My Wife Turns Out to be an Empress of the Dynasty

"I'm slightly unwell. I'll have the imperial physician treat me when I return to the palace. Lord Gu, there's no need to trouble yourself," Mu Yuyan, with a slightly reddened face, finished speaking in a different voice.

She had tried her best to alter her tone, but in doing so, the initially cool and elegant feeling was lost. Instead, it became somewhat inconsistent with her status... a bit flirtatious!

Oh~ If Master Gu finds out that this voice came from me, I'm really done for...

After Mu Yuyan finished speaking, a wave of shame surged over her like a tide.

She covered her hot and flushed face with her jade-like hand, and her earlobes were crystal clear and delicate.

But at this point, there was no choice but to speak!

Alas, Xiao Fei'er was dumbfounded. She never expected that Her Majesty could manipulate her voice like this. Could it be that she practiced day and night with Lord Gu?

In the pavilion!

Su Hua and Zhang Qingwei had strange expressions. They remembered that the female Emperor didn't sound like this before.

Could it be that she suddenly developed a throat illness? Sitting in the observing seat, Gu Lan was utterly shocked!

Damn! How come this dignified female Emperor sounds so coquettish?!

Too frightening!

"Gu Lan, pay respects to Her Majesty!"

Gu Lan endured his inner complaints and bowed towards the direction of the rockery.

"It's alright; let's continue playing chess. Lord Gu, just enjoy watching. Perhaps Her Majesty is genuinely inconvenient." Su Hua quickly intervened.

"Okay." Gu Lan responded mildly.

At this moment, Zhang Qingwei had already made a wrong move.

Under Su Hua's systematic encirclement, he gradually fell into a disadvantageous situation!

As long as the Grand Tutor played normally, within ten moves, Zhang would lose the entire game...

Gu Lan observed the chessboard, already having a conclusion in his mind.

After a few more moves, the situation became clear. The white pieces were in decline, and the outcome was evident.

Zhang Qingwei was about to give up, intending to concede and start anew as before. However, when his gaze swept over Gu Lan, he raised his eyebrows!

"Lord Gu, do you see a way out in this situation?" Zhang Qingwei asked somewhat awkwardly. After all, ending up like this and having the younger generation clean up the mess was a bit of a disgrace to his reputation as a literary master.

"Does this young man understand chess?" Su Hua was surprised. He thought Gu Lan was just recommended by Zhang Qingwei due to their good relationship, to gain some familiarity.

"A bit, a bit..."

Since he was here, Gu Lan didn't want to let Zhang lose face. He didn't mind admitting to doing a little "bad" thing by helping the female Emperor when she needed it.

Gu Lan stood up with his hands behind his back, overlooking the chessboard. In his eyes, the black and white jade pieces seemed to reflect a vast sea of stars.

"There's still hope." Gu Lan gave his conclusion.

Zhang Qingwei was momentarily puzzled but soon showed a delighted expression!

I knew these helpers were reliable... Wait a minute!

Wasn't I supposed to ask my senior brother for help against this guy?

Su Hua, however, frowned slightly, shaking his head.

"Young man, the game has reached a dead end. How could there still be hope?"

He didn't believe it!

Having dominated the Great Jing chess scene for so long, he also spent leisure time studying chess manuals in the palace. How could a young man overturn a situation he himself created?

Gu Lan smiled slightly and explained, "The Grand Tutor's chess skills are superb, but Master Zhang also has some weak points. He has a move left, but he can't use it because you've enclosed him too tightly..."

Continued...

As he spoke, Gu Lan's slender fingers pointed to a crosspoint on the chessboard, and he placed a white piece there.

"First, place a stone here to stabilize the situation temporarily. Master Zhang can then use his next move. The outcome remains uncertain until then," Gu Lan explained.

The two elderly men gazed at the position indicated by Gu Lan's finger. After staring for a while, both of them showed expressions of surprise.

"Is it really possible?"

"Only trying will tell."

Zhang Qingwei quickly vacated his seat, saying, "Come, young man, play this endgame with my senior brother. If you win, I'll reward you with a third-tier official position!"

Su Hua shot his junior brother a disapproving look. With the female Emperor right there in the small study, directly rewarding an official position based on personal preference was a privilege reserved for the royal family. He really dares to say that...

Gu Lan graciously took a seat, holding the white pieces, and began to unfold his plan to rescue the situation.

Su Hua continued to play calmly and unhurriedly.

After placing a few more black pieces, capturing many white pieces, the chessboard now had only scattered white pieces left.

"Young man, do you want to continue?" Su Hua smiled. Young people shouldn't be too arrogant; they should understand that experience comes with age! If it were an ordinary time, giving in to the younger generation wouldn't be a big deal. However, with the female Emperor still present, he had to make the conclusion worthy of the title "Imperial Tutor."

"Grand Tutor, please don't be impatient."

Gu Lan extended his hand and calmly placed another piece on the chessboard.

But this single white piece made Zhang Qingwei, who was an "outsider," shine his eyes!

"A counterattack! This single white piece connects the remaining forces on both sides. It seems there's a possibility of resisting Senior Brother!"

Seeing this move, Su Hua couldn't help but exclaim, "Young man, ingenious move!"

However, he remained calm; after all, the advantage was too great!

Clap!

Su Hua adjusted his sleeve and continued to place black pieces.

However, after a few more rounds, Su Hua sensed something was wrong! Discover stories with empire

Why was this young man making the best moves every step of the way?!

Was there not a single misstep?

Zhang Qingwei watched the game unfold, his eyes becoming increasingly bright, and he exclaimed excitedly, "This is the route I wanted to take with those later moves. Young Master Gu has walked it all!"

Hearing his voice and the clear sounds of placing stones on the board, Mu Yuyan in the study started feeling a bit itchy!

Although she knew that her husband could write chess manuals, she never played chess with him. Unexpectedly, his practical skills were so impressive. She was also a master of chess, and at this moment, her heart burned with a bit of curiosity...

After a quarter of an hour, in the pavilion, Su Hua was sweating profusely. The white pieces on the chessboard had made a strong comeback, cutting through the black pieces, rendering them unable to resist!

Even Xiao Fei'er, who didn't know much about chess, could see Su Hua's decline!

After placing two more pieces, Su Hua wiped his sweat and awkwardly smiled, "The rising tide of the Yangtze River pushes the waves before it. Young man, your chess skills are profound. I concede!"

The old man now lacked the tone of an Imperial Tutor and instead had a very humble and respectful attitude, seeking advice.

Gu Lan didn't become conceited because of such a small matter. After all, he didn't know that, in terms of cultivation, he was stronger...

Gu Lan still smiled modestly, "It's just luck on the part of the junior. Grand Tutor was momentarily careless, and I took advantage of it."

"In any case, I've lost!" Su Hua thought, "This young man's character is really good. He knows how to save face to the elderly..."

He squinted and smiled at Gu Lan.

His gaze somewhat resembled the look of a teacher-in-law at his son's wife... cough, the feeling of being the teacher of the son-in-law!

"No need to play anymore. If Senior Brother can't win, it seems normal for me to lose too!" Zhang Qingwei smiled.

Although he had forgotten the original purpose of coming today, he seemed to have found another reason to feel better!

"Would you like to stay for a meal, young man?"

"No, it's been a long time since I've been home, and I'm afraid my family will worry." Gu Lan bowed and took his leave.

Of course, Su Hua thought he had stayed at the Residence for too long and probably didn't think he would end up in a fight outside the city, lecturing to the Buddha's disciple for too long!

After a moment, Gu Lan and Zhang Qingwei left together. Xiao Fei'er, being the female Emperor's maid, naturally stayed behind.

"Your Majesty?" She gently called from the door of the study.

After a while, Mu Yuyan lifted the barrier and revealed her blushing face. "Has my husband... left?"