Chapter 121 - 102: The End of Go is AlphaGo
On the second day of the spiritual retreat, Noble Princess Consort Rong had grown quite placid.
Snow weighed down the bamboo branches, and surrounded by the rhythmic beat of the wooden fish and the sound of chanting, one couldn’t help but feel their mind quiet.
"I can’t help but wonder... what if, a hundred years from now..."
What if the Emperor were to pass on before her? Rather than live out her days in the palace as an imperial concubine, she would much prefer to guard his tomb and pray for his soul. Then, when her time came, she would follow the late Emperor into the afterlife. A wistful expression crossed Noble Princess Consort Rong’s face.
"Your Highness, why the sudden melancholy? The seven days will be over soon, and then we’ll return to the palace and our life of luxury. Your Highness is meant to wear magnificent robes and dine on delicacies, not suffer here. Still, this is a good opportunity. We’ll spread the news in the Capital that you accompanied the Empress Dowager to Jingxin Temple to pray. Then, everyone will know you have the Empress Dowager’s favor and are a filial daughter-in-law. This will all be to your advantage when you become the Imperial Concubine!"
Qiu Yun’s flattery made Noble Princess Consort Rong’s eyes curve into smiling crescents.
"I don’t care about becoming the Imperial Concubine. I just want to be the Emperor’s most beloved concubine."
"ACHOO!"
Qiu Yun shot an annoyed glance at Jiang Xian, who had just sneezed. "Is something the matter, Noble Lady Gu?"
Jiang Xian said, "I’m allergic."
’To love-struck fools,’ she thought.
"Don’t pay her any mind. She’s just doing everything she can to get my attention," Noble Princess Consort Rong said, cupping her cheek. "Back in the palace, it’s endless fighting, day in and day out. Even when I want a quiet stroll in the Imperial Garden, there’s no end to the squabbles. When I think about it, it’s actually nice to be here in the temple, away from all that drama."
Jiang Xian said, "Then you should move in permanently."
Noble Princess Consort Rong amended, "Away for about seven days."
How could someone so accustomed to splendor ever truly leave it behind?
When she wasn’t required to accompany the Empress Dowager, Noble Princess Consort Rong would admire the snow and drink tea.
Her palace maids had remembered to bring the finest Biluochun tea. And while lavish feasts were out of the question, she could still enjoy precious fruits sent as tribute. The fruit was cut into chunks and served over crushed ice, then drizzled with toppings like almond junket, tofu pudding, and raisins. It was a very appetizing sight.
The Empress Dowager was, after all, a person of the highest nobility. She only spent about one hour a day in prayer. The rest of her time was spent listening to the abbot’s sermons or asking when she might be blessed with a legitimate grandson, which still left her with a great deal of free time.
Seeing the Empress Dowager with time on her hands, her nanny smiled and suggested, "Your Majesty, if you’re feeling bored, perhaps you could summon the Noble Princess Consort and Noble Lady Gu for a chat."
"I have nothing to talk about with them," the Empress Dowager chuckled. "The whole point of this was to encourage the Emperor to visit the other concubines. Did you think I was actually going to make them endure a harsh retreat? If I keep them cooped up here serving me, they’ll only end up complaining about it later."
"From what I’ve seen, Noble Lady Gu seems quite happy for the opportunity."
As the nanny bustled about her duties these past two days, she had frequently seen Noble Lady Gu.
Whenever she was busy, Noble Lady Gu would offer to help. While this was technically against protocol, Noble Lady Gu insisted on it, saying it was a way for her to serve the Empress Dowager. She explained that her rank was too low for her to presume to disturb the Empress Dowager directly, so she was happy just to be able to do something within her means to show her filial respect.
Seeing her persistence, the nanny didn’t refuse her help.
The nanny relayed Noble Lady Gu’s actions to the Empress Dowager. After sipping a cup of hot tea, the Empress Dowager remarked, "She’s quite the social climber and very ambitious. It’s a wonder the Emperor likes her." The previously favored concubines, like Noble Princess Consort Rong and Lu Ronghua, were all daughters of prominent aristocratic families. They were used to getting whatever they wanted and took a long time to temper their dispositions after entering the palace. The Empress Dowager had begun to think her son only had eyes for spoiled, fiery beauties.
This Noble Lady Gu, however, was different. While her beauty was just as radiant, her conduct was not.
She was blatant in her attempts to climb the ranks, yet she lacked the timid servility one might expect from a woman of her modest background.
This was what the Empress Dowager couldn’t quite figure out about her.
—This was the special characteristic of a modern-day professional: you can be worked like a beast of burden on the clock, but that doesn’t mean you’re a lesser person.
"Never mind. Don’t summon her. Let her and the Noble Princess Consort do as they please."
With the Empress Dowager’s blessing, Noble Princess Consort Rong had a legitimate excuse to relax.
But Jingxin Temple was only so large, and she had only brought Qiu Yun and Qiu Tang with her. They were one person short for a game of cards, so she decided to summon Noble Lady Gu to keep her company.
The first time:
Noble Princess Consort Rong asked, "What is Noble Lady Gu doing?"
Qiu Tang went to find out and returned a moment later. "Noble Lady Gu is discussing the sutras with Master Guanzhen."
The second time:
Noble Princess Consort Rong said, "An hour has passed. Surely she’s done discussing by now."
Qiu Tang went again and returned. "Noble Lady Gu is chanting with Master Puxuan."
The third time:
Noble Princess Consort Rong ground out, "Noble Lady Gu."
Qiu Tang returned with her head lowered. "Noble Lady Gu... is playing chess."
Noble Princess Consort Rong plucked off a nail guard and tossed it aside. "She’s certainly living it up, isn’t she! Playing chess, no less. Even if they’re monks, they are still men from outside the palace. How can the Empress Dowager let her get away with this? Go and remind her of her place. I don’t want the Empress Dowager to question me later and blame me for being too lenient."
"Replying to Your Highness... Noble Lady Gu isn’t playing against just one person."
Noble Princess Consort Rong frowned.
Qiu Tang quickly explained the situation. "Noble Lady Gu is playing chess against three monks simultaneously. One of them is Abbot Guanzhen himself. There’s a large crowd of young monks watching, but they’re keeping their distance. Everyone’s just focused on the game board."
...
"A game of chess ought to have some stakes, don’t you think, Abbot?"
"My Lady, we cannot gamble in the temple."
Abbot Guanzhen declined with a faint smile.
Life in the temple was tranquil, and many of the monks enjoyed playing chess. Abbot Guanzhen was a particularly skilled player. In fact, the stone chessboard by the well outside had been carved by him long before he became abbot.
"We won’t be betting money. We’ll be playing for the Mud Gold Scripture—the one the Empress Dowager greatly admires but couldn’t bring herself to take from Master Guanzhen," Jiang Xian said with a smile. "If the Abbot is afraid of losing, I’ll play against two other monks of your choosing at the same time. A one-on-three match. If I lose even a single game, I lose the whole wager."
Such arrogance!
The onlooking monks were instantly indignant and began to mutter amongst themselves.
"Abbot, teach her a lesson!"
"Hush, she’s a noble lady from the palace."
"So what if she’s a noble lady? Does that give her the right to be so arrogant? Making our master and the others go three-on—"
Abbot Guanzhen’s expression turned serious. "It’s not that I’m unwilling to part with the Mud Gold Scripture. But what stakes can you, the benefactor, offer in return?"
"If I lose, I will have my entire stipend for the next ten years sent to this temple."
This amount of silver taels was not enough to sway Master Guanzhen.
However, Jiang Xian’s arrogant proposal of a three-on-one match did pique his interest. He finally agreed. "Since it is three against one, you may play a slow game, benefactor. Myself and the other two will play a fast game."
"That won’t be necessary," Jiang Xian said with a faint smile. "Blitz attacks are my specialty."
Not every monk in the temple had truly purged himself of all worldly desires; they, too, possessed a heart eager to watch the drama unfold.
More than anything, they wanted to see the beautiful noble lady from the palace be put in her place.
System: [I didn’t expect you to be skilled at chess, Host.]
Jiang Xian: [No, I don’t.]
Jiang Xian: [But I do know that the ultimate form of chess is an Alpha AI.]
The system slowly produced a question mark.
...
The two monks handpicked by Abbot Guanzhen were defeated one after the other.
In the end, only Abbot Guanzhen was left.
The speed of his plays grew slower and slower. At last, facing a board where his pieces were cornered in a losing position, he placed a final stone and sighed.
"My skills are inferior. I humbly concede defeat."