Meanwhile.
In the imperial study.
The Emperor and Zhan Tianye were playing chess.
Black and white pieces faced each other on the board.
The situation was precarious, and a moment of carelessness would lead to a disadvantage.
Therefore, the imperial study was filled only with the sound of their moves, and no other noises.
The eunuch waiting by the side, seeing them play for such a long time, marveled in secret, having never seen anyone play chess with the Emperor for so long.
Moreover, the Emperor's expression had changed from a faint smile at the beginning to him now concentrating with narrowed eyes.
This was enough to show how formidable Prince Jin was! No wonder the Emperor doted on Prince Jin so much; as soon as he returned to the palace, the Emperor seemed to forget all his other sons.
Prince Jin possessed a fearsome aura.
It was very similar to the Emperor's, yet not entirely the same kind of fearsome aura. It was the presence of someone of high status, but Prince Jin's seemed to emanate from his very bones.
As for the Emperor...
It was likely a result of his ruthless methods over the years.
The eunuch thought to himself, but dared not look directly at them.
Actually, he wanted to know who would win in the end.
This was the first time there was any suspense; in the past, when the Emperor played against other princes and ministers, some were simply no match for him, while others dared not play with him and would concede after a few moves, pretending the Emperor was exceptionally skilled.
Thus, the Emperor had not played chess with anyone for a long time.
Another half hour passed, and the sky outside indicated it was already late at night.
Fortunately, it ended when Prince Jin made a move and won.
The Emperor felt a sense of lingering enjoyment, "I lost again this time. Jin'er, let's play another game."
This was true chess, where facing an equal opponent always improved oneself and left one with a desire for more.
Just like him!
This son resembled him the most!
And he surpassed his master.
Looking at Zhan Tianye, the Emperor was filled with pride.
Zhan Tianye glanced out the window, "It's late. Father, you should rest."
As he spoke, he stood up.
The Emperor looked at the sky outside and realized how long they had been playing chess. He glanced at the board again and still felt a sense of wanting more, "We'll continue tomorrow."
Zhan Tianye did not agree directly but said, "Tomorrow, I plan to visit Prince Pingyang's manor to see Zhen Lin."
"Prince Pingyang's manor?" The Emperor raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised.
He then reacted and laughed heartily, "Good, I understand. You want to visit Prince Pingyang's manor to see Princess Ningde? After all, she is the princess you will soon marry. However, as a man, you must never be solely devoted to one woman. And that woman from the Qin family, if you like her very much, then have her enter the palace soon."
He had originally thought his son might be preoccupied with this matter, especially since Jin'er seemed uninterested in women from the Western Xia Kingdom, and even in Princess Ningde, whom many men wished to marry.
Fortunately, he was still a man, and a man would not truly be infatuated with one woman.
Nor would his eyes be fixed on only one woman.
One must not let a woman ruin one's affairs.
"Not for now. I shall take my leave," Zhan Tianye bowed to the Emperor and walked out of the imperial study.
The Emperor did not stop Zhan Tianye.
Nor did he say anything further.
This child was born cold-hearted and fearsome, which was a good thing! This was what he wanted. As long as they were away from Dongning Kingdom and within the Western Xia Kingdom, under his watchful eye, he would absolutely not allow Jin'er to be devoted to one woman.
Seeing the Emperor lost in thought, Eunuch Liu said, "Prince Jin's chess skills are truly remarkable."
The Emperor came back to his senses and looked at Eunuch Liu, "He has beaten me twice in a row."
His long-lost competitive spirit had returned these past two days. As a father, he could not be outmatched and had to win back.
"His Majesty was merely letting Prince Jin win," Eunuch Liu said smoothly. He had actually watched clearly and knew the Emperor had given his all.
Conversely, he had seen Prince Jin seeming to play with ease.
When he made the final move, Prince Jin looked up at the sky.
So...
It was not the Emperor letting Prince Jin win, but Prince Jin letting the Emperor win. Thinking of Prince Jin's terrifying nature, Eunuch Liu felt a sense of foreboding.
He wondered if it was a good thing or a bad thing for the Emperor, or rather for the Western Xia Kingdom, to have Prince Jin return. Many people privately said the Emperor was too heartless, but in his opinion, Prince Jin was the truly heartless one!
Prince Jin seemed to pay no heed to many matters.
Pulling his thoughts back, Eunuch Liu knew these words could not be spoken to the Emperor. The Emperor had never valued anyone so highly; Prince Jin was the first.
"Eunuch Liu, you are becoming increasingly shrewd. I could feel the strain. The people who played chess with me over the years were either unwilling to win against me, or unwilling to give their all. However, they were no match for Jin'er; Jin'er slightly outmatched me." The Emperor saw this clearly himself.
Seeing that the Emperor understood so clearly, Eunuch Liu was shocked. Fortunately, he had not spoken his thoughts aloud just now; the Emperor understood everything!
There was no need for him to incur the Emperor's displeasure.
...
The next day.
As soon as Yun Shu woke up and opened her door, the maids in the courtyard brought in water for washing and asked Yun Shu what she wanted to eat.
Qin Yiqing, who was already sitting in the courtyard with her legs crossed, cracking melon seeds since early morning, spoke to Yun Shu first, "I've already asked them to prepare steamed buns and pork rib soup. What do you want to eat?"
Seeing Qin Yiqing looking so comfortable, Yun Shu's lips twitched, "Pork rib soup so early in the morning?"
"I've lost weight recently and need to nourish myself. Didn't Master tell me these past two days that being too thin is unhealthy!" Qin Yiqing had adapted to her identity quickly and had already started calling Yun Shu "Master."
She had decided to try learning medicine from Yun Shu.
Yun Shu smiled inwardly but showed no outward reaction, "Alright, it's not wrong to have a master. Later, read ten pages from the medical book in the medicine chest. Understand it all today."
Qin Yiqing froze, a medical book? A look of evasion flashed quickly in her eyes. Oh no!
She absolutely would not read it!
It was like reading a heavenly book.
Seeing Qin Yiqing fall silent, Yun Shu said to the maid beside her, "No need to prepare anything extra, I'll eat these as well."
"Yes, Miss Ning."
The maid immediately ran to prepare breakfast.
In the courtyard, Yun Shu sat opposite Qin Yiqing and glanced at the large plate of melon seeds in front of Qin Yiqing, smiling, "Are they fragrant?"
"Very fragrant. They just roasted them this morning. I'm eating them while they're hot, even more fragrant!" Qin Yiqing's eyes sparkled at the mention of food.
Yun Shu also grabbed a handful.
The Prince Pingyang's manor was quiet in the early morning.
She had slept well last night.
Not far away, Princess Ningde approached.
Seeing Yun Shu in the courtyard, she quickened her steps, "Miss Ning."