Clear and Muddy Loss of Love

A game of leftovers sends deep affection

Qi Yan turned his head and saw the chess box on the shelf, and said with a smile: "It's been a long time since I played chess with Your Highness, I wonder if Your Highness is interested in having a game with my servant?"

Nangong Jingnv readily agreed, and the two didn't ask the servants to come in to serve. Nangong Jingnv brought the chessboard, and Qi Yan got up and took the chess box off the shelf.

Opening the box, Qi Yan naturally picked up a sunspot and put it on the star position, but her hand stopped in mid-air.

In the past, she and Nangong Jingnv always played handicap chess, Qi Yan handicapped two to four pieces, and then played white first.

Seeing Qi Yan's embarrassed face, Nangong Jingnv said lightly, "Let's guess first."

"Okay." Qi Yan threw the black pieces back into the box, and pushed the white pieces in front of Nangong Jingnv. Nangong Jingnv caught the odd numbers, and Qi Yan caught the even numbers. According to the rules, Nangong Jingnv took the white pieces first.

Nangong Jingnu: "I'm asking for advice." As she said that, she pressed a white piece on the star position in the upper left corner of the chessboard...

On the other side, the court hall looked different. It was rare that "Nangong Rang" did not come, and the Jian Guo prince Nan Gongda and the third prince Nan Gongwang debated again about the candidate for the chief examiner.

The general examination is to select talents for the final palace examination. It can be said that the chief examiner of the general examination is the nominal "mentor" of all candidates this year. Whichever faction masters this is equivalent to monopolizing the talent reserve in the court for the next three years.

The Fifth Prince Nan Gongda elected Gong Yanghuai, Shangshu of the Ministry of Rites, as the chief examiner for this year. The Ministry of Rites has always been in charge of the imperial examinations in the Wei Kingdom. They all meet the requirements of an examiner. The most important thing is that Gong Yanghuai has joined Nangongda's camp...

Even Qi Yan once wrote to him and told him: Our only mission is to be loyal to the emperor.The implication is to warn Gong Yanghuai not to stand in line easily, the position of the crown prince has not yet been determined, the battle for the throne is changing, and no one will know the answer until the last moment.There are many lessons learned in history. Every time a new emperor ascends the throne, a large number of officials are replaced. If you want to gain a foothold in the court to the end, the best way is to remain neutral, and you can protect yourself wisely without any merit or fault...

However, what Gongyanghuai represented in the court was not him alone, but the family interests of the entire Gongyang clan.He is not like Zhongshuling Xing Jingfu who is an extremely personable official, neither side will easily offend the other.

Although the official rank of Minister of the Ministry of Rites is not low, but when the party struggle is at such a stage, if you don't choose sides, you may be a black hat and you won't be able to keep it.

After deliberation and decision by the entire Gongyang clan, Nangongda, the prince of Jianguo, was chosen.

The third prince, Nan Gongwang, recommended Lu Boyuan, then Minister of the Ministry of Officials, the eldest son of the Taiwei Mansion and the former number one scholar.

Ever since Concubine Hui's mother's family collapsed and the second and fourth princes were imprisoned, Lu Boyuan and Nan Gongwang gradually became close friends, and of course Qi Yan also contributed to this.

She once suggested a clever plan to Nangong, asking him to find a way to win the support of the Taiwei Mansion.

Since Lu Quan claimed to be sick five years ago, he rarely went to court, and has been retreating to Tangquan Mountain to recuperate.This matter can be deceived but Qi Yan can't deceive others. She knows that Lu Quan wants to use this method to drag the emperor to death.

As long as Nangong Rang dies, Lu Quan, as the founding father of the country and a veteran of the two dynasties, and Nangong Rang's brother of the opposite sex, there is absolutely no way for the new emperor to take action against the Taiwei Mansion again!

Lu Quan once told his eldest son not to stand in line, but unfortunately Lu Boyuan did not have as keen a sense of politics as his father.He is a man with great ambitions, unwilling to live in the shadow of his father all his life, so he hit it off with Nangong Wang logically.

From Lu Boyuan's point of view, although Nangongda is the prince of Jianguo, he seems to have more advantages than Nangongwang, but these are just appearances.

First of all, the fifth prince's mother and concubine are not honorable. They are both concubines, but they are not as old as Nangongwang. The prince inherited the Datong.

……

Of course, there are different voices about the candidates for the examiner.

Some veterans of the neutral faction recommended Zhongshuling Xing Jingfu, which is the so-called "loyalty to the emperor" power.

But no matter which of the three is the chief examiner, there is no real benefit to Nangong Jingnu. What she needs now is someone who can extradite talents to her camp.

In Weiming Palace, Nangong Shunv took Qi Yuxiao's hand and walked on the way to the main hall.

The little guy is in a good mood today, jumping up and down along the way.

Nangong Shunv, who has always abided by the palace rules and etiquette, has never restricted Xiao Yuxiao's nature, and today she looks a little out of her mind.

Suddenly, Nangong Shunv stopped, Qi Yuxiao raised her head curiously, and asked, "Second Aunt, why don't you leave?"

Nangong Shunv looked down at Qi Yuxiao, a glimmer of light flashed in her gloomy eyes.She squatted down, put her hands on Qi Yuxiao's immature shoulders, and asked, "Does Yuxiao know why your father can't go home for three years?"

Qi Yuxiao thought for a moment, then replied: "Didn't the second aunt say that father is a local parent official, so he can't go back to Beijing easily?"

Nangong Shunv shook her head, and said seriously: "You have grown up now, Second Aunt told you that it was actually your father and mother who had a quarrel, and your father has only been to Jinzhou for three years and has not returned."

Qi Yuxiao's watery eyes widened, and she asked childishly, "Why did father and mother quarrel?!"

Nangong Shunv: "The reason for the quarrel is not important anymore, do you want them to reconcile as before?"

Qi Yuxiao: "Think!"

Nangong Shunv looked at both sides, and said in a low voice: "In the next few days, you will let Xiancao and Ganoderma lucidum take you to the main hall to find your father, find a way to let your father and mother meet, and pester them all day long, okay? "

Qi Yuxiao obviously hesitated: "But... mother doesn't like Yuxiao pestering her."

Nangong Shunv said firmly: "As long as your father is around, your mother will never scold you."

Qi Yuxiao: "Good!"

Nangong Shunv exhaled shallowly, feeling that the depression in her heart had dissipated a lot.Although Qi Yuxiao felt a little sorry for doing this, if this was the only way to make Qi Yan have no time to see Xiaodie, that was the only way she could do it.

Qi Yan is the prefect of one party, and he will go back to Jinzhou in a few days, as long as he delays these days, it will be fine.

……

Nangong Shunv quickly brought Qi Yuxiao to the main hall of Weiming Palace. Seeing Qiu Ju guarding outside, she asked, "Jingnu is reading?"

Qiu Ju said with a smile: "The son-in-law came in the morning, and he hasn't come out inside. Do you need a servant to go in and tell me?"

Nangong Shunv was a little surprised: "No need, the weather is good today, I will sit in the yard with the princess for a while."

Qiu Ju: "Yes."

In the dormitory, black pieces and white pieces almost covered the chessboard, the two pieces each occupied half of the wall, and it was indistinguishable that the two pieces were indistinguishable, only the corner on Qi Yan's left hand side had more than a dozen vacant spaces, which became the key to who would win the chess game.

Nangong Jingnv Qing Congyu held a white piece between her fingertips. She had been taking the exam for almost half an hour, but she still hadn't settled for it.

Qi Yan withdrew her gaze from the opponent's face and cast it on the chessboard.

The improvement of Nangong Jingnv's chess skills is reasonable, but it is better than Qi Yan imagined.

Although the black chess has the upper hand on the chessboard right now, the remaining number of chess pieces in this corner is enough for Nangong Jingnv to turn the situation around. She tried her best in this chess game.

With a sound of "pa", Nangong Jingnv dropped the ball, and the white ball was inserted into the last open space on Qi Yan's left hand like a nail.

Qi Yan hooked the corners of her mouth, put her finger into the chess box, and with a "crash" sound, she picked up a sunspot and pressed it against the eyebrow peak on the left.

Qi Yan: "Your Highness."

Nangong Jingnv raised her eyebrows and cast her eyes on Qi Yan's face, this was the first sentence the opponent said after playing chess.

Nangong Jingnu: "What's the matter?"

Qi Yan: "Your Highness thinks... who will win this game of chess?"

Nangong Jingnv frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"

Qi Yan smiled and said: "It's nothing, I'm just asking."

Nangong Jingnv inspected the chessboard and said cautiously: "Although Heizi has won Wumu now, Kongmu is still enough, it is not a foregone conclusion."

Qi Yan: "Since that's the case, would Your Highness raise the stakes?"

Nangong Jingnv's eyes were burning: "Oh?"

Qi Yan lowered her eyes, turned her gaze back to the chessboard, and said softly: "If I win by chance, can your Highness promise me something?"

Hearing this, Nangong Jingnv's heart flashed with sullen anger: Once upon a time, she felt that Qi Yan's calm and relaxed appearance with the winning ticket in her hands was indescribably dazzling, but now looking at it, only discontent and anger remained.

She hated Qi Yan's appearance as if he was in control of everything. Back then, he betrayed him first and relied on his understanding of himself to preserve his concubine's mother and daughter. Although three years later, this wound has been aching.

In the past three years since Qi Yan left, only she knows how much effort Nangong Jingnv has put in. She vowed to surpass this heartless person in all aspects, and let him experience the feeling of being manipulated in the palm of his hand during the holidays!

Nangong Jingnu laughed back angrily: "Your son-in-law is still so confident, don't you think about losing?"

Qi Yan raised her head suddenly, looked straight into Nangong Jingnu's eyes, and said in a low voice: "If I lose, I will let His Highness handle it."

Nangong Jingnv opened her mouth, a sour feeling spread in her chest.

In fact, she couldn't explain why she was so obsessed with this, she just wanted to win Qi Yan completely, and she would win everything Qi Yan was confident in!

but……

Then what?What about after winning?

Nangong Jingnv never thought about it...

Is it an illusion?Nangong Jingnv read the deep sadness from those amber eyes.

Let him deal with him, what else can he deal with Qi Yan?

Nangong Jingnv failed to understand the meaning of these four characters in the end, just like many profound words Qi Yan said back then.

A pair of show fists tightened again and again, Nangong Jingnv looked directly into Qi Yan's eyes, her red lips parted slightly: "Okay, I promise you."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Qi Yan smiled, but the sadness in his eyes was a bit stronger.

Nangong Jingnu: "Tell me, what do you want me to promise you?"

Qi Yan: "Things on your mind. If I win, I would like to ask His Highness to tell you what is on your mind." Qi Yan's voice was very soft, but there was a firmness in it.

Nangong Jingnv's heartbeat slowed down by half a beat, and her eyes felt a little hot.It's been too long, no one has asked me if I have something on my mind...

The affairs of Chaotang are like a big stone pressing down on Nangong Jingnv's heart, no matter how tired or painful she is, she cannot share it with anyone.

Qi Yan didn't specify what the "mind" was, for a moment Nangong Jingnu really wanted to vomit it!

Nangong Jingnv looked at the open space at the corner of the chessboard again, she didn't think she would lose.

However, if Qi Yan wins...

Nangong Jingnu: "Okay."

With a sound of "pa", Qi Yan made a decisive blow.

Qi Yan: "Then it's done."