Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 166 Playing Chess
Monk Zhiyuan walked forward step by step, with his little disciple muttering to himself beside him.

"You can cook this porridge as thick as you want, since you won't use it all in a day anyway."

"How about we stay up for three days straight?"

“And those cloths, Master can change into his monk’s robes now. After all, there will be more opportunities to show your face. When you bend over like this… I’m afraid you’ll expose your skin.”

Although there really wasn't much meat.

"Sigh." Monk Zhiyuan sighed, but his voice was too soft and was drowned out by the wind.

The robe he was wearing was given to him by Benefactor Xie; without the robe… his inner monk's robe would have indeed torn.

He dared not look up at Benefactor Xie, as if... Benefactor Xie might notice his embarrassment.

“Master,” Yan Sui said, “please give me a new pair of pants. There are too many patches on the crotch, and they’re too stiff… I can’t even close my legs when I walk.”

“Let’s change,” said Monk Zhiyuan, “but…”

Yan Sui nodded and continued, "Be careful and cherish it, don't break it."

After walking a long way, the temple gate was still far away, but looking ahead... we saw that people were already carrying rice and grain into the temple.

Yan Sui stood on tiptoe and looked for a long time, then sighed.

"Why do you sigh, my disciple?" asked the monk Zhiyuan.

Yan Sui said seriously, "Master, we will miss the old days from now on."

Monk Zhiyuan did not understand.

Yan Sui rubbed his stomach: "I'll forget what it feels like to be hungry."

Monk Zhiyuan sighed again. His disciple's hair... seemed to have grown even more firmly, making it even more difficult to shave it off.

The group carried rice and grains up to Baode Temple. Xie Yuyan found a meditation room, hugged a hand warmer, and looked at the paper in his hand.

Mother Yu then placed two clay stoves in the meditation room, and the room immediately became warm.

After looking around, Mother Yu nodded in satisfaction. They had brought more than thirty clay stoves today, and with these things, the monks in the temple would have an easier time.

"We need to add some more things to this room."

Xie Yuyan often came to this meditation room. Last time he came, there was nothing there except two futons. This time, a wooden couch was moved in, and a writing brush and ink were prepared on the table. In addition, there were tea sets and tea leaves left by Lord Wang, so it seemed to have some semblance of a place.

However, Yu's mother felt it wasn't enough.

There should also be a plum blossom stand, and a side cabinet with two shelves next to it, so that things can be stored.

Madam Yu secretly noted it down and instructed people to do it when she got back. She put so much effort into it because she noticed that Madam liked the place and always stayed a little longer when she came to the temple.

Before the water boiled, there was a knock at the door. Mother Yu hurried to open the door and saw a tall figure standing outside. She quickly bowed her head in greeting.

Having met this Lord Wang many times, Madam Yu not only failed to figure him out, but also found him increasingly unfathomable.

Wang Yan took off his cloak and handed it to Sang Dian, brushed the snow off his clothes, turned around and took the chessboard and chess basket from Sang Dian's hands before walking into the meditation room.

When Madam Yu saw this scene, she suddenly had a strange feeling. Perhaps it was because both Madam and Registrar Wang were bringing things into the meditation room that it no longer resembled a meditation room.

Xie Yuyan watched Wang Yan walk in, his gaze sweeping over the chessboard in his hand.

The chessboard is made of torreya wood.

When she married into the Eastern Palace, the late emperor was still alive. He often mentioned that he loved playing chess with Prime Minister Wang. However, Wang Yan had already passed away by then, and he could not see the person he wanted to see. So the late emperor had someone serve him fragrant torreya nuts to remember this pillar of the Liang Dynasty.

While he was pondering, Wang Yan had already sat down on the couch opposite Xie Yuyan.

Xie Yuyan couldn't help but look up and carefully examine the person opposite him. Wang Yan's face... had round earlobes, thick eyebrows, sword-like brow peaks, and a prominent bridge of the nose, which indicated a long life. Why did he die so young?

There's an 80% chance that extreme intelligence will inevitably lead to harm.

The chess basket was opened, and without further ado, Xie Yuyan, playing black, made the first move. The piece landed on the board with a crisp sound. "Such a large piece of land, it will take three to five years to fully repair it."

Xie Yuyan looked out the window, which faced directly onto the land she had bought. She had been sitting there just now, pondering these things.

“We don’t need to fix everything,” Xie Yuyan said. “We can just salvage one piece and it will come in handy.”

Baode Temple has a good enough reputation. If it weren't for the fact that it's winter now, it would have been finished long ago, and then she would have another business to make money from.

Money is still not enough. We should start doing this kind of business that is so easy to make a profit as soon as possible.

Wang Yan made his moves quickly, as if he didn't need to think about them at all.

Xie Yuyan, however, felt that the rhythm was just right. Wang Xianggong's chess style was highly praised both in the palace and among the common people, and she was very familiar with it.

I even gradually rediscovered that feeling from before.

The room was filled with the scent of sandalwood, and freshly brewed tea was served nearby. With someone accompanying you as you practice your chess skills, you can easily relax.

The difference is... before, her opponent was a "fake prime minister" imitating Wang Yan's chess moves, but now it's a living, breathing real person. Thinking this way, everything before her eyes becomes exceptionally interesting.

Wang Yan looked at her and at the chessboard, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Long, slender fingers placed a white piece, blocking her path.

Real people are much more powerful than fake people.

She thought this game was just a replay of the original game, using the same approach as the late emperor, hoping to recreate the original game, but she found that things changed as the game progressed.

Wang Yan's chess pieces were placed perfectly, even flawlessly, without revealing any of the expected weaknesses.

Xie Yuyan slightly raised his eyes, realizing that Wang Yan had been yielding to the late emperor back then.

Even high-ranking officials sometimes engage in flattery?

In this way, she would have to put more effort into the game and spend more time practicing.

Seeing that her middle piece had become a dead piece, she decisively turned around and captured his piece on the side.

His slightly furrowed brows relaxed again.

Just as she was rejoicing, Wang Yan had unknowingly placed two pieces in a corner, thus ruining her overall situation. The large group of stones that could have been connected was suddenly knocked over by him, like a person about to run being grabbed by the ankle. The disappointment and dejection she felt were unimaginable.

His long, slender fingers were beautiful, but the white pieces he placed were quite an eyesore.

She reluctantly placed a piece in response.

White pieces didn't follow up for a long time, so Xie Yuyan couldn't help but look in the direction of Wang Yan's hand.

Instead of placing his hand on the chessboard, he pushed the brazier on the couch to the hem of her skirt.

"Have you thought it through?" His gaze was deep and seemed to have a hidden meaning, and she looked down to look at him.

The stove was located directly opposite a part of the chessboard.

A crisp clinking sound came from the chess basket; Wang Yan had already picked up the chess pieces.

This piece is crucial; if he plays it, his other pieces will be saved.

As he charged straight at her, she decisively reached out, and his white piece landed on the back of her hand.

A cool touch came, but soon the chess piece seemed to warm up, like a warm stove she was holding in her arms.

Their eyes met, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes: "What, my wife won't let me make a move?"

Xie Yuyan kicked the stove away slightly with her foot: "Lord Wang has already played twice." She flipped her hand, and his chess piece landed in her palm.

"Since Lord Wang is so willing to remind us, how can we deny it?"