Chapter 160: Chapter 160
Chapter 160
"Is that so? The men in the capital enjoy playing chess. If you’re skilled at chess, you can “win the hearts” of men," Yueqian admired the acting skills she had honed over more than ten years. The petite figure lightly touched her chin.
She recalled useful parts of the storyline, until she remembered that the emperor fell in love with Liu Sun’s friend, the heroine of the story, because the other person was very good at playing chess.
Offering such advice should make this young princess’s life happier in the dangerous palace. According to the original storyline, the other person didn’t see her shadow anymore, presumably because she had fallen to her death in a den of snakes.
"Hmm?" The princess raised her eyebrows slightly, not understanding what this common woman was saying to her.
However, the Wang, who was not far away, after delegating tasks to the chef, gathered with his sister and others. Although he was distant, Yueqian’s words were not quiet. She had nothing to hide, and naturally, he thought she was giving them something.
The woman before him was no ordinary person. Thinking this, the Wang from another region didn’t let it pass.
"How do you know that “men from the capital” would like all women who can play chess?" When the Wang asked himself, Yueqian feigned a slight smile.
"That’s because I am the daughter of a nobleman from the capital. Naturally, I know what “men from the capital” are interested in," she revealed to him again. Her intentions aligned with those of the Wang. The eyes of the powerful man widened slightly with interest before quickly reverting to their usual state.
"Is that so? In that case, my sister should practice playing chess a bit," the Wang knew his sister didn’t understand. The young princess had trained in various arts and was quite confident in herself.
Therefore, if he didn’t make it clear, the other party wouldn’t think she needed to improve further.
That was exactly what happened. When the princess heard what her brother said, she frowned in displeasure. Did her brother think she was incapable of winning a man’s heart? With just the common advice of a woman, the only daughter of a nobleman, he had to tell her to train right away?
It was evident that the emperor appreciated women who could dance gracefully, had a melodious voice, and could play music, right? Every day, he had to think and plan his work; how could he possibly have time to play chess with a woman?
The men from the capital that the person in front of him spoke of were just ordinary, worthless men! Wouldn’t it be better for her to hone her musical skills for the first time they met?
Seeing the skeptical look in his sister’s eyes, the Wang smirked slightly, his eyes gleaming with pressure. Yes! This method worked. The young woman trembled with fear. Who wouldn’t be afraid of her brother? Even she was very scared of him. No! Even their brother who became the emperor now feared him.
If it wasn’t because he didn’t want to ascend the throne, would their second brother have taken the position?!
"It’s clear that I need to practice my chess skills. So, today..." the princess said hurriedly. The Wang nodded in agreement. He looked at Yueqian once more.
"You seem skilled at playing chess, could you teach my sister? If she can win her husband’s heart when she goes to the capital, it would greatly benefit us."
"I can manage it passably. However, teaching comes with some costs. My parents had to find a teacher to teach me this knowledge for months and years so that I could use it to win over a lover. So..." Yueqian glanced up at the Wang, her eyes twinkling brightly.
Yueqian’s cunning truly showcased her superiority. The Wang thought his sister was talented in her performances, but it seemed she couldn’t match the woman in front of him. This made him glance at Mu Heng once more, feeling like Mu Heng could easily fall victim to the other party’s schemes!
She could easily act like a money-grubbing woman. She could easily be as cold as ice in front of bandits. She could even convincingly portray a simple young miss.
He no longer knew what her true nature was. He could only describe her with one word: "terrifying."
"Of course, I will reward you. If you can teach my sister to become an expert chess player during this time... I will give you this Pure Jade."
"Brother!" Upon hearing the reward, the young princess exclaimed immediately.
Even Yueqian was no exception!
What was this Pure Jade? It was a legendary jade that allowed the Bai Region to become a rival to the Du Region, despite Bai’s barren lands and constant troubles from rebellious tribes. It was all because they had this Pure Jade!
It was remembered that in the story, the heroine and the hero tried to plot against the owner of the Pure Jade and steal it back to the Du Region. This was because, with the Pure Jade, they couldn’t fight against the Bai Region at all.
The jade was a reward from the Hu Region.
It was used to call for defensive troops. Whenever the holder encountered trouble, they could report it to the Hu Region once a year, and the Hu Region would deal with the invaders. So if the Du Region wanted to fight, they had to be prepared to face the mighty forces of the Hu Region.
Of course, the defensive troops were purely for defense; they wouldn’t assist if the Bai Region initiated the war. Therefore, many times, the Bai Region would be provoked to anger.
Another group hoping to take advantage of the situation to deal with the Bai Region would incite the Du Region to start the war first. After the Bai Region called for its defensive forces and defeated the Du Region, both Regions would be weakened, providing the perfect opportunity for this group to deal with the Bai Region. Naturally, the Du Region also faced the risk of being seized.
Ah, the chaos and these third-party meddlers caused so much turmoil that eventually the two Regions went to war. Fortunately, the Pure Jade was stolen before it could be used; otherwise, the Du Region would have faced a devastating defeat.
All of this was due to the skills of the heroine and hero! However... Yueqian had no desire for such a precious item and didn’t understand why the other party felt inclined to give it to her.
"In that case, let’s agree on this, but I’ll collect the jade later." Mu Heng lightly touched Yueqian’s arm, having a plan in mind.
Naturally, this thought aligned with the Wang’s intentions. Hearing Mu Heng’s words, he laughed heartily. This was tantamount to promising him the position of the great general, wasn’t it?
Yueqian also understood the meaning between the two. She could only sigh at the thought of the dangerous future. Nevertheless, she had already decided to fulfill her duties as his wife. Since then, she called the princess for training. She had only one day and one night before entering the palace as the current emperor’s imperial honored consort.
The two close court ladies who accompanied them were furious with Yueqian. Of course, later on, they almost prostrated themselves before her. After entering the palace, they would immediately realize that skills like composing poetry, singing, dancing, playing music, painting, or even embroidery were common and did not interest the emperor at all. Only the expertise in chess could truly relax the emperor.
These two court ladies were able to follow her into the palace because they had already received permission. As the Imperial Honored Consort, second only to the Empress, she could have twelve eunuchs serving her and eight court ladies. Thus, the two court ladies would be her personal attendants, and she would receive six new court ladies from the Du Region. Which factions these six belonged to was up to fate.
The road ahead was incredibly tough, requiring constant practice!
Bang!!
"It seems that one day and one night won’t be enough," Yueqian muttered as the young princess’s face turned pale. When she heard her brother instructing her to learn from Yueqian, she had been very confident in herself.
Playing chess wasn’t unfamiliar to her; she simply hadn’t practiced it to mastery. As a princess, she believed herself to be more skilled than a nobleman’s daughter. Yet, she had just lost thirty consecutive games.
"I don’t want to play anymore. It’s completely useless for me!" She whined after her defeat, unable to win even once. What was the point of continuing to play?
Besides, this skill wasn’t something she desired to master in the first place!
"In that case, you should tell your brother," Yueqian didn’t waste time persuading her further. She simply pointed to the Wang, who was sitting on a stack of wood covered with soft cloth. Clearly, this was no ordinary traveling party; otherwise, would the servants be attending to him so meticulously?
However, Yueqian and Mu Heng pretended to be oblivious, acting as if they didn’t understand the situation, which annoyed the soldiers, eunuchs, and court ladies for quite some time.
"Hmph! Are you threatening me? Do you know who I am?" When she saw Yueqian’s superior attitude, the young princess became furious.
If someone else had acted this way toward her, it wouldn’t have mattered as much, but this was merely the daughter of a common noble, about to be exiled to a distant city! And yet, such a woman dared to act superior to her?
"You are losing, losing to your own stubbornness," Yueqian muttered, shaking her head as she stood up and brushed off her beautiful skirt. She glanced at her younger brother and sister nearby.
"Xiao Long, Huan’er, come here," the beautiful princess didn’t understand what Yueqian intended until she had the children sit in front of her.
"Help this big sister play chess for a bit, and I’ll go get some snacks," Yueqian told the children. The young princess’s mind was clouded with laziness and prejudice, not believing that what she was doing was truly beneficial, and thinking her own abilities were sufficient.
She refused to admit defeat to Yueqian, perhaps believing that Yueqian’s long practice had naturally made her more skilled. So, Yueqian let the children handle the lesson.
"What? You want these kids to teach me?" The princess protested, displeased, but Yueqian merely smiled slightly.
"If you can’t even beat the children, you shouldn’t rest tonight. Focus more on playing, thinking, and strategizing," Yueqian pointed at the two children and had someone set up the board again.
This time, to defeat the children, the princess focused intently. Meanwhile, Yueqian excused herself to squeeze fresh fruit juice for the kids and prepare snacks for the long night ahead.Yueqian didn’t plan anything complicated. She simply popped corn kernels into fragrant buttered popcorn, offering butter, chocolate, and salted flavors. With just these three options, she could spend the whole night playing with the young princess!
