Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 654 - 490 Competing in Pitch-Pot

As soon as Gu Chengyu entered the pavilion, Yu Ting pulled Ji Mingxuan, who was standing beside him. The two exchanged glances, and Ji Mingxuan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

Yu Ting couldn’t help but feel frustrated; Ji Mingxuan was indeed too timid.

"Mr. Gu! Would you like to go first?" Qin Min courteously offered to Gu Chengyu.

Gu Chengyu shook his head, "Let Heir Qin go first indeed! I’ve heard Heir Qin is skilled in both literature and martial arts, so casting arrows should be a breeze for you. It’s a good opportunity for us to broaden our horizons."

Gu Chengyu wasn’t merely being polite; Qin Min was well-regarded in the Capital, truly accomplished in both literary and martial arts.

However, Gu Chengyu wasn’t sure about Qin Min’s martial arts skills, as they had never faced each other.

Qin Min smiled; casting arrows was indeed not difficult for him. Though he couldn’t guarantee hitting perfectly every time, he was confident of hitting eight or nine of every ten.

He was not modest, given he was soon to be appointed as the Commander in the Capital Guard Command.

If he couldn’t cast arrows well, wouldn’t that be a joke?

Gu Chengyu focused his gaze on the arrow casting jar on the ground, which was exquisitely made.

The neck of the jar was seven inches long, the mouth two and a half inches wide, and the jar itself one foot and two inches high.

Decorated with a copper gilt beast face pattern, the jar had dual handles on each side of the mouth, imbuing it with a sense of historical weight.

This jar must have been left over from a former dynasty, and Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but marvel at the wealth of the aristocratic family, even their arrow casting jars were antiques.

Qin Min took ten arrowless arrows handed over by a servant standing nearby.

After giving the mouth of the jar a glance, Qin Min stood a short distance from the pavilion entrance, ready to start casting arrows when he was interrupted.

"Hey! Wait a moment! Just casting arrows like this seems rather dull!"

Upon hearing the voice, Gu Chengyu looked over and realized it was Zhou Yuewei.

"Indeed! We should have some stakes involved, right? Zhou Yuewei managed to hit seven arrows consecutively just now, and even Mr. Min hit six. I think adding stakes will make it interesting." A young boy clad in a bright red cross-collared robe chimed in.

Zheng Lun squeezed in beside Gu Chengyu and introduced, "This is Shao Lin, the eldest legitimate son of Shao Qian, Governor of Shuntian Prefecture. He’s good at having fun."

Gu Chengyu nodded, interpreting Zheng Lun’s words as implying Shao Lin was likely a playboy who enjoyed indulging. However, Shao Qian? Burning money?

Qin Min lowered his raised right arm, "I have no objections. Zhou Yuewei and Shao Lin’s suggestion sounds nice; do any of you want to join in as well?"

Qin Min called Zhou Yuewei by his style name, indicating their close friendship.

Gu Chengyu recalled that Lu Chen mentioned earlier that Zhou Yuewei was the eldest legitimate son of Zhou Xiang, Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Although his father was only of standard fifth rank, he was able to play along with Heir Qin, showing Zhou Yuewei wasn’t merely a playful sort; he seemed quite adept at maneuvering politically.

Speaking of the Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Gu Chengyu thought of Yao Qingcheng, the second lord in Duke Zhen’s Mansion, who was also a Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Teacher mentioned that Yao Mengxian received an invitation too, and she should be among the ladies today.

"Count me in. Although Heir Qin’s skill is superb, I’m fearless, as long as I don’t end up last, I won’t worry about punishment."

Zhou Yuewei was the first to sign up; he enjoyed joining in the fun and was confident he wouldn’t be last.

"Count me in too."

Gu Chengyu glanced at Min Feng and then at Qionghua across the pond, understanding the situation.

Hearing that the men were going to compete in arrow casting, the ladies directed their attention towards the Lake Heart Pavilion. Gu Chengyu’s keen eyesight even allowed him to spot Yao Mengxian through the gaps between the trees.

Among the ladies, he only recognized Yao Mengxian and Senior Brother Wu’s daughter, Wu Jinyan; the others were unfamiliar to him.

"Mr. Gu, who discussed with us earlier, does he count as well?"

Gu Chengyu nodded; he agreed. It was said they had already discussed earlier, so it was impossible for him to go back on his word.

As for Lu Chen, Qin Min didn’t ask. The two were acquainted, so naturally, no further inquiries were necessary.

"Are there any more participants for the competition? If not, let’s talk about the stakes."

Qin Min asked again, and subsequently, three more people joined. One was Shao Lin, while the other two were Qian Jing, the eldest legitimate son of Qian Licao, the current Left Deputy Imperial Censor of the Imperial Examination Hall.

Qian Licao originally served as Provincial Governor of Fengding Prefecture with secondary third rank, and then replaced Hu Maoshen’s position after Hu Maoshen was promoted to Right Imperial Censor.

Another person was You Yinan, son of You Shaofeng, the Left Minister of Communication from the Ministry of Communication; both were quite young.

The flower appreciation gathering wasn’t entirely for the unmarried; there were some who were married, although not many. Such gatherings involved aristocratic scions who were well-connected with the princely heir or the mansion’s young masters.

Counting them up, there were eight participants.

"So what’s the stake?" All the young noblemen present were curious about the stakes; they were here to join the excitement.

Yu Ting was originally eager to participate, but unfortunately, his skills in casting arrows were inadequate, hitting three of the ten arrows was commendable.

Ji Mingxuan had always found casting arrows challenging; his father was only of standard fifth rank, and he didn’t frequently attend banquets, so his arrow casting skills were lacking.

Due to his lack of opportunities to associate with those from aristocratic families, he mingled with people at such gatherings in hopes of latching onto a promising connection.

This was his first time receiving an invitation to the flower appreciation gathering this year; he hadn’t received one in previous years. His father used to hold only secondary fifth rank, a position that wouldn’t have caught the Eldest Princess’s attention, and hence he only received an invitation this year.

He glanced at Heir Qin and the others, contemplating how to make connections afterward.

Seeing Yu Ting, who was eager moments ago, now shrinking back, Ji Mingxuan felt disdain.

"Does anyone have any suggestions for the stakes?" Qin Min expressed interest; as the host, he naturally had to contribute.

Zhou Yuewei spoke up at that moment, "Why don’t all participants present an item as stakes?"

Qin Min didn’t oppose the idea, "I think that’s feasible. What do you all think?"

Gu Chengyu glanced at the Jade Pendant and pocket on him; he hadn’t adorned himself much when he left home today. The Jade Pendant was a fine piece, but it wasn’t stinginess that held him back; it just bore his style name.

This Jade Pendant was custom-made by his second sister, in a style representing wealth and longevity. However, with "Jinyu" engraved on it, it wasn’t suitable for stakes.

The pocket was also sewn by his second sister, whose craftsmanship he couldn’t part with, and it wasn’t fitting as stakes either. The golden crown on his head was even less suitable, as he couldn’t leave himself bareheaded.

Gu Chengyu pondered for a moment, deciding to only covertly take a Jade Pendant from his space, using his pocket for cover. Though it seemed abrupt, no one would suspect he had a personal space.

The hesitation lasted only a moment before Gu Chengyu nodded in agreement. However, this moment of hesitation was observed by Qin Min, who sensed Gu Chengyu might be inconvenienced but refrained from commenting as Gu Chengyu eventually agreed.

"I recently acquired a set of chess pieces made of Mutton Fat Jade, using them as stakes shouldn’t seem shabby, right?" Qin Min smiled as he spoke.

Those chess pieces made of Mutton Fat Jade were something he had managed to obtain with some effort recently, as chess pieces crafted from Mutton Fat Jade were indeed rare.