Pengman quickly set up the unfinished chess game from yesterday. Consort Mei and Emperor Lin sat opposite each other, each holding a chessman, and began to play. Lin Feilu sat beside Emperor Lin, clutching a corner of his robes with a small hand, watching obediently.
As the chess game progressed, Emperor Lin felt the little dumpling next to him scooching closer and closer. He turned his head to look, and found that the little dumpling was staring at the chessboard intently. Cake crumbs were still sticking on the corners of her mouth, but her dainty face was completely absorbed in the game; Emperor Lin suppressed a laugh.
Seeing that he still had not made his move, she turned her head to look at him anxiously, her eyes full of urging.
Emperor Lin finally burst out in laughter, rubbing her little head, “You look so serious, do you like this?”
The little dumpling lowered her eyes in embarrassment, pursing her lips and nodded lightly.
Emperor Lin pressed on, “Do you know how to play chess?”
She shook her head.
Emperor Lin smiled and said, “‘llI teach you.”
He jumbled up the chess pieces with a sweep of his hand, then instructed Pengman to separate the black and white pieces. He turned to the stunned Consort Mei, “We won’t continue today, I will teach Little Fifth Princess. Return first.”
“…”
She glanced at the innocent and cute little girl next to Emperor Lin without revealing any trace of emotion. Without any objections, she smiled softly, “Yes, I will go back first.”
As soon as she left, Emperor Lin happily taught his daughter to play chess.
Lin Feilu really did not know how to play Go, but her intelligence made up for it. Emperor Lin had only needed to explain once, and within one morning she had grasped the basic rules and formulas. By the time they were on the road again after lunch, she was already roughly able to play against Emperor Lin.
Although she was thoroughly defeated after only putting down a few Go pieces, Emperor Lin was baffled at the intelligence demonstrated by the five-year-old child.
There was another surprise after the shock.
He had always cherished talents, and the Great Lin Empire had always valued intelligence more than martial arts. Any concubine in the harem who was full of poetry and talent would be favored by him. He had even stricter requirements on the princes, which caused a lot of stress on them.
Although he did not demand anything from the princesses, he favoured Lin Nianzhi because of her shrewdness. However, he was looking at Lin Feilu in a different light.
He recalled that when he first met the little dumpling in the plum garden. He knew that this child was extraordinary when she made a wish for world peace.
Who knew that Xiao Lan gave him a foolish son, but gave birth to such a gifted little princess.
This is probably God’s mercy.
The Emperor Lin sighed emotionally, watching Lin Feilu who was still studying the chess game seriously, the resentment he had for her mother reduced unconsciously.
In the evening, the entourage finally came to a halt at the palace on the mountainside. The palace was also guarded all year round, and the halls have been cleaned up and furnished, waiting for their masters’ arrival.
Lin Feilu was residing in Tingyu Pavilion. Seeing that her only companion was Song Yu, Emperor Lin assigned one of his personal eunuchs to serve her, named Kongfu. He also assigned another group of his personal imperial troops to station in Tingyu Pavilion, to prevent the previous assassin from attacking again.
The Forbidden Army was composed of elites, and all the palace servants had to take a detour around Tingyu Pavilion.