Fan Qi happened to passed by and stumbled upon the scene of Jiang Yun vomiting blood. Feeling surprised, he hid behind the tree to peek.
Jiang Yun withdrew his gaze and calmly completed his task before getting up and asking, “What’s the matter, Deputy General Fan?”
Fan Qi’s mind was shrouded in doubt. When he was discovered, he no longer hid and looked up and down at Jiang Yun in an even more peculiar way. He didn’t know about Jiang Yun playing the zither, and even if he did, he couldn’t understand how playing the zither would lead to vomiting blood.
He had some doubts: Could the little vixen have some undisclosed hidden disease?
He had always been used to domineering in front of Jiang Yun, so he raised his head and snorted, “This is not your territory. Can’t I come and take a walk when I have nothing to do?”
Jiang Yun nodded and said with a good temper, “Of course you can, but if you hide behind a tree without saying a word and peeping like this, those who don’t know might think…”
“What do they think?”
“Think that you are interested in me.”
Fan Qi: “……”
Fan Qi widened his eyes and looked at Jiang Yun like he was poison.
“Don’t talk nonsense! When did I-I fall in love with you?”
Jiang Yun gently raised his eyes and said, “It’s best if that’s the case; otherwise, I’m really worried about Deputy General Fan’s precious buttocks.”
Fan Qi: !!
Fan Qi was furious beyond control.
The little vixen dares to mock him in person!
Fan Qi gritted his teeth and angrily turned around to leave. It was a shame that he was so dim-witted just now, caring about why he was vomiting blood! It was really self indulgent!
Not long after, Shi Fang also caught up.
There are many people here, and he always feels uneasy about Jiang Yun being left alone.
“Has the young gentleman finished washing?”
Jiang Yun nodded and smiled. “Done. Let’s go and continue to watch the competition.”
Shi Fang was once again dazed by this clear smile.
Seeing that Jiang Yun was in a good mood, he also followed suit and asked, “Which competition would the young gentleman like to watch next?”
Jiang Yun said, “Let’s take a quick stroll first.”
“Then will the young gentleman still participate in the competition?”
“Maybe.”
Shi Fang was surprised.
Then he got worried. “Will we go against the people from the Crown Prince’s Mansion again?”
Jiang Yun said it’s fine.
“Your Military Advisor Chen must have recruited many talented individuals for your Highness. I’m just playing around, there must be someone more powerful than me waiting to come on stage.”
The music competition wasn’t over yet. Following Jiang Yun’s amazing song, the latter contestants all seemed to have become mediocre talents who could not make it to the stage, even the judges were not very interested.
But Shi Fang is not certain whether there is a more powerful player in the Crown Prince’s Mansion behind the finishing line.
Jiang Yun continued, “The Musician your Military Advisor Chen just selected is indeed a bit inferior in level. It was just a lucky choice for a difficult piece of music that cleverly covered up the technical loopholes. However, if there are also judges who are skilled in playing ‘Feng Qiu Huang’, it is highly likely that he will be exposed.”
“I heard that your Military Advisor Chen is loyal and dedicated, so he definitely won’t just prepare players of this level.”
Shi Fang did not understand music theory and did not know that if Jiang Yun had not suddenly appeared, the musician prepared by Chen Qi would have come out on top almost without a doubt.
Shi Fang said he agreed.
“What the Young Master said is right. Military Advisor Chen must have prepared even more capable people.”
Jiang Yun nodded. “So, let’s rest assured and play boldly.”
Jiang Yun first went to the calligraphy and painting competition site, improvised a painting, and wrote a small poem.
Then they arrived at the competition’s venue.
On the platform, two people are talking to each other, one of them is a nobleman in a brocade robe and jade crown, and the other is in a plain robe and wooden hairpin. He was already in his forties, it was indeed Xiao Yaozi.
Because Sui Heng didn’t like him dressing up as a Daoist, Xiao Yaozi deliberately changed his attire.
Xiao Yaozi held the black piece and caressed his beard, leaving behind a piece, and said, “Your Excellency, please.”
The aristocratic disciple across from him furrowed his brows tightly, holding onto a grain of white piece between his fingers, and hesitated, clearly in a difficult situation. Jiang Yun looked at Xiao Yaozi’s face, his eyes slightly narrowed, and he heard someone nearby say, “This Xiao Yaozi has won ten consecutive games and is still full of energy without any signs of fatigue. I’m afraid he will be nailed to this stage today. He will probably become the leader.”
Another person agreed, “I don’t know where the Crown Prince’s Mansion has brought so many experts this time. I heard that Xiao Yaozi is from the Jiang Empire. When he was in the Jiang Empire, he was looked down upon by the Crown Prince due to his poor background. In a fit of anger, he fled to the mountains to practice and ignored worldly matters. This time, he was summoned by the Crown Prince’s Mansion, the Crown Prince must have put in a lot of effort to invite him.”
“Isn’t the Crown Prince of Jiang claiming to be a man of honor? How could he despise his background?”
“That’s all fake! The Crown Prince of Jiang is a complete hypocrite!”
Jiang Yun sneered in his heart.
No wonder he felt a bit familiar with the Daoist named Xiao Yaozi.
It turns out that this is the same Daoist priest who fooled the people with his myths of supernatural beings and stopped him in the street, claiming that he was summoned by heaven’s mandate and was willing to assist him as the first Daoist in the Jiang Empire.
This person indeed has some skills, especially in chess. It is said that he once set up a formation in the largest tea house in the Jiang capital and accepted the challenge from all the chess masters in the Jiang capital. For three whole days, there were no opponents.
He cherishes his talents and is not fond of seeking quick success and instant benefits. He is a person who uses his means to strive for fame.
Moreover, Fan Zhou discovered that, although this person was a Daoist, he did not hide in the mountains and practice as he advocated. Instead, he refined pills in the temple that claimed to prolong life and bring good fortune to many children, deceiving the people for money. There was also a girl who went to the temple to pray for blessings but disappeared inexplicably. Finally, she was found dead at the foot of the mountain where the Daoist temple was located.
With all this, Jiang Yun directly ordered the guards to drive him out of the house and hand him over to the officials for interrogation.
He doesn’t know what kind of means this person used in order to escape from the government’s prison, and he transformed and changed his name to Xiao Yaozi, becoming a famous scholar who ‘does not admire fame and fortune, but hides in the mountains.’
That noble disciple finally folded and admitted defeat.
With a bitter face, he bowed and hurriedly left.
Next up is the Yan family’s disciples, who have won the top spot in the game for three consecutive years. If nothing unexpected happens, this year’s top spot in the game will also be his. But after fighting with Xiao Yaozi for nearly half an hour, he also admitted defeat and gave up.
Xiao Yaozi stroked his beard with a smile and asked, “Which other friend would like to instruct this old man?”
Xiao Yaozi’s strength is too strong, the people below are looking at each other.
Because the chess game is extremely mental and intellectual and time-consuming, unlike other competitions, the one who falls behind must admit defeat on the spot.
In the midst of everyone’s hesitation, a refined voice said, “I’ll come.”
Jiang Yun walked slowly to the stage and sat down.
“It’s Chu Yan.”
Because of yesterday’s literary competition, many people have already recognized Jiang Yun.
Yesterday, many people didn’t get a good look at Jiang Yun. Today, when they were close, they were all amazed to see the young gentleman in a green robe was beautiful and elegant, like a fairy.
The whole place was filled with exclamations, one after another.
Xiao Yaozi was also stunned for a moment, staring at Jiang Yun for a while, but he quickly regained his composure and said, “Little friend, please.”
Jiang Yun casually dropped a piece.
Xiao Yaozi frowned because his chess move was very unconventional.
But this also made him wary, afraid that the other party was a hidden expert.
He followed his own formation and layout habits, he dropped a black piece.
Jiang Yun landed his second piece immediately afterward.
Xiao Yaozi glanced and began to suspect that Jiang Yun had deliberately come to cause trouble.
He smiled and said, “Little friend, don’t blame this old man for being direct. Has the little friend really learned how to play chess?”
Jiang Yun had already picked up the third white piece and asked in reverse, “What? Is the Daozhang afraid?”
Xiao Yaozi shook his head, revealing an indescribable expression.
He dropped his second piece.
Without thinking, Jiang Yun landed his third piece on the corner.
This is simply a taboo in chess.
Xiao Yaozi became more and more determined that Jiang Yun had no understanding of chess.
He sneered in his heart, and the old man followed with a drop.
In no time, the white pieces seemed to have been surrounded by the black pieces, pitifully divided into several pieces.
Shi Fang doesn’t know how to play chess, but judging from the reactions of people around him, he thinks that his young gentleman’s chess skills may be… somewhat inferior. He coughed and whispered, “We’re just playing for fun. If the Young Master is tired of playing, we can go see the next one.”
Jiang Yun looked up and smiled gently at him. “It’s fine, I’ll play for a while longer.”
Xiao Yaozi once again silently sneered and thought to himself, You are really a noob, and you are still playing, so don’t cry too much if you lose later.
Shi Fang can only give up and anxiously watch.
Jiang Yun unfolded his sleeves, picked up the white piece, and landed it in one spot.
Xiao Yaozi chuckled and picked up a black one. Just as it was about to fall, he looked down at the chessboard with a slight change in expression.
Jiang Yun raised his eyebrows and looked at him. “What’s wrong? Is Daozhang afraid?”
Xiao Yaozi didn’t hear what Jiang Yun said, he looked at the chessboard, the more he looked at it, the more thrilling and unbelievable he became.
How could this be?
A small white piece was like a key to turning the tide, instantly revitalizing the entire chessboard.
He looked at his black chess area, his palms sweating uncontrollably, and his mind was filled with chaos. He thought to himself that he should have played that particle to the other side and pushed it forward two more times, it could have been better… It was only because his opponent was so casual that he subconsciously underestimated the enemy and did not carefully consider every move as usual.
The onlookers all widened their eyes and squeezed forward to watch.
If he delays any longer, the onlookers will really think that he has stage fright or that he is going to give up the game and admit defeat.
Xiao Yaozi gritted his teeth, his fingers trembling as he landed a piece.
Jiang Yun didn’t even look, and once again, a white piece floated down lightly.
In an instant, the chessboard changed, and the white pieces unexpectedly cut a path to a new life and gradually surrounded the black pieces. The black pieces player, who was originally winning, was pushed to the brink of death.
Xiao Yaozi almost let out a cry of surprise.
He prided himself on being well versed in chess and had carefully studied all kinds of rare chess games for many years. He had never seen such a tricky, unconventional way of playing chess before.
His gaze toward Jiang Yun revealed terror for the first time.
“Give me tea!”
He chided a roadside Daoist boy.
The Daoist boy was always afraid of him, and when he saw him getting angry for no reason, he trembled and offered a cup of tea.
Xiao Yaozi took a fierce sip, calming his mind for a moment, and once again picked up a black piece. After careful consideration, it slowly fell down.
Winning in this risky move is also a good move.
The onlookers showed admiration and approval.
Jiang Yun picked a white piece up and suddenly said, “No regrets. Is Daozhang sure that he wants to land here?”
The other party not only has tricky chess moves but is also always provoking. Looking at this gentle and elegant young gentleman, his temper is not kind at all.
This is a carefully calculated move by Xiao Yaozi. He sneered, “You also said that there is no regret in playing chess. This old man has been playing with people for so many years but has never had the habit of regretting a move in chess.”
Jiang Yun didn’t speak anymore, his eyelashes were slightly raised, and he dropped a white piece.
“Daozhang lost.”
He smiled slightly and said.
A burst of exclamation erupted on the field.
Xiao Yaozi originally narrowed his eyes, but upon hearing the exclamation, he quickly opened his eyes and looked towards the chessboard, suddenly pale.
The white chess pieces are connected in one piece, while the black chess pieces have been completely destroyed, leaving only a few scattered pieces in the corners.!!
How could this be?
However, the other party only lost a piece.
Xiao Yaozi’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t make a sound for a long time.
Jiang Yun got up and looked at the black pieces in his hand, saying, “It’s time for Daozhang to admit defeat.”
At this point, admitting defeat is optional, but the other party still insists on it, indicating a sense of humiliation.
Since his arrival in the capital of Sui, Xiao Yaozi has always been proud of himself. He has never suffered such humiliation before. He took off his mask, there was no calm demeanor he had just shown, and he stared at Jiang Yun with anger.
“This old man admits defeat!”
He threw the black pieces heavily, gritted his teeth, and said a sentence before brushing his sleeves and leaving the banquet.
The Daoist boy quickly tidied up his tea set and seat cushion, then cautiously followed up.
Jiang Yun played with a white chess piece in his palm for a moment, then casually threw it away and said to Shi Fang, “Let’s go somewhere else and take a look.”
Shi Fang nodded happily.
Although Xiao Yaozi was from the Crown Prince’s Mansion, but he couldn’t stand the old man’s impatience and unbeatable demeanor. He thought to himself, just as the young gentleman said, Military Advisor Chen should have recruited more powerful people to come over.
The judge stopped Jiang Yun. “Young Master, wait a minute. Young Master has won the chess match. According to the rules, you should sit at the challenge table and accept challenges from others. How can you just leave?”
Jiang Yun then said that he did not have the will to win the championship, knowing that he was not talented and was willing to give way to others.
This has put the judges in a difficult situation. Xiao Yaozi had already lost, so it is obviously not suitable for him to sit in the challenge seat. There is no one to dominate the battle, so how can they continue to compete?
Jiang Yun didn’t care about these things, and after elegantly bowing to him, he had already drifted away with Shi Fang.
The judge still wants to pursue him.
Suddenly, a heavy cough came from beside him.
The judge turned his head and was shocked. He quickly bowed and called, “Left Prime Minister.”
Jimo Qingyu looked at him with a stubborn and foolish gaze. “The Spring Banquet is just a private event, not everything has to be a competition. It’s no such big deal without the championship!”
The judge said yes.
On one hand, it seemed like a good idea.
On the other hand, he was surprised, why did the always aloof Left Minister condescendingly come and watch the competition? And he seems to have been standing and watching it for a long time too.
He glared at the jobber, blaming the jobber for not reminding him in time and letting him neglect the Left Minister for such a long time.
Jimo Qingyu had already stroked his beard and looked at a place, saying to his eldest disciple, “Let’s go and take a look over there.”
Zhao Yan answered yes.
He’s been following his master around all morning. His master’s mouth always said that there’s no purpose, but his body honestly stayed in the field and circled around that Chu Yan.
His master has never left the observation deck in previous years!
Jiang Yun hasn’t gone far away when he was surrounded by several literati and scholars.
“Chu Yan, your painting and calligraphy have been unanimously recognized by the judges, and they are all here looking for you now…”
Jiang Yun asked them to pass on a message for him, saying that he had no will to win the championship.
However, the judges did not think so. The judges felt that he was too humble and insisted on giving him the top spot.
Shi Fang watched the young gentleman, who had swept the field in just one morning, from the side. For the first time, he showed a look of solemn respect. At the same time, he has some concerns. He doesn’t know what’s going on with his Highness’s players.
With this stance, both the Yan family and the Crown Prince’s Mansion are likely to be completely annihilated!
**
“Military Advisor.”
Xiao Yaozi and the Musician both stood in front of Chen Qi with pale faces.
Chen Qi frowned, unable to believe it.
“You guys mean, that Chu Yan not only won the top spot in music, but also in chess, calligraphy, and painting?”
The Musician said yes with a low voice.
Xiao Yaozi angrily said, “Not only that, he was so arrogant that he spoke out to humiliate this old man too!”
Chen Qi has no time to worry about his mood.
There are a total of five competitions today. According to the plan, he is certain that they could win in the music and chess categories. Now that he has lost three in a row, even if he has a chance to win the remaining two, he will not be able to turn the tide.
Chen Qi frowned heavily.
Chu Yan.
A gloomy expression appeared in his eyes.
Sui Heng and Xu Qiao walked in from the outside, looked at Xiao Yaozi, and asked, “Who humiliated you?”
