Chapter 100: A Lonely Widow Keeps Her Vigil by the Cold Window

Xu Jing’s repeated targeting of Zhou Zhi began to grate on Zhou Zhi’s nerves. He wondered to himself, "Xu Jing, have I offended you somehow? You were the one who forced me into that test of memorization, and just because you can write fine calligraphy, does that mean I, Zhou Zhi, shouldn't be allowed to do the same?"

"You are a distinguished Ju Ren, and I am a man of no official status. Isn’t it beneath your dignity to pick a fight with an insignificant country boy like me?"

It was not just Zhou Zhi; even Lu Xingchuan, Wu Wending, and the others felt that Xu Jing was going too far. They had half a mind to dissuade him, but Xu Jing wore a faint smile, acting as if he were merely asking casual questions. Seeing his nonchalant air, the others shook their heads in silence and refrained from speaking.

Zhou Zhi replied humbly, "I have indeed thought of a matching couplet."

He spoke with such breezy nonchalance that Xu Jing nearly choked on his own breath.

What was going on today? The line he had presented was a notoriously difficult one from Jiangyin. Gu Dingchen and Fan Jin were both scholars, so it was one thing for them to match it, but for Zhou Zhi—a man without status who had only been studying for three months—to also provide a match, and as the third one at that? This was absurd. Was it not enough to make him, Xu Jing, doubt his own life? Where was his prestige now?

His heart churned with agitation, yet he forced a smile and said, "Since you have found a match, Brother Zhou, why not let us all hear it?"

Zhou Zhi then recited: "Cold frost attacks the sturdy pines, each and every one a shell of Khan, Temujin."

"Marvelous! A marvelous match!" Fan Jin and Wu Wending immediately clapped in admiration.

Indeed, if the lines provided by Gu Dingchen and Fan Jin were decent, Zhou Zhi’s was truly superior. Xu Jing’s original line presented a scholar’s perspective, a quiet, local beauty of moonlight shining upon window gauze.

Zhou Zhi’s response, however, captured the gaze of a strategist: the grand, sweeping scene of frost descending upon the earth, striking the sturdy pines across the mountains and plains. The two lines echoed each other perfectly—a match made in heaven.

Zhou Zhi’s words were astonishing. Xu Jing sat frozen for a long time; his radiant confidence vanished, replaced by a withered, dejected spirit.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhi smiled and said, "Brother Zhifu, I also have an opening line. I wonder if you gentlemen might be able to match it?"

"Let’s hear it!" Xu Jing’s spirits revived instantly. He thought to himself that as an expert in couplets, if he could match Zhou Zhi’s line, he might regain some of his lost face.

Zhou Zhi said casually, "Loneliness in a cold window, empty and widowed."

Xu Jing pondered for a moment and remarked, "That is a well-crafted line!"

Indeed, all seven characters shared the same radical (the "roof" radical), meaning any matching line would require the same constraint while maintaining logical sense. Xu Jing began to feel that Zhou Zhi was no ordinary man. Though currently a commoner, in Xu Jing’s eyes, Zhou Zhi was likely the most learned and promising of everyone present.

While Zhou Zhi might not yet understand the intricacies of the Eight-Legged Essay, with his sharp intellect and photographic memory, mastering such academic requirements would surely be a simple matter. *I underestimated this man,* Xu Jing sighed inwardly.

He was desperate to match this line to salvage his pride. He dared not slacken, steadying his mind to think.

Gu Dingchen had already furrowed his brows in deep contemplation. The others also wore expressions of intense thought, save for Fan Jin, who looked delighted. He was filled with admiration for Zhou Zhi. *Brother Zhou is a man of great talent! Beneath his steady, mature exterior lies a sharp mind. With such wit, Xu Jing is no match for him.*

Fan Jin assumed that since Zhou Zhi had proposed such a line, he must have been certain that Xu Jing could not answer it. Therefore, Fan Jin stopped trying; he knew that with his own scholarship, thinking was futile.

Seven characters with the same radical—where could one find seven more that also made sense?

A full stick of incense passed, and no one spoke.

In truth, Zhou Zhi had only intended to give everyone a mental workout; he did not truly mean to stump them. Especially regarding Xu Jing—although Xu Jing had repeatedly made things difficult, he had traveled from afar and was a friend of Lu Xingchuan. Zhou Zhi felt it best to leave him some shred of dignity. Had he truly wanted to humiliate them, he could have used the historically impossible "Smoke locks the pond and willow."

Though Xu Jing was a master and Gu Dingchen was quick-witted, another incense stick burned down, and their faces grew flushed with frustration, yet none could provide a match.

Zhou Zhi smiled. "Let us stop, everyone! To tell the truth, I heard this couplet from someone else. It is said that even the great Huang Guan pondered it for days without success. It has remained unmatched to this day—a truly 'absolute' couplet!"

He was, naturally, making this up.

Who was Huang Guan? He was the first man in Ming history to place first in the three levels of the civil service examinations, though he was later struck from the records by the Yongle Emperor. Thus, only Shang Lu remained in the annals as the "triple champion." There was no way to verify if Huang Guan had ever encountered such a couplet, but by saying this, Zhou Zhi offered everyone a graceful exit.

Lu Xingchuan laughed, "Haha! If even the 'Triple Champion' Huang could not match it, there is no need for us to rack our brains any further. Brother Zhou, I don't mean to criticize, but proposing such a line for us to match was a bit unfair!"

Zhou Zhi laughed, "I have pondered this line for years without success. In truth, I was hoping you all could help me solve it!"

By saying this, he immediately eased the awkward atmosphere. It turned out he wasn't trying to challenge them, but rather asking for their wisdom. Even though no one had succeeded, their reputations remained intact.

Only Xu Jing sat with a flushed face, looking deeply displeased, though he was still frantically searching his mind for a match.

Fan Jin silently gave Zhou Zhi a thumbs up. *Incredible. Brother Zhou is not only quick-witted but also knows how to handle people with grace.*

After a while, Xu Jing finally gave up. He committed the line "Loneliness in a cold window, empty and widowed" to memory, planning to use it to stump the literary figures he associated with back home. He especially wanted to challenge Tang Bohu. Tang Bohu had been far too arrogant lately, always believing there was no couplet he couldn't match, and that he was the only one allowed to make things difficult for others.

Winter days were short, and darkness fell quickly.

The group gathered for dinner, and the atmosphere grew lively once more. The bond between Zhou Zhi, Gu Dingchen, and Wu Wending deepened, while his relationship with Xu Jing remained one of superficial politeness. Zhou Zhi could clearly sense the lingering resentment Xu Jing held toward him.

Though Zhou Zhi did not want to offend him, some things were beyond his control. Who could truly dictate the hearts of others?

Throughout the night, they engaged in spirited discussion, mostly deferring to Xu Jing. Xu Jing held court, not without a hint of showboating, as he explained various difficulties in composing the Eight-Legged Essay.

All banquets must come to an end. Xu Jing, Wu Wending, and Gu Dingchen had come north primarily to visit Lu Xingchuan’s cousin, and had stopped to see Lu along the way. With the year drawing to a close, they could not afford to delay. Early the next morning, the three prepared to depart.

Lu Xingchuan, Wei Haogu, Fan Jin, and Zhou Zhi stood at the gate, bowing in farewell. They promised to maintain contact through letters before the three guests boarded their carriage and began their journey home.

As the carriage faded into the distance, the four men stood at the gate gazing after it for a long while before returning inside.

What the four did not see was a carriage parked on a small path not far away. The curtain was lifted slightly, and two pairs of cold eyes watched them. The gazes were filled with envy and jealousy, but above all, with hatred.