Wen Shuyu looked at it and immediately laughed: “I can’t tell, Xiao Liu, you have quite the potential to be a villain.”
“Your method is good—straightforward and to the point. It gives me new ideas. Write it down, I’ll use it next time.”
Xiao Liu: !!! So it wasn’t that—it had overthought things.
Wen Shuyu hooked her finger, entwining the fragrant mist floating in the air. “Hidden Scent Drifting, the third stratagem.”
Xiao Liu scratched its head and asked, “My lady, what does that mean?”
“Just like the scent drifting secretly from this incense burner—unseen, untouchable, yet everywhere.”
Wen Shuyu smiled gently. “Use subtle, almost imperceptible contact, unintentional teasing and seduction, while maintaining just the right distance. Best to make others itch with anticipation, so they take the initiative to draw near.”
Thus, after Xiao Jingchen finished court duties and attended to state affairs, he heard the news that Wen Shuyu wanted to play a game of chess with him.
The Eastern Palace’s shadow guard Mo Yu and the other eunuchs and palace maids were all astonished. Everyone knew that the Crown Prince’s chess skills were among the best in the Xiao Kingdom—no one had ever seen anyone defeat His Highness. The Princess-Consort was quite bold.
Fuling was also puzzled; she had hardly ever seen her lady play chess. She had always thought her lady didn’t know how.
Inside the hall, the gentle sunlight cast the shadows of the two onto the window lattice.
Wen Shuyu and Xiao Jingchen sat facing each other on either side of the chessboard, with Mo Yu, Fuling, and other palace maids attending nearby.
Xiao Jingchen noticed that her complexion looked much better today, her clear, moist eyes reflecting the warm light. He asked, “Have you taken the Consolidating Vitality Pill today?”
“I have, I have,” Wen Shuyu replied. “Don’t worry, Crown Prince Brother. I’ve been resting well these past two days, and I feel much better.”
Xiao Jingchen nodded.
Once the game began, white and black pieces were soon placed on the board one after another.
Wen Shuyu curved her beautiful eyes into a smile, giving Xiao Jingchen a gentle look. Her slender, jade-like fingers picked up a white piece and lightly placed it down. When Xiao Jingchen’s black piece landed, she casually placed another.
In a short while, quite a few black and white pieces had been placed on the board.
She smiled and said, “I don’t really understand chess, so I’m just playing randomly. Crown Prince Brother will have to go easy on me.”
Xiao Jingchen held a black piece and placed it down. He gazed at the board, his eyes flickering slightly, not believing that Wen Shuyu didn’t understand chess.
Because at this moment, the black and white pieces on the board seemed to be engaged in a silent battle. Although the black pieces consistently held solid positions, the white pieces took the outer momentum, spreading like clouds, weaving a net around the corners of the black pieces. One careless move, and they would fall into the trap.
Wen Shuyu’s gaze was soft as she picked up a white piece, held it between her index and middle fingers for a moment, and gently placed it down.
“Let’s place it here. The pattern it forms is quite beautiful.”
With a soft tap, the white piece landed. This move was like spring rain moistening the earth—seemingly gentle, yet it abruptly changed the situation in the northwest corner.
Xiao Jingchen suddenly looked up at her, and even Fuling and Mo Yu turned their gazes toward her.
A light chuckle escaped from Xiao Jingchen’s throat.
The black pieces in his hand fell crisply, one after another. He played a sharp, aggressive move, like a hammer striking. But Wen Shuyu did not respond directly; instead, she invaded the upper right corner, which he considered his foundation.
The corners of Xiao Jingchen’s lips lifted into a gentle curve as he softly reminded her, “Taking risky moves is not the mark of a wise player.”
“Crown Prince Brother, haven’t you heard? Only by placing oneself in a desperate situation can one find a way to survive.” Wen Shuyu looked up, the light and shadow shifting in her eyes.
The incense stick gradually burned lower. As the game reached its mid-stage, the situation grew increasingly intricate, as if one could hear the clashing of weapons. Several groups of stones were entangled, with ko fights chaining together—every move hung on the breath between fingertips.
It seemed like a fierce battle had erupted, and a brutal one at that. Fuling and Mo Yu swallowed nervously in turn, their eyes fixed intently on the board before them.
Xiao Jingchen sacrificed stones to gain influence, while Wen Shuyu also gave up territory to seize the initiative. Neither could gain the upper hand over the other.
A candlewick on the desk softly crackled. The hall was too quiet, with only this faint sound breaking the silence.
An unknowable amount of time passed.
The game gradually approached its endgame, and the remaining points were filled one by one. Once the neutral territory was divided, both players halted their movements simultaneously.
Silence fell in the hall, leaving only the crackling of the burning candlewick.
“Equal influence, balanced territory, a Four-Kalpa Cycle,” Xiao Jingchen counted slowly, his voice tinged with disbelief. “It’s a draw—an Eternal Stalemate.”
“Consider me defeated. Your Highness’s skill is exquisite, and your victory extends beyond the board.”
Wen Shuyu lowered her gaze with a faint smile and, under Xiao Jingchen’s slightly stunned gaze, gently pushed a smooth, jade-like white stone across the boundary line.
That stone shimmered with a uniquely soft luster under the sunlight.
With that, she rose gracefully and departed, leaving only a Hidden Scent Drifting from her sleeves.
Xiao Jingchen sat alone before the desk, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the white stone she had pushed over last.
A thought stirred in his mind. Upon closer inspection, he found the stone exquisitely crafted.
With a soft click,
he gave it a gentle twist, and the stone opened in response.
Inside lay a tiny, tightly rolled slip of paper, bearing only a line of delicate handwriting:
“The game ends, yet the players remain; a ‘heart’ stone falls before you.”
“This ‘heart’ stone is an extra victory for Your Highness…”