In the main hall of the Taiping Medical Clinic, Old Man Yao leisurely wrote out a prescription and handed it to Chen Ji to prepare the medicine.
Chen Ji weighed the herbs slowly and quietly, his eyes fixed on the markings of the bronze scale, almost crossing them as he focused intently.
He dared not glance elsewhere, fearing that the Prince of Jing's anger might spill over onto him.
Bai Li stood beside the young master, her head lowered, secretly nudging him with her foot, urging him to quickly apologize.
However, the Prince of Jing no longer looked at the young master.
Instead, his gaze fell on Chen Ji.
"Stop weighing the herbs for now. It's rare to meet someone with such a unique talent for chess. Come, let's play a few more games."
"Ah..."
Chen Ji obediently walked over to the counter and began picking up the chess pieces, placing them back into the bamboo basket.
The Prince of Jing smiled.
"This time, I won't give you a two-stone handicap. With that, I can't beat you."
Bai Li's eyes widened in surprise.
Her father, when playing chess with juniors, had actually offered to not give a handicap? This was indeed a rare occurrence.
She inched closer, trying to sneak a peek at their game, but after just two steps, the Prince of Jing shot her a sidelong glance, and she quickly retreated, only daring to peek by standing on her tiptoes.
Chen Ji's chess skills were far inferior to the Prince of Jing's, but he relied on his unorthodox strategies, which the Prince had never encountered before, to stage repeated comebacks from seemingly hopeless positions.
The Prince of Jing praised, "You're clearly a smart person. Why don't you follow the orthodox path of chess? Why do you insist on using such unconventional tactics? Doesn't that limit your potential?"
Chen Ji calmly placed a piece on the board.
"Greed leads to defeat."
The Prince of Jing was momentarily stunned.
"Greed leads to defeat" was indeed one of the key principles of chess.
Chen Ji's meaning was clear: his personality was such that he only excelled in these unorthodox strategies.
If he were to try to control the board like others, step by step, he would likely lose.
The Prince of Jing picked up a piece and sighed.
"With a personality like yours, you'll never become a true chess master. If you can only be a pawn, are you content with that?"
Chen Ji was puzzled.
Was this a question a prince should be asking a medical apprentice? A medical apprentice was just one of the countless common folk, living like wild grass, never reaching the heavens.
What did it matter whether he was a chess master or a pawn?
After a moment of thought, he asked in confusion, "Do I have to live within the confines of the chessboard?"
The Prince of Jing laughed heartily.
"You can live outside the chessboard too. That's just a different way of life."
The young master, who had been kneeling on the ground, quietly raised his head and exchanged a glance with Bai Li.
Both of them noticed that their father's mood had gradually improved after playing chess with Chen Ji...
The young master gave Bai Li a meaningful look, and she quickly understood.
She hurriedly took away the Prince's empty teacup and refilled it with fresh tea.
Meanwhile, the Prince of Jing continued to chat with Old Man Yao while playing chess with Chen Ji.
"Old Yao, have Bai Li and Zhu Yunxi caused any trouble recently?"
The young master and Bai Li's hearts leapt into their throats as they anxiously looked at Old Man Yao.
Old Man Yao stood in front of the medicine cabinet, his back to the redwood counter, as he prepared the herbs.
He replied indifferently, "No major trouble, but they go out to play almost every night. They leave at the hour of Hai (9-11 PM). I have no idea where in Luocheng they could be going to play at such a late hour."
The Prince of Jing's expression remained calm.
"Naturally, they're going to White Clothes Lane and Red Clothes Lane."
The young master and Bai Li's hearts, which had been hanging by a thread, finally sank.
The Prince of Jing continued leisurely, "Previously, Zhu Yunxi's monthly allowance was reduced, so he couldn't afford to go to those places. I suppose Bai Li has been footing the bill for him. Starting this month, Bai Li's allowance will also be reduced."
The young master panicked.
It's over!
Bai Li whispered, "Father, I won't give my brother any more money. Could you please not reduce my allowance?"
The Prince of Jing didn't respond.
Instead, he picked up a chess piece, ready to play another game with Chen Ji.
He looked up at Chen Ji and asked, "Did you accompany Yunxi and Bai Li to White Clothes Lane and Red Clothes Lane?"
Chen Ji replied earnestly, "Your Highness, I am diligently studying medicine and my coursework. I have no time to visit such places."
The young master: "Huh?"
Bai Li: "Huh?"
The Prince of Jing glanced at the young master and Bai Li.
"You two should learn more from Chen Ji."
The young master suddenly blurted out, "He went with us!"
Chen Ji: "..."
No one gets to live!
The Prince of Jing chuckled and looked at Chen Ji.
"You went too?"
Chen Ji: "..."
The Prince of Jing collected the chess pieces into the basket and asked with a smile, "So, 'If life were as it was when we first met, why would the autumn wind grieve the painted fan?' and 'Withered vines, old trees, crows at dusk; a small bridge, flowing water, a family's home'—were these written by you? I know Yunxi's capabilities well. He couldn't have written those."
Chen Ji was taken aback.
So the Prince of Jing knew everything.
Not only did he know that the young master and the others had gone to White Clothes Lane and Red Clothes Lane, but he also knew every poem the young master had used in the brothels.
Of course, a powerful prince like him couldn't possibly be ignorant of what was happening in Luocheng.
The young master was even more shocked.
Why did he have to kneel here for going to White Clothes Lane, while Chen Ji was treated kindly despite going there as well? This was unfair!
The chess game continued.
The Prince of Jing lost three consecutive games to Chen Ji's unorthodox strategies, but there was no trace of frustration or anger on his face.
Instead, his eyes sparkled with curiosity and interest.
As the games went on, Chen Ji found it increasingly difficult to keep up.
Eventually, the Prince of Jing blocked all his unconventional paths, leaving him no room to stage a comeback.
Chen Ji lost.
Chen Ji was only a second-place winner in the Luocheng Go competition.
In the grand scheme of the Go world, he was nothing special.
Losing was inevitable, but he hadn't expected to lose so quickly.
The Prince of Jing smiled and asked Chen Ji, "Young man, how do you find my chess skills?"
Chen Ji took a deep breath.
"Impressive."
"If you had to describe it in one word, what would it be?"
Chen Ji thought for a moment.
"Patience."
The Prince of Jing truly had patience.
He planned each move meticulously, sometimes thinking dozens of steps ahead.
When setting up his strategy, it seemed as if the desire to win was unnecessary, a distraction.
But upon closer inspection, one realized that everything he did was aimed at victory.
At this moment, the Prince of Jing turned to Old Man Yao.
"Old Yao, you once saved the mother of Jianzhou's Inspector Ma Yiming. If it weren't for your diagnosis nine years ago, his mother would have passed away. There's still some glutinous rice in Jianzhou's granary. Could you write him a letter? I'd like to borrow that rice to address an urgent matter. In our dynasty, filial piety is highly valued among officials. A letter from you would surely be effective."
Old Man Yao nodded.
"Of course. I'll write it tonight. Your Highness can send someone to fetch it tomorrow."
"Write it now. We can't afford any delay," the Prince of Jing said, his expression easing slightly but still not entirely at ease.
"The Inspector of Jianzhou has been reluctant to release that glutinous rice because he's concerned about the livelihood of his province. Now that I'm taking it, I'll have to find a way to replenish the granary with other crops to ensure the people don't go hungry."
Chen Ji suddenly fell into deep thought.
In his world, glutinous rice mortar had been used until the late 18th century.
It was only when foreign cement technology was introduced that it gradually fell out of use.
Back then, cement was called "foreign ash" by the common people.
Was glutinous rice mortar effective? Absolutely.
The Great Wall, built with glutinous rice mortar as its binding agent, had stood for thousands of years.
In some ways, it was even more durable than ordinary cement.
However, the key issue was that glutinous rice mortar appeared in an era of low productivity, which inherently conflicted with the needs of the people.
Moreover, glutinous rice mortar required three years to reach its standard strength after calcification, while cement only needed twenty days, and at a much lower cost.
The advent of cement would completely revolutionize the construction industry.
Chen Ji pondered: How was cement made again?
As he was lost in thought, the Taiping Medical Clinic suddenly became lively again.
Everyone turned to look and saw sedan bearers carrying official sedan chairs toward the Prince of Jing's residence.
At a rough estimate, there were thirty to forty officials arriving together to visit the Prince.
Chen Ji looked up and saw that the Prince of Jing seemed completely unaware of their presence.
He calmly placed a piece on the board and reminded Chen Ji, "Your move. Yunxi, stop kneeling there and embarrassing yourself. Get up."
"Oh," the young master said happily as he stood up, bending over to rub his sore knees.
Not long after, the officials returned from the Prince's residence without success.
It seemed they had been informed that the Prince was not at home, so they had no choice but to head back.
As they passed the Taiping Medical Clinic, one of the officials in a sedan chair accidentally lifted the curtain and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure by the clinic's counter.
"Stop, stop, stop," the official called out to the sedan bearers.
He peered closely, making sure he wasn't mistaken.
It wasn't that he was particularly familiar with the Prince of Jing, but the Prince had been wearing the same clothes for so many years that they were etched into the memories of all the officials.
The sedan was set down, and the officials, dressed in green and blue official robes with patches of white pheasants, golden pheasants, and mandarin ducks on their chests, gathered at the entrance of the Taiping Medical Clinic.
They hesitated, unsure whether to enter, and began whispering among themselves.
Finally, everyone looked to the two leading officials.
One of them, with a long beard and a ruddy complexion, thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait until His Highness finishes this game of chess before we go in."
The group quieted down, stamping their feet and rubbing their hands in the cold, their noses turning red from the chill.
After a while, the leading official let out a soft exclamation.
"His Highness's chess skills are superb. Why would he take the time to play with a young apprentice today? What's so interesting about that... Huh? Chen Liqin, that young man looks familiar. Have I seen him somewhere before?"
Chen Liqin, the Deputy Magistrate of Luocheng, looked up and squinted.
Suddenly, he realized that the young man playing chess with the Prince of Jing was his own son, whom he hadn't seen in over half a year!
Only then did he remember that he had sent Chen Ji to the Taiping Medical Clinic as an apprentice.
Zhang Zhuo turned to Chen Liqin.
"Now I remember. I've seen him at your house. I recall going to your house for drinks during the Lantern Festival two years ago. He was sitting at the far end of the right side..."
Zhang Zhuo had passed the imperial examination at the age of twelve and became the youngest top scholar in the dynasty at fifteen.
He was known for his excellent calligraphy and his photographic memory.
At nineteen, his first wife passed away, and at twenty-two, he married the niece of the Grand Tutor Xu Gong.
From then on, his career soared, and in just fifteen years, he had climbed higher than most officials did in a lifetime.
It was only a matter of time before he joined the imperial cabinet.
However, Zhang Zhuo lacked the稳重 (steadiness) and 内敛 (reserve) of a prefect.
He nudged Chen Liqin playfully with his elbow.
"How did your son end up playing chess with the Prince of Jing? You sly fox, Chen Liqin, sneaking into the Prince's good graces without telling me. No wonder you sent your son here as an apprentice."
Chen Liqin frowned but didn't respond.
It wasn't that he didn't want to answer, but he didn't know how to.
Zhang Zhuo's question was also his own: Why was Chen Ji playing chess with the Prince of Jing?
Moreover, inside the Taiping Medical Clinic, the Prince of Jing's hearty laughter could be heard from time to time.
It seemed that his son was getting along quite well with the Prince...
Just then, there was a clattering sound as Chen Ji picked up the black pieces and dropped them into the bamboo basket, signaling the end of the game.
Zhang Zhuo tugged at Chen Liqin's sleeve.
"Let's go in."
The two stepped over the threshold and approached the Prince of Jing.
Chen Liqin simply clasped his hands in a respectful bow, while Zhang Zhuo bowed deeply with a flattering smile.
"Greetings, Your Highness. Your journey south to gather military provisions must have been arduous."
The Prince of Jing turned slowly.
"You two have also worked hard. I heard that during the snowfall, you went to the river embankment to comfort the laborers. Such concern for the people is worthy of being called the parents of this city."
Zhang Zhuo quickly replied with a smile, "Not at all, it's our duty. However, the flood in Henan a few months ago submerged many fields. Now, a large number of refugees are fleeing to Luocheng, homeless and without land to farm. We need to quickly find a way to build shelters for them."
"You truly care for the people of this province," the Prince of Jing said slowly.
"Tell me, what difficulties are you facing?"
"Building shelters now might be a bit too late..."
As Zhang Zhuo spoke with the Prince of Jing, Chen Liqin kept glancing at Chen Ji.
Strangely, his son was focused on tidying up the chessboard and didn't spare him a single glance.
When Chen Ji finally looked up and their eyes met, he simply gave a polite smile, as if greeting a stranger.
Chen Liqin's brow furrowed.
He had sent Chen Ji to the Taiping Medical Clinic as an apprentice because of his gambling habits.
He believed he hadn't mistreated Chen Ji.
Being an apprentice at the clinic was a good opportunity, and he had instructed the steward to send monthly tuition fees.
But now, his son hadn't returned home in so long and treated his own father like a stranger.
Was he holding a grudge and cutting ties with the Chen family? How immature.
Setting aside Chen Liqin's confusion, Chen Ji also felt uneasy.
With so many officials present, he didn't know whether to stay by the chessboard or leave.
Moreover, one of the officials kept staring at him, and he had no idea why.
Chen Ji looked down at his clothes, but there were no holes or anything unusual.
Old Man Yao noticed his discomfort and said lightly, "Chen Ji, go pour some tea for the two officials to warm their hands."
"Ah, right away," Chen Ji replied.
He went to the back courtyard and returned with a tray, politely offering tea to Chen Liqin.
"Sir, please have some tea."
Chen Liqin's square face twisted into a frown.
"You're calling me 'sir'?"
Chen Ji was momentarily stunned.
If not "sir," then what should he call him?
Before he could react, Zhang Zhuo picked up the warm clay cup, warming his hands as he smiled and said, "Your Highness, this year's imperial examinations in Yuzhou have attracted much attention. Chen Liqin's eldest son, Chen Wenzong, has been praised by his teachers at Donglin Academy as a potential top scholar. Many scholars from the south are不服气 (unconvinced) and have vowed to compete with him at next year's palace examination."
The Prince of Jing glanced at Chen Ji and also smiled at Chen Liqin.
"Chen Liqin, you've raised your children well. Not only is your eldest son outstanding, but your younger son Chen Ji is also impressive. He won quite a few games against me earlier."
Chen Ji's heart skipped a beat!
(End of Chapter)