Chapter Fifty-Four: Playing Gomoku

Emperor Yongchang instinctively furrowed his brows. The chief eunuch, Bai Qiu, continued, "The young lady is indeed clever. If she wishes to do business, under heaven, all land belongs to the king, and all who live upon it are his subjects."

"If this young lady wishes to continue her business, she must do something; if she does nothing, how can her business grow?" After Bai Qiu finished, Emperor Yongchang seemed to realize something. Leaning back against his dragon couch, he said, "The more outstanding this girl is, the more she must marry the second prince. For a merchant’s daughter to wed a prince of the realm, the second prince has a long road ahead."

Hearing this, Bai Qiu shivered greatly, then closed his mouth and quietly went about his duties.

Li Yanhé returned rather late. In the north, kang beds were popular, so Lin Miaomiao had wrapped the food and placed it by the kang, waiting for him. She passed the time reviewing her account books by the lamp until Li Yanhé returned, whereupon he found her waiting for him with the lamp still lit.

A wave of tenderness swept through Li Yanhé. He removed the coat Lin Miaomiao had made for him, sat by the kang, and said, "In the future, if I’m late, you needn’t wait up for me."

Lin Miaomiao closed her account books and replied casually, "You’re not that late. Waiting for you a little isn’t much."

She set out the food on the table, then, with little appetite for the meal or the accounts, picked up the prototype sketchbook Li Yanhé had made for her and a pencil she had crafted herself, and started sketching absentmindedly.

Li Yanhé glanced at her new clothing designs and sighed deeply. "If you’re not dealing with food daily, you’re sketching or writing. Doesn’t it tire you out?"

Lin Miaomiao sighed as well. "The days are dull enough as it is. I just need something to keep me busy, so as not to let the time slip by wasted."

Li Yanhé placed his hand gently on her head and, after a long breath, asked, "What did Li Zheng say to you today?"

Lin Miaomiao looked up at him seriously. "If one day you could return to the capital, would you fight for that position?"

Li Yanhé was taken aback. After a moment, he answered, "I’ll never return to the capital in this life, nor will I ever compete for that position."

There was a quiet sorrow in his voice. Even someone as straightforward as Lin Miaomiao could hear it at once. She frowned, puzzled as to why he spoke so.

Noticing her confusion, Li Yanhé explained, "Do you know? If one day the war ends, I might be made a prince and sent to my own fief. After the lands are divided, Father would surely have me leave early for my territory."

A look of sadness crossed his face. "Father fears my return too much—he’d rather see me die on the battlefield than let me come home and vie for power."

Lin Miaomiao frowned and asked, "Why?" But as soon as she spoke, she regretted it; she realized she was pressing on an old wound.

Li Yanhé forced a bitter smile. "I have a high standing in the hearts of the people. Who could truly compete with me?"

"Father is in his prime. If a son grows too powerful, he becomes a threat. Better to make me a prince early and keep me defending the border."

Hearing this, Lin Miaomiao suddenly felt his sorrow too, a pang of sympathy rising in her chest. She felt deeply that it was unfair—after all, Li Yanhé had devoted himself wholly to defending the border and protecting its people.

Yet his own father regarded him with suspicion. Lin Miaomiao suddenly recalled a saying: ‘How can one sleep soundly while another lies on his couch?’ She patted Li Yanhé’s back lightly with her small hands, and he couldn’t help but smile at the gesture.

With nothing much to do at home, Lin Miaomiao decided to accompany Li Yanhé to the military camp that day. She hadn’t visited often before.

The rough men of the camp all knew her as Li Yanhé’s childhood fiancée—pretty and well-behaved. In winter, she wore a little skirt with deerskin boots and a fur-trimmed hat, looking both adorable and clever.

Upon entering the camp, she was struck by the wholesome atmosphere. Perhaps in the capital, people always schemed for position and advantage, but here, such things hardly existed. The soldiers spoke openly, with little hidden agenda; the camp had its own rules and discipline.

Lin Miaomiao’s livestock farm had grown large. Madam Zhao’s son was skilled at raising animals, and Lin Miaomiao had also recruited a capable man from a nearby village named Qian Duo, known for his expertise in pig farming. She hired the two of them to run the operation.

At first, Lin Miaomiao worried that the scale of the farm would be overwhelming, but the two men found it no trouble at all. The land she’d bought was surrounded by grass, so feeding sheep was simply a matter of herding them out to graze.

She raised sheep and pigs mainly so she could distribute meat and pastries to the workers for the New Year—a reward for their year of hard work. As a bonus for the holiday, besides their wages, they deserved good food. Back when she was an intern, even she’d received snacks and gifts for the New Year; these workers, who had toiled all year without a break, deserved as much.

She had plenty of pigs, so when she visited the camp she had two slaughtered. Lin Qi delivered the meat to the military kitchen.

The soldiers were delighted to hear of her visit—her presence always meant a meat feast. Lin Qi handed over the pork and left, while the two boys, Lin Langluan and Lin Langze, scampered after Lin Miaomiao.

Being boys, Lin Langluan and Lin Langze were thrilled by the neat drills and the soldiers training on the parade ground. They were the very image of every young boy’s dream of being a soldier—Lin Miaomiao saw it clearly in them.

She let them run off to play. Lin Qi taught them martial arts every day, they ate well, and both boys had shot up, now a full head taller than she was.

Finding herself a little bored, Lin Miaomiao wondered why she’d suddenly wanted to accompany Li Yanhé to the camp. She idly plucked at the dry, brittle grass on the parade ground—her fair hands soon marked by pale patches from the effort.

Three Prince Li Taian noticed her listlessly pulling grass and walked over with Xiao Gexu.

"What are you doing here? Why not go play with those two boys?" he asked. Lin Miaomiao recognized the voice immediately.

She sighed, looked up at Li Taian, and answered, "I’m bored, so I’m pulling grass."

She glanced at Li Taian and Xiao Gexu. Though she knew Li Taian was not a good man, she couldn’t help feeling herself swoon a little—handsome young men, after all, can make one forgive many things.

"You're bored too? How about we play a game together?" she suggested, propping her chin on her hand.

Li Taian was incredulous. "You want to play a game with me?"

Lin Miaomiao, still bored, retorted, "Do you have something better to do? Can’t we play a game together?"

He licked his attractive lips. "Not really," he replied.

She nodded. "Then it’s settled."

They went to Li Taian’s tent, where Lin Miaomiao spotted a chessboard. "How about a game of Gomoku?" she proposed.

Back in school, she’d often dueled her deskmate in Gomoku, becoming something of a master.

Li Taian didn’t quite understand, but realized she wanted to play chess and agreed.

Lin Miaomiao smiled brilliantly, and for some reason, Li Taian’s heart softened at the sight.

She placed a black stone in the center to begin. Li Taian raised his brows and placed a white piece beside it. After three moves, Lin Miaomiao grinned with triumph—she’d already set a trap.

On her fourth move, she formed an open four—a winning position in Gomoku. With a look of satisfaction, she declared, "I’ve won."

Li Taian raised his brows. "How have you won?"

She pointed at the board. "See? An open four—one more and it’s five in a row. So you’ve lost!"

He considered, then nodded as she explained, "In Gomoku, you win if you get five in a row!"

"Then let’s play again," Li Taian said with a smile.