Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Chen Jingyan smiled and said, "I heard that Young Master Xie has set up an elegant gathering at his residence. He certainly has the leisure and refined taste."

The Third Prince, Chen Jingyan, arrived uninvited and went to Xiefang Garden with Xie Jue.

Xie Jue: "My third brother has always loved excitement. Let him have some fun during the festivals in the mansion."

Seeing Xie Jue's calm expression, Chen Jingyan tentatively brought up a few more matters of state, but Xie Jue skillfully deflected them, handling the situation perfectly.

Chen Jingyan sighed inwardly, no wonder his father relied on such a clever and insightful person.

As they approached the Moon Gate, Xie Jue paused slightly and suddenly spoke, "There is something I need to discuss. Recently, His Highness the Second Prince requested His Majesty's permission to marry my younger sister, Yu Jiao. His Majesty has granted his request and will issue the decree soon."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingyan paused abruptly, but quickly regained his composure, his face showing no sign of distress.

Chen Jingyan said, "Congratulations to Miss Xie! Second Brother and Miss Xie are a perfect match."

After saying that, Chen Jingyan sighed softly, his tone tinged with regret: "To be honest, I also quite admired Miss Yu Jiao's cheerful personality, but now it seems that I'm a step too late."

Chen Jingyan's words were half true and half false.

Upon hearing this, Xie Jue slightly raised his eyes and glanced indifferently at Chen Jingyan.

He was so perceptive that he naturally understood the deeper meaning in Chen Jingyan's words, but he did not point it out. He simply smiled and said, "Your Highness flatters me. Yu Jiao is spoiled and willful. It is her good fortune to have won the favor of the Second Prince."

Chen Jingyan thought to himself, "This Xie Jue is indeed deep and doesn't reveal a single word."

Chen Jingyan suppressed his thoughts and said, "Junheng is right. I think Second Brother will definitely treat Miss Yujiao well."

Xie Jue's courtesy name was Junheng, but few people addressed him so intimately.

Generally, only peers who have a close personal relationship can address each other in private.

However, there are very few peers who have a good personal relationship with Xie Jue.

As the two spoke, they passed through the moon gate, and the laughter from Xiefang Garden grew clearer.

Upon seeing Xie Yao and Chen Jingyan, Xie Yao's servant Xunfeng hurriedly went in to announce, "Third Young Master, the Eldest Young Master and His Highness the Third Prince have arrived."

The laughter and chatter that filled the hall instantly ceased.

All the young masters from prominent families stood up at the same time, and even Shen Ziyu and his companion at the chess table put down their chess pieces and stood with their robes drawn up.

Xie Jue wore a purple robe with flowing cloud patterns, a black jade belt around his waist, and his black hair was tied high in a jade crown. He came from a top noble family and had achieved the highest honors in the imperial examinations at a young age.

With this resume right here, no one would dare to take it lightly.

The oppressive power of long-time cabinet members blends with the pride of a young scholar who has passed the imperial examination, like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath.

"Greetings, Third Prince; greetings, Lord Xie." Everyone bowed and paid their respects in unison.

Even the usually carefree Xie Yao abandoned his playful demeanor and respectfully greeted, "Third Prince, Eldest Brother."

Xie Jue said, "Please, everyone, make yourselves at home."

Chen Jingyan also smiled and said, "Today is the Xie family's elegant gathering. I have come uninvited, and I apologize for disturbing you."

Xie Yao quickly replied, "I dare not. It is an honor for the Xie family that Your Highness would grace us with your presence."

The group then took their seats one by one, but their brows unconsciously softened, revealing a greater sense of awe than before.

Xie Yao hurriedly led the two to sit in the main seats, and his personal maid immediately brought out freshly brewed Yunqi Xueya tea. The light apricot-yellow tea soup was refreshingly cool and fragrant, and the aroma wafted around the nose.

Chen Jingyan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled, "The Xie family's tea truly lives up to its reputation. This Yunqi Snow Bud is pure, mellow, and sweet, far surpassing the imperial teas from the palace."

Xie Jue raised his cup but did not drink. His gaze fell on the chess table beside him, on the game where Shen Ziyu had just managed to turn the tide.

Xie Jue said, "The strategy in this game is quite insightful."

Gu Wenyan chuckled, holding his fan, and replied, "Thank you for your keen eye, Lord Xie. Just now, Brother Ziyu was in a predicament, but thanks to the Third Young Master's insightful words, he was able to turn the tide and win by placing his piece at the center."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yao raised an eyebrow and gestured with his chin, then laughed loudly, "It was just a casual suggestion because the game was close; it's nothing."

Xie Jue turned to look at Shen Ziyu and said, "Ziyu, do you think the way of chess can be compared to the court?"

Shen Ziyu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly composed himself and bowed: "Both chess and the imperial court require careful planning, and one wrong move can lead to total defeat. This is the same. However, chess is about personal victory or defeat, while the imperial court is about the stability of the country and the well-being of the people. The choice between these two matters carries immense weight. This is the difference."

Xie Jue smiled and said, "That's very insightful."

After receiving Xie Jue's praise, everyone couldn't help but look at Shen Ziyu with envy.

The summer heat was somewhat lessened by the bamboo shadows.

Xie Jue revealed his hand with clearly defined wrist bones and bluish-white knuckles. When he placed a piece, he was as steady as a rock, making no sound whatsoever.

Xie Yao sat opposite him, having long since lost his patience.

Xie Yao said lazily, "Brother, since you've already got this game all figured out, why don't you switch to pitch-pot? The loser has to drink a penalty shot!"

Xie Jue glanced at him, showing little emotion, and said calmly, "You're too impetuous; you won't even win at pitch-pot."

Xie Yao's eyes widened, he grabbed three arrow shafts, stood up in front of the arrow-throwing pot, struck a dashing pose, and said, "Big brother, today I'll show you what it means to hit the bullseye every time!"

As he spoke, Xie Yao threw an arrow shaft, which flew past the mouth of the pot, hit a pavilion pillar with a thud, and bounced into the grass.

Xie Yao let out a cry of "Ouch!" but showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Instead, he laughed even more broadly, "I'm getting rusty, let's try again!"

Before he finished speaking, the second arrow had already left his hand, barely grazing the rim of the pot, wobbling slightly, and then landing steadily inside.

"I won! I won!"

Xie Yao clapped his hands and raised an eyebrow at Xie Jue triumphantly, "How about it? Want to give it a try, big brother?"

Xie Jue didn't move, his gaze still fixed on the chessboard, his fingertips casually stroking a black piece. After a long while, he said, "You play, I'll watch."

Xie Yao was rebuffed, but he wasn't annoyed and continued casting his third ball.

This time he put all his strength into it, and the arrow shaft shot through the air with a clang, hitting the center of the pot. It joined the previous arrow together, making a crisp collision sound.

"I hit it! I hit it twice in a row!" Xie Yao excitedly spun around, the corner of his robe brushing against the bluestone table, knocking over a teacup and spilling tea, wetting half of the chessboard.

Xie Yao hurriedly went to help him up, saying, "Oh dear, what a waste of this fine tea, and what a waste of Brother's chess game."

Xie Jue then looked up at the messy chessboard and turned to instruct the maid waiting in the corridor, "Bring a different chessboard."

The maidservant responded and quickly stepped forward to clean up the mess.

The young masters from prominent families in the hall, who had been eagerly watching Xie Yao play the pitch-pot game, all got up and gathered around the platform.

Chen Jingyan stepped forward slowly, his fingertips holding the arrow shaft. With a slight flick of his wrist, the first arrow landed steadily in the flask, its shaft standing straight and motionless.

"Great!" the crowd cheered in unison.

With a faint smile on his lips, Chen Jingyan calmly took the second arrow shaft and accurately placed it into the pot.

Three arrows in quick succession, each hitting its mark. The arrow shafts in the quiver were arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, dazzling the onlookers. Cheers rose and fell, and even Xie Yao clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Your Highness, what skill you have!"

Chen Jingyan nodded slightly, turned his gaze to Xie Jue, and said with a smile, "Would the eldest young master like to give it a try?"