A Closed-loop Answer

"Please!"

Zhang Xuezhou was good at shooting and was also given a seat in the main hall.

Although it was scheduled last, Zhang Xuezhou didn't mind.

He raised his glass with everyone and took a sip of the rare fine wine from the Pingyang Marquis's residence. He felt that this wine was far from being a beverage and couldn't compare to the Emperor's Nine Treasures Wine.

The banquet featured winter bamboo shoots, dog meat, beef, and pork, all of which were placed in earthenware jars and roasted over charcoal fires underneath.

This was arguably the most comfortable meal Zhang Xuezhou had ever had in this world.

The dishes were of exceptional quality, which allowed Zhang Xuezhou to focus more on eating and drinking than on toasting and celebrating.

The dancers waved their arms, displaying their graceful figures, while other women sang along with musicians who played chimes. Occasionally, a melody from a zither would be inserted, adding a touch of elegance.

He got his way, and only after Wei Qing sat down next to him with an envious look did he quickly make room for her.

"I would have to make three thousand carriage trips to earn that ten thousand taels of gold!"

You don't know until you compare; once you do, you almost break down.

Wei Qing thought about the half-tael coins he earned from driving the carriage three or five times, and then looked at the ten thousand taels of gold in front of Zhang Xuezhou. He felt that people couldn't compare to each other.

He congratulated Zhang Xuezhou, and then couldn't help but ask Zhang Xuezhou how he could have successfully shot down the enemy with just three sentences.

"The Book of Changes has eight trigrams, namely Qian, Kun, Zhen, Gen, Li, Kan, Dui, and Xun. I calculated the Kun trigram at the time. Kun represents the earth, and the earth's terrain is Kun, so Yang is below. It's not difficult to guess then," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"I don't think I understood," Wei Qing said. "How did you know that the bowl contained a sleeping toad?"

"As I just mentioned, this is calculated using the Kun hexagram from the Book of Changes," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Profound!"

Wei Qing was confused when he heard the answer, and even more confused when he heard it.

The new emperor was quite curious about Zhang Xuezhou, this new archery master.

Guo Sheren excelled at winning archery, but his skill in guessing objects was relatively average, which is why the new emperor said that Guo Sheren had an eight out of ten wins.

Zhang Xuezhou filled that gap.

Although the Marquis of Pingyang deliberately lost the archery competition, he guessed the answer in just three sentences, which truly puzzled the new emperor.

He sent Wei Qing to inquire about the answer. Wei Qing felt that he had received an answer, but he did not understand what use it was.

He exchanged pleasantries with Zhang Xuezhou, Zhang Xuezhou then gave him three and a half taels of silver to pay off the debt. Only then did Wei Qing shake his head and leave.

"The Marquis of Pingyang's shoes had wet mud on the soles. He's the kind of person who rarely touches the ground when he goes out. He's most likely been in the mud for this archery game. The hibernating toads are neither alive nor dead. They're beneficial for catching insects, but they're also noisy. The Marquis of Pingyang likes the benefits of toads, but he doesn't like their croaking. He can't say he likes or dislikes toads, and these living creatures are certainly not something he carries with him!"

Zhang Xuezhou thought to himself.

His judgment was based solely on his observations of Marquis Pingyang and Princess Yangxin, among others, and his ability to distinguish Marquis Pingyang from the others, thus forming a basic conjecture.

If the Marquis of Pingyang wasn't interested in archery and simply slipped any object into the wine cup for amusement, Zhang Xuezhou would have difficulty guessing what was going on.

Zhang Xuezhou would never reveal this deduction for the reference of others.

The answers to many things are quite simple once they are revealed, but not revealing them maintains a sense of mystery and preserves his status as a master archer.

He had never truly understood the I Ching, which he spoke of so casually, and Zhang Xuezhou didn't expect anyone else to be able to understand it either. Since no one else could understand it, the I Ching was undoubtedly a good excuse.

His identity as a master archer seemed somewhat fake. Zhang Xuezhou felt he might need to further his skills in areas such as investigation and logic, otherwise he wouldn't be able to continue his good fortune.

This brought honor to the new emperor, who even sent Wei Qing to inquire about the matter, which greatly pleased Zhang Xuezhou.

If he does this kind of thing too often, the new emperor will need his help to save face from time to time.

Keeping the new emperor interested is also a good idea. As long as the mystery isn't revealed, his casual ramblings can keep people guessing, preventing them from feeling that it's nothing special after the truth is revealed.

"As long as things are done well, the rest is just a bunch of nonsense!"

Zhang Xuezhou kept thinking about his personality flaws and how to make up for them.

"Scholar Liu Xun of the East, I have studied the Book of Changes for ten years, why can't I guess this riddle correctly?"

It was probably after Wei Qing reported this that the new emperor and the Marquis of Pingyang nodded repeatedly, at which point one of the guests at the banquet asked a question.

Among the guests in the main hall, those with the surname Cao were related to the Marquis of Pingyang, while those with the surname Liu were related to the royal family. Even if they were not direct descendants, they were from collateral branches, and they were most likely princes or nobles from a certain region.

Zhang Xuezhou stood up, glanced at the guests who had asked questions, and then responded.

"I've heard that princes and nobles are incredibly wealthy and regard money as dirt, so their competitive spirit is weaker than ours," Zhang Xuezhou said. "With less of a competitive spirit, it's normal for them to miss in archery!"

"In other words, my family is not short of gold, and I have no greed in my heart, so I didn't put in my full effort when I thought about it," Liu Xun nodded and said, "Could it be that my guess was wrong for this reason? But I should at least have guessed something related. I just said that the Marquis put a bright pearl in the bowl, which is far off the mark."

"Some people's understanding of 'easy' is shallow but can be applied, while others' understanding is profound but can only be used as teachers. Young Master Liu Xun is probably the latter," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"I... maybe you're right. I should be fine teaching people the I Ching, but it never seems to work for me," Liu Xun said, annoyed.

He stood up to ask, and felt that his doubts had been answered. He was also flattered by Zhang Xuezhou, which made him feel much better.

It's not that Liu Xun is incompetent, nor that the I Ching is ineffective, but rather that he is wealthy and his knowledge is more suited to being a teacher.

He sat down contentedly, and many people around him nodded in agreement, thinking that what Zhang Xuezhou said made sense.

Those who are proficient in the I Ching but cannot guess correctly are more suitable to be teachers. Those who can guess correctly have the I Ching working. Zhang Xuezhou's vague concept is similar to a shaman giving a child. Whether one is good at guessing or not, one can find the answer to locate oneself and form a closed loop of answers.

His reply not only satisfied Liu Xun, but also made the new emperor, Marquis of Pingyang, Princess Yangxin, and others realize the truth.

"Dongfang Shuo, I will shoot again. Can you guess the answer?" Princess Yangxin said with a smile.

"Your Highness, I now possess a fortune, and my resolve to achieve the victory is not as firm as before," Zhang Xuezhou politely declined.

"You're quite the clever one," Princess Yangxin laughed. "It seems we'll have to wait until you've spent all that ten thousand taels of gold!"

"There's no need to wait until he spends all that gold," the new emperor interjected. "Dongfang Shuo suffered a serious illness and is so weak he could be blown away by a gust of wind. Once he falls, he needs to sleep for ten days or more to recover. If you could give him some strengthening or life-saving medicine as a reward for his return to the throne, I think his belief in returning to the throne would be strengthened immediately!"

"Oh!"

Princess Yangxin immediately became interested.

The new emperor had many talented people under his command, and at this time, they were like treasures on display. Princess Yangxin let the new emperor take the limelight.

It seems that Zhang Xuezhou guessed correctly and shot the winner, but the one who actually gained face was the new emperor.

The new emperor clearly wants to give another push to the talents under his command, and also take the opportunity to get some benefits for them.

Princess Yangxin and the new emperor shared the same parents, so how could she not understand the new emperor's thoughts?

It's less that the new emperor wanted to take it from her, and more that he was demanding it from the Marquis of Pingyang.

This demand was obtained through the game of "shooting the enemy," and for the Marquis of Pingyang, who enjoyed "shooting the enemy," even sacrificing his own flesh would be a joyful act.