Chapter 6: Victory in Chess over Guo Jia

Jia Renlu turned around, prepared to make a move, and upon closer inspection, he was astonished to find that the large chariot representing the army on the board had mysteriously vanished. Faced with this situation, he was momentarily stunned and thought to himself: "Alas! I have yet to master the game of chess, yet she has intuitively grasped this move without any instruction. Sister Diao Chan, my admiration for you is truly like the endless flow of the Yangtze River!"

Holding the ivory chess pieces in my hand, I can only describe the feeling with one word: "delight!" In an instant, I had rendered Guo Jia utterly helpless, forcing him to break out in a sweat even in the dead of winter, which was an even more exhilarating sensation. Observing Guo Jia's disheveled appearance, Jia Renlu laughed and said: "Hehe, my lord, do you still find this game enjoyable?"

Then General Jia Renlu discussed the two games of chess and mahjong. When it came to military chess, he certainly could not directly mention titles such as platoon leader or brigade commander, as that would likely make Guo Jia roll his eyes and foam at the mouth. He replaced these ranks with titles like "Breaking the Enemy" and "Suppressing Rebellion" for generals, changed "Commander" to "Chief Strategist," "Bomb" to "Flying Stone," "Landmine" to "Pitfall," and "Military Flag" to "General's Flag"

Diao Chan dropped a piece and laughed, saying: "Hehe, it turns out I misheard. Alright, I have finished my move"

Guo Jia was quite astonished and thought to himself: "The only person who dares to refuse to become sworn brothers with me on Cao Gong's territory is this Jia Fu before me. Who doesn't know that I am the foremost strategist under Cao Gong, and that he listens to me without question? Usually, everyone tries to curry favor, their words sweet but their faces unappealing, which is truly detestable. Only a few, such as Wen Ruo, Gong Da, and Zhong De, can remain calm in such situations. If I were to propose a brotherhood with them, they would certainly seek to comply. How is it that this lowly soldier has rejected me three times?" He then asked, "What is the reason for this?"

After he finished speaking, Guo Jia felt a strong urge to become his disciple, thinking to himself: "He said he saw it in a dream, but he is probably just talking nonsense. Such a complex game cannot be explained so clearly at first glance. He must be extremely familiar with these games to articulate them so well. I have never heard anyone mention similar games; it seems these games are all his own invention. How intelligent must a person be to conceive such games? It is truly a pity that someone like him is hidden among the commoners and cannot be utilized by the state." With this thought, he said to Jia Renlu: "Brother Renlu, rest assured, I will make these props as soon as possible, and I hope you will guide me when the time comes." His admiration for him grew in his heart, and naturally, his manner of address changed.

Yet, Mahjong is the most difficult to discuss; he relies on his memory to name each type of Mahjong tile one by one, to the point where he becomes parched and tongue-tied, while Diao Chan's delicate hands grow sore from writing, and Guo Jia feels a splitting headache from listening

Jia Renlu adopted a big man’s demeanor and said, "What do you, a woman, understand? We cannot stay here for long. I do not wish to become too emotionally involved here, as it will not be easy to leave when the time comes. Have you thought it through? Do not delay, hurry up!"

Guo Jia set down the chess piece in his hand to signify his defeat and sighed, "It is truly remarkable that within these thirty-two pieces lies so much military strategy, cunning schemes, and devious plots. It is less complex than Go, requiring less time, yet it equally serves to enhance intelligence and strategy, benefiting both body and mind. It is indeed an excellent pastime. I sincerely admire Brother Renlu for devising such a game; you are truly a remarkable person!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Renlu felt as if he had consumed three bottles of Erguotou and six bottles of Wuliangye, his old face flushed thoroughly. Stammering, he said: "How... how do you know I didn't sleep... After returning from the back garden, I... I slept soundly until dawn."

Jia Renlu felt a sharp pain, quickly steadied himself, his expression solemn, and humbly said: "You flatter me, sir; how could I possibly deserve such praise."

Jia Renlu said: "Please wait, I have some additional matters I would like to ask you to assist me with. May I inquire if you are interested in hearing them?"

At that moment, a gust of wind swept outside, causing the fallen leaves to rustle. Diao Chan chuckled and said, "It seems there is some commotion outside; could it be that Lord Guo has arrived again"

Diao Chan smiled and said, "Hehe, are these games really what you saw in your dreams?"

Guo Jia said: "What are you talking about, Brother Renlu? As Confucius said, 'Among three people walking, there must be a teacher for me.' Although these things belong to clever tricks and are not worthy of high regard, since you are able to imagine them, it shows that you possess extraordinary knowledge. Such a person is someone I, Guo, would like to befriend"

Jia Renlu listened to the second most intelligent figure of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Jia (the first, of course, is Zhuge Liang, who would dare to compete with him!), and truly felt as if he were in a dream, laughing so hard that his mouth twisted and his eyes squinted, his expression quite unbecoming. Diao Chan, seeing this scene from the side, slightly furrowed her brows and quietly reached out to give his thigh a sharp pinch.

After Guo Jia left, Diao Chan looked at Jia Renlu with a half-smile, remaining silent for a long time. Jia Renlu felt uneasy in his heart, constantly touching his face, and asked, "What’s wrong with you? Is there something on my face?"

Jia Renlu humbly remarked: "What kind of person am I, to dare to call myself a brother to a great person."

Jia Renlu did not dare to be negligent, hurriedly inviting him into the room and having Diao Chan serve tea

Guo Jia was even more astonished upon hearing this, thinking to himself: "So he already knows, what a strange matter. How is it that he is nothing like the foul-mouthed Jia Fu from when he married Diao Chan? Could it be that he was pretending back then? But that would have been too convincing. The person before me is simply a different individual from the Jia Fu of that time. What on earth is going on? At this moment, his aspirations are lofty and his wisdom pure, unmatched by few in the world. It is truly a pity for such a person to fall into the hands of others. I must earnestly advise Lord Cao to abandon this thought and make good use of this small soldier before him." With this in mind, he said: "Before the matter comes to a head, the outcome is difficult to predict, Brother Renlu, there is no need to be overly anxious. At this moment, his aspirations are lofty and his wisdom pure, unmatched by few in the world. It is truly a pity for such a person to fall into the hands of others. I must earnestly advise Lord Cao to abandon this thought and make good use of this small soldier before him." With this in mind, he said: "Before the matter comes to a head, the outcome is difficult to predict, Brother Renlu, there is no need to be overly anxious. Well then, since you are unwilling to form a brotherhood, I shall not press the matter. Come! Let us play another game.

Jia Renlu understood that Guo Jia was not the kind of petty person who would spread rumors. He decided to take a chance and said: "My lord, you should be aware of my difficulties. I hope you can show some understanding."

Jia Renlu thought to himself, how could what he just said be heard by Guo Dada, and hurriedly turned around to look. After watching for a while and seeing no movement, he said: "No one is coming; it was just the wind blowing."

Jia Renlu said: "I appreciate your kindness, but I still dare not impose."

Guo Jia urgently said: "Speak quickly! Speak quickly!"

Originally, Jia Renlu intended to become sworn brothers with Guo Jia, but he could not achieve this desire. If it were in a Three Kingdoms game, he would have unhesitatingly clicked confirm; however, in reality, he was destined to be an enemy of Cao Cao. He did not wish to witness the tragic scene of brothers harming each other on the battlefield. Thus, he said: "My lord, what kind of person am I to dare to become sworn brothers with you"

Diao Chan said: "You didn't sleep all night last night, how could you meet the Duke of Zhou?"

Diao Chan carefully observed the situation before her, contemplated for a moment, and then said: "Hmm, it's set."

Guo Jia said: "Indeed, indeed. I hold great admiration for my elder brother. How about we become sworn brothers?"

Guo Jia chuckled and said, "Hehe, no need to be modest anymore. Let's not talk about it for now; I will go back and quickly produce these props. Farewell!" After finishing his words, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, snatched the bamboo slips from Diao Chan's hands, and hurriedly rushed back to hetushu.com.

As soon as he entered, Guo Jia said: "What a coincidence, three days ago, Lord Cao summoned me to his residence and bestowed upon me several pieces of ivory tribute from foreign lands. After receiving them, I immediately requested skilled craftsmen to create something. Today, it has just been completed, and I truly could not wait to bring it over right away"

Guo Jia said: "The status of identity is determined by common people; you and I share a heartfelt connection, how can we be constrained by conventional norms"

Diao Chan smiled sweetly at him and said, "It’s getting late, Ren Lu, you must be hungry too. I will go prepare a meal for you now." After saying this, she ignored him and went straight to the kitchen to cook. Jia Ren Lu sat there in a daze, desperately trying to find the soul that had been laughed away.

Jia Renlu's face flushed, he coughed once and said, "Of course, I was told by the Duke of Zhou when I met him last night"

Diao Chan glanced at the chessboard, chuckled, and said: "Today, Lord Guo wishes to become sworn brothers with you. Why do you refuse? It is such a wonderful opportunity."

Five days later, Guo Jiaxing arrived in a hurry, followed by three attendants, each carrying a large box in their hands

Jia Renlu said: "Sir, please do not say such things; otherwise, I would be utterly ashamed."

Jia Renlu raised the large cart in his hand and with a loud thud, dropped it onto the plate, shouting: "Seize it!"

That evening, inside the room, a game of chess was set up on the table, with Jia Renlu and Diao Chan deeply engrossed in their match. Diao Chan stared at the iron barrel-like encirclement, her brows furrowed, and after a long moment of contemplation, she finally made a move. Jia Renlu smiled slightly and asked, "Have you thought it through? If you have, I am about to make my move."