Miss Truth

Gradually, Xiao Song began to reveal some clues - from the onset of the chess game, he had silently laid down a complex trap. His sudden ferocity and sly, despicable enticements left everyone dumbfounded.

Yet Sang Chen held his own, both in offense and defense; the chessboard was a battleground of relentless action, vibrantly intense.

The game lasted a long time, from morning well into the afternoon. During this, Ran Yan ate porridge twice, yet the outcome of the battle wavered, never settling on a result.

"You might not know," Xiao Song suddenly turned and spoke to Ran Yan, a faint smile leaking from his eyes, "Sang Suiyuan and I both once served as imperial chess attendants."

Being an imperial chess attendant essentially meant being a player who would accompany the emperor in his leisurely chess games. It was said that Emperor Taizong loved chess and that, far from being upset by losing, he would only grow more determined after each defeat, thus dragging the game on until he won.

Chapters first released on novel·fıre·net

"Sang Suiyuan was the only person whom His Majesty dared not ask to play chess." Xiao Song glanced at Sang Chen, who seemed oblivious to the world around him and spoke with a tone mixed with admiration and disdain.

Emperor Taizong dared not challenge Sang Chen to chess not because of his superior skill, but because once Sang Chen was immersed in the world of chess, he would never be distracted. Not only did he dare to beat the emperor, but he would also win every time and never seemed tired, no matter how long the game went on.

This not only greatly wounded the emperor’s pride but also tested his patience. Taizong, busy with the affairs of state, played chess merely for entertainment. Playing chess with Sang Chen felt like holding one’s breath, uncomfortable whether he let go or kept it in.

Thus, after their third overnight game, Emperor Taizong could no longer contain himself and threw down the chess pieces, raging, "Can’t you just lose once to appease me!?"

At the time, Sang Chen was still deep in the game and hadn’t snapped out of it. He hurriedly rearranged the pieces as they were from memory and replied absently, "Your Majesty, don’t be stubborn, let’s finish this game."

As you can imagine, Emperor Taizong roared back, "Do you still know I am your emperor?!" Then he stormed off, venting his frustration to Fang Xuanling, "Stubborn? I’m stubborn? It’s been decades since anyone called me that!"