Dream of the Red Chamber: A Refined and Elegant Young Man in a Turbid World

Jia Cong deliberately slowed down his pace, always maintaining a slight gap with Feng Ziying. He mostly intentionally missed the best shooting opportunities, shooting his arrows slightly off course. He only managed to hunt two rabbits and three pheasants. Although the types of animals were similar to Feng Ziying's, he was missing one more roe deer.

He knew that Feng Ziying was very competitive, and if he won easily, he would inevitably spoil the other party's mood. It would be better to show some weakness and save face for the other party.

As they reached a valley, a large, fat wild boar burst out of the forest, its tusks bared and its eyes fierce, charging toward Feng Ziying's mount.

Startled, the snow-covered black horse reared up and neighed, retreating repeatedly. Seeing this, Feng Ziying was not afraid at all; instead, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes. He tightened the reins, steadied himself, drew the curved knife from his waist, squeezed the horse's flanks, and charged towards the wild boar.

Just as the wild boar was about to collide with the horse's leg, Feng Ziying suddenly bent down, his curved knife flashing coldly, and precisely slashed at the wild boar's neck.

The wild boar cried out in pain, its massive body swayed, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, twitching a few times before dying.

Feng Ziying reined in his horse, dismounted, dusted off his hands, and wore a smug expression.

"What a fat wild boar! We're in for a treat today!"

Jia Cong reined in his horse, dismounted, and stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Feng Ziying.

"Brother Feng, what skill you have! Your courage is extraordinary; no one else could ever learn that."

Feng Ziying laughed heartily and patted Jia Cong on the shoulder.

"Brother, you're too modest. If you were to make a move, you would surely be quite formidable. Just now, I observed you hunting; your breathing was steady, your steps firm, and although you deliberately restrained your strength, your excellent martial arts skills were undeniable. I suppose your true abilities are far more than that?"

Jia Cong felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't expected Feng Ziying to be so perceptive. Even though he had deliberately concealed his abilities, Feng Ziying had still seen through his deception.

He smiled calmly and said, "Brother Feng, you're overthinking it. I only have a superficial understanding, and I rely entirely on my master's guidance. I don't have any real skills. I was just lucky just now."

Feng Ziying gave him a deep look, but did not press the matter further. He smiled and changed the subject, "Alright, in today's contest, I am ashamed to say that I have a slight advantage. It seems that I will have to take over as the host of Dongxinglou."

Jia Cong nodded with a smile.

"That's only right. Brother Feng's skill is superior, and I'm completely convinced."

As he spoke, he ordered his servants to prepare their prey and tie it to their horses. Feng Ziying hunted three rabbits, two pheasants, one roe deer, and one wild boar, for a total of seven prey. Jia Cong hunted two rabbits and four pheasants, for a total of six prey. Although he had fewer prey than Feng Ziying, he still had a very good harvest.

The two mounted their horses and prepared to descend the mountain towards the city. Halfway down, Feng Ziying suddenly spoke up, "Brother, do you plan to participate in the martial arts examination this year?"

Jia Cong did not hide anything.

"That is indeed my intention. I have neglected my studies since childhood and am not a person who can write essays. However, I hope to learn martial arts so that I can earn a name and title. But the martial arts examination is strict and the competition is fierce. I am still a little apprehensive and do not know if I can achieve my goal."

Feng Ziying waved his hand dismissively, "Brother, don't worry! The chief examiners for the provincial military examination have always been my father's students and old friends, all of whom entered officialdom alongside him. They'll introduce you to them, and they'll definitely take notice on the day of the examination!"

Jia Cong bowed with his hands clasped.

"I am deeply grateful for Brother Feng's great help; I will never forget this kindness. However, I wonder if this will cause trouble for Brother Feng and the old man? If we violate the rules of the imperial examination, it will be counterproductive."

Feng Ziying waved his hand and laughed heartily.

"Brother, you're overthinking it! My father has always valued talent. With your excellent martial arts skills, you should be given an important position. The examiners are all reasonable people and would never show favoritism. They just paid a little more attention to you during the assessment. Besides, if you are truly capable, you will definitely stand out even without a recommendation. I was just going with the flow."

It was past noon by then, and Jia Cong took the opportunity to invite, "Since the hunt today has been decided, I should treat everyone to a few drinks at Dongxinglou."

Feng Ziying didn't stand on ceremony, "Excellent! While these wild game are still fresh, let's eat some piping hot pheasants and rabbits, and then have a good drink."

Upon arriving at the restaurant, a group of waiters carried the game to the manager for processing in the kitchen. The two men then sat down in a private room and chatted idly for a while.

Jia Cong also obtained some information from Feng Ziying. For example, there was a long-standing rift between Commander Qiu and Feng Tang. One was a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard under the imperial authority, while the other was a powerful military officer in charge of the Five Armies Commandery, in charge of the garrison of the capital. There was a subtle trend of division between them.

After drinking to their hearts' content, the two men, persuaded by their servants, finally walked out of Dongxing Tower arm in arm and mounted their horses.

As they walked along Ningrong Street, just as they were about to return to their residence, they unexpectedly bumped into Jia Rong, who had sneaked out through a side gate, his destination unknown.

Jia Cong immediately remembered that this bastard still owed him one hundred taels of silver, so he immediately turned his horse around and blocked the other man's path.

"Where is Rong-ge'er going? Curfew is almost here."

Jia Rong was startled by the sudden obstruction and raised his hand to lash out, but upon recognizing Jia Cong on horseback, he swallowed the curse that was about to escape his lips.

"Uncle, I have some trivial matters to attend to at home."

Jia Cong dismounted, and emboldened by the alcohol, stepped forward, put his arm around the other man's shoulder, and began to discuss the debt with a forced smile.

"What kind of trivial matter requires you to be so secretive and furtive? I remember before the New Year, you came to me with a long face, asking to borrow a hundred taels of silver, saying it was urgently needed for the household's sacrificial rites and purchases, and you even swore to repay it by spring. Now that summer is almost here, you haven't even mentioned my silver again?"

Upon hearing the word "silver," Jia Rong's face instantly fell. His eyes darted around, avoiding Jia Cong's gaze, and he could only wring his hands and stammer.

"Uncle, you may not know this... I was just about to come and report back on this matter, but things haven't been going well at home since the New Year. My father suddenly caught a cold and is seriously ill. He's been getting medicine and treatment for days, which has cost a lot of money. The household accounts are very tight, and I really can't manage to get those one hundred taels of silver..."

"Brother Zhen is ill?" Jia Cong raised an eyebrow. Just a few days ago, he had bumped into Jia Zhen chatting with several young men from prominent families at the gate of Ning Mansion. He looked very energetic and showed no signs of illness.

Jia Rong was clearly lying through his teeth, which fueled Jia Cong's anger, but he remained outwardly calm.

"Oh? Is that so? I have never heard of such a thing. I will definitely visit you another day. However, the money for the sacrificial ceremony is for the clan's grand ceremony. If you misappropriate it for other purposes, it will not only be a loss of face for you and me, uncle and nephew, but also damage the reputation of our household."