The literary gathering at Little Wangchun Garden had become the talk of the capital. Every day in restaurants and teahouses, people discussed who had won and who had lost to that little Chu girl.

Xiemo Xuan’s anthologies were sold everywhere. Many people would flip through them in their leisure time, commenting on the matches within.

At first, everyone just laughed.

Because the matches could hardly be considered impressive. To scholars, it was like watching a toddler taking its first steps.

This wasn’t surprising. A girl of only thirteen or fourteen might learn to read and write, play music, chess, calligraphy, and painting for entertainment and self-cultivation, but how could she compare with men who made their living through scholarship?

But after a few days, the matches in the anthology could no longer be skimmed over with a glance. They required careful reading. Although the girl still lost in the end, people didn’t laugh as heartily anymore.

Some didn’t laugh at all.

“This young lady hasn’t had her spirit worn down by losing; instead, she’s learning and growing,” an elderly man sighed.

The young lady was winning more and more. Her essays, calligraphy, and chess skills were making leaps of progress almost every three days.

With the anthology laid out before them, it was evident.

Although this girl’s arrogance and insolence were displeasing, her studious attitude and ability to learn were admirable. These two characteristics intertwined in one person made her story all the more educational for descendants.

So the Chu Yuan anthologies, which originally circulated in restaurants and teahouses, were now brought into grand mansions. Students focused on their studies, young ladies who never left their chambers, and young daughters-in-law serving their in-laws all began to read them, which sparked even more debates.

“She is indeed studious, but a studious person should not be ashamed to ask questions. She, however, chooses to challenge others.”

“That’s not right. It wasn’t she who issued the challenge; others sought her out first. I think when someone comes looking for trouble, one should challenge them back.”

“Her scholarship isn’t even as good as mine. Why would grandfather want me to learn from her just because of one competition?”

“Her aggressive competitiveness has stirred up so much unrest among so many people. It will only make everyone dislike her.”

But suddenly one day, the newly delivered anthology made readers pause.

“Come look at this,” a girl called to her sisters. “There’s a new name here.”

The girls gathered around and indeed saw a new name.

“Zhou Jiang,” the girls read aloud. “Seems familiar. Is she from the Zhou family?”

The capital had numerous families, and not everyone knew each other.

“She must be from the Zhou family,” the girls’ sister-in-law also came over to look, pointing at the chess diagram. The Zhou family is renowned for their chess skills. To win twenty matches in a row without defeat, she must be from the Zhou family.”

Her expression showed slight surprise.

“But it’s always been the men in the Zhou family who excel at chess. I’ve never heard of their girls being so formidable.”

All the girls gathered around, both shocked and curious. Although they didn’t often play with the Zhou family’s daughter, they had seen her occasionally in the capital. She had seemed unremarkable, with nothing particularly outstanding about her, and they had never heard that her chess skills were exceptional.

…

…

At the Zhou residence, a middle-aged man with a short beard covered his face with his sleeve as he entered, calling out to an old man feeding birds under the corridor, “Master.”

The old man glanced at him. The middle-aged man still covered his face with his sleeve, not lowering it.

“This disciple is incompetent and has lost,” he said shamefully. “I’ve disgraced you, Master.”

The old man glared at him: “Look at how pathetic you are!”

More people, mostly young men, rushed in, calling “Grandfather.”

“A-Jiang has gone too far.” “How could she do this?” “She’s going to bring trouble to our Zhou family.”

The noise frightened the birds in their cages under the corridor. The old man raised his hand to knock on the corridor pillar and said angrily: “Quiet, quiet! Summon A-Jiang here.”

Upon hearing the message in the inner quarters, Zhou Jiang, who was sitting among the Old Madam and her sisters, stood up.

Since that day, she had not returned to Chu Yuan, nor had she mentioned this matter to her family after coming home, but she knew it couldn’t be kept secret.

At that time, Chu Zhao had said that all the matches at Chu Yuan would be transcribed and compiled into a book: “Of course, Miss Zhou, if it’s inconvenient for you, I can have them leave it out.”

Even if it was left out, so many people at Chu Yuan had seen it, it couldn’t be kept secret. Zhou Jiang shook her head: “Since I did it, I’m not afraid of people knowing. Please do as you wish, Miss Chu.”

Moreover, she had her maids with her. After doing such a thing outside, her maids would surely not dare to keep it from the family.

Sure enough, when she returned home that evening, her family already knew. Her parents were furious and confined her. Three days later, when the anthology was sold, her name spread.

Her parents didn’t dare to handle it themselves and sent her to the Old Madam to discuss how to deal with the situation. Before they could conclude, the Old Master, who was devoted to studying chess and paid no attention to external matters, had summoned her.

“A-Jiang, you’ve truly angered your grandfather this time,” her grandmother said helplessly.

Zhou Jiang knew that it was her grandfather who had first taught her chess, and it was also her grandfather who had forbidden her from playing chess again. She bowed to everyone and turned to leave.

Her sisters watched her with complicated feelings: “How did A-Jiang become like this?” “It must be that Chu Zhao who corrupted her.” “Poor girl, will A-Jiang be sent out of the capital to the countryside now?”

…

…

When Zhou Jiang arrived, Old Master Zhou was reading the anthology. A group of young men stood in the corridor, including brothers from the family and disciples of Old Master Zhou.

“I told you not to delve into chess, but it seems you didn’t listen,” Old Master Zhou said.

Zhou Jiang lowered her head and responded: “Granddaughter never gave it up. I studied chess on my own, playing against myself.”

Old Master Zhou slammed the anthology on the table: “I knew it! You learned it by yourself, and your perspective is so narrow!”

Seeing Old Master Zhou angry, the young men around all expressed their anger with their eyes. Zhou Jiang lowered her head and bit her lower lip.

“—Look at this game of yours, how poorly played!”

Huh? The angry young men were taken aback, and Zhou Jiang raised her head.

“Which one?” Zhou Jiang hurriedly walked over, stood beside her grandfather, and looked at the chess diagram in the anthology. “Impossible, I won this match.”

Old Master Zhou grew angrier: “You still don’t accept it? So what if you won? Look at how you played this game, so sloppy. You won this time because your opponent’s skills were poor, not because yours were good.”

As he spoke, he pointed to a spot.

“What if your opponent had made this move at that time?”

Zhou Jiang looked down at the game diagram. With her grandfather’s finger pointing, the situation changed drastically. She frowned, thought for a moment, and finally gave up: “Then I wouldn’t have won.”

Old Master Zhou snorted: “So young, don’t be so full of yourself.”

Zhou Jiang lowered her head and acknowledged it, tears inexplicably falling.

Though she had been harshly criticized by her family for the past few days, she hadn’t cried at all. Now, at this moment, her grandfather’s words finally broke her resolve.

Was it because of being scolded? No, it was because—

“Why did you go out to play chess with others at that time?” Old Master Zhou glanced at her, not asking why she was crying, but asking, “Are you close with that Chu Zhao? Were you standing up for her?”

Zhou Jiang shook her head: “No, I’m not close with Chu Zhao. We’ve hardly spoken.”

Old Master Zhou smiled somewhat enigmatically and asked again: “Then was it to show off? To display your skills in front of others?”

Zhou Jiang shook her head again: “How would a granddaughter care about that? If I truly wanted to show off, I would do it here at home.” She glanced at the men standing in the corridor.

The men were infuriated by this glance. What did she mean?!

Old Master Zhou laughed: “Then why?”

Zhou Jiang said: “That man spoke so arrogantly, calling her ‘little woman’ repeatedly, saying the little woman had won a few matches and was now looking down on everyone. I couldn’t stand such behavior. Didn’t he just beat one little woman himself? How could he look down on others? There are always people better than you, and learning has no end. If Chu Zhao was arrogant, wasn’t he the same?”

Old Master Zhou laughed heartily: “Using chess to bully others, weren’t you afraid of losing?”

Zhou Jiang said: “If I lost, then I lost. I would just study harder in the future.”

Old Master Zhou nodded: “Good, daring to lose and daring to win, truly my granddaughter.” He then raised his hand. “Go then, let your grandfather see just how many consecutive victories you can achieve before you lose.”

Earlier, the reason she had cried was because her grandfather’s words made her feel that he wasn’t blaming her. This feeling was indeed true, and not only that, her grandfather was even encouraging her to continue—

Zhou Jiang looked at her grandfather, reached out and hugged his neck—this was the first time she had hugged her grandfather since he forbade her from studying chess.

“Grandfather, just watch,” she said loudly, then picked up her skirt and ran away happily.

Old Master Zhou coughed a few times: “This little girl’s strength is too great, she almost strangled me.”

The others were all stunned, then swarmed around him. “Grandfather, what are you doing?” “Grandfather, if you let A-Jiang go to Chu Yuan to cause trouble with that Chu Zhao, won’t it anger the Third Prince?”

“What trouble!” Old Master Zhou slapped the table to quiet them. “Our Zhou family has always been superior in chess. What’s wrong with my granddaughter playing chess? How does it involve matters of ruler and subject? When I played chess with His Majesty in the past, I never let His Majesty win once, and His Majesty didn’t cut off my head!”

After saying this, he stood up, had the maid take down the birdcage, and strode away.

The remaining group looked at each other in bewilderment, then their gazes converged on the middle-aged man with the short beard.

“Elder Brother A-Zhe, it seems you can no longer be Grandfather’s chief disciple.”