A chorus of cheers erupted from the dozen or so scholars nearby. “This time, Eric Lee is treating us!”

“Of course! Of course!”

That Eric Lee beamed, giving his fan a gentle wave. A servant beside him hurried to take the money.

At this moment, the little girl said angrily, “Sister Sword, let’s not compete with them anymore. Let’s go!”

“Huh!” Nathan Foster was surprised—the little girl was speaking in the Wu County dialect; she was actually from his hometown.

The little girl turned and happened to see Nathan Foster, glaring at him. “Why is it you again?”

Nathan Foster smiled, eyes narrowed. “It’s not a big place. Nothing I can do about it.”

The little girl had wanted to leave, but seeing Nathan Foster again, she stubbornly decided to stay.

Eric Lee sidled over with a flippant smile. “Weren’t you leaving, young lady? Please, go ahead!”

The little girl snorted coldly. “The third round isn’t over yet. Who knows who will win in the end!”

At that moment, the host on stage smiled and said, “The young lady and Eric Lee have each won a round. It’s one to one. The third round will decide the winner. Are you both ready?”

Now, everyone’s eyes were fixed on Eric Lee and the young lady.

The host spoke slowly: “Now I’ll give the upper line. Please pay attention.”

A servant came out, carrying a scroll on a bamboo pole. On it was written the upper line for the third round: “At Pine Mountain, lodging late, I listen to the spring’s sound.”

As soon as the line was revealed, Eric Lee immediately bowed his head in deep thought. Nathan Foster saw the little girl’s delicate brows knit tightly as she pondered, and he muttered to himself, “I remember there’s a poem about Hanshan Temple… what was it called?”

The little girl’s eyes lit up, and she immediately called out loudly, “At Maple Bridge, moored at night, I hear the sound of the waves!”

“Excellent!” The host applauded at once. “What a fine ‘At Maple Bridge, moored at night’—the young lady wins the third round.”

Eric Lee thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with a better matching line. His face turned very ugly.

The little girl won the third round and received a reward of five hundred coins. Her face blossomed with a smile as she pulled the greatsword heroine away. As they passed by Nathan Foster, she seemed to mutter to herself, “As for riddles, I’ll let it go this time.”

With that, she strode off. Nathan Foster couldn’t help but laugh—this little girl was clever beyond her years, quite amusing.

At this point, Eric Lee stepped forward, sizing up Nathan Foster’s clothes. Seeing him dressed in a plain linen robe, he felt a bit of contempt and cupped his hands to Nathan Foster, “May I ask your name and where you are from, young sir?”

“My surname is Fan, from Pingjiang Prefecture.”

“So you’re from Pingjiang Prefecture—no wonder you know ‘At Maple Bridge, moored at night.’”

Nathan Foster grew wary. “This guy has sharp ears!”

Nathan Foster smiled as well, returning the gesture. “Does Eric Lee have any advice for me?”

A group of scholars crowded around, all talking at once. “What’s going on, sir?”

Eric Lee chuckled. “This young man is hiding his talents. I’d like to compete with him.”

At that moment, Nathan Foster noticed the little girl had returned. She stood at a distance, a sly smile at the corner of her mouth and a glint of mischief in her eyes, as if watching the fun from the clouds.

Nathan Foster smiled slightly. “May I ask where you are from, brother, and where do you work?”

“I’m a native of the capital!”

Eric Lee pointed his fan at the group of scholars behind him. “We’re all students of the Imperial Academy.”

Nathan Foster nodded. “So you’re Imperial Academy students—so promising!”

A student nearby, eager to curry favor, scolded Nathan Foster, “Country boy, Eric Lee’s father is the Vice Minister of Rites, and Eric Lee himself ranked second in this year’s Kaifeng Prefecture exam.”

Eric Lee snapped open his folding fan and fanned himself lightly, his face full of arrogance and pride.

Nathan Foster scratched his head. “What’s the Vice Minister’s ranking in the capital?”

A burst of laughter erupted around them. In the capital, a mere Vice Minister was nothing special.

But since the Vice Minister of Rites oversaw the imperial exams, the scholars naturally tried their best to flatter Eric Lee.

Eric Lee’s expression changed. He signaled to a companion, who hurried onto the stage and whispered a few words to the host.

The host nodded. “Since Eric Lee wants to compete with this young man, let’s follow the rules—best of three rounds.”

Eric Lee raised an eyebrow, his gaze turning cold. “Well then, Brother ‘Maple Bridge at Night,’ do you dare to compete with me?”

Nathan Foster smiled faintly. “Since Eric Lee’s father is the Vice Minister of Rites, I’d be honored to accept!”

This Eric Lee, full name Brian Lee, was indeed the son of Li Boyi, the Vice Minister of Rites. Last month, he took the Kaifeng Prefecture exam and placed second, making him quite famous at the Imperial Academy.

Today, he and his fellow students were strolling through the Wansheng Market. At the couplet booth, he saw a young lady who was rather cute and decided to tease her.

Unexpectedly, thanks to Nathan Foster’s timely hint, the young lady turned the tables and won, causing Brian Lee to lose face in front of his peers.

How could he swallow this humiliation? Today, he was determined to teach this brat a lesson—of course, a scholar’s lesson meant publicly shaming the other in competition.

By now, more and more scholars had gathered outside. The host called out loudly, “The first round begins! Please look at the upper line!”

A servant carried the upper line forward on a bamboo pole. The line read: “Light frost faintly covers the grass by the roadside.”