Chapter 106: Black and White Chess Game
The rain lasted for two days.
After the Minor Fullness of Grain, the weather gradually warmed up.
The twenty-sixth day of the fifth lunar month was an auspicious day. Li Huan had already had someone check the imperial calendar; on this day, it was suitable for travel and meeting friends.
Before dawn, Tan Qiu Courtyard was bustling.
For a short stay at the separate villa, Xue Sui didn’t have many important things to bring. Besides Jinshu, Xiao Zhao, and Ru Yi, she only brought four old women and maids for miscellaneous tasks. Xue Yuechen had assigned her three carriages, which were just enough.
Her complexion was very good when she woke up today. While applying makeup, Xiao Zhao kindly helped her apply some dark gray cosmetics.
A sickly beauty was instantly reflected in the bronze mirror. The corners of her eyes were deliberately drawn downwards, and even her lip color was pressed pale with jasmine paste. The whole person looked several years older, appearing ill.
Xiao Zhao held the eyebrow pencil and paused when she saw Xue Sui frown.
“Does Young Lady not like it?”
Xue Sui coughed lightly and stroked her temples with her fingertips, “I like it.”
Jinshu couldn’t bear to look directly and simply smiled.
Ru Yi’s hurried footsteps were heard from outside. As soon as the curtain was opened, she spoke like a firecracker.
“Fourth Miss has quite the nerve, not only going to the separate villa but also bringing her sister-in-law. She came before dawn, saying, ‘It must be lonely for the Princess Consort to travel alone.’ I think she clearly wants to borrow the Princess Consort’s influence to boost her own prestige…”
Xue Sui chuckled upon hearing this, “She goes her way, and we go ours. Why are you so angry?”
Ru Yi was clearly displeased and snorted.
“I just can’t stand the sight of her.”
She then pouted and added, “I heard that Fourth Miss sent bird’s nest soup to the Prince’s Mansion three times to curry favor with the Princess Consort. Yesterday, she even sent the only jade ruyi she had left from her dowry. The Princess Consort really couldn’t bear to accept it, and she cried a lot.”
To curry favor with her elder sister, she emptied her treasure chest?
Was Xue Yueying willing to do that?
Xue Sui curved her lips and walked out of Tan Qiu Courtyard with a calm expression.
As she passed through the garden, a jingle of jade pendants came from the end of the covered walkway.
Xue Yueying was seen holding Xue Yuechen’s hand, wearing a sky-blue ice-silk jacket and skirt embroidered with the pattern of a hundred children and a thousand grandchildren. A hairpin with a ruby-inlaid flower branch was in her hair. She walked gracefully, her lower abdomen slightly rounded. Coupled with her hibiscus-like jade face, at first glance, one would mistake her for a madam from the Prince’s Mansion.
Xue Yueying saw her and spoke first.
“Sixth Sister.”
Her face was full of joy, and her voice was sickeningly sweet.
“Elder Sister couldn’t find you, but met you here instead?”
Xue Sui gently adjusted her dress, as if she hadn’t seen Xue Yueying, and calmly bowed to Xue Yuechen.
“Greetings, Princess Consort.”
Xue Yuechen’s gaze swept over Xue Sui’s face, and she smiled intimately.
“Sixth Sister, get up quickly. It’s just us sisters here, no need for formalities…”
Xue Yueying awkwardly chimed in, “Exactly! Sixth Sister is now a Madam Ping’an bestowed by the Emperor, she’s very noble! If you’re so polite, do I have to formally bow and greet you from now on when I see you, Sixth Sister?”
Xue Sui’s lips curved into a subtle arc, and she remained silent.
Jinshu, however, curtsied, “Young Madam, according to the rules, that is precisely how it should be.”
Imperial Princes’ concubines who received titles were of higher rank than ordinary married women and had to perform obeisance.
Xue Yueying’s face instantly turned pale.
“How can you speak like that, you maid…”
“Jinshu is just joking with Young Madam.”
Before Xue Yueying could react, Xue Sui smoothly interjected with a smile.
“Young Madam is pregnant, so let’s dispense with the formalities.”
Xue Yuechen’s gaze swept over Xue Sui’s sickly appearance. Seeing her slender waist like a willow and her straight back as she retorted to Fourth Miss, she couldn’t help but recall the past, when she was receiving family punishment kneeling in the ancestral hall, her small face was as white as snow from the cold, and her back was just as straight…
She fanned herself, smiling elegantly and beautifully.
“We are all sisters, let’s not be so distant. Let’s go, we can go together and have a heart-to-heart talk.”
Xue Yueying pursed her lips, glanced at Xue Liu, affectionately linked her arm, and looked at Xue Liu, her smile not reaching her eyes.
“Father often says that the daughters of the Xue family rise and fall together. We sisters should support each other and bring glory to the family…”
“Honor and disgrace, gains and losses, are all self-inflicted. The Princess Consort is noble because she has accumulated virtue and performed good deeds. Some people are unlucky in everything because they are willing to fall and commit many injustices…” Xue Sui suddenly spoke.
Her voice was clear and cold, like a jade chime, and her gaze swept over Xue Yueying’s abdomen without any particular focus.
“Fourth Sister, do you agree or not?”
Xue Yueying almost twisted her handkerchief to shreds.
Xue Yuechen smiled and smoothed things over, “Fourth Sister, don’t mind her. Sixth Sister is just straightforward.”
Xue Yueying’s stomach ached with anger, but since the Princess Consort had spoken, she had to force a smile.
“Sixth Sister is a noble person now, so naturally, whatever she says is correct.”
In the garden, the cicadas’ chirping suddenly became piercing.
Xue Yuechen smiled slightly and patted Xue Sui’s hand.
“Look at this weather, it’s so hot it makes one’s heart flutter. Let’s set off quickly to avoid the heat on the road.”
After speaking, she smiled at Xue Sui again, her eyes and voice very gentle.
“I specifically asked someone to prepare an ice basin in your carriage, and some sweet soup to clear heat and relieve summer heat. You can check it later and tell me if anything else is needed…”
Xue Sui bowed, “Thank you for your concern, Eldest Sister.”
Xue Yueying felt a surge of jealousy and resentment.
Eldest Sister clearly doesn’t like Xue Liu either, yet she treats her so well?
Outside the Prince’s Mansion, it was a scene of busyness.
Several carriages were neatly lined up, and servants in groups of three or five were shuttling back and forth, carrying heavy boxes and packages. Beads of sweat on their foreheads rolled down their cheeks, soaking their clothes, but they didn’t bother to wipe them.
Xue Sui silently glanced and walked towards her carriage.
Suddenly, someone called her.
“Sixth Miss Xue, Sixth Miss Xue…”
She looked in the direction of the voice and saw Gu Ruoyi from Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion.
The last time they met was at Pu Ji Temple, and Gu Ruoyi still called her by her old title.
Xue Sui smiled, “Third Miss Gu is here too.”
Gu Ruoyi noticed many people looking at her and felt a little embarrassed. She walked closer, lightly lowering her gaze.
“Sister-in-law said that Young Master Zhao will also be attending the poetry gathering at Prince Duan’s Separate Villa. I wanted to go and see if he is as talented as people say, or if the matchmakers have exaggerated…”
Her voice grew softer as she spoke, her head almost drooping to her chest.
In this era, the customs were still relatively open, and young ladies could go out and make friends.
It was not impolite for Gu Ruoyi to go with her sister-in-law.
It was just strange. When Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion was still glorious, Xue Yueying didn’t like this sister-in-law much, and Gu Ruoyi didn’t have a good impression of Fourth Miss either.
After the incident at Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion, had the two become close?
Xue Sui harbored doubts. Seeing Gu Ruoyi’s cheeks flushed red, she smiled lightly.
“Third Miss Gu, hurry and get in your carriage. If we don’t leave soon, the sun will be high.”
As they spoke, they bowed to each other and then got into their respective carriages.
A carriage was parked at the entrance of the Prince’s Mansion. Its wheels were large and heavy, and its surface was lacquered with a thick layer of black paint, appearing deep and solemn in the morning light.
The corner of the curtain slowly rolled up. Through the thin morning mist, Li Huan’s gaze fell on Xue Sui’s slender back.
Only after she lowered the curtain did Li Huan withdraw his gaze, his fingertips tracing the ice-crackle pattern on the teacup as he took a shallow sip.
A wisp of fragrant smoke rose from the gilded incense burner.
A chessboard was neatly set up in the spacious carriage, placed before him.
“Your Highness.” Outside the carriage window, a scout coughed lightly.
Li Huan, holding a white piece suspended in mid-air, said in a deep voice, “Speak.”
The scout’s voice was lowered: “The Crown Prince’s carriage has passed Donghua Gate.”
With a “clack,” the white piece fell back into the chess box.
Li Huan watched the tassels gently swaying on the gauze curtain, a deep gleam flashing in his eyes, like ink in an abyss.
“Let’s depart.”
Someone outside immediately responded.
Li Huan remained in his seated posture for a long time, his eyes fixed on the chessboard.
“This game of chess has been played for too long.”
His thoughts drifted back to when he was seventeen.
The Wuqiu people came to Shangjing to pay tribute and presented the Emperor with a set of chess pieces, said to be meticulously crafted from ivory and jade. The black and white pieces were distinct, warm to the touch in winter and cool and refreshing in summer, very precious.
In the Golden Palace, he had finally defeated the top chess player brought by the Wuqiu envoy—
Unexpectedly, the ten-year-old Li Zhao publicly requested a game with him.
At that time, Li Zhao was just a child.
He was playing chess with the Crown Prince, and no one in the audience took it seriously.
The result was that he lost.
Losing to a ten-year-old child was very undignified.
The envoys were all praising him, saying the Crown Prince was exceptionally intelligent and a qilin sent from heaven to Daliang. The Emperor also stroked his beard and laughed, his eyes full of relief.
In comparison, his victory over the most skilled Wuqiu chess player seemed insignificant. Under the brilliance of Li Zhao, the child prodigy, he became a mediocre foil.
Afterwards, the Crown Prince generously gave him the imperial chess set.
From then on, this set of chess pieces had always been by his side.
For so many years, he had kept it meticulously, never daring to be careless in the slightest.
–
Prince Duan’s Separate Villa was built at Qiyunping, at the foot of Mount Pujue.
On this mountain, the famous Pu Ji Temple had a flourishing incense trade, and many marquis and high officials had built summer villas around it.
Prince Duan’s villa was the largest and most spacious in the vicinity, with pavilions and towers arranged harmoniously, carved beams and painted pillars elegant and grand. Exotic flowers and rare plants bloomed in the garden, and winding paths led to secluded spots, exuding magnificence.
Xue Sui’s carriage stopped steadily outside the east gate of the Separate Villa.
As soon as the carriage stopped, a servant quickly ran over to move the luggage.
By this time, the sun had already risen, and the sunlight was scorching.
Ru Yi kept fanning Xue Sui with a fan, muttering.
“With this heat, it doesn’t feel much cooler here at the Separate Villa. Why did we come?”
Jinshu saw people moving around and frowned, “Follow Young Lady, speak less, and work more.”
Ru Yi said “oh,” stuck out her tongue, and followed to fan Xue Sui.
Upon entering the villa gate, the stuffy heat from the carriage disappeared, and it immediately felt cooler.
The mountain air was fresh and pleasant, mixed with the fragrance of plants, as if entering another world.
In just a moment, Ru Yi changed her tune.
“Thanks to Young Lady, it’s really cool here. It was worth coming.”
Xiao Zhao and Jinshu smiled and chided her.
Xue Sui couldn’t help but laugh.
“Our Ru Yi is just so honest—”
Xue Sui was assigned to “Liu Shang Yan Gui” on the east side of the Separate Villa.
The name was beautiful, and the courtyard was spacious and bright. With just a few of them living there, it was truly too extravagant.
Ru Yi and Xiao Zhao looked around, very satisfied.
The luggage had just been delivered, and before they had time to organize it and catch their breath, a maid came to announce.
“Madam Ping’an, the Princess Consort said she is hosting a family banquet at ‘Cai Lian Zhou Shang’ to welcome the distinguished guests…”
Xue Sui replied, “Understood.”
–
It was evident that Li Huan was someone who “lacked water” in his five elements. The houses and pavilions here, like Prince Duan’s Mansion, were mostly built by the water.
The plaque with the four characters “Cai Lian Zhou Shang” was personally written by Li Huan. His brushstrokes were strong and powerful, exuding an aura of ambition and a desire to conquer the world, which was very different from the elegant artistic conception of the pavilion’s name.
Xue Sui curved her lips slightly.
As she led the maids into the ladies’ seating area, she saw Xue Yueying, her belly large, bending over to pour water for Xue Yuechen.
Her posture was as respectful as could be.
In the Xue Mansion before, she had never seen her so subservient.
She was truly willing to humble herself.
It seemed her dream of becoming a Marquis’s Wife had fallen through, and she wanted to find a new tree to shelter under?
Xue Yuechen was surrounded by several young ladies, chattering incessantly.
Two of them were the Eighth Miss and Ninth Miss from the Xue Mansion.
Perhaps sensing the confusion in Xue Sui’s eyes, Xue Yuechen smiled, “I invited Eighth Sister and Ninth Sister. I thought they must also be suffering from the heat at home. Since the Prince is hosting a summer banquet and has invited many scholars and literati, it’s a rare opportunity. Why not come together, and we sisters can have a gathering…”
Xue Yue Man glanced at Xue Sui, “Eldest Sister truly cares for her sisters and remembers that we also fear the heat.”
Xue Sui remained silent, bowed to Xue Yuechen, and took her seat below.
Wearing a light and elegant dress of misty white, a gentle sweep of it drew nearly shattered gazes from everyone in the room.
She paused slightly, looked at Xue Yuechen, and her voice was soft and clear.
“The cloud mist silk that the Princess Consort gave me last time, I made it into this dress. Does the Princess Consort think it’s suitable?”
Xue Yuechen smiled and nodded, “Young Sister, this color suits you, but your complexion… not so good? Has your health not improved?”
Xue Sui touched her cheek, “The Princess Consort is too kind. Perhaps it was the bumpy journey; I’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”
Xue Yuechen smiled, “Why be so formal? Sisters should be like this.”
The other young ladies nearby all praised Madam Ping’an’s dress.
The two young ladies from the Xue Mansion listened, feeling extremely bitter.
Such fine material, Eldest Sister had never bestowed it upon them.
Old Madam also said it was too extravagant and not fitting for their status.
So, only Xue Liu was worthy of it?
Xue Yueying stared at the green jade bracelet on Xue Sui’s wrist and the luxurious dress, her fingernails almost digging into her palm.
It was such a waste for these good things to fall into the hands of this wild girl, Xue Liu!
She stood up and personally poured a cup of drink.
“Sixth Sister, have some too. This is the rose dew that Eldest Sister taught us to make by hand back then. You probably haven’t tasted it before, have you?”
Xue Sui smiled faintly and said nothing.
Xue Yueying continued, “We sisters grew up together since childhood and have deep affection. It’s you who were raised elsewhere, and you’ve become distant from us…”
She pushed the white jade cup towards Xue Sui, raising her eyebrows slightly.
Her words not only spoke of the missing sisterly affection but also mocked Xue Sui, implying that even though she had ascended to a higher status, she was still a “country bumpkin” from a shabby alley—
Killing with a soft knife was Xue Yueying’s specialty.
Xue Sui smiled faintly, picked up the white jade cup, and hesitated to drink.
“If I drink the beverage served by Fourth Sister’s hand, will it cause me to become pregnant without reason?”
Xue Yueying’s face instantly changed color.
Her scandalous affairs were known to everyone, but no one had ever exposed them so directly.
Only Xue Liu, without any hesitation, exposed her flaws, disregarding the reputation of the Xue Mansion.
The room fell silent.
Everyone looked at each other.
An awkward silence fell.
“The Crown Prince has arrived—”
A high-pitched and clear announcement came.
Everyone exchanged glances, breathed a sigh of relief, and tidied their clothes to go out and greet him.
Li Zhao was late!
Their carriage had departed only after the Crown Prince’s carriage had passed Donghua Gate.
Yet, Prince Duan’s Mansion and the invited guests had all arrived, but the Crown Prince was delayed until this hour.
Li Huan had no choice but to lead a group of Prince Duan’s attendants, Prince Wei Li Yan, Prince Chun Li Jian, and a group of famous scholars and literati from Shangjing City, to walk out in a hurry, forming a vast crowd waiting at the entrance.
The Crown Prince’s imperial carriage arrived after a long while and slowly stopped.
Dark clouds pressed down on the eaves.
The weather in the mountains changed like a child’s face, from scorching sun to the verge of a heavy downpour in an instant. The four-character plaque “Pujue Tianpan” above the gate was overshadowed by the dark clouds, appearing dim and as if it had shrunk.
“We respectfully welcome His Highness the Crown Prince!”
“We respectfully welcome His Highness the Crown Prince!”
Everyone bowed in unison.
Li Zhao sat steadily and raised his hand with a straight posture.
“Rise!”
“When traveling, there’s no need for such formality!”
Beside the imperial carriage, Mei Ruhui sighed softly.
“Your Highness, why must you…”
Li Zhao said in a low voice, “Has Master heard of a moth flying into a flame?”
Mei Ruhui was stunned and muttered to himself.
Why would the dignified Crown Prince act like a moth?
Then he heard Li Zhao hum softly.
“If someone wants to be a moth flying into the flame, I will add fuel to the fire.”
Mei Ruhui looked up and saw Li Zhao lift the hem of his robe with a smile, descending from the imperial carriage with graceful bearing.
Amidst the respectful greetings of everyone, the hem of his robe fluttered in the mountain wind. His handsome face was like the bright moon in the sky, clear and dazzling.
He sighed inwardly.
He looked towards the solitary figure in the crowd.
Xue Sui lowered her head slightly, not looking at Li Zhao, nor showing any prominence, just like an ordinary woman from the inner chambers.
But even without looking up, she could guess Li Zhao’s expression at this moment; it wasn’t a good one.
She even recalled the day Li Zhao came to Tan Qiu Courtyard and the force with which he scratched the wooden cat when she mentioned the names of those involved in the Ministry of Revenue corruption case…
He has arrived.
The chess game has begun. Can the player distinguish between black and white?
A long chapter, combined into two parts…
See you tomorrow, muah.
Li Zhao: I can distinguish black and white. It’s dark, time to rest. Goodnight!
Xue Sui: Get lost!
