Chapter 427: Fifty-two Straight Losses

The face before him, and their posture, would make any man unable to hold back!

Heng Xian seemed no exception; he lifted Xu Lulu's chin and slowly leaned in.

Xu Lulu's face flushed pink, her eyes almost welling with tears, and she emitted a strange light.

Heng Xian lightly kissed her forehead, then… suddenly grabbed her throat and flung her away.

Xu Lulu, like a piece of silk, twisted and drifted, landing steadily on a chair, she said with a resentful look: "You're fickle and utterly unromantic."

Heng Xian chuckled lightly, blew a breath, and a scorching heat appeared in the air—exactly the foundation on Xu Lulu's face—and he said, "Your move is something even a tavern storyteller couldn't invent; you're poisonous all over, who'd dare touch you?"

Hehe…

Xu Lulu covered her mouth and chuckled: "As a lone woman out here, I must protect myself; if you associate with me, sir, and you're a gentleman, it's fine; if you're a villain, dying would be deserved."

Heng Xian said: "That makes some sense, but next time it's best not to voluntarily jump into someone else's bed!"

"I'm just warming your bed!" Xu Lulu laughed: "First warm your body, then your heart! Thinking of you, Heng Xian, a senior disciple of the great sect, a family genius, you came purely to take a wife, yet you're being toyed with like this—how pitiful!"

Heng Xian lowered his body: "You're right, the body's warmed—how to warm the heart?"

Xu Lulu waved her sleeve: "Simple! Submit to the Zilan Palace, listen to the wife's grandmother, and listen to the wife's father—it's much the same!"

I'll grant you the title of Houjou, commander of the Imperial City Guard, endless resources, and a splendid marriage to a princess; thereafter, if you wish to stay and cultivate, you may stay; if not, you may leave!

Heng Xian wondered: "Does the Zilan Palace think so highly of me?"

Xu Lulu said: "As the chief junior disciple of the Tianyuan Sect and the youngest Sword Venerable of Dongyu, anyone who looks down on you is a fool!"

Heng Xian sighed: "Too bad, I've never had the thought of submitting to others."

Xu Lulu said: "You don't think for yourself, but also consider Princess Taiping; with your white robes and lowly sect disciple status, how can you contend with the Second Prince of Qin?"

Is it just your cultivation level? Do you know how many masters hide in the imperial capital?

Heng Xian extended a finger: "Let's make a bet—before midnight, someone will come begging me for the Houjou title and such, and they'll bring it themselves!"

……

Outside the West Palace gates.

This is the square where the Imperial City Guard is inspected; each time the Great Zhou's western expedition army sets out, they also gather here to receive inspection by His Majesty the Emperor and civil and military officials.

Backed by the imperial city, ahead lies the prosperous Imperial City Main Street.

The sun slanted west; the square was covered with blessings for the Empress's birthday and temporary structures, and now it was a sea of people!

Merchants and common folk had long been squeezed to the margins; the important positions were filled with nobles, royalty, civil and military officials, the State Academy, the Imperial Academy, and other dignitaries and ladies.

Moreover, representatives of nearly a hundred vassal states were also present.

One could say a single strike fells a crowd of dukes, and a slap produces a swath of fifth-rank officials!

At this moment, everyone gazed straight ahead, where a huge wall of glazed white jade displayed a vast map of mountains, rivers, cities, and towns!

Figures, landscapes, and animals were clearly visible, densely packed and lifelike.

This is the "Jiangshan Sheji Chess"!

Among high society and cultivators, it is the most rigorous, brain‑burning advanced chess!

It tests not only the player's mind, strategy, IQ, and dexterity, but also their superlative deductive ability!

It's absolutely not for ordinary people; those with poor mental fortitude may suffer qi deviation and vomit blood, even die on the spot!

This time, the "Jiangshan Sheji Chess" is a stage set up by emissaries of the hostile Qin state!

Great Zhou and Great Qin are age‑old rivals; this kind of comparative contest draws nationwide attention—even if you judge with your butt, Great Zhou could never lose!

Under the chessboard, two people now stand.

One is an old man in white robes with gray hair, calm and composed, his eyes shining with wisdom—none other than Hu Ye Ming, the Qin chess master!

The other is an old man in purple robes with white hair, solemn in demeanor—none other than Sun Hao, the Vice Minister of Revenue known as the Chess King of Great Zhou!

The Second Prince of Qin and Qin's chief envoy, Ying Zihou, stood leisurely under a ceremonial guard on the left, munching melon seeds and occasionally glancing at the Great Zhou Crown Prince, Ji Qian!

Ji Qian stood under a ceremonial guard on the right, surrounded by civil officials; though he tried to appear relaxed, a hint of worry could be seen in his eyes!

In just one afternoon, over fifty skilled chess players of the Great Zhou capital have fallen to Hu Ye Ming!

The capital's chess circles speak of "one sage, one king, one consort, one lady, six sages"; just now, the six sages provoked by Hu Ye Ming all went up together—and lost!

Obviously, the Qin queen and Consort De cannot show themselves!

Now it's the Chess King's turn to move!

If the Chess King loses, even if a Chess Sage remains, it would be a tremendous embarrassment!

"Hold Hancheng, clear the fields; advance three thousand troops from Wucheng; flank with nine thousand cavalry at Hengshui; move grain first from the three cities of Xuezhou; temporarily double tax collection in the eight surrounding cities!"

The Chess King, Sun Hao, lightly tapped seven or eight spots with his chess rod.

Only to see on the Jiangshan Sheji Chess board, mountains and rivers shifted, figures swiftly changed.

The Chess King has made his move!

"A steady, mature step!"

"Not seeking haste, but stability—the Chess King's move is very powerful!"

Below, the dense crowd immediately tensed, craning their necks to watch, murmuring amongst themselves.

"Damn! Damn! Damn…"

Xu Youzhi, Cao Wei, Wu Sitian, Wu Sidi and several others were also there, frantically waving and shouting.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaoyu, Sun Qianqian, Luo Xuan and others from the State Academy clenched their fists.

"We should win!"

Even Ge Shu Daodao, Wu Siwen, Zhu Han and others from the Imperial Academy were not absent!

Even not far away, Ye Xingruo, who had been placed under house arrest due to an assassination attempt, brought a group of commanders to watch closely.

Everyone's mood rose and fell with the changes on the board.

"Hahaha…"

Hu Ye Ming actually burst out laughing, looking up at the sky.

Hearing that laugh, the hearts of everyone in the Great Zhou sank.

Every time Hu Ye Ming laughs like that, his opponent is in danger!

Indeed!

Hu Ye Ming's chess piece also moved eight steps: "Spies dispatched, entering the eight cities behind enemy lines to levy taxes, spreading rumors, the main force advances forward, holding firm and not retreating!"

The eight cities' populace rebels, the commander is punished and replaced, and the entire army marches forth!

On the board, the terrain representing Hu Ye Ming's side shifts rapidly, troops are deployed, and moreover, there is a hidden piece—a cavalry unit suddenly appears to flank the rear.

Soon, the 'Chess King' Sun Hao suffers a defeat like a collapsing mountain, a utter rout; even if a rematch were possible, it would be pointless.

The old 'Chess King' stands blankly beneath the board, his body trembling like a sieve.

The whole venue is eerily silent!

Lost again!!

The Crown Prince Ji Gan's face visibly darkened.

The watching nobles and officials wear faces of unspeakable frustration.

Looks like we need to summon the Chess Sage!

In the corner, the most mysterious and youngest expert of the Divine Martial Bureau, Li Jingfeng, dressed in embroidered cotton armor and holding the Cloud‑Pattern Spirit Blade, calmly says:

Not far away, Situ Le, the Vice Minister of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau, has his hands hidden in his sleeves: "I fear the old Chess Sage has already arrived!"

Li Jingfeng says: "Even if the old Chess Sage makes a move, the outcome remains uncertain!"

"Oh?" Situ Le replies.

Li Jingfeng says: "Hu Ye Ming is 193 years old this year; he began studying the Jiangshan Sheji chess at age thirteen, and has already devoted 180 years to it!"

He has done nothing else in his life; even his meals are fed to him by others!

Situ Le sighs: "To persist for 180 years unchanged, mastering such a boring thing to perfection, is also a talent; losing to him is no shame!"

"It's a pity the Great Zhou can't afford to lose!" Li Jingfeng says.

(End of chapter)