Chai An first took Du Yangxi back to Pan Tower, scolding him for being so reckless as to offend someone as influential as Liu Tang in the capital. Chai An expressed his desire to befriend Du Yangxi and, upon learning that he was in the capital to take the imperial exams, invited him to stay at his home. However, Du Yangxi politely declined, insisting on staying at Xingguo Temple instead. This only deepened Chai An’s admiration for him, and he realized that both Du Yangxi and his companion, Sang Yanrang, were extraordinary individuals.
As the provincial exams approached, Lady Li renamed the “Si Fu Tea House” to “Si Fu Zhai” and recently set up a literary challenge. Each day, a topic was chosen, and participants composed poems, with the winner being exempted from paying for tea. Upon hearing this, Chai An pointed out that Lady Li wasn’t just selecting a literary champion but was also using this as a way to choose a son-in-law. He believed their plan wouldn’t take long to succeed.
Meanwhile, Du Yangxi and Sang Yanrang were short on funds. They bought a single cake with two copper coins and split it in half. Sang Yanrang wondered why Du Yangxi, who was unwilling to marry into the Liu family, didn’t simply hide his talents in front of Liu Tang instead of showing off his literary skills. Du Yangxi explained that Bianjing was full of talented individuals, and if he didn’t stand out, he wouldn’t be able to build a reputation for “being content in poverty and upholding propriety,” nor would he distinguish himself among the many proud scholars.
Soon after, Chai An hosted a poetry competition at Pan Tower, drawing business away from other establishments. Many taverns followed suit, and as a result, Si Fu Zhai’s business dwindled. Eldest sister Shouhua came up with an idea. She brought out the pearl curtain left to her by her late husband and offered it as the grand prize for the literary competition. Her goal was not only to find a suitable match for her third sister, Kangning, but also to revive the family’s business. This move turned Si Fu Zhai into the most bustling place in Bianjing overnight.
The scholars, seeing the priceless pearl curtain, were tempted by greed but also wary, assuming that the daughter of the house must be unattractive for the family to offer such a lavish prize. Just as they were speculating, Kangning stepped out from behind the screen, stunning everyone with her beauty and elegance. Seeing Kangning personally present, Chai An grew anxious and had a sudden idea—he invited Du Yangxi to disrupt the event.
Du Yangxi, disguised with a fake beard and calling himself “Jia Ming,” effortlessly won the competition with his exceptional talent and eloquent poetry, earning praise from Shouhua, who was known for her appreciation of fine literature. Lady Li, delighted by “Jia Ming’s” handsome appearance and suitable age, eagerly wanted to betroth Kangning to him. However, he claimed that he was already married and would need to consult his wife before taking a concubine, leaving Lady Li dumbfounded.
Kangning, sensing something amiss, realized this was a scheme orchestrated by Chai An. Unwilling to be outdone, she gave Du Yangxi a donkey as a prize, using the opportunity to mock both him and Chai An. After this incident, “Jia Ming” became widely known as the “Donkey Champion.” Du Yangxi couldn’t help but complain to Chai An, grateful that he had disguised himself well, or else his real identity would have been exposed, ruining his reputation.
Meanwhile, Si Fu Zhai gained fame throughout the city, and the Li family made a small fortune. Lady Li rented the neighboring house to use as a storeroom. During a heavy snowfall in Bianjing, Du Yangxi fell ill while selling his writings on the street and collapsed, frozen and unconscious. Shouhua found and rescued him. Lady Li recognized Du Yangxi as the troublemaker “Jia Ming” and wanted to kick him out, but her daughters stopped her, arguing that a life was at stake.
While Du Yangxi was unconscious, he kept murmuring about Xingguo Temple. Shouhua took care of him and sent someone to retrieve his belongings from the temple, also rescuing Sang Yanrang. Chunlai told the Li sisters about Du Yangxi and Sang Yanrang’s impoverished life, sharing that the two lived in a tiny, cramped room with nothing but a worn-out inkstone, a few broken brushes, and some old books. Hearing this, the sisters felt pity and, to convince Lady Li to let them stay, deliberately mentioned that both were scholars taking the provincial exams and were unmarried. Lady Li, overjoyed, immediately agreed to let them stay.
When Chai An heard that the Li family had saved Du Yangxi, he feared that Du Yangxi might end up marrying Kangning. Under the pretext of visiting Du Yangxi, Chai An personally went to the Li household, hoping to draw Kangning out. However, his plan backfired, as it only piqued Du Yangxi’s curiosity about Kangning. Lady Li repeatedly blocked Chai An’s attempts to take Du Yangxi away, infuriating him. In retaliation, Chai An first raised the wall between Du Yangxi’s room and the Li family’s courtyard, then ordered the large tree that could be climbed to be cut down. Originally, Chai An wanted to leave a maid to watch over Du Yangxi, but Du Yangxi was uncomfortable with that. Instead, Chai An sent a young servant named Lingyao to care for him, secretly using him as a spy to prevent Du Yangxi and Kangning from being alone together.
