The two were getting closer and closer, and soon Zhao Hongzhuang was only half a horse's length behind.
Gong Yangteng turned his head and a look of helplessness appeared on his face.
As a member of the Gongyang family, he raced horses with Zhao Hongzhuang many times.
The two people's horses are of the same bloodline and have similar strength. Gong Yangteng's riding skills are better than Zhao Hongzhuang's, especially in horse fighting. Even without the power of a scholar, he can easily defeat ten Zhao Hongzhuangs. After all, he has been on the battlefield.
But now the two sides are just racing, and the advantage of being 70 kilograms lighter is far greater than the advantage of being one step ahead in riding skills.
Gong Yangteng looked back and saw unprecedented concentration and desire in Zhao Hongzhuang's eyes.
As a good friend of Zhao Hongzhuang, Gong Yangteng knew very well that Zhao Hongzhuang was a unique woman and a persistent scholar. She had studied much harder than her peers since she was a child, and practiced the six arts of a gentleman more diligently than any other man.
Gong Yangteng still remembers that many years ago, Xuanzong held the hands of the late emperor and Zhao Hongzhuang and her brother and sister to attend a literary gathering where only the wealthy families and the royal family in the capital were qualified to participate.
Zhao Hongzhuang, who was seven years old at the time, was very strong-willed. Although women were not allowed to write poems at the literary meeting, she relied on Xuanzong's favor to rush forward, snatched the pen from a boy, and wrote an extremely outstanding poem, surpassing many of her peers.
An old scholar who favored boys over girls was unhappy and asked her why she studied so hard.
Zhao Hongzhuang raised her head and answered: "If women could take the imperial examination, they wouldn't have to sharpen their weapons before the battle."
All the adults burst into laughter at that time, and some children also laughed. However, Gong Yangteng, who was three years older than Zhao Hongzhuang, felt that Zhao Hongzhuang was extraordinary and always kept it in mind, because he was the boy whose pen was taken away by Zhao Hongzhuang.
One was a princess of the royal family, and the other was a child of an aristocratic family. The two of them had interactions from time to time. Gong Yangteng often heard about Zhao Hongzhuang and knew that she often answered questions after the imperial examination. Then, compared with the poems and essays of the last admitted candidate, she often said, "Nothing special."
Five years ago, one of her best friends gave up her studies and married someone far away. A year later, the woman committed suicide by jumping into a well.
Not long after, Zhao Hongzhuang received a letter written in blood from her close friend before her death.
I hate that I wasn't born a man! Hate! Hate! Hate!
From then on, Zhao Hongzhuang never did any imperial examination questions again, and never said "nothing more than that" again.
Gong Yangteng often heard the women in the Women's Society vent their anger and say "If I were a man", what would I do? But Zhao Hongzhuang never said that. She only said that one day, all women in the world would be able to take the imperial examination!
Many people have advised Zhao Hongzhuang to get married early and not spend so much time on studying. No matter who advised, she always answered with just one sentence.
"If women could take the imperial examination, wouldn't it be too late to regret?"
When Gong Yangteng first heard Zhao Hongzhuang say this, he felt that this woman was determined and not an ordinary person.
But when I heard these words again later, a faint sadness arose in my heart for no reason.
If Zhao Hongzhuang never saw the day of the imperial examination for women before her death, would she regret it
Gong Yangteng's deepest memory of Zhao Hongzhuang was a literary gathering three years ago.
At that time, a scholar once asked: "Princess Hongzhuang, do you believe in the Way of Heaven?"
Zhao Hongzhuang replied: "I don't believe in heaven."
"Why?"
"If there is a heaven, why are women punished for not being able to take the imperial examinations if they have committed no crime! Why are they punished for being inferior to men!"
The room was full of men, and there was complete silence.
Gong Yangteng still remembers Zhao Hongzhuang's sonorous and powerful voice.
Gong Yangteng was a successful candidate. He had undergone three baptisms of talent and was extremely strong. He felt tired after galloping for 300 miles. However, Zhao Hongzhuang was not only petite, but also had not undergone any talent baptism. Her health was far inferior to his.
Zhao Hongzhuang was lying on the horse, her hair was disheveled, her breathing was rapid, and her face was sweating profusely. Dust kept getting on her face, and the sweat washed away the dust, leaving streaks of mud on her face.
She could no longer sit still, her hands had no strength left, but her strong will allowed her to hold the reins tightly.
In Gong Yangteng's mind, Zhao Hongzhuang on the horse overlapped with the girl who snatched his brush that year, and turned into the same woman in red.
She was born innocent and suffered injustice, but she never gave up!
Gong Yangteng sighed softly.
At this moment, we are only one mile away from Tongshan.
"Gee!" Zhao Hongzhuang gritted her teeth and shouted, her whole body suddenly filled with endless strength, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Even if the law of heaven comes, she can't bow her head!
"She's... better than me."
Gong Yangteng did not try to give in deliberately and also made the final sprint, but he clearly felt that his Jiao horse was getting tired. As long as he could mobilize some of the vitality of heaven and earth, the problem could be solved, but now he could do nothing.
A red figure was flying between heaven and earth, and the man in black was running side by side with her.
Fang Yun stood in front, and there was a line drawn on the ground with the True Dragon Ancient Sword.
"drive!"
"drive!"
The two rushed to the finish line together.
Zhao Hongzhuang was three inches ahead of Gong Yangteng, less than half a horse's head in length.
But one breath after crossing the finish line, Gong Yang Teng overtook, and Zhao Hongzhuang weakly let go of the reins, her body tilted, and she was about to roll down.
An invisible force fell on Zhao Hongzhuang, and the charging dragon horse was actually fixed in place.
Fang Yun thanked the guardian scholar, flew over and picked up Zhao Hongzhuang, then flew to the other side, took out the recommended bedding from the Yinjiangbei, and put her on it.
Zhao Hongzhuang sat up quickly, her lips were pale, her face was covered with sweat and mud, and there was a lingering light in her eyes.
"Who will be the champion?"
Fang Yun smiled and said, "You are the female champion, leading by half a head."
Zhao Hongzhuang smiled brilliantly, her white teeth were neatly arranged, her eyes were curved, and the joy in her eyes was enough to melt the early winter.
Gong Yangteng, who was riding back on his horse, muttered quietly: "If it were a few miles further, I would definitely be the champion."
As he spoke, there was a faint smile on his face, and his eyes when he looked at Zhao Hongzhuang and Fang Yun were brighter than the sun.
Others arrived one after another, and the top three were confirmed, with some people starting to slow down before they reached the finish line.
A woman saw Zhao Hongzhuang lying on the bed and shouted at Gong Yangteng: "Sister-in-law likes Princess Hongzhuang the most. If you hurt her, how will you explain it when you get home?"
When Gong Yangteng heard people mention his wife, a comfortable smile spread across his face, and he said, "Your Highness Princess Hongzhuang is fine, my wife won't blame me."
When all the members were present, Fang Yun took out the treasure from the Yinjiang Berries and gave it to the first three people.
Zhao Hongzhuang carefully put away the Wenbao pen.
After sending out the literary treasure, Fang Yun looked towards Tongshan, which was all yellow.
Tongshan is the general name for many mountains, stretching for thousands of miles.
Before the founding of Jing State, a small group of more than 300 barbarians got lost and ended up in Tongshan, where they had a fierce battle with the nearby defenders. In the end, the human race wiped out the barbarians at the cost of more than 3,000 people.
In order to commemorate the fallen heroes, the Mizhou military built a small checkpoint to the north of Tongshan.
This place already belongs to the territory of Mizhou, and ten miles away from Tongshan there is a county called Hong County, where Liushan served as the county magistrate. It has always been regarded by the Zuo Xiang party as the place where Liushan made his fortune.
.(To be continued..)