Chapter 432

Uh...

The sudden change on the chessboard startled the ten thousand onlookers, leaving them staring wide-eyed.

Many people desperately rubbed their eyes, completely unable to believe!

This...

What's going on?

Ji Yaofan, Jiang Xiaoyu, and the group stared with eyes wide open!

How could this... be like this?

In the corner, Ying Zhiqi, Han Fuyao, and the Princess of Wei Guo were stunned speechless.

On the stage, Crown Prince Ji Gan and a group of officials also froze.

What's happening? Hu Yeming?

Under the ceremonial guard, Ying Zhihou jumped in fright and vigorously fanned himself.

Hu Yeming was completely dazed; just a moment ago he was thinking how to easily use a move to elegantly and gracefully make the child cry, and the next moment he himself was defeated?

Is there anything more surprising than this?

He hastily scanned the chessboard, and the more he looked, the more his body trembled, muttering: 'Internal administration, promoting industry and commerce to gather wealth, agriculture appears declining but is used to raise horses. Unbeknownst, many spies infiltrate the enemy; kill the nine layers of obvious spies, cover the one layer of hidden spies!'

Overall it seemed plain, but in fact its finances were robust, repeatedly failing and rebuilding, causing the people to be extremely loyal!

Finally, employing a risky move and opening another channel, old and steady, the open moves numbered seventy-six, hidden moves thirty-nine, totaling two thousand nine hundred sixty-four!

There was also an unknown terrifying strategy within!

I, I lost! I actually lost! Pfft—

A mouthful of old blood spurted out, and he swayed, about to collapse.

The several masters beside Ying Zhihou rushed forward, calling: 'Sir?'

Hu Yeming instantly aged a dozen years, his face full of vicissitudes: 'I lost!'

Boom—

Upon getting the definite answer, the ten thousand spectators instantly erupted!

Even Crown Prince Ji Gan and a large group of esteemed nobles were refreshed in spirit!

This kind of win is not an ordinary win!

But rather, a seven- or eight-year-old child defeated an opponent who was a crafty chess player hundreds of years old!

This feeling is simply more refreshing than eating a chunk of ice in the scorching summer heat!

Everyone looked at the naked-bottom child, instantly feeling he was extraordinarily talented, wishing to hold him in their arms and kiss him!

The child's mother instantly became tearful: 'My child has a future!'

Ji Yaoyue also slightly frowned: 'This child... was brought by Mulan and Madam Wu...'

The nearby palace maid said: 'It's Gouwa, Madam Wu's child!'

Not far away, on a rooftop, Xu Lulu looked shocked and quickly hurried back to Princess Tai Ping's mansion.

……

This Heng Xian is truly unreliable!

Now it's impossible to back down!

Inside Fengtian Hall, the Chancellor and the Eldest Prince Qin were dissatisfied, shaking their heads helplessly.

At this moment, the noise from the plaza reached them, and several nobles couldn't help but startle.

The Princess Chang asked: 'What's the commotion?'

Jia Gonggong rushed up from downstairs like the wind, bowing deeply: 'Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! That child defeated Hu Yeming in forty moves, and Hu Yeming spat blood!'

Inside the pavilion, it fell silent again.

No one spoke, but the faces of several top nobles of the Great Zhou were filled with indescribable shock.

……

West Palace Gate Plaza.

The clamor continued.

The naked-bottom child wanted to leave, but was surrounded by several high officials as if he were a precious little lump.

In the distance, the Second Prince of Qin, Ying Zhi Hou, his face the color of pig liver, rebuked Hu Ye Ming: "How could you lose to a child?"

"I, I will definitely not lose to a child!"

Hu Ye Ming shoved away the person supporting him, looked at the bare-bottomed child, and shouted loudly: "Kid! Even if you are a heaven-defying genius, a sage reincarnated, at six or seven you wouldn't necessarily have such schemes and tactics! Tell me, who is your master?"

The densely packed spectators below stopped their discussion and all looked toward the child.

"Yeah, this child couldn't possibly be a self-taught prodigy; someone must have taught him!"

The bare-bottomed child blinked: "I have no master! Those forty moves just now were taught by my prince consort!"

"Prince consort?"

The spectators couldn't help but be stunned.

"Who is your prince consort?!" Hu Ye Ming's face turned ashen; he himself... had actually been defeated by a child who was casually taught by someone??!

The bare-bottomed child thought for a moment, then said: "I'm from the Princess Taiping mansion; my prince consort is naturally the Prince Consort of Princess Taiping!"

In the distant crowd, Jiang Xiaoyu, Sun Qianqian, Luo Xuan, and Ji Yaofan unconsciously looked toward Ji Yaoyue.

Ji Yaoyue's face flushed slightly, and she smiled: "This guy..."

Hu Ye Ming's breathing grew ragged: "Your prince consort taught you forty moves to kill me?"

The bare-bottomed child thought carefully, then said seriously: "Well, my prince consort also said... Master Hu has won repeatedly, his vital energy must be greatly depleted, and playing against a child, he surely left himself a bit careless!"

"We can keep losing, lose our whole lives; as long as we have a move in our play, if we win the final step, we are the ultimate winner!"

After saying that, he jumped down from the high platform, staggered over to his mother to get a drumstick.

"Impossible! Impossible! He couldn't possibly have guessed my state of mind and technique so precisely—is he a monster? Ah!"

Hu Ye Ming shouted face up, then fainted.

Ying Zhi Hou immediately had someone help Hu Ye Ming step back, then looked at Ying Zhi Qi and the others approaching: "Who exactly is the Princess Tai Ping's consort? Isn't the princess unmarried?"

Ying Zhi Qi looked like he'd seen a ghost: "Remember that disciple from a small clan in Chu State I told you about? The definite news—it's him!"

"Heng Xian!" Ying Zhi Hou lowered his voice in a rebuke, flicked his sleeve, and left.

Heng Xian?

The densely packed spectators all around suddenly recalled that "Shī Shèng" who had been scolded for over ten days straight after the New Year!

Who would have thought the one who would save the situation would be him!

He not only has extraordinary poetry, but his chess skill is terrifyingly strong!

Immediately, everyone felt their faces burning hot!

These past few days, everyone present, no matter their purpose, who hasn't scolded Heng Xian?

This is literally a slap in the face—no, it's "Shī Shèng" repaying hatred with virtue, noble and upright!

An old duke who greatly admired Heng Xian couldn't help but sigh: "Shī Shèng, truly a national scholar!"

"Peerless national scholar!"

The spectators were excited, unable to help shouting loudly.

In the corner, Ji Yaoyue could bear it no longer, turning and rushing straight to the Tai Ping Princess Residence.

……

"How did you do that?"

Inside the room, the curtains swayed; Xu Lulu stood before the bed, looking down at Heng Xian from above, her chest rising and falling, revealing a large patch of white.

Heng Xian moved his gaze away from that patch of white, saying: "I'm not used to others being so high above me when they speak!"

Xu Lulu had to crouch: "All right, Young Master Heng! I want to know, how did you calculate those forty steps that completely trapped Hu Ye Ming?"

Heng Xian secretly breathed a sigh of relief; fortunately the child didn't misstep, otherwise it would have been overdone, and he casually said: "This is a long story; a lengthy discussion could go on until tomorrow…"

Xu Lulu interrupted: "Make it short!"

Heng Xian looked at her: "Based on Hu Ye Ming's win count, time, and personality traits, I calculated dozens of possible moves, chose the forty steps with the highest win rate—that's all. What do you think?"

Xu Lulu remained silent for a long time: "I used to think that strategizing and winning from afar was just empty talk! Now I believe it—you, Heng Xian, can do it! I'm convinced!"

Saying that, she drifted away.

"I yield!" Heng Xian changed his posture and entered meditation.

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Ji Yaoyue rushed in, wrapped in a fragrant breeze.

Heng Xian glanced at her, feeling both surprised and delighted, patted the inside of the bed: "How did you come? There's room inside!"

"Bad person, that child's technique just now…"

Ji Yaoyue reached the bedside, her smile suddenly froze, she sniffed the air: "A woman just left? Heng! Xian!"

(End of chapter)