As soon as Lady Xu finished speaking, Xu Wanli expressed dissatisfaction, "In that case, where is the fairness in this wager? In my opinion, Young Master Xiao is only suited to be a spectator in this bet."
Upon reflection, everyone agreed. Although the imperial court had introduced a variable this year, Xiao Jingxi would still find it much easier than others to predict the race rankings.
Xiao Jingxi couldn't help but smile, "Then I shall be a spectator. The pleasure boat is moored nearby. Shall we move over first?"
No one had any objections, and they followed Xiao Jingxi out of the cabin.
The pleasure boat from Yanbei Prince's Mansion was indeed moored right beside their vessel. With a slight nudge closer, they could board directly. Xiao Jingxi let the others go first, following behind. After Pei Zhiyan and the Xu couple had boarded, Xiao Jingxi called over Leshan and Leshui, who were by Ren Yaoqi's side, instructing them to carefully assist her. He then softly reminded Ren Yaoqi, "Be careful."
Ren Yaoqi smiled at him and stepped steadily onto the pleasure boat, pausing briefly to turn and wait for him to join her.
Once Xiao Jingxi boarded, he looked at Ren Yaoqi, the corners of his mouth curving into a pleased arc.
Xu Wanli was essentially Xiao Jingxi's teacher, so he made himself at home on his student's boat, promptly taking his wife and Pei Zhiyan to explore the pleasure boat.
After they had looked their fill, Xiao Jingxi led everyone to the flower hall on the boat, which offered the best view. It seemed Xiao Jingxi had anticipated guests, as tea, snacks, and fruits were already prepared in the hall, fulfilling his earlier statement that he had indeed gone to the Xu family's boat to invite guests.
Once everyone was seated according to their status, Xu Wanli glanced at the racing boats already poised on the river and said, "Then let us begin placing our bets."
Xiao Jingxi summoned a maid and whispered a few instructions. The maid nodded and withdrew, returning shortly with a tea tray holding a stack of cut rice paper. She was followed by several other maids carrying brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
"How about everyone writes down their bets on paper first? We can open them after the results are out. That would be fairer," suggested Xiao Jingxi.
"That sounds good," Lady Xu nodded with a smile.
The maids placed the brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and cut rice paper before each person. True to his word, Xiao Jingxi did not participate, merely watching as everyone wrote down their bets.
Ren Yaoqi glanced around. Xu Wanli and Lady Xu were writing while quietly discussing what to wager, as if debating the stakes. Their style of betting was refined and elegant, naturally not involving silver.
Pei Zhiyan was leisurely sipping tea, a relaxed smile gracing his calm features. He seemed in no hurry to place his bet, instead chatting with Xiao Jingxi, who sat beside him, about the art of tea.
Ren Yaoqi was also in no rush to write. She looked out the window at the river, where several dragon boats were already spread out across the waterway, appearing to fill the entire surface. Though the races in previous years had been purely for amusement, this year, for some reason, there was an added sense of tense confrontation.The imperial court's dragon boat was anchored at the very center, with the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's Azure Dragon moored to its left. To the left of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's boat was the Lei Family's Red Dragon, while the Yun Family's White Dragon was positioned on the other side of the imperial court's Golden Dragon. Each vessel resembled an arrow drawn taut on a bowstring, poised to shoot forward at the slightest command.
Pei Zhiyan remarked, "Young Master Xiao, you don't seem particularly concerned about the outcome of this race?" He was referring to the dragon boat race itself, not their wagers.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingxi smiled and replied, "Victory and defeat are common in warfare. Besides, this is merely a dragon boat race. There is joy in winning, and there is also joy in losing."
Pei Zhiyan raised an eyebrow thoughtfully upon hearing this.
Ren Yaoqi also overheard their conversation. She glanced at Xiao Jingxi and felt a sudden stir in her heart. After surveying the lineup on the river and pondering for a moment, she picked up her brush and began writing on a sheet of paper. Once finished, she folded the paper neatly.
Xiao Jingxi looked at her and asked softly, "What is your wager?"
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment, then picked up her brush again and wrote a few words on another sheet of paper.
Xiao Jingxi glanced at it and saw the words "Spring Outing in the Western Hills." He raised an eyebrow curiously and said, "I haven't heard of this painting before. Who is the artist?"
Ren Yaoqi smiled faintly and wrote the artist's name on the paper. Xiao Jingxi looked at it and saw "Ren Shimin" written there. At this, Second Young Master Xiao wisely chose to remain silent, lest word spread that he was unaware of his father-in-law's masterpiece—a consequence too dire to contemplate.
By this time, Xu Wanli and his wife, along with Pei Zhiyan, had also finished writing their wagers. Xu Wanli's wager was a yellow stone seal from his collection, while Lady Xu's was a famous inkstone. Pei Zhiyan's wager, interestingly, resembled Ren Yaoqi's—it was his own copy of the "Clear Heat Calligraphy Scroll."
Ren Shimin's paintings had gained considerable fame by now, and since his works were not circulated in the market, they were highly sought after but rarely obtained. Thus, using one as a wager was quite fitting. As for Pei Zhiyan, he had long been renowned, and his calligraphy scrolls were considered priceless treasures. No one had any objections to the wagers.
Outside, the rhythmic beat of drums began to sound. When the Prince of Yanbei struck the gong to signal the start, the cheers and clamor from the crowd surged like a tidal wave, so lively that it felt as if their eardrums were vibrating.
Amidst the excitement outside, the group on the painted boat remained leisurely.
Pei Zhiyan had earlier been discussing tea with Xiao Jingxi. Xu Wanli picked up his teacup, took a sip, and nodded. "The tea is excellent, and the water is of good quality, but the brewing technique leaves something to be desired."
Lady Xu laughed. "You're just too particular! But speaking of brewing tea, there are several masters present here."
Xu Wanli chuckled heartily. "My lady, your words align perfectly with my thoughts."
Lady Xu looked puzzled. "What did I say?"
Xu Wanli glanced at Pei Zhiyan and feigned surprise. "Didn't you mean to imply that you wanted to drink tea brewed by Zhiyan himself? After all, it's been many years since we last tasted it."
Lady Xu immediately scoffed at him and said, "Zhiyan is our guest. It wouldn't be proper to ask a guest to brew tea!"
Xu Wanli shook his head regretfully.
Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, "If you don't mind, Master, allow your student to brew the tea."Only she and Xiao Jingxi were juniors present; how could they ask Second Young Master Xiao to make tea? Ren Yaoqi took the initiative to step forward.
Lady Xu smiled and said, "I was just about to say, the younger generation surpasses the older. My student's skill is no less than Jinyan and Jingxi's." She spoke with a tone of shared pride.
Pei Zhiyan glanced at Ren Yaoqi. "Oh? Is that true?"
Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jingxi, who nodded with a smile. Ren Yaoqi then rose and went to the tea room, saying with a laugh, "As the teacher's student, of course the teacher thinks I excel in everything."
Everyone laughed at her words.
Ren Yaoqi was skilled in the art of tea, but brewing tea requires a quiet environment and a calm mind. Today, with the clamor of drums and gongs outside, it was hardly suitable for sitting down to brew tea slowly. Thus, Ren Yaoqi opted for the simpler method of steeping tea.
She had often steeped tea for Ren Shimin at home, so her movements were swift. Before long, she had several maidservants bring out teacups.
Outside, the first round of the dragon boat race had just concluded. The Yanbei Prince's Mansion's Azure Dragon and the imperial court's Golden Dragon reached the finish line almost simultaneously, followed by the boats of other prominent families.
This result stirred even greater excitement outside. Many ordinary Yanbei residents stood on the riverbank watching the race, and some had even set up private betting pools. Unlike the playful wagers of the aristocratic youths, these gamblers staked real money. The few on the painted boat glanced at the results but did not take them too seriously—this was only the first round, eliminating a third of the boats, and the final outcome was still far off.
Ren Yaoqi personally served tea to each person before returning to her seat.
Pei Zhiyan picked up his teacup, used the lid to skim off the floating leaves, and took a leisurely sip. He paused involuntarily, then took another sip.
Lady Xu smiled. "Well? I wasn't boasting, was I?"
Pei Zhiyan glanced at Ren Yaoqi, then nodded to Lady Xu with a smile. "Quite impressive."
Ren Yaoqi, however, noticed that Pei Zhiyan's earlier glance, though seemingly casual, carried a hint of scrutiny. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
She was Pei Zhiyan's student; even her tea skills had been taught by him. Their methods of steeping tea were identical, and Pei Zhiyan must have recognized from the first sip that her tea—from the amount of leaves to the water temperature—was prepared in a way he was intimately familiar with.
She had anticipated that Pei Zhiyan might notice. She had no ulterior motive in preparing the tea this way, nor did she intend to reconnect with an old acquaintance. He was her most respected teacher, once a fatherly and brotherly figure to her. Now, meeting without acknowledging their past, she simply wanted to personally brew him a cup of tea as a gesture of her regard—nothing more.
Fortunately, Lady Xu and Xu Wanli had not seen Pei Zhiyan for many years, and his tea habits had likely changed significantly over time. Thus, they did not notice that Ren Yaoqi and the present-day Pei Zhiyan could brew tea with nearly identical flavors.
After his initial surprise, Pei Zhiyan composed himself and continued chatting leisurely with the others.
Outside, three rounds had already been completed. Only five boats remained: the imperial court's Golden Dragon, the Yanbei Prince's Mansion's Azure Dragon, the Yun Family's White Dragon, the Lei Family's Red Dragon, and the Su Family's Blue Dragon.The fourth race was particularly intense. The Golden Dragon and Azure Dragon were still neck and neck, temporarily leading the pack, while the fierce competition among the White Dragon, Red Dragon, and Blue Dragon had ignited the crowd's excitement. Those who had initially focused only on the contest between the Yanbei Prince's Mansion and the imperial court couldn't help but be drawn to the spectacle of these three dragon boats.
In the end, the Lei Family's Red Dragon narrowly defeated the Yun Family's White Dragon and the Su Family's Blue Dragon. The final race would determine the winner among the Golden Dragon, Azure Dragon, and Red Dragon.
Apologies for the one-hour delay...〒_〒.
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