Wang Yang feigned a lack of interest. "Forget it. Once I beat you, you'll find fault and get angry, then start dredging up old grievances. Too exhausting."
He wanted to use this opportunity to silence Xie Xinghan. If she ever brought up their old quarrels again, he could say she was picking a fight out of resentment over losing their philosophical debate.
"Enough nonsense! I'll debate you! But if you lose, you'll be my servant for ten days. Serve me tea and water, obey my orders, toil without complaint, and take whatever beatings and scoldings I give you!"
Childish...
Why not wager something useful?
Wang Yang said, "Fine. But if you lose, you'll help me copy a book. Three hundred copies within six days. Can you manage that?"
Xie Xinghan raised an eyebrow. "How many volumes is this book, and how many characters?"
"Not many. Just one volume, a little over four thousand characters."
Xie Xinghan said dismissively, "Easy. I'll hire ten scribes, and each will make five copies a day."
"The book's contents must not be leaked during those six days," Wang Yang added.
"That's fine. I'll keep them confined to the estate and release them after six days."
It sure was nice to have money to throw around!
Wang Yang could not help sighing inwardly.
If he had the money to hire people himself, he would not have needed to resort to a wager.
"Girl, if you lose, you must also return my copy of the Zhuangzi Commentary handwritten by Guo Xiang," Zong Ce added.
Xie Xinghan smiled faintly. "Certainly. But if I win, you must give me that copy of the Commentary on Laozi's Dao De Jing bearing Wang Bi's seal."
Zong Ce grew anxious. "If you win, won't you already have Brother Wang as your servant?"