Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 309: Mr. Four’s last disciple, best of ten games!
[Su Yun heard this and his eyes were immediately attracted by the two jars of black and white chess pieces beside the coffee table, and he immediately became interested.]

【Go! 】

[Su Yun couldn't help but look at Chen Jiuyan. Others didn't know this person's background, but he knew it clearly.]

[Chen Jiuyan is of course a pseudonym. This person is the daughter of Prince Qing, the younger brother of Emperor Yuan of Qi.]

[After Emperor Yuan of Qi died, his eldest son Chen Yan succeeded to the throne and is now Emperor Xianhe. ]

[The girl also had to respectfully address the current emperor as her cousin, and was given the title of Princess Kangle in the second year of her birth.]

[My real name is Chen Yanqiong. The “Nine” here means I’m the ninth child in my family.]

[Such an identity is naturally noble among ordinary people, but it is slightly insufficient for the current Su family. ]

[Prime Minister Su is now powerful in the government and the country. Officials from all prefectures and cities are all his students and former officials.]

[As the head of the nine major families, the Su family is extremely powerful. When Su Yun was young, the sedan chair he rode was even more magnificent than that of several princes in the palace.]

[Su Yun's father even had two princesses as his concubines, but they were unable to give birth to a son.]

[Su Yun's mother was a woman from the common people, but unfortunately she died shortly after Su Yun was born.]

[Although my father married again, he never made her his first wife, and he never even touched her.]

[The two princesses were treated like "beauties hidden in a golden house". They repeatedly went to Emperor Xianhe to cry and complain, but were always ignored.]

[Since experiencing the palace coup with the Xie family, Emperor Xianhe Chen Yan has devoted himself to the practice of Taoism and has become indifferent to his own flesh and blood.]

[Among the nine major surnames, if one does not marry a few "princesses" or "country ladies", as a canary in a cage, it seems that one cannot demonstrate his noble status. ]

【therefore!】

[There is nothing unusual about a princess in Bianjing City. ]

[What's more, the Prince of Qing has always been known for being "cowardly and incompetent". When he was young, he was addicted to cockfighting and monkey shows. His fiefdom was located in Anbei Road, and was often harassed by rebel bandits. There was even one time when 3,000 bandits easily broke into the Prince of Qing's mansion, and the Prince of Qing was forced to flee through a dog hole. In the end, he had to ask the Great Qi court to send troops to quell the rebellion in Anbei Road.]

[This incident was widely circulated in Bianjing City, and Prince Qing was nicknamed "Dog Hole Prince", "Prince Who Asks for Troops" and "Paper Prince".]

[There is only one reason why Su Yun can treat Princess Kangle with such "courtesy".]

[That is, this Princess Kangle is Su Yun’s grandfather, the current Prime Minister Su, and was once the last disciple of the fourth master of the academy.]

[In the Su family, Grandpa is the God. Su Yun has nothing but respect for Grandpa, who sometimes tests his knowledge.]

[No matter how Su Yun answered, Grandpa would praise him for being "smart and clever."]

[Su Yun didn't want to study for the imperial examination. When his father and uncle found out, they strongly opposed it. Only his grandfather smiled and nodded, saying, "Living according to your own ideas is a big deal. If you don't want to study, then don't study."]

【After that, there was no more opposition in the family. 】

[The reason why he founded the Caotang Poetry Club was because his grandfather once told him a funny story about his youth. At that time, his grandfather was just a chess-playing scholar in a shabby alley.]

[The happiest thing at that time was when a nearby poetry society held a "poetry appreciation party" and set up a banquet, and my grandfather could also sneak in and have a good meal. ]

[My grandfather's biggest dream at that time was to join a poetry club, earn a few taels of silver every month, and live a happy life. Unfortunately, my grandfather could not play chess, compose poems or lyrics, so he was naturally rejected by the poetry club.]

[Su Yun kept it in mind, and holding a poetry gathering at Caotang to make Daqi famous became his dream.]

[He wanted to spread the name of the Caotang Poetry Club throughout the world, and then "openly" invite Grandpa to join the poetry club.]

[However, my grandfather’s health has been getting worse recently. His complexion has become weaker and weaker. He is now an old man with white hair. The matter of making a name for himself at the poetry meeting has become more urgent.]

[Su Yun retracted his thoughts. As Chen Jiuyan is his grandfather's last disciple, Su Yun loves him as well.]

[My grandfather was proficient in the "way of black and white" throughout his life. Unfortunately, Su Yun himself had no talent in this area. My father and uncle were often jokingly called "bad chess players" by my grandfather.]

[This Princess Kangle inherited 50% of her grandfather's chess skills. This is what her grandfather said himself.]

[With Grandpa's 50% chess skills, even the chess servants in the palace don't have this ability. ]

[The princess was brought up by her grandfather since she was young and taught carefully. She did not leave Bianjing until Prince Qing was sent to his fiefdom.]

[Unlike other girls, Princess Kangle has liked dressing up as a man since she was young and is keen on wielding spears and sticks.]

[When Su Yun was a child, he was curious about his grandfather's last disciple and tried to talk to her, but was bullied by her.]

[He was too embarrassed to tell his grandfather. Su Yun had been a little afraid of Princess Kangle since he was a child.]

[Fortunately, after leaving Bianjing for four or five years, this princess has calmed down a lot.]

[For this banquet, Prince Qing returned to the capital, and Princess Kangle also came with him, and then moved directly into the Su Mansion. ]

[Grandpa has been busy with cabinet affairs these days, and Princess Kang Le felt bored, so she followed Su Yun to the Xie family to relax. ]

[As Grandfather’s last disciple, he naturally has the confidence to say “I will not lose.”]

[Su Yun thought to himself, this game is a sure win. If he wins, he can let Xie Guan participate in the poetry meeting. Isn't that wonderful?]

【Su Yun looks at you with burning eyes.】

[“Master Guan, what do you think?]

【at this time!】

[The woman opposite has already picked up a chess piece with her slender white fingers and is weighing it gently.]

[Chen Jiuyan looked through the sunlight through the window, held up two chess pieces and said, "The white pieces are as smooth as jade, soft but not transparent, with a slight yellowish or emerald green hue. The black pieces look like jasper when viewed from above, and like lacquer when viewed from below, dark and moist."]

[“This is a tribute from Yun’an Dao. It’s worth a fortune in the market.”]

[Chen Jiuyan turned around and said with a smile: "However, I see some dust has fallen on it, so it shouldn't belong to Master Guan. Someone who truly loves chess shouldn't treat chess pieces like this, they should love chess pieces like the chess pieces themselves."]

[You nodded gently. This is what Xie Yuan left here when he played chess with you last time. Thinking that we will play a few games together next time, he simply did not bring it back.]

[You just said: "I only know the rules of chess, but I am not very good at it. I rarely play against others."]

【Xie Xuan took a look at the chess pieces and seemed to have guessed something. Given your poverty, it is naturally impossible for you to own such expensive chess pieces. Most of these chess pieces came from Xie Yuan.】

[In the Xie family, Xie Guan has become somewhat famous now, and the person he is most closely associated with is Xie Yuan, Xie Xuan's "sixth brother."]

[He had long been dissatisfied with it, but there was nothing he could do.]

[Xie Yuan's biological mother was from the Zhuge family, one of the nine major surnames, and the old lady in the family doted on him.]

[She is superior to him in both birth and favor. ]

【When Xie Xuan saw Su Yun's expression, he guessed that the woman was probably an extraordinary chess player. He wanted to make Xie Guan look bad, so he said:】

[“Brother Guan, don’t be so modest. You once played blind chess in the courtyard and beat Sixth Brother. Sixth Brother told everyone that you were touched on the head by an immortal.”]

[The woman heard this and raised her lips slightly, revealing a faint smile, and said: "The immortal touched my head? This is an interesting idea."]

[“Playing chess is a battle of mental arithmetic. You need to look ahead before you make a move and anticipate your opponent. Blindfold chess requires mental arithmetic to master.”]

【That’s it! 】

[She turned her eyes to Xie Guan and continued, "How about this, I give you nine sons?"]

[In a chess game, if there is a difference in chess skills between the two players, in order to ensure fairness, the difference can be narrowed by "handicap". ]

[If both players are equally strong, they will use the "handicap" method, that is, "the black player will play first without penalty points", and the final result will be determined by the number of pieces of both players being 181.]

[If the difference in chess strength between the two sides is too great, they will use the method of "giving up pieces", ranging from two to nine pieces. If it is more, it will be considered as a coaching game. ] [Xie Xuan provoked him, "Brother Guan, how can you show weakness at this moment? If you dare not take nine pieces, won't you be laughed at?"]

[Su Yun also agreed with a smile: "How about Jiuyan, you be more generous and give a few more pieces?"]

[You think about it for a moment, and then... you decide.]

1. Agree to play chess, best of three. (Hint: You may lose an advantage at the banquet, which may be disadvantageous for the future.)
2. Disagree to play chess. (Hint: You may lose an important opportunity, which may cause an unfavorable situation in the future.)
3. Agree to play chess, win six out of ten games. (Hint: This may give you a head start in getting a banquet, which will be beneficial in the future.)
4. Get involved in person. (0/3)

The big cauldron emitted a brilliant light, and the words on it slowly froze.

Yu Ke looked at the four options above.

This banquet of flowers seems to have far-reaching significance, and several options triggered are all related to the banquet.

"Xie Guan" has been invited to go to the Banquet of Flowers via Sima's house.

The courtesan is selected at once, and representatives from the academy, the court, the thirteen continents, as well as demons and evil cults all gather together.

This matter does not seem to be that simple.

And what are the reasons why Xie Hong, Lu Hua, and the demons from Zehu all came here?
Yu Ke couldn't figure it out, but judging from the prompts, he chose it without hesitation.

3. Agree to play chess, win six out of ten games. (Hint: This may give you a head start in getting a banquet, which will be beneficial in the future.)
You shook your head.

[Su Yun's face was filled with disappointment. His purpose of coming here today was to invite Xie Guan to the Banquet of Flowers to make the poetry gathering famous, but it seemed that his plan had failed.]

[The woman gently put the chess piece in her hand into the chess pot. There was a crisp sound. She sighed and said, "It's a pity to waste this set of chess pieces."]

[You continue: "I don't need you to give in, Master Yan. Just play chess normally."]

【"oh?"】

[When the woman heard this, a hint of interest flashed across her eyes. She looked at you carefully, as if she wanted to read something from your eyes. After a moment, she smiled and said, "Okay, I'll do as you say."]

[Su Yun's face lit up and he said: "Master Guan, you are not allowed to regret. Once you make a move, you can never regret it. A gentleman's word is as good as gold."]

【You laugh and say: “Of course.”】

[Su Yun was overjoyed and urged his servants to set up the chessboard.]

【Xie Xuan looked at the two of them leisurely. He also wanted to know the woman's origins. He also wanted to see Xie Guan's embarrassed expression when he "throws away his weapons and armor" later.】

[A chessboard was quickly placed on the coffee table, with nineteen black and white lines intertwined, and two black and white chess pots quietly placed on both sides of the chessboard.]

[The woman looks at you and asks, "What are the rules?"]

[“Best of 10!”]

[The woman nodded nonchalantly upon hearing this and was ready to take the white piece.]

[Black moves first, which means giving in.]

[Generally, when playing chess, two people play against each other. When playing with an elder, the black pieces are used to show respect.]

[If the players are of similar age, the weaker player should play black pieces first.]

[You laughed and said, "Since you don't want to give me a handicap, I'll just guess first."]

[The woman's expression changed, and she laughed: "Let me guess first?... That's rare."]

[The woman casually took out a few chess pieces and held them in her hand.]

【Let you guess odd or even. 】

【After you guess correctly, the black pieces go first. 】

[You are not an expert in chess, so don't be arrogant. ]

【Xie Xuan saw you take down the black chess pot, and there was a look of disdain on his face. In the end, you still got the black chess piece, so why bother pretending?】

[Su Yun was very interested, and watched the two people's moves closely.]

[His family has a long history of learning chess, and his chess skills are far superior to those of ordinary people. His chess rank is above the third rank.]

[The sound of "crackling" of falling pieces, like beads falling on a jade plate, echoed quietly in the house.]

[Outside the house, the sun is shining brightly, and the ice and snow under the eaves are melting and flowing down the tiles, making a trickle of water, with a "tick-tick" sound.]

[Inside the house, there was a stove with a scarlet charcoal fire burning, and the teapot was emitting hot steam.]

[Although the servants lowered their heads and looked obedient, they couldn't help but glance at the chessboard. Although they didn't understand chess, they were also attracted by the atmosphere of the game.]

【Only a few dozen moves! 】

[The sneer on Xie Xuan's face became more and more obvious. This Xie Guan was just a "tipped spear head". He thought he was really proficient in chess. ]

【Now Xie Guan has begun to fall into deep thought, holding the pieces in his hand, undecided. 】

[On the other hand, the woman, with one hand on the coffee table supporting her chin, made a move with the other hand, looking relaxed.]

【Xie Xuan shook his head. Xie Guan was doomed to fail.】

[As expected! ]

【At the end of the first round, the woman won. 】

[Su Yun was also a little surprised. Xie Guan was really not very good at chess as he said. He might be above the fifth rank. Even Xie Guan himself could not beat him.]

[You quietly gaze at the densely packed chessboard, not in a hurry to collect the pieces.]

[The woman saw this and did not urge him. She just said calmly: "I admit it."]

[You closed your eyes and thought for a moment, then opened them again and said, "Let's get started."]

[Black and white pieces enter the pot, and the second round begins. ]

[Xie Xuan looked at the chessboard again. After playing for dozens of moves, the situation was already unfavorable to you.]

【He saw that you still had to think for a while before each move, and he was even more certain that you would lose this game again.】

【Xie Xuan also saw that the woman's chess style was sophisticated and airtight. He guessed that the woman might have the chess skills of a junior grade.】

[Xie Xuan is proficient in all arts, including music, chess, calligraphy and painting. His chess skills are not as good as Su Yun's, but he is also at the sixth level.]

[Chess is divided into nine grades, with grade one being the best. ]

[The second-rank chess player is already honored as a junior grandmaster in the chess world of Da Qi.]

[In Da Qi, there are only about 30 to 40 people with first-class chess skills, most of whom are old men in the palace who recruit chess players.]

[There are only a dozen people in the world who have reached the first level of "entering the spirit". ]

[Those who have reached the first level of spiritual mastery are unpredictable and can foresee the future. They are so profound that they can defeat their opponents without fighting. There is no one who can rival them.]

[The second level is sitting meditation. If you enter the state of mind for half an hour, you will succeed without trying, and you will obtain without thinking. You will be able to respond to emptiness and goodness.]

[At the second level, basically, it is enough to sweep away all the noble young men and young ladies of the nine major surnames. ]

[In the second game, you lost again. ]

(End of this chapter)