Chapter 164: Joy

(Hot, hot, hot! Even moods seem baked and burning under the scorching sun!)
"What... what do you people want?"
Faced with such a surging, turbulent crowd, Xiao Hanfeng had never encountered such a situation before. His face turned somewhat pale, and he quickly leaned closer to Chen Jianchen.

At this moment, the crowd parted down the middle, and Zheng Shuliang stepped in. Right behind him was none other than Zhang Sanyi's third steward, who had earlier made a disgraceful "slip of the hoof" and staged a fine farce of a "starving dog snatching dung." Fortunately, he had found water to wash up and clean himself at the very first opportunity.

Zheng Shuliang walked straight up to Chen Jianchen. Unfortunately, he was a few centimeters shorter than Chen Jianchen. Although he tried to compensate with the height of his vintage high official cap, even managing to surpass him slightly, it still left him feeling rather displeased. He cupped his hands in a standard, formal salute: "Master Chen, a pleasure to meet you."
Coming from a prestigious background, he was naturally arrogant, yet he never omitted the proper etiquette.

Chen Jianchen smiled and returned the courtesy: "You are too kind, Master Zheng."
Having dispensed with the pleasantries, Zheng Shuliang cut straight to the point: "Master Chen must already know his score in the calligraphy examination."
Chen Jianchen shook his head: "I am unaware of it."
"What, how is that possible? Did the tutors from your academy not come to bring you the good news?"
Chen Jianchen asked: "I wonder what good fortune has befallen me?"

Reluctantly forced into the role of a messenger of good tidings, Zheng Shuliang felt even more displeased in his heart and said: "Master Chen has truly made a brilliant splash in today's calligraphy competition. You were the first to submit your paper, and your work was rated as Top-grade Superior by the three judges. Their appraisal reads: *'Brushwork breaks new paths, spirit and momentum run wild and free, creating a unique school of one's own.'* Tsk tsk, once these twelve characters of praise are out, I am afraid that after today, Master Chen's name will resonate throughout the realm, and you will become a rising star in the world of calligraphy."

Upon hearing this news, neither Chen Jianchen nor Yining showed much reaction, but Xiao Hanfeng, standing beside them, was struck completely dumb. While he knew that Senior Liuxian possessed some accomplishments in calligraphy, he had no bottom line or measure of just how far those accomplishments went, and could only vaguely describe him as someone who could write a good hand.
This was hardly an astonishing skill. After all, within the Tiantong Dynasty, what scholar could not write a fine hand? And how many *xiucai* had never sold their calligraphy for money?
If calligraphy could be sold for money, it could be considered "in the mainstream," though it would be further categorized in detail by fame and price into third-tier, second-tier, first-tier, and so on...
Therefore, in Xiao Hanfeng's mind, Chen Jianchen was at most a realm higher than himself.
If he himself belonged to the third tier, then Chen Jianchen was of the second tier.
Possessing only a second-tier level, Xiao Hanfeng had actually been skeptical about whether Chen Jianchen could stand out in the calligraphy competition, let alone the fact that Chen Jianchen had handed in his paper in the public square after a mere half-shandy of tea. Could anyone write anything truly good in such a short span of time? It simply inspired no confidence.

Yet hearing it now, Chen Jianchen had actually scored a Top-grade Superior, and won the highest praise from the three judges. Suddenly, according to conventional literary terminology, Chen Jianchen's status could no longer be measured by "tiers"; he had directly leaped upward, stepped through the doors and into the hall, and could now be truly called a "calligrapher."
A rising star among calligraphers!

For the nationwide talent and arts competition hosted by Kaitai Academy this time, the organizers had made a grand spectacle, widely inviting student representatives from academies across the realm to participate. At the same time, the judges invited for the three major checkpoints were renowned masters in their respective fields. For instance, the three tutors responsible for reviewing the calligraphy category were each long-established, highly celebrated masters.
Usually, hiring them to write characters or compose inscriptions on a plaque would cost no less than a hundred or two strings of cash.
As masters who cherished their reputations, they rarely wrote casually for others on a whim, nor would they speak irresponsibly. Thus, their prestige and credibility were deeply trusted by the people, and their evaluations of individuals were widely accepted and convinced others. This time, Chen Jianchen, who had previously been obscure and tucked away in some remote corner, had suddenly emerged like a dark horse, abruptly winning such high praise from three masters—it was simply beyond belief.
Even a dark horse didn't come "dark" in quite this fashion; shouldn't there at least be some groundwork and buildup first?

Xiao Hanfeng finally understood why so many people had suddenly come running here; it turned out they were all here to "gawk" at Chen Jianchen. The academy was going to be famous... Senior Liuxian was going to be famous...
Suddenly, he recalled his own "swan-song" spring-palace painting, which he had originally intended to sell for two strings of cash. But looking at it now, because it bore Chen Jianchen's ink—even without a seal—two strings of cash wouldn't amount to much; it would have to sell for at least five strings!
Fame was truly a wonderful thing!

That his three characters, "Thought Without Depravity," could achieve a Top-grade Superior score and win the praise of the three judges was not something Chen Jianchen could have anticipated in advance. After all, calligraphy was never a matter of standard criteria; like all art, it was inevitably subject to "benevolence seeing benevolence, and wisdom seeing wisdom," unlike mathematics or physics where answers were absolute and indisputable. Regardless, Chen Jianchen would certainly not reject this honor.

Zheng Shuliang asked again: "How long has Master Chen been practicing calligraphy?"
Chen Jianchen answered vaguely: "For quite a few years."
Seeing his ambiguous response, as if he were trying to conceal something, Zheng Shuliang muttered inwardly about his lack of a prominent background and said: "In this calligraphy contest, the only ones who achieved a Top-grade Superior score are you and I."
Chen Jianchen raised an eyebrow: "Oh?"
Zheng Shuliang loftily declared: "Nothing much, I simply wish to have another contest with Master Chen, and place a small wager. What do you think?"
"Oh..."
Chen Jianchen uttered a simple "oh," showing little interest in this supplementary contest or the wager itself.

Zheng Shuliang continued unbothered: "You and I will each write a piece of calligraphy, and once again invite the three judges to evaluate them to determine the winner. If I lose, I will offer ten strings of gold ingots. If Master Chen loses, you needn't give money—you only need to wager your little bookboy to me."
After talking for so long, he had finally reached the core theme.
The scholars standing nearby, hearing that Zheng Shuliang was willing to stake ten strings of gold ingots against a mere little bookboy belonging to Chen Jianchen, realized it was an unprecedentedly lavish gesture, and a buzz of excitement rippled through the crowd: in this gamble, Chen Jianchen was practically taking all the advantage...

Within the Tiantong Dynasty, servants, bookboys, maidservants, and other domestics basically signed indentures of servitude with their masters; having sold their bodies, they were naturally not their own masters. A master could beat or scold a servant, arbitrarily bully or humiliate them, or even resell or gift them away at a whim, treating them just like any other possession. On the open market, the price of a qualified bookboy was merely a few strings of cash. Although Yining looked excessively handsome, carved from jade, a servant was still a servant. Looking too good was actually a crime, often leading them to fall into the status of mere playthings and suffer a miserable fate—especially for a male bookboy.

Chen Jianchen suddenly burst into laughter: "Master Zheng is truly extravagant, and your strike is most generous."
Zheng Shuliang curled his lip, thinking that faced with such a wager, surely Chen Jianchen would not dare refuse. Ten strings of gold ingots were enough for an ordinary family to live on for a lifetime. "Very well then. Someone, bring the Four Treasures of the Study!"
"Hold on!"
Chen Jianchen abruptly interrupted him: "Master Zheng, but I never agreed to gamble with you."
"What?!"

An uproar erupted. Faced with an opportunity where he so obviously held the upper hand, Chen Jianchen was actually unwilling to gamble? Could it be that he knew he was bound to lose and lacked the courage?
Zheng Shuliang's face darkened: "Master Chen, could it be that you disdain my wager for being too small? If that is the case, I can increase it."
Chen Jianchen said: "True, I do find it too small. But I am afraid that is a sum Master Zheng will never be able to add enough to reach."
"Oh? Name your figure."
"Ten thousand gold pieces."

As these two words left Chen Jianchen's lips, the surroundings fell completely silent. Everyone stared at him with strange gazes, thinking, *He has lost his mind.*
Zheng Shuliang's expression grew even more gloomy, and he sneered: "It turns out Master Chen was merely toying with me deliberately. I can tell you quite responsibly, I am very displeased."
When he said "very displeased," a dark cloud seemed to drift across the sky overhead, casting a shadow that pressed down upon everyone's hearts—oppressive, heavy, and giving a suffocating sensation.

One must know that Zheng Shuliang was not only a gifted scholar and a top student of the Imperial Academy, but also the most cherished sole grandson of Duke Zheng. What manner of person was Duke Zheng? He was a pillar of the state across three reigns who did not even need to kneel before the Emperor, with disciples all over the world and authority that reached the heavens.
Seeing that enticement had failed and switched to coercion by rank, Chen Jianchen raised an eyebrow, then said with utter nonchalance: "Master Zheng, firstly, I am very pleased; secondly, your being displeased genuinely has very little to do with me."

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd drew in a collective sharp breath. Was Chen Jianchen planning to completely burn his bridges with Zheng Shuliang, and all for a mere little bookboy?
Why go so far!
If he accepted the bet, the outcome was still uncertain; and taking a step back, even if he lost, he would only be losing a single bookboy. Yet he would clearly gain Zheng Shuliang's friendship, for this form of gambling often evolved into a refined affair, and the parties involved frequently became friends through their contest. With that layer of relationship, there was no telling how many practical benefits Chen Jianchen might reap in the future. Why must he insist on turning hostile with Zheng Shuliang? He truly did not know how to navigate human relations.

In human affairs, being smooth and slick, dancing with long sleeves, was the royal road. As the saying goes, the overly rigid easily breaks—that was precisely the principle.
Zheng Shuliang laughed out of sheer fury. He had seen many people in his life, but he had truly never encountered one like Chen Jianchen. He had thought himself arrogant enough, but the other party was even more arrogant. The problem was, what did he rely on?
He was merely a poor, impoverished scholar...

After the calligraphy scores came out, this was the first time Zheng Shuliang had paid attention to Chen Jianchen, and he had sent people to thoroughly investigate his background and origins. He had thought he had him firmly in the palm of his hand, only to return empty-handed and even be "played" by the other party in full view of the public—it was truly a supreme humiliation! For this fellow to be so utterly tactless was simply courting death!

The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly turned taut and tense. Everyone watched with bated breath, waiting to see how Zheng Shuliang's thunderous rage would manifest and how he would punish Chen Jianchen.
"What are you all doing here?"
At that exact moment, Tutor Gu's reprimanding voice echoed from outside.
The crowd turned their heads and saw Tutor Gu arriving alongside Tutors Zeng and Xu. A sense of awe washed over them, and they hurriedly retreated to both sides.
With their arrival, Zheng Shuliang gave a cold snort. Staring straight at Chen Jianchen, he said word by word: "Chen Jianchen, I believe that very soon, you will no longer be able to remain so pleased."
With that, he strode away.