Chapter 19: The Go Tournament

Xie Liwen looked at Lu Yuerong’s face and listened to her words, a tremendous sense of satisfaction surging through his heart.

Lu Yuerong truly treated him just as Zhenwan had, loving him with utter abandon.

“No.” He even felt a pang of pity for her and hesitated. “Let’s not bring this up again.”

After all, Lu Yuerong’s father had already given him his promise. It did not matter that the First Madam looked down on him.

Once Lu Yuerong married into the Xie family, she would be one of them.

Since her mother-in-law despised him, he would not let Lu Yuerong come back to visit her very often in the future.

Hearing him say this, Lu Yuerong began to cry. “You don’t want to marry me anymore?”

Xie Liwen hurried to comfort her. “You’re overthinking it. As long as there is still room to maneuver, that method won’t be necessary.”

“Then can you tell me what this method is now?”

Xie Liwen’s expression stiffened. He could not bring himself to state such an awkward solution plainly.

Lu Yuerong stared fixedly at him. Recalling something he had once said, she somehow gleaned a hint of the truth from his expression.

“You…” Her cheeks flushed crimson.

“Yuerong, don’t worry. It is only a method to be used as a last resort. How could I bear to treat you lightly? In my heart, you are a priceless treasure. I wish I could give you every good thing in the world.”

He pulled Lu Yuerong into his arms and spoke with deep affection.

Lu Yuerong pushed at him. “So now you remember to hold me?”

Xie Liwen kissed her soft cheek. “All right. It’s enough that you understand. You should go back first in a while. I still have a few things to discuss with your father.”

“I’ll take care of everything.”

…

The imperial Go tournament arrived as scheduled.

On the day before it began, Lu Shuyao also received an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager, informing her that she need no longer copy Buddhist scriptures.

She gave Rushi and Ruhua a generous reward and granted them several days of leave.

Thus, it was Nanny You and Peilan who accompanied her to the tournament.

Knowing full well who the true center of attention would be at this grand gathering, Lu Shuyao dressed very plainly.

Even so, the moment she entered the venue, she drew everyone’s eyes.

After all, she was the only woman in the harem who had truly been favored by the Emperor.

Moreover, among the five candidates, her beauty and bearing were unquestionably the most striking.

Though she wore a dark-blue embroidered dress without much ornamentation that day, it could not conceal the presence created by her fair, radiant skin.

In the sunlight, she seemed almost to glow from head to toe.

After greeting everyone, Lu Shuyao went to stand with Lin Ruo in a quiet corner.

“Why are you still staying with me?” Lin Ruo urged her. “Go to the front.”

“Never mind.” Lu Shuyao shook her head. “If I get the chance, I’ll play against you later and stay with you.”

In truth, she might not even be able to beat Lin Ruo, but she did not care much about winning or losing.

Once she finished playing with Lin Ruo, she could be eliminated immediately and go rest a little earlier.

The Go matches began soon after, but Lu Shuyao did not get her wish to face Lin Ruo.

Her opponent was a princess.

An eight-year-old princess.

Lu Shuyao had never expected that she might actually win a match in this tournament.

Eight-year-old Princess Linglong sat opposite her, tears streaming down her face after losing.

“Perhaps, Your Highness, you could take back one move?” Lu Shuyao coaxed her.

“Wuwu… really?”

“Quietly, then.”

Lu Shuyao removed the stone the princess had placed earlier and gestured for her to put down another.

After that, Lu Shuyao openly began to give way. Each of them played one terrible move after another, and the match continued for quite some time before finally ending.

“The princess wins.”

Lu Shuyao smiled as the loser, while inwardly letting out a long sigh of relief. Even losing had been quite a struggle.

Princess Linglong smiled as well, climbed down from her stool, and gave Lu Shuyao a polite curtsy.

There was nothing intimidating about Lu Shuyao’s appearance. Her entire person radiated a gentle, graceful warmth, and the young princess felt no fear of her at all.

“No wonder Imperial Brother likes you,” she remarked before hurrying into her mother’s arms.

“Mother, I won!”

The imperial consort dowager looked over at Lu Shuyao, inclined her head politely, and smiled.

Lu Shuyao returned the courtesy, picked up the bamboo token from her seat, and went to the pavilion in the center to report the result.

“Princess Linglong won. I lost.”

The palace maid recording the results paused with her brush and secretly glanced at her, apparently never having expected this outcome.

Lu Shuyao paid no attention to what others thought. Many people already knew that she could not play Go.

A loss to the princess was still a loss, and a loss to the next opponent would also be a loss. She might as well amuse a child who loved to cry.

Lin Ruo and Zhang Xinwei also finished their match. The two had been placed in the same group, and without any suspense, Zhang Xinwei won.

Lin Ruo came to record the result and quietly asked Lu Shuyao, “Who did you lose to?”

“Princess Linglong.”

Lin Ruo had truly not expected that. Her eyes widened.

“It was a loss either way,” Lu Shuyao said.

“That makes perfect sense.” After hearing Lu Shuyao say this, Lin Ruo instantly felt that losing to the irritating Zhang Xinwei was not such a sorrowful thing after all.

Even if she had not lost to Zhang Xinwei, she would have lost to someone else.

The two of them then went together to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager and the imperial consort dowagers, joining the crowd in watching the spectacle.

After three rounds of matches, the Empress Dowager arranged for everyone to rest briefly and have a little food.

The next round would be the main event of the day.

Sixteen contestants became eight, eight became four, and in the end only two remained for the final: Shen Rushuang and Kong Ya.

Ye Yanchen arrived late, only appearing when the final was about to begin. He wore a dark-blue informal robe that day, which happened to echo the color of Lu Shuyao’s dress.

His gaze swept over Lu Shuyao before quickly moving on. He bowed to the Empress Dowager.

“Mother.”

“The Emperor has arrived. Come and sit.” The Empress Dowager had reserved the seat of honor for him long ago, waiting only for his arrival.

Shen Rushuang and Kong Ya sat some distance away in a flower bed below, playing with utmost concentration.

Shen Rushuang wore a splendid brocade dress woven with multicolored threads, its brilliance vivid yet restrained. Her elaborate coiffure was intricate without being disorderly; it was obvious that she had taken great care with her appearance.

Kong Ya had also abandoned her usual cool, refined style. She wore a solemn pomegranate-red robe embroidered with countless golden patterns, dignified and composed, yet open and graceful.

Beside them stood a massive Go board. After each move, a eunuch climbed a ladder and placed the corresponding position on the board.

The outcome was already clear, and after watching for a while, Ye Yanchen lost interest.

He casually opened the record of the matches lying before him. The first thing he saw was the result of the day’s opening game.

“Lady Lu lost to Princess Linglong.”

His slender fingertip tapped twice on that line. The corner of his lips curved faintly, and he soon turned to the next page.

“Your Majesty, I have prepared quite a grand prize today. Will you add something to it?” The Empress Dowager glanced at the Emperor from the corner of her eye. Seeing that he seemed to be in a good mood, she asked.

“What sort of prize does Mother think I should add?”

Ye Yanchen closed the booklet in his hand and turned his deep, long eyes toward her.