There are many theories about the origin of Chinese Go, but it is certain that it was already popular in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The Han Dynasty was the period of its development, when many literati used chess as a pastime and puzzle game.

When Liu Wei saw a stone chessboard beside Xun Yu, he guessed that Xun Yu might also like to play chess for fun, so he thought of a way to get closer to Xun Yu.

Liu Wei pointed to the chessboard and asked with a smile: "Wen Ruo is also a game of black and white?" ”

Xun Yu replied: "A little bit of the trail, chat to entertain yourself." ”

"A cursory look at Go, the law is based on the use of soldiers, and the three-foot game is a battle field." Liu Wei chanted lightly a sentence of "Go Fu" by Ma Rong, a Hongru of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Ma Tongru (Note 1) uses the chessboard (chessboard) as the arena and the chess pieces as the pawns, and the offensive and defensive battles and vertical and horizontal chess lanes are like confrontations. Although the chessboard is small, the world is in it! ”

Xun Yu's eyes lit up after hearing what Liu Wei said, and he sighed: "It turns out that His Royal Highness is also a person who loves chess. ”

Liu Wei smiled and said, "Xiao Hou's chess strength is shallow, but he has only studied it slightly. If Wen Ruo is interested, how about you and me in the last game? ”

Xun Yu is indeed a good chess person, and when he was studying at Yingchuan Academy, he also played against his classmates.

The two sat next to the chessboard, and Liu Wei didn't forget to bring tea. The two of them tasted the fragrance of tea while arranging a fight.

At this time, there were only 17 vertical and horizontal chessboards, which were very different from the 19 in Liu Wei's previous life, and the rules of chess were also different. In his previous life, Liu Wei only knew a little bit about Go, and after he was reincarnated, he only learned a little about the current rules of Go, and did not study and practice in depth.

However, relying on his own traverser, Liu Wei is still full of confidence. But after handing it over, I found that the chess skills of these ancient people were no worse than those of modern people, especially a genius like Xun Yu who was good at strategy, and he had already lost his armor after a few games.

Liu Wei was sweating profusely, and he could see that Xun Yu had already saved his hand for himself, but he still won easily. I can't help but secretly curse those time-traveling novels I read in my previous life, doesn't it mean that as long as the protagonist knows a little bit of Go, he can dominate the chess world and sweep everything when he returns to ancient times? The real situation is like that, it's really too TMD's cheater!

Playing chess is such a thing, you play with the master, and the more you play, the more you love it. and people who are weaker than themselves, and soon lose interest. After winning a few games against Liu Bian, Liu Biao saw that Xun Yu was already a little interested, and he couldn't help but get anxious because he wanted to rely on chess to get closer.

Liu Wei wiped the sweat from his blurred eyes, looked at the black and white pieces on the chessboard, and suddenly had an idea in mind.

At the end of the first game, Liu Wei was another big defeat. When counting, Liu Wei said: "Wen Ruoqi is superior, Xiaohou admires." Let's stop playing this game of Go first. ”

Xun Yu had this intention, and was just about to open his mouth to agree, but he heard Liu Wei say: "Xiaohou accidentally came up with a new style of chess, I don't know if Wen Ruo is interested in playing a game?" ”

A new way of chess? Xun Yu was curious about what kind of chess method Liu Wei would come up with, so he said, "Please give advice to Your Highness." ”

Liu Wei smiled slightly, and offered his backgammon in his previous life, from elementary school to high school, winning all the invincible players in the class, and proudly in the whole school's chess world.

"Backgammon?" Xun Yu had never heard of this, and couldn't help but listen carefully to Liu Wei explaining the gameplay and rules of backgammon.

The game of backgammon is simple, and Xun Yu quickly memorized what Liu Wei said. Although I think backgammon is much easier than Go, it is also novel and chic.

Xun Yu is a beginner in backgammon, so he is naturally not as powerful as Liu Wei who has been immersed in this way for many years. At the beginning, he lost several games in a row, and he was defeated by Liu Wei five times without taking a few steps. But the way of playing backgammon is still too simple after all, Xun Yu gradually became familiar with it after losing a few games in a row, and as the two played more and more, his chess skills became more and more proficient. Liu Wei wanted to win again, and it became more and more difficult for him to win, and the two ended in a tie in the last game.

Liu Wei had to admire Xun Yu's outstanding intelligence, and after playing a simple backgammon game a few times, he had already mastered it, and it was estimated that he would definitely lose if he continued to play.

Liu Wei didn't want Xun Yu to win him so early, so he would lose interest in five-finger chess prematurely, and his backhand was not ready.

Thinking of this, Liu Wei said: "Wen Ruo's talent is quick, and he is very popular, and Xiaohou really admires it. After a long time, Xiaohou should go back, why don't you and I play another game another day? ”

Xun Yu is a righteous person, although he feels a little unfinished, but after all, he is still on duty, and it is impossible to delay the business because of this board game. He made an appointment with Liu Wei to fight another game of backgammon two days later, after all, he had become more and more proficient in backgammon, and the sudden abrupt end still made his heart a little itchy.

After sending Liu Wei to the door, Xun Yu turned around and went back to study backgammon. Liu Wei also hurried back to the dormitory and drew a drawing for Wei Yi.

"Your Highness, what is this?" Wei Yi looked at the things on the drawing and asked puzzled.

Liu Wei smiled and didn't answer, but said: "You do it according to the things on the picture, and then tell you what it is for." ”

Wei Yi was in charge of the Shangfang Mansion and made those things on the drawings to naturally make a piece of cake. Two days later, Liu Wei asked Wei Yi to take the thing he had made and came to Xun Yu's place on duty together.

Xun Yu has already set up the chessboard and waited for a long time, in the past two days, he has carefully studied backgammon, and his chess skills have risen by leaps and bounds, and he is confident that Liu Wei should win the game.

Seeing Liu Wei walk in, Xun Yu hurriedly stepped forward to give a salute, but was stopped by Liu Bian.

"If you and I intersect as gentlemen, drink tea and discuss chess, why bother with these red tapes in between!"

Seeing that Liu Wei was not formal, Xun Yu had no choice but to give up.

Liu Wei looked at the chessboard that had been set up, and teased Xun Yu and said: "If Wen Ruo is waiting for the vacant position, I think I must have been fully prepared, it seems that I am going to lose today." ”

Xun Yu's face was slightly red, and he said shyly: "Playing chess is a small skill, but Yu is obsessed with it, obsessed with winning and losing, and abandoning the right path, I am really ashamed to read the book of sages for so many years." ”

Xun Yu said that he was about to take away the chessboard and chess pieces, but Liu Wei grabbed him and stopped him and said: "Confucius educates people, and it is still divided into six arts of gentlemen." Although chess is a small skill, it is better than exercising intelligence and cultivating sentiment. The two battled wits and courage on the chessboard, and they had a plan in their hearts, but they didn't need to fight with their tongues. Talking with each other and falling between the chess pieces, isn't it the quiet and elegant pursuit of our generation of readers? ”

Xun Yu nodded frequently by Liu Wei's words, and said self-deprecatingly: "Your Highness is right, it's the ministers who are foolish!" ”

Liu Wei smiled: "Since Wen Ruo understands, how about you and I just 'talk with my hands' now?" ”

Listening to Liu Weiyi, Xun Yu suddenly felt that the word "hand talk" was very wonderful, and said with a smile: "As His Highness wishes, don't dare to disobey!" ”

The two laughed, sat opposite each other and began to fight hard. There is also a small yellow door with him to make tea and serve beside him.

In the past two days, Xun Yu did work backgammon, after five games, except for the beginning of Liu Wei's one win and one draw, the rest of the game actually lost three games in a row, and the last game was not taken a few steps by Xun Yu five times.

Liu Wei, who knew that he was no longer Xun Yu's opponent, pushed open the chessboard and said: "If Wen Ruo is talented, he will be able to understand backgammon in just a few days, and the argument is not as good as it!" ”

Xun Yu won a few games in a row and was in a good mood. But he still maintains a gentlemanly demeanor that is victorious but not arrogant, and he is praised again and again.

Who knew that Liu Bian's words changed sharply and said: "Although Wen Ruo's backgammon is better than the blue, it is not so easy to compare with 'phase chess'. ”

Xun Yu was stunned for a moment and asked, "What is 'Xiangqi'?" ”

Liu Wei smiled and beckoned to Wei Yi, who hurriedly led the two yellow doors over. The two yellow doors each held something in their hands and covered it with a red cloth.

Xun Yu looked at Wei Yi curiously, and Wei Yi returned with a mysterious and triumphant smile. The Xiangqi under the red cloth was made by him according to the drawings drawn by Liu Bian, and he had already played a game with Liu Biao before he came, although he lost, but he still realized the infinite mystery of Xiangqi.

Looking at Xun Yu's incomprehensible and curious expression, Wei Yi knew that sooner or later he would be as shocked as himself.

Liu Wei uncovered two pieces of red cloth with his own hands, and a box held by a yellow door contained round chess pieces, half of the red and black chess pieces, and engraved with regular characters such as handsome, general, soldier, pawn, soldier, phase, car, horse, crossbow, etc. The other yellow door held a two-foot-long chessboard with nineteen vertical and horizontal lines, and a blank space was left between the fifth and sixth horizontal lines, dividing the chessboard into two parts, and the words "river boundary" were written. In the middle of the two ends of the board, that is, the square part of the fourth and sixth vertical lines, two diagonal lines are crossed to form a rice grid.

The entire chessboard and chess pieces were made according to the chess style of later generations, but the word "xiang" was uniformly changed to "phase", and the word "cannon" was also changed to "crossbow", which saved the trouble of explaining the two things. And the name has also been changed from "Xiangqi" to "Xiangqi" to make it sound a little more meaningful.

Xun Yu was naturally surprised when he saw this kind of chess for the first time, and asked Liu Weidao: "Dare to ask Your Highness what kind of chess is this?" ”

Liu Wei explained: "This chess piece was newly researched by Ben Hou and was born out of the 'Sai Opera' (Note 2). The two sides of the game have their own generals and soldiers, and the soldiers are guarded, the rooks are vertical and horizontal, the horses are zigzag, and the crossbows are attacked, until one of the generals is 'checkmated', it is considered a victory. During the game, the layout of the troops is like being on the battlefield, fighting wits and courage and resourcefulness. Those who are good at this chess can be the face of a country, so it is called phase chess. ”

Xun Yu nodded while listening, and gradually became very interested in Xiangqi, and his heart was itchy.

At the end of the game, although Xun Yu's chess pieces were killed by Liu Wei very unceremoniously, they couldn't help but lose. However, the brilliance of Xiangqi still made him can't help but applaud his legs, entangled Liu Wei and then played against him, ignoring the usual etiquette.

However, Liu Wei will not blame Xun Yu for his faux pas, this kind of closeness without barriers is exactly what he wants in his heart.

Although in his previous life, Liu Wei's attainments in chess were only higher than that of Go and inferior to backgammon, but it was more than enough to deal with a novice like Xun Yu. After all, Xiangqi is not like backgammon, and Xun Yu will inevitably lose the game after a few games.

Although Xun Yu has a calm personality and is not impatient, it does not mean that he does not have the heart to win and does not want to win against Liu Wei. Especially Liu Wei's sentence "Those who are good at chess can be the minister of a country", isn't it his long-cherished wish to show the furrow in his chest? If you lose here, doesn't it mean that you are not qualified to be prime minister?

Xun Yu wants to win, but it doesn't mean that Liu Wei will give him this opportunity. Although Xun Yu's wisdom was temporarily defeated, if he became familiar with it, he would definitely not be an opponent. Worried about his appetite, Liu Wei pretended to be tired and said: "It's getting late, Xiaohou is also a little tired, it's better to stop here today, and Xiaohou will bother you another day." ”

Getting late? Xun Yu looked up at the sun outside that had just passed noon, and he slandered Liu Wei for lying without embellishment.

Although he was dissatisfied, Xun Yu still didn't show it. There was no need for Liu Wei to mention it, he took the initiative to invite Liu Wei to play another game three days later. After receiving Liu Bian's affirmative reply, Xun Yu happily sent Liu Bian and the others away, and then immediately returned to the hall to study the chess game.

Three days later, Liu Wei arrived as promised. After a polite exchange, the two set up a chessboard and fought together.

After three rounds, Xun Yu lost two and won one, which was a big improvement from three days ago, and even if Liu Wei won him, it was no longer so easy.

However, Liu Wei did not annoy Xun Yu's chess skills, but smiled and made an appointment with Xun Yu to fight again in three days.

Three days later, Liu Wei came again, but this time there was a cardamom girl as beautiful as a fairy who came with him.

With bright lips and bright eyes, skin like snow, and a smile that captivates the country and the city, Xun Yu couldn't help but be stunned.

It wasn't until Liu Wei coughed lightly that Xun Yu woke up and blushed in embarrassment.

He thought that this girl would be Liu Bian's concubine, but he didn't expect that after Liu Bian's introduction, it was actually the female official in charge of Diao Chan in the palace, named Ren Hongchang.

"Sister Ren is good at cooking tea, because the game between the two is always too monotonous, so I invited Sister Ren to cook tea to help the fun." Liu Wei explained Ren Hongchang's arrival.

Although Ren Hongchang doesn't like to drink tea like Tang Ji, he is very proficient in various tea ceremony rituals under the influence of Liu Wei, and completely treats the tea ceremony as a performative thing.

Ren Hongchang was cooking tea on one side, and the two started a chess game on the other side. At the end of the first game, Liu Wei was defeated. Ren Hongchang also finished boiling the tea and made a cup of tea for the two of them, and the fragrance of the tea overflowed the teacup, refreshing people's hearts.

Liu Wei picked up the teacup and saluted: "If Wen is talented, he has mastered chess, and Xiaohou is not as good as Yi." With Wen Ruo's ability, he will be able to worship the prime minister one day and become famous in the government and the opposition.

At the moment of beauty, Xun Yu actually became a little shy and twisted, muttered a few words of self-humility, and then listened to Liu Wei ask: "Although Wen Ruoxiang is good at chess, can he dare to play checkers?" ”

Xun Yu was stunned for a moment, and immediately thought that Liu Wei might have invented a new kind of chess, and he couldn't help but be surprised in his heart.

This is not something that can be done overnight, but requires experience and time. However, in half a month, Liu Wei actually created three chess games in a row, which has to be surprising.

Liu Wei's checkers were made in the style of later generations, without any modifications. It's just that the material is made of wood, and the chess pieces are made into triangles and painted in three colors: red, black, and green.

Liu Wei personally arranged the chess pieces on the chessboard and explained the game of checkers to Xun Yu in detail. Then with Xun Yu on the red and black sides, and on the other green side, Liu Wei waved his hand and called Ren Hongchang.

Xun Yu was stunned for a moment, and Liu Wei explained with a smile: "Checkers can also be played against three people, and Sister Ren is also good at this, so I invited her." ”

Xun Yu had never played against a woman, and he was quite curious, so he readily agreed. After a game, the novice Xun Yu inevitably lost, but what surprised Xun Yu the most was that the final winner was not Liu Wei, but Ren Hongchang.

This even Liu Wei was very surprised, he just taught Ren Hongchang the moves and rules of checkers the day before, and he didn't expect that she would win himself as soon as she learned it. Women seem to have an innate talent for checkers.

Although Xun Yu is not a complete patriarch, losing to a woman still makes him a little annoyed. proposed to play another game with Liu Wei and Ren Hongchang, but was rejected by Liu Wei.

Checkers is simple to play, with Xun Yu's wisdom, I am afraid that he will be proficient after a few rounds, Liu Wei naturally will not give him a chance to turn the tables, and comforted him: "Victory and defeat are common things in soldiers, if Wen Ruo wants to fight again, there will be opportunities in the future, why rush?" ”

Although Xun Yu repeatedly said yes to what Liu Wei said, he muttered in his heart that it was not you who harmed him.

Ren Hongchang, who was on the side, also persuaded Xun Yu and said: "Life is like a chess game. Although it is unpredictable and unpredictable, the end of a game does not mean the end of life. Instead of caring about the momentary victory or defeat, it is better to calm down and wait for the opportunity to show again. ”

Xun Yu was touched by Ren Hongchang's words, and immediately got up and handed it over, saying, "Thank you Miss Ren for your advice." ”

Ren Hongchang said with a smile: "The little woman said in vain, Xun Shougong's move is serious. It's better for the little girl to present a song and encourage you together. ”

Hearing that Ren Hongchang wanted to sing for him, Xun Yu's face suddenly turned red. Try to shake away the reverie in my heart that shouldn't be, and Zhengse said, "Thank you, Miss Ren." ”

Ren Hongchang stood up and gave a deep salute to Liu Wei and Xun Yu, and then lightly opened his lips and sang "The Two Forget Each Other" taught to her by Liu Wei.

There is no need for musical accompaniment, and the singing voice like a natural sound shocks the hearts of the two. Dancing with the song, Ren Hongchang's graceful dancing made Liu Wei and Xun Yu stunned, as if they felt that every corner of the entire Han Palace was shrouded in the girl's singing.

“…… Put a word wide between the eyebrows, look at a piece of the scenery of the world, who is not the joy and sorrow in the taste. The sea can't go all day, the grievances are difficult to calculate, yesterday is not today, you should forget ......"

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Note 1: Ma Rong is known as "Confucianism" because of his extensive knowledge of ancient and modern classics.

Note 2: Sai Opera is a kind of chess game popular in the Han Dynasty, and it is rumored that chess was born here in history.

To be continued