Chapter 25

Sometimes, the choices people make are filled with too much helplessness. As the old saying goes, "Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back." Zhao Yougong felt that he was in such a situation now. He wanted to leave the capital alive; as long as he was alive, there was hope. Looking at Zhao Fugjin, who was covering her mouth and giggling, he felt a deep sadness. If he didn't die, he would eventually have to face a direct conflict with Emperor Zhezong. How would he face his Fourth Sister then? Strictly speaking, Zhao Yougong was not a ruthless person, so he couldn't be as cruel as Emperor Zhezong.

Sitting back down, Zhao Yougong picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. "Monk, are you interested in watching more? The chess match is starting this afternoon!"

"I would like to, but I need to go back and check on the vegetable garden first. Otherwise, those ruffians will destroy it!"

The vegetable garden of Daxiangguo Temple was quite far from the temple. The temple was in the north of the city, while the garden was located outside the Xinzao Gate to the northwest of the imperial palace, about two li away. Since Daxiangguo Temple was a royal temple with many people, the garden was planted with a lot of vegetables, which attracted many poor ruffians. Initially, the temple would send people to guard the garden, but they were often outsmarted by the ruffians, and some were even thrown into the manure pit. It wasn't until Lu Zhishen was assigned to the temple that the abbot, seeing his martial arts skills, appointed him as the monk in charge of the garden.

Speaking of those ruffians, Lu Zhishen felt a wave of frustration. At first, he could catch and beat them up, but later, the ruffians became smarter and climbed the walls from both the north and south sides, making it impossible for Lu Zhishen to manage both.

Seeing Lu Zhishen's angry face, Zhao Yougong chuckled and shrugged.

"Hey, Brother Zhao, why are you laughing? Are you laughing at my lack of skill?"

"Ahem, don't be angry, Monk. I just think you should come up with some other methods, like setting traps, and then catch a few ruffians and punish them severely. To deal with these ruffians, you have to make them feel pain and fear, so they will listen to you!"

Zhao Yougong, who had lived in the city, knew the ruffians well. They loved to take advantage, but when the benefits didn't match the harm they received, they would know to be careful.

Lu Zhishen thought for a moment, then smiled and tilted his bald head, asking curiously, "Brother Zhao, from your words, it seems you know a lot about those ruffians!"

Zhao Yougong's face turned a bit awkward. How should he answer? Should he tell Lu Zhishen that he, the Prince of Yongning, was a big ruffian himself? Fortunately, Zhao Fugjin understood Zhao Yougong's thoughts and replied, "Monk, you are lucky. A few years ago, Brother Ling was a city bully. Even now, if you mention Brother Ling's name, those ruffians won't dare to bother you."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

With Zhao Fugjin's confirmation, Lu Zhishen's eyes became even more curious. How could a nobleman like Zhao Yougong have any connection with city ruffians?

After a satisfying meal, it was almost time for the chess match. People were already returning to the valley, and the vendors were starting to hawk their wares. Lu Zhishen, worried about the garden, left hastily with the remaining wine. Zhao Yougong and Zhao Fugjin didn't stay on the mountain path either. This was a chess match, and from such a distance, they couldn't see the board clearly.

There was plenty of time before the match started, so they had time to play. Zhao Fugjin was particularly interested in small trinkets like porcelain dolls and flower drums. Zhao Yougong paid for them without hesitation. Of course, he could have used his status to force the vendors to sell, but he was in a good mood today, especially after seeing the proud Dugu Qiubai being tormented by a woman.

Zhao Yougong could see Dugu Qiubai, and Dugu Qiubai could see him, but neither made any indication. After all, there were many people around, and it was better to be cautious.

The match began, and Zhao Yougong found a corner on the west side. He wasn't afraid of Gao Yannai and his group, but Zhao Fugjin didn't want to interact with them, especially Zhao Kai and the others. If they found out, they might send Zhao Fugjin back to the palace.

There were seven courtesans, and one would be left out. Fortunately, Liu Yingying was the one left out, and the remaining six would compete in pairs. Chess matches were faster than Go, and there were rules. If the match wasn't decided within half an hour, the player with more pieces would win, with the major pieces (chariots, horses, and cannons) counted first, followed by the minor pieces (soldiers and pawns).

Time passed quickly, and it was almost the end of the hour. Li Shishi and Nian Nuer, as expected, reached the final. Most people who came here were interested in seeing these two compete.

In the Song Dynasty, matches were not as clearly visible as in later times. The players sat at a table, and to help the audience understand the game, there was a large wooden board next to each table. Two women acted as the players, demonstrating the moves on the large board, so the audience could see what was happening.

Now, at the final critical moment, Zhao Yougong was no longer worried. Through the previous matches, he had a good understanding of Nian Nuer's style. She wasn't very skilled in opening moves but was good at seizing opportunities.

After a short break, Nian Nuer and Li Shishi finally sat down together. It was interesting that these two had been rivals since the beginning of the Zhenghe era. Now, in their early twenties, they were still competing. If not for this chess match, they might never have sat together. Nian Nuer sipped some tea and then wiped her hands.

"Could Sister Shishi let me win this time?" Her tone was pleading, but her expression was challenging. Looking at Li Shishi's cold and beautiful face, she felt both envy and pity.

She envied Li Shishi's fame and beauty but pitied her helplessness and disappointment.

Serving the emperor was not a good thing.

Nian Nuer wanted to win, and every year she wanted to win, but she didn't need Li Shishi to let her win. This time, with the help of the young prince and her own talents in singing and dancing, why shouldn't she win?

"If you want to win, I can let you, but do you really want to?"

"Of course not, but this time, Sister Shishi won't win!"

Nian Nuer's tone was full of confidence. At that moment, she was radiant, her eyes shining. Li Shishi frowned slightly, her long white sleeves sweeping over her knees and landing on the board.

"You seem very confident, but why?"

"Sister Shishi won't understand, hehe!" Nian Nuer wouldn't say. This was not only the young prince's secret but also her own.

The match began, and Li Shishi, by luck, chose the red pieces. In chess, the player who moves first has an advantage. Li Shishi moved her cannon from 8 to 5, a typical central cannon opening. In the Song Dynasty, the central cannon opening was not very popular, so Nian Nuer chose to move her horse from 8 to 7. Li Shishi then moved her cannon from 2 to 3, and Nian Nuer moved her chariot from 9 to 7.

At this point, it was clear that Li Shishi was targeting the black center and the 7th rank. The black pawn and the 7th rank horse were in great danger.

One was attacking, and the other was defending. Li Shishi had a clear advantage. If nothing changed, she would win in the end.

Zhao Fugjin was also quite knowledgeable about chess. After watching for a while, she saw the pattern. From the opening, Nian Nuer needed to use some unconventional moves to win. Li Shishi was too steady, and it was hard to expect her to make mistakes. Nian Nuer's position was not good, and Zhao Fugjin was somewhat pleased. She poked Zhao Yougong's arm and giggled, "Brother Ling, what do you think?"

"Ah? Fourth Sister, are you asking me about the game?"

"Of course, it's a chess match. What else could I ask about?"

"Uh!" Zhao Yougong glared at Zhao Fugjin. He, the Prince of Yongning, was known for his lack of learning, and Zhao Fugjin was openly asking him about the game. Wasn't she setting him up? But Zhao Yougong reacted quickly. He stroked his smooth chin and nodded sagely, "Hmm, neither of them has lost any pieces yet, so it's about even!"

"Ha!" Zhao Fugjin couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth. Brother Ling really didn't understand chess. Anyone with a basic understanding wouldn't say such a thing.

"Hmph, what a useless person! Not understanding and still talking nonsense, truly laughable!"

The voice was that of a woman, and her Chinese wasn't very fluent. Zhao Yougong could tolerate Zhao Fugjin's teasing, but he couldn't stand being insulted by someone else. He turned around and looked behind him, "Who? Who has the nerve to speak so rudely?"

The crowd was dense, and it was hard to find the person, but unexpectedly, the speaker stepped forward.

A woman walked up, dressed in a brown outfit with a purple sash around her waist. The sash had a silver curved knife attached. She was tall, almost as tall as Zhao Yougong, with a well-defined face, bright eyes, thin lips, and a delicate oval face. Her long, black hair was simply draped over her shoulders, giving her a unique charm. Overall, she was beautiful, and most importantly, she had a rare kind of heroism. If there was a flaw, it was that her skin was a bit dark.

What a beautiful woman from a different ethnicity, Zhao Yougong thought, his eyes lighting up.

"You scoundrel, what are you looking at? Be careful, or I'll gouge out your eyes!"

Zhao Yougong was genuinely scared. Where did this female tyrant come from, and why was she even more unreasonable than he, the Prince of Yongning?

Zhao Fugjin, who was ready to watch the commotion, was also angry when the woman threatened to gouge out someone's eyes, "How can you be so domineering? Threatening to gouge out eyes, you'll never find a husband!"

"Hmph, Han women are just pretentious!" The foreign woman put her hand on her curved knife, ready to draw it, scaring Zhao Yougong and Zhao Fugjin into stepping back. Fortunately, a middle-aged man in foreign attire, with a beard and an earring in his left ear, stepped forward.

"Qingyun, don't be rude!" He pulled the woman's wrist and bowed apologetically, "Sir, please don't be angry. This girl is straightforward, please forgive her!"

Zhao Yougong, after a moment, said nothing and turned back to watch the game, but he was still a bit upset. Qingyun was not just straightforward; she was downright fierce. Forgive her? How could he forgive her if she cut him with her knife?

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