Ye Zelin said, "The East Market is bustling, would you like to go and take a look?"
Hua Fushu agreed immediately.
Ye Zelin gave the horse to Side, Hua Fushu called Sanqiao, and the three were about to go to the East Market. Unfortunately, a man came over at this time.
This person was a man, about forty years old, wearing a crimson shirt and a dark blue soft-wrapped hat. He bowed to Ye Zelin and said, "Young General."
Ye Zelin also bowed in return, "Grand Eunuch."
Hua Fushu was very curious about the person who suddenly appeared and asked, "Who are you? Where are you from?"
Ye Zelin scolded Hua Fushu, "Fushu, don't be rude!"
She then apologized to the middle-aged man, "My wife was reckless and offended the eunuch. I hope the eunuch will forgive me."
The middle-aged man said, "It turns out to be Miss Ye. My apologies."
Hua Fushu bowed as a return gesture.
The middle-aged man continued, "I haven't congratulated the young general on his wedding yet. I'm busy today. I'll prepare gifts and congratulate the young general on his wedding another day."
Ye Zelin bowed, "I dare not."
Hua Fushu said, "Have you two been polite enough? Ye Zelin, are you going to the East Market or not?"
Ye Zelin said, "Fushu, it's too late to go today. I'll go with you another day when I'm free."
Hua Fushu said unhappily, "No need, we can go by ourselves."
Ye Zelin said, "The East Market is very far from here."
Hua Fushu continued, "Who says we have to go to the East Market? Can't we go to Yongqing Street or Sifang Pavilion?"
Ye Zelin scolded, "There are a few hooligans in the Sifang Pavilion area. Why would a girl like you go there?"
"What do you care?"
Hua Fushu gave Ye Zelin a look, pulled Sanqiao away, and didn't even turn back when Ye Zelin called her.
Ye Zelin looked at Side, "What are you standing there for? Why don't you just follow me? This young lady doesn't know anyone here!"
Si De followed dejectedly, leading his horse.
Ye Zelin said with a smile: "Excuse me, sir. My wife is just like that, a spoiled young lady with a bad temper."
The middle-aged man Luo Shen didn't take it seriously and just said, "Young General, His Majesty is free, please come into the palace and play a game of chess."
The two went to the palace together.
The high walls are majestic and solemn. Inside the walls, there are palaces with yellow glazed tiles, pavilions, black pottery and green tiles, and art galleries and pavilions, which are simple and beautiful. There are small bridges over flowing water, strange peaks and rocks, green pines and cypresses, and exotic flowers competing for beauty, which is unparalleled.
There is a palace named Wende, with rare antiques, calligraphy and paintings by famous artists displayed on the east and west sides. On the north wall hangs a painting of "Preface to the Lanting Collection". The characters are elegant and natural, vigorous and powerful, with dragons and phoenixes flying and dancing, and are ingeniously crafted. There is a seal with three characters "Yan Qingchen" printed on it.
Two golden beasts were burning ambergris, and green smoke was floating in the air, lingering.
Ye Zelin was kneeling, in front of him was a chessboard made of sandalwood with dragon patterns carved on the edge. There were nineteen vertical and horizontal lines on the board, and many black and white chess pieces were laid out.
On the other side of the chessboard was a man wearing a snow-white round-necked robe with a five-clawed dragon pattern. This man was five or six years older than Ye Zelin. He had handsome eyebrows and eyes, and a dragon-like and phoenix-like demeanor, with a natural air of nobility.
This is the emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Zixu.
Zhao Zixu placed a white stone and said, "There are nine levels of Go: Into the Mind, Sitting in Reflection, Concrete, Insightful, Wisdom, Intelligence, Dexterity, Fighting Strength, Pretending to be Foolish, and Simple. Beyond these nine levels, there are countless others that are impossible to count and fall outside the standard, so I won't go into detail. In Go, those who are born knowing it are the best; those who learn it are the second best; and those who learn it through difficulty are the next best."
Ye Zelin didn't dare to make another move, feeling a little embarrassed. "My humble talent is dull, not even one tenth of your majesty's. Every time I play against your majesty, I lose. Your majesty, please don't laugh at me."
Zhao Zixu said, "You had the chance to catch me off guard, but you chose to let it go. The art of chess requires rigor and caution. The superior player is in the center, the inferior player is on the edge, and the middle player occupies the corner. This is the norm for chess players. You've divided your forces, and divided forces are difficult to recover. You're forcing me with your moves, and that forces me into a position of strength while you're vulnerable. A weakness is easy to attack, but a strength is hard to break. Be flexible and don't be stubborn. The scriptures all say, 'Advance when you see opportunity, retreat when you know difficulty.' How could you not understand this principle? Why not read Guiguzi and cultivate your temper?"
Ye Zelin did not stand up. He folded his hands, with the left hand outside and the right hand inside, and folded his body slightly. "Your Majesty, I will follow your instructions. However, I have not yet finished reading the Tao Te Ching. I wonder if I can finish it and then read Guiguzi."
Zhao Zixu said, "Although you have been my tutor for a few years, you are still Ye's in nature."
Ye Zelin said, "Your Majesty, you also know that my ancestors were born in humble circumstances and had a quick temper. It is a blessing for my generation to have a temper like mine."
Zhao Zixu laughed and said, "You are the only one who can quibble."
Luo Dajian approached, bowed, and asked, "Your Majesty, I see you and the young general have been playing chess and talking for a long time. I have asked someone to prepare some refreshments. Please try some to quench your thirst."
"Okay."
Zhao Zixu stood up with his tall and slender body, and Ye Zelin also stood up.
The two walked to the coffee table nearby. Zhao Zixu sat down first. After getting Zhao Zixu's permission, Ye Zelin sat down.
Zhao Zixu looked at the palace maids and said, "You wait."
All the palace maids withdrew, leaving only the Grand Eunuch Luo.
When Luo Dajian knew that Zhao Ye and the other two had something to say, he wanted to leave, but Zhao Zixu stopped him and ordered him to stay outside the hall.
After leaving the Wende Hall, Luo Dajian sent a palace maid to the kitchen to pack two freshly baked cakes, saying that the young general had specially asked His Majesty for them for the young lady who had just married.
Zhao Zixu took a sip of tea to quench his thirst and said, "The fox is very cunning. I don't know how many of his spies and ears there are in the palace. I'm not sure if there are any around me, either. I have to be careful with everything I say and do."
"Your Majesty." Ye Zelin looked at the majestic emperor, his heart aching. "I am incompetent."
Zhao Zixu said, "The fox is extremely ambitious and has been operating for years. His power is deeply entrenched and spreads throughout the government and the country. It will take more than a day or two to eradicate him. Even with my current power, I cannot contend with him. I can only gradually clip his wings and weaken his power. I stopped him from robbing the national treasury, but he has now set his sights on the descendants of Meihua."
Ye Zelin said, "Years ago, on the occasion of the Empress Dowager's birthday, His Majesty used the excuse of sending her a birthday gift to check the treasury. Minister Zhen presented a list of tributes from various places and foreign countries over the years, and that old fox had no choice but to give up all the tributes he had embezzled."
Zhao Zixu sighed softly, "It's a pity that the old fox found fault with Minister Zhen, forcing me to demote him from the capital. Unfortunately, when Minister Zhen was traveling through the Green Forest, he encountered bandits, and his entire family lost their lives in vain."
Ye Zelin said, "Your Majesty, how far has the old fox of the Mei family investigated?"
Zhao Zixu continued, "Ever since Taizu conquered the Song Dynasty, the descendants of the Plum Blossom family have disappeared without a trace. Rumors circulate that whoever obtains the Plum Blossom family's heir will obtain the treasure, and whoever obtains the treasure will rule the world. The Plum Blossom family's heir is true, and the treasure is even truer. You must know that to obtain the treasure, you must obtain the Plum Blossom Order. Only the Plum Blossom Order can open the underground palace and obtain the treasure. If you obtain the Plum Blossom Order, you will find the Plum Blossom family's heir. This old fox has been secretly searching for the descendants of the Mei family for a long time, and may have discovered their whereabouts. A few days ago, I also received news that the descendants of the Plum Blossom family have appeared in the world."
Ye Zelin was overjoyed: "Your Majesty, has the heir of the Mei family really appeared?"
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