Translator: Jalyss
Proofreader: Odyssey
Chapter 66 – Two More Gambling
The next day, Bai Xi slept until noon. When she woke up, she felt refreshed, with all her fatigue from the previous day gone. By the time she was ready to head out, it was already 12:45.
However, there was someone who had been waiting all morning. It was Xiao Shan Zi, who had arrived to take Bai Xi to the imperial palace.
“The emperor ordered that Young Miss Bai Xi can go in directly without having to wait for a message to the emperor.” He had served the emperor for many years. This was the first time that the emperor had allowed a woman to walk directly into Qing Xin Hall without having someone pa.s.s a message to him on her arrival. When the empress dowager broke into Qing Xin Hall without permission last time, she had been punished. So, it was strange that the emperor allowed Young Miss Bai Xi to enter directly.
It couldn’t be….
“Mm.” After Bai Xi nodded slightly and ignored the change in Xiao Shan Zi’s face, they walked in.
When the eunuch next to Ye Mu Li had personally brought her to the imperial palace, she had been surprised. Now her surprise had grown. Wasn’t she here to visit the third princess, Ye Zi Yu? Why was she here? Qing Xin Hall was Ye Mu Li’s bedroom. Why did he want her to come here?
The hall was very s.p.a.cious, but the decorations were simple. It wasn’t obvious that this was the emperor’s bedroom. She didn’t see Ye Mu Li much, but she felt the same about him every time.
On the surface, this person looked like an easy-going, low-key person who always maintained an elegant and gentle smile. In fact, she believed that he was a person who hid a sharp knife behind his smile and that he was also black-bellied. Otherwise, Feng Ming would not have been fooled by him to come here.
“Little Xi Xi has arrived.” Ye Mu Li dropped the apple he had just finished and looked at Bai Xi with a smile on his face.
Bai Xi sweat-dropped. Little Xi Xi? Although it wasn’t the first time she heard him call her by that nickname, she felt it was a bit weird. Wasn’t his nickname for Feng Ming Little Ming Ming? As far as she knew, he was twenty-two years old, only one year older than Feng Ming. But after further consideration, it seemed like he was less than a year older than Feng Ming, so how could he call Feng Ming Little Ming Ming?
However, Little Ming Ming was a pretty good name.
“Little Xi Xi can really sleep. You only woke up at noon. We really envy you.” Ye Mu Li’s slightly aggrieved expression stunned Bai Xi for a moment.
“The emperor is also very leisurely, so the emperor has no need to envy others.” He was leaning on the couch and eating apples while he read. He was probably the only one who was like this.
“Yes, as long as Prime Minister Little Ming Ming is here, We will be very free.” Ye Mu Li wasn’t angry.
“Then the person worth envying is the emperor, who has Feng Ming to do things for you.” She was very curious as to how Ye Mu Li got Feng Ming to do his bidding.
“Little Xi Xi, you are wrong. In fact, you are the one We really admire.”
“Is that so?” Bai Xi also found a chair and seated herself. She smiled and raised her brows.
“Of course.” Ye Mu Li grabbed an apple and threw it at Bai Xi. “We only have this here.”
“The emperor really seems to like eating apples.” Bai Xi stared at the apple in her hand thoughtfully. She lowered her head to hide her fleeting thoughts.
“Little Xi Xi, We are bored these days.” Ye Mu Li didn’t answer, but suddenly sat upright and looked at Bai Xi seriously, as if it was something important.
Bai Xi smiled slightly, then took a bite of the apple. “Mm, it tastes good.”
“Little Xi Xi, We have been bored these days,” Ye Mu Li repeated impatiently.
“The emperor asked me to come just to eat an apple?” Bai Xi ignored his words. He was boring her with such trifling matters.
“Little Xi Xi really likes to ignore Our words.” Ye Mu Li softened and lay back down on the couch.
“Okay, then what does the emperor want? For me to play with you?” This Ye Mu Li was probably the first emperor in history who could say that life was boring. Even if it was boring, why did he look for her? Was there friendship between them? But she tricked him a little last time.
After Ye Mu Li heard her words, he immediately coughed. He rose and sat down on the chair to the left of Bai Xi. He smiled happily and said, “Little Xi Xi, how about playing a chess1.”
“Chess? No.” Did he really only ask her here to play chess? She didn’t believe it.
“We will teach you.”
“Didn’t the emperor want me to visit the third princess? It’s already late. If I accompany the emperor in a game of chess, then won’t I keep the third princess waiting for too long?” Bai Xi stood up and was about to leave, but Ye Mu Li stretched out his hand.
“It won’t be a problem. It’s just one game. It won’t take long.” While Ye Mu Li was talking, he had already gotten someone to bring the chessboard over. He didn’t give Bai Xi the chance to refuse again. “This is different from the usual chess. The two players will take turns trying to connect five or more pieces of the same colour in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, uninterrupted. Little Xi Xi, isn’t this simple?”
Bai Xi leaned back in the chair after hearing his words. Connect five? She heard him properly, right? This was how connect five was played, but how did he know about it? Was he also…
“Little Xi Xi, is there anything else you don’t understand?” He had already explained it simply. Could it be that Little Xi Xi still didn’t understand? That couldn’t be it.
“You can also do other things, such as tiao qi2, fei xing qi3, or xiang qi4.” If the other party could do it, then he is likely to have the same chance as her.
“Hm? Tiao qi? What is that? Will the pieces jump? And what is fei xing qi? It seems like Little Xi Xi knows a lot.” Ye Mu Li smiled slightly. It seemed that he had finally found someone to ease his boredom. Game pieces which could jump and fly would make his days more fun.
Bai Xi’s heart sank. It turned out that this was a coincidence. “The pieces can’t jump or fly. It’s just the name.”
“Can Little Xi Xi teach Us how to play the jumping chess and flying chess you mentioned just now?” He wanted Little Ming Ming to remain in the capital and not leave.
“Fine, but I won’t teach for nothing.” She wouldn’t offer her services for free. The other party was still the emperor of the country, so she had to make use of this opportunity.
“Little Xi Xi, We already owe you a condition.” In the past, he was the one who schemed against others. He didn’t think he would be schemed against, and now it continued. It had already been 2 times; he had to get it back.
“Thanking the emperor for reminding me of this matter.” How could she have forgotten that the majestic emperor owed her? She still hadn’t thought of what she wanted.
“Then how will you teach Us?”
“…”
“You aren’t willing to?”
“We can discuss the details another day. Should we play now?” She remembered that Ye Mu Li said he was bored just now, so she might as well take this opportunity to plan it out.
“Should we also bet over this, Little X Xi?” Ye Mu Li cut directly to the subject. His gentle and smiling eyes flashed slyly. The smile on his face grew, like a hundred flowers blooming.
“What kind of bet does the emperor want?” Sure enough, this was his goal in letting her come here today.
Wanting to visit the third princess? He was bored? He wanted to play chess? Nonsense. It was all for this bet.
“We owe you a condition, so We will bet on this condition, plus a blank imperial decree.” Ye Mu Li placed the prepared imperial decree on the board and unfolded it.
Bai Xi glanced at the imperial decree, seeing only the seal and not the content. She then looked at Ye Mu Li and smiled faintly. “This bet is really tempting.”
Even the imperial decree had been prepared. This was definitely premeditated. Looking at his confidence, he seemed to have other plans and that he believed that he would win. So, why should she continue to gamble?
“Little Xi Xi, this bet is not a loss for you at all,” Ye Mu Li said slowly when he saw Bai Xi hesitate.
“It is not a loss. But, if I lose, and the emperor decrees that I am to be killed, then I have lost a lot.” This was another way to bet her life; how could she not be cautious?
The smile on Ye Mu Li’s face grew. “Well, if We lose, the condition We owe you will be replaced by the imperial decree. If We win, then the condition We owe you will be offset. How about it?”
“The emperor seems very confident?” Was Ye Mu Li too confident, or did he have another plan?
Ye Mu Li didn’t answer and merely waited for hers.
“Okay, I promise.” She didn’t lose regardless of whether she won or lost. It was just a condition. She could get it again in the future.
Ye Mu Li smiled slightly. “Okay, then start.”
When Bai Xi took the white pieces, she heard the other ask, “Little Xi Xi, do you know why Little Ming Ming became my prime minister?”
“You deceived him,” Bai Xi said indifferently.
“Hehe, so Little Xi Xi knows.” Ye Mu Li stared at Bai Xi as if she had noticed something big.
“Actually, it is not very clear. If you are willing to elaborate, then I would like to listen.” People say that you need a calm mind to play chess. He was good. As soon as the game started, he talked about this interesting topic. It seemed that Ye Mu Li was trying his best to get rid of that condition.