The Forty-Fourth Hexagram of Da Han Yan Hua

  This lovely father-son duo made Zhang Yan burst out laughing, but as soon as Fan Jiang left the room, the noisy atmosphere subsided. She sized up the young man sitting by the window, drinking and crying alone, as if she didn't exist at all.

  This is really ——

  Zhang Yan took a deep breath, since crossing over to this world, she had never been ignored by someone so thoroughly. Especially when that person looked as gentle and lovely as a flower, it really made her unhappy.

  There, Zhang put down the empty wine jug in his hand, re-arranged the chessboard, held white with his left hand and black with his right hand, alternately playing two pieces of white and black, it turned out that he was playing against himself. The chess pieces fell on the board, making a crisp sound.

  "She couldn't help but ask, 'Is it fun for you to win or lose like this?'"

  "No." Zhang He said, "But anyway, it's just a pastime." He finally raised his head and glanced at Zhang Yan. The little girl had drunk half a jar of wine, her face was rosy, but she was still sober, walked to the opposite side, picked up the white piece, and said, "I'll accompany you for another round." A pair of cat-like eyes, shiny black, sparkling with light.

  "You," Zhang looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze, "are also fine."

  She picked up the pieces on the board and put them back in the box, and heard Zhang He laugh and say, "After you left last time, Cao Kui and Xiao Sui made a bet to guess whether you were a boy or a girl. As it turns out, I was right, you're a young lady."

  "What's your name?"

  Smile.

  She replied, frowning and staring at the chessboard, only then did she realize the difference between Go in this era and later generations.

  Two Han Weiqi, the board has a total of seventeen paths, simpler than the nineteen paths in later generations. Unlike later generations who started with black, at this time, white pieces were played first.

  "This is quite troublesome," Zhang Yan thought, smiling and asking Zhang He, "Can I have a few children?"

  "Zhang asked her, 'How old are you this year?'"

  "I'll be seven years old during the New Year."

  "Seven years old, huh." Zhang's lips curled up slightly as he smiled and said, "When I was seven years old, in the game of Go, no one in the imperial palace could beat me. I'll let you win eight pieces."

  "No need." Zhang Yan placed four white pieces on the chessboard, smiling and saying, "Four pieces are enough." He knew he was referring to that period of time when they were temporarily living in Linyou, when their brothers were still young, and could still be friendly and respectful to each other. At that time, there was a group of childhood friends around them, who could laugh out loud without any worries, and show off their talents freely.

  Zhang He didn't respond with a yes or no, and instead made his next move by placing a black stone. He looked up to see Zhang Yan furrowing her brow in concentration, looking extremely cute, and couldn't help but smile.

  Zhang Yan furrowed her brow in contemplation. Although she didn't want to be overly conspicuous among the crowd, she was also very mindful not to let people notice that she stood out too much. She always forced herself to appear younger, more carefree and worry-free, putting on a facade of an ordinary six or seven-year-old child as seen by others. However, in front of Zhang He alone, she refused to be too mediocre, lest he looked down on her.

  After a long time, she hesitated and pressed down on a white piece.

  Zhang He's chess skills were exceptional, and he didn't mind how she moved her pieces. He thought very little before making a move, and his style was quick and decisive. However, slowly but surely, Zhang Yan's moves also became quicker, almost as soon as his piece landed, hers would follow, without any hesitation. The two of them went back and forth, and the game quickly reached the middle stage. It was only then that Zhang He felt a sense of difficulty creeping in, as if the entire board had been subtly constrained, and no matter where he placed his pieces, they seemed to be drawn into a vortex, ultimately being swept away by his opponent. Unbeknownst to him, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise, sizing up the little girl sitting across from him, who still furrowed her brow as before, focusing all her energy on the board, seemingly oblivious to his gaze.

  He was hesitant and uncertain, concentrating all his energy on the chessboard, slowing down gradually, hesitating left and right, while his opponent still managed to make a move as soon as he made one, seemingly without caring where his pieces fell.

  Zhang He let out a bitter laugh and conceded defeat.

  Zhang Yan let out a breath, and only then did she realize that sweat was dripping down her forehead.

  "After I was seven years old and my chess skills were established, except for losing a few games to my father's hand, I have never been so badly defeated." Zhang He said with a smile, only then did he take the girl in front of him seriously.

  Zhang Yan was taken aback, and then smiled awkwardly, "How dare I compare myself to Liu Hou? In fact, it's just that I, Ah Yan, have been clever. My knowledge of the chess path is limited, but in the past, I saw a chess manual where, when the opponent concedes four pieces, one can lead their chess power step by step into one's own formation. If the game reaches the middle stage, then no matter how strong the opponent's chess power is, they will already be powerless."

  "Is there really such a wonderful chess manual in the world?" Zhang He asked in surprise, "I don't know where Mistress Zhang saw it."

  "Listen to what he said, that person himself has forgotten." Zhang Yan smiled and said, "In fact, this trick is ingenious in theory, but it's extremely difficult to use. First, the opponent must be willing to let go of the four pieces, and when Gongzi first played chess with Ah Yan, he was too careless, which led him into the trap. If the opponent had known beforehand and refused to give up the four pieces, or if his chess skills were slightly weaker and didn't fall for my trap, it wouldn't have worked at all."

  Zhang He smiled slightly.

  "Does Elder Brother have a letter?"

  He listened to the girl's question, and was taken aback for a moment. "Men usually get their names at the age of coming of age. I'm only fifteen this year, but among friends, I've taken a name."

  "I know this," Zhang Yan smiled with pursed lips, "I've heard my uncle mention it before, it's the son of Yan Yinhong."

  "Hmm." Zhang Xie nodded with a smile, only saying that the uncle in Zhang Yan's mouth was Fan Jue, and didn't pay much attention to it. Seeing the faint admiration in the girl's eyes, he felt a stir in his heart and asked, "Has Ah Yan seen me before?"

  "Huh?" Zhang Yan paused for a moment, then smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "No. It's just that I have an older brother who looks very much like you. When I see you, it's as if I'm seeing him, and I always can't help but feel close to you."

  If I really can't go back, then being able to see Zhang Xie, who is so similar to Guan Er, isn't that also Guan Er's blessing for herself in another time and space?

  "A Yan," he put away the chessboard and said lightly, "It's late, I'll send you back."

  Zhang Yan nodded and when she stood up, she suddenly felt a blackness in front of her eyes. Zhang Xie quickly supported her and asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

  "It's nothing." Zhang Yan smiled and shook her head.

  When getting on the bus, Zhang Xiang asked, "A Yan, where is your home?"

  Shangguan Li

  Zhang hesitated for a moment. Shangguan was located between Chang'an and Weiyuan, where most of the residents were imperial relatives. "Who is your father?"

  Zhang Yan turned back and smiled, "As it happens, we are still of the same clan. My father is Xuanping Hou Zhang Jie."

  In front of the Hou Mansion, Zhang Xiang bid farewell to Zhang Yan, who led Hua Mei back to the mansion. They walked quickly through the front courtyard and turned into the corner gate. Suddenly, a voice was heard from the corridor, "Ah Yan, where are you coming from?" The voice was calm and elegant, it was her Princess Mother.

  Zhang Yan stiffened for a moment, then turned back with a smile and said, "This morning I went to the suburbs of Beijing to look for my sister Jingniang. Mother knows about it. Later, I thought of Grandma and went into the palace again." She blinked her eyes innocently.

  "It's settled." Lu Yuan said with a stern face, "Your aunt had someone come and say that you will be sent out of the palace after noon."

  "Ah, yes, it's true. But Fan's uncle took me to the East City to drink wine, and I just got back."

  Lu Yuan's eyes flashed with a smile, "About an hour ago, your aunt from the Fan family was carrying their family rules to chase after her son everywhere. Your cousin then hid in our house. The two of them staged a great show of beating the disobedient son right here in this courtyard. In the end, your cousin couldn't take it anymore and confessed that he had hidden his father's butcher knife under the fake mountain rock by the lake in our estate."

  Pfft, Zhang Yan couldn't help but laugh and threw herself into Lu Yuan's arms, lifting her head up. "My uncle was busy dodging his father's rod and left me with Yan Yin, just now it was Yan Yin who sent me back."

  "Is it Lord Yan's son?" Lu Yuan blinked, somewhat surprised. "It was him." She muttered a sentence and didn't ask further, patting her daughter on the head. "Today your uncle is also too rash, let's just forget about it. But Ah Ruan, although you're still young, you are one of the top noble ladies in Chang'an. Your father and I have never taught you to stay outside with strangers." She sternly said, "From now on, don't be so unruly. If something happens, what should your father and I do?"

  "Mother," Zhang Yan protested, "you can't mean to keep me confined in the mansion, or I'll eventually get sick from boredom."

  "Who wants to restrict you?" Lu Yuan tapped her nose, "In the future, when going out, bring a few more servants from your own household. In Chang'an City, wherever other girls can go, you can also go."

  "Mother is the best." Zhang Yan happily thanked.

  After washing up in the room, changing into her nightclothes, Zhang Yan stood in front of the copper mirror to comb her hair. At this time, her hair had grown a bit longer and could reach down to her waist. After several months of careful maintenance, it was much softer than when she first arrived. When her hair was still slightly damp from washing, it was at its most luscious when combed, and the long strands could be combed all the way through, giving her a great sense of accomplishment.

  "Master," said Tong Su with a pout.

  "Wait," Zhang Yan finally remembered, turning back with a serious expression. "My father is no longer a feudal lord, so from now on you don't have to call me 'Young Mistress' anymore. You can just address me as 'Miss' like the other noble families."

  "This..." Mu Jin was not pleased, and after being glanced at by Zhang Yan, reluctantly changed his form of address to "wife."

  "Girl, why did you tell the Empress today in the palace that the balm was made by Jingniang of the Dongyuan Gong House?"

  "Isn't it made by Jingniang herself with one hand and one foot?" Zhang Yan looked at Tuo Mo curiously, full of puzzlement.

  "But," the little girl said hastily, "if we put it that way, the empress will think those are her ideas." It's clear that they were all the recipes that Wang Zhong and his wife had searched out everywhere and taught her carefully how to make, but somehow she seemed to have taken credit for them. What's going on here?

  "You're thinking too much." Zhang Yan said with a smile, "What belongs to whom is what belongs to them, how can it be easily changed by someone's words?"

  "But—" Xiaolan was about to continue, but saw Zhang Yan suddenly frown and bend down, saying, "Don't mention this again, it's disturbing me, my head hurts a bit."

  She thought Zhang Yan was just pretending to avoid her questioning, but after a while, she saw that Zhang Yan's face had turned pale and cold sweat was dripping from her forehead, which didn't seem like an act. She panicked and supported Zhang Yan, saying, "Madam, should we call the doctor to take a look?"

  "It's nothing." Zhang Yan shook her head and said, "The pain comes in waves, just grit your teeth and get through it. Help me onto the bed to lie down for a bit."

  Lying in bed was indeed better, Zhang Yan fell asleep drowsily and woke up the next day feeling a bit dizzy. Seeing Tong Hua's worried expression, she smiled and comforted her, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

  "But the young lady is still so young, and having such a headache, it's not a good thing." Mulan's expression was serious, "I'd better go report to Princess Chang."

  "Don't," Zhang Yan pulled her sleeve and said, "Mother has been taking care of your brother these days and is already very worried. Don't bother her with such a small matter. - It's probably because I didn't dry my hair properly yesterday and caught a cold from the wind, I'll be more careful next time."

  I frankly admit that I am a chess idiot. I know the rules of Chinese Chess, but when playing, my vision is short-sighted and only focuses on the present, so-called "thinking five steps ahead" will never happen to me. As for Go...

  When writing this chapter, I once searched online for a Go chess beginner's guide to take a look, but after reading three or four chapters, I retreated in defeat.

  So if there are Go experts who think that this chapter is purely nonsense about Go, then I am indeed purely talking nonsense.

  PK enters the final week, seeking pink votes.