The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Chapter 82 You did not use my scriptures.

Jiang Huayan just happened to see a brilliant move!
With a slight glint in his eyes, Jiang Huayan reached out, holding a black piece, and pushed the move forward.

Pei Du remained silent.

He lowered his eyes slightly, held the white piece, and placed it down without hesitation.

Jiang Huayan smiled and said, "You are extremely good at slow chess, considering every move and planning a hundred steps ahead. However, it seems that Minister Pei rarely plays slow chess with others."

Pei Du plays chess very quickly, as if he had been trained by someone.

The man was handsome, and his tone was as clear and gentle as ever: "In my humble opinion, sometimes looking back and forth can lead to missed opportunities and even cause problems."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huayan chuckled and continued placing his piece: "You're becoming more and more like her."

Pei Du knew exactly who "she" referred to.

"Clap."

He placed another piece, still without thinking.

"Your Majesty, you flatter me."

Jiang Huayan hadn't even reacted yet.

He frowned and stared intently at the chessboard.

Every move seemed to be blocked, with no way out.

Jiang Huayan pursed his lips and frowned before saying in a deep voice to Eunuch Kang, "Let her in."

"Yes."

Pei Du subconsciously straightened the hem of his clothes.

When Jiang Jinshuang entered, she first saw the chessboard that seemed to be in a hopeless situation, and then bowed to Jiang Huayan: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Jiang Huayan asked sternly, "You've spent seven days in the ancestral hall. Have you repented?"

"Your Majesty, I am truly foolish. I have been copying the scriptures for seven days, but I still do not know where I went wrong."

Jiang Jinshuang is not the type to back down.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huayan's face darkened: "When I sent you to welcome Prince Changping, I was entrusting his life to you. You almost caused his assassination attempt and injury, and you still say you're right!"

Jiang Jinshuang blinked, looking completely innocent: "Father, you are wise. If the mistake you are referring to is this, then I think you should provide me with more guards."

"you--"

Jiang Huayan frowned, momentarily speechless with anger.

Jiang Jinshuang still smiled, her eyes clear and bright.

Now this imperial family wants to shut her up; in other words, she has some leverage over Jiang Huayan.

Even though he was so angry, he only snorted coldly and said with a gloomy face: "Since you said you copied the scriptures in the ancestral hall, bring them to me to see."

Jiang Jinshuang smiled and presented the thick stack of copies.

Pei Du, standing to the side, remained expressionless, his eyes lowered as he gazed at the chessboard, his long eyelashes like fine raven feathers, stunning and captivating.

Following Pei Du's gaze, Jiang Jinshuang glanced at the chessboard again.

Her chess skills were mature and steady; at the age of twelve, she was able to play against Jiang Huayan and beat him by eight points.

With just one glance, Jiang Jinshuang could tell that Pei Du was playing a fast game.

—She taught Pei Du how to play blitz chess.

Jiang Jinshuang is a person who likes to play chess.

When she was sixteen, apart from Pei Du, no one in the entire capital could outlast her in half an incense stick's time.

But she happens to be an impatient person.

Therefore, whenever Jiang Jinshuang played chess with Pei Du, she would run out of patience when a single move took half an hour.

She then taught Pei Du how to play fast chess.

At first, he was always uncomfortable and habitually stopped to think.

Whenever he furrowed his brow in thought, Jiang Jinshuang would disrupt the game and start a new one.

Over time, Pei Du's chess playing speed increased.

Even now, Pei Du is still three points behind her in blitz chess, but he is good enough to play against others.

Thinking about it this way, it seems that Jiang Jinshuang taught Pei Du a lot of things.

She taught him everything she knew, nurturing him into a man of integrity, impervious to frost and snow.

People say that this Grand Secretary has a refined and elegant demeanor, and is as upright as a clear breeze and bright moon.

Only Jiang Jinshuang knew that she had put in some effort to cultivate Pei Du's elegant and handsome appearance.

—That can be considered a good deed she did for Wan Jin.

Lost in thought, Jiang Jinshuang's gaze returned to Jiang Huayan's hands. Jiang Huayan was currently flipping through Jiang Jinshuang's copy, his expression not particularly pleasant.

Jiang Jinshuang's handwriting is actually quite beautiful, but she refuses to write seriously.

The first few pages were alright; at least you could make out the shape. But as you flipped through them, the handwriting became increasingly messy, and there were even a few ink blots of varying shades.

Jiang Huayan pursed her lips and continued scrolling down.

When he saw the elegant handwriting that suddenly came into view, his pupils contracted slightly, and he stopped moving.

Beside him, Pei Du, who had been keeping his eyes down and silent, paused, his hand moving slightly to caress the white pieces. His beautiful fingertips turned slightly white, and his long eyelashes trembled.

Jiang Huayan's aura seemed to have become somewhat somber.

Even Eunuch Kang, who was standing to the side, noticed that something was wrong. He bent down and wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking terrified.

—Your Highness, why didn't you even bother to disguise your handwriting when you had someone else write it for you?

That's way too obvious!

Jiang Jinshuang remained calm, even raising the corners of her lips slightly: "Father, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"

In fact, Jiang Jinshuang had seriously considered whether to use Pei Du or Zhao Yungui as punishment for copying.

Pei Du's handwriting was undoubtedly the most similar to hers; even Jiang Jinshuang herself could not easily recognize it.

But in the end, she still chose to use Zhao Yungui.

—It's like a blatant provocation and demonstration.

Jiang Jinshuang knew that this was not her handwriting, and so did His Majesty.

Jiang Huayan recognized whose handwriting it was, so even if he knew she had someone else write it for her, he couldn't say anything.

Since the founding of the dynasty, the Imperial Observatory and imperial power have been two complementary yet mutually exclusive forces.

The consolidation of imperial power required the assistance of the Imperial Observatory, whose chief advisor represented the Mandate of Heaven.

Even the emperor cannot defy the mandate of heaven.

Therefore, Jiang Huayan also held the Imperial Advisor Zhao Yungui in the highest esteem.

—Even now, he can only pretend not to know.

Jiang Huayan frowned, his face cold and stern, but he still said in a low voice, "It's nothing."

Turn a blind eye.

Jiang Jinshuang felt refreshed and in good spirits!

The tacit compromise and cover-up were Jiang Jinshuang's provocation and demonstration against her father, the emperor, by placing him under house arrest for seven days.

I've lost the will to continue watching.

Jiang Huayan tossed the copy aside and said coldly, "Now that you're back in the capital, behave yourself."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Tomorrow is your Uncle Changping's welcome banquet. Let's not have any mishaps like the last palace banquet."

Jiang Jinshuang smiled obediently: "Your subject obeys."

Jiang Huayan immediately lost interest in playing another game and started to shoo them away: "You two, get out of here."

Pei Du rose from the chessboard and bowed slightly to the emperor: "Your subject takes his leave."

Jiang Jinshuang didn't move.

Pei Du didn't move either.

Jiang Huayan frowned even more, and his tone even carried a hint of barely suppressed anger: "Is there anything else?"

Jiang Jinshuang smiled and stepped forward. She didn't look at Jiang Huayan's expression, but simply reached out and picked up a black piece, placing it on the chessboard.

In an instant, the situation reversed.

The black piece, which was originally doomed, is like a source of water, endlessly flowing and never ceasing.

The game is now alive!

Upon seeing this, Jiang Huayan's pupils constricted slightly, but he calmly returned to normal the next second.

Jiang Jinshuang smiled, said nothing, curtsied, and took her leave.

Jiang Huayan stared at the chessboard, remaining silent for a long time.

Having witnessed everything, Eunuch Kang stepped forward and offered Jiang Huayan a cup of tea.

"What a pity, it's a woman."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Kang heard Jiang Huayan let out a deep sigh.
-
Out of the palace gate.

Jiang Jinshuang heard Pei Du's cold voice behind her.

“You have not used my scriptures.”

(End of this chapter)