The Eldest Daughter Returns with Power

The emperor walked slowly into the Phoenix Palace with steady and dignified steps, where the empress had been waiting for a long time.

She rose to greet him, curtsied gracefully, and said softly, "Your Majesty, you have returned. Has the Empress Dowager retired for the night?"

The emperor smiled and casually waved his hand, indicating to the empress that there was no need for such formalities.

He then strode to the head of the table and sat down calmly.

Seeing this, the Empress quickly handed the hangover tea to the Emperor and said gently, "Your Majesty drank quite a lot at the banquet today. Why don't you drink this hangover tea first to help sober up your body?"

The emperor nodded slightly, reached out and took the teacup. He first gently sniffed the aroma of the tea, then carefully took a sip. He felt a refreshing fragrance spread in his mouth, which was very pleasant.

After setting down his teacup, the Emperor looked intently at the Empress and said, "I met Zhuang Yichen at the banquet today. Observing his words, actions, demeanor, and style, he is truly a talented person. If this person can be employed by our dynasty, he will surely become my capable assistant, helping me to reach new heights in governing the country!"

Upon hearing this, the Empress nodded slightly in agreement and replied softly, "I have also noticed that Zhuang Yichen is indeed no ordinary person. However, he comes from the Jianghu and is used to being free and unrestrained. I'm afraid his ambition is not to become an official in the court."

Upon hearing this, the emperor frowned slightly, but his eyes still revealed a steadfast determination.

He paused for a moment, then said slowly, "The martial arts world is currently rife with complex and ever-changing forces. If we can successfully bring a powerful martial arts sect like Qingyu Manor under our control, it will greatly benefit the imperial court's ability to maintain control over the entire martial arts world. However, it remains to be seen what Zhuang Yichen will ultimately choose..."

The Empress moved gracefully behind the Emperor, extending her slender hands to gently massage his broad, strong shoulders. Her movements were soft and soothing.

The Empress parted her lips slightly and said softly, "I observed today that Zhuang Yichen treats his wife with utmost care and consideration. The couple is deeply in love, which is truly enviable. Moreover, he also dotes on our Ruo'er and cherishes her immensely. In my opinion, with Ruo'er around, he will surely consider some of the relationship and leave some room for maneuver."

Upon hearing the Empress's words, the Emperor's eyes flickered slightly, and he turned to look at the gentle and charming Empress beside him.

A faint smile slowly crept onto his lips as he said in a low voice, "The Empress is absolutely right. This situation is indeed an advantageous factor. I will certainly find an opportunity tomorrow to have a proper discussion with Zhuang Yichen."

The next morning, thousands of golden rays pierced through the dense forest's layers of intertwined branches and leaves, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow that gently fell upon the magnificent golden brick floor of the palace, as if draping the entire palace in a dreamlike veil.

The emperor had already risen from his dragon bed. After washing up and dressing, he went to the court in high spirits to receive the homage of the officials and to handle state affairs.

After the morning court session ended, the emperor rushed back to his study and continued to bury himself in the mountain of memorials, racing against time to deal with the urgent government affairs that needed to be addressed.

After all the important matters were handled in an orderly and thoughtful manner, the emperor breathed a sigh of relief, then leaned back on the dragon throne, closed his eyes slightly, and rested for a while.

After a moment, the emperor slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window. He saw the bright sunlight, like a golden veil, spilling across the earth, making the whole world exceptionally bright and warm.

Gazing at this magnificent scene, the emperor suddenly had a thought, as if he had remembered something important.

Immediately afterwards, the emperor turned to the eunuch who had been standing respectfully to the side and instructed, "Eunuch Li, please invite Zhuang Yichen, the master of Qingyu Manor, to the Imperial Study. Send someone to Liuli Palace as well."

"Yes, Your Majesty! This old servant obeys the decree." Eunuch Li bowed hurriedly and then turned to walk towards the door of the Imperial Study. A short while later, he found the quick-witted Xia Zi at the door and relayed the Emperor's edict to him in detail.

After hearing this, Xia Zi's expression turned serious, and he quickly nodded and replied, "Don't worry, Your Excellency, this servant will definitely invite Mr. Zhuang over as soon as possible." With that, he took light and steady steps and walked quickly along the bluestone path in the palace towards the Glazed Palace.

The Glass Palace is located in the western corner of the palace complex. From a distance, the entire palace looks like a dazzling pearl embedded in this magnificent architectural complex.

Above the palace walls, the colorful glazed tiles shimmered under the sunlight, like vibrant clouds drifting down to earth, making the palace look like a dreamlike fairyland, beautiful and breathtaking.

Before long, Xia Zi arrived safely in front of the Liuli Palace. He stopped and straightened his robes and hat before smiling and respectfully approaching the guards at the gate.

Upon seeing the guards, Xia Xiazi bowed slightly and said politely, "Brother guards, you've worked hard. I've come on His Majesty's orders to invite Mr. Zhuang Yichen of Qingyu Manor to the Imperial Study for an audience with the Emperor. I hope you can do me a favor and help me convey this message."

Upon hearing that it was a summons from the Emperor, the guards naturally dared not be negligent in the slightest. One of the guards immediately clasped his hands in response and said, "Eunuch Xia, please wait a moment, I will go in and report right away." After saying that, the guard turned around and quickly walked into the palace gate to inform Zhuang Yichen.

Zhuang Yichen was standing leisurely in the beautiful courtyard of the Glazed Palace.

He was dressed in a long, snow-white robe, looking as ethereal as a celestial being descended to earth; he held a folding fan in his hand, the fan surface painted with exquisite landscape patterns, which complemented the blooming flowers in the courtyard, making him appear even more elegant and graceful.

At this moment, Zhuang Yichen's deep and bright eyes were staring intently at the colorful sea of ​​flowers before him, as if he were lost in thought.

A gentle breeze blew by, and petals fluttered down, landing on his shoulders and in his hair, but did not interrupt his thoughts in the slightest.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar. It turned out that Eunuch Xia had come to deliver the news that the Emperor had summoned him.

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yichen was slightly taken aback, then nodded gently to indicate that he was aware of the matter.

Then, he slowly closed the folding fan in his hand, put it into his pocket, and followed Xia Zi towards the Imperial Study.

Throughout the journey, Zhuang Yichen walked steadily and calmly, exuding an innate confidence and composure in every gesture.

Before long, the two of them arrived outside the Imperial Study.

Looking from afar, one could see that Eunuch Li was already respectfully waiting there.

Upon seeing Zhuang Yichen, Eunuch Li hurriedly approached him with a beaming smile and said in a low voice, "Mr. Zhuang, His Majesty has been waiting for you here for quite some time. Please come in quickly."

After hearing this, Zhuang Yichen first expressed his gratitude to Eunuch Li, and then looked down at his clothes to see if they were neat and appropriate.

After confirming that everything was correct, he took a deep breath and slowly stepped into the Imperial Study.

Zhuang Yichen dared not delay. He quickly walked a few steps to the emperor, knelt down on both knees, and respectfully performed a grand salute, saying loudly, "This humble subject, Zhuang Yichen, pays his respects to Your Majesty! May Your Majesty live ten thousand years!"

Upon seeing Zhuang Yichen arrive, the Emperor quickly rose to greet him with a warm and friendly smile, asking with concern, "Mr. Zhuang, did you rest well last night?"

Zhuang Yichen hurriedly bowed respectfully to the emperor and replied in a respectful voice, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Ruo'er has arranged everything very well and thoughtfully. I slept very well last night." Upon hearing this, the emperor nodded in satisfaction, a hint of appreciation in his eyes.

Immediately afterward, the emperor smiled slightly, changed the subject, and asked with great interest, "I have heard that you are a man of great learning and talent, but I wonder how accomplished you are in chess?"

Zhuang Yichen raised the corners of his mouth slightly, turned his gaze to the emperor sitting upright in front of the desk, and replied confidently, "Your Majesty, although I dare not claim that my chess skills are the best, they are still passable."

Upon hearing these words, the emperor's smile grew even brighter, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He immediately turned to the attendant beside him and ordered, "Quickly, fetch that warm jade chessboard and warm jade chess pieces!"

Before long, Eunuch Li nimbly placed the exquisite warm jade chessboard and black and white chess pieces on the table in front of the emperor.

The emperor laughed heartily and said loudly, "In that case, I must have a good exchange of ideas on the art of Go with Mr. Zhuang today, so that I can broaden my horizons and appreciate your superb skills!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuang Yichen slowly stood up, his posture as upright as a pine tree, and walked steadily toward the chessboard. When he reached one side of the chessboard, he gently lifted the hem of his robe and sat down with elegant movements.

The game had just begun when the emperor, without hesitation, picked up a black piece and placed it on the board. His decisiveness and imposing manner made it seem as if he had the entire game in his grasp, giving him a strong sense of control over the whole situation.

However, Zhuang Yichen remained completely calm in the face of the emperor's aggressive opening move. He simply smiled slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile, and then calmly picked up a white piece and gently placed it on the chessboard.

At first glance, Zhuang Yichen's layout seems somewhat random, but upon closer inspection, one can discover that it actually contains hidden secrets, like an invisible net quietly unfolding.

As the two sides exchanged blows, the emperor gradually discovered that Zhuang Yichen's chess moves were quite ingenious, and he was able to deal with them with ease.

As a result, the emperor couldn't help but marvel inwardly, and the black pieces in his hand became increasingly fierce and ruthless in their attacks.

In an instant, the black and white pieces on the chessboard intertwined and clashed, like two dragons fiercely battling in the sea of ​​clouds, making the situation extremely tense and exciting.

Zhuang Yichen, on the other hand, remained calm and composed throughout, his sharp eyes fixed on the chessboard, not missing a single subtle change.

Sometimes he would furrow his brow slightly, lost in brief contemplation; other times he would suddenly break into a light smile, clearly having already devised a strategy to defeat the enemy.

But whenever it was his turn to make a move, the white piece in his hand would always land on the chessboard as swiftly and accurately as lightning, without the slightest hesitation.

After dozens of tense and fierce rounds of combat, the black pieces held by the emperor were like a beast trapped in a cage, gradually being tightly surrounded by Zhuang Yichen's white pieces that surged like a tide.

The seemingly impenetrable and airtight Black camp has now begun to reveal several fatal flaws.

Upon seeing this, the emperor frowned slightly, and the black piece he was holding remained suspended in mid-air.

Time seemed to stand still; the entire palace was silent except for the emperor's heavy breathing and the occasional soft clatter of chess pieces.

After a long while, the emperor seemed to have finally come up with a solution. He took a deep breath and then slowly placed the black piece in his hand onto the chessboard.

However, whether this move can turn the tide remains to be seen.

Zhuang Yichen had been quietly observing the development of the situation. When he saw the emperor make this move, the corner of his mouth turned up slightly, almost imperceptibly.

But soon, he returned to his usual respectful and humble demeanor.

He calmly reached out and gently picked up a white chess piece from the chess box.

He first gently stroked the white piece with his fingertips, as if it were an incomparably precious treasure.

Immediately afterward, his eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he accurately placed the white piece in the most crucial position on the chessboard.

With this move, the entire situation changed dramatically in an instant.

The emperor's black pieces suddenly lost all their escape routes. They were like a flock of lost lambs, only able to make a final, desperate struggle under the heavy encirclement of the white pieces.

At this point, the outcome of the game was already becoming clear. If someone knowledgeable about chess were watching, they would surely see that the emperor's black pieces were already in an irrecoverable predicament.

The emperor stared intently at the chessboard before him, time seemed to stand still, and the entire hall fell into silence.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head, his deep and sharp gaze falling directly on Zhuang Yichen.

The emperor's eyes were now filled with admiration for Zhuang Yichen's superb chess skills.

Finally, the emperor broke the silence and exclaimed, "Mr. Zhuang's chess skills are indeed superb! Today I have truly broadened my horizons and witnessed what a master's demeanor is. I am completely convinced of my defeat in this game."

After saying this, the emperor gently shook his head, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile.

Upon hearing the emperor's words of praise, Zhuang Yichen dared not be negligent in the slightest. He immediately stood up and bowed deeply to the emperor.

Then he replied respectfully, "Your Majesty is too kind. I am truly unworthy of such praise. My good fortune in winning this game is entirely due to Your Majesty's kindness and humility. If Your Majesty had not shown mercy, how could I have been so lucky?" His words were full of humility.

Seeing this, the emperor smiled and waved his hand, signaling Zhuang Yichen to sit down again.

At this moment, the emperor's smile remained as warm and amiable as a spring breeze, conveying not a trace of majesty or oppression. "Mr. Zhuang," the emperor said, "please do not be so modest. I have always been fair in my rewards and punishments, and I value talent. From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were a genius of our time. Now, having witnessed your exceptional chess skills firsthand, my admiration for you has only grown stronger. Therefore, I intend to recruit you. What do you think?"