Chapter 394 Zhao Duan: How about I play a game with you? (6k)
The cold winter wind blew in through the gaps opened by the crowd.
Accompanied by the joyful and excited exclamations of "Chen the national master", the numb faces of the spectators around the small chess stall were filled with happiness.
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows, vaguely remembering the name.
Emperors of all dynasties had a tradition of nurturing talents and storing up promising prospects. For example, the Hanlin Academy’s Hanlin scholars had this origin.
Among them, those with excellent chess skills were summoned into the palace by the emperor and often accompanied the emperor. Those who played chess with the princes were called "chess attendants".
Commonly known as "national player" among the people.
It is not just one person. Among the several national leaders of the current Dayu Dynasty, Chen Jiuyan is particularly respected.
"Master Chen is here! Could it be that someone specially invited him?" A chess player nearby was overjoyed.
It's like welcoming a backbone.
Zhao Duan frowned, showing no joy.
"Mr. Lin, don't you seem very surprised?" Princess Wenzhu was an excellent observer and keenly noticed that Link's expression beside her was obviously different from that of the other spectators.
Logically speaking, as a Dayu person, you should be happy to see your own national champion show up to destroy the prestige of the Western Region monks.
Tsk... Auntie, you are very perceptive. You are watching my reaction so closely... Zhao Duan exhaled softly and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"If Chen Guoshou doesn't play, there's still room for improvement. If he does, we can't lose."
These words seemed a bit mysterious at first, but Princess Wenzhu was very smart. Her eyes lit up and her evaluation of Zhao Duan increased.
Dan Che's challenge came without warning, which indeed caught the court off guard.
But as long as the national players do not leave the field, the impact will not be great. People will only think that the little monk is indeed powerful, but he is just killing some ordinary chess players in Huangting Lane.
However, the fate of the chess player will push the situation to an extreme.
If you win, everything will be fine.
If we lose, it will be a big deal in diplomacy.
In peacetime, Go diplomacy... is nothing new. As an official with a keen political sense, Zhao Duan almost certainly judged that Chen Jiuyan was definitely not sent by the court.
Most likely, someone notified him but did not report it to the palace or an official of sufficient rank, but instead ran here on his own.
As soon as the matter was reported, any official with a brain would immediately order the "chess attendant" to be banned from appearing.
…
"Today, the winter snow is resting. I heard that there is a foreign chess player showing his prowess in Huangting Lane. It's quite unusual."
The young man named Chen Jiuyan had an ordinary appearance, but his bearing carried the pride of a great master, and a strand of hair on his forehead was slightly gray.
He came amidst the crowd's guard, looked at Dan Che with a disdainful look, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly:
"Chen would like to learn the skills of hand-talking from the Western Yi monks."
The young monk Danche, who was wearing a red monk's robe and looked like a teenager, seemed humble and polite but was actually arrogant. He put the lunch box in his hand back into the bamboo box, and his expression finally showed a serious look for the first time since he arrived.
However, his pupils, which were slightly different in color from those of the Yu people, revealed a strong desire to fight.
Obviously, he was not unfamiliar with the name of Chen Jiuyan, the chess player.
"please."
Dan Che made a "take a seat" gesture, and Chen Jiuyan happily took the seat.
In the blink of an eye, the two sat opposite each other, and Chen Jiuyan said with a smile:
"You can eat first and then play chess, so that others won't say that I, Dayu, am bullying the weak and are playing against you alone."
Dan Che smiled simply but pointedly. He said nothing and just made another gesture of invitation.
Chen Jiuyan stopped talking nonsense. Both sides placed two pieces in the diagonal star position, occupying the seats, thus limiting the advantage of the first move.
Then Chen Jiuyan, as the challenger, played with white and started with three and six.
Dan Che sat upright, like a newcomer learning chess for the first time in a chess hall, and picked up the black piece with standard movements, which should be at 93.
"despair."
"despair."
“Pah.”
“Pah.”
The two of them took turns making moves, and their speed was extremely fast compared to the previous players.
Chen Jiuyan has always been famous for his "fast chess". However, when the Western Regions first came to Dayu, he challenged the chess players from the capital and was not at all inferior to the young monk from the Red Sect.
The crowd suddenly quieted down, and there was not a sound. The spectators held their breath, not wanting to disturb the palace chess player.
Some people even stood in the cold winter, put the frozen brush in their mouths and breathed on it, pulled out a blank chess record, and copied down this game that may very well go down in history without blinking.
Zhao Duan stood in the crowd with his hands behind his back, squinting his eyes to watch the chess game.
Qian Kerou, disguised as a maid, whispered something to Hou and Chen, and the two retreated quickly. Not long after, one of them returned carrying two stools.
Zhao Duan and Princess Wenzhu each had one, just enough for them to sit down and watch the fight.
"Thank you." Princess Wenzhu was stunned for a moment and smiled softly.
Then she gently lifted the hem of her cashmere skirt with her hands, revealing her plump round buttocks with an amazing curve. She put her legs together and sat on a small stool.
Zhao Duan smiled, thinking that the people around him would never imagine that he, the King of Hell, Zhao, and the eldest princess of high status in the Western Regions would squat beside the chess stall in this posture.
The tall female warrior was upset that she had no good judgment. The servants of the Yu State really knew how to serve people.
Soon, when Chen Juan came back from a nearby restaurant with a large packed food box, he set up a small dining table and brought out the steaming braised beef, warm fruit wine, mutton patties and a large bowl of hot soup.
Not only the female warrior and others, but also the other onlookers around were staring with wide eyes.
I thought to myself: Wow, you rich families really know how to enjoy life!
The game continues.
After a dozen or so quick moves that were steady at the beginning and did not deviate from the previous players' style, the game gradually slowed down.
Chen Jiuyan showed his prowess for the first time in the thirteenth move, taking the lead in attacking, intending to seize the initiative, causing the first wave of cheers to erupt from the crowd.
Dan Che responded calmly. His next few moves seemed to be passive defense, but in Zhao Duan's eyes, they were neither hurried nor slow, and were signs of gradually accumulating momentum.
As expected, when both sides had made their fiftieth move, the young monk Danche made an unremarkable move, and the situation suddenly changed drastically, as if the sky was falling and the earth was collapsing.
The chess player, who had always been confident, finally showed a serious expression for the first time, and spent several times more time in deep thought than before.
"It's dangerous..."
"How could that be? The situation was clearly going well just now."
There was a small-scale disturbance among the crowd, and some people even started arguing in low voices. After all, this was not a chess hall with good order.
It is difficult to control people's discussions.
However, Chen Jiuyan seemed to have fallen into a state of concentration, unaware of the noise from the outside world. He frowned and thought hard.
However, the young monk Danche had enough time to take out the meat pie wrapped in cotton cloth from the bamboo box again and started eating it bite by bite, washing it down with cold wine.
Zhao Duan frowned. The contrast between the two was too stark.
He turned his head to look at his "Auntie" who was squatting beside him, concentrating on the black and white pieces on the chessboard, and said softly:
"What do you think?"
Princess Wenzhu finally came back to her senses and turned to look at him. Her brows were thick with worry as she said:
"Chen Jiuyan is not doing well."
Zhao Duan remained silent, as this was consistent with his judgment.
Princess Wenzhu seemed to be explaining, or perhaps sighing:
"I've heard of the little monk's chess prowess over there, but I never imagined he'd be this good."
Well, judging from her micro-expressions, she didn't seem to be lying, and there was no need to lie... So, the Buddhist sect in the Western Regions really has a powerful weapon hidden. Are they thinking that the debate with the Shenlong Temple is not exciting enough?
Manually buy a trending search on Beijing Headlines first? Build momentum for the follow-up?
This bunch of bald donkeys have big plans... Many thoughts flashed through Zhao Duan's mind, but he didn't say anything.
The chess game progressed slower and slower, but more and more people gathered in Huangting Alley.
Before they knew it, the entire alley was almost filled with people who had heard the news.
The topic of "the duel between the great master and the foreign monks from the Western Regions" is really eye-catching.
It was already noon, and many people were starving, but they couldn't squeeze out at all, or were reluctant to leave.
Zhao Duan and Wenzhu each ate some meat and drank some soup, and distributed the rest of the cakes to the three Lihuatang Jinyi and the female warriors and others.
The previously agreed dinner party was unexpectedly delayed by this sudden game.
“Pah.”
“Pah.”
The sound of chess pieces hitting the wooden chessboard was very clear amid the noisy sounds.
Perhaps because there were too many people, the cold air around was dispelled, Zhao Duan even felt the heat and pulled open his collar.
Princess Wenzhu next to her also had a flushed face from the heat. She took off her scarf and unbuttoned her collar.
Chen Jiuyan was drenched in sweat, his back was getting wet little by little, and his face was getting paler.
After a hundred moves, his previous confidence in winning was gone.
After one hundred and fifty moves, veins popped out on Chen Jiuyan's forehead, and the situation was in a stalemate and on the verge of collapse.
After one hundred and eighty moves, the White pieces suffered a crushing defeat, being cut into pieces and barely able to breathe.
Although it was not the end of the game and it seemed that he could still struggle a bit, the stronger players present had already seen that the master chess player was powerless to turn the situation around.
“Pah.”
Dan Che took out a sweat towel and wiped his bald head, which was red and hot due to the airtightness. At the same time, he casually placed a piece and said:
"You lose."
There was dead silence.
It was as if the scene was replayed. The former director of the chess academy seemed to perfectly overlap with the chess attendant with a strand of white hair on his forehead.
Chen Jiuyan stared at the situation intently, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead and slid into his eyes, making his vision suddenly blurred!
His face gradually turned gray, mixed with fear!
It was not just the fear of losing a game of chess. As an imperial chess attendant and a national chess master of the State of Yu, he had lost many games of chess in his life.
But the dish in front of me is different!
How could he not know that as a chess player, if he lost to the people from the Western Regions without authorization, what a terrible impact it would have?
Whether it was due to pride and self-confidence or political immaturity, he had never thought that he would lose to an unknown teenager in the Western Regions.
He could almost imagine what kind of wrath the empress would be met with when the news reached the palace.
The crowd around was also shocked, and the unbelievable sound instantly drowned out the entire Huangting Lane.
"Chen Guoshou also lost!"
These six words were like a sharp sword, piercing the hearts of all the chess players from the Yu State present.
The whole body is cold!
Among the imperial chess players of this dynasty, the most famous Chen Jiuyan, a master chess player, actually lost to a man from the Western Regions in public!
This is a result that is unacceptable to everyone, whether the bigwigs in the government or the common people!
"One more game! One more game!"
Chen Jiuyan suddenly excitedly held the chessboard and said loudly, his blurry eyes staring at Dan Che:
"Next round, I won't be careless again!"
The young monk sat calmly on his stool, but he slowly stood up and pointed at the four crooked words "One game per person" on the inconspicuous wooden sign stuck in the ground.
He said loudly: "According to the rules, you can come back tomorrow."
Chen Jiuyan leaned back and almost fell to the ground. He was completely powerless and said nothing.
The young monk looked down at the out-of-control master, frowned, and said seriously:
"This isn't how a chess player should be. You've disappointed me. Is there no one stronger than you in the Yu Kingdom?"
No... He was not broken down because of losing a game of chess, but because he thought about the cruel consequences he would have to endure next... Zhao Duan sighed softly.
Princess Wenzhu also showed a complex expression of pity and disappointment.
As a princess who married out of the country, she could not take sides in her stance, but in her heart, she undoubtedly expected Chen Jiuyan to save the face of the Yu Kingdom.
Dan Che looked around at the faces around him and the tightly packed Huangting Alley, and said calmly:
"Who's next?"
No one answered!
Even a great master was defeated, so who would dare to come up?
"Someone has already gone to invite the other national players. Little monk, don't be so arrogant!" someone shouted.
Immediately, a few people agreed.
But more people were silent and pessimistic - so much time had passed, the other national players must have received the news long ago, but no one showed up.
Even if someone really came resolutely, Chen Jiuyan lost so surely, could any other "chess player" turn the tables?
From today onwards, the news that the chess world of Yu State was swept by a young man from the Western Regions would probably spread throughout the streets and alleys.
It was a great humiliation, but we were powerless to resist.
Princess Wenzhu sighed deeply, feeling depressed for a moment, and slowly stood up, preparing to leave.
The young monk Danche looked around at everyone again and said with a smile, "No one is willing to fight?"
However, in the silence, Chen Jiuyan, who was sitting paralyzed on the spot, suddenly felt a strong hand pressing down on his shoulder.
Then, the stunned master heard a strange yet somewhat familiar voice in his ears:
"Hou Da, help him to rest aside."
Zhao Duan brushed off his robes and took Shang Wen's chair. He looked helplessly at the stunned monk Dan Che and said with a smile:
"Please, I will play a game with you."
Danche blinked and looked past him at Princess Wenzhu who was about to leave.
"Mr. Lin?!"
Princess Wenzhu's expression froze for a moment, and she looked at Zhao Duan in great surprise.
She felt that this Young Master Lin was fooling around. Why did you, a young man who had just come to Huangting Lane for the first time, make a fool of yourself in public?
Even if you have the spirit of chivalry, you must act within your ability.
This is not as simple as beating up a few hooligans and saving a few poor people.
Dan Che misunderstood Princess Wenzhu's meaning, thinking that it was a powerful chess player she had found. He did not dare to be careless, nodded, and raised his hand to gently stroke her.
The black and white chess pieces fell back into the chess box.
"Please give me some advice." said the young monk.
Before he finished speaking, Zhao Duan played a move: "Stop talking nonsense, I'm in a hurry."
…
…
The Western Regions delegation stayed in an inn in the capital city that was specially set up to receive Western Regions officials.
It is called "Golden Wind Pavilion".
The continuous falling snow covered the entire roof of the inn building with snow.
When the sun comes out, the snow on the roof melts and it becomes extra cold.
"Squeak."
Inside the Jinfeng Pavilion, the window of a pavilion was opened, revealing a monk with dark skin, like an old monkey, standing by the window.
The red monk's robe and the red monk's hat on his head were particularly bright in the snowy scene. The beads made of white ivory hanging around his neck were shining brightly, and his sunken eye sockets were full of contemplation.
The Red Sect master "Holy Monk" felt the cold wind coming in from outside the house and was shocked.
Behind him, there was a thick stack of "information" on the table.
It includes the recent situation and trends of Shenlong Temple, as well as a detailed investigation of relevant personnel.
More importantly, there is a list of people who have become famous in the capital since this year.
In order to find "Hui", the old monk ordered people to search and investigate after entering the city.
There are many names on the list.
Not surprising.
It has been less than three years since the empress ascended the throne, and this year the court has been extremely turbulent. There is a long list of officials who have fallen. As some people fall, naturally others rise to the top.
The changes in power in the court, when passed down to the lower levels, are a larger-scale power change. For example, when Pei Kaizhi fell, the many forces and figures in the capital that depended on him were also replaced.
This has allowed many newcomers to emerge.
And on this list, the first person is, unsurprisingly, Zhao Duan.
"Could the Empress's concubine be the Buddha's incarnation on earth?"
The Red Sect Master whispered softly, then laughed to himself, shook his head, and crossed out the biggest suspect.
Although Zhao Duan perfectly fits the time point of "Hui"'s appearance, the old monk ruled this person out first after careful review.
One of the reasons is similar to Princess Wenzhu's judgment. They both believe that Zhao Duan's achievements are too exaggerated.
There are obvious traces of the empress deliberately gilding it.
Another more important and core reason is:
The Buddha is a compassionate god. How could he transform into a treacherous minister with bad conduct, full of evil, and called "King of Hell" by the people in the city?
This is so unreasonable.
Not to mention, Zhao Duan suppressed the Shenlong Temple in the battle between Buddhism and Taoism...even if "Hui" did not know that his true identity was "Buddhist Buddha".
To sum up, the Red Sect Master will be more suspicious of some of the people behind Zhao Duan.
For example, the talented scholar "Han Zhou" from Xiuwenguan is very consistent with imagination. The only thing that is not quite right is that although Han Zhou only entered Xiuwenguan this year and his status was improved, he was already a famous talent before, and there has not been much change.
"As expected, 'Wisdom' cannot be easily found by believers like us. If we can see it at a glance, it would be false."
The Red Sect master said softly, his monkey-like appearance revealing an almost fanatical devotion:
"However, as long as the 'debate' with the Shenlong Temple begins, 'Wisdom' will surely appear. As a walking Buddha, even if he has lost his memory of being a god, he must possess a powerful Buddha nature and wisdom, and will be attracted to the Dharma..."
"So, as long as the debate becomes loud enough and everyone in the capital knows about it, Hui will definitely come."
The Red Sect Master suppressed his impatience and took a deep breath. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs.
"Master, I am the monk Bianji from Shenlong Temple, greeting you."
The old monk raised his eyebrows, turned around, put away the documents on the table, and then went downstairs himself.
Very quickly.
In the reception room of Jinfeng Pavilion, he met Master Bian Ji, who was waiting there in a white cotton monk's robe.
…
Bian Ji was as handsome as ever, with red lips and white teeth, in stark contrast to the Red Sect master who had been ravaged by the harsh winds of the Western Regions for many years.
"Amitabha." Bian Ji smiled and saluted the people in the ancestral temple.
The Red Sect master also put his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name in return.
Although there was a fierce conflict between the Western Regions Ancestral Temple and the Shenlong Temple, the situation still maintained superficial peace.
After the two sides exchanged greetings, the Red Sect Master smiled and said:
"Master Bianji has come in person. Could it be that he wants to catch us off guard and debate the Dharma with me here today?"
Bian Ji smiled casually, as if he didn't hear the other party's ridicule, and said with a smile:
"Saint Monk, what are you talking about? Although you and I live in different places, we are still from the same lineage and share the same respect for the Buddha's teachings. Unless we're fighting, can't you come visit me?"
The Red Sect Master laughed heartily:
"Of course, if you want to come, Master, please feel free to come. If you want to come to the Western Regions, it would be better. I believe the Dharma King will certainly welcome you."
Bian Ji slowly put away his smile and sighed:
“To be honest, I haven’t been to the Western Regions for many years. The last time I went out, I was accompanying Abbot Xuanyin.
Many years have passed, and I wonder if the scenery outside the Great Wall is beautiful. However, I have stayed in the capital for too long, and I am entangled in worldly affairs, so I find it difficult to walk. Unlike my great master in Shenlong Temple, who walks freely.
The Red Sect Master's expression changed slightly, and he slowly stopped smiling:
"Master, what do you mean by this? Do you think that Da Jing has gone to the Western Regions?"
Bian Ji smiled but said nothing.
The Red Sect master said seriously:
"Only after we arrived in Beijing did we learn that the great master of your temple had attempted to assassinate a court official and has disappeared. This has angered the Emperor of Yu, who has banned Buddhism throughout the country... We express our deepest sympathy."
Haha... you still sympathize, you are too busy gloating, as if coming to debate at this time is not for the purpose of suppressing... Bian Ji had a blank expression on his face.
But in this kind of situation, if the other party doesn't admit it, it will just remain a mess.
"There is no need to mention this matter anymore. I came here on the orders of Abbot Xuanyin to inform the holy monk that the date and place of the debate have been determined..." Bian Ji took out a note from his sleeve.
But at this moment, a monk from the Western Regions hurried in from outside the hall and said in the Western Region dialect:
"Master! Dan Che played chess against Chen Jiuyan, a master of the Yu Kingdom, in Huangting Lane and won a resounding victory!"
"Really?" The Red Sect Master stood up and smiled brightly, "Where is Dan Che?"
The monk said, "He's still over there, accepting the chess player's challenge."
"You've already won, why don't you come back?"
The dark old monk said, then glanced at Bian Ji who was frowning beside him, and suddenly smiled:
"Alright, with such a great victory, I'll go and fetch him myself. Mage, why don't you come with me?"
Danche?
The disciple of this old guy?
Beat Chen Jiuyan at chess? When?
Bian Ji's expression changed slightly, and he stood up and said, "Okay."
…
Outside Huangting Lane.
The entrance of the Kyoto Chess Hall is almost empty.
"Little Heavenly Master" Zhong Pan stood under the plaque of the chess academy, with the big sword "Red Tide" slung across his back, and his ferocious face covered with a scarf.
"The Six Arts of a Gentleman, very interesting." Zhong Pan raised his eyebrows and grabbed a chess player who was running out of the chess academy with his big hand.
"What happened? Why is it so lively?"
The chess player was startled and said, "In Huangting Alley, someone is playing chess with a monk from the Western Regions. Everyone is going to watch."
The young Taoist priest showed an interested look.
…
At the same time, in Huangting Lane.
“Pah.”
Zhao Duan placed another piece and looked at Dan Che who was facing a formidable enemy.
The game is half over.
——
Update first and then typesetting
(End of this chapter)
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