Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 411 Playing Chess with Wu Zetian
Li Zhi was secretly puzzled, so he went over and saw from a distance that Princess Gao'an and Princess Taiping were playing by the pond.

No, upon closer inspection, they weren't playing; it looked more like a ritual.

"Second sister, this is so boring, I'm going back." Princess Taiping's clear voice rang out.

“Oh, you little rascal, your second sister is doing this for your own good. You’re so playful, you’ll definitely end up like me, not fond of needlework, right?” Princess Gao’an’s voice followed.

Princess Taiping said, "That's not necessarily true."

Princess Gao'an said angrily, "What do you mean 'not necessarily'! You're even more playful than me, how could you possibly sit still and learn needlework? Don't fool yourself!"

Princess Taiping muttered, "Does this mean I don't need to learn how to bow like this?"

Princess Gao'an said, "Of course! Tomorrow is Qixi Festival. As long as we pray to the Weaver Girl for skill today and tomorrow, we can learn it!"

Princess Taiping asked suspiciously, "Really?"

Would your second sister lie to you?

"Did Second Sister perform the Qixi Festival before?"

"I pray for the Qixi Festival every year, but I only brought you along this year. You should thank me!"

"Why is it that my second sister still can't do needlework after the Qixi Festival?" Princess Taiping asked the profound question.

Princess Gao'an was stunned for a long time, then became angry and embarrassed, stomping her foot and saying, "Who said I can't? You little brat, I'm not going to bother with you anymore!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a burst of laughter came from afar.

Princess Taiping recognized the voice as Li Zhi's and smiled happily. She opened her little arms and ran towards the direction from which the voice came.

"Yay, hug me!"

Fearing she might fall, Li Zhi quickly went to her and picked her up.

When he walked up to Princess Gao'an, he saw her looking down at her toes, her ears and neck completely red. She was obviously embarrassed because he had witnessed what had just happened.

Li Zhi smiled and asked, "Gao An, is tomorrow Qixi Festival?"

Princess Gao'an responded, then suddenly remembered something. Forgetting her shyness, she raised her head and said to Li Zhi, "Father, tomorrow is Qixi Festival. Can my sister and I go out of the palace?"

Li Zhi was taken aback and asked, "What are you doing leaving the palace? You're not even fifteen years old yet, it can't be..."

Princess Gao'an blushed again and said shyly, "It's not what you think. Aunt Changshan is going to hold a chess tournament at the mansion tomorrow, and my sister and I want to go and watch."

Li Zhi's eyes lit up: "A chess tournament?"

Princess Gao'an said, "That's right, and both men and women can participate."

Li Zhi immediately understood that this was similar to the tea party at the princess's residence, a matchmaking event in nature.

Li Zhi had previously discovered that his younger sister enjoyed matchmaking, and it seemed she wasn't going to let this Qixi Festival opportunity slip by.

"How will the chess tournament be organized?" Li Zhi asked.

Princess Gao'an said, "All participants will be assigned to pairs. They can form their own teams. Those without partners will be paired up by the Princess's residence and then play chess with other pairs. The winner is determined by three games."

Li Zhi found this quite intriguing and asked, "How can two people play three rounds?"

Princess Gao'an said, "The man and woman will each play one round. If one wins and the other loses, the winner will play a third round."

Princess Taiping clapped her hands and laughed, "This is so much fun! Let's join in!"

Li Zhi couldn't help but smile, squeezed her small hand, and asked, "Do you know how to play?"

Princess Taiping said, "Yes, I often play with my father, don't I?"

Li Zhi said, "Our rules are different from other people's. You're too young. Let's learn the more complicated rules later."

Princess Taiping pouted after hearing this.

After returning to Ganlu Palace, Li Zhi began to think about attending the chess tournament at the Princess's residence the next day, hoping to exchange chess skills with people from outside the palace.

But who should we take with us?

If we only consider Go skills, it would be better to bring Xu Jin along, but Wu Zetian would definitely be unhappy if she found out.

The next day, after finishing his official business in the morning, Li Zhi went to the Lizheng Hall and mentioned the chess match at the Princess's residence to Wu Meiniang.

Wu Zetian, observing the situation, asked, "Does Your Majesty wish to attend?"

Li Zhi laughed and said, "I really wanted to join in the fun. Alas, it's a pity that the Empress doesn't know how to play chess, otherwise I would definitely take you with me."

Wu Meiniang stared at Li Zhi for a while, then smiled and said, "How does Your Majesty know that I am not good at chess?"

Li Zhi was taken aback and said, "If you know how to play, why did you say you didn't when I asked you to play before?"

Wu Meiniang lowered her head and said, "Your Majesty, let's play a game together. After we finish, I will tell Your Majesty."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "Good, I found it strange. I saw you practicing secretly a few times, and you wouldn't admit it."

Wu Meiniang smiled but said nothing.

Soon, Zhang Duohai set up the chessboard. Li Zhi asked Wu Meiniang how many pieces she should give him a handicap. Wu Meiniang replied, "When Your Majesty played chess with Consort Xian, did you give her a handicap?"

Li Zhi said, "Her chess skills are quite good; she doesn't need me to give her a handicap."

Wu Meiniang said, "Then I am the same as her, and I don't need Your Majesty to give me a child."

Knowing that she was proud and had already started competing with Xu Jin, Li Zhi smiled and said, "Alright, let's begin."

Wu Zetian was extremely serious about everything she did. When she started playing chess, her attention was completely focused on the chessboard.

After playing a few moves with her, Li Zhi realized that her opening strategy was poor and that she was probably not good at chess, so he became somewhat careless.

As a result, one of her pieces was placed rather carelessly, and Wu Zetian immediately seized the opportunity to launch a strong attack.

Li Zhi quickly mustered his strength and managed to defuse her offensive, only to realize that Wu Meiniang had unknowingly regained some of the upper hand.

At this point, Li Zhi was finally able to see her playing style clearly.

She probably didn't study Go for very long, her opening moves were poor, and she didn't know many techniques, which is the exact opposite of Xu Jin.

However, she is very strong in the mid-game, skilled in calculation, and adept at ambushes. If you are not careful, you will be attacked by her fierce offensive. In this respect, she is actually very similar to Li Zhi.

Simply put, Wu Zetian's chess style is more like that of a man.

After the middle game, Li Zhi finally established an absolute advantage, and only then did he start talking to her.

"Meiniang, how long have you been learning Go?"

Wu Meiniang said, "I was exposed to Go when I was young, but I never studied it in depth until recently when I started to relearn the game records."

Li Zhi asked, "When do you mean recently?"

Wu Zetian said, "About a year ago."

After about a year, Wu Zetian's chess skills were close to his own. If he were to study for another six months, Li Zhi knew that he would probably be no match for her.

"Meiniang, you have a great talent for Go," Li Zhi praised.

Wu Meiniang smiled slightly and said, "It's not that I have a special talent. In fact, before I learned Go, I was already proficient in backgammon. The two have many similarities, so I learned them faster."

Li Zhi suddenly realized, "That explains it."

After the game was over, Li Zhi won by eight lines, mainly because Wu Zetian's endgame skills were too poor; otherwise, she should have only lost by two or three lines.

Wu Meiniang asked, "Your Majesty, how many rounds did Consort Xian lose to you?"

Li Zhi said, "It's half of yours."

Wu Meiniang was silent for a moment, then said, "Then Your Majesty, please take her out of the palace tomorrow."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "Meiniang, you still haven't told me why you said you couldn't do it before."

Wu Meiniang turned her head slightly and said, "Your Majesty also knows that I am a new student. If I had played with you a month or two ago, I am afraid I would have lost badly and made Your Majesty laugh at me."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "You're just too concerned about saving face. If you had told me sooner, I would have taught you sooner. Perhaps your strength has already surpassed mine."

Wu Zetian smiled but did not speak.

She was a strong-willed person who wanted to present her best self to Li Zhi.

Whatever Li Zhi liked to do, she would study it thoroughly and then demonstrate her abilities to him.

Li Zhi's interest in Go has only recently begun to grow, which has made her reaction a little slower; she only started studying it diligently a year ago.

She wanted to wait until her strength was slightly weaker than Li Zhi's before showing it, but this time, in order to leave the palace with Li Zhi, she prematurely revealed her strength.

Li Zhi still favored her more, and said in a low voice, "Mei Niang, you should come out of the palace with me tomorrow."

Wu Meiniang's eyes lit up, but after a moment of silence, she shook her head and said, "My chess skills are inferior to those of Consort Xian, Your Majesty should take her with you."

Li Zhi held her hand and said, "Actually, it would be better to take you. Your opening moves are a bit weak, but your mid-game is very strong. It's easy for people to underestimate you, making it easier for you to win." Wu Meiniang smiled slightly and said softly, "This concubine thanks Your Majesty for your comfort. In the past, Your Majesty always took only this concubine when leaving the palace. Since this concubine has lost, I am willing to accept defeat. Your Majesty, please take Consort Xian instead."

Knowing that she was proud and afraid of being laughed at, Li Zhi stopped trying to persuade her, chatted with her for a few more minutes, and then got up and left.

It was pitch black outside the palace; it was already past midnight.

Upon returning to Ganlu Palace, they found Wang Jishan waiting outside.

Wang Jishan came to report on the situation in Baekje.

Jin Yan's current situation is not good.

The Buyeo people within Baekje were more powerful than imagined.

Jin Yan has already survived four assassination attempts, but fortunately she was protected by the inner guards carefully selected by Wang Jishan, which prevented her from suffering any harm.

In the military, there were several mutinies, all of which were brought under control by Hei Chi Changzhi, and all the mid-level generals who participated in the mutinies were purged.

This group of Buyeo nobles reinstated Buyeo Uija's son, supporting him to become the King of Baekje. He occupied Suwon Fortress, recruited soldiers, and prepared to attack Sabi Fortress.

After listening, Li Zhi slowly said, "Tell Jin Yan that it's best to squeeze out the poison. Let these people cause trouble. Right now, we just need to maintain the overall situation. The more they cause trouble, the more they will lose the support of the people. When the time comes, we can deal with them all at once."

Wang Jishan replied, "Yes."

Li Zhi asked, "How is Jin Yan's mood right now? Is she dissatisfied with my arrangements?"

Wang Jishan said, "No, but she misses her husband very much."

"If I remember correctly, her husband was also of Hu descent."

"Yes, his name is An Lie. He runs a trading company in the northern desert, and his business is quite large."

"Doesn't he know about Jin Yan's situation?"

An Lie should have heard about the imperial court's appointment of Jin Yan as the governor of Xiongjin Port, but Jin Yan has not contacted him.

Li Zhi thought for a moment and said, "Here's what we'll do: you go and see An Lie yourself, comfort him, and explain Jin Yan's situation to him. Jin Yan has rendered meritorious service to the country, and we can't let her marriage be ruined."

Wang Jishan said, "I obey your order."

Like the Cold Food Festival, the Qixi Festival originated from people's worship of celestial phenomena and was a day for sacrifice.

This festival is held at night, hence the name Qixi (Double Seventh Festival).

During the Tang Dynasty, various festivals became more formal, and Qixi Festival was one of them.

That evening, men and women in Chang'an carried lanterns and began to celebrate the festival.

Unlike the Lantern Festival, when the curfew is lifted, everyone stays in their respective neighborhoods to celebrate.

An Lie stood at the entrance of the mansion, looking at the men and women walking together on the street, his expression blank and silent.

Although he was a Tang person of non-Han descent, in order to strengthen his Tang identity, he would hold grand celebrations for all the festivals of the Tang Dynasty.

He had no mood to celebrate Qixi Festival, because his wife Jin Yan had been separated from him for more than two years.

He was actually very busy. For the past two years, he had been busy developing the trading company in the northern desert. However, every time he returned to Chang'an after a busy period, he was greeted by an empty house.

He went to the Inner Guard's residence to inquire many times, but unfortunately he could not get a clear answer.

He had suspected that Jin Yan had gone to Baekje and had sent people to Baekje to inquire, but unfortunately he found nothing.

Until a few months ago, the imperial court issued an edict to appoint a governor in Baekje, whose name was Kim Yeon.

Only then did he learn that his wife had indeed gone to Baekje and become the new queen of Baekje, a female governor of the Tang Dynasty.

An Lie could also guess that since Jin Yan was a member of the Inner Court, everything she was doing now was probably a task assigned by the imperial court.

However, she had kept things from him before, not telling him anything or writing to him, which was for the sake of secrecy, and that was understandable.

Now that her identity has been revealed, why hasn't she written to him yet?

Their current statuses are worlds apart. Does she no longer look down on him, or does she already have another man by her side?

An Lie felt extremely confused.

He has already given so much for Jin Yan, even risking his life back then, but now the distance between them seems to be growing further and further apart.

"Maybe I should forget her and marry another woman."

An Lie looked at the couples on the street and this thought popped into his mind for the first time.

He slowly turned around, returned to the mansion, and was about to close the door.

Suddenly, a thick arm reached in and pressed against the door frame.

An Lie looked up and was taken aback. He quickly opened the door, cupped his hands, and said, "General Wang."

He would never forget his meeting with Wang Jishan at the Inner Palace, so he recognized him at a glance.

Wang Jishan looked at him and said, "Come with me, I have something to tell you." Then he turned and left.

An Lie silently followed behind Wang Jishan and soon arrived at a temple, entering a meditation room in the back of the temple.

Wang Jishan sat cross-legged on a futon and said calmly, "Sit down and let's talk."

An Lie was filled with awe for Wang Jishan, as if he could smell the blood on him, and hurriedly said, "No need, I'll just stand."

Wang Jishan didn't waste any more words and said, "There are some things I need to tell you about Jin Yan."

An Lie's heart skipped a beat, his breathing quickened, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Is she alright?"

Wang Jishan said, "It's not good, her current situation is very dangerous."

An Lie's expression changed. "Wasn't she appointed as a governor? How could this be..."

Wang Jishan said in a deep voice, "Her position as governor is nominal, and the Buyeo people of Baekje are currently united against her."

An Lie asked anxiously, "Then why doesn't the imperial court help her?"

Wang Jishan said, "The court has its own considerations and cannot help her at the moment. She has to get through this on her own."

“I’m telling you this so you can understand her. Right now she has many enemies, and she doesn’t want your relationship to be exposed and discovered by her enemies, which is why she hasn’t contacted you.”

An Lie took a breath, clenched his fists tightly, and said, "General Wang, what if something happens to her?"

Wang Jishan said, "Don't worry, she's my subordinate, I won't let anything happen to her."

An Lie asked, "Is there anything I can do for her?"

Wang Jishan stood up and said, "Just don't do anything to betray her. Don't wait until she returns to Chang'an to find that you've married another wife."

After saying that, he strode towards the door.

An Lie suddenly knelt down in front of his back and shouted, "General Wang!"

Wang Jishan glanced at him sideways, frowned, and asked, "What are you doing?"

An Lie said, "I want to ask you for a favor."

"explain."

An Lie said, "I have three hundred guards in my trading company in the northern desert. I would like to take them to Baekje to protect Yan'er. I ask General Wang for your permission!"

Wang Jishan turned around abruptly, his face grim, and said, "If people find out that she has a family in the Tang Dynasty, not only will the Fuyu people want to kill her, but even the Mahan people around her might come after her!"

An Lie quickly replied, "I can keep my relationship with her private."

Wang Jishan resolutely replied, "No, matters of state are not to be taken lightly!"

An Lie gritted his teeth and said, "Then I will join the Inner Commandery and serve as an Inner Commander Guard to help her!"

Wang Jishan said, "Do you think you can just walk into the Inner Palace whenever you want?"

An Lie said, word by word, "I am willing to give up all my family property in order to join the Inner Guard and be able to protect Yan'er!"

Wang Jishan gazed at him, and even with his hardened heart, he was somewhat moved at this moment.

Last time, An Lie was willing to give up his life for Jin Yan, and this time he is willing to give up his family property. It is surprising that a Hu person is so loyal and affectionate.

After a long silence, Wang Jishan slowly said, "Keep your family property. For Jin Yan's sake, I can give you a chance. However, you must obey my orders. If you disobey even slightly, I will lock you up until Jin Yan finishes her mission."

An Lie was overjoyed and said, "As long as I can go to Yan'er's side, I will do whatever you say!"

Wang Jishan said, "Stay in Chang'an for now and don't go anywhere else. Wait for my news." After saying this, he turned and left.

An Lie arrived at the door and watched his figure disappear into the darkness, his gaze brightening slightly.

(End of this chapter)