Chapter 113: Yongzi's Ten Games An Incident in the First Segment

Xu Fengnian left Fishing Platform and strolled through the city with Yu Youwei. He saw an alley bustling with people, many of whom were scholarly young men in green robes. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were playing Go for money. Some were squatting, some sitting, some standing. Only then did Xu Fengnian recall that Xiangfan, besides Xiangguo Alley known for its pleasure houses, also had the famous Yongzi Alley. Along the walls of this alley sat street Go players, who set out their boards and pieces and wagered different amounts based on their skill, enticing casual passersby and Go enthusiasts to play. Such games were naturally beneath the notice of master players but were perfect for passing the time for common folk and poor scholars, especially since the stakes were usually just a few or a dozen copper coins, making it a harmless pastime.

Xu Fengnian smiled, taking a hearty bite of the soy-sauce beef wrapped in oil paper. He remembered a time when he was penniless and starving, and for a period, he earned his meals by playing Go in these very alleys. With his Go skills, honed by the national strategist Li Yishan and Xu Weixiong, winning was not difficult. However, there were often other street players trying to make a living; the reasonable ones would respect boundaries, but the unreasonable ones would use their local status to drive him away. Furthermore, there was an art to winning: one couldn't aim for a crushing victory, but rather win by a small margin, a few pieces, otherwise the opponent, utterly defeated, would be reluctant to continue playing or pay. These were the subtle, common-sense lessons Xu Fengnian was forced to learn gradually.

The Crown Prince motioned for Lu, Yang, and Shu to keep their distance, leaving only Ning Emei standing behind him. He pulled Yu Youwei to a small opening, squeezing through the crowd. The player taking bets was a young man who looked like a down-on-his-luck scholar, his clothes patched and his socks worn white. On the empty Go board in front of him lay ten Go stones, signifying that the loser of the game would have to pay ten times the initial stake. In ordinary Go gambling, only two or three stones were placed, and five was rare, indicating this street player was quite confident. As Xu Fengnian squatted down, about to decide how many coppers to bet, he glanced up and saw that his opponent was blind. How could such a game be played?

Seemingly accustomed to this situation, the blind Go player calmly said, "No matter. I will know where the stone is placed by the sound it makes."

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, "I'll bet ten coins."

The blind player took out a money pouch from his sleeve, weighed it, and with a look of shame, softly said, "Young master, if I lose, I will owe you sixteen coins. If you don't mind, I have an ancestral Go manual here that should be worth that amount."

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "Alright."

Xu Fengnian didn't particularly care for Go manuals. In the Tide-Listening Pavilion, there were countless manuals that could drive master Go players into a frenzy, such as "Peach Blossom Spring Go Manual," "South Sea Exquisite Game," and "Immortal's Lesson Manual." The Crown Prince could literally pile up a small mountain of them for you. Moreover, with the Go board having evolved from 15x15 to 19x19, older manuals often became less valuable.

Generally speaking, the "tesuji" (tactical skill) of modern Go players tends to be stronger than that of ancient ones. The blind player, sitting cross-legged against the wall, had a box of black stones by his knees. He extended his hand slightly, indicating for Xu Fengnian to take white and play first. Despite his shabby clothes, this street player's demeanor was not to be underestimated; every gesture and movement exuded the refined, antique charm of a truly distinguished family's son.

Before the formal match, both players placed two stones on opposite corner star points, known as "seated stones" (zuozi in ancient Go). This greatly limited the advantage of playing first and ensured fierce middle-game combat in the center.

Xu Fengnian handed the soy-sauce beef to Yu Youwei and made his first move at 3-6 (coordinates), a corner invasion that the self-proclaimed Grand Master Huang Longshi, also known as Huang Sanjia, once lauded as the optimal corner invasion. The young blind player remained calm, indeed able to determine the stone's position by sound. He responded with a black stone at 9-3, creating a balanced struggle against white.

The subsequent nine moves for both black and white did not deviate from established classical patterns. Yu Youwei, watching from the side, had a father who was once a renowned master in the Western Chu Go world; even he, during his studies at Shangyin Academy, had only narrowly lost to Huang Longshi, renowned for his unparalleled tactical prowess. Having been immersed in Go since childhood, Yu Youwei inherited much of her father's style and was naturally well-versed in the theories of Go. It was doubtful that even Green Ant, the little national master in Beiliang's Wutong Garden, could confidently claim victory over Yu Youwei. Seeing the first ten mutual moves, Yu Youwei felt a little disappointed.

However, Xu Fengnian's eleventh white move, a "cut" (dan), made Yu Youwei's eyes light up. The blind Go player also paused slightly, no longer playing with such speed, and only after some deliberation did he pick up and place his stone.

An ancient saying goes, "Life comes from a cut." Xu Fengnian's subsequent few moves all originated from this single cut, showing remarkable originality. The blind player endured patiently throughout, until Black's eighteenth move, a swift attack at 5-6 ("flying attack") in a still unsettled corner. Yu Youwei frowned, concentrating deeply, realizing that this shape alone had as many as forty-four possible variations.

Subconsciously, she looked at Xu Fengnian, who remained unperturbed, his playing speed consistent. At white's forty-third move, he gently "bent out" (ban chu), instantly creating a board full of killing intent, which made Yu Youwei's heart pound. This move was truly fierce. White's fifty-ninth "flying complement" and eighty-third "point" were equally aggressive. Yet, unexpectedly, the blind player's position was like a small boat drifting in the vast sea, swaying precariously but refusing to capsize. By Black's one hundred eightieth move, he had secured a clear advantage and a strong position for endgame, prompting Xu Fengnian to calmly resign.

Xu Fengnian took out another ten copper coins and said, "Still ten coins."

The blind player took white and played first. This game, too, saw Xu Fengnian provoke an early conflict, which the blind player met with composure. Yu Youwei began to discern a pattern: Xu Fengnian greatly emphasized aggression, while the blind player, unlike most, prioritized solidifying territory and shape. Some of his moves, which at first glance seemed casual or even bad, always resonated perfectly with the mid-game and even the endgame. If Xu Fengnian hadn't forcefully instigated unreasonable fights with his endless variations, neither game would have lasted beyond two hundred moves. At this time, the highly talented Xu Weixiong was initiating an unprecedented change in the Go world, transforming the 15x15 board to 19x19 and abolishing the "seated stone" system. In Yu Youwei's view, this blind player, whose skill was slightly superior to the Crown Prince's, was destined to make a name for himself. Furthermore, it was hard to say whether he was concealing his true strength. Indeed, the common alleys truly held hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

"Again."

Xu Fengnian, having lost two games in a row, chuckled softly. This time, he took white and opened with a "double swallow" formation. This joseki was once widely popular, but in the last fifty years, the top national masters had abandoned it in their peak contests. Huang Longshi himself even stated that the double swallow opening was too cramped and lacked elegance, effectively condemning this classic opening.

Xu Fengnian simply sat on the ground, adopting a more comfortable posture. Yet, his defeat on the board mounted even faster, a swift three-game losing streak, and thirty copper coins were now piled in front of the blind player. Xu Fengnian looked up through the eaves of Yongzi Alley to check the sky; it was already dinnertime. But it was rare to encounter such a skilled street Go player, so he beckoned Shu Xiu over and asked her to get some food from a tavern. Soon, Shu Xiu returned with a large food box containing four sets of bowls and chopsticks. Only after Yang Qingfeng had tested the food for poison did Shu Xiu dare to place it before Xu Fengnian. Xu Fengnian smiled and asked, "I don't plan on leaving anytime soon. Why don't you have some too?"

The blind player, not one to fuss over formalities, nodded with a smile. Yu Youwei, a pampered lady accustomed to luxury, felt no impropriety sitting and eating with Xu Fengnian. The great halberdier Ning Emei, standing, devoured his meal in just a few quick mouthfuls. As the street player ate slowly, he even proactively discussed the gains and losses of the three defeated games with Xu Fengnian. He openly expressed his admiration for Xu Fengnian's ingenious and strong moves, and straightforwardly pointed out the flaws in some of his casual, unreasonable ones. Xu Fengnian nodded frequently, benefiting greatly from the conversation, and they talked very happily. Xu Fengnian then jokingly asked if the player had studied under a famous Go master. The blind player shook his head, saying his family background was ordinary. He had only just begun to learn Go before losing his sight in childhood. After his blindness, with nothing else to rely on, he found companionship in Go. He had been playing Go for money in Yongzi Alley for nearly ten years, earning just enough to get by. Whenever he had spare money, he would buy Go manuals from famous players, unable to save a single copper. As he spoke, the blind player tapped his head, then pulled a few Confucian classics from his bag, handing them to Xu Fengnian, whose backside was still on the ground. He chuckled, "For a cushion."

Xu Fengnian took the books, pulled out two, and handed them to Yu Youwei, whose legs had long gone numb. He laughed, "Isn't this inappropriate? It dishonors the teachings of the sages."

The blind player smiled and shook his head, "Propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor are not confined to books."

Xu Fengnian stopped being overly polite. He ate and drank his fill with the street player who had won thirty coins from him, then resumed the battles on the 19x19 board. Xu Fengnian, undeterred, continued to lose repeatedly, while the blind player, meeting every challenge with composure, played with crisp, confident moves.

Ten games were played in Yongzi Alley, a fierce contest that lasted from midday through dusk and into the moonlight. When the dust settled, Xu Fengnian had lost ten games in a row, paying a total of one hundred coins. The street players of Yongzi Alley had all packed up and left. Xu Fengnian sat cross-legged on a Confucian classic, looking at the defeated board, and sighed heavily. He said, "With your tactical skill, you could contend with Xu Weixiong of Shangyin Academy."

The street player shook his head. "An ordinary person probably plays Go considering only one side. I can barely manage two. Current Go masters can consider three, but Sir Weixiong, along with Huang Sanjia, can uniquely play considering four sides. How dare I, a mere ant, attempt to shake a great tree? However, if I could play a single game with Sir Weixiong in this life, I would have no regrets, even if I were to die."

Xu Fengnian helped put the Go stones back into their boxes, then stood up and joked, "I don't have your 'hear the Way in the morning, die content in the evening' kind of enlightenment. Losing to you isn't unjust; I'll admit defeat this time. Hey, Shangyin Academy has its famous 'Ten Games of Danghu' that shook the world; we can say we had our 'Ten Games of Yongzi.' Let's part ways here."

The blind street player smiled and said, "I'll give these books to you, young master."

Xu Fengnian understood immediately. Two of the books had been under Yu Youwei's backside for a long time, and the street player must have heard and sensed it, knowing that she was part of his "retinue." To avoid impropriety, asking for them back would be unsuitable. Xu Fengnian took out another ten coins, handed them to the slender player who had now stood up, and jokingly said, "These last ten coins, consider them buying two more catties of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and honor from you."

The player hesitated for a moment, then accepted them, smiling gently, "Young master, you are not lacking in these."

Xu Fengnian burst into laughter and left.

The blind player packed his belongings, then stood alone in the quiet, deserted alley. He deeply bowed towards the alley entrance, a full, profound bow.

As they rode out of Yongzi Alley, Xu Fengnian clucked in amazement, "Such a small Yongzi Alley, yet it holds such a formidable person."

Yu Youwei frowned and asked, "Was he an assassin?"

Xu Fengnian burst into speechless laughter, resting his chin on Yu Youwei's head in his arms. With a helpless expression, he said, "You're thinking too much. I was just marveling at the blind player's astonishing skill. He claimed he could only consider two 'sides' on the board, but that's overly modest. I dare say even my second sister would lose two or three out of ten games against him. It's probably because he's never played against top national masters, so he doesn't know how formidable he truly is."

Yu Youwei nodded. "This person is skilled at using sacrifice to gain advantage, and yielding to expand, demonstrating a broad vision. But it's not just that; in the ninth game, when provoked by your unreasonable moves, he revealed an even more astonishing strength in direct combat. If he truly comes from an ordinary background and became self-taught after losing his sight, then without a doubt, he is a born genius of Go."

Xu Fengnian softly said, "His eyes were deliberately put out."

Yu Youwei was stunned.

Xu Fengnian sighed, "Every family has its own cross to bear. The hidden sorrows behind these matters are not something this Crown Prince is interested in."

Yu Youwei gently stroked Wu Meiniang's head and asked, "Have you ever thought of inviting him to be a strategist by your side?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "Being good at Go doesn't mean one will be good at officialdom. I've already lost one hundred coins gambling, so I won't gamble anymore."

Yu Youwei smiled without speaking. The Crown Prince's Go skills were quite formidable, so losing ten consecutive games must have been a great loss of face for him. He probably felt too embarrassed to interact much more with the blind player.

Without preamble, Xu Fengnian suddenly said, "It just depends on King Jing'an Zhao Heng's luck at gambling."

Xu Fengnian suddenly pulled a long face and said, "Damn it, my luck at gambling is so terrible today. By inverse proportion, that old tortoise Zhao Heng is probably going to make a killing."

Yu Youwei asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Xu Fengnian mumbled a few curses under his breath, then fell silent.

In Yongzi Alley, the young blind player laboriously lifted his travel bag. It contained only a Go board, two boxes of stones, and a few Go manuals, yet he already felt exhausted. The player silently mocked himself, thinking that a scholar was useless for anything else. After a few steps, he raised a warm smile. The Ten Games of Yongzi had earned him a full one hundred coins! In the past two years in Yongzi Alley, apart from intentionally feigning weakness, he had never truly lost a game. Local Go enthusiasts in Xiangfan were no longer willing to gamble against him; only out-of-town visitors to Yongzi Alley would take the bait. Thus, earning a hundred coins in a day was a rare good fortune. Furthermore, that young master was extremely interesting, and his background was clearly excellent. Though his eyes were blind, his heart was not; such a young man of superior lineage played Go remarkably well. In recent years, it had become difficult for him to invest his heart and mind in Go. As a child, he was happy winning and even happier losing, but now, always winning and never losing, his passion for Go had dwindled. He feared the day he would truly play only to make a living, for that would be the day his path in Go came to a halt. Recalling his bleak circumstances, the blind player's face grew cold, as if he had forgotten how to grieve.

In this world, if you're blind, it's better not to see.

If he could meet a few more kind young masters who would play ten games, perhaps then he might regret blinding himself years ago. But after his family fell from grace and he became a homeless dog, struggling to survive, how many such encounters had he had in ten years of playing Go?

As he reached the alley's corner, the blind player was stopped.

An authoritative voice rang out, "My master wishes to see you."

The blind player calmly replied, "I won't see him."

Not far away, a carriage was parked. Inside, a dignified man held a record of the blind Go player's background. The ink on the paper hadn't dried, clearly indicating it had just been written. During the Ten Games of Yongzi Alley, hundreds of people, both players and spectators, had come and gone. Even the young player himself hadn't thought much of it, simply believing he had been lucky to meet a kind young master. Unbeknownst to him, however, news had reached the most powerful quarters of Xiangfan city at the end of the first game. By the third game, a Go manual had been delivered to the mansion with lion statues guarding its entrance. By the fifth game, the master of the mansion had already ordered his servants to thoroughly investigate the blind player's identity. At the end of the eighth game, the man in the carriage was still deliberating on how to proceed. It was only after the ninth game, upon witnessing the young blind man's true Go skill, that he smiled and personally left his mansion, patiently waiting until now. As he held the last few pages of fragmented records detailing the blind player's ten years of gambling, he felt he could be even more patient. Thus, when his personal guard softly reported from outside the carriage that the man refused to see him, he wasn't angered by the young man's lack of deference. After all, the fellow was blind.

The man burned the few pages that, to him, were merely a few hundred words detailing an ant-like existence. Then he dismounted himself and walked slowly towards the unyielding blind player. "Lu Xu," he began, "from Haichang County, Qingzhou. Your grandfather, Lu You, was a great scholar of the previous generation. Your father and uncle were also exceptional; your family produced three distinguished talents, primarily studying classics and history. Unexpectedly, while compiling the history of Western Chu, you spoke a few words of justice on behalf of scholars, leading to your framing by petty men, almost resulting in the execution of your entire family. You blinded yourself, sacrificing your official career, to preserve your life. For these ten years, you have gambled for Go in Yongzi Alley by day and played the zither for courtesans in Xiangguo Alley by night, earning only 'dirty money.' Do you know that your enemy has become the Governor of Haichang County?"

The blind player calmly replied, "This money is not dirty."

The middle-aged man smiled and asked, "Regardless of whether the money is dirty or not, I ask you: Do you wish to showcase your talents, rather than struggling to survive in two alleys?"

The young player smiled and said, "Although it is already night, Lu Xu is not too keen on dreaming."

The man laughed heartily, "I heard you once said: 'We, who possess a thousand catties of books and ten thousand catties of talent, will sell them only to the imperial family.'"

The blind player frowned and said, "Such arrogant nonsense, spouted by someone who's only read a few books and knows nothing of the world, should not be taken seriously."

The man stated gravely, "But I intend to take it seriously this once!"

The blind player gave a wry smile, "Even now, you still won't let the Lu family go?"

The man, with a string of prayer beads on his hand, calmly said, "My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Heng. The imperial family – what truly constitutes the imperial family? Is one King Jing'an not enough?!"

At King Jing'an's residence, Crown Prince Zhao Xun, utterly bewildered, found his father copying Buddhist scriptures in the study. He quietly asked, "I heard Father brought a blind Go player, carrying a zither, back to the residence? What is the deeper meaning?"

King Jing'an chuckled, "This young man is the last descendant of the Lu family of Haichang County. If purely on Go, no one in this residence can surpass him. Let him be kept by you; it won't cost much anyway. If he's merely someone who can strategize on a chessboard, treat him like a dog that won't bite. But if he genuinely possesses some talent, take him into the Prince's advisory staff, and polish him. Later, in front of him, you can deal with Yu Hanliang, the Governor of Haichang County. Then, any further advice he offers will be truly sincere. 'A scholar dies for one who truly appreciates him,' Xun'er, you must keep this ancient, well-worn truth firmly in mind. Furthermore, regarding how to interact with such scholars, you must abandon the way you socialize with wastrels like Wei Wei. Don't rely on your status to pressure them. Not all scholars are fools; their minds are most delicate. They might not grasp grand principles, but distinguishing between arrogance and inferiority in one's character is never difficult. Xun'er, your father will teach you something: when dealing with these noble scholars, you should treat them as if *they* were the Crown Prince of King Jing'an, and you are *them*."

Zhao Xun laughed, "I understand. Father, with such empathy, already possesses a Buddha's heart."

King Jing'an Zhao Heng squinted his eyes and chuckled, "No need for flattery."

Zhao Xun carefully exited the study.

Zhao Heng continued to copy Buddhist scriptures with a soft brush. Once finished, he coldly said, "Lu Xu, I am keeping you merely because I wish to tell you a story in a few days. For such a grand gesture as mine, it would be too dull without a confidant, even if irrelevant to the overall scheme."