Chapter 26

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Zhao Yougong and his sister turned their faces to focus on the chess game. They had only been arguing with the woman named Qingyun for a few moments, but the chess board had already undergone significant changes.

Li Shishi moved her two horses out, and the seventh pawn advanced one step. This move could be considered both offensive and defensive. If the seventh pawn moved forward again or the chariot was deployed, the red side could launch a fierce attack. The black side was on the defensive, with its key point being the seventh horse, which guarded the central pawn and protected the third horse. At this moment, Li Shishi's goal was to directly target the black seventh horse, which also guarded the black cannon.

Under normal circumstances, the black side's most stable move would be to fly the elephant or advance the third pawn to strengthen its defense. However, Nian Nu'er made an unexpected move; she moved the chariot from the ninth file to the fourth file. This move not only made Li Shishi frown but also caused the spectators to gasp in surprise.

What was Nian Nu'er planning? Moving the black chariot from the left side, which was the most solid defense, was like openly offering her seventh horse to the opponent. Losing the black horse would make the eighth cannon unstable, and once the red chariot was deployed, the next move would be to capture the black cannon. Losing two major pieces in one move—wasn't this a suicidal move?

The chess board seemed to indicate this, but Zhao Yougong felt that Nian Nu'er must have some plan. She was so determined to win Li Shishi; how could she make such a foolish move? Looking at the chess board, he suddenly had an idea.

Upon closer inspection, Nian Nu'er had gradually concentrated her forces on the right side. The two chariots occupied the fourth and second files, the black cannon was on the third file, and the side pawn was ready to advance, allowing the side horse to jump out at any moment. Nian Nu'er was indeed ruthless, sacrificing a horse and a cannon to gain the initiative in the attack. It was like a warrior cutting off his own wrist to survive.

At this moment, Nian Nu'er's move was similar to the "Thirteen Sacrifices" in the later "Secrets of the Orange," which required meticulous calculation. If the attack failed, the black side's disadvantage of losing two major pieces would immediately become apparent.

Li Shishi's eyebrows furrowed, and she hesitated to make her move. She knew that Nian Nu'er must have a follow-up plan, but the temptation of capturing two major pieces was too great. Looking at her own layout, Li Shishi thought for a long time but couldn't find any fatal moves from Nian Nu'er.

Sometimes, when the meat is right in front of you, it's hard to resist. Li Shishi felt that even if Nian Nu'er had some tricks, her defense was strong enough to withstand them. So, she gently pushed the seventh pawn forward, charging ahead without hesitation. The red pawn crossed the river, supported by the cannon, and a brutal slaughter was about to begin.

Nian Nu'er moved the seventh elephant, and the red pawn continued to advance, targeting the seventh black horse. At this moment, Nian Nu'er seemed to ignore these moves. Her chariot on the fourth file moved forward, locking the red elephant's eye. The red cannon captured the black horse, and then the black chariot moved forward by eight steps, forming a line with the other chariot. The red chariot moved to the first file, targeting the black eighth cannon. Nian Nu'er ignored this and immediately jumped the black horse. The red chariot captured the cannon and then threatened the black general's palace.

At this point, even Li Shishi felt the pressure. The next move would be for the black horse to directly target the red side's side horse. With the chariots locking the elephant's eye, the seventh elephant couldn't move, so the only option was for the ninth chariot to capture the black horse. Once the ninth chariot left the baseline, the seventh elephant would be lost, followed by the chariots capturing the black guards and the hidden chariot. In essence, Nian Nu'er was offering the black horse to the red chariot, which had no choice but to capture it. If it didn't, the black horse would check the red general, and the red side would lose.

"Wow, Nian Nu'er is really formidable!" Most of the spectators who understood chess could see the plan. As long as Nian Nu'er didn't make a mistake, she was likely to win this game.

In a match between experts, the number of pieces wasn't the most important factor. What mattered was the pieces committed to the attack. The red side seemed to have more pieces, but the only real threats were the cannon and the chariot, and their positions were not ideal. As for the red pawns, it would take a long time for them to reach the black general's palace. On the other hand, Nian Nu'er had only four major pieces left, but they were all committed to the attack.

"Tsk tsk!" Zhao Yougong frowned and sighed. He never expected Nian Nu'er's style to be so sharp. In a moment, she had sacrificed two major pieces, and now she was about to sacrifice the black horse, three major pieces in total. This kind of resolve was something even ordinary men might not achieve.

"What's wrong? Did you see something?" The woman named Qingyun tapped Zhao Yougong's shoulder. She wanted to hear what this self-important Han man had to say.

Shrugging his shoulders to avoid Qingyun's finger, Zhao Yougong rubbed his sore shoulder. "You're so knowledgeable, right? Why ask? Look, the red side has an extra horse and cannon. Who do you think has the advantage? Hmph, you pretend to know chess, but you don't!"

"Ah?"

The foreign woman's eyes widened in surprise, then she covered her mouth and giggled. She wasn't being coy; she found it so funny that her stomach hurt. Pointing at Zhao Yougong, she said, "Too... too funny, hahaha..."

"What are you laughing at?" Zhao Yougong rolled his eyes, his face not looking too good. "Am I wrong? If you don't understand, at least you should know which piece is bigger, right?"

The foreign woman was about to say something when Zhao Fugui quickly pulled Zhao Yougong away. Zhao Fugui's face was slightly red with embarrassment. "Brother Ling, don't say anything more, or I'll be too embarrassed!"

"Ah? Sister Fugui, why this expression? Did I do something wrong?"

Seeing Zhao Yougong's innocent look, Zhao Fugui sighed helplessly. "Brother Ling, have you ever played chess?"

"Yes, twelve years ago, I played a few games with Ying. Back then, I defeated her completely..."

"Uh..."

Twelve years ago? That was when Zhao Xiaojunwang was only four, and Ying was six. Zhao Fugui suddenly felt sorry for Brother Ling. He was so grown up, yet he didn't know what real chess was. She tiptoed, reached out her small hand, and gently patted Zhao Yougong's forehead. "Brother Ling, why don't you learn from me? I can definitely improve your chess skills!"

"..." Zhao Yougong looked at Zhao Fugui. "Sister Fugui, are you laughing? If you want to laugh, just laugh. Why hold it in? Isn't it uncomfortable?"

"Yes, Brother Ling, that's what you said!" Zhao Fugui's face was serious, but as soon as she finished speaking, she bent over, holding her stomach and laughing uncontrollably. As she laughed, tears welled up in her eyes.

Zhao Yougong was very frustrated. Was it really that funny?

Without any surprise, Nian Nu'er achieved an incredible victory. This game would likely be studied for a long time. Winning against Li Shishi was no easy feat. As for the extra thousand peonies, Nian Nu'er didn't care much. In the end, they wouldn't make a decisive difference.

Although she lost, Li Shishi didn't show much disappointment. Her expression was calm, as if she hadn't just lost the game. Similarly, Nian Nu'er didn't show much joy. She wished she could see Li Shishi's worried face.

On the first day of the competition, Li Shishi and Nian Nu'er were evenly matched, while the other courtesans played supporting roles.

As the crowd dispersed, Zhao Yougong eagerly ran to find Nian Nu'er, while Zhao Fugui could only sulk and mutter to herself.

As soon as Nian Nu'er and Xiao Tan stepped off the stage, they saw a man in a brocade robe holding a fan, smiling and approaching.

"Nian Nu'er, congratulations! That game really scared me!"

"Thank you, Prince. I didn't mean to do that!" Nian Nu'er smiled, her eyes radiating charm.

Before Zhao Yougong could say much, a group of footsteps approached. Gao Yannai and others slowly walked over, glanced at Zhao Yougong, and then bowed to Nian Nu'er. "Cui Dajia, your chess skills are truly impressive, it was a great honor to watch!"

Gao Yannai's refined speech was rare. Zhao Yougong sneered and stood in front of Nian Nu'er. "Gao Fatty, speak clearly. Do you want a piece of the action? I'll tell you, Nian Nu'er is mine!"

Nian Nu'er's situation was no longer a secret. As a well-known playboy in Tokyo, Gao Yannai and others wouldn't let this opportunity pass. Li Shishi was out of reach, but letting Nian Nu'er go would be foolish.

"Ha, Brother Ling, don't be so sure. Who says Nian Nu'er is definitely yours?"

"Isn't she? Wang Erlang, are you going against me too?" Zhao Yougong's eyes narrowed, looking intimidating, but it had little effect.

Going against him? Zhao Yougong was overestimating himself. In the entire city, who really cared about him? A powerless prince was no different from an ordinary person.

"Beautiful women are sought after by gentlemen. Why be so domineering, Brother Ling? In the end, it's up to who can win the lady's heart."

Wang Tenghui and the others greeted Nian Nu'er and then left gracefully, leaving Zhao Yougong with a pale face. In contrast, Nian Nu'er remained calm. She took a deep breath and smiled at Xiao Tan. "Let's go back. It's getting late."

Her emerald-green embroidered shoes made no sound on the soft grass. Nian Nu'er walked slowly, her gentle waist and full hips were incredibly alluring.

Zhao Yougong's face was expressionless. He stood there for a long time, and suddenly, a roar echoed through the empty valley.

"Nian Nu'er, you... are... mine!"

Each word was pronounced clearly, loud and piercing, as if trying to break through the dark sky.

The voice was domineering, fierce, and angry...

For some reason, Nian Nu'er felt a ripple in her heart. If he could survive and leave the capital, what would it be like to be his woman?

The evening sun cast a blood-red glow on the horizon. As she walked step by step, who could predict the future?

Sitting in the sedan chair, Nian Nu'er smiled softly, but her eyes were glistening with tears. The man's words echoed in her ears, and her heart was filled with deep emotion.