The Wager (Part 1)

Chapter 40: The Wager (Part 1)

"A Huoluo horse?" Hong Yi knew at a glance that this was a steed from the Huoluo Kingdom. Its mane fluttered like a cloud of fire as it galloped; such horses were worth a thousand gold pieces and were hard to come by.

"Young Master Hong is still wearing a thumb ring. I hope you aren't like those spineless scholars who buy bows just to display in their studies, pretending to be masters of archery and horsemanship, both cultured and martial," the young man in pale silver silk stepped forward and said to Hong Yi.

"In the past, our gatherings only included a few of us, but today we have an extra guest from the mansion of Marquis Wuwen. It's quite lively. However, since Miss Su Mu hasn't arrived yet and I find everyone waiting to be rather boring, why don't we play a little game to pass the time? I wonder if Brother Yi is interested in participating?"

Hong Yi felt that this trip to the Flower Scattering Pavilion was well worth it. If nothing else, observing the atmosphere of these young nobles and gauging the rise and fall of the imperial court was a lesson that beat reading ten thousand books.

Hong Yi listened to the introductions from Princess Zhennan and exchanged greetings with these officials, princes, and noble scions one by one.

Hong Yi was well-read in history and classics, and he knew that the rise or fall of a dynasty could be seen simply by looking at the descendants of its officials and nobles. Because these descendants would inevitably become the officials of the future, they represented the future spirit of the court.

"This is Young Master Hong Yi from the mansion of Marquis Wuwen. He is well-versed in profound philosophy and is a good friend of mine," Princess Zhennan, Luo Yun, introduced Hong Yi to the group, then clarified his status.

When the young nobles first heard "mansion of Marquis Wuwen," their expressions turned solemn. Clearly, the prestigious name of Marquis Wuwen carried significant weight.

But when these young men turned their eyes to Hong Yi and sized him up, they realized he was not a direct descendant, but a low-status concubine-born son.

In the Great Gan Dynasty, the name of Marquis Wuwen was indeed more influential than that of many princes. The two pillars of the court were Prince Shenwei, Yang Tuo, and Marquis Wuwen, Hong Xuanji.

However, once the group realized his status, their attitudes shifted slightly. Hong Yi clearly sensed a feeling of disdain, as if they felt he was unworthy of their company.

"This princess isn't jealous, is she? Even if she is the number one talented woman in Yujing, her status and position cannot compare to yours," Hong Yi thought to himself, hearing the slight sourness in Luo Yun's tone.

"Playing archery?" Hong Yi glanced upward.

"If we are going to play an archery game, we should have a small wager to make it interesting," Young Marquis Changle clapped his hands. Immediately, someone from his side brought over a bow and arrows and set up a leather target with a red-painted center a hundred paces away in the courtyard.

"Young Marquis Changle is right; we do need a small game to pass the time. But since we are at the Flower Scattering Pavilion, such an elegant place, why don't we hold a poetry contest? One person starts, and the next must match a line. If someone fails to match or cannot continue, they must be penalized. How about that?" Hong Yi suggested, not waiting for the others to speak.

The young man in pale silver silk was taken aback. He hadn't expected Hong Yi to be so bold as to seize the initiative and propose the content of the game.

"A poetry contest? That won't do," Young Marquis Changle stared into Hong Yi's eyes and shook his head. "Our Great Gan was founded on martial prowess. Although our national fortune is currently flourishing and literary culture is on the rise, we, the sons of nobles, must not let our roots rot. While poetry is elegant, it has nothing to do with the fate of the nation. Discussing poetry is just something for spineless scholars to fiddle with. Any scholar with a shred of spirit should be skilled in both literature and martial arts. Let's skip the poetry and play archery instead."

"It seems our Great Gan Dynasty is still young. Although there is a growing trend of valuing literature over martial arts, the nation is still vibrant, and its roots have not yet rotted," Hong Yi thought. Indeed, these young men were not all fops. To Hong Yi's eyes, while more than half were dressed elegantly, they were secretly sturdy and fit. Each wore a thumb ring for archery, and they possessed a certain calm born of experience. This showed that the Great Gan Dynasty was still in its prime.

"Guard, bring me my sword," at that moment, Princess Zhennan, Luo Yun, clapped her hands. A guard immediately presented a sword with a shark-skin scabbard.

Luo Yun drew the sword with a shing. It caught the sunlight, dazzling the eyes. The blade was etched with chrysanthemum-like cloud patterns, and the edge looked sharp enough to draw blood just by glancing at it.

"This sword is named 'Shark Slayer'. It is worth no less than Young Marquis Changle's Huoluo horse. I see Hong Yi came in a hurry today and didn't bring a wager, so I will lend this to him for now. Otherwise, without a wager, he can't play the game, and I won't get to see the fun. What a pity."

"I heard Miss Su Mu is very fond of discussing profound philosophy, and Brother Yi, you are well-versed in such mysteries. You should really show off later and give this number one talented woman of Yujing a hard time. That would be truly interesting."

"Of course I'm interested," Hong Yi nodded.

"Marquis Wuwen performed great feats of war in his time, and his martial might shook the four corners of the world..." Young Marquis Changle looked at Hong Yi. "Who doesn't know that over twenty years ago, when the current Emperor was still a prince, he was trapped on Mount Qingsha at Qingsha Pass by the 'Iron Pagoda' cavalry of the Cloud Dream Empire? Marquis Wuwen charged into the enemy lines alone, rescued the Emperor, and fought his way through the mountains with the Emperor on his back. He charged in and out nine times. Even after his horse was killed and he suffered hundreds of blade and arrow wounds, he still carried the Emperor out of the encirclement. I wonder how much of this heroism and loyalty has been passed down to you, Young Master Hong? Could it be that Young Master Hong is only left with poetry and romance?"

"This is my wager. I wonder what Young Master Hong's wager is?" Young Marquis Changle looked at Hong Yi with a sneer.

Seeing Hong Yi's calm and composed demeanor, as if he were full of literary talent, Young Marquis Changle frowned. He observed his expressions, pondered carefully, and weighed things in his heart.

Then, a burly servant led over a large horse, ten feet long, dark red all over, with a coat like a cloud of fire. The horse was exceptionally magnificent; one look told you it was a divine steed capable of running a thousand miles a day.

"The Young Marquis is absolutely right," Hong Yi narrowed his eyes. "Let's play archery."