Chapter 53 [VIP]
"Oh dear, Lord Zhang, don't you often play chess? The entire Wei kingdom is in your hands. You absolutely cannot lose."
A chessboard was placed in the center of the hall, and Yege sat leisurely opposite it. He could understand Chinese, of course, but the courtiers, worried that he wouldn't understand, spoke in the Kyoto dialect, so he could only catch a few words.
Lord Zhang had wiped his sweat several times. Behind them was the palanquin laden with human heads. Xue Yi watched from a distance, not daring to look at the Emperor. If the Emperor were disappointed in him, he might just smash his head against the chessboard and die. Surrounding him were Grand Tutor Zhao, Elder Wei, Wei Ning, Yue Lanxin, Xiao Qi, and a host of other court officials. The officials chattered amongst themselves, praising this and that.
"Stop." Xiao Qi's ears were about to explode. Hu Xiaozi's side was clean and efficient, while their side sounded like a flock of crows cawing, trying to kill them with noise.
“All of you shut up,” Xiao Qi said. “Let Lord Zhang think it over himself.”
"Sister Wei, can you understand this chess game?" Yue Lanxin leaned closer and asked.
Wei Ning glanced at the chessboard and replied, "I know without even looking that Lord Zhang is going to lose."
Lord Zhang was heartbroken upon hearing this, and a gloomy shadow fell over him. Seeing this, Old Master Wei quickly said, "Young Zhang, don't listen to Wei Ning's nonsense. She doesn't know how to play chess. Just play carefully. It doesn't matter if you make a mistake; there's always another game."
Seeing the black pieces completely surround the white pieces, the game was already decided in less than a quarter of an hour. Lord Zhang didn't play his piece and remained silent for a long time. Xiao Qi called out "Lord Zhang," and Lord Zhang turned around and burst into tears.
A man doesn't easily shed tears; when he does, they fall directly onto his official robes.
“General Xiao… I’ve lost. I’ve lost… I’m a pig. I can’t represent the Great Wei—” Lord Zhang tugged at Xiao Qi’s sleeve, his tears and snot smeared on it, thankfully he was smearing on someone who didn’t care.
Xiao Qi patted Lord Zhang on the back in a perfunctory manner, comforting him, "It's alright, this is only the first round, there are still two more rounds to go. Anyone else want to try?"
"Miss Wei, would you like to join us at the chess table?" Grand Tutor Zhao asked.
The court officials immediately discussed the matter, and after much deliberation, they concluded that it was feasible.
“Miss Wei is a talented woman of our Great Wei. I lost to her in a game of chess before, and I was completely convinced of my defeat.”
"Miss Wei, you must do us a favor and give it a try."
Wei Ning didn't recognize the Hu King opposite her as the man who had bumped into her a few days ago. She only noticed that the Hu King had been staring at her intently after hearing her words. She had already figured it out; this Hu King must have studied chess for a long time, and she might not be his match.
She then noticed the figure outside the door, and seeing Song Zhao, she suggested, "Let Lord Song come. He is the most suitable."
As soon as Song Zhao entered, he was pulled to the center of the assembled officials. He sat down next to Wei Ning, who then briefly recounted the events to him in the local dialect.
“You have two more chances. Song Zhao, if you can win one round, you can win Burma City for Great Wei. Burma City is a vast city, you must seize this opportunity,” Wei Ning said.
Xiao Qi said from the side, "Song Zhao, I heard that you want to marry an eight-year-old girl... This is simply outrageous. But if you win, let alone an eight-year-old girl, even if you want to marry an eighty-year-old man, the Emperor will approve it."
Wei Ning looked thoughtfully at Song Zhao's face and said in a low voice, "Hey, Song Zhao. Didn't you used to secretly learn chess from Chang You? Use all those moves."
Song Zhao listened to Xiao Qi with his left ear and Wei Ning with his right. He met Xue Yi's gaze not far away, and Xue Yi gave him an encouraging look. The monarch trusted him, and his heart was at ease.
"Please enlighten me, King Hu," Song Zhao said, bowing.
Incense burned in the hall, and music slowly drifted out from behind the curtain. Xiao Qi and Wei Ning watched nervously, their expressions remarkably identical. They pressed closer and closer to Song Zhao, until finally falling silent, worried about disturbing his game of chess.
Seeing that the two were about to get close, Song Zhao, who was a germaphobe, smelled the sweat on Xiao Qi's body and said, "Xiao Qi, Wei Ning, if you two have nothing to do, why don't you go to the Emperor's place?"
Wei Ning moved a little further away and saw that the game was almost full, so his heart tightened. The last piece was placed, and Song Zhao and King Hu were tied.
The ministers breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. A draw was better than a loss, but they had already lost one round, and if they didn't win the next one, it would still be considered a loss for Great Wei.
The incense sticks slowly fell, and the second game was still a draw. Song Zhao stared at the chessboard, wondering if it was just his imagination, but he felt that his opponent was deliberately holding back, and that they had drawn the game very smoothly.
Yege smiled and said to them, "Three rounds have been played. It seems that the Great Wei has not yet sent any experts to play against me. Would the King of Wei like to play another round?"
The court officials awaited Xue Yi's instructions; a draw or a loss was essentially the same. Xue Yi knew the situation in their area. The territory of Great Wei was vast, and if they were to place a bet, they could not afford to lose to the Hu King. So he said, "Song Zhao. Play another game with him. If we lose, we will cede the entire capital to Hu, plus ten thousand taels of gold."
Xue Yi said quietly, "Since we've already calculated the new strategy, let's add another thousand catties of gemstones to the city of Burma. What do you think?"
The southwestern region is rich in gemstones, which are colorful and can be used in many crafts. These gemstones are rarely seen in the Central Plains.
“No problem, King Wei is so agreeable, just what I like,” Yege laughed, his deep, wicked eyes filled with emotion as he looked at Song Zhao. “Lord Song, how about another round?”
Song Zhao remained silent and played another game with Yege. He was right; the man had been holding back in the previous two games. He wondered if Yege truly loved chess or was using it to gain something. This time, he lost without a doubt.
With this loss, Xue Yi had already spoken, and the loss amounted to a city and ten thousand taels of gold. Yege, sitting opposite him at the chessboard, was unconcerned about the stakes, merely inquiring whether the Great Wei Dynasty had any other chess masters.
"this……"
The courtiers whispered among themselves, and Grand Tutor Zhao inquired, "Where is Lord Lu now? Why don't we invite Lord Lu to come here?"
"Lord Lu has never liked palace banquets. He should be in the palace, perhaps in the library."
The whispers of the courtiers around him reached Song Zhao's ears. Every time Lu Xuejin's name was mentioned, he would stare at the chessboard in deep thought. Wei Ning, who was beside him, suddenly leaned over and patted him on the shoulder.
"Hey, Song Zhao. You've done a great job, don't worry about it."
Yue Lanxin immediately said, "That's right, Lord Song, don't blame yourself."
Song Zhao replied with a cold face, "I didn't take it to heart."
Yege, sitting opposite him, asked, "Lord Lu, is he a master chess player?"
"Please wait a moment, Your Majesty. He does not usually enjoy such palace banquets; such is his nature. We hope Your Majesty will understand. We have already sent someone to invite Lord Lu over."
Lu Xuejin was indeed in the library at that moment. He saw the name Hu Wen on the book and, not recognizing it, went to the library to find the book. There were some books in the palace that recorded Hu Wen. The library was quiet and peaceful, and he was quite comfortable being there alone. However, it wasn't long before Xue Yi's guards found them there.
During the palace banquet, a Hu (non-Han) maid suddenly leaned over and whispered to Yege.
"Your Majesty, all our men are dead." The words had barely left his lips when he saw Lord Lu, the very man the assembled officials had been referring to.
The young man, dressed in a snow-white robe and crane-feather attire, had dark brown eyes that darted around. His expression was serene, and his figure was breathtaking. He held a book he had drawn from the library in his hand. His face was as beautiful as a citrus tree before a Buddha or a lotus in full bloom. Even among the Hu people, he would be considered a first-rate beauty, let alone someone with such a righteous and noble air. However, he looked very familiar; he seemed to be the person his nephew had bothered with last time.
As Lu Xuejin stepped into the hall, she instinctively looked for someone among the guards and spotted the young man in the far corner. Meeting the young man's gaze, she couldn't discern his emotions from afar, but it was as if a layer of raging fire burned from his cheeks, lips, and neck, searing his skin and stirring up an indescribable emotion within her.
There were many eyes and ears in the hall, so he immediately looked away.
He walked over to Xue Yi, who looked at him, his eyes gradually rolling back into darkness. Xue Yi pulled him to sit beside him and explained the current situation. He then invited him to play chess.
Lu Xuejin roughly understood. He saw Wei Ning beckoning to him, his lips curving slightly, which drew the attention of the Hu King. He said to Xue Yi, "I just went to the Fate Society with Lord Song. The supervisor there is a Hu woman. I will be leaving the capital tomorrow. Brother, please be careful not to touch anything belonging to the Hu people again."
After giving his instructions, he went to Wei Ning's place. As soon as he appeared, the ministers seemed to be reassured, and their previous anxiety completely disappeared. He first bowed to the King of Hu at the chess table, using the gesture of their Hu maidservants, which he had imitated.
"Your subject Lu Xuejin greets King Akelü."
The mere gesture and accurate pronunciation of the full name caused a change in Jaeger's expression. Jaeger's eyes reflected the young man opposite him; the young man's demeanor was calm and composed, and upon arriving among the ministers, he almost immediately became their leader. Even his good-for-nothing nephew couldn't contain himself upon seeing this man.
“I haven’t played chess in a long time. Today, I’m not doing it for anything else, but to do my best to make King Hu happy. Let alone cities and gold, if King Hu is happy, it’s not impossible for Great Wei to lose to King Hu,” Lu Xuejin said.
These words caused an uproar among the officials. Wei Ning chuckled, Song Zhao remained expressionless, Xiao Qi wore a half-smile, and Xue Yi looked at the man with eyes full of indulgence.
Jaeger carefully observed the young man before him. The young man showed no fear and seemed confident even before playing against him. While Jaeger was observing Lu Xuejin, Lu Xuejin intently studied the endgame and said to him, "We've already played three games. How about we settle this with five?"
There's no difference between three or five rounds, Jaeger replied politely, "As Lord Lu wishes. The stakes will also be determined by Lord Lu."
Lu Xuejin: "Lidu has already lost to the Hu King. If I lose, I will give Wuling, Wuzhou, Lin'an and Mingzhou to the Hu King in the north."
"..." Xiao Qi couldn't sit still any longer. "Lu Xuejin, why don't you become the general? I didn't agree to give Wuling to him."
Wei Ning, always eager for drama, said, "General Xiao, how can you be so sure Changyou will lose? I'm on Changyou's side. If Changyou loses, I'll have my father pay the ten thousand taels of gold."
Old Master Wei was still comforting Lord Zhang, unaware that his daughter had already squandered the family fortune.
"General, please don't be impatient. Just leave it to me," Lu Xuejin calmly reassured Xiao Qi.
Lu Xuejin exuded confidence as he played the game intently. The first game lasted a full hour, during which the hearts of all the officials were on edge, and even the music in the hall became softer. The musicians on the outside looked around curiously, while the heads on the ceiling below the caissons stared unsettled. Seeing the atmosphere in the hall, the Hu women also stood on tiptoe to look at their king.
"I lost." Lu Xuejin placed a piece, his white piece was surrounded by black pieces, and he made a last-ditch effort, but it was obviously futile.
“One more round. Next up, let’s draw Suzhou and Liancheng. Does the King wish to accept the challenge?” Lu Xuejin asked leisurely.
The courtiers were already wailing in despair. Lord Zhang, clutching Elder Wei's sleeve, sobbed, "It's all my fault. I must have set a bad precedent and gotten all the bad luck, that's why Lord Lu lost. Wuzhou is my hometown... I was planning to go back for the New Year and bring my mother over. Now she's gone..."
Xiao Qi was so angry she almost laughed: "If Lord Lu loses two more rounds, I'll be a lone general."
Wei Ning burst into laughter, leaning against Lu Xuejin, tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't help but laugh at the wails of the courtiers; her laughter echoed through the hall, drawing the attention of the King of Hu.
The second round was lost without a doubt, and it only took half an hour. Lu Xuejin said, "King Hu is very wise, I am no match for him. Next, divide Luzhou and Haizhou, and go north to Dengzhou."
Seeing the assembled officials staring at each other, Wei Ning slowly said, "There are three more rounds. Would you like to place your bets? Today, His Majesty is hosting a banquet, and everyone has already received their salaries. A little gambling is just for fun."
She voluntarily placed ten thousand taels of silver notes on Lu Xuejin's side. None of the officials dared to follow suit. Only Imperial Physician Jia watched for a while, looking left and right, before gritting his teeth and taking out ten taels of silver from his sleeve and placing them behind the silver notes.
Xiao Qi naturally didn't participate. Seeing that no one was paying attention to Wei Ning's side and that all the officials had gone to the Hu King's side, he said harshly, "You'd better be glad that the Hu King doesn't understand where your money is going, otherwise he'll laugh his head off. A bunch of spineless cowards."
Amidst their lively gathering, only Song Zhao intently observed the chess game. He noticed that Lu Xuejin's game time was getting shorter and shorter, as if Hu Wang had been testing him earlier, confirming some suspicion before immediately losing to his opponent. Apart from the first game, which involved some strategic maneuvering, the remaining games were all lost simply to lose to his opponent.
In the fourth round, Lu Xuejin wagered Shengjing (the capital of the Ming Dynasty), while the officials were already discussing returning to their hometowns after the palace banquet. Unsurprisingly, Lu Xuejin lost again. With the fifth round remaining, he said, "Besides Shengjing, I have nothing left to wager. I have lived a life of poverty, with only one relative by my side. How about I wager my brother's head for the final round?"
Everyone in this hall knows who his elder brother is. Xiao Qi said, "Lord Lu, please have mercy and bet my head on this."
“No, General Xiao still has to protect the people. I’ll wager my head. It’s all my fault for losing,” said Lord Zhang.
Song Zhao didn't say anything, but suddenly put all the silver he had on him on the gambling table at Wei Ning's place and bet it all on Lu Xuejin.
Hearing the young man's words from a distance, Xue Yi's pale face softened considerably, and a weak, flushed color appeared on his cheeks. He wasn't angry about the matter; instead, his eyes deepened because of the other man's words, and he felt an urge to drag the young man into it.
In the final game, Lu Xuejin remained remarkably calm throughout. The white stones on the board resembled unpredictable and ever-changing flower branches, blooming all around the black stones. Like the first game, this match lasted a full hour, until it was getting dark outside. Throughout the entire game, the black stones had nowhere to land.
Lu Xuejin said respectfully, "I have won. It seems I have saved my brother's life. I hope the King of Hu will offer his guidance."
Five more rounds followed, and Lu Xuejin emerged victorious with overwhelming force. From north to south, from Shengjing to Luzhou, Haizhou, and further south to Suzhou and Liancheng, and finally to Lidu and the ten thousand taels of gold, along with Burma City, he won it all.
The hall was completely silent, then the sound of a zither string breaking rang out, followed by cheerful music. Wei Ning chuckled, and in her excitement, she leaned over and kissed Lu Xuejin on the cheek. Her boldness left Yue Lanxin speechless, and Yue Lanxin, caught up in the atmosphere, leaned over and kissed Lord Lu on the cheek as well.
"I want one too." Xiao Shen deliberately kissed the spot where Yue Lanxin had kissed him.
“…Me too,” Lord Zhang also wanted to come over and greet his family, but Lu Xuejin realized what was happening and quickly declined.
"You two." Lu Xuejin hugged Xiao Qi and Yue Lanxin, the two children blushing in his arms. "Don't learn bad things from Wei Ning."
Amidst the joyous scene of the palace banquet, he stood in the center of the crowd, inspiring the officials to regain their morale amidst laughter and merriment. In this vibrant atmosphere, Lu Xuejin glanced towards a corner; Murong Yue was no longer there.
All this joyous scene was irrelevant to him. Murong Yue watched the young man standing out prominently in the center of the crowd, shining like the bright moon in the sky.
A note from the author:
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