Chapter 115: Chapter 106: Climbing
"How could it possibly rain on a day like this, with a cloudless sky for miles?"
"Zhang is right. Looks like that fellow next door will be crawling through someone’s legs after all."
In the private room occupied by Liu Chuanzhi and his friends.
The group of scholars traded barbs, their words dripping with ridicule for Hui Hengli in the adjacent room.
"If you ask me, Liu, you’re just too kind. You should have made a bet with that man too, made him crawl through one more pair of legs," one of them said, his tone full of regret.
These young masters were stuck in the middle, unable to achieve greatness yet unwilling to stoop to menial work.
They came from minor families or were side branches of major ones—unfavored and uncared for. As such, all they could do was affect an interest in high culture, whiling away their time with the trivial pursuits of wastrels.
And while they rarely oppressed the common folk, they were more than willing to find a bit of fun at others’ expense.
"Heh, we should be merciful when we can. Zhang alone is enough to teach him a lesson. Why should the rest of us lower ourselves to his level?" Liu Chuanzhi said with a faint smile.
"Liu is so benevolent!"
Liu Chuanzhi was the host of today’s gathering. Although he was an outsider, he was willing to spend money and held the title of a Scholar.
Coupled with the heavyweight guest Liu Chuanzhi had invited today, these men, who were less successful than him, naturally showered him with compliments.
After all, speaking pleasantries cost no silver, but could reap benefits. Why wouldn’t they?
Liu Chuanzhi gave a slight nod, graciously accepting their flattery.
He then turned to Chun Hua and Xia Hua, who were playing the flute and singing.
"Alright, you two. Play a rendition of ’Shanyang Autumn Rain’ for us."
"Yes!" Chun Hua and Xia Hua answered in unison.
After speaking, the two began to play.
"Shanyang Autumn Rain" was a well-known local tune in Shanyang Prefecture.
It was composed by Su Xiaoxiao, a legendary courtesan whose fame once graced the entire prefecture. The song spoke of the autumn rains of Shanyang, but its melody played out the joys and sorrows of life.
The sounds of the zither and flute resembled the pitter-patter of a light drizzle,
each note falling like a drop upon the listener’s heart.
Liu Chuanzhi had requested this piece deliberately. For one, the song was famous in Shanyang Prefecture; for another, he meant to use it to mock Hui Hengli next door.
See? We said it wouldn’t rain, and it isn’t raining.
Let Hui Hengli listen to "Shanyang Autumn Rain," gaze upon the clear, vast sky, and wait to lose his bet.
’This is what they call a psychological kill. Isn’t it wonderful?’
The melody was graceful, winding, and crisp.
The men were lost, unable to pull themselves from the artistic mood of the tune.
"Rain... Why do I hear rain? The two ladies’ musical skill is so profound it makes you feel like you’re really there."
After some time, someone suddenly broke the silence.
"Indeed, the music is so immersive. I hear rain too. It was worth it to swap for these two ladies today. Such skill with the zither calls for a grand toast," Zhang Wen added.
Initially, they had been displeased that the rising star, Miss Xiangjun, had been replaced.
But upon hearing this music, their discontent vanished without a trace.
At that moment, Liu Chuanzhi also rose to his feet and subconsciously leaned against the railing to gaze into the distance.
Rain, pattering down softly.
It was clear the rain had been falling for some time. The entirety of Shanyang Prefecture City was already shrouded in a hazy mist.
On the streets below, he could see a few residents hurrying about, and could even faintly hear the sound of cheers.
"Hahaha, with this rain, the disaster is over! Hey, you over there, you sold your land? Pfft, you really took a huge loss on that one."
Just then, Hui Hengli’s voice rang out. He had already entered their private room and was staring at the seated men with a bizarre grin.
"And you! Since you lost the bet, aren’t you going to hurry up and eat your shoe?"
In broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of everyone present.
The men felt as if they were nothing but clowns.
"You... you old bastard, don’t push it!" There was no way Zhang Wen was going to eat his shoe. He couldn’t afford to lose that much face.
Hui Hengli’s smile turned into a cold sneer, his gaze chilling. He had been on a difficult assignment and had subsequently lost an Earth Elemental Stone. His mood was foul.
"What? You want to go back on your word? To renege on the bet?"
He immediately rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach these young masters a lesson.
"You dare to lay a hand on us? Who do you think you are? Come on, guys, let’s get him together! We’ll teach this old man a lesson!"
Seeing Hui Hengli prepare to strike, Zhang Wen shot up from his seat, calling to his pack of hanger-ons to turn the tables on him.
"Heh, who dares to disrespect Mr. Hui? And who dares to renege on a debt to Mr. Hui? That’s a death wish if I’ve ever heard one. Where is such a hero? Quick, bring him out and let me have a look."
At that moment, a flippant voice cut in.
Before the speaker was even seen, the voice alone was enough to tell he was a profligate young master.
Zhang Wen and the others were distracted, their eyes drawn to the hallway ahead.
A chubby man dressed in embroidered satin robes, with a frame as broad as a pillar, walked up the stairs. It was none other than Bai Xingqiu, the man they called Chubby.
"Ah, Young... Young Master Bai, you’re here?"
The moment Chubby appeared, Zhang Wen recognized him instantly.
The newcomer was the only son of Shanyang Prefecture’s sixth-grade garrison commander, and was said to be a Martial Scholar himself.
With the Bai Family’s power, it would have been easy to arrange a cushy, lucrative post for this young master, giving him an official entry into the Government Office.
But this particular master had other plans.
It was said he planned to participate in the Prefecture Examination held in the Prefecture City next year.
Under the Great Wei Dynasty’s current Military Examination system, becoming a Martial Scholar was enough to get in the queue for an official appointment.
How early or late that appointment came depended on one’s personal ’efforts’.
However, if one participated in the Prefecture Examination—a higher-level test—and passed, they would be granted a post immediately. Furthermore, the position would be one to two ranks higher than what a Martial Scholar would typically receive from the queue.
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