This is clearly a simulation of the Han-Chu contention before the establishment of the Han Dynasty. On one side is Han Xin, the founding general of the Han Dynasty, and on the other side is Xiang Yu, the insolent Overlord of Western Chu.
"I don't know how to play this kind of chess." I admitted honestly. Zeng Rou and Nan were also very interested and came over, but they also said that they had never seen this kind of chess before.
"This game of chess has been popular among the people since the establishment of the Han Dynasty. However, it was later banned by the imperial court. It became popular again after the capital was established in Luoyang, but it was generally only played for entertainment among bored lower-class nobles."
They also explained various rules to me, but I still raised some objections, because it was indeed very different from real combat, especially bows. I would never let archers rush into the enemy's formation to kill the enemy. I thought that after killing the enemy, the archers should stay where they were. However, their explanation was reasonable. Archers could not expose themselves in places where the enemy could attack them, but when they really attacked, they could not shoot behind their own people. And I couldn't think of a better suggestion, so I accepted it.
I agreed that the prime minister could not cross the river, but I was puzzled as to why he had to walk in a square grid. Their explanation was to ask me what the prime minister in the army did. I thought about it for a moment and nodded.
But I still have a suggestion, and they agree, that is, to add a method of "stirring the horse's tuǐ", that is, if there is a piece in the first square in front of the horse, it is considered to be "stirring the horse's tuǐ". I deeply understand this, and they also think it makes sense.
There were no other questions, so I thought I could start now, so I asked for the names of the two elders.
"My surname is Xu, my name is Xu Zijiang, and this one is Yu Ji." The man who looked like a grain merchant gave a brief introduction.
"May I ask which gentleman would like to play this game with me?"
The two elders looked at each other, and Xu Zijiang came out, "I'll go first."
"Please go first." You should be humble to the elders, but I plan to use my side. In comparison, I like this enemy of the Han Dynasty more, because in my heart, he is still a great hero. The only regret is that in the battle of Julu, 200,000 Qin soldiers were trapped, which makes me uncomfortable. I also like Han Xin very much, but it seems that this chess piece does not take Gaozu into consideration. Yes, Gaozu defeated Xiang Yu with the help of Han Xin, an absolute general, but when the Han Dynasty was established, most of the meritorious officials headed by Han Xin were killed. Although the history we learned clearly stated that they wanted to rebel and Gaozu suppressed the rebellion, there are rumors among the people that Gaozu designed to kill the meritorious officials one by one, because Gaozu was not good at commanding soldiers, but good at commanding generals, and he was very worried about the many capable people under his command. To be honest, I think it makes sense. Therefore, for Gaozu, I don't want to find any other words to describe him except that he is awesome. This is how things are in the world. After the Yellow Turban Rebellion, everyone was afraid and hoped that something bad would happen. As the saying goes, when the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked. I think any scholar with a normal brain understands this.
"Do you need to think about it for so long?" Nan interrupted me, and I woke up and hurriedly prepared to make the first move, but I saw that no piece had moved on the field. It turned out that Xu Zijiang wanted me to go first, and I was being modest. He and I have been playing for longer than I am, and it would be unfair to me if I didn't let him go first, so I had better go first.
I have never played this before, and I really don't know what to do. I thought that according to the rules on the battlefield, I should shoot first, so I put the left-hand archer behind the second pawn on the left hand. He also immediately moved his right-hand horse two squares to his right, but was blocked by the horse's legs. He must have been used to this routine before and forgot the new rules. I immediately used my bow to capture his soldier, while his bow was still there. However, I think I have some problems. Although I have gained an advantage, I seem to have lost the initiative. Sure enough, his bow went all the way to the middle, on the line of Xiang Han. I was a little depressed. I was greedy for a soldier and lost the initiative of the whole game, because now I have to escape my bow, otherwise it will be trampled by his horse, or my last barrier soldier in front of Xiang Yu will be shot. I lost the initiative in one step.
Everyone was watching us, and I felt a little nervous. It was not a good thing to lose the initiative in the war all of a sudden. But I think I was beginning to like this game.
If I lose the soldier in the middle, I will not pose any threat for the time being, and his bow has no barrier. If he hits me on both sides, I will run into the rut, which he obviously won't do. In this case, I immediately use my bow to hit the soldier three squares to his left. I vaguely feel that something is wrong, but I don't know what to do at this time.
I glanced around secretly. Nan was thinking about something, but he didn't say anything after being poked by Xu Wen. However, from his expression, he seemed very happy; while Yan Rou was frowning; Xu Wen had a relaxed expression, and most of the time she was looking at the Huns, while Yu Ji looked very relaxed.
If you just look at Yan Rou's expression, you would think something big is going to happen, but after looking at Mr. Yu Ji, it seems that nothing will happen. I decided to go back to the chessboard and continue playing this game seriously.
Xu Zijiang also thought for a while, and rushed his left horse forward two squares, pressing it under my bow. I knew that the mission of this bow was completed. Seeing that it was okay for the time being, I began to think about my next move. His right chariot seemed easier to mobilize. If I let him mobilize it, two of my pieces would be restrained. The most serious thing was the chariot's maneuvers, and I couldn't think of a way to restrain his chariot for a while, so I had to mobilize my left horse first and put it three squares to the left, which was just right to defend against the bow in the middle.
"Thank you, sir. I'm Tu Jinglie, your subordinate." Long Xing asked him to come to me. It seems that there is something, because Ergou is very familiar with our Han etiquette.
"What's the matter?" We had just started playing chess when we had to stop.
"Lord Tian Yuanhao was entrusted by Lord Yuan, the governor of Qingzhou, to come here to welcome Lord Yuan. Unexpectedly, Lord Yuan was at his home. Lord Long Xing ordered me to come along and introduce Lord Tian Yuanhao." I had a general idea in my mind.
I suddenly remembered that these two were not from the Tian family. I was now in Tian Feng’s old house. I hadn’t even met the real owner, but I was playing chess with guests. It was indeed a bit inappropriate and disrespectful.
"It's okay, Zirui, there's no need to feel guilty. We also have a responsibility in this matter. Let's go see Yuan Hao together." Yu Ji saw my sadness and took the initiative to comfort me.
Tian Feng was greeting me in the front hall, which made me feel even more embarrassed. I quickly apologized. Tian Feng was very polite and told me not to mind it.
Tian Feng is very young and talented. At the age of 24, he was already the top counselor under Yuan Shao. He has a tall figure. Although his appearance is not surprising, his uprightness is beyond words. He also introduced his younger brother to me. His name is Tian Jian, and his courtesy name is Xuelin. He is an absolutely weak scholar with a medium build and a fair complexion. No wonder the Lu family arrested the wrong person, but there is a bookish air between his honest eyebrows. It should be, a nerdy air.
After a few pleasantries, Tian Feng explained his purpose and took us to Linzi Yuan Shao. I didn't want to disturb him because I was really afraid to go east. But after seeing Tian Feng's expression, I decided to go because I felt that this man was trustworthy. Tian Feng offered to keep us for a simple meal, but I didn't know if we would do him the honor. Of course, I said thank you and obeyed.
Tian Feng is a genius of the time. I only spoke to him for a few words and I felt this way. There was still some time before the dinner, so I asked Tu Jinglie to go back and give Long Xing a message. Actually, I wanted him to go back and be with his wife. This kind of banquet is for bachelors like us, and those who come for blind dates.
"I wonder why Marquis Ping'an Fengyun is here?" Tian Yuanhao still couldn't figure out some things.
When I heard this question, I immediately looked at Xu Wen. I wanted to see if she wanted me to tell her the truth.
"Let me tell you." Xu Wen obviously understood what I meant, but she decided to do it herself. Maybe she thought I was too slow to talk. She told the whole story again, and Tian Feng frowned.
"Mr. Xu, this matter was caused by me. If Wenwen suffers any loss as a result of this, Feng cannot escape the guilt."
"It's okay. I know Lu Hong from Tianshan, and he also knows Wenwen. Wenwen will be fine. Wenwen, will you run away again in the future?"
"My name is Xu Wen now. It's not Xu Wenwen anymore. That's too childish." She did not feel guilty for her recklessness, but insisted on her new name very stubbornly.
But it seems that General Xu has no way to deal with his precious daughter. I said a few more words and the matter was left unresolved. Tian Feng also expressed his deep gratitude to me.
We chatted about some things in the backyard. Xu Wenwen took Nan for a walk. Children like this usually have a lot to talk about. We made fun of them for a while, and then we joked about Xu Zijiang, saying that he seemed to be looking for a Hun son-in-law. Xu Zijiang was open-minded and made a few casual comments. It seemed that he didn't care about Nan's Hun identity. This made me like him even more. I originally thought that I might have to find Nan's future partner among the Deng people.
We walked to the thatched hall. Tian Yuanhao took a quick look and felt a little strange. He asked how the two soldiers in Han Xin's army were eaten and why the cavalry didn't come to protect them. I told him the new rule with a tripping horse. He nodded. However, Tian Feng thought about it and said, "Don't delve into it. This is just a game. It's not even a paper game. In fact, if it is a real battle, you will take one step at a time. And even if it is broken down, the chariot should not move sideways in its own position. It can only move sideways after crossing the boundary, otherwise it will disrupt its own position." I agreed with this, but our army does not have a real chariot. Although the chariot is not as flexible and fast as the cavalry, it does have a lot of uses in increasing the impact and stabilizing the position. It seems that although Tian Feng respects these two middle-aged men very much, he doesn't like this kind of chess very much. But I have written it down, and I think it will be useful in the future.
But in front of him, I couldn't suggest continuing the game. Xu Zijiang was a little regretful. He was old and not as good as before. He didn't remember the newly changed rules. Otherwise, he wouldn't have moved his horse to the side. This way, he trapped his own pieces in a corner and couldn't get out of it. I felt quite a bit after hearing this.
Tian Feng invited me to play a game of chess with him. As it was getting dark, we played indoors. Except for his brother who stood behind him, everyone else was on my side.
I played black first, I played the first piece in the lower left four fours, Tian Feng played the second piece in the corresponding place in my upper right, I played the second piece in the lower right four fours, he played the same, I played the third piece in the lower middle four squares, he played the same, I played another piece in the left middle four columns, Tian Feng played the same. (Author's note: I didn't know the ancient rules of the seats when I wrote this, which has led to nearly a hundred readers pointing out the mistakes for more than a year. I solemnly declare here that I know it, but it is only for the purpose of this article that I cannot modify it. Please forgive me.)
For the fifth move, I looked at Tianyuan for a while, then looked at the right road, and finally placed a move six rows and three columns above the left side.
"Your Excellency seems to be showing weakness. Do you think I am here to test you?" Tian Feng laughed and did not continue.
"Brother Yuanhao is over-worrying. I just don't have the confidence."
"The young commander of Hanzhong still has no confidence. I'm afraid your Excellency wants to pretend to be Sun Bin." Sun Bin once pretended to be crazy and stupid to make Pang Juan relax his vigilance and successfully escaped. Now his metaphor is really apt.
Because that’s what I thought, but now that it’s been seen through, the question arises: what is Tian Feng thinking now
Tian Feng is very good. You can tell his intentions just by watching his chess game. I am also being too clever. Why should I deliberately show weakness, that is, not occupying the middle board, and not cutting into the opponent's ribs? Cheating ordinary people may not be understood by others, and cheating the first counselor of Hebei Yuan family is simply asking for trouble. This plan failed miserably.
This kind of embarrassing situation is not the first time that it has occurred. Tian Yuanhao is straightforward and resourceful. If it is not handled properly, there will definitely be problems.
"If I occupy the central part of the country directly, won't you think that I am going to compete for the Central Plains and emulate the King of Western Chu? Rather than committing treason, it is better to compromise and live in peace." I decided to fight back first to test the waters.
"Playing chess is different from worldly affairs. How can we treat them the same?"
"Then why do you want to pretend to be Sun Bin?" I found that Tian Feng was resourceful but not good at speaking, and I was very happy: "Moreover, you thought I suspected you were testing me after just nine moves, but why do you have a reason?" I listed all the reasons in one breath, leaving no room for retreat, determined to make him speechless in one fell swoop.
He did fall silent, and I could see an expression of unconvinced look on his young face, but few people dared to beat the people of Jingzhou in a verbal battle.
"Excuse me, Brother Yuanhao, please don't be offended. It's just a waste of words. It's not worth it." I decided to smooth things over myself, because the two old bastards behind me didn't even come out to smooth things over. In fact, what I was thinking was: Tian Feng, you bastard, my official rank is so much higher than yours. If it weren't for the fact that you are a good talent and in Qingzhou, I would not let you become big, but I am just pretending to be a little bit.
I know I was really unhappy about his question.
"If you want to get angry, just get angry. I don't want you to keep it to yourself." Tian Feng was still cold. "You don't need to comfort me with such nice words."
I think I was angry, but I didn't intend to use my official rank to pressure him. Since he dared to talk to me like this, he must not care about these things.
Yes, local princes like us are definitely not taken seriously in the eyes of these so-called celebrities.
"Why am I angry with you?" I could still say this sentence easily. In fact, I thought, is it worth it to be angry with you? I now hate this person more and more. I don't know why I was so hypocritical this time. Thinking of Jingzhou, I feel that I have to endure it, but I don't know how long I can endure it. I only know that my patience is getting weaker and weaker.
"Because I questioned you rudely and didn't give you any face, and you are still the Marquis of Ping'an Fengyun." I felt something was wrong, and I was suddenly glad that I didn't lose my temper.
"Anyway, my subordinates treat me as their eldest brother, and I feel happier this way. Marquis of Ping'an Fengyun? To be honest, I don't care. It doesn't matter if you question me like this. I'm not the kind of person who likes to use my official position to bully others. Today, you are just the host and I'm just the guest." I admit that this is me being self-righteous. I am exposing the ugly side of my soul, because I have always been complacent about the resounding title of Marquis of Ping'an Fengyun, and I only dare to examine myself.
Tian Yuanhao must have been deceived by me. He, Xu Zijiang and Yu Ji exchanged glances. From my angle, I could only see the changes in Tian Yuanhao's expression. It should be a kind of praise, but I also felt something else.
"Yuan Hao, we are right, right?" Xu Zijiang said, "People in Jingzhou are really outspoken, and most officials are indifferent to fame and fortune, as can be seen from the Marquis of Ping'an Fengyun. You are loyal and resolute, far from fame and fortune, but value actual achievements. You often speak out and dare to remonstrate, and your words are sharp. I see that Yuan Shao likes chivalry and has no strategy. Although he can listen to others, he is indecisive and stubborn when he encounters emergencies. It is really not a place for you to stay. In addition, Lord Wei Dingguo, the governor of Jingzhou, has a deep friendship with your father. It is reasonable for you to serve him, like a nephew to an uncle. I have a deep friendship with your father, and I really feel that you are not very suitable to work under Yuan Shao. Why not switch to Jingzhou? There, you can show your strengths better." His words made me suddenly realize, and he also restrained his mind. The teacher is really amazing. Even such a hermit master is recruiting people for him.
"Mr. Yuan has treated me well, and it would be unjust to abandon me." Along the way, I heard that Yuan Shao was a knight-errant when he was young, and he often made friends with good generals and famous people and treated them very well. It seems that this is true. "Yuan Hao understands what the two elders mean, but if Benchu doesn't abandon me, I will never abandon Benchu."
"Why are you still so stubborn?" They both felt very sorry, and so did I. It seemed that Tian Feng would never be able to be in Jingzhou.
"Xuelin!" Yuan Hao turned around and said to the weak young man behind him, "Can you follow your two uncles' advice and go to Jingzhou?"
"If you want to stay in Qingzhou, I will not leave Qingzhou either. If you want to go, we go together. If you want to stay, we stay together." This weak young man is quite tough.
"My father has passed away, and my eldest brother is my father. How dare you disobey my orders?" Yuan Hao really has a bad temper.
Xuelin seemed to be a little afraid of his brother. As soon as Yuan Hao glared at him, he fell silent.
"If you want to come, come together. If you want to stay, stay together." I suggested, but I guessed that Tian Yuanhao would be angry. I knew that my bad premonitions usually came true.
"Do you despise my brother for his lack of talent?"
"No, separation of flesh and blood is against human ethics, that's the first point; secondly, it's clear, Brother Yuanhao, what do you think of the world today?"
"King Ping was weak, and the princes fought for supremacy." (Since King You of the Western Zhou Dynasty played tricks on the princes with beacons and was destroyed by the Quanrong, King Ping moved east and founded the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Since then, the princes have been strong and the emperor has been weak: author's note)
"I commend you for your frank words. However, from now on, the Wei and Yuan clans will not fight each other. If a war breaks out, how will you two brothers feel if you kill each other?"
"My Lords, I have nothing to say."
"Third, Yuan Shao is suspicious. Your brother is serving in Jingzhou. If he suspects you of being disloyal, what should you do?"
"Mr. Yuan would never do that. Besides, he is my master. I cannot let you treat him like this."
I don't know what we ate at the last meal, but I think I played a game with Tian Yuanhao for a long time, neither of us gave in, and we parted on bad terms. The game ended after only nine moves.
It seemed that no conclusion was reached in the end, but I felt scared after finishing the meal. Although everyone understood the discussion between Tian Feng and I about the princes, no one seemed to dare to discuss it. It was just the two of us who kept discussing it. From this, it seems that my temper is similar to his.
Xu Zijiang told me something, but the first thing he said to me was the same as what I thought. He didn't expect that we have the same temper. I suddenly thought, in the eyes of others, am I usually more hateful
He also told me that both of them were invited by the teacher. Teacher, Youzhou is fine. Huangfu Song and his men in Jizhou are quite friendly with me, so they should be fine. There may be some danger after entering Qingzhou. I hope they can come to help me and solve my problems. The teacher is really good, but the teacher does not trust my ability to do things. He is so worried. However, I am also worried about the teacher. I don’t know how hard the teacher has been working recently.
These two elders have a close relationship with the teacher, and they actually helped him to gather people, but it seems that Tian Feng can't be persuaded. Xu Zijiang also said that Yuan Hao has a stubborn temper and it is difficult to move him. However, Yuan Hao has promised them to protect me from Qingzhou no matter what. It seems that I have to rely on him for help in the future, which makes my self-esteem a little damaged.
That night Xu Zijiang and Yu Ji sent me to the post station, and I finally sent them back to Tian's house. I talked a lot with them, Xu Zijiang talked a lot, Yu Ji talked a little; they talked a lot, I talked a little. I mainly felt that I was being taught, after all, they were my teacher's friends.
We talked about people in this world. Xu Zijiang talked about his ability to judge people. I immediately became interested and asked, "How am I?" Xu Zijiang said, "I am not yet an adult. My mind cannot fully grasp myself, so he cannot tell me." However, I think I can't be that bad. I asked why, and he said that he saw me when I was seven years old. I was playing outside the door at that time. The wheels of a cart got stuck in the road in front of my house. I tried my best to help push it, but I was too weak and couldn't push it at all. After the cart was pulled away, I sat alone on Xiangyang Road, panting, until my sister came out of the door, took my hand and took me back. As the saying goes, a child can tell a person's future from his seven years old. This child will not be bad even if he wants to be bad in the future. I was a little surprised. How did you know it was me? He looked at me in a strange way. I asked him, "Sima Dechao knows him, why don't I know him?" I asked who Sima Dechao was. He asked me even more strangely, "Don't I know Mr. Shuijing?" I said, "I know him, but I have never seen him, and I don't know his name or courtesy name." Only then did he feel relieved.
I heard him talk about Yuan Shao, and I remembered the Feng family in Youzhou, so I asked if Yuan Shao's chief of staff was surnamed Feng. General Xu asked me how I knew, and I told him about Youzhou. He shook his head and said, "This man's name is Feng Ji. He is resourceful, but narrow-minded. I need Xin Xin."
Xu Zijiang asked me if I thought that person was outstanding. I thought of Meng De and mentioned him. He immediately said that he had always been curious about this person. He left a cross-shaped comment for Meng De: A capable minister in a peaceful era, a hero in a chaotic era. I think the latter sentence is a bit harsh.
Yu Ji didn't say much all the time. He would occasionally tell me that I should be cautious in what I do and not be impulsive; or that officials should pay attention to their appearance; or that I should not judge people by their appearance; or that I should not just argue for the sake of verbal gain.
But they praised me a lot, which was very helpful to me. The main reason was that I didn't put on airs, and I was very respectful to common people like them just because of the seniority. But they also reminded me to show respect to those people as well. I quickly agreed.
They went into the Tian residence to rest, and I also went back to the post station. I felt quite happy. After being praised for a whole night, my vanity was satisfied. I also thought about it, and I felt that I was doing a good job in being humble and not putting on airs. If I had to find the reason, it might be my sister. She educated me a lot when I was young. If she knew that I had a quarrel with others, she would criticize me. If I had a fight with others, my sister would chase me with a broom. As a new official, I seemed to have thought about showing off my power, but when I thought of my sister, the idea immediately disappeared. If I dared to do that, I would definitely be scolded to death. Suddenly I remembered that they had just come from Jingzhou, and they should have news about my sister. Without thinking, I got out and mounted my horse and headed straight for the Tian residence.
When I arrived at Tian's house, the gate was already closed. I heard the first watch drum in the distance, so I had to give up so as not to disturb others' rest. I returned home unhappy.
The next morning I got up very early. Actually I didn't sleep much the previous night. I asked the people at the post station to prepare some water for me to wash, and also asked them to clean my armor, Tianlang, so that I wouldn't have to wash their leftover water. I also asked the people of Longxing to help me shave my beard, take a good bath, and put on my armor. The main problem was that apart from this armor, I didn't have any thick clothes.
After I was refreshed, I found that the people behind me, led by Long Xing, were unwilling to approach me. I looked around myself carefully and asked someone to bring a bronze mirror. I felt that there was nothing wrong with me.
"Why is this?"
"Brother, I won't be so literary with you. Anyway, you are so talkative that we can't recognize you." If it wasn't for the fact that my sister-in-law is pregnant, I would have killed this guy. He keeps talking nonsense.
Nan also came over to join in the fun: "It turns out that Big Brother is pretty good-looking." I was just feeling elated, and then I wanted to kill another person: "I always thought you were a sloppy, unkempt old man?"
"Brother, you really look like a handsome young man." Yan Rou is still nice, and I feel touched. "But why do you keep a big beard? Your aesthetic taste is really questionable, isn't it?"
After everyone finished talking, I suddenly felt that today was a good day to kill someone.
I got on my horse and came to Tian's house with a lot of anger, but was attacked by Xu Wenwen and Xu Zijiang, father and daughter. However, I didn't have the intention to kill anyone this time, and I still asked about my sister's situation respectfully.
"Your sister? Oh, your sister was conferred a title. I remember now that your classmates jokingly call her Princess Yinling. Less than a month after you left, an imperial edict came from the capital, saying that both your parents had passed away, and your sister had raised such a treasure like you for the Han Dynasty. She deserves to be rewarded and granted the title of Princess of Hejun, with a fief of 3,000 households." Xu Zijiang must have been influenced by my classmates. Even at such an old age, he still made fun of me like this.
"Really!" After looking at me, he confirmed it again very seriously.
"Who is Shanghe County Lord?"
"Shen Gongchang, you are a relative of the Xie clan. The convoy that came to recognize their daughter has come here before."
How could this happen? He Jin wanted me to be related to the Xie clan of Jingzhao Yinhou State. I suddenly understood all of Huangfu Song's actions, but it doesn't matter now, because there are many variables, and there is only one purpose. He Jin wants to win me over! Could it be that I have no father or mother, so it is easy to bribe me, and give me a famous person as my father, and he is also Jingzhao Yin, hoping that I will go and work for him.
"Teacher, do you have anything to tell me?" I wanted to see the teacher's opinion. I would not go to He Jin, and the teacher should know that, but I thought that at least I would be safe on the way.
"No, he told us to call your heart, nothing else?"
I sensed a deeper meaning. The teacher meant that He Jin might not necessarily want to win me over, but was just trying to make everyone think that he wanted to win me over, and then I "unfortunately" died in the hands of the bandits. He could only sigh helplessly.
On the morning of October 3rd in the second year of Zhongping, after Tian Feng finished the winter ancestor worship at the old house, he led us to continue heading southeast to Linzi. The weather was very good that day, but the frost on the withered grass on the plain told me that winter was coming.