Chess Tournament

What looked near was far indeed; by the time their boat drew close to the painted pleasure barge, night had already fallen.

Looking closely, the pleasure barge was quite large, with carved beams and painted pillars. Even the windows were fitted with costly glass, shimmering brilliantly beneath the lantern light. From afar, they could hear clear, melodious singing, and through the half-raised beaded curtains, they could glimpse singing girls dancing gracefully.

The organizers of this chess tournament truly have money to burn, Su Ziji thought. Living on a pleasure barge like this is better than the finest room at an inn.

He hurried back into the cabin and saw Ye Buhui slumped over the table, already asleep. She was not yet fifteen, at the age when one craved sleep, so Su Ziji did not laugh at her. He merely gave her a gentle push. "Buhui, wake up. We're here."

Ye Buhui rubbed her eyes and sat up. She stared blankly for a moment before realizing she had fallen asleep. She blinked, and her face immediately reddened.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner? What time is it now?" She glared at Su Ziji and huffed.

"Don't worry, we came at just the right time. Apparently, the organizers said that the days were short and the nights long, so why not roam by candlelight? The ancients had good reason for it. That is why they're playing chess by candlelight tonight."

"Now is just the time to register."

Su Ziji pulled her to her feet and headed for the deck. Sure enough, when they looked out from there, they saw several boats rowing toward the pleasure barge not far away.

Several servants stood aboard the barge. They had just lowered a rope ladder to receive the chess players when another boat arrived. Yu Lü, who had also been roused from sleep, stood on deck yawning, making it somewhat unclear who had come to compete.

One of the middle-aged men in gray robes clasped his hands. "The rules of the chess tournament state that each player may bring only one unrelated companion aboard. Which of the three of you is the player? And do you have any companions?"

"I'm the player, and he's my companion coming aboard with me!" Ye Buhui answered brightly, tugging Su Ziji to her side.

It was not unusual for women to take part in chess tournaments. The middle-aged man merely glanced at her, opened the register in his hand, and searched up and down before asking after a moment, "Miss Ye?"

"That's me."

"Then it matches. Please come aboard." As he spoke, a rope ladder was lowered.

Worried that Ye Buhui might be afraid, Su Ziji was about to help her up. To his surprise, the girl needed no help at all and nimbly climbed up in a few steps. The rope ladder swayed during the climb, making it look rather perilous.

When she turned back, she smugly held out her little hand and said with a grin, "Su Ziji, I'll pull you up!"

The phrase "a petty man flushed with success" came vividly to life in this girl. Su Ziji snorted with laughter, then grabbed on and climbed aboard even faster.

"Hmph!" Ye Buhui immediately withdrew her hand and gave a heavy snort.

Su Ziji felt he had long since grown used to this little grandaunt's fickle, dog-faced temper, so he did not get angry. He even had the leisure to call out toward the boat drifting farther away, "Brother Yu, please come pick us up tomorrow!"

Yu Lü waved at them. His voice was somewhat indistinct, but he was probably cheering Ye Buhui on and wishing her good results.

"I am one of the managers of this pleasure barge. My surname is Hu, so you may call me Manager Hu." The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier stood smiling at the side and spoke again.

Though Manager Hu's appearance was ordinary and he was middle-aged, his eyes were clear. Su Ziji could not help taking a few extra looks at him.

Manager Hu was leading the two of them into the cabin when his gaze fell into the distance and he froze. "Eh? They came so quickly..."

The rest of his words seemed to have been swallowed back out of concern for being overheard.

Following his gaze, Su Ziji saw a considerably smaller pleasure barge. It was neither too far nor too close, and it looked somewhat familiar.

Just as he was pondering this, a maid stepped onto that barge's deck. Soon afterward, a young girl wrapped in a pale green cloak emerged from the cabin. Her hair was styled in hanging side locks adorned with green jade, and as she stood in the moonlight facing the wind, she resembled an immortal maiden.

Su Ziji was slightly taken aback. "It's her?"

I saw her in the mist. She should have been faster than us, so why did she fall behind instead? What was the logic of that?

Su Ziji's gaze was almost tangible. Though they were far apart, the girl still frowned and looked over. When she saw Su Ziji standing aboard the pleasure barge for the chess tournament and watching her, she too froze.

Why did she keep running into this young man? Was this cursed fate truly impossible to shake off?

"Miss?" the maid softly reminded her.

Remembering her Third Aunt's instructions, the girl lowered her eyes. "It is nothing. Let us return to the cabin and make preparations, then go inspect the pleasure barges one by one."

With that, she simply went back inside.

"Su Ziji, what are you looking at?" Su Ziji was standing thoughtfully on the pleasure barge's deck when a sharp pain suddenly came from his waist. Turning around, he saw Ye Buhui watching him suspiciously, her hand still pinching him.

"What are you looking at? Are you thinking up some bad idea? Your smile just now was so strange!" Though she did not know whom Su Ziji had been watching, a flare of anger rose within Ye Buhui. By the time she realized it, she had already dealt him a "poisonous hand."

"I was merely thinking about something. You, on the other hand, are about to compete. Shouldn't you be making preparations?" Su Ziji said, half in earnest and half in jest.

Sure enough, Ye Buhui huffed the next moment. "You're allowed to look, but I'm not?"

Su Ziji smiled. As soon as he turned his head, he met Manager Hu's thoughtful gaze head-on.

Manager Hu had not expected Su Ziji to turn around so suddenly. He hastily hid his expression and became once more the ordinary-looking manager, smiling as he said, "You two, it is getting late. For this chess tournament, seven boats are divided into seven competition areas. The contestants drew lots beforehand. I will take you to the venue."

"What if someone arrives late?"

"The tournament lasts seven days. The first four days are for the preliminary rounds, and contestants may participate on any of those days. The following two rounds each take place over one day, and on the final day there will be a grand banquet. If someone is late for all four preliminary days, they may not participate."

Manager Hu said with a smile, "You arrived early. Once you have finished the preliminaries, you may enjoy yourselves more on the pleasure barges. There are continuous banquets at noon and at night, free of charge."

If they wanted a lavish feast, they would have to order it themselves. Su Ziji nodded repeatedly. The seven pleasure barges had dozens of rooms of various sizes; without someone leading the way, it truly would be easy to get lost.

"Then we will trouble you, Manager Hu."

Yet along the way, Manager Hu probed around the edges, seemingly more interested in Su Ziji, the companion, than in anything else. Suspicion gradually rose in Su Ziji's heart, and he merely smiled and gave evasive replies.

Ye Buhui was no fool. She quickly noticed that Manager Hu's attitude was off, so she simply pulled Su Ziji into conversation. Seeing this, Manager Hu asked no more questions. He brought them to a rather large cabin, then excused himself.

"This place is huge," Ye Buhui said quietly as she entered.

"It is huge indeed!" The cabin was around fifty square meters, likely the largest space on this pleasure barge. Several dozen people were already inside. Aside from the obvious chess players and accompanying spectators, there were also servants in uniform clothing, who should have been people from the tournament organizers.

Anyone who needed tea or snacks could ask for them. Su Ziji saw a simply dressed scholar speaking to one of the servants.

"Please show your numbers, the two of you," a servant came forward and said.

Ye Buhui showed hers, then followed him toward their seats, drawing quite a few eyes.

At first, they had taken Su Ziji for the chess player. Only once they reached the competition seats did they realize that the contestant was this girl who had not even come of age!

Several people immediately showed disdain. Though none spoke aloud, they had clearly begun to look down on Ye Buhui because of her age and gender.

That was only human nature. Even with Ye Buhui's temper, she held back her anger. She merely swept them a resentful glance.

Hmph. If I meet you later, I'll slaughter you until not a single piece of armor remains!

The first to approach was a young gentleman. Though his looks were ordinary, his features were upright and his eyes clear. He saluted Ye Buhui and Su Ziji. "This unworthy one is Zhang Modong. Greetings, you two! Since we are seated beside one another, rather than wait idly for the chess tournament, why not chat for a while?"

"This unworthy one is Su Ziji, and my younger sister's surname is Ye." Su Ziji returned the salute. "Since Brother Zhang has suggested it, that would naturally be excellent."

Zhang Modong had some standing among these people. Once he came over, several people nearby also gathered around, greeting Su Ziji and Ye Buhui as they chatted casually.

Through their conversation, Su Ziji learned that of the several dozen people present, only a dozen or so were chess players. Everyone else had come along to watch.

And Zhang Modong was not merely a chess player, but also a Cultivated Talent. No wonder he was so sought after.

Though many of the chess players were scholars, some had remained Examination Students for a long time without managing to become Cultivated Talents, while others were not even Examination Students and worked at other trades.

Only Zhang Modong was young and from a fairly well-off family. It was only natural that someone like him would be admired.

"So Brother Su is here to take the Prefectural Examination? With Brother Su's talent, you will surely become a Cultivated Talent this time." Learning that Su Ziji had become an Examination Student at only fifteen, Zhang Modong began to see him in a new light, and his attitude grew more cordial.

"Hmph, showing off again." Ye Buhui had become a backdrop, while all the glory went to Su Ziji. She gave a cold snort, then frowned. As she carefully examined her feelings, she realized she was not all that angry. Instead, a faint pride rose within her, one that even she had not expected.

Were they united against a common enemy, and thus presenting a united front to the outside?

While she was still thinking, some people saw Zhang Modong treating Su Ziji and Ye Buhui with such courtesy and became puzzled, even resentful.

After learning that Su Ziji was an Examination Student who had come to the prefectural city to accompany his younger sister in the chess tournament while also taking the examination, one of them could not resist coming over to offer "advice that grated on the ear." "On the eve of the Prefectural Examination, you are still accompanying your younger sister in a chess tournament? It is not good to divide your attention like this. Young people should remain focused."

Su Ziji glanced at him and said blandly, "The chess tournament comes first, and the Prefectural Examination afterward. It will not distract me much."

The other man refused to let it go. "Even so, there is not much time between them. Linhua County is not a major county for the Imperial Examinations. Since you are already an Examination Student, if you do not work hard to become a Cultivated Talent, how can you face the teachers of the County Academy?"

"So Your Excellency is actually a Cultivated Talent? Forgive my disrespect, forgive my disrespect," Su Ziji said in sudden realization.

"Why do you say that?" The man choked. "I am not a Cultivated Talent."

Of course Su Ziji knew that he was not a Cultivated Talent. From their earlier conversation, he had already learned that among these people, only Zhang Modong was a Cultivated Talent. The others either had no scholarly rank or were merely Examination Students.

Su Ziji had deliberately praised him first, and now he shot back, "In that case, Your Excellency must also be taking the Prefectural Examination. Rather than spend your time meddling in my affairs, you should review more yourself. One must be strict with oneself and lenient toward others; that is the conduct of a gentleman."

The man froze for a moment before understanding what Su Ziji meant. His face immediately reddened, and he pointed a finger. "You!"

After stammering "you" several times, he still could not think of anything to refute him with. He flung his sleeve and left outright.

Su Ziji did not even spare him a glance. Why bother? Saying one more word to such a fool might lower one's intelligence.

Just as Su Ziji raised his teacup, preparing to take a sip, a young girl's soft laugh suddenly sounded beside his ear. His hand paused, but when he listened again, the sound was gone.

He swept his gaze around. Everyone in the cabin wore natural expressions; none seemed to have heard the laughter.