There is no harm without comparison. Compared with his bald and hairless opponent, Wang Ning can be described as a rare and extraordinary person.
Princess Huaiqing's eyes lit up. Actually, in terms of appearance, Wang Ning was not the best-looking, but after Mu Chun's indiscriminate attack like a mad dog, only nine people were left on the field, and Wang Ning became the most dazzling North Star.
Humans are naturally possessive of beautiful things. Princess Huaiqing is also a human being. She knows that she has no right to decide on her future prince consort, but she instinctively likes beautiful things.
If this is this person, it can be expected that the long marriage life in the future will be very harmonious. The two will not only be in a relationship of monarch and subject, but also husband and wife.
It's a pity for Wang Ning's opponent. His name is Hu Bin. He comes from a famous family and is the eldest son of Hu Hai, Marquis of Dongchuan. His father Hu Hai is also a fellow villager from Fengyang of Emperor Hongwu and one of the founding heroes. The Hu family was granted the hereditary title of marquis. Hu Bin will inherit the title of Marquis of Dongchuan in the future and is a popular candidate for a son-in-law.
Hu Bin is handsome and has a good family background, but unfortunately he is bald, with hair on top of his head as thin as porridge. His hair is visible to the naked eye and can be counted on ten fingers.
Hu Bin was so ashamed and angry: I just wanted to break your horse's legs, but you wanted to pull out the wig bag on my head!
The next event was archery. Hu Bin withdrew from the competition without any suspense, because it was related to the dignity of the royal family. It was impossible for the royal family to choose a bald man as a son-in-law.
Because baldness is a disease and there is no cure. Other diseases can be treated, but even in modern society more than 500 years later, baldness has no choice but to give up treatment. Otherwise, Prince Charles and Prince William would not be what they are now, after all, the royal family is not short of money.
The prince consort's dream turned into the moon in the water and the flower in the mirror. Hu Bin sat in the tent, combing his messy hair in front of the mirror. He didn't know how many tears flowed from autumn to winter and from spring to summer.
The next game is archery.
Archery is not just a group of people shooting randomly at willow trees. There are many different ways to play the royal archery game.
First, tie bells to the pigeon's legs, then tie the pigeon's legs with a string and tie a gourd to the other end of the string. Place the pigeon on a willow branch, wrap the thin string around the branch, and hang the gourd below to prevent the pigeon from flying away.
The contestants have to shoot the thin string with an arrow, so that the gourd falls to the ground and the pigeon can fly freely. The bells on the pigeon's legs make a whirring sound, which is both beautiful and pleasant to hear.
Jade is made up as a tree, with thousands of green silk ribbons hanging down. It is a test of eyesight to distinguish the thin line tied to the gourd from the "green silk ribbon". The thin line sways in the wind, and to shoot through the thin line, you must have extraordinary archery skills.
This is obviously an out-of-scope question. The fact that the emperor is selecting a consort with the same level of difficulty as selecting a martial arts champion is actually a good thing for the contestants, because if they hit the target, they can show their face in front of the emperor. Even if they fail to be selected as a consort, it will be beneficial to their future career.
Each person had three arrows and three chances. At least half of the people finally hit the thin line. The gourd fell to the ground, and the pigeons were free. They fluttered their wings and flew towards the sky. The copper bells tied to their ankles rang continuously, like heavenly music coming from heaven.
The Hongwu Emperor was very pleased. He thought that the young talents of today would be the future military leaders and that the Ming Dynasty would have successors. According to custom, those who hit the target were awarded with colored silk.
Mu Chun hit two out of three shots, released two pigeons, and won double the prize.
He proudly held the colorful silk in his hands and showed off in front of Wang Ning, "Don't be nervous, it's actually very simple. I shot it casually and released two pigeons. If you play normally, releasing one pigeon will be no problem."
In fact, it was not that "casual". Mu Chun tried his best to stand up. He was carrying his grandfather's longbow on his back. It was a matter of honor and he could not fail.
What's more, Sister Shanwei was watching him.
The difficulty of archery this time is too great, and Zang Hui is not able to do it. Even if he uses all his strength, he may not be able to hit the target.
Wang Ning regulated his breathing and was not disturbed by Mu Chun. When the ceremonial officer outside sang his name, Wang Ning walked out of the tent carrying a bow and arrow.
In the convertible, Xu Zengshou, as expected, did not release any pigeons. He rubbed against Mu Chun and said, "Chunchun, the colorful silk is really beautiful. Give me half of it."
Since his father Xu Da wasn't watching, Mu Chun didn't bother to pay attention to him and cruelly refused: "No."
Muchun plans to give the colorful silk to sister Shanwei.
Xu Zengshou was still not giving up, "Xiaochun, I want to give it to my elder sister, she likes bright colors."
Beating is love, scolding is care. In order to make Xu Zengshou quit gambling, Princess Yan tied him up, dragged him behind a horse, and almost chopped off his fingers, but Xu Zengshou still missed his elder sister.
Mu Chun said, "You don't have to worry about it. The King of Yan just released three pigeons and won three points of the lottery."
As they were talking, the sound of copper bells was heard outside, coming from far away and gradually getting closer, with three levels of sound.
Could it be... Mu Chun rushed out and saw Wang Ning holding three pieces of colorful silk to express his gratitude in front of the emperor.
There were only three people who released three pigeons. Among the royal family, only the Prince of Yan and Princess Ningguo's consort Mei Yin were hit by three arrows.
Princess Ningguo was the biological daughter of Empress Ma. Mei Yin was both talented in literature and martial arts, handsome in appearance, and came from a noble family. His uncle was Mei Sizu, Marquis of Runan.
This shows how strict Emperor Hongwu was in selecting his sons-in-law, wanting the best of everything, especially their background.
Because of this, Wang Ning knew that he was a "study companion to the prince", so he gave his all in the archery. The emperor conferred him the title of Earl of Yongchun, the youngest earl in the Ming Dynasty, and he had to prove his ability with his strength.
When Wang Ning went to the imperial court to express his gratitude, he was only five steps away from Hu Shanwei, the female official standing next to Empress Ma.
As Wang Ning got closer, Hu Shanwei's heart beat faster and faster. He pinched his palms hard with his nails, forcing himself to stay calm.
She cursed herself for being useless, as she was so cruel as to recommend "The Lute Story" to the emperor. After the Jiaofangsi re-composed the music, the palace had to perform several acts every day. She was very excited at the beginning, but gradually calmed down. Now, when she read "The Lute Story" again, she felt as calm as water.
In the competition just now, she focused on Mu Chun. Wang Ning was of ordinary origin and had no chance of being selected. But when Wang Ning released three pigeons in succession and Princess Huaiqing, who was standing beside him, was almost full of admiration, Hu Shanwei found that her practice was still far from enough. She was a layman in the world, and there were some things that she still cared about and could not control with willpower.
Wang Ning was getting closer and closer, and Hu Shanwei's eyes were getting brighter and brighter when he saw Princess Huaiqing. The fate was over, the love was gone, they broke up, so why was it still painful
The old lovers now had a mutual understanding. Wang Ning walked closer and closer. The faces of the two female officials beside Empress Ma became clearer and clearer, but he dared not look them directly at them.
It was as if there was a long knife in front of him, stabbing into his heart. The closer he got, the deeper the knife stabbed and the more painful his heart felt. However, he could not stop and had to remain calm and composed.
He had been lurking in the Northern Yuan Privy Council for four years and had developed an impeccable mask to hide his thoughts. This skill came in handy at this moment.
Hu Shanwei watched him bow four times to express his gratitude right under his nose. His movements were elegant and natural, without any sense of awkwardness. He secretly cursed himself for being sentimental. Wang Ning could cut off all feelings and love, as if nothing had happened before, so why couldn't I
Faced with the heart palpitations he once had; the love he had given all his feelings and passion to; the long wait that seemed like a lifetime; for the sake of unwarranted love, he fought against the secular world with his own strength and turned against his father...
All the past events have just left my brow, but now they are back on my mind again. Is there really no way to get rid of this feeling
Just when Hu Shanwei's palm was about to bleed, Wang Ning finished thanking him and left the stands.
Hu Shanwei sighed in her heart, and just as she let go of her hand, she found that Princess Huaiqing's eyes were following Wang Ning's back.
In Hu Shanwei's eyes, Wang Ning was terrifyingly calm. In Wang Ning's eyes, Hu Shanwei was equally heartbreakingly calm.
The front is like a knife, the stands are like a furnace, her heart is bleeding, her body is being roasted in the furnace, but she stands beside the Queen with a pine-like figure, waiting for orders. She wears a purple robe, a red skirt, and a black gauze hat. She is confident and calm, and is unmoved by his arrival.
"Ning Lang", "Ning Lang"! There are countless miniature versions of Hu Shanwei in his mind calling him sweetly, like demons in his heart.
After expressing his gratitude, Wang Ning withdrew. He returned to the big tent holding the colorful silk and happened to meet Mu Chun who came out to see the results of his competition.
As soon as he saw Mu Chun, Wang Ning let out all his negative emotions. He looked calm on the surface, but in fact he was sarcastic and said, "I just shot and let down three pigeons."
Mu Chun was not as skilled as his opponent and lost a round. He said unconvincedly, "Don't laugh too soon. There is still a dragon boat race to be held."
When Mu Chun returned to the tent, he found that only one piece of the colorful silk was left and Xu Zengshou was nowhere to be found. Mu Chun was furious at the loss of both his life and property, but he could do nothing about it.
Who can blame me for having such a great father? Reincarnation is so important.
The last event is dragon boat racing, the oldest competition during the Dragon Boat Festival in Central China.
There are nine long and narrow dragon boats, with ten people in each boat, eight rowing, one beating the drum at the bow, and one steering at the stern. The decision of which boat to go to is still decided by drawing lots.
When the candidates were drawing lots, Princess Huaiqing went to the side of Emperor Hongwu and whispered something to him. The emperor said, "How can you be so rude as a girl?"
Princess Huaiqing acted like a spoiled child, "Father, I just want to go out and play for a while. They are all busy rowing, so who will pay attention to me?"
As long as it was not a matter of principle, Emperor Hongwu was still willing to pamper his daughters, so he nodded in agreement.
Princess Huaiqing disappeared from the stands, changed into men's clothes, appeared by the river, holding a "Ding" sign, and rowed a boat with Wang Ning.
Mu Chun drew the "C" sign, A, B, C, and D, which means two boats are sailing side by side.
Mu Chun had a lot of bad intentions. He thought that dragon boat racing was a collective competition and he couldn't do it alone. He couldn't control one boat with ten people.
If you can't beat Wang Ning, you have to find a way to trip him up and let him know that you shouldn't be too arrogant. What's the big deal about standing up three pigeons
Mu Chun's eyes moved around and he saw that Xu Zengshou, who had just stolen his colorful silk, also drew the "C" lot and was in the same boat with him.
Xu Zengshou knew that he was weak and would be a drag, so he asked to stand at the stern and steer the boat.
Mu Chun had an idea in mind, and went over to whisper a few words to Xu Zengshou, "... After this is done, I will not hold you responsible for stealing my colored silk, and I will also give you another piece of colored silk, how about that?"
Since he quit gambling, Xu Zengshou has been a playboy who is almost bored to death. Hearing this, he didn't even bother to ask "why" and nodded, "Okay, it's a deal."
Everyone took their drawn lots and boarded the boats one by one. Nine boats were lined up on the wide Qinhuai River, each taking their positions.
At the sound of a drum, the long and narrow dragon boat moved straight forward like an arrow on a bowstring.
Wang Ning was so focused on rowing that he didn't notice a thin contestant sitting behind him. Princess Huaiqing stared at Wang Ning's broad back and the rise and fall of his waist muscles as he rowed. She seemed to be able to smell his unique scent.
Apart from her father, she had never been so close to a man.
The nine boats were evenly matched and were competing closely with each other. Halfway through the race, they were still almost neck and neck.
It's time. Mu Chun deliberately raised the oars higher, which was a secret signal between him and the helmsman Xu Zengshou.
Xu Zengshou understood, and he pretended to slip and turned the rudder to the right. The boat turned from moving straight to moving diagonally to the left, and the forward speed naturally slowed down, and it suddenly fell behind the "丁"-shaped boat by half a hull.
The drummer in front shouted to Xu Zengshou: "Turn the rudder to the left and straighten the direction!"
"Okay!" Xu Zengshou pretended to be in a panic, mistook left for right, and continued to steer the boat, ramming the "D"-shaped boat in the middle.
The dragon boat was narrow and light, and could only accommodate one row of people, so it could go fast. Suddenly, it was hit in the middle and capsized!
Xu Zengshou suddenly straightened the rudder, and their boat continued to move forward. It is common for dragon boats to capsize. Everyone on the boat can swim, and if they can't swim, their companions will come to rescue them, so they don't have to worry about it.
Mu Chun was very happy when he thought of Wang Ning falling into the water. He was only focused on rowing the boat and did not notice that after the boat capsized, the Jinyiwei led by Mao Xiang on the shore jumped into the Qinhuai River like dumplings.
The moment the boat capsized, Wang Ning held his breath and jumped into the water. He opened his eyes in the water and found a person struggling on land like a stranded fish. The more he struggled, the faster he sank.
Wang Ning knew that this person could not swim. He floated to the surface, took a deep breath, and dived down. He found the "landlubber" with his legs entangled by water plants at the bottom of the river.
Wang Ning picked up a clam shell at the bottom of the water, cut off the water plants, and then pulled the landlubber up.
When he swam to the shore, the man first coughed violently, then he screamed and covered his chest with his hands and burst into tears.
Wang Ning said, "Man, why are you crying? You were born in Jiangnan, how come you can't even swim? If you can't swim, why did you sign up for the dragon boat race? It's really shameless..."
Overestimating one's own abilities. The last two words were not uttered because Wang Ning found that the crying sound was not right, too crisp. Looking over, the person had no Adam's apple in his throat and his clothes were tightly attached to his body. Even if the person crossed his arms, one could still see that the body outline was vaguely that of a woman.
At this time, Mao Xiang swam over, took off his flying fish suit when he came ashore, covered the man with it, winked at the dazed Wang Ning frantically, and whispered: "Go quickly, if anyone asks, just say you didn't see anything, you just saved a person."
Wang Ning didn't understand why, but Mao Xiang was once his superior, and he had to listen to what Mao Xiang said, so Wang Ning left the place immediately.
Dusk, Qinhuai River.
Except for the "D" ship, the other eight ships all successfully reached the finish line. Mu Chun's "C" ship was ranked last because its speed dropped significantly due to the helmsman Xu Zengshou repeatedly confusing the direction and overturning its neighbor.
The incident of the boat capsizing was soon covered up by the grand award ceremony. Emperor Hongwu awarded wine and colorful silk to the ten first-place winners. The ceremonial officer announced the end of the competition, and the emperor and empress returned to the palace.
After bowing four times and shouting "Long live the dragon" three times, everyone dispersed and went home to reunite with their families and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.
No one knew the truth under the water, and they thought it was just a normal boat capsize. But they didn't know that on the Qinhuai River, people were fighting to cross the river, causing countless troubles.
The Western Six Palaces, Yikun Palace.
Ru Siyao took Princess Huaiqing's pulse and checked her body. Concubine Sun was worried about her daughter and asked, "How is the princess?"
Ru Siyao said, "It's okay. You just got a little scared. You don't need to take medicine. If you can't sleep well, I have some pills for calming the nerves. Just dissolve them in boiling water and take them."
Princess Huaiqing, who was half lying on the bed, said coquettishly: "Mother, I told you it's okay. I don't want to drink the bitter medicine. Mother insisted that Ru Siyao run a trip."
Concubine Sun poked her daughter's forehead fiercely and said, "Fortunately Mao Xiang arrived in time and Earl Yongchun hadn't figured out that you were a girl, otherwise it would have been a big mistake."
Princess Huaiqing lay back down, turned over, and faced her mother, but a blush appeared on her cheeks, and she thought to herself, "It would be a big mistake..."
In the imperial study, Emperor Hongwu asked his spy chief Mao Xiang: "Go and investigate the details of Yongchun Bo, including his three generations of ancestors. Also, although he has no wife, you must find out whether he has had a lover, concubines or mistresses in the past, or whether he has any beauties in brothels."
Mao Xiang's heart skipped a beat. "The Emperor chose Earl Yongchun?"
Emperor Hongwu nodded and said, "Except for his poor family background, his other conditions are perfect. Although he is not from a wealthy family, he is a wealthy family himself. He is the youngest earl in the Ming Dynasty and is worthy of the noble princess of the Ming Dynasty."
Mao Xiang said anxiously, "Your Majesty, Yongchun Earl was once my subordinate. I know his family very well. All three generations before him are extinct, so there is nothing to investigate. However, Yongchun Earl was engaged before, but later he faked his death and hid in Beiyuan to sever his worldly ties. He once entrusted me to find a good marriage for his fiancée, but his fiancée was loyal and insisted on remaining chaste and refused to remarry. Three years later, she had a conflict with her family because she refused to remarry. In order to make a living, she was forced to enter the palace and become a female official."
Even Emperor Hongwu thought it was a strange thing and asked, "Who is this kind and righteous woman?"
Mao Xiang: "The female official who is in charge of the Empress' affairs, Hu Shanwei."
The author has something to say: Chunchun: On the fall of my ex-husband
Send out 100 red envelopes tonight.
Last night, the wrong answer rate for such a simple question broke the record. Congratulations to the reader "22383114" for receiving a 100-point red envelope.
№7 User: 22383114 Comment: "Hu Shanwei" Score: 2 Published: 2019-01-03 20:59:03 Reviewed chapter: 73
a Moral Observation