Whether it was the students who came to the scene alongside Wu Peiliang or those quietly observing from their own seats,
they couldn’t help but fall into silence.
All eyes fell on the calm-faced young student.
From the reaction of the crowd, Zhao Rong got the answer he wanted to know.
"I thought... you were something formidable," he shook his head, disregarding the discontent and frustration of the people around, and sighed to himself.
Wu Peiliang: "Zhao Ziyu! You..."
"Stop with the ’You, you’ nonsense," Zhao Rong interrupted with a curl of his lip.
In a lackluster tone he said, "Fine, if there’s no second best, that’s how it is. As long as I can make do, that’s enough."
Wu Peiliang’s face turned the color of liver, but he quickly caught himself, suppressed the anger rising within, and tried to remain composed.
You can’t get angry, whoever loses their cool first, loses.
"Hehe, Mr. Zhao sure talks big," Wu Peiliang chuckled.
"No need for flatteries. As for how big, we’ll know after the test," Zhao Rong thought for a moment, then laughed softly, "I mean the talk."
Wu Peiliang: "......"
Zhao Rong let down his rolled-up sleeves, and his expression became serious as he said directly, "Since Brother Wu is so confident, and the arrangements are so grand, even letting fellow classmates help with copying scripts, well then... let’s see how we match up."
He paused, as if recalling something, and added a phrase common in such melodramatic situations.
"Don’t chicken out; whoever does is a soft egg."
Upon hearing this, Wu Peiliang narrowed his eyes, inspecting Zhao Rong, whose tone was casual.
He wondered if he had heard wrong.
Was he proposing... a wager?
Wu Peiliang laughed it off.
"Hehe, I never expected Mr. Zhao to be such an expert hidden in plain sight, playing the fool to catch the wise, right? But this direct face-slapping method of playing the fool to catch the wise is quite new to me, haha, why don’t you explain how we’ll match up?"
Despite his words, Wu Peiliang was far from relaxed internally; he remained cautious, contemplating the seemingly harmless man before him and his previously revealed abilities.
If Zhao Rong were to propose comparing their achievements in calligraphy, Wu Peiliang would definitely not foolishly agree.
Although Zhao Rong becoming a calligraphy class teacher had annoyed Wu Peiliang,
after having been shown up once, he was rationally aware of the disparity in their skills.
He wasn’t like the stock villains in popular novels sold outside the Academy, who after slapped on one cheek offer up the other.
Moreover, Wu Peiliang had been reevaluating certain traits of Zhao Rong he had previously looked down upon.
While Wu Peiliang’s thoughts raced,
Zhao Rong also smiled, flashing his bright white teeth, "Whatever Brother Wu is most proud of, and what our fellow classmates regard the highest, that’s what we’ll ’clash’ over. So, to keep it simple, let’s base it on the overall results of the Seven Arts of Confucianism in the mid-monthly exam. How about that?"
Wu Peiliang squinted his eyes and did not immediately agree. Instead, he scrutinized Zhao Rong, who looked calm.
Zhao Rong seemed to recognize what Wu Peiliang was pondering and nodded lightly.
"Hmm, I also advise Brother Wu to consider it well, be thoroughly thoughtful. Heh, ponder if I’m merely bluffing, trying to deceive you, or if I’m goading you with a reverse strategy. Your thoughts should diverge more; don’t miss anything, lest you lose without comprehending why."
Wu Peiliang suddenly gestured with his hand.
"No need for further words, let’s bet. Hmph, I was just careful not to fall for a word game, that’s all. Hehe, we’re talking about the overall results of the Seven Arts of Confucianism in the upcoming exam, right? Let’s agree on that. Let’s set the rules first, the one with the highest total score or ranking wins; don’t play any language tricks. Furthermore, what will you wager against me?"
Zhao Rong’s eyelids lowered slightly, "A higher score means victory, isn’t that obvious?"
He shook his head, and then casually pointed towards a pile of discarded papers,
"Two hundred penalty copies, you just have to do one more copy, this time properly, word by word. Oh, and also bring that Attendant Student who has been writing your assignments, let me have a look."
Zhao Rong spoke in a languid tone.
Wu Peiliang clenched his fists, trying to speak calmly, "Alright, very well, that’s acceptable. But do you have anything worth my while to bet on?"
Zhao Rong glanced at him.
"Aren’t you always dissatisfied with my position as the assistant teacher for calligraphy? Uh, if you score higher, I’ll give my position as the calligraphy assistant teacher to you," Zhao Rong said, pausing briefly before adding, "Oh, and also, weren’t you all privately debating the taste of Zhengguan Spring Water? There might also be a chance for you to taste it."
Wu Peiliang’s eyes gleamed at that, but he quickly restrained the impulse to agree.
The incident of Zhao Rong drinking Zhengguan Well Water during Zhu Yourong’s class had been enthusiastically discussed among the Six Halls students for a while.
Many of the Academy scholars had heard about it, and while quietly praising the younger student’s luck, they also felt a tinge of envy.
As a result, during that time, students at Mochi eagerly awaited Zhu Yourong’s calligraphy class, hoping to earn a Zhengguan Spring Water reward with a stellar performance.
Regrettably, the day Zhu Yourong first offered Zhengguan Spring Water as a reward also turned out to be the last.
It was never brought out again, much to the disappointment of Mochi students.
However, there were rumors that someone, as the assistant teacher for calligraphy, and who was favored by Zhu Yourong, often visiting Yilan Pavilion, had frequent opportunities to drink tea brewed with Zhengguan Spring Water.