The field fell into silence, and as per the agreement, if Mei Yanqiu lost, she would have to go to the fields to cultivate. Mei Yanqiu represented the literati, who considered themselves noble and looked down upon the farmers working in the fields. Mei Yanqiu's loss was a slap in the face to these scholars who were arrogant and only indulged in poetry and books.
Zhao Kangning, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly snorted, "Lin San, even if you win this match, so what? Your skill in writing couplets is commendable, but attacking the shortcomings of your mentor with your own strengths, don't you think it's unfair?"
Lin Wanrong smiled faintly, "Fair? The young master speaks well. Has there ever been fairness in this world? You all were just now talking eloquently, ridiculing the hardworking women in the fields. What was the basis for your mockery? It was nothing more than considering yourselves superior! At that moment, did any of you ever think of fairness? Now that it's not in your favor, you want fairness. All the good things in this world have been taken by people."
"A silver tongue and a sharp mouth," Zhao Kangning sneered, "Lin San, you excel in couplets, but you use it to criticize your teacher."
"I, Wang, will stand up for the teacher today. Lin San, I also want to compete with you. Don't say I'm bullying you," Zhao Kangning declared.
Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "If I can't match you, just bring out the identity of the young master to suppress me, right?" However, he heard the young master say, "Since you competed with the mentor in literature, I will compete with you in martial arts—"
Before anyone could react, Luo Ning exclaimed, "No—"
All eyes turned to her, and Luo Ning blushed, saying, "Lin San's competition with the mentor was not unfair. In a martial arts competition, there may be some injuries, and today, we are here for leisure. We shouldn't spoil the fun because of this." She knew Lin Wanrong had some talent, but when it came to martial arts, he might not be the young master's match, so she tried to stop it.
Zhao Kangning laughed, "Miss Luo misunderstood the young master. The martial arts competition I mentioned is not a direct physical confrontation but a different kind of contest." He signaled his men, and they immediately brought a golden bow. Zhao Kangning took it, pointing towards a tree in the distance, "Everyone, pay attention. There's a large tree a hundred steps away. Today, I will compete with Lin San in martial arts. We will shoot arrows while riding horses, aiming to hit that tree from a hundred steps. The one who hits it wins; otherwise, it's a loss."
Everyone suddenly understood; he wanted to compete with Lin Wanrong's archery skills. Lin Wanrong, looking at the distance, thought, "Damn it, knowing I haven't shot arrows before, he comes up with this trick."
Seeing Lin Wanrong's hesitation, Zhao Kangning said, "Lin San, you have the advantage in poetry, and I, as the disciple of your mentor, want to defeat you with my own strengths. Are you willing to accept the challenge?"
Lin Wanrong shook his head, "Young master, I am just a humble servant, not even skilled in horse riding, let alone horseback archery. Your competition is indeed very fair."
Zhao Kangning smiled, "If you haven't shot arrows, that's fine. You don't need to use arrows. Just ride a horse a hundred steps away, and no matter what method you use, even if it's throwing a stone to hit that tree, I'll consider it my loss. How about that?"
The crowd buzzed at the idea of throwing a stone from a hundred steps, considering it an exceptionally favorable condition for the young master. Lin Wanrong inwardly cursed Zhao Kangning's cunning move, making it seem like he was standing up for the mentor but actually offering a very advantageous method for Lin San.
"Lin San, can you shoot arrows?" the young master asked.
"I can't," Lin Wanrong shook his head. "Young master, can you?"
"If it were a urine contest, I might have confidence, but in archery, it's not my expertise," the young master replied.
"Lin San, what do you think?" Zhao Kangning said with a smile. "If you give up, I won't make things difficult for you. The bet with your mentor will be cancelled. Your couplet is indeed remarkable, and we all acknowledge it."
"What if, by any chance, I win?" Lin Wanrong joked, "How should we handle that?"
"You win?" Zhao Kangning lightly smiled, "I haven't considered that. How about this, if you really win, from now on, whenever I see you, I'll take a detour. If I can't avoid it, I'll treat you with the respect due to a teacher. All present can witness it."
Thinking of being taken as a teacher, Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, "Since the young master is so sincere, fine. Let's have this match. Although I am bound to lose, for the sake of the young master's filial piety, I'll give it a try."
The crowd cheered at Lin San's agreement. Luo Ning walked to Lin Wanrong's side, gently pulling his sleeve, expressing concern, "Brother Lin, this Zhao Kangning has been learning archery since childhood. Don't be too stubborn; be careful not to hurt yourself and make Qiao Qiao worry."
Lin Wanrong nodded seriously, "Miss Luo, rest assured. Although I'm a bit reckless, I'm not a fool. If I can't win, I'll definitely run away."
Luo Ning looked at him worriedly, and Zhao Kangning had already ordered his men to bring out two horses, one black and one white. He said to Lin Wanrong, "For fairness, Lin San, you can choose first. The horse you choose will be yours. The remaining one will be used by me."
These two horses, one black and one white, were both majestic and handsome. Lin Wanrong took out a bottle of perfume from his pocket, applied it generously on his right hand, and said with a smile, "I'll go with the one that smells nice. May heaven bless me to pick a good horse."
The young master was puzzled, "Can applying perfume help choose a good horse? Next time, I'll try applying some when I visit Miao Yu House."
Lin Wanrong laughed, "On your thing, applying some perfume might not be a bad idea." He then walked to the two horses. Left hand on the black horse, right hand on the white horse, he touched and patted them for a while. Still, he couldn't decide. However, the reactions of the two horses under his hands were different. The black horse on the left was relatively calm, while the white horse on the right kept neighing and shaking its head, seemingly incompatible with him.
A northerner among the literati couldn't help but say impatiently, "It's not like you're marrying a lady. Why are you touching so much?"
Lin Wanrong jokingly replied, "Oh? I wonder
how many times this gentleman touched when marrying a lady? Is it more than I touched?" The crowd burst into laughter, and the literati blushed and dared not speak again. In terms of verbal sparring, he was no match for Lin San.
Lin Wanrong continued to touch and pointed to the black horse, "This one has healthier skin, handsome like me. I'll take this one."
Zhao Kangning smiled, "Good, so the black horse is yours. Lin San, what will you use? Arrows?"
"You can use that, I'll try this," Lin Wanrong said, picking up a small stone from the ground.
The crowd was puzzled by his choice to throw a stone, but considering his eccentric methods, they were already used to it. Zhao Kangning approached the white horse, gently stroked it a couple of times, but the white horse wasn't very docile. Constantly shaking its head, Lin Wanrong's black horse seemed more calm.
"Lin San, who will shoot first?" Zhao Kangning took the bow handed over by his men and asked.
"Of course, you shoot first. I have great endurance," Lin Wanrong said with a smile, and the crowd couldn't understand the hidden meaning in his words.
"Alright," Zhao Kangning shouted, pulled the reins with his left hand, mounted the horse, legs clamped tightly on the horse's back. The white horse neighed as Zhao Kangning, in his silver attire, looked even more handsome. He then aimed at the crowd, giving a fist salute. With a flick of his left hand, the reins were thrown, and the white horse dashed forward, making a majestic entrance.
Zhao Kangning urged the reins, galloping parallel to the large tree. The white horse seemed a bit spirited, shaking its head lightly, but he didn't pay much attention. In a hurry, he aimed at the target, stabilized his body, let go of the reins, and held the bow horizontally. A golden-feathered arrow was already on the bowstring.
Witnessing Zhao Kangning's swift and clean actions, the crowd loudly cheered. Lin Wanrong's heart skipped a beat; this guy indeed had some skill.
Zhao Kangning found the target, pulled the bowstring, lightly shouted, and the golden-feathered arrow instantly shot out. Unexpectedly, the white horse suddenly neighed, shaking its head continuously. Its front hooves lifted off the ground, and the arrow deviated significantly, grazing the edge of the large tree, lifting some bark, and whistling away, missing by quite a margin.
While Zhao Kangning was shooting, relying on his body for balance, the white horse suddenly leaped, catching him off guard. As he was about to fall to the ground, he managed to hook his feet onto the stirrups urgently, avoiding a complete fall. However, he still ended up with half of his face on the ground, disheveled hair, and a rather embarrassing appearance.
"Young master fell off the horse. Someone quickly go and help," Lin Wanrong saw this and felt elated. On the other side, Guo Wuchang had already shouted loudly.