GTB Chapter 168

Chapter 170: Playing Chess in the Bedroom Night After Night

Jiang Jiuchu looked at the man and woman following behind Emperor Yue An. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. They must be the Crown Prince and Princess from the Northern Kingdom!

Emperor Yue An walked through the center of the banquet, took the seat of honor, looked at the crowd below bowing in greeting, and said with a hearty laugh, “You may all dispense with the formalities.”

After speaking, he turned towards Xiao Yi and Xiao Li, who had just taken their seats below him, and asked, “Have the two of you been getting used to your accommodations these past few days?”

Xiao Yi stood up, cupped his fist in salute, and said, “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Everything has been arranged wonderfully.”

“Good, it’s good that you’re settling in. Please, take your seats quickly.” Emperor Yue An waved his hand. Immediately, dancers entered the scene, and the sound of music began to play.

Everyone raised their cups, and the emperor and his subjects drank together.

When the music stopped and the dancers withdrew, Xiao Li stood up directly. “Your Majesty, I have heard that your sons are all dragons among men, overflowing with talent. Xiao Li boldly requests to play chess with the princes.”

“Certainly,” Emperor Yue An responded with a smile, his eyes showing a hint of appreciation as he looked at Xiao Li.

This princess knows how to create an opportunity to understand my sons. A chess game is indeed a good method.

If she loses, as a woman, it’s nothing major. If she wins, then it means her talent surpasses the princes of my Dong Yue Kingdom.

“Go move the tables and chairs, and bring over that set of fine Frozen Jade Chess.” Upon hearing Emperor Yue An’s agreement, the Empress instructed a eunuch nearby.

Jiang Jiuchu looked at Xiao Li sitting across from her. Just as Fan Yuwan had said, she was indeed beautiful and could be described as a celestial beauty.

However, this princess doesn’t seem like someone who favors beauty. If you want to catch her eye, it seems you have to beat her.

Before long, the eunuchs had moved the tables and chairs to the center of the banquet.

Seeing this, Xiao Li stood up and turned her head towards Shí Jìn at the next table. “Then let’s start from the eldest to the youngest. Second Prince, please go first!”

When they arrived the other day, Shí Jìn had volunteered to receive the Crown Prince and Princess of the Northern Kingdom, and had been diligently attending to Xiao Li’s needs these past few days.

Therefore, Xiao Li naturally recognized and was familiar with him.

Xiao Li walked into the center of the banquet and sat down in front of the chessboard. The Northern Kingdom’s marriage alliance princess, dressed in red, undoubtedly became the focus of the scene.

Shí Jìn walked forward with a face full of delight, thinking that Xiao Li’s words about starting from the eldest to the youngest were perhaps meant for him to go first.

Shí Yan leaned slightly towards Shí Yuanchen next to him and asked in a low voice, “Eighth Brother, are you planning to win or lose?”

“Of course, I’ll lose. What if she takes a liking to me? I don’t want to serve a princess.”

As he spoke, he didn’t forget to remind Shí Yan, “Seventh Brother, you have to lose too. Otherwise, if this princess enters the door, Seventh Sister-in-law will definitely suffer. There are plenty of beauties in our Dong Yue Kingdom; we definitely can’t have this princess.”

Shí Yan chuckled softly, didn’t respond, but instead said:

“You have to win. First, this princess is very likely to choose someone unconventionally. Second, how can the men of our Dong Yue lose to a woman from another country? Wouldn’t that damage our national prestige?”

“Moreover, even if you win, you can refuse. Winning doesn’t necessarily mean you have to marry her. To take it a step further, you’re not the only one winning; she may not choose you.”

Shí Yuanchen listened seriously to Shí Yan’s words, then nodded in agreement. “Yes, Seventh Brother is right. How can the princes of my Dong Yue lose to the princess of the Northern Kingdom? Wouldn’t that be a laughingstock?”

“That’s the idea,” Shí Yan said, curving his lips, turned back, and lightly swayed his folding fan, stirring the hair near Jiang Jiuchu’s temples.

The corners of Jiang Jiuchu’s mouth curved slightly. She had naturally heard Shí Yan’s words. Did Shí Yan perhaps want Shí Yuanchen to marry this princess?

She carefully sized up Xiao Li in the arena. This princess seemed steady and dignified, and seemed quite good.

In the arena, Xiao Li moved her pieces quickly, as if she didn’t care about winning or losing, or wanted to quickly end the game with Shí Jìn so she could move on to the next round.

Seeing Xiao Li’s speed, Shí Jìn naturally couldn’t be slow either, so the two moved their pieces quickly.

In less than half an incense stick’s time, the two ended their game. Shí Jìn won.

Next, the Fourth Prince entered the arena. The time was slightly longer than Shí Jìn’s, but Xiao Li still lost.

When it was Shí Xiu’s turn, the time they took was the longest, a full incense stick’s worth of time, but in the end, Xiao Li still lost, and Shí Xiu won.

Seeing this, Jiang Jiuchu felt some doubt in her heart. She didn’t believe that Shí Jìn could win against this Northern Kingdom princess in such a short time, while Shí Xiu needed a full incense stick’s worth of time.

There could only be one reason: Xiao Li lost faster to those she looked down on, and never intended to win against any of the princes from the beginning.

“Next should be the Seventh Prince, right!” Xiao Li looked towards Jiang Jiuchu and the others, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Shí Yuanchen and Shí Yan, but finally stopping on Jiang Jiuchu.

“It’s your turn, Seventh Son.” Seeing that Shí Yan hadn’t gotten up immediately, Emperor Yue An began to urge him.

Shí Yan appeared uninterested. “Father, Chu’er plays chess with me in our room every night. I get a headache just looking at the chessboard now.”

After he finished speaking, ignoring the astonished looks of the crowd, he looked at Xiao Li. “Since the Princess and this Prince’s wife both like playing chess so much, why not have my wife accompany the Princess!”

The corners of Jiang Jiuchu’s mouth twitched, her face turning red and green. What did he mean by playing chess in their room every night? Couldn’t this man speak more carefully?

Shí Yan didn’t care whether Xiao Li agreed or not, and instead looked at Jiang Jiuchu tenderly. “Chu’er, would you be willing to play a game with the Princess on my behalf?”

Looking into Shí Yan’s eyes, Jiang Jiuchu felt her heart pounding uncontrollably.

Shí Yan’s actions undoubtedly made his personal stance clear, showing that he had no intention of a marriage alliance.

A sense of certainty suddenly rose in her heart, an unconditional trust in Shí Yan, the kind that allowed her to let go of all worries, and no longer be influenced by any external factors.

After all, he could reject this princess who could bring him help and was talented and beautiful. As his wife, what reason did she have not to trust him wholeheartedly… to love him.

“Okay.” Jiang Jiuchu nodded slightly towards Shí Yan, then stood up and smiled at Xiao Li,

“Since my prince is tired of playing chess because of me, then I will accompany the princess, and we’ll see who is more skilled between us chess lovers.”

Jiang Jiuchu was worried that this Northern Kingdom princess would refuse, so she added some provocation to her words.

“Okay, Seventh Princess Consort doesn’t need to provoke me. Just based on your appearance alone, I, Xiao Li, am willing to compete.”

Jiang Jiuchu’s expression faltered slightly, as if she hadn’t expected Xiao Li to say such a thing. What did chess have to do with appearance?

Although she appreciates good looks, she’s not a man!

She didn’t respond, and didn’t know how to respond, but smiled appropriately and walked to Xiao Li, sitting down in front of her.

“Guests first. Princess, please go first.”

Shí Yuanchen moved his table closer to Shí Yan and whispered,

“Seventh Brother, you’re really amazing! You actually had Seventh Sister-in-law play chess, directly cutting off the princess’s thoughts.”

“However, what did that princess mean by that just now? What did she mean by wanting to compete based on her appearance? She wouldn’t be jealous that Seventh Sister-in-law is more beautiful than her, and want Seventh Sister-in-law to lose miserably, right?”

Shí Yan looked at the figure in the arena with a profile as dazzling as the sun, and picked up his teacup with a faint smile. “Don’t worry, your Seventh Sister-in-law’s chess skills were already good, and I’ve been training her for two months. She won’t lose.”