Wen Shuyu looked at it and immediately laughed. “I didn’t expect this, Xiao Liu—you actually have quite the potential to be a villain.”
“This method of yours isn’t bad at all—straightforward. It even gave me a new idea. I’ll note it down and use it next time.”
Xiao Liu froze. !!! No, no… it’s just overthinking.
Wen Shuyu’s fingers curled, weaving through the floating incense smoke. “The fragrance drifts… the third stratagem.”
Xiao Liu scratched his head. “Master, what does that mean?”
“Just like this incense drifting silently in the air—unseen, intangible, yet everywhere.”
Wen Shuyu smiled gently. “Use subtle contact, casual teasing and provocation, all while maintaining the perfect distance. The goal is to make someone yearn for you, unable to resist, so they come closer on their own.”
Later, after Xiao Jingchen finished handling state affairs in the morning, he heard that Wen Shuyu wished to play a game of chess with him.
The shadow guards of the Eastern Palace, Mo Yu, and the other eunuchs and maids were astonished. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince’s skill at chess was second to none in the Xiao Kingdom—no one had ever beaten him. The princess was certainly bold.
Fu Ling was also puzzled. She had hardly ever seen her lady play chess and had assumed she could not.
Inside the hall, warm sunlight cast their shadows across the window lattice.
Wen Shuyu and Xiao Jingchen sat across from each other at the board, with Mo Yu, Fu Ling, and other palace attendants nearby.
Seeing that her complexion had improved considerably, Xiao Jingchen’s clear, serene eyes reflected the sunlight as he asked, “Have you taken your Gu Yuan pill today?”
“Yes, yes, I have,” Wen Shuyu replied. “Prince Brother, don’t worry. I’ve rested well these past two days, and I feel much better.”
Xiao Jingchen nodded.
The game began, and soon white and black stones were placed on the board, one after another.
Wen Shuyu’s beautiful eyes curved as she smiled lightly at Xiao Jingchen. Her delicate fingers picked up a white stone, letting it hover for a moment before placing it gently. When Xiao Jingchen placed his black stone, she followed suit casually.
In a short while, the board was dotted with black and white stones.
“I don’t know much about chess, so I’m just placing them randomly. Prince Brother, you’ll have to give me some leeway,” she said with a smile.
Xiao Jingchen, playing black, stared at the board. His eyes flickered, but he did not see her as inexperienced.
The black and white stones on the board seemed to engage in a silent battle. Black controlled the territory, but white expanded outward, forming a network across the edges. One misstep could lead to entrapment.
Wen Shuyu’s gaze softened. She lifted a white stone, letting it rest briefly between her fingers before placing it down.
“Here—this arrangement looks more elegant.”
The white stone dropped with a faint tap, like spring rain nourishing the land. Though gentle, it suddenly shifted the situation in the northwest corner.
Xiao Jingchen looked up sharply, and both Fu Ling and Mo Yu turned to follow his gaze.
A soft chuckle escaped from Xiao Jingchen’s throat.
His black stones fell crisply, one after another, like a hammer striking; yet Wen Shuyu did not falter. She countered, encroaching into what Xiao Jingchen considered a secured territory in the upper-right corner.
Xiao Jingchen’s lips curved gently as he murmured a reminder: “Risky moves are not the choice of the wise.”
“Prince Brother, haven’t you heard? Only by placing oneself in peril can one achieve life,” Wen Shuyu lifted her gaze, her eyes reflecting light.
A stick of incense slowly burned down. The game reached mid-stage, the situation increasingly intricate, like clashing armies. The stones tangled in a web of continuous conflicts; every move depended on breath and fingertip precision.
It felt like a battlefield—intense, ruthless. Fu Ling and Mo Yu swallowed nervously, their eyes fixed on the board.
Xiao Jingchen sacrificed stones for position, Wen Shuyu contested space aggressively. Neither could gain the upper hand.
A candle flickered on the desk. The hall was silent, save for that faint crackle.
Time passed.
The game neared its end. The territories were marked, and both players paused simultaneously.
Silence filled the hall, broken only by the faint sizzle of the burning candlewick.
“Evenly matched, territories balanced, four cycles completed,” Xiao Jingchen counted meticulously, disbelief threading his tone. “It’s a draw, Changsheng.”
“I concede. Prince Brother, your skill is exquisite—you’ve won more than just the game,” Wen Shuyu lowered her gaze, smiling faintly. In Xiao Jingchen’s momentarily stunned expression, she gently pushed a smooth, jade-like white stone across the Chu River and Han Border.
The stone gleamed softly under the sunlight, unlike any other on the board.
Then she rose gracefully and departed, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance in her sleeve.
Xiao Jingchen sat alone at the desk, fingers unconsciously tracing the white stone she had last pushed toward him.
His thoughts stirred. He examined it carefully, realizing the stone was exquisitely crafted.
Click.
He rotated it lightly, and it opened in response.
Inside was a tiny folded piece of paper, bearing just one line of delicate handwriting:
“The game ends, but the heart falls before the prince.”
“This… this ‘heart’… is what Prince Brother has won…”