sjar Chapter 87 The higher you climb, the colder it gets; at the summit, a worthy opponent is sought.
Chapter 87 The higher you climb, the colder it gets; at the summit, a worthy opponent is sought.
"Xiao Feng, do you know this young lady?" Princess Yongle looked the two of them back and forth with a suspicious gaze.
She knew her nephew well; after learning about his character, he often used his good looks to seduce beautiful women.
Before he even reached marriageable age, his courtyard was filled with beautiful women, causing many noble ladies to both love and hate him.
She loved his looks, yet hated his promiscuity.
The eldest sister, who lived far away in Ninghai City, had asked her for help countless times so that her son could marry a suitable noblewoman.
But in the capital, no family that loved their daughters wanted them to marry him.
Even if she was willing, not to mention that her older sister didn't like her, this troublemaker also complained that the girl wasn't as pretty as him, and his words made people faint with anger.
However, things seemed different after her nephew came to Beijing this time; she hadn't heard anything about his romantic affairs for a long time.
Her mother had told her some time ago that her father seemed to have other plans for his marriage and forbade them to interfere, so she stopped caring about her nephew's affairs.
So, what's going on with this woman now?
Could it be that my nephew got into some romantic entanglements while he was out partying recently?
Gu Mingfeng stared at Fei Xi, who was smiling at him, with mixed feelings.
Upon meeting her, he almost smiled along with her, but the corners of his mouth just barely turned up before he realized what he was doing and instantly pursed his lips, raised his chin, and glared at her haughtily.
When did you arrive in the capital?
He came, but didn't come to see him. Does he even consider him a friend?
“Young Master Gu, please sit down. We can talk later. If this lady and this gentleman have no questions, we can begin.” Fei Xi smiled and gestured for them to sit down.
Qin's advisors dared not sit down first, and looked up at their master.
With his peach blossom eyes wide open, Gu Mingfeng took a deep breath, but before he could say anything, he was stunned.
Princess Yongle, not receiving a reply from her nephew, sensed something was amiss and gave a disgruntled "humph."
"Are you really that good? What unparalleled talent? Little girl, I... cough, I hate people who try to be mysterious. If you lose or dare to cheat, I won't take your money, but you must get out of the capital immediately."
"Auntie, Miss Fei saved me and is my friend. Please don't make things difficult for her." Gu Mingfeng knew his aunt's princess temper was flaring up as soon as he heard this. He was a little confused, but he subconsciously explained the relationship between the two of them.
“Alright, Madam, if I lose or you discover that I won by cheating, I will leave the capital immediately and never set foot here again. If I breach this agreement, you may do as you please.” Fei Xi readily agreed, her smile unchanged.
"My aunt is a woman of her word, so don't try to be a hero." Gu Mingfeng was both anxious and angry.
"You just said that girl was a liar and that you'd keep an eye on her for me. What, you've changed your mind now? You're so fickle, not even as straightforward as that girl. Come sit down here. If you dare to go easy on me, I'll tell your older sister that you're helping outsiders bully me."
Princess Yongle pulled her nephew, whose face was full of confusion, to sit down.
This young lady doesn't look like a noblewoman at all. What kind of friend is she?
There are no friends between men and women!
She had to keep a close eye on her older sister to prevent any scandals from happening before her nephew got married.
Qin's advisors sat down, and soon the mahjong tiles were shuffled. Everyone stared at their own tiles and remained silent.
Princess Yongle had very good luck at the start; she was only two points away from completing a sentence.
She glanced at the woman at the head of the table; the woman's expression remained gentle and mild, revealing nothing about her.
She glanced at her nephew below her. He was pursing his lips, looking as if he was still angry, but he exuded an imposing aura and was arrogantly proud.
He rested his chin on his right hand, looking languid, and rolled his eyes when she looked over.
Yes, it's that annoying look she knows all too well.
After five rounds of mahjong, Princess Yongle's relaxed mood turned somewhat somber.
That's strange. She was just one character away from winning, but she hasn't seen it yet. Should she change it?
The Empress Dowager loved playing mahjong, and the girl, who was partially raised under the Empress Dowager's name, also started playing.
Although she wouldn't dare say she'd conquer the entire capital, she considered herself quite skilled in this area.
Why is she so lucky today, yet she still hasn't won a hand?
Just as she was debating whether to exchange her tiles, the woman to her left pushed her tiles forward:
"A peerless hero."
Princess Yongle looked over in disbelief. What a peerless strategist! The opponent had actually won with Thirteen Orphans!
With a composed face, she pondered for a moment, then turned and pushed her nephew aside. When she saw that he was also just one tile away from winning, and recalling the tiles he had played, she knew that her nephew hadn't let her win.
Princess Yongle frowned and went to look at Qin's cards. Sure enough, Qin's cards were also almost won.
"How did you do that?" Princess Yongle asked arrogantly.
"Does Madam still remember the question before we went upstairs? Actually, it's based on a similar principle." Fei Xi smiled slightly.
"What do you mean?" Princess Yongle was now most eager to know how the other party had managed to do it.
"Mahjong is a game invented by Lord Sanbao when he traveled to the Western Ocean. Later, His Highness Prince Rui improved it into the 144-digit winning hand we know today. But no matter how it changes, this game can actually be seen as an arithmetic problem involving arranging 144 digits. By calculating, evolving, and grasping the patterns, you can naturally form the combination you want."
Princess Yongle could understand every word the woman in front of her said, but when put together, she found it difficult to comprehend.
She's playing a game, and the other person is doing math problems?
What a pervert!
"You've put in so much effort and spent so much money, but I haven't seen what you've gained from winning. What exactly are you trying to do?"
As the most favored princess in the royal family, Princess Yongle would ask whatever she wanted without caring whether others were willing to answer.
In her mind, apart from her father and mother, everyone else, even her birth mother Consort Li, had to obey her.
"Does Madam know that true masters are lonely at the top? To find a true opponent, they can travel from the desolate desert to the frigid Tianshan Mountains, just to suffer a defeat. Just like this peerless hero, being a unique existence with no one to rival him is a kind of loneliness, an unbearable emptiness. So what are these sacrifices you mentioned for a lonely person? All I seek is an opponent I can fight."
The woman before her sat upright, her delicate face slightly smiling as she uttered such arrogant words, which gave Princess Yongle a sense of sacredness that was not to be profaned.
She makes people feel that every word she says is a fact, a truth, and is beyond question.
At least Princess Yongle truly believed it. She held her breath, her heart pounding. She had never been this excited, not even on her wedding day.
In her familiar field, she encountered a true master who was not interested in fame or fortune, but only in pursuing an opponent who would defeat her.
Princess Yongle suddenly felt that she could understand the other party.
Who says playing mahjong is just a pastime for idle girls like them?
Look, so many men have come, but none of them have been able to defeat the woman in front of them. It's quite impressive that she can play mahjong!
She was no match for her opponent, but she could witness this great moment.
"Alright, you wait and see, I will definitely grant your wish!"
In her excitement, Princess Yongle claimed that she hadn't even noticed that her identity had been exposed. She excitedly pulled her nephew along, ready to go back, as she wanted to go to the palace immediately.
Gu Mingfeng glanced at Fei Xi thoughtfully, though he really wanted to stay and find out what the other party was up to.
He didn't believe her nonsense, but he knew this wasn't a good place to chat.
Following Princess Yongle's lead, he left Zuixianglou with his aunt.
Standing behind Fei Xi, Tie Yun, who was guarding the silver, secretly gave a thumbs up.
My sister is amazing. No matter what she does, she can do it to a level that ordinary people can't reach, which makes her seem sophisticated to her peers and inspires awe in them.
As the sun sets and lanterns light up the streets, today's gambling match at Zuixianglou ends with the mysterious woman's victory.
Downstairs in the lobby, guests drank fine wine and chatted animatedly, their laughter and conversation revolving around the gambling games.
Mahjong, which had become popular in the capital because of the Empress's fondness for it, was also sought after by the common people.
Today it was Tie Yun's turn to guard the silver. After saying goodbye to Brother Tie, Fei Xi left Zui Xiang Lou through the back door wearing a masked cloak.
Her brain hadn't had a rest all day, and as soon as Fei Xi got into the carriage, she leaned against Tang Huaiyi's shoulder and closed her eyes.
After a period of intense mental work, Fei Xi had a terrible headache. Fortunately, the fish had taken the bait, and she would likely get what she wanted tomorrow.
As soon as she relaxed, a wave of sleepiness washed over her.
The carriage clattered along, then suddenly stopped, and a series of clanging and fighting sounds came from outside.
Soon the noise subsided, the carriage continued its journey, and a dignified and elegant person lifted the curtain and jumped in.
As soon as he entered the carriage, he saw a sleeping woman being half-held in the arms of a man he didn't know.
He was instantly enraged and was about to shout at him when the man holding the woman shushed him, signaling him to be quiet.
Seeing the woman sleeping like a log, he suppressed a cold snort, softened his voice, and whispered his question:
"Who are you, and what is your relationship with her?"
"I am Tang Huaiyi, a friend of Miss Fei. I just thanked Young Master Gu for his help. Miss Fei is not feeling well and is not feeling well, so please be quiet, Young Master Gu. May I ask what brings you here, Young Master Gu?"
"It's nothing, I just wanted to ask if her junior sister also came to the capital with her?" Gu Mingfeng was a little angry, the other party's reasoning made him feel that his frustration was a bit unreasonable.
In his panic, he thought of Mu Qingfeng and immediately wanted to know where she was, so he asked her directly.
Upon hearing the question, Tang Huaiyi's originally gentle expression instantly turned cold. He stared at Gu Mingfeng with a sullen and unreadable expression, making Gu Mingfeng feel uneasy.
Just as Gu Mingfeng was thinking that he should let it go today and go to her door tomorrow to find out if Miss Mu was there or not.
But then Fei's so-called friend suddenly laughed, his smiling face slightly narrowed, and he said to him politely:
“Young Master Gu, Miss Mu is staying temporarily at Young Master Tie’s residence. If you wish to find her, please come tomorrow. Xiao Xi is tired today. If there is nothing else, please get out of the carriage and do not disturb her rest.”