Win the competition
The much-anticipated selection of the imperial consort was finally scheduled under the intensive management of the Ministry of Rites. It was held in the palace, presided over by Emperor Pei Heng, attended by the Empress Dowager herself, and watched by all officials. Everyone said that this was the emperor's supreme trust and favor in the eldest princess.
Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where large ceremonies were originally held, the area has been cleared to accommodate candidates for the imperial concubine competition.
Pei Zhaoying sat on Pei Heng's right, ranking above the other ministers. She wore a dark court robe with a black background and hot gold brocade, looking dignified and elegant.
With her majestic skirt hanging down and her upright sitting posture, ordinary people could not tell that the beautiful princess had a disability. Officials of lower ranks did not dare to look at her directly and only felt that it was a great blessing for them to marry the princess.
The emperor made an exception and gave Pei Zhaoying half of the empress's ceremonial guard. Qiluo personally fanned Pei Zhaoying from behind, feeling very distressed.
Today, Pei Zhaoying represented the royal family's dignity, so she had no choice but to dress comfortably. She had to wash, dress, and put on heavy makeup before dawn. Just the luxurious and grand Chaoyun Jinxiang bun took two little maids half an hour to style.
When he got on the carriage to the palace, Pei Zhaoying only took a small bite of snacks to fill his stomach, and ignored his daily tonic.
The process was long, and Pei Zhaoying waited until her lips were chapped. Qiluo asked someone to bring tea, but Pei Zhaoying endured it and just moistened her lips - in the palace, under the watchful eyes of all the officials, it was inconvenient to move around, so it was best to be hungry and thirsty.
Looking directly at the emperor is a serious crime of disrespect. Qiluo resisted the urge to look at the emperor, but couldn't stop complaining in her heart. The glorious show was for others to see, and the real hardship and suffering fell on Pei Zhaoying!
As soon as the Queen Mother was in front of the officials, her desire for drama was aroused. She beat her chest and stamped her feet, sighing and lamenting:
"Alas, looking at the young talents in the audience, does my heart ever feel good? The girl Ying, whom I have watched grow up, is getting married. This is like cutting a piece of flesh from my heart!"
Pei Heng glanced at his mother and felt that he had gone too far. He was too embarrassed to continue.
What is even more shocking is that the Queen Mother actually wiped out two tears with a gold-woven brocade handkerchief!
However, when Pei Zhaoying smelled the scent of ginger and hooked Qiluo's hand, both the master and the servant were no longer surprised.
While the Empress Dowager was being helped to wipe her tears by her lady-in-waiting Meng Jingxue, she looked up and stared at Pei Zhaoying. Her two overly thick eyebrows pressed down on her eyes, and her eyeballs rolled up, like a wolf ready to pounce on Pei Zhaoying and tear her flesh apart.
"I am reluctant to leave Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager. Please take care of yourself and don't be sad." Many of the accompanying officials were related to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager wanted to put on a show, and Pei Zhaoying flattered her to suit the occasion.
The two women tacitly read patience and disgust in each other's eyes.
Pei Heng looked down upon the cautiousness of his ministers and felt extremely happy, because the knife that had been pressed against his heart for years was waiting underneath, and he finally got the pleasure of being a ruler and having the power of life and death.
It turns out that being high above, holding supreme power, with no one to take it away from you, feels wonderful.
The saying "It's lonely at the top" is just the self-consolation of mediocre people. Pei Heng, who has been sick and weak for many years, is full of energy. All his timidity has gone away. He is waiting to eliminate the disaster and embrace the country.
Xiao Yucheng guessed the royal intention and was filled with resentment. In the first round of the written examination, he did not write a single word.
The examiner from the Hanlin Academy gave a trembling reminder:
"Grand Marshal, the exam has begun. Please answer quickly. Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, and Your Highness are eagerly awaiting your response!"
Xiao Yucheng clapped his hands and laughed:
"Thank you for the reminder, Grand Secretary. Unfortunately, I am a soldier and a common man. I am really not good at writing. I am sorry for making a fool of myself."
The examiner fulfilled his duty of reminding, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and not wanting to get caught up in the whirlpool, he sighed and turned away.
Who among all the civil and military officials in the court dares to laugh at the Grand Chancellor who holds military power?
A blank paper was a slap in the face of the royal family in public, but Yu Xiao and Cheng themselves were unharmed.
Xue Can had already explained the pros and cons to Xiao and Cheng:
"The eldest princess is a trap, but also a piece of fat meat. She must not fall into the hands of another family. My lord, please be patient for a while. Everything will be fine after the marriage. As a woman, how can you not bow your head after marriage?"
Xiao Yucheng felt uneasy when he thought about having to give face to the late emperor.
"Military Advisor, that being said, I'm still not happy about being humbled by them! Besides, the Shang Lord has to keep up appearances. I've reluctantly sent away all the concubines in the house. The royal family has dug a trap for me to fall into, so why shouldn't I show some temper?"
Xue Can persuaded him again, and Xiao Yucheng said proudly:
"The competition is just a formality. No matter how badly I perform, won't the little emperor rack his brains to make amends for me? He's pinching his nose and marrying my sister. They're plotting against me, and I'm going to destroy their prestige!"
Xiao Yucheng glanced at the young men from aristocratic families who were writing furiously, and became more and more proud. However, there was only one person in gorgeous clothes who became a thorn in his eyes.
Xiao Bo did not wear any red tassels or precious jewelry, which made the children of the aristocratic families look like embroidered pillows without being buried in the jewels.
He wrote his policy proposal with confidence and competed for the position of imperial consort with an open mind.
Xiao Bo's handwriting was elegant and his style was extraordinary. When the examiner passed by him, he stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly.
Xiao Yucheng snorted coldly, hating this cousin for jumping out to compete with him, and laughing at Xiao Bo for being so enthusiastic as a runner-up.
If it weren't for the fact that candidates were prohibited from making noise or chatting in the examination room, Xiao Yucheng would definitely come out and advise Xiao Bo earnestly not to do such useless work.
Even among the same clan, there is a huge gap between them. He is destined to achieve great things and become the regent. Xiao Bo must weigh the weight of his bones and not force himself to be as outstanding as him. He can just spend his old age in peace in the Dali Temple.
The scorching sun was hanging high in the sky, about to move to the center. Qiluo wiped the sweat off Pei Zhaoying's face in time and asked her in a low voice if she wanted some tea.
Pei Zhaoying shook her head, her hair full of pearls and jade tassels jingling. There were dozens of people in the field, and she couldn't see their faces clearly from a distance. She was like a possessed person, and she recognized a figure by feeling and didn't move her eyes away.
Except for Xiao and Cheng, who were involved in the royal dignity, everyone else, no matter how ignorant they were about poetry and books, tried their best to fill the paper with beautiful words of praise.
Pei Zhaoying could see that Xiao Bo's pen never stopped, and the ravines in his heart were expressed through paper and pen.
Of course, the person with his head down doesn't know that someone is staring at him intently.
There was nothing to see, just a small figure that looked different from the others. The more Pei Zhaoying looked at it, the more inexplicably familiar it felt.
Moreover, Xiao Bo's piano playing was exactly the same as that of the musician who accompanied her in her dream. This coincidence sounded like a fool's dream. Pei Zhaoying kept it to herself and never mentioned it to anyone.
I'm afraid of people laughing at me, afraid that people will say that this coincidence without a beginning or an end cannot be considered fate.
It was hazy, like seeing flowers in the fog, not much clearer than a dream. Pei Zhaoying fell in confusedly and could no longer see anyone else.
After the time for answering was over, the test paper was first presented to the emperor and then circulated among the ministers. The emperor and his ministers discussed and decided on the top scorer on the spot.
The first to be affected were Xiao Yucheng's blank papers. Pei Heng's face turned pale. After flipping through to Xiao Bo's paper, he lightly passed over the humiliation. He and the other scholars picked out Xiao Bo's allusions, praised his talent, and gave him the first place.
With the emperor taking the lead, the others followed closely behind, fawning over him. It wasn't that they didn't want to take the opportunity to curry favor with Xiao and Cheng, but for a normal person, facing a blank paper, no matter how many compliments they offered, they would be in vain.
Pei Zhaoying said nothing.
People like Xiao Bo always treat every matter at hand with all their heart and effort, and help street vendors recover their losses as meticulously as they would handle a robbery and murder case by a bandit.
If today was another princess or noble lady's competition to choose a husband, Xiao Bo would probably still take it seriously and not let the woman lose face because of him.
Pei Zhaoying wore a serious smile, looking straight ahead. Initially, she had been wary of the Emperor and Empress Dowager taking a risky move and suddenly replacing the consort with Xiao Yucheng. But after the glaring blank paper irritated Pei Heng, Pei Zhaoying felt a lot more relieved.
Unexpectedly, when it was Xiao Bo's turn to look for her out of the corner of his eye while waiting, they did not have the chance to look each other in the eye.
A few days ago, as the selection test got closer, it became harder for Pei Zhaoying to smile. Suddenly, he regretted it and said to his left and right:
"Perhaps I shouldn't have dragged him into this situation, delaying his marriage for nothing."
Jin Chenxiao consoled him, "I have never found any evidence that Master Xiao Bo has been involved with other women. The imperial decree of marriage is more important than the will of parents or the words of a matchmaker. Just live a good life from now on."
"My relationship with Xiao Bo was originally a simple one between ruler and subject, but now it's become a relationship between husband and wife. Isn't that strange?"
"This won't stop His Highness from taking the beautiful military advisor into his harem!"
In public, Pei Zhaoying suddenly remembered the two jokes he had made with his subordinates, and he deliberately avoided looking at Xiao Bo, for fear of insulting him.
Pei Heng announced that they should tidy up and change clothes to enter the next round of martial arts test. Pei Zhaoying nodded in agreement with dignity, and her ears felt warm from the heavy gold and ruby earrings.
After the tables on the stage were cleared away and everyone had changed their clothes, Pei Zhaoying glanced again and was caught by Xiao Bo's eyes. Although the people in Daliang were open-minded, she felt shy for a moment, and the rouge on her cheeks became even more blurred.
Xiao Bo quickly changed into a dark, formal outfit. In his refined official uniform, he looked so thin that even his bones weighed only a few pounds. After changing into the tight-fitting, narrow-sleeved uniform that made it easier to punch and kick, the cloth left marks where muscles should be. He looked more like a spirited young general than a civil servant who worked at a desk all day.
The martial arts test first involves drawing lots to randomly select two people to compete, and the winner will enter the next round, which consumes a lot of physical energy.
The fancy moves of the children from aristocratic families were not good enough. Pei Zhaoying had a reputation as a fierce woman, and many of them casually exposed their flaws to their opponents at this point and were defeated.
Xiao Yucheng changed into a red riding suit, complete with a headband, wrist guards, and knee pads. After winning without a fight, he smiled at Pei Zhaoying with determination.
What it means is that no matter how much unhappiness there was between the two people in the past, it will all disappear and they will become friends.
Pei Zhaoying glared at him, not giving him a good look.
"No wonder Dasikong is invincible. He is truly the God of War of Daliang."
"With the Grand Marshal in command of the army, Your Majesty can rest easy."
Pei Heng's smile gradually faded, and he almost crushed the porcelain cup in his hand.
There were several battles that would go down in history, and he was ready to lead the army in person to spread the emperor's prestige. However, a group of old ministers cried and said that the Liang Dynasty could not afford the emperor's failure again, and tried their best to stop him. He had no choice but to give Xiao Yucheng the opportunity to grow bigger and bigger.
Xiao and Cheng have become a source of worry in my heart. Could it be that these old ministers only know the Grand Marshal and not the Emperor?
Pei Zhaoying knew at a glance that Pei Heng still had the habit of looking sullen when encountering things, so she said:
"Master Xiao Bo of the Dali Temple is, in my opinion, a true leader. Who will win? My Lords, please wait and watch the final competition."
A few generations ago, Pei Heng had the ability to be a good leader of the revival of the country. Unfortunately, when the country was handed over to him, it was already in a state of shambles. Powerful ministers, relatives of the emperor, and princes posed threats one after another. If the tiger had not suppressed his temper and accumulated strength, several waves of oppressive forces would have probably coordinated to support an obedient emperor.
Even though the rift between Pei Zhaoying and Pei Heng grew deeper, she could only stand on Pei Heng's side in public. Sometimes, Pei Zhaoying even felt sorry for him.
Soon, Xiao Bo and Xiao Yucheng were the only ones left on the field.
In fact, whether Xiao Bo won or lost, he had the undisputed first place in the literary examination, so Pei Heng could make some excuses and still choose Xiao Bo as his son-in-law.
Pei Zhaoying was suddenly startled and suddenly regretted not telling Xiao Bo in advance that he was the designated son-in-law.
Xiao Bo didn't know that they would fight to the death for victory, while Xiao Yucheng had fought on the battlefield with real swords and guns and stepped on human lives. They were definitely not ordinary people!
Xiao Yucheng's personality will not show mercy to Xiao Bo's men.
In the first few rounds, almost all of Xiao Yucheng's opponents voluntarily admitted defeat. The few tough ones were beaten so badly that they had to be carried away by the eunuchs for treatment. He was ruthless and maintained his physical strength.
Xiao Yucheng smiled and said, "Why should we fight against each other? Now I won't hide it from you. I have long been the emperor's chosen consort. Just admit defeat and save yourself a beating."
A large area of Xiao Bo's black clothes was wet, with deep and light stains of sweat. The final confrontation had not yet begun, and he was still trying to calm himself down.
Pei Zhaoying held onto the armrests of the wheelchair, almost forgetting that she was disabled. When she tried to move, she still felt numb below her thighs.
She cried out: "Wait a minute——"
Afterwards, Pei Zhaoying, under everyone's scorching gazes, asked Pei Heng to play:
"Your Highness, a martial arts test is different from a literary test. You need to get closer to watch. When masters clash, victory or defeat can be decided in a split second. I beg you to go to the side of the arena and watch carefully."
He added in a trembling voice, "This battle concerns the final selection of the Prince Consort. I...I have a few words to say."
Pei Heng agreed. Since Pei Zhaoying had moved, for the sake of a good look, everyone including Pei Heng and the Queen Mother had to move as well.
Pei Zhaoying called her attendants and went to great lengths to change her position on the platform. The superficial splendor and wealth could not hide the fact of her disability. A woman's trauma was exposed in front of hundreds of people.
Especially since Pei Zhaoying was not used to using eunuchs, and all the attendants were women, he could not bring strong guards into the palace, so the wheelchair was bound to bump down when going down the stairs.
There was a flight of stairs where the palace maid wasn't paying attention and her wheelchair got tangled in the hem of her intricately patterned skirt. Pei Zhaoying groaned before she was noticed and stopped several times.
Xiao Yucheng clenched his fists. He rose from a nobody to the Grand Marshal, but the royal family wanted to give him a useless person!
He had to pretend to be happy, dismiss his concubines, and let a useless person take the position of mistress of the Xiao family, which was comparable to the humiliation suffered by Han Xin.
"Your Highness..." Due to etiquette, Xiao Bo could not greet him, and even his call had to be cautious and low-key to avoid giving people a chance to talk.
My heart is oozing with blood.
After all the hassle, Pei Zhaoying's inner clothes were soaked with sweat. She knew that many people were looking at her, so she kept a calm smile on her face.
"It's okay." She smiled as usual and raised her hand, signaling Xiao Bo to be patient and not to reveal their relationship in front of others.
At this moment, as she approached step by step, she saw Xiao Bo's panic and worry, which was like a collapsed jade mountain.
So, in an instant, Pei Zhaoying's words were filled with tears in her eyes:
"You two must remember, this is a selection of a consort, not a life-and-death battle. Do what you can and don't let it get to the point. His Majesty and the Queen Mother are still here. Don't let blood be drawn or damage the harmony. The imperial physician is off-site. Take care..."
On the surface, it was a reminder to the two of them, but Pei Zhaoying didn't have the energy to be evenly matched. Her eyes were eagerly watching, and every word she said was a hint to Xiao Bo that it didn't matter if he couldn't win, the worst that could happen was a "lose", so he must not get hurt.
Otherwise, how could she feel at ease?
"I will remember your Highness's instructions." Xiao Bo saw Pei Zhao's rosy eyes filled with tears, but she forced a smile and told him to take care of himself.
There are thousands of words that cannot be spoken in public, and Xiao Bowei tries his best to fight for a long future for them.
The martial arts his father taught him were different from those honed by Xiao Yucheng on the battlefield. They had never sparred with each other, so Xiao Bo couldn't judge whether he could definitely defeat Xiao Yucheng.
Pei Zhaoying must not marry Xiao Yucheng again to continue the tragedy of the previous life. Xiao Bo tried his best to defend her from the powerful enemy at this critical juncture.
Xiao Bo can only win, winning is the only way.
Xiao Yucheng risked his life in every battle, and did not think about the possibility of surviving by chance after charging. Therefore, Xiao Yucheng forgot that he did not regard this as a battlefield that he had to win.
After the official fight, Xiao Yucheng even began to get angry at Xiao Bo's ruthlessness and dangerous moves.
He had long seen that Xiao Bo was intentionally hiding his martial arts skills. Even after Xue Can reminded him several times, he still confidently believed that an ant marginalized by the Xiao family would not be able to make any waves and would at most do some minor and insignificant actions.
Now, this ant, under the gaze of all the civil and military officials, is trying to humiliate him!
Xiao Yucheng found the right moment to fight back with anger. Every punch was accompanied by a sound of breaking through the air, and he aimed at Xiao Bo's vital points, as if he had turned a deaf ear to Pei Zhaoying's advice.
The two men's bare-handed fight was still dazzling without any weapons, and the ministers were silent.
Pei Heng suppressed his amazement and silently sighed that the choice of son-in-law was a good one.
Everyone says that Xiao and Cheng are unparalleled in bravery and are indispensable gods of war in Daliang. Today, he saw a talented person on the ring who is not inferior to Xiao and Cheng at all, and is not as vicious as Xiao and Cheng with a rebellious heart. Why can't he inspire and use him?
Xiao Yucheng was arrogant after all, and did not think about tactics well, so he was led by Xiao Bo, who found the right moment to push him out of the ring and decide the outcome.
Xiao Bo won the first place in both competitions, which was justified. Pei Heng issued an edict on the spot to appoint Xiao Bo as the son-in-law of the emperor and to choose a date for the wedding ceremony.
Pei Zhaoying felt both envious and unwilling, which after a long time turned into an unspeakable sigh.
Before she became disabled, her martial arts skills were quite strong. When she was young, she went incognito to investigate the people's sentiments. With just one sword, she settled the turmoil in the martial arts world and no one could disobey her.
Now, someone who could have shown her talents is confined to a wheelchair, weak and helpless, waiting for a hero to save her from danger.
However, Pei Zhaoying is his own hero. He once wielded a sword and looked down upon all the heroes. Now he can only wave his round fan and cheer for others.
Amidst endless cheers and compliments, Pei Zhaoying left early on the pretext of feeling unwell. When he arrived at the mansion, he clutched his handkerchief and cried bitterly because he could not walk and had lost all his martial arts skills.
Qiluo's eyes turned red as she removed the ornaments that almost bent her neck, saving her from the heavy layers of dresses. She applied warm water to her face to remove her makeup and wiped away the traces of tears.
Pei Zhaoying sat in front of the bronze mirror with disheveled hair, looking dejected. His mind was full of the carefree and unrestrained times when he made friends through martial arts. He said nothing, did not mention drinking tea or eating, and waited silently for the red sun to set, then curled up in the night.
"Your Highness, the Ministry of Rites has sent over Master Xiao Bo's engagement letter. If you have no objection after reviewing it, you can send it to the Imperial Observatory for the marriage."
"I don't need to be so particular. Just send it directly to the Imperial Observatory." Pei Zhaoying waved his hand and sent the person away.
Therefore, no one noticed that the column for Xiao Bo's courtesy name on the Geng Tie was "Jun Dan".
The musician who accompanied and called her in her dreams.
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