"Your Highness, it is true that the Di Shengtian is a virtuous and benevolent being, but... what is the result?"
Han Yue paused and raised his head with a frown.
"So what if the Di family has ceded one side of the world's giants and Di Shengtian is praised by the people? The victor is a king and the loser is a knave. Who remembers what the Di family and Di Shengtian did in the first place in today's prosperous world? The ash smoke is gone but the emperor's words. The mast is just a word from the emperor.
"General Ren!"
The look in his eyes was clearly emotionless, but it brought out the coldness of the ninth month of winter, a rebuke that was too grand. Han Yue reprimanded in a low voice. His hand holding the chess pieces clenched fiercely.
Ren Anle raised her head, her eyes light and cloudy, as if she did not see Han Yue's discomfort, and said with emotion: "So... it's too tiring to be a woman like Di Shengtian. Your Highness, do you know why I have never been defeated? I am born with the courage to be greedy for life and fear of death. In order to save this delicate life, I naturally cannot lose in battle. Now that the court has recruited me, I am just a woman waiting for a casual official life in the capital, and then I can find a good husband and marry him. What do I need such great ambitions for? I'm afraid I can't accept Your Majesty's kindness."
Han Yue quietly listened to Ren Anle with an extremely serious look. There were no words for a while.
After drinking the last sip of tea in the porcelain cup. Ren Anle stretched her waist, got up and bowed towards Han Yue and walked towards the stone pavilion. After a few steps, she slowly stopped with her back to Han Yue, she held a black chess piece in her hand at some point, quietly spinning in her fingertips.
"It's a great honor to be invited by your Highness today, so this is my thanks."
Ren Anle tossed her hand. The black piece traced a mark in the air and landed steadily on the stone chessboard.
Han Yue looked at the chessboard and raised his head in the direction where Ren Anle had disappeared, with a complex and deep expression.
The game he had just played had become a dead game, and although the place where Ren Anle had landed did not allow the black piece to win, it could solve the game, just one piece of the siege without breaking the city.
Rumour has it that Ren Anle of Jinan is crude and rude, and does not know much about literature and ink, but... Han Yue dares to assert that there are very few people in the world who can solve this deadlock within one cup of tea.
It was late at night, but the East Palace was still brightly lit. Ren Anle's steps were so slick and stern that she only pitied the court lady leading the way. As if she felt that Ren Anle was not as horrible as the rumours, the court eunuchs turned around from time to time and peeked out, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Little girl, what are you looking at? Do I have three heads and six arms?"
Her face flushed red with shame, the palace maid's head snapped back and she took three steps into two, rushing straight out. Only when she reached the entrance to the corridor did she realise that there were no footsteps behind her and she had to look back helplessly.
Not far behind her, Ren Anle stood quietly in the middle of the corridor. All dressed in black clothes melting into the night. The woman looked towards a pavilion deep in the Eastern Palace. The faint shadow of the moon falling on her body, a kind of stern coldness that could not be dissolved when looking at her in a trance.