Chapter 38 Nowhere Left to Stand

Chapter 38: No Place Left to Stand

Li Wenye was the son of a Hanlin Academy expositor; although his father was only a fifth-rank official, he still held a real government post.

Most importantly, everyone in his family was a scholar.

Li Wenye had passed the provincial examination at the age of seventeen, and at the upcoming spring imperial examination, he was definitely going to sit for it.

He had always looked down on Yang Xingxian, who'd just barely scraped through the county exam and spent his days waving a folding fan, imagining himself to be so elegant and refined.

What he despised even more was that everyone knew the Marquis of Changping's family was broke.

But after Yang Xingxian married, he suddenly got rich, and once he had money, he got cocky and looked down on young men from humble backgrounds.

Relying on his wife's fortune to show off—what kind of man was that?

He had originally assumed that his wife, being a merchant's daughter, would be meek and obedient. Who would have thought she would cause such a stir at Dami Temple?

Li Wenye had not witnessed it himself, but he had heard of his wife's formidable exploits.

He had felt pleased and satisfied at the time—like eating a watermelon ice-cold from the well on a hot summer's day.

The other students also chimed in: "Brother Yang, sketch it out for us! Let us take a look too. We don't ask to solve the puzzle, just to see it for ourselves."

Achang and Yang Xingxian looked miserable—they had never even seen the chess puzzle!

"Gentlemen, three days will fly by. When the time comes, you can all head to Dami Temple and see Old Master Meng's brilliance for yourselves. How about that?"

Yang Xingxian left his tea untouched and fled in disgrace with Achang.

The students cracked up and ribbed each other.

"A glory-hound. We're ashamed to be seen with him."

"For others, poverty makes them ambitious. For this guy, it just makes him shameless!"

"He cannot hold a candle to his brilliant wife!"

...

Even after they had fled far away, they could still hear the students' loud, pointed laughter and jeering.

Yang Xingxian shuddered. Over something so small, these people humiliated him like this.

If they knew he'd blown several thousand taels of Xi Qianyue's silver in no time, married her with her own money, and used her money to buy back the house...

Even in this heat, Yang Xingxian shivered!

The world was big, but there was no place for him.

Achang did not know how much was running through his young master's mind in that moment, but seeing his master's pale face, he quickly grabbed his arm, hailed a carriage, and hurried back to the residence.

Over the next few days, Yang Xingxian stayed home, afraid his classmates would keep mocking him. He planned to wait until the matter died down before venturing out.

The three-day deadline came around fast. Xi Qianyue ate breakfast early, dressed plainly and neatly, and headed straight to Dami Temple with her maids.

Yang Xingxian also pulled on a hat, changed into a plain cotton robe, and hired a carriage to follow.

He was curious to see how far Xi Qianyue would take things, and also curious to see how she carried herself in a crowd.

Xi Qianyue laughed cheerfully: "I thought I was early, but Old Master Meng beat me to it."

"I, the Abbot, and several other old fellows have been scratching our heads for days. If you don't enlighten us soon, this old man will lose all his hair worrying."

Xi Qianyue glanced at the Abbot, who had a sour look on his face, and nearly burst out laughing.

This old man—saying "bald" in front of a monk! He didn't even care about that taboo.

Xi Qianyue smiled warmly and immediately demonstrated the solution to the puzzle, while Meng Fu kept exclaiming, "So that's how it is!"

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Meng Fu and the Abbot clapped happily.

Others who loved chess also marveled, "How exquisite!"

"Old Master Meng, I've got another puzzle!"

Meng Fu's eyes went wide: "Really?"

"Really!"

Someone in the crowd joked: "Madam Xi, did you get the chess manual, or did your husband?"

Laughter erupted from the crowd. Yang Xingxian and Achang, wearing their hats, felt their cheeks burn and pulled their brims lower, wishing they could vanish on the spot.

Xi Qianyue was not annoyed. Instead, she laughed and said, "Naturally, I got it. My useless husband would never have such luck."

Meng Fu laughed hardest: "Well said! Very well said!"

Amidst all the laughter, Xi Qianyue laid out another puzzle.

The crowd's laughter instantly faded as they were hooked by the chess problem.

Meng Fu and the Abbot looked at each other and smiled wryly: "Yep, we'll be scratching our heads for days again."

"I heard a young lady is laying out chess puzzles here, so this old man has come to join the fun."

The crowd buzzed again—it was actually the Great Scholar Yancan.

"I was in the crowd just now. Young Lady Xi is indeed as Brother Meng described—a truly brilliant and upright person."

Xi Qianyue bowed respectfully, saying over and over, "I wouldn't dare."

Yang Xingxian was fuming. Madam Xi had already married into the Marquis's household—people should address her as "Madam Yang"—but everyone seemed to overlook that fact.

They all kept calling her "Young Lady Xi" instead.

How maddening!

But these were all respected elders—highly influential elders! He didn't dare step forward...

Xi Qianyue then said casually, "I heard that Old Master Yan has a great love for inkstones. As it happens, I've gotten hold of a Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone. I'd be happy to part with it and give it to you, if you would accept it?"

Yan Can's eyes lit up: "You'd really give it up?"

"Naturally. But I have one request—I would like to ask you to guide a scholar. I wouldn't presume to call you his teacher, but only hope he might occasionally receive your instruction."

Yang Xingxian's heart was bursting with joy. So, after all this roundabout effort, Madam Xi had been thinking of him all along!

If it weren't for the crowd, he would have gone up and showered this shrew he'd married with praise.

Achang also whispered teasingly, "Young Master, the Mistress really has a place for you in her heart. Women are all like that—they love to say one thing and mean another."

Although he knew Achang was teasing him, a faint sweetness spread through Yang Xingxian's heart.

Since Madam Xi had given him such a generous gift, he ought to treat her better. Maybe he could try to keep his mother from making things difficult for her? Or at least avoid bringing up her background as a "merchant's daughter" as much as possible?

The crowd went quiet, and Yan Can smiled.

"You're so straightforward, without pretense or affectation—you've won me over. Deal! I won't take it for nothing; name your price, and I'll buy it."

Xi Qianyue smiled as well. "That works for me."

"Excellent, excellent! You're both straight shooters. Now that we've settled the inkstone, let's get back to this chess puzzle."

Meng Fu wasn't interested in the inkstone; he was more focused on the chess puzzle.

"Then I'll make a three-day appointment with Old Master Meng, hoping he'll have cracked the puzzle by then."

Meng Fu protested, "At least give me six days—no, ten days. Let's make it ten days."

The two parties agreed on a time, and Xi Qianyue left just as casually and decisively as before.

Yang Xingxian wanted to follow her, but with people crowding around on all sides, he couldn't very well call out.

By the time he and Achang caught up, all they saw was the back of the carriage.

"Young Master, the Mistress is rushing back to the mansion to bring you the good news, isn't she?"

Yang Xingxian beamed with joy. "That's what I was thinking."