It must be because Sister-in-law Liu was new here and afraid that Lu Huiyi would be too embarrassed to step down. That was what Lu Zhenyi concluded.
Since it was leisure time, Gao Shuren strongly encouraged them to play a game of chess, so Lu Zhenyi stepped forward to ask if the two sisters could play a match. Lu Huiyi gladly welcomed her to sit down.
The two of them fought back and forth evenly. Lu Zhenyi even began to feel that Sister-in-law Liu had simply been going easy on her earlier; she knew her own chess skills well enough to realize she wouldn’t last ten moves against a famous player like her sister-in-law.
It was only when Lu Zhenyi was cornered on half the board that she suddenly understood.
“Lu Huiyi, are you toying with me?”
“How can you say that? Since my younger sister finally took an interest, she ought to have her full enjoyment,” Lu Huiyi replied smoothly. Her hands did not stop moving as she placed an ordinary white piece that completely cut off all possible escape routes for Lu Zhenyi’s black piece.
Only then did Lu Zhenyi realize that Sister-in-law Liu had indeed genuinely lost to Lu Huiyi earlier.
Without her even realizing it, Lu Huiyi had grown into someone she could no longer hope to catch up with.
“Gao Shuren, would you care to play a match with me?” Lu Huiyi asked.
“I am not skilled at chess.”
Gao Shuren refused without the slightest bit of politeness. Lu Huiyi raised an eyebrow in silence, only to hear Gao Shuren continue, “If the Twelfth Young Lady wishes to learn chess, Grand Secretary Lu is a true master of the craft. However, such an impatient temperament is still something you need to rein in.”
Lu Huiyi cautiously placed her next stone. Standing before her at this moment was her grandfather, who had served as an official for forty years and held the post of Grand University Scholar of the Wenyen Pavilion. He was not a young girl like Sister-in-law Liu or Lu Zhenyi whom she could easily manipulate.
One day, while Gao Shuren and the Old Madam were sipping tea in their idle time, they happened to bring up this Fourth Branch Miss Hui. Gao Shuren described her as young and hot-tempered; having previously blended completely into the background, she had recently displayed a superb grasp of chess, outshining even the newly arrived Sixth Madam.
Old Madam Kou thought about it carefully, but she didn’t have much of an impression of this Twelfth Miss, Lu Huiyi. Since the Fourth Master was not her biological son, Old Madam Kou’s gaze instead turned toward Lu Huiyi’s biological grandmother, First Concubine Dayuan.
When First Concubine Dayuan heard Old Madam Kou mention that Lu Huiyi was invincible at chess in the boudoir academy and had gained quite a reputation, she couldn’t help feeling suspicious.
That Lu Huiyi, who was just as dull and unlikable as her own mother…
With these thoughts in mind, she reminded the old madam out loud, “Madam, Huiniang is that Twelfth Miss whom you mistook for Miss Ning on the day of Wenhe’s wedding.”
So it was her. Remembering the girl’s face, which bore a striking resemblance to her own prematurely deceased daughter, Old Madam Kou felt a considerable degree of fondness toward her.
On a routine holiday from the boudoir academy, Lu Huiyi followed the other sisters to pay her respects to Old Madam Kou, and she was singled out to stay behind and chat with the old madam.
As it happened, Grandfather Lu had just returned from morning court. The old gentleman loved chess and had already heard the rumors of this granddaughter’s skill, so he immediately ordered the servants to set up a table for a match.
Grandfather Lu intended to test her. His first few moves were casual and unpretentious; holding white stones, he simply followed Lu Huiyi’s black stones without attacking or defending.
Soon, however, Grandfather Lu frowned and began to take the game seriously.
In her past life, Lu Huiyi had never been close to her grandparents, and they had never spent any time alone together right up until her death, let alone sitting down to play a game of chess like this today. Therefore, she was not very familiar with Grandfather Lu’s playing style. She could only rely on her experience to guard against him on one hand, while calculating dozens of moves ahead on the other.
“When did Huiniang learn to play chess? With such wonderful skill, why hasn’t anyone ever mentioned it before?”
“Your granddaughter does not care to play against others. Usually, I just look over chess manuals in my courtyard and play against myself to pass the time.”
The situation on the board was tense and burning. Lu Huiyi took out a handkerchief to dab at her temples, accepted a cup of tea handed over by Qingzhu, and silently took a sip.
Grandfather Lu had been steeped in the imperial court for forty years; he was not someone a twenty-eight-year-old Lu Huiyi could easily defeat. Rather than waiting for her grandfather to launch an unpredictable offensive, it was better to strike first.
With this thought in mind, a hint of murderous intent flashed in Lu Huiyi’s hands as she launched a fierce and aggressive attack.
She was always like this: focused entirely on slaying the enemy, completely disregarding her own safety.
Grandfather Lu suddenly relaxed. Stroking his beard, he intercepted her killing move in two or three steps, secured his own pieces, and began to systematically devour her black stones step by step.
Lu Huiyi ruthlessly carved out a piece of the old gentleman’s territory, but her own vitality was severely damaged, and she was forced to retreat into the southwestern corner.
The old grandfather had played a steady and solid game all along; his foundation was secure, and he quickly recovered, pressing his attack further toward the struggling Lu Huiyi.
Right until the very end, the old grandfather never managed to capture the southwestern corner; he simply surrounded Lu Huiyi’s remaining pieces tightly on all sides.
Sighing, Lu Huiyi said, “Grandfather, your granddaughter has lost.”
Grandfather Lu was deeply moved. “For someone as young as you to possess such deep strategy is already quite remarkable. If you hadn’t lost your patience and insisted on going on a full-scale massacre, it would be hard to say who would have won or lost this game.”
Old Madam Kou had observed the entire chess match from the side and couldn’t help smiling. “Gao Shuren felt the same way. She said that if Huiniang could always keep a calm mind and plan for the long term, there is nothing Huiniang couldn’t accomplish.”
This praise was far too high. Lu Huiyi even wondered if Old Madam Kou was simply trying to gild her face and make her look good.
Gao Shuren had always been strict, never uttering empty flattery even when praising the princes and princesses in the palace. Last winter, the Seventh Prince’s rendition of Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms shook the capital, bringing the former empress’s son back into the public eye; Gao Shuren’s very first public praise had been entirely on account of that piece.
To some extent, Lu Huiyi had tied with this rival from her past life right here in Gao Shuren’s estimation.
Lu Huiyi wanted to make a good impression in front of her grandfather; she didn’t genuinely intend to wait until he retired just to keep him company playing chess.
At that moment, Lu Huiyi lowered her head to offer a few modest remarks, then smoothly steered the topic toward Eldest Uncle Lu, saying, “Grandfather’s birthday is fast approaching, and come next spring, won’t First Uncle be returning to the capital to take up an official post?”
The room fell completely silent. Grandfather Lu’s gaze landed gently on Lu Huiyi, a silent, invisible pressure descending upon her.
Lu Huiyi kept her back straight throughout, wearing a calm smile and remaining utterly unfazed.
Seeing that neither Grandfather Lu nor Old Madam Kou spoke for a long time, Lu Huiyi simply continued, “Did your granddaughter say something wrong? I was only thinking that I haven’t seen Wanniang in several years either, and since all of us sisters are soon reaching the age to discuss marriage, I wonder how many more days we have left at home.”
The Wanniang she referred to was First Uncle’s concubine-born daughter, Lu Wanying, who had gone off to her father’s official post alongside First Uncle and First Madam two years ago.
Grandfather Lu had half a mind to test this granddaughter who had suddenly emerged from obscurity, so he asked her, “What does your grandfather’s birthday have to do with your uncle returning to the capital?”
“After Grandfather’s birthday, the time for your retirement will also arrive. Since His Majesty has shown no sign of retaining you, the position of Grand University Scholar of the Wenyen Pavilion has likely already been arranged, leaving no choice but for Grandfather to retire. First Uncle is a third-rank official. Back then, because both father and son held high positions in the capital, he voluntarily requested to leave the capital and serve as a councilor in the Chief Administration Commissioner’s Office to avoid suspicion of nepotism. Life outside the capital is difficult. By next spring, Grandfather will have retired, and First Uncle’s term of office will have just expired, making it the perfect time for him to return to the capital.”
“This capital isn’t a place you can just return to whenever you please. Tell me then, upon his return, which exact official vacancy would happen to be waiting for him?”
Lu Huiyi smiled and said, “Hasn’t Grandfather already arranged the vacancy for the Governor of Shuntian Prefecture? The capital is never short of imperial relatives and nobility, and the Shuntian Prefecture is right in the middle of it all, making the work extremely difficult. That is why the position of Shuntian Governor has remained vacant for half a year without a suitable candidate. If First Uncle returns, this would be the absolute best choice.”
Grandfather Lu looked at this granddaughter of his with newfound respect. Most of his grandchildren were incompetent, and among those wealthy young lords, hardly any could see through such shallow principles.
Lu Huiyi truly wanted to advise her grandfather that the post of Shuntian Governor carried far too much risk, but today was not the time for that. She still needed to build trust for the sake of the long term.
After sitting a little longer and noticing fatigue creep onto her grandparents’ faces, Lu Huiyi immediately stood up and took her leave.
Once Lu Huiyi returned to her own courtyard, Chuntao untied her outer garments while Qingzhu served her a fresh cup of tea. With deep admiration, Qingzhu said, “When the young lady was speaking at such length before the master and mistress today, Qingzhu had no idea that the young lady understood affairs of the court so well. It truly makes me admire you.”
Chuntao eagerly leaned in, and in just a few words, Qingzhu filled her in on both the chess game and the questioning.
On the surface, Lu Huiyi looked entirely composed, but a trace of pride faintly showed beneath her calm exterior, after all, she was Lu Huiyi.
She was currently looking over the embroidery fabric prepared for the old master’s birthday banquet.
“Everything I said was just common knowledge on the surface. Anyone in the manor this year who has paid attention to the movements of our uncles and brothers could figure out a thing or two.”
Chuntao put away Lu Huiyi’s garments and remarked, “But our only duty is to live in the inner quarters; we never see the madams and misses of the other courtyards caring about such things.”
Lu Huiyi said nothing, concentrating instead on splitting the embroidery threads.
The piece of embroidery in her hands had mostly been completed before her rebirth; it was the birthday gift she had originally prepared for her grandfather.
In her past life, the Begonia Courtyard had caught fire, burning this embroidery to ashes and reducing her hard work to dust. She had been forced to hastily draw and embroider a new Pine and Crane Scroll to send to her grandfather.
Unfortunately, after she left Suyang, her hands grew rough from striving to make a living, and whenever she touched soft brocade, it would snag and pull the threads.
Because of that, she never embroidered again.
Now that she held an embroidery needle once more, she had almost forgotten this craft entirely.
Lu Huiyi swept her gaze over the maids in the courtyard, pushed down the swirling thoughts in her heart, and slowly lowered her needle.
Another day passed, and when Gao Shuren returned to teach at the boudoir academy, the lesson was precisely on embroidery techniques, using a pattern drawn by Lu Jinhuai that very day.
Lu Huiyi had mediocre talent, and her only skill was her embroidery, which she had refined year after year. She had originally learned embroidery from her third aunt, whose family ran a draper’s shop. To this day, only the most skilled embroiderer from Madam Qiao’s maiden family could barely compare to Lu Huiyi.
Yet today, Lu Zhenyi couldn’t help glancing over at Lu Huiyi’s side.
Lu Huiyi’s manual dexterity was still there, but the techniques she was using were precisely those just taught by Gao Shuren. It was as if… Lu Huiyi had no knowledge of any other techniques at all.
This was too strange.
For the first time, doubt arose in Lu Zhenyi’s heart: could this “Lu Huiyi” be an impostor disguised by someone else, just like the stories in vernacular novels?
The thought flashed through her mind and vanished, quickly swept away by news that had taken the capital by storm: the Duke of Cao had gone to the Marquis of Guangping’s estate to call off the engagement between the heir and the Princess of Shouyang.
Although the Princess of Shouyang was an orphan, she had been raised in the palace under the direct personal care of the Empress. This summer, seventeen-year-old Shouyang had moved out of the palace to live at the Marquis of Guangping’s estate because her wedding date was approaching.
The Marquis of Guangping had spent years guarding the tombs of his early-deceased parents in the outer regions. Just two days after he returned to the capital, the Duke of Cao had sent a visiting card to his door.
Even knowing that Shouyang disliked the Heir of Cao, Lu Huiyi felt anxious in her heart; she couldn’t imagine how heartbroken Shouyang must be right now.
That very day, Madam Qiao sent a visiting card in Old Madam Kou’s name, requesting permission to visit Shouyang. The Marquis of Guangping’s estate replied that Shouyang had been summoned into the palace by the Empress.
Early the next morning, Lu Huiyi saw Shouyang in Old Madam Kou’s courtyard.
“Shouyang has been unfilial and caused Grandmother worry.”
Trembling slightly, Old Madam Kou stood up, took Shouyang’s hands, and said with profound grief, “Yan’niang! Your father gave his life for the country back then, and yet that Cao family actually dares to bully you like this! Do they truly think the Jiang and Lu families have no one left?”
Yan’niang was the childhood nickname of Princess Shouyang, Jiang Yan.
Shouyang knelt and kowtowed to Old Madam Kou, her voice muffled, “The Duke of Cao’s estate has taken a fancy to Minister Liu’s daughter to be the heir’s wife. It is simply that Shouyang and the Heir of Cao lack affinity; calling off the engagement is better than remaining bound as resentful spouses.”
Shouyang spoke of it as if it were an ordinary matter, but in truth, everyone in the capital knew that the Heir of Cao and Miss Liu had engaged in a clandestine affair. If the Cao and Liu families had not agreed to this marriage, the Heir of Cao would have eloped with the girl.