Chapter 4 The extraordinary history of Si Kang's chess pieces

In the early years of Kangxi, Kang Shen, the ancestor of Kang Fu, went to Beijing for a test.On a snowy evening, I came to an ancient temple on the ground in Ansu County, Zhili, and prepared to enter the temple to avoid the wind and snow.Just as Kang Shen was about to push open the temple door, he suddenly found a person lying in the snowdrift beside the door, which was almost completely buried by the snow.Kang Shen was taken aback, bent down hastily, put his hands next to the man's nostrils, and felt that there was still a trace of breath coming out.He swept the snow off the man and carried him into the temple with both hands.This is a dilapidated small temple. In addition to a hall where the clay Buddha is placed, there is a small room next to it.There is a bed and some crude utensils in the house. It seems that someone lives in it, but no one is there.Kang Shen thought, maybe this person lived here, and he fell ill at the door when he entered or went out.Kang Shen put the man on the bed, covered him with a quilt, stuffed a handful of hay into the stove, lit the fire, boiled a bowl of boiling water, poured two mouthfuls of water for the man, then sat by the bed and looked at it carefully.This is a man about fifty years old, but there is no beard around his mouth, he is skinny, his clothes are thin and old, he is a poor man.After a while, the man woke up, and Kang Shen gave him two capsules of the "Feng Han San" that he carried with him.The man sat up with his hands on the bed, and made a woman-like high-pitched voice: "Master, you must have carried me into the house from the snow! Thank you for saving my life." He struggled to get up and kowtow to Kang Shen.

Kang Shen stopped him and said, "Master, do you just live here?" The man nodded and pointed to the earthen jar by the stove with his finger.Kang Shen saw that there was half a can of corn flour in the earthen jar.The man said: "Sir, please cook it, and you can eat two bowls of glutinous rice paste with me tonight!" At this time, the sky was completely dark, the wind and snow outside were getting stronger, and there was no one nearby, so Kang Shen thought that he had to spend the night here tonight.When Kang Shen cooked the rice flour into a pot of porridge, the man became much more energetic, got out of bed, found some pieces of salted radish, and fried four more eggs.When he was about to eat, he suddenly remembered something, ran out of the door, and took out a gourd from the snow.He soaked the gourd in hot water, then poured white wine out of it, and drank it with Kang Shen one by one.After the man knew that Kang Shen was the candidate for the Hunan Provincial Examination, he was very happy and said, "My name is Niu Xuxuan, and I have been the father-in-law in the former Ming Palace for more than ten years." "Oh! So I am an eunuch, no wonder The tone is like a woman's." Kang Shen thought to himself.Mr. Niu continued: "After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, I returned to my hometown of Ansu. Because I was neither male nor female, I didn't want to live with relatives, so I lived in this old temple alone. Helping people to survive. I went to the town to buy wine this afternoon. On the way home, I felt unwell. I was caught in a heavy snowstorm. I barely walked to the door of the house and fainted. If I hadn’t met my husband, my life would have come to an end. That's it for today." Then, Eunuch Niu stood up and raised his glass, "Mr. Kang, thank you for your life-saving grace by borrowing this glass of wine."

Kang Shen hurriedly stood up and said: "Eunuch Niu is too polite. It is also my fate to meet you today. You have been in the Qianming Palace for more than ten years and have seen a lot. Tell me some anecdotes about the Qianming Palace tonight." !" Eunuch Niu was very excited. While drinking, he talked with Kang Shen from Emperor Hongwu to Emperor Chongzhen. He also told the story of Emperor Chongzhen's rivalry and jealousy among Emperor Zhou, Concubine Tian, ​​and Concubine Yuan, and talked about it with great interest. Let's talk about how the maids and eunuchs settled dishes.

These secret stories in the palace feasted Kang Shen's ears.It was not until late at night that Kang Shen slept on Eunuch Niu's kang. The next morning, when Kang Shen woke up, he saw Eunuch Niu sitting by the stove and lighting a fire, holding a book in his hand. The room had been cleaned and it was much cleaner than yesterday.Outside the window, the red sun is shining brightly, the wind has stopped, and the snow has stopped. The sun shines on the Yushu Qiongzhi and Yinshan Waxyuan in the world, showing a beautiful and magnificent scene. Mr. Niu was in good spirits today. Seeing Kang Shen woke up, he said with a smile on his face, "Mr. Kang, did you rest well last night?"

"Well rested. I haven't slept so soundly since I left home. You got up early!" "I'm used to getting up early, so I don't have the blessing to go to bed early." Kang Shen put on his clothes, and said to Eunuch Niu, "You are so eager to read, what kind of book are you reading in the cold weather?" "This kind of book, you serious scholars probably won't read it." He said and handed the book to Kang Shen.Kang Shen took it and saw it was an old book titled "Ancient Chess Manual".The book cover is mounted with yellow silk. Although it looks old and stained, it can still be seen that the quality of the yellow silk and the craftsmanship of the original paper are quite high.Kang Shen smiled and said, "Eunuch Niu, to tell you the truth, although I am a master who reads the books of Confucius and Mencius, what I like the most in my life is not the Four Books and Five Classics, but the trivial things like piano, chess, calligraphy and painting."

"In this way, Mr. Kang must have in-depth research in the art of Go. Although it is sunny today, the door is blocked by heavy snow and the road is difficult. Why don't you just stay at my house for a few days and how about we play a few rounds? I have been unable to find it for more than ten years. It's a chess opponent." When Eunuch Niu said this, there was a look of sadness in his eyes.For a moment, he smiled and said, "Usually no one will play with me, so I will play with myself, holding black in one hand and white in the other, enjoying myself, like the old Dongpo layman's "I don't like winning, and I don't like losing." Worry-free'."

Kang Shen found it very interesting, he was not in a hurry to go to Beijing, there were still more than two months before Chunwei, and he had plenty of time, so he readily agreed.He took out five taels of silver from his bag and said, "Eunuch Niu, I see that your life is difficult, and I am not a rich person. This money should be used as my board and lodging expenses for these few days! " "What did Mr. Kang say? Because my family is poor, I can't entertain you with a sumptuous banquet. I feel ashamed and embarrassed. How can I accept your money!" "Eunuch Niu, don't be polite. We are all brothers in the world. If you don't accept me, I won't be able to live here in peace."

Eunuch Niu thinks about it too, the house is desolate and there is no food, leaving Mrs. Kang, what will he do to entertain him?So he accepted Kang Shen's money.After breakfast, Mr. Niu said: "Mr. Kang, you are here to review your homework. I will use Mr.'s money to buy some wine, meat and vegetables. Later, we will have a good round." After Eunuch Niu left, Kang Shen picked up "Ancient Chess Manual" and looked through it.There are not many chess records in the book. The first one is a picture of the chess game played by Danzhu taught by Emperor Yao, followed by a picture of the game played by King Wen Juli, a picture of the game played by Guan Zhong and Duke Huan, a picture of the game played by Zhuang Zhou and Hui Shi, The chess game between Fan Li and Xi Shi, the chess game between Li Si and Han Fei, the chess game between Zhang Liang and Chen Ping, the chess game between Kong Ming and Zhou Yu, etc.Kang Shen has never heard of most of these chess game names, and the few chess game diagrams he has seen are quite different from the usual siege methods.This is such a wonderful book!Kang Shen looked at it intently as if he had found a treasure.After watching for a long time, I finally saw some connections.

In the afternoon, Eunuch Niu came back.After dinner, the two played chess.Kang Shen has always been famous among his peers for being good at playing games, but who knows that he played three games in a row and lost the game.Eunuch Niu was brilliant all of a sudden, and he often placed one piece in the other, which made Kang Shen dumbfounded, and couldn't think of a pair for a long time.After three rounds, Kang Shen knew that his chess skill was far from that of Eunuch Niu's.So he adjusted his clothes, left his seat, knelt down in front of Eunuch Niu, and said, "Eunuch, your chess skill is beyond the realm of the world. If you think Kang Shen can still be educated, please accept this obeisance and accept me." Apprentice. Kang Shen would rather not have fame, and live in this temple in this life, serving his father-in-law and studying chess."

Eunuch Niu laughed loudly, helped Kang Shen up, and said happily, "Why should you be so solemn, Mr. Niu Xuxuan? I think I, Niu Xuxuan, is a worthless person in the world. I have nothing to do with the excellent Go skills, but I can't support myself. If Mr. Xiang really wants to give up his fame But if you specialize in chess skills, then I dare not talk about chess with you." Niu Xuxuan restrained his smile and became solemn, "However, the words of Mr. Niu moved Niu a lot. After a few games of chess, I knew Xianggong has a solid background and flexible thinking. As long as you give some pointers, you can beat Niu in three to five months. Besides, Xianggong is my savior. I thought about it all night last night. Come out with a chess book to see if my husband is interested. If so, then I will tell him everything I know from my life. The trip to the capital is only three hundred miles away, only five days away, and there are still more than two months before the trial period. Xianggong is staying with me for a month, so I guess there will be no delay."

From that day on, Kang Shen respected Eunuch Niu as his teacher humbly, using "Ancient Chess Manual" as a textbook, and painstakingly studied all kinds of chess games. As expected, his chess skills improved day by day, after half a month, he broke away from popular customs and entered a new realm.Kang Shen was very unhappy. A month has passed in the blink of an eye.The next morning, Kang Shen was about to bid farewell to Eunuch Niu and set off for Beijing.That night, Eunuch Niu took out a box of Go pieces and put them on the table, and said to Kang Shen, "This is a box of Go pieces that I have treasured for more than 20 years. commemorate." Kang Shen excitedly took the red sandalwood box, first he looked at the silver cloud and gold dragon on the box, he already felt that the background was extraordinary, then he looked at the two piles of black and white chess pieces inside, they were truly a masterpiece of chess, he was overjoyed, he hurriedly cast A salute: "Thank you, Eunuch, for your generosity!" "Sit down, sit down." After Kang Shen sat down, Eunuch Niu said slowly, "This box of go is the treasure of Emperor Chongzhen's East Palace Tian Niang Niang." After hearing this, Kang Shen's heart was shocked. "Tian Niangniang is the most beloved concubine of Lord Chongzhen. Not only is she beautiful, but she is also smart. Her piano, chess, calligraphy and painting are exquisite in everything. No one can match the beauties in the harem. Lord Chongzhen treats her far better than the queen of the palace. Lord Chongzhen has been in the country for seventeen years, and there is no day of peace. The emperor is diligent in government affairs, and has little time for entertainment. Tian Niangniang is well aware of the heavy burden on the emperor's shoulders. When meeting the emperor's fortune in the East Palace, Tian Niangniang is always courteous in every possible way, trying her best to make him feel relieved for a while.Lord Chongzhen loved to play Go, and Niangniang Tian accompanied him.In terms of chess skills, the emperor is naturally inferior to Tian Niangniang, but Tian Niangniang deliberately let the emperor win without showing any signs.There were no good chess pieces in the palace, so Tian Niangniang asked her father Tian Hongyu to try to find a good chess piece.Tian Hongyu sent his son to Yongchang Mansion in Yunnan. At this point, Mr. Niu stopped and added a few pieces of dry firewood to the fire pit, making the room much warmer. He continued, "Master knows that the chess pieces produced by Yongchang Mansion in Yunnan, known as Yunzi, are exquisitely crafted. It has always been well-known all over the world. It was also Tian Niangniang's intentions that moved the world. This year, in Jinji Mountain, thirty miles northeast of Yongchang Mansion, two rare stones were unearthed in a thousand years: one was pure white, without any blemishes; the other was black, without any impurities. .In order to please Tian Guozhang, the magistrate personally selected the best cellar workers and fired a box of Go pieces at any cost.After the chess pieces are fired, whoever sees them will be amazed.This box of chess pieces is more simple and solid than all other cloud pieces, the color is extraordinarily pure and soft, the white one is better than Hetian jade, the black one is better than Huizhou ink, and it is also solid in texture, and the sound of falling on the board is sonorous and pleasant, holding it in your hand Here, warm in winter and cool in summer, there is an indescribable sense of comfort.Tian Hongyu rewarded the magistrate of Yongchang heavily, and asked the craftsman who made utensils for the palace to make an exquisite box, and dedicated it to Emperor Chongzhen.The emperor liked it very much, so he put this pair of chess pieces in Tian Niangniang's palace.Since then, the emperor has visited Tian Niangniang's palace more often.The emperor's love for Empress Tian made the Empress Zhou, Empress Yuan of the West Palace and all the concubines in the harem jealous; Tian Hongyu also became famous in the capital because of her daughter.Because I have been serving Mistress Tian, ​​I was also influenced by Mistress Tian, ​​and I love Go very much.Madam Tian also often taught us chess skills. In order to please Madam Tian, ​​I learned it desperately, and secretly worshiped Lang San, a famous chess player in Beijing at that time, as my teacher, so my chess skills gradually improved.One day, the emperor was so happy that after playing chess with Empress Hetian, he wrote a few words on the bottom of the box himself. "Eunuch Niu turned the box upside down, and Kang Shen saw that it said: "A gentleman uses it to wander the mind, and a first-achieving person uses it to calm down. There are all the essentials of drama and the mystery of reason.You record Liang Wudi's "Go Fu".In the winter of the twelfth year of Chongzhen. " "Later," Eunuch Niu continued, "King Li Chuang led his troops into Beijing. After Emperor Chongzhen ordered Zhouhou and others to commit suicide, he also hanged Meishan himself. The palace was in chaos. Everyone fled for their lives. I also packed my clothes and went out." Passing by Tian Niangniang's old palace, I saw this box of Go and the "Ancient Chess Book" placed by the window sill. At that time, everyone only had gold and silver treasures in their eyes, and no one wanted these things. "Ancient Chess Book" was stuffed into the baggage and returned to my hometown. More than 20 years have passed in a flash. I am very happy to have made friends with you, a kind-hearted friend who loves to play chess. My health is getting worse and I will die soon. This box of chess pieces Together with this "Ancient Chess Manual" and giving it to Xianggong, it can be regarded as not humiliating them." After finishing speaking, he sent the chess and the book to Kang Shen with both hands. Kang Shen knelt down again and took it respectfully.Eunuch Niu looked at Kang Shen and said solemnly: "In the old Tang Dynasty, Emperor Ming played chess with Prime Minister Zhang Shuo, and Li Mi, the Marquis of Ye, was only seven years old, and he was playing by the side. Zhang Shuo read four poems casually to Go: "The square is like a chess board, the circle is like a chess piece, the movement is like a chess life, and the static is like a chess death." Yehou answered four sentences: "Fang is like doing righteousness, round is like using wisdom, moving is like showing off talent, and being quiet is like doing what you want." "Ye Hou is worthy of being a child prodigy unparalleled in ancient and modern times. He can associate himself from playing chess to governing the world at a young age.This way of chess is connected with the way of the world and the way of humanity.Shen Yue, a famous official of the Liang Dynasty, said it well: "It is a great righteousness to abandon it!"It embodies the subtle interest, and contains the strange and upright feeling. If it is quiet, it will be in harmony with the way, and if it is moving, it will adapt to change. 'May Xianggong gradually appreciate the subtleties of these games in the future, and become a gentleman with virtue and talent. " When Eunuch Niu said this, his mood was extremely excited, while Kang Shen's eyes were already full of tears.