Chapter 151: Emerging Ambitions

The next morning, Jiang Xuening went to her studies with slightly swollen eyes. Others noticed but, assuming something had happened during her visit to Mingfeng Palace with Princess Linzi, they didn’t dare to ask.

Fang Miao, however, almost couldn’t get up.

The palace maidens at Yangzhi Zhai pulled her out of the warm bed at the appointed time. After hastily washing up, she stumbled out, feeling groggy, and saw Jiang Xuening standing serenely under the corridor. She made a face and asked, “Did I get drunk last night? I didn’t embarrass myself or say anything foolish to offend Her Highness the Princess, did I?”

Jiang Xuening smiled and shook her head.

Only then did she feel relieved.

Zhou Baoying, standing nearby, was quite surprised: “You drank last night?”

Fang Miao rubbed her head and said, “Her Highness invited us to drink, and it was also to celebrate Miss Jiang’s birthday. How could we not drink? Oh, my head is spinning, it doesn’t feel like my own…”

You Yue, seeing this, sneered from the side.

Last night was calm, without wind or snow, and this morning, the sun rose in the east. Thin clouds covered the palace roofs, making it a rare good day.

Classes were held as usual at Fengchen Hall.

Everyone followed the long palace path. Most of them had become acquainted over the past few days, walking ahead and talking softly, guessing what the teachers would discuss today and what lessons would be tested. Jiang Xuening walked at the back, listening absent-mindedly.

As they turned a corner and reached the palace path in front of Fengchen Hall, the one in front, Chen Shuyi, couldn’t help but say, “Isn’t that the person serving by His Majesty’s side? Why is he here?”

Jiang Xuening looked up in response to the voice.

It was Zheng Bao.

It had been some time since they last saw him. After being promoted by his master, the chief eunuch Wang Xinyi, he seemed to be doing well in the palace. He wore a new dark green robe, held a whisk in his hand, and looked handsome and fair-skinned, lightly frowning as he asked a young eunuch standing in front of him something.

The young eunuch replied a few words, bowed slightly, and went towards the side hall.

Zheng Bao stood upright and, turning around, saw the group from Yangzhi Zhai approaching.

In front of Kunning Palace, everyone had seen Zheng Bao being punished and saved by Prince Linzi, Shen Jie. Later, they heard that he, a mere eunuch from the harem, had managed to serve by the emperor’s side, which was quite surprising.

Seeing him here now, they couldn’t help but feel astonished.

Jiang Xuening was also curious.

Before they could ask more, Zheng Bao, perceptive as he was, read their expressions and said proactively, “Last night, Lord Xie and His Majesty, along with several senior officials, discussed matters until very late. They stayed in the palace and slept in the side hall of Fengchen Hall. His Majesty didn’t want to disturb them early in the morning, but a few pressing issues came up that required Lord Xie’s consultation. So, we had to wake him up and ask him to come over.”

So, it was to fetch Xie Wei.

That made sense. Jiang Xuening remembered that in her previous life, whenever Xie Wei stayed late in the palace due to business, he almost always stayed at Fengchen Hall. It was close to the emperor’s bedchamber, convenient for being summoned for discussions, and near the Wenyuan Pavilion for lectures.

Upon hearing Zheng Bao’s explanation, everyone’s doubts were resolved. They bowed to him and then passed by, entering the main hall of Fengchen Hall to wait for the teacher.

Jiang Xuening walked by without looking at Zheng Bao.

After waiting in the hall for a while, Shen Zhiyi arrived, accompanied by a few palace maids. However, her arrival was not early. She barely had time to glance at Jiang Xuening and smile before Sun Shu, the Imperial College’s arithmetic professor, arrived.

Jiang Xuehui had previously asked someone to find her two chess manuals, confirming that during her absence, the teacher had indeed started teaching chess.

Sun Shu’s “Ten Classics of Arithmetic” was already halfway through.

He was relatively young compared to the other teachers. Although not a bookworm, he was passionate about arithmetic, explaining how many aspects of the world contain principles of arithmetic. For example, in chess, it seems like a game of deep thinking, but it’s actually about who can think faster and calculate further.

Jiang Xuening never expected this. She wasn’t good at chess to begin with, and had missed many lessons due to the events in Tongzhou, so she had no idea what had been taught earlier. Though she sat in the hall earnestly frowning and listening attentively, her mind was a muddle.

Not understanding naturally led to distraction.

Her seat was by the window, and out of boredom, she looked outside, letting her mind wander. Unexpectedly, not long after she drifted off, a figure in a dark green Taoist robe appeared on the left side of her view, startling her.

Xie Wei had been coughing since he inhaled some smoke from the imperial kitchen’s stove last night. By the time he returned to the side hall, it was nearly midnight, and he had a restless night.

When the young eunuch came to fetch him, he had just gotten up.

His complexion wasn’t great. It hadn’t been particularly good since the start of winter, but others couldn’t tell.

After a brief wash, he came out of the side hall.

At this time, the lecture in the main hall had already begun. The arithmetic professor from the Imperial Academy was explaining chess, and Xie Wei instinctively glanced in that direction upon hearing the voice.

That one glance made him spot Jiang Xuening.

The window was half-open in the cold weather. Her small, fair face was nestled in the window frame, with her sharp chin resting on her hand, and her usually lively eyes appeared dull and unfocused, not moving at all for quite a while.

Clearly, she was daydreaming!

Xie Wei stopped in his tracks, frowning.

Though Jiang Xuening was far from him, she felt a chill run down her spine the moment she saw him stop and look at her. She shivered and, without thinking, reached out and slammed the window shut with a “bang.”

The view was instantly blocked.

The sudden noise also caught the attention of Sun Shu, who was lecturing on chess. He looked over and saw Jiang Xuening by the window, frowning and asking, “Miss Jiang, what are you doing?”

Everyone turned to look at her.

Jiang Xuening gave an awkward smile and explained, “The wind outside is cold.”

After all, she was sitting in the breeze.

Sun Shu was slightly displeased with the commotion she caused during his lecture, but he didn’t say anything and continued speaking.

Jiang Xuening listened for a while longer, and seeing that Sun Shu wasn’t paying attention to her, she quietly leaned over and opened the window a crack.

Outside, the twilight glowed at the eaves, and light filled the jade steps.

But there was no sign of Xie Wei.

It seemed that Shen Lang was still waiting for him elsewhere, and he had no time to stop and argue with her over such a trivial matter.

Wasn’t it allowed to be a little distracted during a lesson?

Thinking this, Jiang Xuening felt more justified and relaxed.

But unexpectedly, just after the morning class ended, someone came to “invite” her in the afternoon.

It was a young eunuch she had seen before serving at the Fengchen Hall. He respectfully bowed his head and said to her, “Master said that Miss Jiang has not attended the palace studies for many days, and your lessons must have fallen behind. He asks you to come this afternoon for an assessment.”

Jiang Xuening immediately felt distressed.

Her feet felt like they were filled with lead as she trudged step by step back to the side hall of the Fengchen Hall. Entering the hall, she indeed saw Xie Wei already sitting behind that familiar desk, holding a fine brush and writing a memorial.

She stepped forward to pay her respects.

Xie Wei didn’t even lift his eyelids, his brush moving fluidly without pause, and asked, “After playing around in Tongzhou for a few days, you’ve become so wild that you don’t even listen to your lessons back in the palace?”

Jiang Xuening felt wronged, “I did listen today.”

Xie Wei lightly turned his long fingers, set aside the brush, and took out a seal from a nearby box. He gave her a quick, indifferent look and said, “Are you just waiting for the flowers to bloom and the snow to melt so you can go out and cause trouble?”

She should never have, under any circumstances, been caught by Xie Wei while slacking off.

Jiang Xuening clasped her hands behind her back, her fingers twisting together.

Thinking of the time Xie Wei had hit her palm, and hearing the implied accusation in his words, she recalled talking with Xiao Dingfei on her way to the Kunning Palace the previous day, fearing that these accounts might be brought up. She dared not argue back and just kept her head down.

Xie Wei stamped the seal on the memorial and closed it, then called the young eunuch outside to take it to the cabinet. Turning back, he saw Jiang Xuening standing like a quail, and couldn’t help but feel a bit stifled himself.

She looked completely lifeless.

He stared at her for a while and suddenly asked, “Did you not understand Sun Shu’s lecture?”

Jiang Xuening was so surprised that she looked up at him.

Xie Wei said, “You’ve missed many days of classes, it’s no wonder you can’t understand. That’s easy to guess.”

Jiang Xuening was not surprised that he guessed this, but that he was willing to guess this. After all, it seemed like he was going to reprimand her for slacking off, but once it was about not understanding, it wasn’t her fault anymore.

Xie Wei didn’t seem like he was going to pursue the matter.

She blinked, and a bold idea sprang up in her mind. Tentatively, she said, “Master Sun’s lectures are so dull and tedious that I can’t keep up no matter how hard I try. I heard that you are very talented in all the arts, why don’t you teach me instead?”

This remark simultaneously put down Sun Shu and flattered Xie Wei, making it a clear attempt at adulation and flattery.

Xie Wei thought that with his usual temperament, he would definitely frown and demand she correct her attitude.

After all, Sun Shu from the Imperial Academy was no ordinary talent.

However, seeing her obediently standing with her hands behind her back in front of him, the previously dull eyes she had while daydreaming in the window now filled with liveliness, like a tame deer by a forest stream who had never seen a human before, his mood improved significantly.

His lips stiffened for a moment, but finally, a barely noticeable smile appeared as he said, “Having a student as unstudious as you, I don’t know what kind of madness I’ve fallen into.”

He stood up and sat by the window, setting up the chessboard.

Jiang Xuening seized the opportunity and quickly said, “Teacher is so kind,” then sat opposite Xie Wei.

She discovered that Xie Wei was someone who responded well to gentleness rather than confrontation. As long as she didn’t oppose him bristling with thorns, he was easy to placate. No, no, this was the ruthless Xie Ju’an who killed without blinking. How could she dare to use the word “placate”?

No, she must show more respect!

Jiang Xuening was startled by her own thoughts and quickly reined in her wandering mind.

Xie Wei placed the chess box beside her.

He wore a dark blue Daoist robe, with dark cloud patterns on the sleeves, like pine waves and cloud currents. Sitting by the window, he didn’t show a trace of the cold ruthlessness from Tongzhou, returning to his usual tranquil and leisurely demeanor.

“Playing chess requires strategy, it is indeed an art. However, when it comes to chess, we speak more about ‘momentum’.” Xie Wei didn’t dismiss Sun Shu’s teachings, glancing at her, perhaps thinking girls preferred white pieces, so he placed the box of white pieces on her right side, “Calculation is a technique, but to grasp ‘momentum’ is to understand the Way.”

Jiang Xuening looked at the box of chess pieces.

As she glanced up, she noticed that Xie Wei’s right hand, with its long, elegant fingers, had a joint on the ring finger wrapped in fine silk cloth, faintly emitting a medicinal scent.

A thought crossed her mind, recalling seeing an injury on his hand in Tongzhou, though she couldn’t remember which finger it was. She asked, “Is your hand still not healed, sir?”

Xie Wei’s fingers paused as he reached for a chess piece.

He lifted his naturally lowered eyelids, his lips pressed into a line, looking at Jiang Xuening for a long moment without speaking.

Jiang Xuening’s heart pounded, inexplicably feeling a hint of coldness in his gaze. Her lips moved, wanting to say something, but she dared not speak.

After a long, tense silence, Xie Wei finally looked away, completely ignoring her question, as if he hadn’t heard it, and continued, “A chess board can simulate warfare, testing one’s intellect. The board is like a battlefield, the pieces like soldiers. As the saying goes, water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. The gain or loss of a single piece might seem insignificant, but accumulated over time, it can become a significant advantage or problem. Therefore, the player must guide according to the momentum, just as one governs people or manages water. If you can understand the knowledge on this board, whether in life or in work, you won’t be as confused as you are now!”

To conduct oneself and handle affairs, is it really necessary to be so muddle-headed?

Jiang Xuening felt there was more to Xie Wei’s words than met the ear.

However, she knew little about Xie Wei and couldn’t figure out what she might have done wrong this time. She could only assume that this semi-sage of the current era was mocking her for her stupidity and didn’t dare to ask further questions.

Besides, Xie Wei’s earlier words suddenly reminded her of Shen Zhiyi’s marriage…

“Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it.”

This was not the first time Jiang Xuening had heard this phrase. She knew it was a common saying in the court but had never taken it too seriously. Yet, Xie Wei’s analogy of playing chess to governing people and managing water sparked her curiosity.

She had to admit, in her previous life, the reason why Xiao Shu managed to overshadow her was not only because she grew up in a prominent family in the capital and had broad experiences, but also because, Jiang Xuening speculated privately, Xiao Shu had genuinely learned a lot during her studies in the Yangzhi Zhai. 

The accumulation over the years made her profound.

Now, a person like Xie Ju’an was right in front of her…

Jiang Xuening picked up a chess piece, gently rubbing it with her fingertip. 

Her eyes gleamed as she said, “Are people and chess pieces the same? Chess pieces are manipulated by the player, but each person has their own mind, growing within themselves. You can move chess pieces at will, but to manipulate people’s minds…”

Xie Wei recalled the eunuch’s report from last night and only wanted to take Jiang Xuening’s pretty head and place it on the chessboard, letting her reflect properly. 

He paid little attention to her question and replied indifferently, “Heroes create the times, and the times produce heroes. Although people’s hearts are unpredictable, they can be swayed by influential figures. If one does not carefully think and discern, others can easily incite and sway their hearts. What’s so difficult about that?”

In fact, human hearts are even less reliable than chess pieces.

A gust of wind can leave chess pieces unmoved; a few words can cause human hearts to waver and fluctuate.

Jiang Xuening lowered her eyes, gaining some insight.

Some things always need to have a purpose before people are willing to learn humbly and diligently.

Today, she was very serious about her learning.

Xie Wei answered her questions and explained chess for an hour and a half. She thanked him respectfully. Due to the turmoil in her mind, she didn’t notice Xie Wei’s thoughtful gaze as she left. 

Once she departed from the Fengchen Hall, she calculated the time and went to wait on the path to Kunning Palace. Soon, she saw Xiao Dingfei emerging.

She deliberately walked across the palace road in front of him.

Xiao Dingfei saw her alone, thought for a moment, walked a distance, and then turned back, using the excuse that he had left something at Kunning Palace, to find Jiang Xuening.

By this time, it was already getting dark.

Jiang Xuening stood under the corner of the palace wall and got straight to the point, “Young Master Dingfei, you’ve mingled in the streets for many years and should know some people, right? I have something I want you to do.”

Xiao Dingfei’s handsome eyebrows immediately arched.

Without hesitation, he asked directly, “What is it?”

Jiang Xuening had him come closer and whispered her plan.

Xiao Dingfei was puzzled, “What are you trying to do?”

Jiang Xuening said, “Just tell me if you can do it or not.”

Xiao Dingfei laughed, not wanting to lose face in front of a beauty, and patted his chest, “Consider it done, but…”

Jiang Xuening looked at him, “What?”

Xiao Dingfei scratched his head, “If there are many people involved, it will cost some money.”

Jiang Xuening frowned, mentally calculating her available funds. She remembered that she still had several tens of thousands of taels of silver with Xie Wei and felt a bit troubled.

But after a moment of thought, her brows relaxed.

You Yue had been handled for a long time, and it was time to take advantage of the situation.

She laughed and said, “That’s simple.”

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