Chapter 53: Academy Literary Gathering

Chapter 53: Academy Literary Gathering

Wen Xi's concern wasn't entirely off base—an academy was a place for study, not commerce. For Yan Fengan, a xiucai scholar, to scheme at making money off his classmates would not only invite contempt but also make him look bad.

To successfully sell the items, he'd need to get creative and come up with a smart approach.

Academy life was a drag, with classmates hosting literary meets every few days. Since returning to his studies, Yan Fengan had his sights set on ranking well in the upcoming examinations and had blown off these gatherings altogether.

Just a couple of days after Qingming, Lin Hongwen from the West Wing put together a small literary gathering.

When he came to the East Wing to invite Fang Mutian, Lin Hongwen glanced at Yan Fengan, figuring Yan would probably turn him down again. Still, since he was already there, he figured he should at least ask: "Brother Yan, will you be joining this gathering?"

Yan Fengan thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Since you went out of the way to ask, Brother Lin, of course I'll attend."

Lin Hongwen hadn't expected his invite to carry that much weight. Raising an eyebrow, he said cheerfully, "Excellent! Around si hour (mid-morning), bring your wager and come to my room."

Throwing a wager into the mix was a classy tradition at these literary meets—it spiced things up without making anyone look less scholarly.

People usually put up classy items as stakes: brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, folding fans, or swords. Fang Mutian brought a square ink stick—a prize he'd snagged at an earlier meet. The quality was excellent, and he hated to give it up, but it was still a decent thing to throw in.

Yan Fengan dug through his pack and finally picked out a peony-embroidered pouch, slipping it up his sleeve.

After si hour, he and Fang Mutian headed to the West Wing. A dozen or so guys were already hanging out in the room. Seeing him arrive, Lin Hongwen greeted him warmly and threw an arm around his shoulder: "Brother Yan, Brother Fang, you're finally here! We were just waiting on you two to kick things off."

The way they were chatting and laughing didn't go unnoticed, earning a loud snort from Lu Xiuyuan in the corner. When he heard someone whisper about when those two had gotten so chummy, Lu Xiuyuan got even more annoyed.

Before the gathering began, there was a ritual of showing off your stake. Everyone had to put their stake on display.

Lin Hongwen smugly presented a Duan inkstone—smooth and fine-grained, with natural stone veining that screamed expensive.

He plopped it on the table like it was nothing and said, "My dad had someone bring this back from Duanzhou last month. Whoever wins today walks away with it."

Fang Mutian had a particular fondness for such scholarly treasures. He got itchy fingers just looking at it, silently hoping he'd get matched with Lin Hongwen so he could win that inkstone.

Lu Xiuyuan wasn't about to be shown up: "Big deal, a Duan inkstone? Check out these Hu brushes—the handles are made of speckled bamboo."

The two went at it, and everyone was used to it by now. The others then revealed their stakes one by one—aged pine-soot ink, nice jade pendants, and even handwritten poetry anthologies. The poetry books weren't worth as much, but they had a certain class.

When it came to Yan Fengan's turn, he took his sweet time pulling the pouch from his sleeve.

Lu Xiuyuan let out a derisive laugh: "Hey, Xiucai Yan, this is a literary meet, not a sewing bee for ladies and girls. What's with putting up a pouch as your stake?"

That got a laugh from the crowd.

Yan Fengan didn't bat an eye. He held the pouch in his palm and slowly turned it so everyone could see: "Hold on, Brother Lu, don't jump to conclusions. Look closer at the pattern on this pouch first."

Sunlight slanted through the lattice window, and the pouch's pattern shimmered subtly in the light. Lin Hongwen, whose family ran a silk shop, remarked, "Brother Yan's pouch is made of brocade—quite fine quality."

To someone of Lu Xiuyuan's means, brocade wasn't particularly precious. He was about to sneer again when Yan Fengan flipped the pouch over, revealing the peony on the front, and posed a question to the others: "Take a closer look, everyone. How does this embroidery differ from what you've seen before?"

Fang Mutian, being closest, leaned in to examine it and spoke first: "The petals at the bottom spread open, while the ones on top curl slightly with fine, dense ripples at the edges—it looks like they're being gently stirred by the wind."

As soon as he finished, Zhao Ziheng chimed in: "And also—the colors of the peony petals aren't pieced together like other embroidery. It's like..."

Zhao Ziheng struggled to find the words. After thinking hard, he said, "It's like painting—the colors are layered and blended, fading into one another."

"Is it really that remarkable? Let me see." Lin Hongwen's own pouch happened to feature a peony pattern. He took his off and compared the two side by side, exclaiming in amazement: "Hey, they really are different! I bought this pouch from a renowned embroidery shop in town for two taels of silver. Brother Yan, how much did yours cost? Where did you get it? I've never seen anyone selling one like this!"

Yan Fengan took the pouch back from Lin Hongwen and said, without trying to show off: "This pouch was embroidered by my husband. The stitching technique is something he devised himself at home. You could search every embroidery shop in town and never find another like it."

Lin Hongwen's heart stirred—what a beautiful pouch to show off and earn admiration!

Unfortunately, his literary skill was no match for Yan Fengan's, or he'd have found a way to win that pouch.

Fang Mutian teased with a laugh: "Since it's Brother Yan's husband's work, if I win, don't be stingy."

Yan Fengan shot back: "We haven't even competed yet—who wins and who loses is still undecided. Brother Fang's ink stick might not be safe either."

Their exchange sparked enthusiasm in the other students, who rubbed their hands eagerly: "Let's get started! How are we playing today?"

Lin Hongwen had already devised the format: "It's boring when one person takes all the wagers every time. This time, let's do one-on-one matches, drawing lots to determine opponents. What do you think?"

"That's a great idea."

Among their group, Yan Fengan, Fang Mutian, and Wang Ziqing were the most learned. If they all competed together, those three would inevitably win. With one-on-one matches, everyone else had a chance to claim a victory.

Lin Hongwen's suggestion was unanimously adopted. He wrote half the students' names on slips of paper, crumpled them into balls, and mixed them up, letting the remaining students draw lots.

Yan Fengan opened his slip—as luck would have it, his opponent was Lin Hongwen himself.

Before he could say anything, Lin Hongwen, who had leaned over out of curiosity, let out a wail.

"Damn it! I got paired with Brother Yan! Looks like my Duan inkstone is doomed." He raised his hands in a pleading gesture: "Brother Yan, you must go easy on me and spare me some dignity."

Yan Fengan repeated his earlier sentiment: "We haven't competed yet—victory and defeat are still undecided. Don't sell yourself short, Brother Lin."

Lin Hongwen said grimly: "This isn't selling myself short—it's called knowing my limits. The little learning I have compared to yours is nothing but an embarrassment."

Yan Fengan smiled but said nothing, though a different plan was forming in his mind.

Lu Xiuyuan, who had drawn Fang Mutian as his opponent, curled his lip slightly and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. With Lin Hongwen as the bottom rung, he wouldn't look too bad no matter what.

Once the pairs were set, the gathering began. Each group took turns competing while the others judged. Fang Mutian and Lu Xiuyuan went first, with Fang Mutian edging out a victory. Taking the set of Hu brushes, he cupped his hands and said, "Brother Lu, you yield."

Though defeated, Lu Xiuyuan took it in stride, returning a salute before turning to watch Lin Hongwen's match, a smirk of anticipation on his face.

When it came to Yan Fengan and Lin Hongwen, Lin Hongwen managed to compose the first two poems through sheer effort, but stumbled on the third. Finally piecing something together, he hung his head with a sigh, waiting for Yan Fengan to outshine him.

Yan Fengan pondered for a long moment, then recited a poem.

The listeners were taken aback—the poem was mediocre, no better than Lin Hongwen's effort. By Yan Fengan's usual standards, it shouldn't have been so. Lin Hongwen himself was stunned. Though his literary skill was modest, his appreciation was sharp. He shot Yan Fengan a puzzled look: "Brother Yan, this..."

Yan Fengan's expression was calm, his tone sincere: "Brother Lin's work surpasses mine. This poem of mine is inferior to yours."

Since he conceded himself, the others naturally declared Lin Hongwen the winner. Lin Hongwen understood that Yan Fengan had deliberately yielded, and he was grateful. Grinning, he said, "Well then, I'll gladly accept Brother Yan's wager."

He removed the pouch from his own waist, snatched up the wager from the table, and fastened it on the spot. Then he paraded around in front of everyone—especially Lu Xiuyuan—twirling to show it off before declaring triumphantly: "Well? Isn't this pouch handsome?"

The others, playing along, offered admiring murmurs.

Lu Xiuyuan, who was always secretly competing with him, ground his teeth in frustration and spat: "It's just a worthless trinket. Are you that pleased with yourself?"

"Pleased? Of course I am." Lin Hongwen flaunted it obnoxiously: "This was embroidered by Brother Yan's husband. The stitching is one of a kind—you couldn't buy it even with all the money in the world."

Unable to stomach his smug face, Lu Xiuyuan turned to Yan Fengan and said: "Always currying favor and flattering people, aren't you? What, you figured you couldn't get anything out of me, so you've found new ways to suck up to Lin Hongwen? The two of you—one's a hypocrite, the other's a show-off. Birds of a feather, truly."

With that, he stormed off in a huff.

"Hey, Brother Lu—"

The classmates who remained looked from one to the other, embarrassed, and said, "Oh dear, such a fine literary gathering—why did it have to come to this?"

Lin Hongwen, who was used to bickering with him, waved his hand dismissively and said, "Don't pay him any mind. He's been like this since childhood—that spoiled young master attitude, thinking everyone should cater to him. He loses and then takes it out on everyone else. It's just plain ridiculous. Brother Yan, don't let him get to you."

Yan Fengan shook his head calmly, showing neither anger nor embarrassment.

Wang Ziqing and Fang Mutian stepped forward too, showing off their winnings, quickly livening things up and smoothing over the whole incident.

When the gathering broke up, everyone drifted out in twos and threes. Yan Fengan was heading back to the East Study when he was suddenly called from behind.

"Yan Fengan, hold it right there."

An angry shout made Yan Fengan halt. Turning around, he saw Lu Xiuyuan approaching him, his face dark with anger. Seeing the look on his face, Fang Mutian thought he was about to start a fight and hastily said, "Brother Lu, calm down, Brother Lu, calm down. Fighting at the academy gets you expelled. Don't be rash."

Lu Xiuyuan glared at him. "Do I need you to tell me that?" He pointed at Yan Fengan, saying, "You come with me. I have something to say to you."

Yan Fengan said to Fang Mutian, "Brother Fang, you go on ahead. Brother Lu and I have a misunderstanding to sort out."

Fang Mutian hesitated, looking back and forth between them, but finally left.

Once they were alone, Lu Xiuyuan said through clenched teeth, "What do you mean by this? You know very well Lin Hongwen and I have never gotten along, yet you went and let him win on purpose. Are you trying to embarrass me or what?"

At this baseless accusation, Yan Fengan said innocently, "Brother Lu, you're wronging me with such talk. I saw you two interacting all the time—you never miss his poetry gatherings, and he never misses your literary meets. I figured you two were close. Besides, Brother Lin goes around telling everyone your mothers are best friends. How was I supposed to know you two don't actually get along?"

This wasn't entirely off base. Lu Xiuyuan's mother and Lin Hongwen's mother were indeed good friends, and the two had grown up together, with their families in constant contact. It was just that their personalities clashed—one was sensitive and needed constant reassurance, the other was easygoing and loved to poke at sore spots. From childhood on, they'd fight, make up, fight again, and make up again, and everyone else had long gotten used to it.

Lu Xiuyuan was left with nothing to say. When Yan Fengan used to fawn over him, he found it annoying. Now that the man wouldn't give him the time of day, he felt a bit put out, though he couldn't quite say where this resentment came from.

He stewed in silence, and Yan Fengan, seeing right through him, acted like he didn't notice. He sighed and said, "Brother Lu, the real reason you're so upset is that Brother Lin got that pouch and is flaunting it in front of you. That's easy to fix. If you want a pouch, I just happen to have another one..."

Lu Xiuyuan said stiffly, "Who wants it? I wouldn't take a gift from you anyway."

"Ha." Yan Fengan let out a rare cold laugh, mocking him. "In broad daylight, Brother Lu, you're really dreaming. My husband painstakingly embroidered that pouch. He spends all day on these things until his eyes are bloodshot. Why would I just give it away? Using it as a prize at the gathering was me being honest and keeping my word—a loss I took willingly. But for no reason at all, why should I just hand it to you?"

He already felt a pang of regret over giving that pouch to Lin Hongwen. If it weren't for using this gathering to show off Wen Xi's craftsmanship and attract some rich, cultured young gentlemen to come asking about it, he never would have used the pouch as a prize.

What he really hadn't expected was that the first person to step up would be Lu Xiuyuan.

Lu Xiuyuan was left speechless, his face going pale and red by turns. A lousy pouch—he could buy one anywhere. Why should he have to buy it from Yan Fengan of all people?

He was about to say he didn't want it, but then he thought of Lin Hongwen wearing that pouch every day and showing it off in front of him, and his chest tightened with irritation.

He gave Yan Fengan a fierce glare. Just as Yan Fengan figured he wouldn't buy it, Lu Xiuyuan snorted and turned his face away. "How much for that pouch of yours?"

Yan Fengan had no idea what to charge, but remembering Lin Hongwen said his pouch cost two taels, he figured his husband's work should go for at least three taels, right?

After a moment's thought, he held up five fingers. "Five taels."

Lu Xiuyuan's eyes went wide. "Five taels? Are you trying to rip me off because you think I don't know the price?"

Never mind whether the pouch was worth five taels—Lin Hongwen had gotten his pouch for free from Yan Fengan, but he'd have to pay. Wasn't that making him a sucker? If word got out, he'd lose face completely.

Yan Fengan scratched his nose and said, "The pouch itself is only three taels, but you embarrassed me in front of everyone. Charging you an extra two taels as compensation isn't too much, is it?"

"One harsh word and you tack on two taels. Your pride is certainly expensive."

Yet Lu Xiuyuan still hadn't stormed off. It seemed like a few more words might actually convince him to buy.

Yan Fengan didn't feel like coddling this young master, but Lu Xiuyuan wasn't a bad guy at heart, and his family was indeed well-off. Getting in good with someone like him could only help.

And even if they never crossed paths much later, if he wanted to get money out of the man's pocket, he'd have to be a bit more humble.

Having thought it through, Yan Fengan smiled warmly and said, "Brother Lu, don't be so quick to get angry. If the pouch doesn't do it for you, I've also got fan cases. My husband made those too. If you need one, I can sell you one."

Lu Xiuyuan hesitated. "I haven't even seen your fan case. How do I know it's as good as you say?"

"That's easy. Come with me to my study and see for yourself."

Seeing Lu Xiuyuan still hesitating, Yan Fengan added, "Come on, it costs nothing to look. If Brother Lu doesn't like it, I won't force you to buy it."

With that, Yan Fengan headed off toward the East Study by himself. Lu Xiuyuan stood there for a moment before finally following after him.

Fang Mutian, seeing Lu Xiuyuan come back to the study with him, felt a flicker of curiosity but didn't ask, since the two seemed to have things to talk about.

Yan Fengan laid out all the remaining embroidered pieces on the table for Lu Xiuyuan to pick from.

The pouch had koi fish embroidered on it, the fan case had a cherry tree with a bird perched on a branch pecking at fruit, and another fan case had a few sparse, elegant bamboo stalks that looked quite classy.

"Brother Lu has a good eye and should know I'm not bragging. These embroideries—you wouldn't find their equal even in the prefectural city."

Lu Xiuyuan picked up a fan case and examined it, still keeping up his aloof act. "How much for the fan case?"

"The fan case is more detailed than the pouch. My husband only made three in over two months. If you really want it, give me ten taels and I'll sell you both the fan case and the pouch together. And this silk handkerchief, I'll throw in for free. It's quite decent for wiping your mouth or sweat."

To be fair, ten taels for a pouch and fan case of this quality wasn't a lot. But the thought of buying something from Yan Fengan stung Lu Xiuyuan's pride.

Yan Fengan didn't push it. Seeing Lu Xiuyuan's conflicted look, he said, "If you don't want it, no problem. I'll ask Brother Lin later..."

"I'll take it!" Lu Xiuyuan pulled a handful of silver ingots out of his purse. "I'll take both the pouch and the fan case, but you can't sell the others to anyone else."

Yan Fengan raised an eyebrow. "Can't do that."

Seeing Lu Xiuyuan's face darken again, Yan Fengan gave in. "How about this—I'll put off selling the other fan case for now. Once you've had enough of showing off in front of Brother Lin and the others, then I'll sell it. Sound good?"

Lu Xiuyuan's expression softened a bit, but remembering how Yan Fengan had ripped him off, he added, "And throw in the other handkerchief too."

That way, Yan Fengan couldn't give it away as a freebie with the other fan case later. Why should he let the man get off so easy?

A handkerchief was no big deal to Yan Fengan. "If Brother Lu likes it, go ahead and take it."

Lu Xiuyuan snorted, stuffed everything into his robes any which way, and left without a backward glance.

Fang Mutian, who had been watching in shock, came over and gave Yan Fengan a thumbs up. "Brother Yan, you're a piece of work. I thought you two were going to fight, and instead you ended up making a deal with him."

Yan Fengan put away the silver ingots and joked, "If you want, we could do business too. Want this last fan case? I'll cut you a deal—how about three taels?"

Fang Mutian waved his hands frantically. "You know my family's situation. Forget three taels—I wouldn't even spend three qian. Only those rich young gentlemen from the city can drop money like that without batting an eye on such trinkets."

And that was exactly why Yan Fengan had brought the stuff to the academy to try his luck.

Having earned ten taels, he'd at least done his husband's bidding at home. As for the last fan case, he'd sell it if he could, and if not, he'd wait until the Dragon Boat Festival.