile: "Although there's a hint of resentment in your tone, your praise is quite pleasing to the ear. I'll just assume you're captivated by my charm."
You probably can't find many people in the whole world with a skin thicker than his!
If he weren't the heir apparent, the chessboard on the table would probably have already been smashed in his face by Qingying.
And yet, she could only greet them with a smile.
At this moment, a eunuch from Wei Huaixu's side came over to announce: "Your Highness, Miss Lu requests an audience."
"Miss Lu? Which Miss Lu?"
Wei Dongchen tossed a piece of pastry into his mouth, puffed out his cheeks as he arranged the chessboard, and mumbled, "Lu Xingli, right? Hasn't she always been in love with you? I bet she came all this way just to give you this sachet."
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