Chapter 051: Another Duel with Yang Yi (Part Two)

Chapter 51: Another Duel with Yang Yi

The young maiden gazed at Wei Ba in astonishment, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, her lips slightly parted, disbelief written all over her face. She murmured, “You… you must be mad?”

Wei Ba looked utterly confused. “I’m perfectly fine, how could I be mad?” Gazing at the maiden’s lovely face, adorned with such an adorable expression, he felt his mouth go dry, his tongue restless, and his heart racing uncontrollably. He leaned forward, stammering, “What… what’s wrong with you?”

Only then did the maiden notice the odd look on Wei Ba's face, realizing they were sitting a bit too close, their posture rather ambiguous. A flush of embarrassment swept over her. With a faint exclamation, she hastily turned away, discreetly nudging Wei Ba with her elbow. Wei Ba yelped in pain, scooting back and shooting her an annoyed glare. The maiden forced herself to remain composed, pretending not to notice his gaze. Turning to a dazed Yang Wei, she said, “Master Yang, would you please bring this problem to Adjutant Yang for judgment?”

Yang Wei, engaged in an intense internal struggle, was startled. He looked up and saw the maiden’s awkward expression, then noticed Wei Ba clutching his chest and staring doggedly at the maiden’s profile like a persistent mongrel. At once, he sensed something unusual between them, and a sourness filled his heart. He snorted coldly, casting a venomous glare at Wei Ba. “Since you’re so interested, I’ll certainly grant your wish.”

The maiden tried to stop Yang Wei, but before she could utter a word, he had already strode over to Yang Yi, affecting cheerfulness and laughing loudly, “Father, Lord Wei is in high spirits. Two questions aren’t enough; he asks for more challenging ones, otherwise he won’t be satisfied.”

Yang Yi, who had been hesitating, was delighted at this perfect opportunity. He gave Yang Wei an approving look and immediately responded, “If he’s so eager to learn, how can I not fulfill his thirst for knowledge?”

Zhuge Qiao watched the father and son’s seamless performance with speechless dismay. He strained his neck, waiting for word from the Prime Minister’s tent, but no message arrived. He couldn’t tell if the Prime Minister was absent or if there was some other meaning behind the silence.

Yang Yi picked up the answer to the second problem Wei Ba had solved. A single glance told him Wei Ba had succeeded again. He hadn’t expected much from that question anyway, so he set it aside and immediately wrote out a third one. As soon as he finished, Yang Wei snatched it up, turned, and presented it to Wei Ba with a smug smile. “Lord Wei, try this one. If it’s still too easy, I’ll have my father come up with more.”

Wei Ba ignored him completely and exchanged a glance with the maiden. “Miss, please help me interpret the question.”

The maiden sighed inwardly. But now that Wei Ba had solved two problems, even if he failed the rest, his honor was preserved. Her mood had shifted considerably. She read the problem carefully twice, then explained its meaning to Wei Ba point by point. Wei Ba listened attentively, pondered for a moment, then began working it out on the ground beside him.

While the maiden was explaining, Yang Wei lingered nearby, watching their expressions closely. The more he looked, the more dissatisfied he felt. Did they need to sit so close just to talk? It was as if they were breathing in each other’s air. Did they have no shame with so many people watching? He glanced at the maiden’s flushed cheeks, forcibly suppressing the malicious thought in his heart, and glared at Wei Ba, wishing he could slice his throat with his eyes and make him disappear forever.

Wei Ba paid no attention to Yang Wei’s feelings; he was in excellent spirits. After the first two questions, he had a grasp of the level of mathematics in this era and understood the previously unclear terms. Even without the maiden’s help, he could now deduce the meaning himself. But with such a fine excuse to sit intimately with her, how could he bear to give it up? He was more than happy for Yang Yi to pose more problems, as it gave him more time to enjoy the maiden’s company.

When one is in good spirits, the mind is swift. He quickly solved the third question, wrote the answer on paper, and pushed it toward Yang Wei, only then noticing the latter’s surly expression. His face darkened, and he snapped, “Master Yang, you’ve said yourself I’m a bit of a flirt, but I have no interest in men. Staring at me like this in public—how improper!”

Yang Wei was stunned, his face instantly flushing crimson. He gnashed his teeth, glaring at Wei Ba. “You… don’t slander me! Who said I—”

“All right, all right, enough. Just don’t disgust me.” Wei Ba cut him off impatiently. “Hurry and deliver the answer to your esteemed father. That’s what matters. My mind is clear right now—don’t distract me on purpose.”

Fuming, Yang Wei snatched up the paper and stormed off.

Yang Yi was contemplating a fourth problem, watching Wei Ba’s performance as he did. Seeing that Wei Ba started solving it with just a brief explanation from the maiden, Yang Yi realized his third problem was still too easy. Determined to stump Wei Ba with a fiendishly difficult question, he found his mind growing more clouded the harder he tried. Countless problems swirled in his head, yet he couldn’t settle on one that would defeat Wei Ba. Just then, Yang Wei arrived, seething, with the third answer. With a sigh, Yang Yi set down his brush and took the answer. One glance, and he sighed again.

At that sigh, hope flared anew in Yang Wei’s heart, while the maiden, who had just begun to relax, tensed up, her fists clenching involuntarily as she stared at Yang Yi.

Yang Yi noticed Yang Wei’s hopeful expression and grew even more frustrated. He set the problem aside, picked up the paper, and racked his brains for the fourth question.

It took Yang Yi the time of a full meal to compose the fourth problem, sweat beading on his forehead. As Yang Wei brought the paper to Wei Ba, Yang Yi himself felt a wave of anxiety.

While Yang Yi struggled to set a difficult question, Wei Ba enjoyed himself thoroughly, chatting idly with the maiden as if on a spring outing. The maiden was slightly annoyed, but could hardly get up and leave, lest she reveal the oddity between them. The arrival of Yang Yi’s fourth problem rescued her from her predicament. She picked it up and explained it to Wei Ba, word by word.

Wei Ba listened, then calmly began to solve the problem. In no time, he wrote down the answer, waved for Yang Wei to deliver it, and leaned back, boldly gazing at the maiden’s blushing face as he continued to chat about everything under the sun.

Though the maiden tried her best to hide it, the atmosphere grew ever stranger. Yang Yi was racking his brains to pose questions, while Wei Ba, as though strolling through a garden, solved each new problem with ease, leaving plenty of time to chat with the maiden. Was it Yang Yi testing Wei Ba’s problem-solving skills, or Wei Ba testing Yang Yi’s ability to set questions?

Time seemed to stand still. Yang Yi’s pace slowed with each new question, while Wei Ba’s solutions came ever more swiftly. Yang Yi might labor for half a day to write a problem, but Wei Ba would solve it in moments. As soon as the maiden finished her explanation, Wei Ba would nod, scribble a few lines in the dirt, then write down the answer and resume his chat. Upon receiving the answer, Yang Yi would say nothing, simply set it aside, sweating all the while as he labored over the next problem, each one taking him longer to compose.

The fifth question…

The seventh…

The ninth…

Unnoticed, the sun had passed its zenith. Zhuge Qiao, having lost all control over the proceedings, could only bring food and drink to the assembly, urging everyone to eat while they waited. But with Yang Yi growing paler, sweat streaming down his brow, who could eat with any peace of mind? The air was so tense it was nearly suffocating, for everyone knew the contest had reached its climax. Once dismissed as unlikely to succeed, Wei Ba now triumphed round after round, forcing Yang Yi to the brink of defeat.

Given Yang Yi’s character, if he couldn’t stump Wei Ba today and reclaim his dignity in his own field, he would be utterly disgraced, unable ever again to boast of being the best mathematician, unable to hold his head high in the Prime Minister’s residence. How could he face Wei Yan? If Wei Ba won gloriously, Wei Yan would surely seize the chance to humiliate Yang Yi thoroughly.

Zhuge Qiao was in a panic. Things had gone so far, he could no longer answer to Zhuge Liang. If Wei Ba lost, relations would only worsen. But if Yang Yi lost and, in a fit of pique, left the Prime Minister’s service, who would take over his duties? His father would have one less trusted aide and even more burdens. It was not easy to find someone as reliable as Yang Yi. Perhaps Wei Ba had the ability, but he was too young, and his father would never entrust such heavy responsibilities to him. Moreover, with Wei Yan commanding armies, how could his father allow Wei Ba to enter the Prime Minister’s office and hold such an important post?

After much deliberation, Zhuge Qiao finally stepped forward, cupped his hands to Wei Ba, and pleaded, “Brother Wei, you’ve already solved nine problems. This last one… could you perhaps let it go, and leave Adjutant Yang some dignity? Consider it doing me a favor. As the saying goes, ‘When the dragon soars too high, regret follows; even Sunzi advises not to chase a desperate foe.’ What do you think?”

Wei Ba put away his playful smile and replied gravely, “Brother Zhuge, it’s not that I don’t know when to stop, but they forced me repeatedly, so I had no choice but to fight back. You saw everything that happened today.”

Zhuge Qiao heard the hint of compromise in Wei Ba’s voice and was overjoyed, nodding quickly. “You’re right, Brother Wei. The fault is not yours—it’s mine for not thinking things through. Please, do me this favor, or I won’t be able to answer to the Prime Minister.”

Wei Ba thought for a moment, then smiled. “I can help you, Brother Zhuge, but you’ll have to help me too. You don’t want the Prime Minister to blame you, and I don’t want to get a beating from my old man.”

Zhuge Qiao nodded vigorously. “I understand, I understand. Thank you, Brother Wei, thank you.”

Wei Ba stood up, stretched lazily, and called out, “Adjutant Yang, it’s getting late. After all these problems, my mind is a bit tired. May I defer the last question?”

Yang Yi’s face was ashen, sweat pouring like rain, his lips drained of color. He sat motionless, pen suspended. Just as Zhuge Qiao worried he might stubbornly refuse to yield, Yang Yi’s body suddenly swayed, his head fell back, and a mouthful of blood spurted out, staining the blank sheet before him with blossoms of crimson. With a long, weary sigh, he slowly collapsed to the ground.

—End of the first chapter update at dawn. Please vote for Three Rivers, recommend, and add to your favorites!