Sure enough, Xiao Jinglin's pleasure boat arrived very quickly. Although Xiao Jinglin did not come today, both pleasure boats were docked in the nearby river section early in the morning.
Yun Qiuchen asked calmly, "The princess's pleasure boat is also very stable. Shall we go aboard?"
The other ladies from Kyoto looked at each other, and then looked at Yan Ningshuang at the same time.
Yan Ningshuang smiled and said, "Then let's go up." Then she took her maid's hand and walked towards the pleasure boat first.
Zhao Yingqiu suddenly pressed her forehead and swayed unsteadily. Yun Qiuchen, who was standing next to her, quickly supported her and asked with concern, "Miss Zhao, what's wrong?"
Yan Ningshuang also turned around and looked.
Zhao Yingqiu smiled weakly. "After being blown by the river breeze all afternoon, I feel a little uncomfortable. I didn't feel it before, but now that I see the boat..."
Everyone understood what Zhao Yingqiu meant. She was probably thinking about the time when she came to Yanbei by boat. She was not in a good condition on the boat at that time and looked very listless.
Yan Ningshuang said: "Why don't you go back and rest first?"
Zhao Yingqiu nodded and said to everyone with some apology: "Then I will leave first. Sisters, have fun."
Yun Qiuchen beckoned over her maid, Yinzhu, and instructed, "Accompany Miss Zhao back, and have Doctor Yang come and see her."
Zhao Yingqiu thanked him and left with Yinzhu.
The rest of the people followed Yan Ningshuang and Yun Qiuchen onto the pleasure boat.
Xiao Jingxi's pleasure boat slowly sailed towards the lower reaches of the Liyang River, and another pleasure boat followed behind. The two sides maintained a distance that was neither too far nor too close. The pleasure boat behind did not seem to have any intention of catching up. The people on the two pleasure boats seemed to have really come to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the river and mountains.
However, the pleasure boat behind didn't seem to affect the people on the one in front. Pei Zhiyan invited Xiao Jingxi to play a game with him, and Xiao Jingxi happily agreed. The Xu couple and Ren Yaoqi sat quietly on the sidelines and watched the game.
Pei Zhiyan and Xiao Jingxi were both top-tier Go players. Pei Zhiyan's style seemed casual, but he often took unconventional steps, each one concealing a trap. Xiao Jingxi, on the other hand, possessed a calmness befitting his age. Regardless of Pei Zhiyan's moves, Xiao Jingxi remained undeterred. However, when the time came, he delivered a decisive, ruthless blow.
Although the two players did not play chess very fast, the battle was very intense, attracting the spectators to be even more engaged than when they watched the dragon boat race before.
Ren Yaoqi had previously played against Xiao Jingxi. She had initially wondered who would be better at Go if Xiao Jingxi faced Pei Zhiyan, ultimately concluding that her husband might have a slight edge. However, after watching this fierce match, Ren Yaoqi felt that her previous judgment might have been a bit subjective. Although Xiao Jingxi had no clear advantage against Pei Zhiyan, he never showed any signs of defeat from beginning to end.
Ren Yaoqi then began to understand that Xiao Jingxi had more or less given her a handicap when they played chess together. Especially during that draw. Given Xiao Jingxi's calm and composed style, he shouldn't have been so easily fooled. After all, compared to setting a trap to lure the enemy, if Pei Zhiyan admitted second place, no one else would dare.
As the two sides fought to a standstill and the situation became stalemate, Pei Zhiyan smiled, looking at Xiao Jingxi with genuine admiration. He jokingly said, "You can tell a person's character by his chess style. Even when playing chess, Master Xiao remains as calm as a mountain, invulnerable to swords and spears. I can't help but wonder, has Master Xiao never panicked?"
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