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

"I...I...I've lost ten games!"

The child's eyes were red-rimmed, his mouth was open, revealing a set of crooked white teeth from the process of losing his baby teeth, and he cried out.

Her voice was filled with extreme grievance.

The people on both sides were suddenly stunned.

Huh? What do you mean you've lost ten games already?

Nalan Ruo frowned as she looked at the child who had walked up to her.

What does that mean?

Nilon stepped forward again and asked, "Tong Jia, what were you just saying?"

Tong Jia ignored him.

She stood before her master, wiping away tears with both hands.

Da Chun's eyes sharpened, but he stood up with a smile and said, "Could it be that a child is just saying things in anger?" He smiled at Madam Jia and said, "It seems that your fourth young master is indeed formidable!"

That's sarcasm.

The officials of the Southern Dynasty immediately looked embarrassed.

They didn't know what had happened either.

But it was true that the child was crying. Although it was unknown what Shangguan Zhao had done to make the child so angry and upset, he was in such a state.

But it must be a very bad thing... Did they bully a child? Did they slap her?

Madam Jia was also somewhat bewildered.

In her mind, Zhao'er had always been very humble and polite, and she would never do anything impolite.

Could it be that he beat this kid too many times, and the kid got so angry that he stopped playing chess, even refusing to play this last game? He lost his mind and simply said in a fit of pique that he had lost ten games?

Just then, as Madam Jia and everyone else were puzzled...

The servant in charge of moving the pieces came running in again, his face serious. He moved the red pieces on the Chu River and Han Border chessboard by one position and then ran out again.

Everyone was stunned.

What happened?

Everyone looked up at the chessboard.

He lowered his head again and looked at the little girl standing aggrievedly in front of Nalan Wenzong.

"What's going on?" someone asked.

"Young Master Tong Jia, um, Miss Tong Jia,"

Previously, it wasn't obvious, and because the child was dressed as a boy, everyone assumed she was a "young master." Her crying gave her away, revealing she was clearly a "young lady," so they changed their tune.

"Isn't Miss Tong Jia right here?"

"Yeah, why did the chess piece move?"

"Well?"

Who is playing chess?

The group exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had happened.

Liu Zhi and Xu Longdao exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting from confusion to panic. What was going on?

Without further ado, the two men stood up, bowed to Prince Xin at the head of the table, apologized, and then hurriedly ran out to check on the second courtyard.

Nalan Ruo patted the female disciple's shoulder, which was trembling with anger, and gently comforted her, "Don't cry, don't cry, don't rush."

Nilon and Dachun looked at the two sides still fighting on the Chu River and Han Border, and were somewhat at a loss.

Nilon said, "Tong Jia, tell me, who is playing chess with Shangguan Zhao right now?"

Tong Jia ignored him, acting as if she hadn't heard him. Seeing this, Nilong's expression froze, his noodles trembled, but he didn't press the matter further.

After Da Chun made a few instructions, a minor official from the Northern Dynasty immediately stood up, went to the back, and said to a young eunuch, "Please lead the way, young eunuch, and take me to see the second courtyard."

After a few breaths, Nalan saw that his apprentice's emotions had stabilized a bit, so he repeated Nilong's question.

"Them."

Tong Jia sniffled, her eyes red, and she didn't look at Nalan, only at the bluestone paving stones on the ground.

"Who?" Nilon asked, frowning.

"It's them." Tong Jia wiped her eyes again.

Nalan was somewhat amused and exasperated, and asked, "Is it Shangguan Zhao?"

"hold head high."

"Who else?"

Tong Jia said, "Jia Wudi, of course."

Ok?

Jia Wudi?

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, and then a murmur of disbelief arose in the room.

"Jia Wudi? Who is that?"

"Who? Does the young marquis know?"

"I wonder, Your Highness, have you heard of it? 'Invincible' isn't a name, is it?"

"It should be a title..."

"Is this Jia Wudi playing chess with the Four Young Masters of Tongzhao?"

"Such a boastful tone..."

Nalan Ruo frowned; he had never heard of any Jia Wudi.

He looked at his disciple, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, who was staring at the ground and still sobbing softly, and said gently, "Disciple, weren't you just playing chess with Shangguan Zhao?"

"hold head high."

"And then five wins and five losses?"

"hold head high."

"Then, you asked to play ten more rounds with Shangguan Zhao?"

"Ugh." The little girl sniffed hard, but snot still came out.

Nalan Ruo wiped her hand with his sleeve and said, "Then those ten games just now..." He pointed to the vertical chessboard.

The little girl shook her head: "Just now, it was Jia Wudi and that Shangguan Zhao here. I am here."

"Oh..." Everyone suddenly realized.

It turns out that Ms. Tong Jia did indeed draw with Shangguan Zhao.

But in the second round of ten games... it wasn't Tong Jia playing, but Jia Wudi.

After everyone understood this, they were in a daze for a while, and then their eyes became strange.

Wu Yanchou snorted and said:

"No wonder... I was wondering why this little kid's playing style had changed so drastically! And his skill level had improved so much! So, oh, so he's changed players, changed to some Jia Wudi."

Wu Yanchou had barely finished speaking.

The Northern Dynasty officials froze, feeling as if they had swallowed a fly. One of them, wearing a melon-shaped hat, glanced at Wu Yanchou and retorted sharply, "That's not something those who lost to Tong Jia seven rounds can say!"

The people of the Southern Dynasty also looked at Wu Yanchou with reproachful eyes for his reckless words.

Wu Yanchou didn't care; he'd already lost face big time today anyway. He raised his chin and said:

"Miss Tong Jia, you said you lost ten games, so it was all against this invincible Jia?"

Everyone's attention immediately shifted to the little girl.

Tong Jia blew her nose, making the tip red, and stubbornly said, "No."

"So you lost to Shangguan Zhao?" Wu Yanchou asked again.

Before Tong Jia could reply, Nalan Ruo smiled and said:

"Brother Wu, have you perhaps lost your mind after losing the game?"

He pointed to the chessboard with the Chu River and Han Border.

"Just now, it was clearly Jia Wudi who was playing chess with Young Master Zhao. How could my disciple have been playing chess with them?"

Wu Yanchou and the others were stunned for a moment, but then they understood.

That's good. Jia Wudi, who just appeared out of nowhere, was playing chess with Shangguan Zhao, so naturally the two of them didn't have time to play against Tong Jia at the same time.

Nalan asked softly, "Tong Jia, who were you playing against just now?"

"Li Xing," Tong Jia said, sniffling.

"Uh, Li Xing? Who is that?" someone asked curiously.

"Is Madam Jia aware of this?"

"I don't know..."

"Could it be that some reclusive genius couldn't stand it anymore?" someone said.

The boastful Jia Wudi had already left everyone in a state of surprise and uncertainty.

In nine games, this person managed to hold his own against Shangguan Zhao! He won five games! If Jia Wudi can win the last game, then the title of "Invincible" will truly be well-deserved.

But unexpectedly, another "Li Xing" suddenly appeared and won ten games against the Northern Dynasty prodigy!

Nalan frowned and said, "This Li Xing..."

Tong Jia's eyes reddened, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "Hmph! He's the biggest coward that Jia Wudi called over."

"You were just playing chess with Li Xing," Nalan frowned. "And this is the man who beat you ten games?"

"hold head high."

Nilon's face paled slightly, but he still managed a weak smile and said, "Miss Tong Jia,"

Jia Wudi is a big coward, and Li Xing is an even bigger coward. Therefore, Li Xing must be older than Jia Wudi, and since Jia Wudi summoned him, Li Xing must be some kind of master or mentor to Jia Wudi.

Shangguan Zhao is evenly matched with Miss Tong Jia... Although Shangguan Zhao seems to be holding back... he is still not much better than Miss Tong Jia.

Jia Wudi is also slightly better than Shangguan Zhao.

Li Xing is also Jia Wudi's master.

No wonder he was able to beat Tong Jia and win ten games against her in a row.

Sigh... He sighed inwardly... It was already a bit of a surprise to run into Shangguan Zhao, but he never expected to encounter such a master and disciple pair as well.

Nilon smiled and comforted her, "Miss Tong Jia, there's no need to be sad. You're still young; you just need to gain more experience over the years..."

Before Nilong could finish speaking, Tong Jia's eyes, which had finally calmed down, suddenly reddened, and then her lips trembled as she burst into tears!

……

at the same time.

Liu Zhi and Xu Longdao had just returned to the third courtyard. Their steps were slow, their eyes were slightly dazed, and their expressions seemed to suddenly become extremely complicated.