Chapter 9: A Martial Arts Competition

  In the first year of Tongtai, on the day of jiayin in the first month, Zhi, as a subordinate minister of the Duke of Yong, was listed among the officials in the grand hall of the imperial court. The Emperor of Yong summoned all the ministers for a banquet. On the second day, the emperor ordered young and talented men to compete in the arts outside the Vermilion Bird Gate. The emperor chose the best ones and rewarded them. In reality, this was done to choose a husband for Princess Chang Le. Among the many outstanding candidates, the princess only responded with silence. After the competition ended, the emperor asked the princess who she had chosen. The princess wept and said, "My husband is still alive; how can I remarry?" The emperor was initially very angry but later became gloomy. Empress Changsun was worried and tried to comfort her in many ways. The princess remained silent. Later, the empress secretly asked a palace maid, who reported that during the competition, the princess had watched from a high platform and paid no attention to anyone else except for the Duke of Yong, Sima Zhi. The empress then understood.

  The Book of Southern Chu · Biography of Jiang Suiyun

  A pair of big, black eyes stared intently at the "tall" figure, motionless, probably asleep. The little girl lay on the ground, her two small white hands crossed in front of her, using her knees to propel herself forward quickly. As she got closer and closer, her small hand suddenly grabbed for the target with lightning speed. But someone else's movements were even faster, and in a flash, her target was snatched away from her. "Ah!" The little baby cried loudly, and then a pair of hands hastily picked up the little girl, scolding and coaxing her at the same time. However, the little girl didn't give in at all until another hand placed a soft, wooden doll wrapped in silk and cotton in front of her. Only then did the little girl burst into tears and smile, hugging the doll that was almost as big as herself, babbling with joy.

  Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Xiao Shunzi said: "Young master, you don't have to always bully Miss, if the princess finds out, she will definitely blame you for being too reckless."

  I subconsciously shrunk my head, yesterday I was just intentionally holding a toy to tease Ruo Lan and exercise her reaction ability, but was called by the queen and scolded behind the curtain. Today, if the queen knew that I made Ruo Lan cry, wouldn't it be even worse? I quickly looked around, that little eavesdropper wasn't there, not there, I nodded in satisfaction. The crown prince Li Jun is about to take over the defense of Youzhou from King Yong, so he was summoned by King Yong today, this is the result of my reminder to King Yong, otherwise, this kid would always stand beside me and monitor me, yesterday it was him who reported to the queen.

  However, there is still an obstacle. I looked at Xiaoshunzi and said: "Xiaoshunzi, why don't you go take a look at the martial arts competition and see how their skills are? Who is most likely to win? This matter is very important."

  Xiao Shunzi said calmly: "Didn't Your Highness already send someone?"

  He stared at me, and I hastily said: "Don't you trust me?"

  Xiao Shunzi said meaningfully: 'Isn't the young master thinking of bullying Miss Roulan?'

  I hastily shook my head and said: 'No, no, Rouran is my treasure, how could I bully her?'

  Xiao Shunzi smiled and said, "That slave will go take a look. Young master, you must remember that if the princess gets angry, you'll probably have a good day again."

  Looking at Xiao Shunzi's back, I smiled wryly and walked towards the happily playing Ruo Lan, saying: "Little Blue, Daddy is here to play with you."

  The little girl didn't know she was in danger, lifted her head, threw down the doll, opened her arms and asked me to hug her. I was stunned, a warm current surged from my heart, and I couldn't help but pick her up, kissing her small face like an apple. She babbled for half a day, calling out "Daddy". I couldn't bear the joy in my heart, picked her up and spun around several times, the silvery laughter ringing out, this was Rong Lan's favorite game after all.

  I stole a half-day's leisure, and walked into the Yong King's study with a comfortable mood. The Yong King was indeed still there reading official documents, his expression was calm, but subtly showing discontent.

  I stepped forward and bowed, saying: "Your Highness, I don't know what's going on outside right now."

  Li Zai raised his head and saw me, his expression relaxed, saying: 'Su Yun, who do you think would be better suited to be the son-in-law of Chang Le?'

  I thought for a moment and said: 'As far as I know, Wei Kuang, Qin Qing, and Xiahou Yuanfeng are among the best. I haven't been in Chang'an for long, so I don't know who is more suitable.'

  That day, after returning to the Yong Wang Fu, Li Zuo told me that this martial arts performance was purposeful. It turned out that Li Yuan had been thinking of making up for Princess Chang Le, so he wanted to choose a son-in-law for her. However, since the ruler of Southern Chu, Zhao Jia, was still in Chang'an, Li Yuan couldn't openly choose a son-in-law, so he borrowed the name of the martial arts performance to let Empress Changsun and Princess Chang Le take a look at the young heroes of Da Yong. They wanted to find someone with good looks and character to be their son-in-law. This news was very secretive, and apart from the few ladies in the palace, no one knew the truth. Li Zuo had learned about it from his wife, Consort Gao. In recent years, Empress Changsun's knees were empty, and Consort Gao was virtuous and filial. Li Zuo had also proposed a plan to separate them, causing Princess Chang Le to be married far away, so he often let Consort Gao enter the palace to visit the empress. Over the years, the two had become like mother and daughter, which is why Empress Changsun asked for Consort Gao's opinion.

  I didn't mention the Empress to Yong Wang, but from the moment I knew the purpose of this martial performance, I was extremely annoyed. It wasn't because Da Yong completely disregarded the existence of State Master Zhao Jia, because from start to finish, Princess Chang Le had never shown true affection for the State Master. In fact, I even suspected that Princess Chang Le's miscarriage back then was also intentional. Although I sympathized with Princess Chang Le's situation, I didn't approve of her actions. No matter what, the State Master was still alive, and she couldn't be so hasty about remarrying. At least she should wait until there was no longer a nominal relationship between them before remarrying. In reality, I had been extremely angry, but if it weren't for Ruo Lan's presence soothing my heart, I would have probably exploded in anger already. After calming down, I thought to myself, forget it, Princess Chang Le is the favored daughter of Heaven, why should I think too highly of her? Maybe it was because of her elaborate makeup and pearl tears on her wedding day, or her gentle and charming demeanor when we met at the imperial palace that made me feel sympathetic and affectionate towards her.

  Now King Yong asked me, I will try to use an objective tone to comment on the impact of this matter.

  I took a glance at the Yong King's expression and said: "The emperor's favor towards the princess is, in the eyes of those with intentions, a bridge. If the princess marries someone unsuitable, not only will it be unfavorable to Your Highness now, but also hurt the princess's heart in the future. In this case, I fear that Your Highness will never gain the understanding of the emperor and the noble queen. The best possibility is, of course, for the princess to marry someone who belongs to your faction. Next would be marrying someone from a neutral side. Although I am not very clear about the actual inclinations of these people, General Qin's neutrality is certain. If the princess marries Qin Qing, it might be the best choice."

  Li Zai's face showed a joyful expression, but he then said: "You don't mind Qin Qing's humiliation towards you, and I must say that I admire your impartiality. However, it's unlikely that Qin Qing will succeed. In the past, he and Chang Le were childhood sweethearts, and if not for Chang Le being married off to a distant land, he might have already become the imperial son-in-law. But I asked the queen to ask the empress dowager about her intentions, and she said that when Chang Le was first married off, Qin Qing had asked her to elope with him, but she refused. At the time, Chang Le told him: 'As a princess of the imperial family, I have received the kindness of the people, how can I abandon my duties to the country and the royal family? If I were to run away, it would not only damage the reputation of the imperial family, but also hurt the emperor's and empress dowager's hearts. Even if the emperor were to marry off another princess, it would still be seen as a lack of sincerity, causing the people of South Chu to lose faith, and the alliance between the two countries would fail, leading to endless troubles.' The emperor and empress dowager both knew about this matter, but they spared Qin Qing's face out of consideration for General Qin, and also pitied Chang Le, so they didn't punish him. Now, Qin Qing wants to make amends with Chang Le through the grand ceremony of selecting a son-in-law, but Chang Le has firmly refused. This is something that outsiders don't know about yet. However, it's likely that Qin Qing will be disappointed."

  Although I don't understand why Princess Chang Le refused Qin Qing, the current situation is that we have to consider the adults. After some thought, she said: 'Xia Hou Yuanfeng is talented and handsome, but he may not be able to cater to the princess's every need, and his father is also a bit of an issue. Although Wei Guan leans towards the crown prince, it's not like he would go against the rules for no reason. Wei Xian has good character, if the princess can get this good match, she should be happy.'

  King Yong sighed and said, "I also think so, but the rumors say that Crown Prince Li Bao protected Xia Hou. He even moved the Empress Dowager to speak, saying that Xia Hou was talented and handsome, not involved in court struggles, and could take good care of the princess. He also said that Xia Hou fell deeply in love with the princess at first sight and would never turn against her because of past events. Wei Ying is a dragon among men, his future career will be brilliant, if he were to reject the princess, it would be a disaster, the Empress Dowager also spoke for him, seemingly intending to marry Xia Hou, and the Emperor also favored Xia Hou's Zhifeng, seemingly with a hint of permission."

  I said with a serious expression: 'Unless the prince intends to obtain the princess's power, the princess is favored, and everyone in the world knows that if Xia Hou borrows the princess's power, I'm afraid this person cannot be stopped.'

  Li Zai sighed and said: "I also wanted to send someone, but first of all, I have many brave generals under my command, however, it's hard to find someone with both literary and military talents, who is also handsome. Even if there are a few, they don't come from a high enough background. Moreover, if I were to send someone, Qin Qing would probably be the first to oppose it, regardless of whether it succeeds or not. It would offend Qin Qing... Besides..." Li Zai wanted to continue but stopped, and I added: "It would also make people think that Your Highness is greedy for the princess's power and doesn't care about brotherly love."

  Li Zai let out a series of bitter laughs, looking at me and saying: "Although I don't want to interfere with Chang Le's happiness, if she marries Xia Hou Yufeng, it would be detrimental to me. What do you think this king should do?"

  I bowed my head and thought for a moment, then said: "Your Highness doesn't have to worry, no matter what the Emperor and Empress think, it's still up to the Princess herself. The Noble Consort's opinion will also influence the Princess. Why don't you ask the Queen to advise the Noble Consort? I think the Noble Consort won't be at ease with the Princess marrying Xia Hou either, after all he's too young and not steady enough. The Princess has gone through a lot of hardships and needs someone gentle, considerate, steady and dignified to take care of her."

  Li Zai was overjoyed and said, "That's right, to be honest, even if we don't consider other things, I wouldn't let Chang Le marry Xia Houyuefeng either. He's too young and not stable enough."

  On the fourth day, outside the Zhuque Gate, the martial arts performance had reached a critical moment. Yesterday's preliminary round was over, and today was the day to compete for the top prize. On the spacious grounds in front of the gate, it was a fierce competition, while on the west side of the performance hall, the Emperor, Empress, and Consort Changsun were watching the martial arts performance with Princess Changle. The other consorts sat behind them, and these palace ladies rarely had the opportunity to come out, so they were all excited and enthusiastic.

  At this time, it was the last horse racing event. Among the participants, Wei Xian and Xia Houyuefeng were the most popular winners. Wei Xian's sweat-blooded horse and Xia Houyuefeng's big Yanliang horse were both good horses. Although Xia Houyuefeng's horse was slightly inferior, his riding skills surpassed Wei Xian, so the outcome was uncertain.

  As soon as the red flag was raised, both of them rushed out in front, leaving all other horses far behind. When they reached the end of the track, they turned back, and Xia Houyuefeng took the lead with his excellent horsemanship. However, Wei Xian didn't fall behind, and with the power of his sweat-blooded horse, he caught up again.

  In the final sprint stage, both riders gave their all, but in the end, Wei Xian emerged victorious, becoming the champion of the first event.

  The Empress smiled and said: "Wei Langzhong is indeed a man of both literary and military talents, but I still think he's more suitable for Zhen'er."

  The queen said: "Actually, Yuanfeng is not bad either. If the horse wasn't a little worse, he might have even surpassed Weizheng! Moreover, he participated in all three rounds and took second place every time, which isn't easy."

  Li Yuan also nodded and said: "Xia Hou is indeed a young hero, but Wei Yi's character is upright and dignified, with both literary and military talents, he is also not a bad choice."

  The Empress Dowager Changsun was somewhat worried, she looked at Princess Changle, but saw that the princess had no joy on her face, and was only silently watching the martial performance.

  At this time, Concubine Yan suddenly said: "Your Majesty, Crown Prince and Prince Yong have arrived."

  The Empress Longsun looked out and saw that the Crown Prince Li An and the King of Yong, Li Zai, were both dressed in casual attire. There was a special seat prepared for them under the Observation Tower, but they had not shown up personally for the past two days. Today, however, they both arrived unexpectedly. When Princess Chang Le heard that the King of Yong had come, she couldn't help but look over and saw him standing beside the king. He was still wearing a green robe and looked refined and elegant. He sat next to his second brother, laughing and chatting, while behind him stood a handsome and slender young man in a green robe, who seemed to have sensed her gaze and gave her a cold glance. The icy stare made Princess Chang Le's heart skip a beat, as if she had seen those eyes before, and met someone with that temperament. At this moment, the young man stepped forward to pour tea for him, although they were on different levels of the tower, but not too far apart, Princess Chang Le clearly saw his pale hands, her heart almost leapt out of her chest, it was him, it was him! She looked again at the elegant face in her memory, could it be that he was the one who had let her go? If it were really him, then Princess Chang Le wouldn't be surprised why he would spare her life. She still remembered their only meeting, and the poem he sent to the palace, she vaguely felt that this refined young man had long understood her feelings and sorrows, and wouldn't blame her for leaving Nan Chu. With an extremely gentle and joyful smile, Princess Chang Le suddenly became sad, she and he could never have a future together. Lowering her head, she almost wanted to leave the place immediately. At this moment, Emperor Li Yuan exclaimed: "Good archery!"

  The second round of archery, Qin Qing shot a hundred paces through the poplar trees, every arrow hitting the red heart. Xia Houyuan was also not weak at all. In the end, both of them tied for first place. Qin Qing was very dissatisfied. If it were really on the battlefield, the situation would not be like this. However, since the Emperor had already made such an evaluation, he could only reluctantly accept it.

  Li Zai slightly shook his head. Having been in the military for a long time, he knew that shooting at targets was easy, but if it were horseback archery, it wouldn't be so simple. However, this was a martial performance, not a major competition in the military, so there was nothing to be done about it. He said to Jiang Zhe: "If we're going to have an archery competition, we should test horseback archery. In our army, scouts report back on military intelligence with bows and arrows, from over 500 paces away, riding horses and shooting while flying. We must shoot the signal arrow carrying the information onto the target outside the main camp. This kind of archery competition is useless."

  I am tongue-tied and cannot go further; no wonder King Xiang of Yong's troops are excellent, known throughout the land.

  The Emperor and Empress looked at the silent Princess Chang Le, somewhat worried. The Empress asked in a low voice: "Chang Le, I think that child of Xia Hou is quite good, don't you like him?"

  The Empress Dowager Changsun hastily said: "Zhen'er, if you don't like him, Wei Kuang, Qin Qing and other young talents, no matter which one you like, your father the Emperor will not stop you."

  Princess Changle remained silent, and Li Yuan smiled: "There's still another test, perhaps Changle will have a satisfactory candidate." However, his smile was somewhat forced. Presumably he saw the opposition in Princess Changle's silence.

  At this time, on the martial arts arena below, Xiahou Yuanfeng and a black-clad youth stood facing each other. The black-clad youth had a sharp and angular face, calm and indifferent. His physique was similar to Xiahou's, but unlike Xiahou, who had a slender figure like a jade tree in the wind, he exuded a fierce aura all over his body, as if his entire being contained explosive power, yet every move he made was as elegant as a black panther.

  I looked at the young man in black and was full of admiration. I asked: "Your Highness, who is this person?"

  Li Zai said: 'His name is Pei Yun, he was once a vanguard general under the banner of King Qi, and a secular disciple of Shaolin. It's said that his martial arts skills are exceptional. A few years ago, both of his older brothers died in battle, and his father, the Minister of Rites Pei Jing, petitioned the Emperor to recall him back to the capital. The Emperor sympathized with the Pei family's only remaining heir, so he issued a special edict recalling him. Now he is the commander of the Northern Garrison of the Imperial Guard. This man is loyal and brave, deeply favored by the Emperor and General Qin. However, his personality is somewhat eccentric, and he doesn't like to interact with people. If not for this, he might have also been considered as a potential son-in-law by the Emperor. He participated in this tournament because of Xia Hou Yuanfeng, who has always been known as the number one martial artist of the Imperial Guard. There's been much debate over who is the top young martial artist in Chang'an between him and Xia Hou Yuanfeng. Normally, due to their status, they couldn't engage in a martial arts competition, but this time he took the opportunity to compete.'

  I looked at Xiao Shunzi and asked: 'You watched their previous matches, who do you think is more likely to win?'

  Xiao Shunzi said calmly, "Pei Yun is a master of Shaolin, I think he has been practicing the Invincible Vajra Power from the 72 Supreme Arts, and has already achieved 70% of the fire level. In another ten years, Xia Houyuanfeng will not be his opponent."

  Li Zai said: "So now he is no better than Xia Hou Yuanfeng?"

  Xiao Shunzi said: "Reporting to Your Honor, Xia Hou's martial arts path is a yin-yang route, so his progress is extremely fast. However, in the later stages, he will inevitably suffer many setbacks. Without extraordinary talent and determination, it's difficult for him to reach the pinnacle. Currently, his martial arts are stronger than Pei Yun's, but winning won't be easy. In a martial arts competition, various factors come into play. As a seasoned general, Pei Yun's calmness and decisiveness surpass those of ordinary people. Therefore, this time, the outcome should be around 40-60 in favor of Xia Hou, but Pei Yun still has a chance."

  At this time, the two men on the scene saluted each other and began to fight. Xiahou Yunfeng used a sword, while Pei Yun used a knife. Although I didn't understand martial arts, I felt that Xiahou Yunfeng's sword was light and agile, with snowflakes flying all over the field. On the other hand, Pei Yun's knife technique was steady and solemn, defending tightly and extremely, with a majestic and ancient style between moves, showing a noble demeanor.

  Xiao Shunzi looked very serious, his eyes were extremely hot, I couldn't help but ask: 'How is it? Who has the upper hand now?'

  Xiao Shunzi replied, "Pei Yun's Six Harmony Blade Technique is a genuine Shaolin tradition, unlike the versions circulating outside. It has reached the level of perfection. Xia Houyuefeng's swordsmanship is the Yue Maiden Sword Style, which has been passed down since the Spring and Autumn period. It is profound and intricate. Although Pei Yun's defense is very stable, if he cannot counterattack, it will be useless. I think Xia Houyuefeng's internal energy is also very refined, so he won't run out of power easily."

  At this moment, Pei Yun suddenly let out a soft shout, and his knife technique changed, becoming fierce and cruel. However, it still carried a hint of compassion, which made people watch with a thoughtful expression. Xiao Shunzi exclaimed in surprise: "This is the Shaolin secret transmission of the Ashura Knife Technique, using Ashura's methods to achieve a compassionate heart, indeed extraordinary." For a moment, the sword shadows and knife lights on the scene were dazzling, but a strong bloody meaning emerged. At this time, Xia Houyuefeng's body suddenly jumped up, followed by a flip in mid-air, and a sword chopped down. Pei Yun's long knife was raised high, barely blocking the sword. Although Xia Houyuefeng had the upper hand, he didn't gain any advantage. He jumped again, his body as agile as an eagle, floating in the midst of Pei Yun's knife wind and blade sea, fighting like an eagle catching a rabbit, coming and going like a swallow flying through flowers. The onlookers were all cheering loudly. Pei Yun was forced to defend himself left and right, his hands busy and flustered. At this time, Xia Houyuefeng had been fighting for a long time without gaining the upper hand, seemingly extremely angry. Suddenly, he merged with his sword, like lightning striking towards Pei Yun. Pei Yun's long knife blocked horizontally, but this sword was Xia Houyuefeng's full strength, and Pei Yun was somewhat hasty. A crisp sound rang out, and the long knife broke. Xia Houyuefeng flashed past Pei Yun's side, but his body made a strange turn, and he turned back with a sword, the sword shining like a flowing light film, directly stabbing towards Pei Yun's heart. Pei Yun only had a broken knife in his hand, and the scene erupted in a shocked cry. Pei Yun's face was calm and composed, and he threw down the broken knife, raising both hands to meet Xia Houyuefeng. Only a metallic sound rang out, and the two figures separated. Xia Houyuefeng's face was cold and gloomy, his handsome face somewhat discolored, while Pei Yun's sleeves fluttered like butterflies, his arms under his skin showing a hint of golden color, but he was unscathed.

  At this time, the bell on the watchtower rang out. Before long, an eunuch came down to deliver an imperial edict, saying that His Majesty had decreed that since Pei Yun's weapon was broken, it would be considered a defeat. The two of you are both outstanding officials in the court and cannot engage in a life-or-death struggle. Xia Houyuefeng won this time, but his expression seemed somewhat displeased. He stepped forward to receive the edict and thank the emperor. Pei Yun, on the other hand, had an indifferent expression and retreated after receiving the edict.

  The martial arts assembly of the Grand Duke ended like this, Xiahou Yuanfeng took first place in two events and second place in one event, becoming the champion. Wei Xian and Qin Qing also each won first place in an event, which was satisfying. However, unexpectedly, the Emperor did not announce the result of choosing a son-in-law, nor even gave out the expected rewards. What is going on?