CH 81

“Your third uncle has already given the money back, as for the other charges, we’ll have to see after the imperial court of justice is done with the trial.”

Ming Zhu nodded, “Okay.”

Zhao Zhi didn’t really want to keep talking about that subject with her, but neither he nor she were talkative people, so there was a moment of silence. It was so quiet it was a little embarrassing.

Zhao Zhi suddenly asked, “Do you know how to play chess?”

Ming Zhu nodded but then shook her head, “I can only play five-in-a-row chess.”

She saw that Zhao Zhi always played weiqi with others.

(TL’s note = weiqi is the same as the go game)

She didn’t know how to, no one had ever taught her.

Zhao Zhi had expected it, so he wasn’t too disappointed. He gently patted her head, then held her hand and led her to sit on the soft couch. He ordered someone to bring the chessboard, gave her the white pieces and took the black pieces for himself.

Ming Zhu took the pieces, at a loss for words. Pursing the corners of her mouth, she said again, “I don’t know how to play weiqi.”

Zhao Zhi liked talented women who were well-versed in all six arts and were excelling in painting and calligraphy. She didn’t even know how to play weiqi and she didn’t understand what he meant by forcing her.

Zhao Zhi took a black piece and said blandly, “I will teach you.”

The game of weiqi wasn’t that difficult. Zhao Zhi played with her while carefully explaining to her.

After one game, Ming Zhu vaguely understood the rules, but she had only learned the basics.

Zhao Zhi didn’t yield to her and defeated her two games in a row, absolutely miserably.

Having lost so miserably, Ming Zhu’s face felt hot for a while, she was very ashamed.

Zhao Zhi smiled, “How about I let you win one game?”

Ming Zhu shook her head, she really didn’t find weiqi to be interesting, she asked, “I don’t want to play anymore, can I ?”

Zhao Zhi put the chess pieces in his hand back into their container. With his eyebrows raised, he said, “Then we’ll stop playing for now, we’ll play again next time.”

“Alright.”

He had to say, Ming Zhu was absolutely the worst weiqi player Zhao Zhi had ever seen.

She didn’t have any formation, nor any strategy, she was only playing one step at a time, that she would lose miserably was only logical.

Zhao Zhi fixed his gaze on her. The dim, warm light of the dusk sunset peacefully illuminated the side of her face. The young girl’s face was a delicate shade of white, with bright eyes and white teeth, she looked just like a bright moon in the sky.

This face, was his absolute favorite.

This person, it felt like she was growing on the very bottom of his heart.

But apart from that, it seemed that every other aspect of her was outside of Zhao Zhi’s control.

The next day, when Ming Zhu saw the chess board on the small low table, on a sudden impulse, she called Biying over to play five-in-a-row with her.

Ming Zhu was quite good at playing five-in-a-row and she won four or five games in a row before she felt tired. She stood up and stretched, “Let’s play again this afternoon.”

Biying laughed as she helped her to put away the chess board. This chessboard was a precious treasure among the crown prince’s collection.

Today, Ming Zhu was wearing a light-colored dress embroidered with orchid patterns. She was wearing on her earlobes a pair of pale white jade earrings, as white as her skin tone, she looked soft like water. Sitting quietly by the window, she was as beautiful as a poem or a painting.

She peeled a fresh longan, the taste of it was so sweet she couldn’t help but to eat two more pieces.

The maidservants brought two warm bowls of medicinal soup. Ming Zhu didn’t ask anything and just directly drank it all.

When Liu momo, outside the door, heard that she had obediently drank the medicine, she really couldn’t quite believe it. In the past, no matter what, she would think of ways not to drink it, vomiting it or saying that she wasn’t feeling well, but these days, she was being unexpectedly well-behaved.

Liu momo was also aware of her failed attempt to run away a few days ago. She felt the same as others did, they all believed that she ran away with her lover. She couldn’t help but warn her: “Since you’re with His Highness, just be quiet and behave.”

She was too proud, but there would be a day where she would have to suffer the consequences.

Ming Zhu didn’t even bother to be polite with her and just ordered Biying to escort her out.

Liu momo also didn’t dare to say anymore than that, if His Highness learned of it, she wouldn’t reap any benefit from it.

Perhaps due to the fact that she saw Liu momo again, Ming Zhu didn’t sleep well during her nap, she had a delirious nightmare.

The images in the dream were more distinct than usual, it was as if someone was pulling apart her jaw and pouring the cold bowl of black medicine down her throat.

Even in her dream, the pain in her abdomen was getting increasingly more intense by the minute. Her forehead kept breaking out in cold sweat, the corners of her eyes were slightly moist and she kept mumbling in her sleep.

Ming Zhu was awakened by the pain. A familiar pain in her belly overwhelmed her in an instant. Her face was ghastly pale as she weakly sat up from the bed, about to call out Biying’s name.

As she raised her eyes, she saw Zhao Zhi, whom she didn’t know at what point he had come in. Staring at her, he removed his wrist guard as he asked, “You had a nightmare again?”