Great Zhou Martial Immortal

Chapter 6 Li Lingyue

Lu Chenyuan walked into the mansion.

Taiping Mansion covers a vast area of ​​over 200 acres. Most of the entire Zhengping Ward was her residence, which shows how much Emperor Li Zhi and Empress Wu Zetian favored her. Xiaoxiang Pavilion was located behind Xuanji Pavilion.

The young female official led the way.

Lu Chenyuan recognized her. She was Yuan Qingshuang, the head maid of the princess's residence, and one of the three commanders under the Grand Commander of the Kite Guard. She held the same rank as the fourth-grade official and possessed unfathomable martial arts skills. She was, in a sense, the superior of his superior.

There was no other way; the rank of the guards on duty was too low, only one grade higher than ordinary civilian servants, and they didn't even have an official rank.

Yuan Qingshuang was serious and didn't say much, even though she was surprised. Lu Chenyuan had never been interested in women other than his target. The two of them walked one after the other through the winding corridors and arrived at Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Outside the pavilion, hundreds of green bamboos shaded the area, and clear springs flowed. The scenery was elegant, but the doors inside the pavilion were tightly closed.

Yuan Qingshuang bowed respectfully: "Princess, the person has been brought."

"Come in."

A voice came from inside the building. It was a very textured voice, slightly magnetic, with a hint of huskiness and languor.

"Yes."

Yuan Qingshuang gestured, "Young Master Lu, please."

"Thank you for your trouble, Manager Yuan."

Lu Chenyuan nodded, stepped up the stairs, his gait as natural as ever, without any sign of restraint.

Yuan Qingshuang's curiosity grew stronger. She still remembered the night she "served him in bed" a few days ago. This young master Lu was so nervous that he forgot which foot to step with first. After not seeing him for a few days, not only had his martial arts improved greatly, but his courage had also become extraordinary. He even dared to beat up the prince consort in the street. It was truly a strange thing.

Lu Chenyuan arrived at the door. The morning sunlight pierced through the bamboo shadows and slanted across the stone surface. He grabbed the door knocker with his backhand and shook it.

The door opened wide, and the lingering fragrance of galangal inside the building suddenly solidified.

The Kunlun jade-paved floor reflects the antique-style screen, and the twelve mother-of-pearl inlaid screen cuts off the rising sun, splitting the golden nanmu chessboard into two realms of yin and yang.

A woman dressed in white casual clothes is sitting at a table playing chess.

She was in her early twenties, with her black hair cascading down to cover half her face. Her simple white clothes accentuated her noble air, and the way she held the chess pieces with three fingers of her right hand resembled the sharpness of someone holding a poisoned dagger. Her features were cold and aloof, but her gaze towards the chessboard revealed a touch of gentle warmth reminiscent of the misty rain of Jiangnan.

The first rule of being a kept man is to adapt your approach to the person you're with.

Lu Chenyuan knew Li Lingyue's temperament all along. The best way to attract such a powerful woman was to use more forceful means to shatter her pride, which would be the fastest way to achieve results. Unfortunately, his combat strength, financial resources, and influence were far too lacking, so he could only settle for second best and act neither humble nor arrogant.

As for gentle words and understanding...

That's the lowest level of being a kept man. You can only use this tactic after you've already gained some initial favor to quickly escalate the relationship. Before that, you should never lower your stance too much.

She wanted male concubines, not slaves.

Male concubines are lowly, but that's only during the day. At night, who knows who will be below them?

Therefore, this balance needs to be struck.

Empress Wu Zetian ascended the throne at the age of sixty-seven, reaching the highest position, yet she still needed a group of male favorites to alleviate her loneliness. She even built the Crane Control Palace to raise a flock of male cranes specifically for her to vent her desires. If she only needed servants, they were readily available everywhere. The purpose of keeping these people was merely to provide emotional support between men and women.

Be soft when you need to be soft, and be firm when you need to be firm.

This is what a good male concubine should be like.

Princess Taiping is probably the same; she might raise a whole bunch of them someday.

Lu Chenyuan has no interest in how many he will support or who he will like in the future. As long as you provide resources, I will provide you with emotional value, guaranteeing that you will get more than your money's worth and linger there!

Lu Chenyuan clasped his hands in greeting and said, "This humble servant, Lu Chenyuan, pays respects to Your Highness the Princess."

Li Lingyue didn't even look up, and said calmly, "Do you know how to play chess?"

Lu Chenyuan said, "I know a little."

Li Lingyue said, "Come here. Sit down."

"Yes."

Without saying a word, Lu Chenyuan strode over to the other side of the table, lifted his robes, and sat down.

Li Lingyue raised an eyebrow and glanced up at him. Lu Chenyuan remained focused, his eyes fixed on the chessboard.

The phrase "catering to someone's preferences" is easy to say but difficult to do.

Rich women have different hobbies, and to cater to them all, one has to become an all-rounder. Lu Chenyuan has put in a lot of effort to earn more money from these women, and Go happens to be one of his strengths, marked as "Proficient" on his board. With just a quick glance, he had already assessed the situation and smiled, "Black has a great advantage. Is Your Highness sure you don't want to switch?"

Li Lingyue smiled faintly: "How dare you speak so arrogantly. This is one of the ten games of Dongting played by the chess immortal Wu Fu and the chess demon Shi Guangling. Since you know how to play, how can you say such unprofessional things?"

The implication was that White had the advantage. Lu Chenyuan frowned, examined the situation closely, and after a moment of mental calculation, calmed down. There was no mistake; even if AlphaGo came, Black would still have the advantage!
Black's moves appear dangerous on the surface, but they conceal deadly moves; you just can't see them.

Lu Chenyuan smiled slightly, offered no explanation, and picked up a black piece, placing it in the lower right corner.

"It does have some method..."

Seeing that he wasn't just randomly placing bets, Li Lingyue became interested and picked up a bet to place one herself.

After a dozen or so moves, Lu Chenyuan relaxed. This woman was at most an amateur fifth dan. Li Lingyue's expression gradually changed. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she hesitated to make a move. Occasionally, she would look up at Lu Chenyuan with a curious expression. Soon, the black pieces on the board became very powerful, and the white pieces were killed and scattered.

About an hour later, Li Lingyue resigned.

Her expression was very strange, and she asked curiously, "Who taught you to play chess?"

AlphaGo...

Lu Chenyuan's mind raced; of course, he wouldn't tell the truth. He smiled and deliberately dragged out his words, "When I was young—"

Li Lingyue's phoenix eyes narrowed sharply, her long black hair moved without wind, and sword energy crisscrossed around her: "Insolence!"

Lu Chenyuan remained unmoved, his gaze fixed on the chessboard. He picked up a chess piece with two fingers and said, "When I was young, I was a prince and frequently encountered enemy forces. The beginning of my righteous cause was to quell rebellions. Holding the gong and drum meant there was command; observing their formation revealed their strength and weakness. By using our weakness against their strength, and our strength against their weakness, if the enemy attacked our weakness, they could only pursue us for a hundred or so paces. When we attacked their weakness, we could break through their formation, turn around and attack from behind, and they would invariably suffer a crushing defeat. I have often used this method to achieve victory, and I have deeply understood its principles."

He looked up to meet Li Lingyue's changing expression. "This is the profound principle of military strategy spoken of by Emperor Taizong, which leads to the same goal as chess and calligraphy, though different paths. I have long admired Emperor Taizong, and thus have devoted myself to studying it—I wonder what Your Highness thought I was about to say?"

"..."

Li Lingyue's sword finger froze in mid-air, and the tips of her ears gradually turned red.

She abruptly withdrew her finger, her wide sleeves fluttering as the sword energy vanished, and feigning composure, she said, "You've learned well..."

After saying that, he reached out and randomly fiddled with the remaining chess pieces on the table, turning the scattered black and white pieces into a mess.

Lu Chenyuan watched her expression change with a smile. No wonder she could bewitch so many people; she was indeed a peerless beauty.

Li Lingyue's ears turned even redder from his gaze, and she said irritably, "What are you looking at! Turn around!"

I won't watch it then...

Lu Chenyuan coughed lightly and turned his head.

Li Lingyue calmed herself down slightly and stopped looking at the chessboard. The more she looked, the stranger it seemed. She changed the subject and asked seriously, "Why did you injure Xu He? Aren't you afraid that Wu Youji will cause you trouble? Aren't you afraid that the Wu family will cause you trouble?"

With his back to her, Lu Chenyuan spoke in a deep voice: "If Your Highness won't protect me, I can only protect myself. Otherwise, how can I act and shield the princess from those boring people if I'm covered in wounds every day? After a while, the princess will forget about this insignificant person, and I'll die without a burial place! What difference does it make whether I die sooner or later?"

Li Lingyue frowned and argued, "I have already sent people to wait at the door and delivered medicine to you. They dare not kill you."

"But they dare to fight..."

Lu Chenyuan turned around, his eyes filled with sincerity and affection: "This humble servant is not afraid of being covered in wounds, nor of gossip, but I do not want to be a pawn. I hope to be Your Highness's shield forever, until I can no longer shield you..."

"you!"

Li Lingyue understood the implication and frowned deeply: "Don't be delusional!"

"What wishful thinking?"

Lu Chenyuan looked bewildered and asked, puzzled, "Your Highness, I'm on guard duty, protecting your bedchamber and shielding you from arrows. Isn't that my duty? You..."

"Shut up!"

Li Lingyue grew increasingly furious, glaring at Lu Chenyuan: "How dare you play dumb in front of me! How dare you!"

"Then I won't pretend anymore."

Lu Chenyuan changed his mind immediately and readily agreed: "The real reason is that the Imperial Son-in-Law is all bark and no bite and dares not do anything to me. The Wu family is the same. Since that's the case, why not fight back... We can't just take the beating."

Lu Chenyuan chuckled, his expression relaxed, as if he truly didn't take these troubles seriously, nor did he take her anger seriously.

Li Lingyue was confused by his change in attitude.

You say you'll always be my shield, of course I'm not happy about that. Who are you? Who am I?

But if you say that all of this wasn't for me... that doesn't feel right either!

Li Lingyue asked, "Why?"

Lu Chenyuan laughed and said, "Everyone knows that Her Highness is the apple of Emperor Wu's eye. Emperor Wu loves you more than anything. Even if she knew that I was 99% a fake lover, she would not allow anyone to take away what you love. That is where my courage comes from. If any member of the Wu family had any sense, they would not agree to Wu Youji trying to kill me, thereby angering you and Emperor Wu. Wu Youji's own power is limited, so why not fight back?"

(End of this chapter)