〖In the first month of Jiaxu, the first year of Tongtai in Southern Chu, Zheyi was a subject of King Yong, and he was placed in the Dayong court. Emperor Yong called a banquet for ministers. On the second day of the first year, the emperor ordered young talents to be more talented than Zhuquemen, and the emperor chose the best. The reward is actually the choice of the son-in-law of the Princess of Changle. Although there are many heroes, the princess is only silent. At the end of the game, the emperor asked the princess's heart, and the princess cried and said, the son is alive, how can he remarry. The emperor was furious at first, and then dejected. The eldest grandson and concubine were worried and comforted in many ways. The princess was silent. Later, the noble master secretly asked the palace maid, and the palace maid made a report.
— "The History of Chu in the Southern Dynasties: The Biography of Jiang Suiyun"〗
A pair of big black eyes carefully stared at the "tall" figure, not moving, probably asleep, lying on the ground, two white and tender hands crossed forward, with the strength of the knees, moving forward quickly , getting closer, getting closer, the little hand grabbed the target, it was absolutely fast as lightning, who knew someone would move faster, and in a flash, his target was taken away, "Ah" The little baby cried earth-shatteringly, and then a He hurriedly picked up the little girl with both hands, threatening and coaxing, but the little girl didn't give any face, until the other hand carved the big-headed doll made of cork and wrapped in brocade cotton. Putting it in front of the little girl, the little girl burst into tears and smiled, hugged the doll almost as big as herself, and babbled her joy.
After wiping the cold sweat from his head, Xiao Shunzi said, "Young Master, you don't have to bully the young lady all the time. If the princess finds out, she must blame you for not being stable enough."
I shrank my head subconsciously. Yesterday, I just deliberately led Roulan to chase me with a toy, so as to exercise her reflexes, so I was called by the princess and gave me a lesson through the curtain. Crying Rou Lan, wouldn't it be even worse? I quickly took a look. The little ear reported whether God was there or not. I nodded with satisfaction. The prince, Li Jun, was about to guard Youzhou on behalf of King Yong, so he was called by King Yong today. Well, this is the result of me reminding King Yong, otherwise, this kid would always stand by and watch me, and he was the one who complained to the princess yesterday.
But there is still one obstacle. I looked at Xiao Shunzi and said, "Xiao Shunzi, you should go and see the martial arts competition, see how their martial arts are, and who is most likely to win, this matter is very important."
Xiao Shunzi said lightly, "Didn't your Highness already send someone there?"
I was choked by him, and quickly said, "Didn't I trust you?"
Xiao Shunzi said meaningfully, "Young Master isn't trying to bully Miss Rou Lan, right?"
I quickly shook my head and said, "No, no, Rou Lan is my sweetheart, how could I bully her?"
Xiao Shunzi smiled and said, "Then the servant will go and have a look, Young Master, you have to remember that if the princess is angry, I'm afraid you will have a good time again."
Looking at Xiao Shunzi's back, I grinned wickedly, walked towards Rou Lan, who was having a great time playing, and said, "Little Lan'er, Daddy is here to play with you."
The little girl didn't know that she was in danger. She raised her head, dropped the doll, and opened her arms to ask me to hug her. I was stunned, and a warm current surged from the bottom of my heart. Little face, she babbled for a long time, and called, "Daddy." I couldn't help but be full of joy, I picked her up and turned around a few times, thinking with a silver bell-like laughter, this is Rou Lan's favorite game. .
After stealing for half a day in my life, I walked into King Yong's study in a good mood. As expected, King Yong was still there reading the official documents. Although his expression was dull, he was vaguely unhappy.
I stepped forward and saluted, "Your Highness, what is the situation outside now?"
Li Zhi raised his head, saw me, his expression relaxed, and said, "Suiyun, who do you think would be better as Changle's concubine?"
I thought about it and said, "As far as I know, Wei Ying, Qin Qing, and Xiahou Yuanfeng are the best among them. I have not come to Chang'an for a while, so I don't know which of them is more suitable."
After returning to Prince Yong’s mansion that day, Li Zhi told me that this martial arts competition was for a purpose. It turned out that Li Yuan wanted to make up for Princess Changle, so he wanted to choose a husband for her, but now Zhao Jia, the king of Southern Chu, is still in Chang’an, Li Yuan It is inconvenient to choose a son-in-law publicly, so I use the name of martial arts to let the eldest grandson and princess Changle see the young handsome young man in Dayong. Fortunately, they choose a son-in-law whose appearance and character are reasonable. The news is very secret now, except for the harem. No one other than the concubines knew the truth, but Li Zhi learned it from his concubine Gao. In recent years, the eldest concubine Guifei has been empty under her knees. The Gao family has always been virtuous and filial. Therefore, Gao was often allowed to enter the palace to visit the imperial concubine. In recent years, the two have long been in love with the mother and daughter, so the eldest grandson of the imperial concubine asked Gao's opinion.
I didn't mention it to King Yong. From the moment I knew the purpose of this martial arts performance, I was very angry. It wasn't because Dayong didn't care about the existence of Zhao Jia, the lord of the country, because Princess Changle never showed true affection for the country from beginning to end. I even suspected that there was a reason for Princess Changle's miscarriage, but although I sympathized with Princess Changle's experience, I did not agree with her behavior. In any case, the king is still alive, she just wants to remarry, so she can't be in such a hurry, at least You have to wait until you lose your status with the country lord, and then go to remarry. In fact, I have always been very annoyed. If it wasn't for the existence of Soft Blue, which comforted my heart, I'm afraid I would have been furious. After calming down, I thought again, forget it, Princess Changle is the arrogant daughter of the sky, why should I think of her so beautifully, maybe it was the tears under her makeup when she got married, and when she met with the palace Her gentleness and sweetness made me feel sympathy and affection for her.
Now that King Yong asks about it, I try to use an objective tone to comment on the impact of this matter.
Taking a look at King Yong's expression, I said, "The emperor's love for the princess is a bridge in the eyes of those who care. If the princess is inhumane, it will not only be detrimental to His Royal Highness now, but will also hurt the princess' heart in the future. First of all, I am afraid that His Highness will never get the understanding of the Emperor and the concubine. The best possibility is of course for the princess to marry the person His Highness likes, and the second is to marry someone who is neutral. Although the minister does not know the actual tendencies of these people , but the neutrality of General Qin Yi is certain, if the princess marry Qin Qing, I am afraid it is the best choice."
Li Zhi looked happy, but then said: "You don't care about Qin Qing's humiliation to you, in fairness, this king admires very much, but Qin Qing is afraid that it is impossible. At the beginning, he and Changle childhood sweethearts, if not Changle married far away. , I'm afraid he has already become a concubine, but I asked the princess to ask the concubine what the concubine meant. The concubine said that when Changle was married, Qin Qing asked Changle to elope, but Changle refused, and Changle said to him at the beginning. "This palace is a noble daughter of the royal family and is favored by the people. How can I ignore the country's society and the overall situation of the country? If I run away privately, it will not only damage the royal reputation, but also hurt the hearts of the father, mother and concubine, even if the father sends other daughters. Marrying far away will inevitably lead to loss of sincerity, which will make Nanchu apart, and the marriage between the two countries will fail. I am afraid that the consequences will be endless. The imperial concubine knew that, but they cared about General Qin’s face, and they also pity Changle, so they did not blame Qin Qing. Now Qin Qing also wanted the imperial concubine to express her desire to reconcile with Changle, but Changle was resolutely unwilling. That's why I chose my son-in-law through the grand ceremony, and outsiders still don't know about it? But Qin Qing is probably busy."
Although I don't understand why Princess Changle rejected Qin Qing, the current result is that I have to consider the adults, think about it, and say: "Xiahou Yuanfeng is very talented, I'm afraid that he can't be considerate to the princess, and his father is the prince. Although the party member, Lord Wei Guan, is inclined to the prince, he will not act openly.
King Yong sighed: "This king also thinks so, but it is rumored that the prince will protect Xiahou, and he also persuaded the queen, saying that Xiahou is talented and beautiful, and he is not involved in court disputes, and can take good care of the princess, and that Xiahou fell in love with the princess at first sight. It is inevitable that the husband and wife will not turn against each other because of the past. Wei Ying is the dragon among the people. It is inevitable that he will have a prominent career in the future. If he dislikes the princess, it will inevitably turn into a disaster. The emperor also favors Xiahou Yuanfeng, which seems to be quite a permission."
I looked solemnly and said: "Could it be that the prince intends to gain the power of the princess, the princess is favored, and the world knows that if Xiahou borrows the power of the princess, I am afraid that this person cannot be contained."
Li Zhi smiled bitterly and said, "I also wanted to send people to join, but when I came to my command, I had such a strong general as a cloud, but it is too difficult to find such a talented person with a beautiful appearance, even if there are a few, they are all from low backgrounds, not to mention If I send someone here, I’m afraid Qin Qing will be the one who will bear the brunt. Whether it’s successful or not, I’ll offend Qin Qing. Besides—” Li Zhi hesitated, and I continued, “Besides, people would think that Your Highness covets the power of the princess and has no brother-sister relationship. ."
Li Zhi smiled bitterly, looked at me and said, "Although I don't want to hinder Changle's happiness, but if she married Xiahou Yuanfeng, it would be really bad for me. What do you think this king should do?"
I bowed my head and thought for a while, and said, "No need to worry, Your Highness, no matter what the emperor and the empress think, the princess is the one who decides, and the views of the concubine will also affect the princess. Your Highness, it is better to ask the concubine to persuade the concubine. I think the concubine. I'm afraid Niangniang will not rest assured that the princess will marry Xiahou, after all, he is too young and not stable enough, and the princess has been through many troubles and needs to be taken care of by someone who is considerate, gentle and stable."
Li Zhi was overjoyed and said, "That's right. In my opinion, no matter what else, I don't trust Chang Le to marry Xiahou Yuanfeng. He is too young and too unstable."
On the fourth day of the fourth day, outside the Suzaku gate, it was the critical time for the performance of martial arts. Yesterday's preliminaries were over, and today was the day to compete for the leader. On the wide field in front of the gate, it was the battle between dragons and tigers. On the Yanwu Building on the west side, the emperor, The Empress and Concubine Changsun accompanied Princess Changle to watch the martial arts show, and the other concubines were sitting in the back. It was rare for these concubines in the harem to come out, so they were all in high spirits.
At this time, it was the last race of the horse race. Among the contestants, Wei Ying and Xiahou Yuanfeng were the most vocal. Wei Ying's sweaty horse and Xiahou Yuanfeng's Dawan horse were both good horses. Although Xiahou Yuanfeng's horse was slightly Not as good, but his riding skills are better than Wei Ying, so the victory and defeat are also in five or five. When the red flag was displayed, both of them rushed out ahead, leaving the other horses far behind. When they reached the end of the runway, the two turned around. Xiahou had an advantage with his excellent equestrianism, but Wei Ying was not bad either. , coupled with the power of the sweaty BMW, they still caught up. In the final sprint stage, both of them did their best. In the end, Wei Ying won and became the leader of the first event.
The noble concubine said happily: "Wei Langzhong is indeed a talented person in both civil and military affairs, but the concubine still thinks that he is more suitable for Zhen'er."
The queen said, "Actually, Yuan Feng is a good kid. If it weren't for the poor horses, I'm afraid he would have surpassed Wei Ying? And he has to participate in three games, even if he takes second place in all of them, it is not easy."
Li Yuan also nodded and said: "Xiahou is indeed a young hero, but Wei Ying is a good person, with both civil and military skills. He is also a good candidate."
Concubine Changsun was a little worried. She looked at Princess Changle, but saw that the princess was not happy, just silently looking at the martial arts field.
At this time, Concubine Yan suddenly said, "Your Majesty, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Yong are here."
Concubine Changsun looked out and saw that Prince Li An and King Yong Li Zhi were all dressed in casual clothes. There were special seats under the Guanwu Tower, ready for them. They didn't show up in person two days ago, and they came here by coincidence today. . Princess Changle heard that King Yong was coming, and couldn't help but look, and she saw that man, who was still beside King Yong, who was still dressed in blue and plain clothes, elegant in style. That handsome and feminine youth in green clothes seemed to sense her gaze, and looked over coldly. That cold gaze made Princess Changle feel a chill in her heart. She seemed to have seen such a pair of cold eyes and a character with such a temperament before. At this time, the young man stepped forward and poured tea for him. Although it was upstairs and downstairs, the distance was not very far. Princess Changle could clearly see the pale hands in the pair of fair hands. Princess Changle's heart was about to jump out. He, it was him, she looked at the handsome face in her memory again, could it be him, the mysterious man who drove Liang Wan crazy, forced dozens of spies to death, but let him go. If it was really him, then Princess Changle wouldn't wonder why he let her go. She still remembered the only time we met, and the poems he sent to the palace. She vaguely felt that this The elegant and romantic young man has long understood his own concerns and difficulties, and will not blame himself for leaving Southern Chu. Showing an extremely gentle and happy smile, Princess Changle suddenly became sad. He and she could not have a future. She lowered her head and wanted to leave this place almost immediately. At this time, the emperor Li Yuan said happily: "Good archery."
In the second archery match, Qin Qing pierced Yang with a hundred steps, and the arrow hit the red heart. Xiahou Yuanfeng also showed no signs of weakness. In the end, the two tied for the first place. Qin Qing was very unconvinced. Since the emperor has already assessed it like this, he has no choice but to accept it.
Li Zhi shook his head slightly. He had been in the army for a long time and knew that shooting a target like this was easy, but if it was a horse-shooting, it would not be so easy, but this is a martial arts exercise, not a military competition, so of course there was nothing he could do. Archery should still be tested on horseback. In our army, when scouts report the military situation, they need to use bows and arrows, five hundred paces away, and fly on horseback. , such an archery competition is useless."
I am speechless, no wonder King Yong's soldiers are known to the world.
The emperor and the queen looked at the silent Princess Changle and were a little worried. The queen asked in a low voice, "Changle, it's really good for Aijia to see that Xiahou's child, don't you like it?"
Concubine Changsun hurriedly said: "Zhen'er, if you don't like him, Wei Ying, Qin Qing and other young talents, no matter which one you like, your father and emperor will not stop him."
Princess Changle remained silent, Li Yuan smiled and said, "There is still a competition, maybe Changle will have a favorite candidate." But his smile was a little reluctant. She must have seen the objection in Princess Changle's silence.
At this time, on the martial field below, Xiahou Yuanfeng stood opposite a young man in black. The figure is similar to Xiahou Yuanfeng, not like Xiahou's posture like a jade tree in the wind. He has a fierce aura all over his body, as if his body contains explosive power, and every move is as elegant as a black panther.
I looked at the young man in black with admiration in my heart and asked, "His Royal Highness, who is this person?"
Li Zhi said: "His name is Pei Yun, he was a pioneer and brave general under the command of King Qi, and a lay disciple of Shaolin. It is said that this person is outstanding in martial arts. A few years ago, his two brothers were killed in battle. His father, Zhongshu Shilang Pei Sincerely, the emperor asked him to be transferred back to Beijing. The emperor felt that the Pei family only had cigarettes of this line, so he ordered him to return. Now he is the commander of the Beiying camp of the forbidden army. I love him, but he has a weird temperament and doesn't like to interact with people. If it wasn't for this, I'm afraid he would also be the consort chosen by the royal father. It is said that he participated in this competition because of Xiahou Yuanfeng, because this person is known as the first master of the forbidden army. It is said that he and Xiahou Yuanfeng are the No. 1 young masters in Chang'an, and there is a lot of controversy. Usually, they are limited by their identities and cannot compete. This time, I took the opportunity to compete."
I looked at Xiao Shunzi and asked, "You saw the competition in front of them, who do you think is more likely to win."
Xiao Shunzi said indifferently: "Pei Yun is a Shaolin master, I think he may be practicing the invincible vajra power among the seventy-two stunts, and he has already gained 70% of the heat. In another ten years, Xiahou Yuanfeng will definitely not be him. opponent."
Li Zhi heard the words and said, "So now he is not as good as Xiahou Yuanfeng?"
Xiao Shunzi said, "His Royal Highness, Xiahou Yuanfeng's martial arts skills are feminine, so he enters the world very quickly, but he will inevitably suffer many setbacks in the later stage. If he does not have extraordinary intelligence and perseverance, he can only I am afraid that it will be difficult to reach the peak, so now his martial arts are stronger than Pei Yun, but it is not easy to win, because the competition depends on various factors. Since Pei Yun is a warrior in the field, he is more calm and decisive than ordinary people, so this time he won The defeat should be the number of four or six, and Pei Yun still has a chance."
At this time, the two of them saluted each other and started to fight. Xiahou Yuanfeng used a sword, and Pei Yun used a knife. Although I didn’t know martial arts, I also felt that the sword in Xiahou Yuanfeng’s hand was light and moving, and the whole field was full of people. It's snow dancing, but Pei Yun's swordsmanship is steady and steady, and he guards it very closely.
Xiao Shunzi looked very seriously, his eyes were very hot, I couldn't help asking: "How is it? Who has the upper hand now?"
Xiao Shunzi replied: "Pei Yunzhi is the Liuhe swordsmanship, which is a direct line of Shaolin swordsmanship. It is very different from the outside world. It has reached the point of perfection. The handed down is broad and profound. Although Pei Yun is very stable, if he can't fight back, it is of no use. I think Xiahou Yuanfeng's internal strength is also very pure, and I am afraid that he will not be powerless."
At this time, Pei Yun suddenly shouted, and the sword technique changed, and the sword technique became fierce and fierce, but it still had a hint of compassion. This kind of contradiction made people look thoughtful. Xiao Shunzi said in surprise, "This is the Shaolin's secret Asura sword technique. Using Asura means to achieve a compassionate heart, it is really extraordinary." For a while, the sword shadow and sword light on the field was brilliant and brilliant, but a strong bloody meaning emerged. . At this time, Xiahou Yuanfeng jumped up, flipped in the air, slashed down with a sword, and Pei Yun's long knife was raised, and he took the sword abruptly. Although Xiahou Yuanfeng was condescending, he did not occupy the It was not cheap at all, he bounced up again, and saw that his body was as strong as a goshawk, floating in the sea of swords and blades of Pei Yun, fighting like goshawks and rabbits, coming and going like spring swallows, and all the people watching the battle were It's loud applause. Pei Yun was forced to parry from left to right and was in a hurry. At this time, Xiahou Yuanfeng was unable to fight for a long time and seemed extremely angry. Suddenly, his sword and his body joined together, stabbing at Pei Yun like lightning. Yuan Feng did his best, but Pei Yun was a little hasty. With a crisp sound, the long knife was broken. Xiahou Yuanfeng passed by Pei Yun, but his figure turned strangely. The streamer movie pierced Pei Yun's heart. There was only a broken knife in Pei Yun's hand. There was a burst of exclamations in the field. Pei Yun's face was condensed. The figure is separated, Xiahou Yuanfeng's face is gloomy and cold, which makes his beautiful face a little pale, while Pei Yun's sleeves are like butterflies flying, and his skin color is faintly golden under his forearms, but he is unscathed.
At this moment, the gong sounded from the Guanwu Building, and after a while, an eunuch came down to deliver an edict, saying that His Majesty had an order, Pei Yun's weapon was broken, and it was regarded as a defeat. Although Xiahou Yuanfeng won, but his expression was vaguely unhappy, he stepped forward to give a decree to thank him. Pei Yun's expression was indifferent, and he retreated after receiving the decree.
This is the end of Dayong's martial arts event. Xiahou Yuanfeng took the lead with two firsts and one second, and Wei Ying and Qin Qing also had one first, which was also satisfactory, but it was not enough. To my surprise and King Yong's expectations, the emperor did not announce the result of choosing a son-in-law, nor did he even announce the reward that should be given. What exactly is going on