After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

Ye Chengzhu threw down the arrow in his hand, and those who were timid dared not look and turned their heads away.

"Good!" A shout rang out, and Chu Hao grabbed the arrow's fletching with his right hand.

"These two are indeed people who play pitch-pot," Ye Jingyang said, raising an eyebrow.

"The next two arrows will pass by the left shoulder without any surprises."

Chu Hao narrowly caught the second arrow.

"Good! Prince Chu will definitely be able to catch the last arrow."

Ye Chengzhu was even more nervous with the third arrow. He carefully calculated the angle, and a small stone flew through the air and hit Ye Chengzhu's hand. The arrow flew out and headed towards Chu Hao's face.

"Your Highness, be careful," a servant who was always watching Chu Hao warned.

Chu Hao narrowly avoided the attack, but still suffered a cut on his face.

“You deliberately injured my young master,” the attendant accused Ye Chengzhu.

"I'm sorry, Prince Chu. I made a mistake and didn't mean to hurt you."

Ye Chengzhu looked around at the people around him. Someone had hit his hand. He suspected it was Ye Jingyang. The pain in his hand disappeared instantly. He knew that no mark had been left. He hurriedly explained.

Chu Hao silently wiped the blood from his face without saying a word, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"This kind of game is already dangerous, Prince Chu, you should go and apply the medicine quickly."

"Haha! Brother Ye's skill is superb; it was this young master who failed to catch it."

Chu Hao suddenly burst into laughter and patted Ye Chengzhu on the shoulder.

"Thank you for your understanding, Prince Chu. You are the true expert. I am no match for you."

Chu Hao was able to catch an arrow with his bare hands, which impressed Ye Chengzhu.

"I need to treat my wounds. Little Liu, you take my place and shoot arrows."

Chu Hao staggered away.

The pebble hit Ye Chengzhu; it was Ye Jingyang who struck. He exclaimed, "This isn't Chu Hao's usual style. This playboy is truly remarkable."

Ye Li'an replied, "She was personally taught by Old Madam Chu, so she's not really worthless."

[System, what happened to the Chu family in the end?]

[Host, the Chu family has neither fallen nor risen.]

[There's definitely something wrong with the Chu family!] Ye Yaoyao was certain of her thoughts.

Ye Chengzhu wasn't so lucky. When Chu Hao's servant saw that his young master's face was injured, he threw three arrows at him, and Ye Chengzhu was wounded in three places.

Upon hearing the commotion, Ye Yuanru rushed over, applied the medicine to him, and then exchanged poems with the scholar. Her outstanding literary talent drew praise from everyone.

[Host, those two siblings are showing off in front of the high-ranking officials' children. Aren't you going to sabotage it?]

Why would I want to sabotage them? I'd rather give them a push and make their journey even smoother.

"Brother, look how spirited Cousin Chengzu is. Let's go take a look."

Ye Yaoyao pulled Ye Li'an over to the literary district.

“Cousin Chengzu.”

Upon hearing Ye Yaoyao's voice, Ye Chengzhu's smug smile instantly froze. He quickly composed himself and forced a smile.

“Li An, Yao Yao’s cousin.”

"Cousin, I heard you were injured. Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, just a minor injury. Yuanru has already applied the medicine for me."

Ye Chengzhu suspected that Ye Jingyang was the one who secretly hit his arm, but he was unable to find any evidence, so he could only smile along with the two siblings.

"Brother Li An, I have a chess puzzle here that I've been unable to solve. You've come at the perfect time; could you please help me figure it out?"

"There are still chess games that can stump Brother Haowen. I'd like to see what kind of chess game it is."

As soon as the two set up the chessboard, people were instantly drawn to it and gathered around, while those who had been surrounding Ye Chengzhu scattered.

Ye Chengzhu watched the dispersing crowd, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water, his hands unconsciously clenching.

"Cousin, aren't you going to go and take a look?"

"Look! I want to see!"

Ye Chengzhu looked at Ye Yaoyao. His father said she was strange, and he wanted to see where the strangeness lay.

Ye Li'an looked at the chessboard in front of him and thought, "It looks like an unfinished game played by an unknown high monk and a wise man."

"Brother Li An has a keen eye. I played according to that endgame, but my next move blocked the path again. I really can't figure it out."

Yan Haowen slapped his head, smiling wryly. Ye Li'an thought for a moment and decisively placed a piece.

"Brilliant! How come I didn't think of that?"

Yan Haowen clapped his hands and cheered, his eyes flashing with excitement, and then quickly placed his piece.

Gradually, Ye Yaoyao stared at the chessboard and felt that it looked somewhat familiar.

[It seems like the Ninth Prince himself placed the bet, and Yan Haowen placed it in the wrong spot, which is now blocking his own path.]

Ye Li'an raised an eyebrow; his little sister actually knew how to read a chess game.

[Your eldest brother must have destroyed a few more of your pieces! Ninth Prince said that if you're outnumbered, you should aim for a draw; if you have many pieces, you should surround an empty area. If you play like that, you'll definitely turn the tide and win.]

Don't go down there.

Ye Yaoyao was in a hurry and spoke her mind. Realizing her mistake, she felt a little embarrassed.

"A true gentleman observes chess in silence; my cousin Yaoyao should keep quiet."

Ye Chengzhu seized the opportunity to mock her, but Ye Yaoyao remained calm and quickly apologized.

"Sorry, I couldn't hold it back for a moment."

Yan Haowen wasn't angry; instead, he looked at Ye Yaoyao with great interest.

"It's alright. This game is an endgame, and I only want to break it. I also feel that this part is not quite right, and there is no way to retreat. What are your thoughts, Miss Ye?"

Ye Chengzhu spoke again:

"Cousin, I remember you don't seem to know how to play chess?"

"I've gotten the basics right now; I learned them a couple of days ago."

Ye Li'an also wanted to know how much Jing Wang had taught his younger sister, and suggested:

“Brother Haowen, to understand the chessboard, one must step outside the game itself. Why don’t we let my cousin and younger sister play a game while we watch?”

“Yes, I’ve been studying this game for two months and still haven’t figured it out. It’s time to step outside the game.”

Yan Haowen stood up graciously and gave Ye Chengzhu his seat.

"I just saw that Young Master Ye is exceptionally talented in literature, so I imagine his chess skills are also quite good. Please!"

Yan Haowen gestured for them to enter, looking expectantly at Ye Chengzhu and Ye Yaoyao.

Ye Chengzhu nodded and sat down gracefully.

"Cousin Yaoyao, then I won't stand on ceremony."

Ye Yaoyao was not intimidated. "Cousin, bring it on!"

The two began to make their moves, with Ye Chengzhu not yet taking a beginner seriously.

After several rounds, everyone realized that Ye Yaoyao's chess playing was indeed as clumsy as a novice's, but her moves actually had some structure.

People around them started whispering among themselves.

"This Miss Ye seems to be quite capable."

"Maybe it was just a lucky coincidence."

"Whether it's good or bad, we'll find out soon enough."

Ye Li'an and Yan Haowen watched quietly from the side, their expressions focused.

Ye Yaoyao felt that she was getting better and better at the game. When Prince Jing taught her, she was still a little confused, but now it was as if she had suddenly figured it out.

Ye Chengzhu pressed forward relentlessly, but Ye Yaoyao was able to skillfully defuse the situation, which amazed the surrounding crowd.

Ye Li'an felt gratified seeing his younger sister's calm and composed demeanor.

Meanwhile, Haowen stared intently at the chessboard, his mind filled with awe.

Just when everyone thought Ye Chengzhu was about to win, Ye Yaoyao made a move that instantly turned the tide.

"You've achieved this much after just a few days of study, little sister is amazing."