After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

"Invincible under heaven, yet unafraid of biting off more than you can chew!" Another man sneered as he stood up.

"I am Yang Huaisi, an official under the Ministry of Justice. I would like to ask Brother Wudi for his brilliant skills!" someone said with a smile, clasping his hands in greeting.

At this, the surrounding officials seemed to have discovered some incredible treasure, and they all started making sarcastic remarks, such as "This brat is invincible," "He dares to go to the second courtyard to challenge Tong Jiaqi," "He even dares to mock Chess Saint Wu," and "He really doesn't know his own limitations"...

San Zhuang snorted, stood up, raised his eyebrows, and roared with all his might, "What are you laughing at?! When my eldest brother was ten years old, he was invincible in Li Family Village! Mr. Han said he was unmatched outside Li Family Village. Since my eldest brother has defeated Mr. Han, isn't he invincible under heaven?!"

San Zhuang's shout was delivered with the internal martial arts skills he had recently learned from his master in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. With this force, it was truly like a lion's roar, causing the civil officials to take a half step back. They couldn't help but raise their hands to cover their ears, and they couldn't help but frown, thinking to themselves: This young brute has such a loud voice!

The sound was quite loud, immediately attracting more attention.

Fortunately, the city was ablaze with fireworks at that moment. When the actors on the stage saw that the audience’s gaze had suddenly turned to the shouting boy, they immediately beat the gongs and drums even louder and more frequently, and the female lead on stage raised her voice several notches.

San Zhuang's loud voice stunned everyone around him. But as soon as they heard him finish speaking, with phrases like "Invincible in Li Family Village at ten years old," "Invincible outside the village of Mr. Han," "Big Brother has surpassed Mr. Han," and "Big Brother is invincible under heaven," everyone burst into laughter!

"Hahaha! Truly invincible! Absolutely invincible!"

"I thought this fake Imperial Guard was at least from the capital, but he's just a country bumpkin... Tsk tsk tsk, we were really too presumptuous. Brother Invincible, we're so sorry... Hahaha..."

"Excellent, excellent! This brother is truly remarkable. He was invincible at the age of ten. Judging from your age, are you now one of two invincible beings?"

Laughter erupted.

Ning Nan looked helpless, but didn't bother to say anything more.

He stood up, grabbed Sanzhuang's arm, and said, "Come on, let's go to the second courtyard."

But at this moment, the surrounding minor officials, who were still angry about being mocked by the two commoners, were not about to let this opportunity to vent their anger without losing face come so easily.

Footsteps clattered around the small round table, which was suddenly surrounded by layers of people.

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes, and a twitch appeared at the corner of his eye.

At this moment, Yang Huaisi, an official under the Ministry of Justice, smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Brother Wudi, may I ask your esteemed name?"

Ning Nan slowly exhaled. He had originally intended to state his name, but considering he was under house arrest, even though it was by special permission from Prince Xin, explaining himself would be troublesome. So he simply snorted and said, "I will not change my name or surname; I am—Jia Songling!"

Although San Zhuang didn't know why his elder brother was using an alias, he naturally wouldn't expose him. In fact, he thought an alias was even better, and with renewed boldness, he chuckled and shouted, "Hmm! Jia Songling!! Humph!"

"Heh, greetings, Brother Jia," Yang Huaisi said with a polite smile.

Ning Nan raised an eyebrow: "Brother Yang, what do you intend to do?"

Yang Huaisi glanced around at his colleagues. Seeing the encouraging and teasing looks in their eyes, he knew that everyone wanted to put Jia Songling in his place and vent their anger at being such a minor official. They wanted to show these two what it meant to be outdone and to know that there are always people more capable than you!

Yang Huaisi raised his eyelids, cupped his hands and smiled, "It's nothing much, it's just that the second courtyard is currently a match between the Northern Dynasty's child prodigy and our Southern Dynasty's third-place scholar. We've been feeling restless and, having heard of Brother Jia's invincible reputation, we'd like to ask him for some pointers on elephant chess."

Ning Nan chuckled, "This invincible title..." He wanted to say it was just a joke from his brother, something only petty officials like them would take as gospel... That way, he wouldn't get bogged down in a pointless fight, nor would he embarrass them. But seeing the three strong men's burning gazes, he decided against it and instead sneered, "Brother Yang, what's the stakes?" He figured he'd start another round, beat them, and leave, too lazy to waste words with this group.

Yang Huaisi glanced at Ning Nan, then exchanged mocking looks with his colleagues before laughing, "If I lose, I'll kowtow three times to Brother Jia, how about that?"

Ning Nan nodded, then pointed to the embroidered spring knife at San Zhuang's waist and sneered, "If I—well, if I, Jia, lose, I'll cut off three of my own fingers. How about it?"

Ok?

These harsh words immediately silenced the surrounding snickers and chuckles, and everyone stared at the man before them, momentarily stunned. Cutting off fingers at the drop of a hat? Are you a civil or military official?!

Yang Huaisi's expression froze, and his lips moved as if he was about to say yes, but when he saw the boy's eyes, his liver and gallbladder trembled involuntarily... He was not afraid, nor was he afraid that the boy might cut him first before cutting off his finger.

However… it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we were inside the Prince Xin's residence, so bloodshed was definitely out of the question. He smiled and said, “It’s not auspicious to fight during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I think Brother Jia can just kowtow three times.”

Ning Nan hadn't spoken yet.

San Zhuang, however, looked as if he had gotten into trouble, his face turning pale. He cried out urgently, "No! My brother can't kowtow! Here's what we'll do! If my brother loses, I'll kowtow to you! I'll kowtow a hundred times for you!"

Ning Nan's expression softened, and he felt a warmth in his heart. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yang Huaisi and said with a smile, "Alright, if I lose, my brothers and I will kowtow three times to Brother Yang together." Hearing that they would kowtow together, the three men's red and anxious eyes relaxed a little. If they caused trouble for their elder brother, they would be in big trouble.

At this moment, the person who had previously sneered about being a "monkey in a crown" jumped out again and laughed, "Brother Jia, after you lost to Brother Yang, you'll run away... ha... you'll leave the Prince's mansion?"

Ning Nan narrowed his eyes and said, "Brother, you should introduce yourself."

"Excuse me," the man said with a smile and cupped his hands in greeting. "I am Guo Shouhuai, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices." He paused, then smiled and said, "I am a disciple of Master Gongsun of Bailu Academy. Although I am proficient in the Nineteen Cardinal Strategies, when it comes to Xiangqi (Chinese chess)..." He chuckled, "I am indeed among the top five in Bailu Academy. However, I am certainly not as good as Jia Wudi."

As soon as the words "Jia Wudi" were uttered, laughter erupted again from the surrounding area. They knew that Brother Guo intended to wait until Brother Yang had finished teaching the two brothers a lesson before he too would step in and teach them a lesson.

Ning Nan glanced around at the crowd, understanding the intentions of this person and the group, then tilted his head slightly and said with a faint smile, "Gentlemen, I, Jia, promise that today..."

He pointed his right hand to the bright moon and said, "As long as any of you are still willing to play chess with me, I—" Ning Nan's eyes sharpened, and his voice turned cold, "I'll welcome anyone! Whoever loses will kneel down and kowtow three times to the other! They can kowtow until they die! Now, those who want to play chess, please state your names!"

"Good!" Guo Shouhuai's eyes gleamed, and he waved his hand, saying, "I, Guo, will sign up first!"

The others immediately joined in the commotion, pointing to the moon and laughing as they swore that they would play chess with Jia Wudi that night, and whoever lost would kneel and kowtow.

At this moment, at least twenty or thirty officials around him burst into laughter and signed up! Titles included "Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat," "Deputy Supervisor of the Imperial Garden," "Prefect of Yingtian Prefecture," and even "Director of the Imperial Medical Academy"! They all rolled up their sleeves and pushed forward, saying they wanted to fight "Invincible Jia"!

As soon as things got lively, more eyes turned to them. What had happened? Why was it suddenly so lively? Was it even more exciting than the duel between the Northern Dynasty's child prodigy and the Southern Dynasty's top scholar in the second courtyard?

Soon, an official went to the servants of the Prince's mansion and asked for a chess set. Ning Nan and Yang Huaisi took the chess set, each sat on one side, and then the sound of placing pieces was like thunder. Both sides set up their pieces!

……

The bright moon shines round and full, and the starlight hangs like a curtain.

In the comfortable, slightly cool night breeze.

On the central platform of the second courtyard of Prince Xin's Mansion, a twelve-year-old boy wearing a melon-shaped hat and a yellow-patterned mandarin jacket stood with a tense expression. He lifted one of his black horses to capture the opponent's red general, then cupped his hands and said, "Brother Wu, you flatter me!"

Wu Shangmei and Wu Tanhua, whose looks were unparalleled in the capital and who had attracted the attention of countless noble ladies and daughters of famous officials during the last ten games of chess, turned pale, their eyes wide, and their bodies turned icy cold.

A vertical chessboard is placed on the east side of the stage, with large chess pieces made of magnets attached to it to facilitate guests' viewing of the game.

At this moment, the servant boy on stage stomped off the stage, and the moving black horse caught the red general who was unable to arrive in time to rescue him.

Sighs suddenly rose from the crowd surrounding the imperial relatives, nobles, famous officials, and their families.

"We lost..."

"Lost again..."

Crown Prince's Assistant Liu Zhi and Grand Councilor Xu Longdao exchanged a glance, then smiled bitterly at each other... They had lost, lost terribly...

Immediately, a servant in blue robes sprang to his feet and ran into the three-courtyard residence where Prince Xin, the princes, the marquises of Zhongxing, high-ranking officials of the second rank and above, distinguished guests, and a group of foreign envoys were gathered.

Inside the third courtyard, there was also a chessboard standing upright. With the final move... the handsome third-place scholar of the Southern Dynasty... lost ten games in a row.