Yu Jiuzhou was elevating Chi Wan’s status. She was making it clear to Lin Qianduo not to take things for granted, not to think the Fuma was the same as before, and not to distrust or underestimate her.
The Fuma of today had a very good relationship with her. To a certain extent, Chi Wan’s words represented her own intentions.
As Lin Qianduo left the cabin, she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how that good-for-nothing wastrel had changed overnight and even gained the deep trust of Her Highness the Princess.
In the end, she arrived at a startling conclusion, one similar to what many others had concluded.
The Fuma had been pretending all along. It was a classic case of biding one’s time, all for the sake of revenge. Now that no one could hold her in check, there was naturally no need to pretend anymore.
Chi Wan was also surprised. She understood Yu Jiuzhou’s meaning—she was backing her up, strengthening her authority.
Lin Qianduo always felt that she was being deceived.
She was skeptical of Chi Wan’s words, which would greatly affect their future cooperation. But after what Yu Jiuzhou had said, things would be completely different.
Yu Jiuzhou had made her stance clear. If Lin Qianduo continued to disbelieve Chi Wan…
The first time could be excused as ignorance, but a second time would be deliberate.
Yu Jiuzhou was aware of Lin Qianduo’s money-making abilities, but for someone in power, she had no need for such a subordinate.
Especially for Yu Jiuzhou, Chi Wan’s importance far outweighed making money.
After all, any of the formulas Chi Wan had produced could bring enormous profits. They could make money with or without Lin Qianduo; it was just that Lin Qianduo’s talent could earn them even more.
But in this world, there was no shortage of skilled merchants. There was, however, only one Fuma.
Chi Wan smiled and placed the peeled chestnuts in front of Yu Jiuzhou. “It feels wonderful to be protected by Your Highness.”
Yu Jiuzhou was speechless. It was fine to know it in your heart, but why say it out loud?
“Your Highness, why don’t we have those beauties come back? Let the music and dancing continue.”
Her mood lifted, and Chi Wan’s thoughts returned to those beautiful young ladies who played the zither and danced so well.
Yu Jiuzhou tossed an orange at her forehead. “Peel it.”
Before, she wouldn’t even let Chi Wan serve her, but now she was giving orders proactively.
Chi Wan picked up the orange, peeled it, and placed it before her.
Just then, a guard entered to report, “Your Highness, Prince Bao’an is here to visit.”
Yu Jiuzhou frowned. She had little desire to deal with this hypocrite.
It was Chi Wan who said, “Your Highness, please wait here. I will go and see.”
Prince Bao’an was thinking of currying favor with Yu Jiuzhou to gain support in his bid for the throne. He had only just secured a ticket to the competition and was currently no match for anyone.
“Mm.”
Chi Wan rose to her feet. As she was about to leave, Yu Jiuzhou’s voice sounded again. “No need to be polite.”
Yu Jiuzhou meant that she didn’t need to be polite to Prince Bao’an.
“Is Your Highness going to back me up?” Chi Wan asked with a grin.
Ever since she could no longer sense Yu Jiuzhou’s killing intent, she had grown much bolder.
She thought Yu Jiuzhou would tell her to shut up and stop talking nonsense again, but she never expected the other woman to say, “I will back you up.”
The words left Chi Wan stunned for a moment, after which she smiled and walked out of the cabin.
In any case, that one sentence was enough.
In Yu Jiuzhou’s view, if a ruler could not back up their own officials, then there was no point in being a ruler.
Sacrificing a chariot to save the general was a tactic, but this wasn’t a game of chess. It wasn’t a game piece, but a human life, and potentially the lives of their entire clan. The resulting loss of talent and the erosion of trust from her officials were consequences she would not accept.
A monarch who could not protect their own officials was weak and unreliable.
Clearly, Yu Jiuzhou was not such a person, nor would she ever become one.
As for Chi Wan, Yu Jiuzhou’s words warmed her heart. Even if they were just words, that was enough.
She arrived on the deck but didn’t see Prince Bao’an anywhere. “Where is he?” she asked.
“Fuma, this prince is here.”
Hearing the voice come from below, Chi Wan understood. She pretended to search around nonchalantly. “Prince Bao’an, where are you?”
“This prince is here.”
Prince Bao’an’s voice grew louder. Only then did she approach the railing and look down. Prince Bao’an had come in a small boat. Without Yu Jiuzhou’s permission, the guards would not dare let him aboard.
Chi Wan asked with a smile, “What business brings Your Highness here?”
“This prince was boating and heard that Her Highness the Princess was here, so I came especially to pay my respects.” Prince Bao’an put on a gentle, handsome smile, attempting to charm everyone present.
“Her Highness has said she will see no one.”
Then, Chi Wan lowered her voice. “Didn’t you see, Your Highness? I tried to sneak aboard, but Her Highness had me thrown into the river. I had to climb back up, soaked to the bone, and just changed my clothes. You’d better not come up, or Her Highness might have you thrown in too.”
Many people had seen her standing on the deck soaking wet, but they hadn’t known why. Hearing her say this, they now understood that Her Highness the Princess had ordered her to be thrown overboard.
Prince Bao’an kept the smile on his face, but inwardly he cursed: She might throw you overboard, but she wouldn’t throw me. What nonsense.
“Fuma, I must trouble you to announce me.” Prince Bao’an was determined to get on the boat. After what she had said, anyone with sense would have left, yet he insisted.
Chi Wan leaned on the railing, beaming. “Your Highness, this Fuma is accompanying the Princess on an imperial command. You had best not disturb us.”
“If Your Highness doesn’t have a boat, this Fuma can charter one for you.”
She waved at a young eunuch watching her from the shore and then called out loudly, “Someone, charter a flower boat for Prince Bao’an!”
A flower boat was different from a pleasure boat; it was filled with young ladies, no different from a brothel.
She whispered to Chen Yuan beside her, “Make sure it’s all men.”
Chen Yuan froze for a second, then bowed to show she understood.
Prince Bao’an had no idea what he was about to face. She was using the Emperor’s money to charter a flower boat for him. What would the Emperor think?
Emperor Shengyuan would surely be furious. He had spent his own money for the Fuma to court the Princess, and the Fuma had been considerate enough to rent only a small boat. But then this tactless Prince Bao’an shows up and dares to take advantage of his generosity. Did he think the Emperor’s money grew on trees?
Inconsiderate, simply too inconsiderate.
Chartering a boat wasn’t expensive, but including all the entertainers on board would cost more than a thousand gold pieces for a single night.
Prince Bao’an waved his hands frantically. “No, no need.”
Before he could finish, someone sent by Chun Gui jumped onto his boat, took the oars, and pulled him away.
Soon, rumors would likely spread that Prince Bao’an had extravagantly spent a fortune to charter a flower boat.
Having dealt with Prince Bao’an, Chi Wan returned to the cabin with a smile, meeting Yu Jiuzhou’s calm gaze as she approached.
“Reporting to Your Highness, mission accomplished.”
As she spoke, she sat down opposite Yu Jiuzhou.
Yu Jiuzhou lifted her teacup. “Guess who will come next.”
Now that it was known she was out on a pleasure boat, Prince Bao’an had come, and others would follow. It was just a matter of who would be first.
Chi Wan hadn’t expected that a simple outing for Yu Jiuzhou would attract so many people who wanted to see her.
Normally, to avoid arousing Emperor Shengyuan’s suspicion, Yu Jiuzhou avoided meeting these people whenever possible. Now that they had an opportunity, they would surely swarm over like flies to meat.
Thinking about it, it really wasn’t easy for Yu Jiuzhou to go out.
“Your Highness, perhaps we should go back.”
“No. Since we’re already out, how can we let these buffoons scare us away?”
From the moment Yu Jiuzhou decided to come out, she was not afraid of these people seeking her out.
Chi Wan raised an eyebrow. “Then we don’t need to pay them any mind. Since we’re out, we might as well have some fun.”
It was lively outside, but unfortunately, Yu Jiuzhou’s itinerary for the day was public. Going out to have fun would likely cause a commotion, and it would be difficult to defend against assassins. It was better to stay on the boat.
Yu Jiuzhou simply turned her head to look out the window, not saying much.
“Your Highness, how about I teach you to play chess?” Since they were idle anyway, they might as well play a game.
Yu Jiuzhou looked at her with displeasure. As the dignified Grand Princess, proficiency in the four arts—zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting—was fundamental. Her skill in Go was naturally beyond question. Where did this person get the confidence to say she would teach her chess?
One look at her expression and Chi Wan knew she had misunderstood. “I was talking about Gomoku.”
“Bring the board.”
She spoke to Chun Gui, who immediately brought a game board and stones.
Chi Wan demonstrated with the black and white stones on the board. “Horizontally, vertically, or diagonally—whoever connects five stones in a row first wins.”
Hearing this new rule, Yu Jiuzhou pondered for a moment, then said, “Play.”
“Black goes first.”
Chi Wan placed the black stones in front of Yu Jiuzhou and made a gesture of invitation.
Yu Jiuzhou did not stand on ceremony. After all, she had just been introduced to this game called Gomoku, so it was only natural for her to go first.
She played her stone near the edge, as one would in Go. Chi Wan smiled and placed her stone next to it.
It had to be said, Yu Jiuzhou was very intelligent. After learning the simple rules, she quickly developed an awareness, not only trying to win herself but also consciously blocking Chi Wan when she saw her trying to form a line.
However, Chi Wan had been playing Gomoku since she was a child. After only a few dozen moves, she secured her victory.
“I win.”
Yu Jiuzhou didn’t answer. She studied the board, and a look of understanding dawned on her face.
Seeing her studying the game, Chi Wan didn’t rush her.
“Continue.” Yu Jiuzhou’s tone held a hint of unwillingness to admit defeat.
Then, as if not wanting to take advantage of Chi Wan, she said flatly, “You first.”
Chi Wan’s lips curved, a clear smile in her eyes. She picked up a black stone and placed it on the Tianyuan—the center point.
In Go, an opening move on the Tianyuan is considered disdainful, a sign of looking down on one’s opponent.
The air around Yu Jiuzhou chilled for an instant, but then she seemed to realize this was Gomoku. The coldness vanished, and she placed her stone as if nothing had happened.
Chi Wan was stunned by this instantaneous change.
As expected of Yu Jiuzhou, her reaction was impeccable.
Chi Wan couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh. “Your Highness, releasing cold air in winter will freeze people to death.”
“Hm?”
Yu Jiuzhou didn’t quite understand what she meant by “cold air.”
Chi Wan didn’t explain. She worried that if she did, Yu Jiuzhou might pick up the game board and smash it over her head—even though Yu Jiuzhou wasn’t such a violent person.
In the second game, Chi Wan won again.
The third game, the fourth, the fifth…
Chi Wan was winning happily, not noticing Yu Jiuzhou’s lips pressing tighter and tighter together.
During the ninth game, Yu Jiuzhou spoke up. “Shall we wager something?”
Hm?
Chi Wan looked over in confusion. Given their current skill levels, she was clearly guaranteed to win. Wasn’t Yu Jiuzhou just handing her a free favor?
“Are you sure you want to bet?”
“Mm.”
Hearing Yu Jiuzhou’s firm reply, Chi Wan smiled and agreed. “What’s the wager?”
Yu Jiuzhou thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”
Chi Wan lowered her eyes in thought. “How about this: whoever loses has to grant the other person one request.”
“Alright.”
They began to play again. This game lasted longer than the others. A cup of tea was finished, but the game was not yet over.
In truth, Chi Wan was considering whether she even needed this request.
Previously, when Yu Jiuzhou had asked what she wanted, she hadn’t said, only that she would tell her later.
Her request was very simple: to leave the capital and find a place with beautiful scenery, with lovely mountains and waters, to live out the rest of her life alone and in comfort.
If Yu Jiuzhou were to grant her another request, she couldn’t think of anything else she wanted.
After a moment of thought, Chi Wan’s drive to block her opponent wasn’t as strong.
After the previous eight games, Yu Jiuzhou’s skill had already improved significantly. With Chi Wan’s slight lapse in concentration, the outcome of the game was decided.
The board was a clear mix of black and white, with each player having made over a hundred moves.
Gomoku wasn’t Go; you couldn’t fill the entire board. When many stones were played in Gomoku, if you looked carefully, you could always find a place to connect five. It all came down to who had the sharper eye.
Chi Wan’s memory was about on par with Yu Jiuzhou’s, but in terms of strategic planning, Yu Jiuzhou was clearly superior.
After all, Yu Jiuzhou had controlled the court for many years, with the entire Great Zhou in her hands. It was only natural for her strategic abilities to be strong.
However, Chi Wan was more familiar with Gomoku, so it was normal for them to be evenly matched.
Once Yu Jiuzhou became fully accustomed to Gomoku, or once Chi Wan had spent more time at court, it would likely be even harder to determine a winner between them.
Chi Wan picked up the teacup beside her and gracefully conceded. “Your Highness wins.”
Yu Jiuzhou looked at the board in silence. “You were letting me win.”
“No,” Chi Wan quickly explained. “Sometimes, not being in top form is also a key factor.”
Her momentary lapse in concentration was her own issue; it couldn’t be said that she had let Yu Jiuzhou win.
Yu Jiuzhou accepted this explanation.
“Then you must promise me one thing.”
Chi Wan hummed in agreement. “I wonder what Your Highness wants me to promise you.”
Yu Jiuzhou thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Nothing for now.”
“Then we can discuss it in the future.”
So, as it stood, they each owed the other one favor.
They had spent half a shichen playing Gomoku, and surprisingly, no one else had come to bother them.
Chi Wan suggested, “It’s getting late. Shall we head back?”
They had come out at the end of you hour and it was now the end of xu hour, almost hai hour.
In ancient times, hai hour was already quite late. Apart from those who went to the pleasure quarter or flower boats for entertainment, most people would be at home sleeping. Normally, this was curfew time.
Just as Chi Wan finished speaking, a guard came in to report, “Your Highness, the Lord Grand Secretary has arrived.”
Gao Zheng? The man was so old, why wasn’t he sleeping at this hour?
A distinct smile touched Yu Jiuzhou’s lips. “He’s finally here.”
Hearing this, Chi Wan understood. The person Yu Jiuzhou had been waiting for was Gao Zheng.
Gao Zheng was the Grand Secretary of Great Zhou, holding the reins of the empire’s administration.
Memorials to the throne first went to the Grand Secretariat, then to the Directorate of Ceremonial for approval. This meant that if the Grand Secretariat did not approve a memorial, it was very likely the Emperor would never even see it.
The power of the Grand Secretariat was immense, so great that even the Emperor was wary of it.
The founding emperor had established the Grand Secretariat to consolidate imperial power, abolish the chancellorship, and suppress the power of officials. But as generations passed, the power controlled by the Grand Secretariat grew larger and larger, to the point where the machinery of Great Zhou could function normally even without an emperor.
At that point, the emperor became a mere figurehead.
In the early years of Emperor Shengyuan’s reign, the Grand Secretary at the time had wanted him to be just such a figurehead. The emperor could eat, drink, and be merry in the rear palace, as long as he didn’t meddle in the affairs of the state and military.
Of course, that Grand Secretary met a miserable end, but it was true that for a long time, Emperor Shengyuan had no real grasp on the power of Great Zhou. This was also what led to his greed and obsession with power.
He would never relinquish power until his last breath.
Chi Wan stood up and moved to the side. She even deliberately messed up her hair a little, making herself look like a bullied little wife.
Seeing her like this, Yu Jiuzhou casually glanced away, afraid she would burst out laughing in the next second.
Dressed in a white ruqun, her hair slightly disheveled, Chi Wan felt she was the very picture of a pitiful little white flower. Who could pass by without feeling a pang of pity?
When Gao Zheng entered, he saw the lofty Grand Princess and, standing to the side, a wronged and pitiful little white flower.
Before his heart could ache for the poor thing, he realized that the little white flower was the Fuma. Wait, were Her Highness the Princess and the Fuma playing such a stimulating game?
The Fuma didn’t look like a Qian Yuan at all, more like a Kun Ze. Then again, the Fuma was a woman, so it was normal for her to wear a ruqun.
He just didn’t know if the Fuma was wearing the ruqun because she wanted to, or because someone had forced her to.
This “someone” was naturally Her Highness the Princess. Besides the Princess, who would dare force the Fuma to wear a ruqun?
The Princess was receiving a guest and didn’t even let the Fuma leave, clearly intending to trample the Fuma’s dignity into the dust.
Gao Zheng began to struggle with whether he should greet the Fuma or not. Perhaps it would be better to pretend he didn’t recognize her.
Gao Zheng awkwardly bowed to Yu Jiuzhou. “This official pays his respects to Your Highness.”
“Elder Gao, why don’t you greet the Fuma?”
Now that Gao Zheng was here, she had to let him see how the Fuma was treated in her presence, so he could go and tattle to the Emperor.
The Emperor must be very curious about today’s events, curious if the Fuma had made any progress.
Chi Wan had just gone out dressed like this, but why was she wearing this outfit? And what had she been doing in the cabin dressed like this? Someone had to go and tell the Emperor.
Yu Jiuzhou certainly didn’t believe that Gao Zheng would hide anything for her sake.
Her words only confirmed to Gao Zheng that the Princess was deliberately humiliating the Fuma.
But since Her Highness had said so, he could only bow to Chi Wan. “Greetings, Fuma.”
Chi Wan, feigning anger and awkwardness, gave a perfunctory reply and turned her head away.
Gao Zheng wasn’t angry. He felt that anyone who suffered such a great humiliation would be angry. He had already entered the cabin, yet the Princess still wouldn’t let the Fuma leave, and this loss of face was happening in front of the Grand Secretary. If he were Chi Wan, he didn’t know how furious he would be.
“Elder Gao, please sit.” Yu Jiuzhou made a gesture of invitation.
Gao Zheng sat down hesitantly. With the Fuma, who held a rank equivalent to a commandery prince, standing beside him, it seemed rather improper for him to be seated.
If it were any other commandery prince, it wouldn’t matter, but Chi Wan had recently gained considerable favor with the Emperor. Meanwhile, because of his son’s affair, the Emperor’s trust in him was not what it used to be.
Gao Zheng didn’t want to offend the Emperor’s favorite, but he wanted to offend the Grand Princess even less. To the Emperor, Chi Wan’s value lay in her being the Fuma. For now, Chi Wan had not yet shown any talent beyond her role as Fuma that would make the Emperor protect her.
Chi Wan stood to the side with a look of shame and indignation, causing Gao Zheng to glance at her frequently.
It was just too awkward. Her Highness the Princess could ignore the Fuma, but he couldn’t. His standing with the Emperor was not as high as the Fuma’s. If the Fuma were to speak ill of him to the Emperor, there would be nothing he could do.
Gao Zheng didn’t know that the ill words had already been spoken.
The Gao family’s two hundred thousand mu of fertile land would be a thorn in Emperor Shengyuan’s side. When he and Gao Zheng were on good terms, he could turn a blind eye to such things, but now their friendship was a thing of the past.
Anyone who dared to plant a thorn in the Emperor’s heart could expect to have their entire clan exterminated.
Gao Zheng had led the charge in annexing private land. Two hundred thousand mu of fertile land was the size of several counties. And that didn’t even include wastelands, mountains, roads, or residential areas—it was all prime farmland.
A prince’s fief was a single county, and even a county-state wouldn’t have much fertile land. Ten thousand mu of fertile land would be considered a wealthy county.
One could only imagine how rich Gao Zheng was.
His son had embezzled a million taels of silver. Even if he had to pay it back tenfold, the Gao family could afford it.
These past two days, Gao Zheng’s heart had been heavy, and he couldn’t sleep at night. His son was surely done for. He could only be sent back to his hometown, with no future in officialdom. Although his son was only a Vice Minister of Works, with him as the Grand Secretary for a father, the Ministry of Works was essentially the Gao family’s domain. Last year, during the dike repairs, his son had embezzled far too much. When the floods came and the dikes collapsed, the matter could no longer be concealed.
His political enemies had held back for so long, waiting for the flood disaster to strike and for so many commoners to die before presenting the evidence directly to the Emperor. He knew who was behind it, but he could only cut his losses.
That day in the imperial study, he had owed the Grand Princess a huge favor for saving his son’s life. He only had one son in his entire life, so he would naturally do everything he could to protect him.
It was only a few million taels of silver; he had already prepared it. The problem was figuring out how to present it.
Should he give it directly to the Emperor, or to the Ministry of Revenue?
If he gave it directly to the Emperor, someone would surely impeach him, and the Emperor as well. It would be a mockery of the relationship between ruler and official—an official bribing the emperor to settle a case.
If he gave it directly to the Ministry of Revenue, there was a similar risk, only this time he and the Minister of Revenue would be impeached. Although the Emperor wouldn’t be implicated, would the Emperor be happy if his privy purse received no money?
The money was there, but how to give it had become a difficult problem.
As the Grand Secretary and the Emperor’s man, Gao Zheng could not take the initiative to seek out a princess or a prince. The Emperor wanted to delegate power to the Grand Princess, but that didn’t mean he would allow the Grand Secretary to become close to her.
Gao Zheng wanted to find the Grand Princess but had no opportunity. Today, the Princess was out, so he came immediately.
He had come in secret and absolutely could not let the Emperor find out.
But the current situation was very uncomfortable. The Fuma was standing behind him, and the Grand Princess before him showed no intention of bringing up the topic. What was he supposed to say?
Gao Zheng hesitated for a long time. The Fuma showed no sign of leaving, so he could only bite the bullet and say, “Your Highness, this official has come today to ask for a favor.”
“Please speak, Elder Gao.” Yu Jiuzhou made a gesture of invitation.
Gao Zheng glanced at Chi Wan out of the corner of his eye before saying, “Your Highness, this official has prepared the silver my son embezzled. I implore Your Highness to teach me how it should be given to His Majesty.”
Of course, he knew the best way to give it to His Majesty: use the Grand Princess’s hand to enrich the Emperor’s privy purse, and then use a portion of the silver to silence the Ministry of Revenue.
If it wasn’t given directly from his own hands, it couldn’t be considered him bribing the Emperor or the Ministry of Revenue.
Yu Jiuzhou sneered inwardly. A man who could rise to the position of Grand Secretary hardly needed her instruction. He had already thought of a solution and just wanted to hear it from her lips.
She raised her eyes to look at Chi Wan. Receiving her gaze, Chi Wan immediately said, “Elder Gao, are you trying to get Her Highness to deliver the silver for you? What about Her Highness’s reputation?”
Chi Wan’s words infuriated Gao Zheng. And you, a dignified Fuma, are wearing a ruqun and looking so disheveled, a Qian Yuan being bullied by a Kun Ze like this—is that what you call having a reputation?
But he didn’t dare say this out loud. He could only say gently, “Fuma, you are mistaken. Her Highness is the Grand Princess. His Majesty has said that Her Highness has the talent to assist the state. This matter of me using silver to atone for a crime does not sound good, no matter how it’s put. This solution was proposed by Her Highness and the Fuma, and this official is naturally grateful. But for the sake of His Majesty’s reputation, I implore Her Highness to consider it for His Majesty.”
Chi Wan let out a deliberate, cold laugh. “Elder Gao makes it sound so easy. Her Highness and I gave you a solution to save your son, and now it’s somehow our fault? By that logic, are we, as a couple, meddling where we shouldn’t?”
Yu Jiuzhou: “?” Who’s the dog?
And she had called them a couple. Her ears grew a little hot, but in the end, she held her tongue.
Gao Zheng quickly waved his hands, denying it. “Your Highness, Fuma, this official had no such intention.”
“Alright, Chi Wan. Elder Gao meant no such thing.” At this point, it was Yu Jiuzhou’s turn to step in.
The two of them worked together in perfect harmony. If it weren’t for Chi Wan’s attire and her appearance of being clearly humiliated by the Grand Princess, Gao Zheng would have found it hard not to suspect that they were deliberately putting on a show for him.
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