"This is your last chance," the Emperor reminded her.
Gu Youyou clenched her teeth and had no choice but to tell the truth.
"The water I took from the Flame Pool wasn’t for myself but for... a friend of mine who suffered from the Fire Lotus Flame Poison, beyond the help of any medicine or magic. In order to formulate an antidote for him, I had to take the risk to visit the Flame Pool to observe the environment where the Fire Lotus grows, perhaps to find a way to detoxify. This is the truth, and if the Emperor still doesn’t believe me, then there’s nothing more I can do," she said.
In the Sanqing Temple, Jin Zijin removed a piece of paper from the leg of a white pigeon and then released the bird into the sky.
Upon opening the note, his body instantly stiffened.
The young Taoist beside him, seeing his worried expression, asked, "Big brother, what’s wrong?"
Jin Zijin did not speak but turned and headed toward Qianyuan Hall.
He didn’t see Tian Jizi, only Yixi tidying up a bookshelf that Tian Jizi had left in a mess.
"Where is Master?" Jin Zijin asked anxiously.
Yixi looked around and said, "Master was just here a moment ago, he must have... probably gone out."
Jin Zijin’s expression darkened, and he pursed his lips tightly.
Yixi asked, "What’s wrong? Big brother, has something happened?"
Jin Zijin said, "You need to go to the Imperial Palace right now to see the Emperor and tell him Master is sick... No, I’ll go myself. You find Master as soon as possible, don’t let him wander off, and it would be best if you could coax him to sleep."
Yixi stood there dumbfounded. Master was fine, so how had he suddenly become sick?
But before he could express his confusion, Jin Zijin had already left swiftly.
Grabbing his head in puzzlement, he muttered, "What is going on, asking Master to feign illness?"
Yixi shook his head, not understanding.
Jin Zijin rode into the city and entered the palace, all in less than half an hour.
He did not want to see Jin Moning, but since Yue Rujing hadn’t returned yet, it seemed he had no choice but to meet him now.
In the Imperial Palace, Jin Zijin submitted a note, which was quickly delivered to the Emperor’s hands in Taihe Hall. After looking at it, the Emperor nodded slightly, and the eunuch who brought the note respectfully invited Jin Zijin to enter.
Gu Youyou sat cross-legged opposite the Emperor, her heart in turmoil, without any sense of stability.
She couldn’t figure out the strange Emperor’s intentions. It was clear that he intended to pursue the matter of her stealing water from the Flame Pool, yet he asked her to accompany him in a game of chess.
The game wasn’t the elegant Go that literati took pride in, but the fierce Xiangqi that marked the boundaries of Chu and Han.
In today’s game, Gu Youyou was seriously off her game, losing horribly time and time again.
Her heart wasn’t on the chessboard at all, and she simply couldn’t fathom the Emperor’s reasoning.
She had told the truth, and he didn’t say a word or continue to inquire, just brought out the chess set and asked her to play against him.
And he actually knew she played Xiangqi, not Go.
Gu Youyou sighed and said, "Your Majesty’s skill in chess is superb, and I’ve lost again."
The Emperor sat quietly, staring at the chessboard.
His eyes resembled those of both Jin Zijin and Jin Ziyuan.
Gu Youyou guessed that probably all the males in their family had such eyes.
"Let’s play another round." After a quiet moment, Gu Youyou heard this response.
Gu Youyou was speechless, having already played several rounds.
She had never been allowed to lose consecutively in her life.
Helplessly, without the right to object, she could only reset the pieces and start another game.
Jin Zijin followed the eunuch who was leading the way towards Baohe Palace, walking briskly due to his urgent journey, which made his breathing uneven.