Chapter 31: The Wager

Chen Fan, who had been on the verge of providing the matching line, swallowed the words back the moment he caught the disdainful expressions on the faces of Chen Hao and Zhao Hongwei. He looked at the two of them, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile.

"Well? Say it then!" Chen Hao and Zhao Hongwei blurted out in unison, unable to contain their impatience to see Chen Fan humiliate himself.

"If I say it just because you tell me to, I’d lose too much face, wouldn't I?" Chen Fan replied casually.

Zhao Hongwei and Chen Hao exchanged a glance and smirked, both convinced that Chen Fan was merely grasping for excuses. "Then what would it take for you to say it?" Chen Hao asked with a sneer.

"Let’s make a wager," Chen Fan said, smiling at them. "If I can provide the matching line, you two will slap yourselves twice in public to apologize to me. If I can't, I’ll slap myself to apologize to you."

The expressions on their faces shifted instantly. They were refined scholars; to be forced to slap themselves in public would not only destroy their reputation but turn them into a lifelong laughingstock.

"If you two don't have the guts, then forget it. Go ahead and puzzle over it yourselves," Chen Fan added with a grin.

"Young Master Zhao, Chen Fan is definitely bluffing because he can't solve it. Let’s accept his challenge," Chen Hao whispered. "That way, he’ll become the laughingstock of all Dongyang County."

Zhao Hongwei considered this and nodded. He, too, assumed this was just a clumsy trap set by Chen Fan, and he was determined not to fall for such a low-level scheme. The surrounding scholars shared the same sentiment; none of them believed Chen Fan could actually solve it.

"Very well, we accept," Zhao Hongwei declared.

"But let's be clear," Chen Hao added, wanting to block any path to trickery, "your matching line must be perfectly structured and balanced, not just some random nonsense."

Feeling confident, Zhao Hongwei and Chen Hao folded their arms, waiting to watch Chen Fan slap himself. Seeing their posture, the smile on Chen Fan’s face only deepened, which gave the two men a sudden, ominous feeling.

"Fine," Chen Fan said. "This line is so simple that I initially didn't even bother to respond to it. But since you insisted on a wager, I suppose I’ll take the trouble to provide one."

The crowd looked at Chen Fan with growing disgust. They felt he was still boasting; if it were so simple, why hadn't any of the other scholars been able to solve it? People began to point and whisper, some even hurling insults, labeling him a pretentious fraud.

"Listen closely," Chen Fan said. "My matching line is: 'Read in spring, read in autumn, reading in spring and autumn, reading the Spring and Autumn Annals.'"

The moment the words left his lips, the critics fell silent. An eerie stillness descended upon the room. Everyone stared at Chen Fan in disbelief, while Zhao Hongwei and Chen Hao’s eyes widened to the point of nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Good! Good! Good!" Director Liu suddenly stood up, repeating the word three times. Even he had not expected Chen Fan to solve it, let alone with such perfect symmetry. When Chen Hao had first proposed the line, the Director had struggled to find a match himself, and his own attempt had been inferior to Chen Fan’s. He looked at Chen Fan with newfound excitement, beginning to believe that the stories truly were written by this man.

"My husband is amazing!" Yingchun and Yingxia cheered, their faces flushed with excitement. They had been prepared to comfort Chen Fan after his self-inflicted punishment, but they were stunned by his success. Su Wenqi also gazed at him with a glimmer of wonder, marveling at how many surprises he still had in store.

"Is my matching line sufficiently balanced and correct?" Chen Fan asked, looking at Zhao Hongwei and Chen Hao. The two men snapped out of their daze.

"How... how did you manage to solve it?" they stammered, incredulous.

"It’s so simple; it just came to me," Chen Fan said, adopting a lecturing tone. "Chen Hao, you really need to study more."

Chen Hao didn't feel angry; he was too busy worrying about the consequences. If he slapped himself in front of so many scholars, he would be a disgrace in Dongyang County forever. Worse, Director Liu was watching—would this act of desperation cause the Director to look down on him and deny him entry to the Imperial Academy?

"I’ve won," Chen Fan said, smiling at them. "Are you going to honor your end of the bargain?"

The two men stood frozen, eyes darting around, neither daring to speak. Chen Fan stepped toward Chen Hao. "Chen Hao, keeping one's word is the hallmark of a gentleman and a scholar. Surely the Imperial Academy wouldn't want to recruit a man who breaks his promises, would they?"

His smile broke Chen Hao out in a cold sweat. He glanced at Director Liu, who was watching them with a sharp, piercing gaze.

*Slap! Slap!*

"I apologize," Chen Hao gritted out, forcing himself to strike his own face. If looks could kill, Chen Fan would have been shredded to pieces, but he remained unfazed, turning a mocking smile toward Zhao Hongwei.

"Young Master Zhao, it’s your turn," Chen Fan said. He would never let off the man who had dared to covet his wife. The surrounding scholars turned their attention to Zhao Hongwei, wondering if he would follow suit.

"Chen Fan," Zhao Hongwei whispered, trying to bribe him, "if you just announce that you’re waiving this wager, I’ll give you one thousand taels of silver. I’ll even have my father find you a post; you’ll have a stable salary for life."

He was certain this was an irresistible offer—a fortune for an ordinary family and a coveted government position. How could Chen Fan refuse?

Chen Fan’s smile grew even wider. "What was that?" he asked, his voice suddenly booming so that everyone in the room could hear. "You said if I agree to waive the bet, you’ll give me one thousand taels of silver and have your father find me a job?"