Princess Yannian was born to Empress Wen, and was the only legitimate princess of Emperor Zhou. Therefore, she was very favored. Recently, the Empress Dowager's health was getting worse, and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau said that a wedding was needed. Princess Yannian happened to be unmarried and had reached the age to get married, so Emperor Zhou held such a martial arts competition to recruit a husband.
At noon today, the Emperor and Empress, along with the civil and military officials and royal family members, arrived at the Sifang Tower to personally select a consort for the princess. In addition, envoys from neighboring foreign countries all came, and it was obvious that they all had their eyes on Princess Yannian.
Rong Xuan sat in the swaying carriage, and could not remember how Nalan Chun dragged him up. He placed his sword across his knees, and looked up at the young man in brocade clothes opposite him: "Prince of Ruling, I am just a commoner, and I am not worthy of the princess. I am afraid that I will disappoint your kindness."
Nalan Chun waved his hands quickly: "Sir, there is no need to be modest. Even if you don't go to the competition, it's good to just watch the excitement."
Compared to Rong Xuan's indifference, Rong Zhengqing was very interested and kept asking, "What does the princess look like?"
Nalan Chun gave a thumbs up: "She is as pretty as a fairy!"
Rong Zhengqing asked again: "What is his character like?"
Nalan Chun gave another thumbs up: "Gentle and virtuous!"
The more Rong Zhengqing listened, the more satisfied he became: "What will happen?"
Nalan Chun made a gesture of playing the zither and boasted to the heavens and the earth: "I know everything about zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. I am also proficient in archery, horse riding and swordplay!"
Rong Xuan sat aside with his arms folded, quietly watching Nalan Chun bragging. Zhao Yannian was a character he wrote, so Rong Xuan himself didn't know what kind of personality she had. Although the other party was as beautiful as a fairy, she was born stupid and had few ideas. Not to mention playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, even recognizing words was a problem.
As they were talking, the carriage had already stopped at the entrance of the Sifang Building. When they lifted the curtain, they saw that the entrance was full of imperial guards. Anyone entering had to be searched and was not allowed to carry any hidden weapons.
Rong Zhengqing jumped off the carriage and frowned, "Didn't you say we were going to have a martial arts competition to win a bride? How can we have a competition if we've handed in our weapons?"
Nalan Chun explained, "For the sake of your majesty's safety, no weapons can be seen within three feet of your majesty, so those who participate in the competition can only fight with wooden swords."
This rule also ensures the fairness of the competition in a certain sense. After all, if the swordsmanship is at the same level, the one with the sharper weapon will definitely be better. A peerless sword can even make the swordsman's strength leap to a higher level.
There are at least hundreds of people participating in the competition today. Among them are rich and poor, noble and humble, and their weapons are naturally varied. Using a wooden sword is the easiest way to test their true level.
Rong Zhengqing thought so too, and handed over his sword without hesitation. He had already reached the first level, and the sword was in his heart. He could kill people by picking flowers and leaves, so it was no longer important to him whether he had a sword or not.
Rong Xuan calmly looked at the crowd around him and found that there were many people wearing foreign clothes. It seemed that in order to increase the chances of being selected, each country secretly sent a lot of people. Among the swordsmen participating in this competition, Xiliang, Wei, and Jiang each accounted for a small half. Only Yan did not send an envoy to propose marriage because of the awkward relationship.
But that's all, it has nothing to do with me, just watch the fun...
Rong Xuan handed in his sword and entered the Sifang Building under the guidance of Nalan Chun. The royal family members all had their own rooms upstairs. Nalan Chun was the prince's cousin, and his seat was right next to the prince's. He warmly invited Rong Xuan to take a seat and introduced him, "The emperor and empress and envoys from various countries will arrive in a few moments, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will also come. He is eager to seek talents, and he will be overjoyed to see you."
Nalan Chun and Crown Prince Zhao Su grew up together and have an extraordinary relationship. Strictly speaking, they are considered members of the Prince's Party.
Rong Xuan just took a sip of tea, shook the cup lightly, and smiled: "I am a man from the countryside, I dare not call myself a wise man. If the young prince really wants to thank you, this cup of tea will be your thank you gift."
He refused again and again, obviously not interested in the court. Nalan Chun was not angry, but felt that he was of noble character: "Well, if you don't like it, then I won't say anything. But you saved me, so if you need anything in the future, just ask, I will never refuse!"
Although Nalan Chun was a mischievous bastard, he had a clear distinction between gratitude and resentment. Since he could say such words, he must be sincere.
Rong Xuan offered him a glass of tea instead of wine: "Thank you."
Nalan Chun chuckled, scratched his head and stopped talking.
They were located close to the guardrail, with a thin veil hanging from above to hide their faces, and looking down at the bottom of the building they saw a large, empty martial arts arena.
Rong Xuan found that there was also a private room on the opposite side of the building. He raised his hand to lift the curtain, took a look across, and couldn't help but ask, "Who is across the street?"
Nalan Chun said, "They are probably nobles and envoys from various countries. But not all of them will come, as several of them have called in sick."
Rong Xuan nodded, said nothing more, lowered the half-lifted curtain, and waited quietly for the competition to begin.
Less than half an incense stick of time had passed when another carriage with luxurious decorations swayed and stopped in front of the Sifang Building. A man dressed in the clothes of the Northern Yan royal family came out from inside with his back bent. He was wearing a moon-white brocade robe, with a mountain and sea swallow pattern embroidered on the hem with silver thread, a gauze dress on the outside, and a jade belt around his waist. He had a slender and upright figure, and a clear and beautiful appearance. When he looked around, there was a dot of cinnabar on his forehead, which was very attractive. It was Ji Fan.
He was a hostage of the State of Yan, and had seldom been in the limelight since he entered the State of Zhou. He stayed in seclusion in Shengjing City, not showing off, but he was very popular. As soon as he got off the carriage, many noble officials saw him and bowed to him from a distance.
Ji Fan, who always showed a gentle manner to others, smiled slightly when he saw this, and nodded in return, but the smile did not reach his eyes. Then he led his servants into the Sifang Building, and a closer look made people feel a little unpredictable.
"This Prince Yan is quite resourceful..."
Prince Zhao Su sat in the sedan chair, and saw all this through the curtain. He murmured to himself, lowered his eyes, and wondered what he was thinking. Seeing that people from outside had entered in twos and threes, he lifted the curtain and stepped out of his overly simple sedan chair. The surrounding imperial guards knelt down and greeted him in unison.
"Greetings to the prince!"
The people outside the door were about to say hello, but Zhao Su raised his hand to stop them: "Forget it, there is no need to alarm. The Emperor and Empress are coming soon, so get ready quickly."
Zhao Su went upstairs without asking anyone to lead the way. He was originally going to visit Juxian Pavilion today, but he was tripped up by other things and could not get away. Hearing that the Prince of Ruling and Liu Jian were coming to fight in the street, he could not help but feel worried, fearing that the other party would be injured. Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked into the wing room, he saw Nalan Chun whispering with a noble young man in white, and there was a middle-aged man sitting next to him who was not very conspicuous.
The attendants on both sides saw Zhao Su and immediately bowed and greeted him: "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Nalan Chun heard the noise and subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice. Seeing that it was Zhao Su, he immediately said in surprise: "Zhao Su, come quickly. I want to introduce two masters to you today. They just saved my life."
Judging from the tone, it was obvious that they were very familiar with each other.
When Rong Xuan heard the word "Crown Prince", his ears moved. He turned around and saw a man in a bright yellow python robe standing at the door. He was well-proportioned and looked polite. He looked like a crimson cloud in the sky or a breeze in the mountains. He didn't look like a member of the royal family, but more like an idle scholar in the mountains.
Rong Xuan looked at her inconspicuously and thought she was a beauty, but...
I always feel that I am still a little bit inferior to Ji Fan...
He and Rong Zhengqing stood up and bowed gracefully: "I greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Nalan Chun pointed at Rong Xuan and introduced him, "This is Mr. Rong Xuanrong. Today, I was ambushed by that kid Liu Jianlai, and he was the one who saved me."
He was afraid that the prince would look down on Rong Xuan, so he reached into his sleeve inconspicuously and made the number "two".
Second level swordsmanship.
Zhao Su's pupils shrank when he saw this, and he couldn't help but be secretly surprised. How could the man in front of him be a second-level swordsman at such a young age
However, this was not the end. Nalan Chun pointed at Rong Zhengqing and introduced him with great praise: "This old man Rong is the father of Mr. Rong, a first-class hero!"
This time he hesitated for a moment, then made a "two" with his hand in his sleeve, then retracted it and made a "one" with his hand.
Upper second rank, lower first rank, a master who is half way into the realm of perfection.
The first-grade sword was too sensational, and Nalan Chun didn't dare to guess any higher.
Rong Zhengqing laughed when he heard his words: "What kind of heroic hero is this? He is just a country bumpkin."
After he finished speaking, he held his sword and bowed to Zhao Su, which was considered a courtesy. Then he turned around and continued to stare at the door, wanting to see when the princess would come, as if he was choosing a daughter-in-law.
Zhao Su thought that Nalan Chun usually made friends with bad people, how could he know such a famous scholar and master. The second-grade sword was already strange enough, and there was even a first-grade sword. He must be stupid and fooled. But Rong Zhengqing and Rong Xuan did not look like charlatans, so he could only suppress his doubts for the time being.
"Ah-chun and I are cousins, and I have heard about today's martial arts competition. He has always been reckless, so thank you both for your help. Today, the Imperial Sister Yannian is selecting a consort, so let's have fun together."
Zhao Su's words were beautiful, neither too enthusiastic nor too cold, quite like a prince. Rong Xuan did not refuse and took a seat.
Crown Prince Zhao Su sat in the main seat, with Nalan Chun on his right and the Rong family father and son on his left.
As soon as Nalan Chun saw Zhao Su's attitude, he knew what he was thinking. He tugged at Zhao Su's sleeve and said in a low voice, "This is a real master. Don't treat him as a charlatan, or I will be angry!"
The prince glanced at him and frowned slightly: "I haven't settled the score with you for the duel with Liu Jianlai yet. If this gets to my aunt's ears, let's see how you end up."
After saying this, he pulled out his sleeves and warned in a deep voice: "Don't pull and tug in public, it's not decent."
Nalan Chun disagreed: "You are not a girl, why do you have to follow so many rules as a grown man?"
The prince's face darkened.
Rong Xuan almost laughed out loud when he heard this, thinking that the prince was just a girl in disguise. Emperor Zhou was obsessed with the art of longevity, and in order to preserve his essence, he had not set foot in the harem for many years. Empress Wen was not favored. She finally got pregnant with twins, but she didn't expect that they were both princesses. In order to maintain her position, she gritted her teeth and lied to the outside world that she had given birth to twins, and disguised her eldest daughter as a boy for several years.
The woman disguised as a man is the Crown Prince Zhao Su.
Although she has been presenting herself as a man for many years, she is still a girl at heart. Nalan Chun always likes to put her arm around others' shoulders and pull them around, so she must be scolded.
Zhao Su noticed the curve of Rong Xuan's lips, glanced at him, and suddenly asked, "Sir, why are you laughing?"
Rong Xuan remained calm: "I see heroes gathered here, all of them are the best men in the world. Princess Yannian will surely be able to choose her ideal husband. I am happy, so I am smiling."
After he said this, Zhao Su suddenly fell silent. It was because although Princess Yannian was favored, she was just a pawn used by the emperor to win over various forces. How could a fool marry far away in another country have a good ending? The prince and Zhao Yannian were born of the same mother, so naturally he was reluctant to let his sister marry far away.
Among those who came to compete today, I am afraid that the prince also sent a lot of people in order to save Zhao Yannian from suffering.
Not long after, a sharp voice that only belonged to eunuchs suddenly came from outside: "The Emperor has arrived, the Empress has arrived, all the officials kneel down and pay homage!"
The nobles who were originally laughing and chatting in the seats immediately stood up after hearing this, straightened their clothes and hats, turned around to face the box in the middle, and knelt down in unison behind the gauze curtain: "Your Majesty, we bow to you. Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long, long live the emperor—"
They bowed again and said in unison: "Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen. Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen—"
Rong Xuan could only follow suit. The square building was built in the shape of a "mouth", with the ministers sitting on the left and right, and the emperor and empress sitting at the top. He looked out through the gap in the gauze curtain and could only vaguely see two bright yellow figures in the middle with the best view, but because there was something blocking it, he couldn't see it clearly.
A middle-aged man's voice sounded in everyone's ears, with the majesty of the royal family. However, it lacked the edge and sharpness, and did not have the killing intent of an emperor, so it inevitably sounded thin and lazy: "Everyone, please stand up, no need to be polite. Today Princess Yannian is looking for a husband, and swordsmen from all sides have gathered together. I am old and my eyes are dim, so I can't help but need the help of you clansmen."
Everyone hurriedly bowed again: "We dare not."
After he finished speaking, he stood up and sat down.
Ji Fan and Rong Xuan's rooms were just opposite each other, but neither of them noticed the other. Ji Fan held a teacup with azure glaze in his hand, and was using the tea lid to lightly remove the foam, looking relaxed and leisurely. In the midst of the hot air, he heard his subordinates report that Nalan Chun and Liu Jianlai had a conflict during the martial arts competition today, and he curled his lips slightly: "Send someone to follow him."
The subordinate hesitated and asked, "Are we only following Prince Ruling? What if Liu Jian comes?"
The person they wanted to deal with was Marquis Donglin, so naturally they should start with Liu Jianlai.
Ji Fan closed his eyes calmly, hiding the coldness in his eyes: "He is just a stepson. If this one dies, another one can be adopted. Yu Donglinhou is not hurt, but it is easy to bring disaster upon himself. Nalan Chun suffered a loss today, so he will definitely not stop there. He has someone secretly following him. If he really goes to dig up the Liu family's ancestral tomb, then he will bring it to the emperor and let the two families fight."
Ji Fan came from the State of Yan, so his every move was already under great scrutiny. He would never do anything himself unless it was necessary.
The subordinate took the order and was about to do it, but he paused when he remembered something and said hesitantly, "Your Highness, the blind old lady who lives in the villa asked about her son's whereabouts today. The maid could only say that he was away on business. But the lady also asked where you were, and asked several times a day..."
Ji Fan finally opened his eyes after hearing this. After a long silence, he sighed imperceptibly, "Forget it. I knew I couldn't keep it a secret for long... Tell the maid that I will go to see her when I have time today. Also, buy some popular cakes in the capital and send them to her. Please ask the doctor to check her eye disease."
The subordinate then quietly left the compartment.
Yan Fengchen was sitting on the side, holding a large fruit plate in his arms, and was eating happily. When he heard Ji Fan say that he wanted to buy some snacks, he immediately threw away the orange peel in his hand and looked up at him. While eating, he mumbled, "Your Highness, I want some snacks too..."
Ji Fan: "Let's talk about it in three days."
Yan Fengchen curled his lips and became even more unhappy. He sat in his seat and messed around like a monkey.
Seeing this, Ji Fan wanted to scold him, but he didn't know what he remembered. He narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "There will be a thief coming to my house tonight. If you can stop him, I will count it as a great achievement and give you some snacks."
Yan Fengchen's eyes lit up when he heard this, but he said blankly: "Thief?"
Ji Fan hummed, "Thief. Just catch him, but don't harm his life."
Yan Fengchen blinked: "Flower thief?"
Ji Fan touched his forehead unconsciously when he heard this, and inevitably thought of yesterday's incident again. He closed his eyes and said, "I'm not a flower thief, but I'm better than a flower thief..."
Rong Xuan, this little bastard...
"hiss-"
Rong Xuan, who was sitting in the opposite room, felt a chill on his back for some reason, which made him shiver. But when he looked up, it was a sunny day, so why did he shiver for no reason
Rong Xuan touched his arm, lowered his eyes and looked down at the stage, and found that someone had already started to compete on stage. The opponent was wrapped in animal skins, with braided hair, a sturdy and strong foreigner, who had defeated several opponents in succession with his brute force, but the surroundings were as quiet as a chicken, and no one cheered for him.
The emperor frowned when he saw his untidy beard and said, "How can such a barbarian be worthy of the princess?"
When Empress Wen saw the big man covered in grease and shiny dirt, she felt even more troubled. She felt that even one look was too much. She did not approve of the martial arts competition to recruit a husband. If the winner was an old man, would she have to marry the princess to him? Unfortunately, her mother's family was in decline, and she did not dare to disobey the emperor, so she could only worry secretly.
Nalan Chun clicked his tongue twice: "Where did this savage come from? Has he taken a bath? Is he here to embarrass others on purpose?!"
The prince made a gesture calmly, and a moment later a handsome man came up to the ring to accept the challenge. Within a hundred moves, he knocked the barbarian off the ring.
Rong Zhengqing was excited when he saw the martial arts competition. He slapped the railing and applauded with everyone else: "What a great skill! You are already at the initial stage of the third rank at such a young age. Hmm, the young are really formidable."
But it's still a little worse than his son.
Rong Xuan shook his head slightly, neither cheering nor speaking.
Because he couldn't see through Rong Xuan, Zhao Su always unconsciously paid attention to him. Seeing this, he asked, "Mr. Rong, what do you think of that man's skills?"
Rong Xuan smiled and said, "He has enough skills, but not enough wit. The barbarian's moves are clumsy, and in fact, it can be defeated within thirty moves, but this man spent a hundred moves, which shows that he has not mastered the subtlety. If he encounters a master later, I am afraid he will not last more than three rounds..."
He hadn't finished speaking, but his meaning was clear: this man wouldn't be able to hold out until the end. After all, the people on the field now were just small fry, and the real masters hadn't shown up yet.
Rong Zhengqing said nothing, obviously agreeing.
Zhao Su disagreed in his heart and said indifferently: "Mr. Rong, it is still unknown who will win."
Nalan Chun was here to sabotage the situation: "Zhao Su, you don't know, Mr. Rong is amazing. When Chen Suhe was dueling with the Xiliang warriors, he said that Chen Suhe couldn't win, and Chen Suhe really didn't win."
Zhao Su glanced at him secretly. Although he didn't say anything, his meaning was very clear: shut up.
Rong Xuan dared to say this, in fact, there are elements of the original work. The man in the audience was actually a supporting role of some importance, his name was Li Xingluo, and he was a retainer of the crown prince Zhao Su. Although Li Xingluo was a young hero, he was defeated by Xiliang Zuo Huaiming after three rounds, and his bones were broken, which was extremely tragic.
The competition was going on in full swing. After the barbarian strongman, Li Xingluo won two more rounds. Just when Zhao Su's expression was slightly relieved, a dark-skinned man suddenly climbed onto the stage and said with a bow, "I am Zuo Huaiming from Xiliang. Please teach me!"
Xiliang, with the surname Zuo, inevitably reminds people of Zuo Qiu Nian, the first-class swordsman who lived for more than a hundred years in Xiliang.
Li Xingluo's expression was also solemn for a moment: "Li Xingluo from Baijun, please teach me."
Rong Zhengqing, who was watching the excitement from above, hummed when he heard this: "So he is from the Baijun Li family. No wonder he is so skilled. The head of the Li family is only half a step away from the first-class realm, so he can be considered a local leader."
The two men below have already started fighting, their moves are swift and their punches hit the flesh.
Rong Xuan stared at Zuo Huaiming for a moment, quickly searching his mind for the sword manuals he had read, and frowned, "His last name is Zuo, and he is in the Huai generation, so he must be a direct disciple. But his moves are feminine, which does not conform to the Zuo family's swordsmanship of big openings and big cuts. It is mixed with the scimitar skills from the Western Regions, and specializes in using the sword tip to pierce people's tendons and veins. He uses a wooden sword, which cannot pierce the tendons and veins. I'm afraid he will focus on Li Xingluo's wrist bones."
Zhao Su was shocked when he heard this. Before he could recover from his words, he heard a scream from downstairs. It turned out that Li Xingluo was careless and was hit on the wrist by Zuo Huaiming, and the wooden sword slipped out of his hand.
However, Zuo Huaiming did not stop there, but pressed on step by step, hitting Li Xingluo's weak points everywhere, which was really despicable.
Zhao Su stood up slightly, his face changed. Li Xingluo was one of the best masters among his East Palace retainers. At the very least, it was a draw, so how could he be beaten so badly by Zuo Huaiming, who was also a third-rank master? !
Rong Xuan narrowed his eyes and found a piece of gravel coming from somewhere, hitting Li Xingluo's back. He immediately understood that Zuo Huaiming was secretly protected by a "master".
Rong Zhengqing could not tolerate any sand in his eyes. He picked up a peanut from the fruit plate beside him and hit it with his hidden strength, hitting the "dark stone" exactly, making a sharp whooshing sound.
The peanut shattered the stone, brushed past Zuo Huaiming's shoulder, and went straight into the wall next to it, leaving a deep hole the size of a soybean.
The whole room in the Sifang Building was in uproar. There were many famous swordsmen among the people present, so they could see the shady lawsuit that had just happened. I didn't expect that Zuo Huaiming had asked a master to help him cheat in order to save energy!
At this moment, an old voice suddenly came from the Xiliang envoy's room, scolding Zuo Huaiming who was in a daze: "What are you doing standing there? Knock him off the stage!"
When everyone heard this, there was only one thought in their mind: the Xiliang Zuo family was so shameless!
Zuo Huaiming quickly came back to his senses after hearing this, and used his wooden sword to attack Li Xingluo's lower three positions, trying to force him off the stage. However, at this moment, a clear and serious male voice suddenly rang out from the right wing room: "Li Xingluo, use 'Horse Stepping on Flying Swallow' to avoid his killing move, and then use 'Dragon Bird Turning Back in Shock'!"
Li Xingluo was shocked when he heard this. How could this person know that "Horse Trampling Flying Swallow" and "Dragon Bird Looking Back" were the inner sword moves of his Baijun Li family? But he had no choice but to do as he was told. Seeing Zuo Huaiming coming with a sword, Li Xingluo flew up and landed directly behind him, just avoiding this killing move. Before Zuo Huaiming could turn around, Li Xingluo kicked him in the back again, and at the same time, he quickly picked up the sword with his left hand, turned his head and stabbed back, using the move "Dragon Bird Looking Back in Shock"!
This move happened to hit Zuo Huaiming's hind leg, causing him to stagger in pain and almost fall off the stage.
Everyone was shocked again. Ji Fan subconsciously looked towards the room opposite where the voice came from. He felt that the voice sounded familiar, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.