Chapter 1 Chapter 1 A young talent, gentle and humble.
The Magpie on the Eyebrows, by Cole
First release
The weather is cold at the end of the year, and the pines and cypresses are green and lush.
It was the end of the year, and the busiest time of the Imperial College of the Great Zhou Dynasty had arrived.
Young students from the capital all came to take the year-end examination to compete for the top spot.
At this time, a huge crowd of students in formal attire were standing on the training grounds, and the final archery competition was in progress.
I saw a mess of arrow feathers falling on the edge of the target or on the ground. It was quite difficult and the results were dismal.
Complaints arose one after another:
"Isn't this too difficult? Who can pass it?"
"If I didn't want to get into Ruxing Hall, I wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to take the exam!"
"Just you? Forget it..."
Xue Yuanyin was at the front of the queue. He took a deep breath and waited a little nervously.
The Wu Fuzi at the front frowned and shouted "Silence", then said in a deep voice: "Next, Xue Ling——"
Xue Yuanyin quickly responded "Here", straightened his back and walked out of the queue.
Everyone saw a pretty girl with a bun coming to the front of the training ground, picking up the bow and arrow on the wooden stand, standing still, drawing the bow, and squinting her eyes to aim at the vermilion bull's eye.
The students around her stopped whispering and looked at her.
"call out--"
The arrow broke through the air and hit the bull's eye!
Master Wu's complexion improved a lot, and he nodded and said, "Ten rings, not bad, worthy of being General Xue's child."
The test required shooting six arrows in total, and without changing the wooden target, Xue Yuanyin shot the remaining five arrows in succession.
Arrows flew by, their feathers colliding with the bull's eye. The classmates around her gasped in shock. As expected of her, no one could match her!
The rebound force of the wooden bow caused Xue Yuanyin's hands to ache slightly. Xue Yuanyin put down the bow, his dark eyes curved with joy, and he said loudly:
"Master, what do you think?"
"Ten rings, ten rings..."
Master Wu walked over to the wooden target, took a look, and made a note in the book. He said, "The last one is crooked, nine rings. This year's annual test is six arrows per target, which is quite difficult. You've done very well. If nothing goes wrong, you should be the first in the test."
Xue Yuanyin raised her head proudly, pursed her lips and smiled faintly, her eyes sparkling as she said crisply:
"Thank you for the compliment, Master!"
Very good!
If she gets the first place, she can go home with peace of mind and report to her father.
-
After the students finished their competition one by one, the last "shooting" test was about to end.
There was a performance evaluation board next to the target, and Xue Yuanyin's performance was always ranked first.
Everyone had already begun to congratulate her on winning the championship. Her classmate and good friend Gao Songlin slapped her on the shoulder and said:
"Alright, Xue Ling! Now that your mortal enemy is gone, you have no rivals in the Imperial College!"
Xue Yuanyin raised his chin slightly, feeling a little proud, and said to his friend:
"Once I pass the annual examination and enter the Ruxing Hall, and catch the emperor's eye, I will definitely be one of the people who will accompany him to the imperial palace!"
Ruexingtang is the advanced class of the Imperial College. It is usually only open to students of the Imperial College and does not attract much attention from aristocratic families.
But because of the emperor's intervention, this matter has become a piece of fat meat in the party struggles within the court. Whoever can bite it will profit.
The competition between the eldest prince, also known as His Royal Highness the Prince of Yu, and the princelings has become so intense that it is exposed. Whichever side is more prominent will gain more support from the aristocratic families and court officials.
The Xue family is a loyal supporter of His Royal Highness Prince Yu. Xue Yuanyin's father is his right-hand man, ambitious and very strong-willed. Influenced by the family tradition, Xue Yuanyin is also very strong-willed.
She was determined to enter this Ruxing Hall! She had to secure this spot for the Prince of Yu's party.
As soon as she finished speaking, Gao Songlin frowned and said:
"You're too overconfident! What if that Zhang family member suddenly shows up at the Imperial College today? Wouldn't you be doomed to fail?"
Several people nearby heard the noise and looked over.
Xue Yuanyin was afraid that Gao Songlin's words would come true. She didn't want to see the figure of the Zhang family! She quickly covered Gao Songlin's mouth and said:
"Stop talking! Pah, don't be such a pessimist!"
The martial arts master in front clapped his hands, interrupting the noise below: "Now that all the exams are over, the archery test ends here..."
"Master, wait a minute!"
A clear and mellow voice, between that of a teenager and a young man, came from the distance. A figure slowly approached the gate of the training ground and said with a gentle smile:
"The students are late. I wonder if the annual exam can still be held?"
It really lived up to the saying "a crow's mouth". The voice appeared suddenly, as if it had fallen from the sky.
The people around him turned around, surprised to realize who was coming, and made way for him.
When Xue Yuan heard the voice, he thought he was dreaming. His heart skipped a beat and he turned his head to look behind him like a civet cat whose tail was stepped on.
There was a spacious space in the middle of the training ground, and an arrow flew through the air!
It actually flew past her hair and hit the bull's eye steadily, and the arrow made a slight buzzing sound.
Master Wu blurted out, "Excellent archery!"
For a moment, everyone around was talking about this: "Who is that person who is so confident in his archery skills?"
A classmate nearby whispered, "Zhang Jingxuan works for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and has essentially entered the officialdom. He hasn't been to the academy in a long time. He's probably here to take the annual exam now, aiming for a spot as an escort to the imperial palace."
“…”
Xue Yuanyin unconsciously clenched his fists, and a huge uproar broke out in his heart.
How did he suddenly appear?!
As Zhang Jingxuan approached under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she finally got a clear look at his outfit.
She was wearing a dark blue wide-sleeved cloak with cloud-patterned cranes, with black cuffs tightly tied around her forearms. Her ponytail was tied with a white jade lotus hairpin, and a dark blue forehead band was tied around her forehead.
The young man had fair skin, red lips, long, dark eyebrows, and a pair of clear, warm, brown pupils, slightly tilted at the corners, a very gentle appearance. His posture was as straight as a pine tree, and his demeanor was modest. His entire person was like a piece of translucent jade carved from the snowy rock.
Probably because he had just rushed over from the Eastern Palace, Zhang Jingxuan had not had time to change into his standard robe. His outfit was extremely fancy, with everything missing, even the jade pendant around his waist.
Two eunuchs from the Eastern Palace followed behind him. They brought Zhang Jingxuan over, bowed to Master Wu, and then took their leave.
Zhang Jingxuan walked closer and stood still, putting down the bow in his hand, bowing his head and saying:
"I have been assisting His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for some time, and have been confined to the Eastern Palace, unable to leave easily. This has delayed my studies, and I have come to the Imperial College to apologize. The year-end exams haven't concluded yet, and despite my best efforts, I am still late. I am sorry to have caused trouble to the teacher and my fellow students."
Xue Yuanyin couldn't help but snort coldly.
Look at what he said, he looked like a good person, but he was always trying to act nice in front of his elders, and everyone was fooled by him. Only she knew his true face!
He is so flamboyant that even a peacock is not as ostentatious as him.
Thinking of the arrow that flew past her hair, Xue Yuanyin felt a little unhappy.
He is totally lawless and a beast in human clothing!
Master Wu had heard of Zhang Jingxuan's reputation as a young talent and had already admired him. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said, "No problem," and then said:
"It is your duty to assist His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. What's the harm in having fewer lessons? However, the other annual examinations are over, and only the archery test remains. Are you willing to participate?"
Zhang Jingxuan bowed gently and politely to express his gratitude.
Master Wu replaced it with a wooden bow specially designed for archery tests. Zhang Jingxuan weighed it and found it to be much better quality than the one he had just picked up at the entrance to the training ground in order to catch the annual test.
He raised his arm and aimed at the almost invisible bull's eye several feet away.
Xue Yuanyin stared at the scene closely, feeling inexplicably nervous.
She was considered a standout among the girls in the capital, and she and Zhang Jingxuan were childhood sweethearts, a perfect match, but she had never been able to defeat him since they were young.
Later, he was busy with the Eastern Palace and she was in the academy. The two broke up and became estranged from each other. They deliberately avoided each other for several years and did not have much contact. I wonder how he is doing now.
But judging from the level of his first arrow, it was not inferior to hers, and he was indeed the biggest threat to her in the test!
Before this thought came to fruition, the first arrow Zhang Jingxuan shot hit the bull's eye and was firmly stuck there.
Master Wu's eyes lit up: "Okay!"
Many students below also murmured in agreement.
He is worthy of being the champion of the annual examination and the leader of the younger generation. How can they compare with his arm strength and skills?
Zhang Jingxuan raised his eyes, pulled the bowstring, and shot the remaining arrows in succession, and every arrow hit the target steadily.
Xue Yuanyin's heart was lifted as he watched helplessly as the last arrow feather squeezed into the gap between the other arrows at a tricky angle and hit the bull's eye.
Six ten rings!
A continuous and undulating hissing sound came from below.
Master Wu personally stepped forward to confirm the result and recorded it in the performance record: "Zhang Jingxuan, six shots with ten rings, ranking first in the archery test."
On the performance appraisal list, Xue Yuanyin was originally firmly at the top of the list. Master Wu crossed out "Xue Ling" and wrote Zhang Jingxuan instead.
Zhang Jingxuan looked up at the notice board, paused for a moment on the crossed-out name, then stopped at his own newly added name. He smiled slightly and said, "Master, I wonder if anyone has been admitted to the Ruxing Hall..."
Master Wu said, "You are at the top of the individual subject list, so you are definitely eligible to enter the Ruxing Hall. Don't worry."
Zhang Jingxuan raised his hand and bowed: "Thank you, Master."
This result was unexpected but also reasonable.
Gao Songlin slapped his thigh, feeling sorry for her: "Xue Ling, your first place in the archery test was snatched away by him! I was saying that Zhang Jingxuan, such a busy man, would never have the time to stay in the Imperial College to study. He must have other motives for rushing to take the annual exam..."
Xue Yuanyin's expression was visibly ugly: "Shut up."
The first place that I had just gotten was gone just like that. It’s so infuriating!
In fact, it is no wonder that Zhang Jingxuan wants to enter Ruxingtang.
Almost all of the huge crowds of people taking part in the annual examination came for Ruexing Hall.
The current emperor is a wise ruler. He is diligent and hardworking, ambitious, and selects talented people for appointment.
The Zhou Dynasty was just beginning to recover from the war, and many things needed to be rebuilt. The court was filled with incompetent old ministers, who were difficult to eliminate. The emperor was determined to support the emerging aristocratic families and young people, and decided to select several outstanding students from the Ruxing Hall of the Imperial College to accompany him to Ximing Garden for summer vacation, as a token of his appreciation and support.
Ximing Garden is the royal palace and summer resort. His Majesty seldom went there in the past. One reason was that the journey was too long, and the other was that he would have to stay there for too long, as he had to move there to handle memorials and other matters.
It is rare that he has been ordered to go to the palace in half a year. Such a court trend is something that the noble families vying for the emperor's attention will naturally seize.
Of course, the important thing is not to escape the summer heat, but to be able to accompany the emperor for several months - this is an unprecedented honor.
For the aristocratic families, this is a good opportunity to show off in front of the emperor. If their heir is favored by the emperor, it will not be a problem for him to rise to a high position.
The place to enter the Ratexing Hall became a hot commodity that everyone was eyeing and fighting for, and the annual examinations of the Imperial College naturally attracted a lot of attention.
Everyone was trying their best to win.
The two factions of the princes are competing fiercely, with both the Crown Prince and Prince Yu wanting to send their young men to the emperor.
Including the Xue family.
Following the instructions of His Royal Highness Prince Yu, Xue's father had already told Xue Yuanyin in person that he must take first place in the annual exam, defeat the prince's party, and enter the Ruexing Hall.
As the only daughter of the Xue family, Xue Yuanyin is only allowed to succeed and not fail.
Coincidentally, the Zhang family has now become the leader of the Prince's Party. As the eldest grandson of the Zhang family, Zhang Jingxuan is destined to be her mortal enemy.
-
The teacher in front announced the end of the last archery test, and thus all the year-end examinations on the Four Books, Five Classics and Six Arts were over.
The master also has to calculate the overall performance evaluation, which needs to be announced before the end of the year, and announce the disbandment on the spot.
The crowd on the training ground dispersed in an instant, and many people immediately gathered around Zhang Jingxuan, including classmates and friends, as well as those who were trying to curry favor with the powerful. They gathered together to greet and chat.
He has always been very popular, and even though he hasn't appeared in the public eye for a long time, there is no shortage of people flattering him.
Xue Yuanyin glanced over there. Zhang Jingxuan was wearing a unique crane cloak. He had a slender figure and a noble and reserved demeanor, more like a pine or bamboo in the snow. He stood out among the plain clothes.
His eyes were gentle and clear, and his youthful spirit had been honed in the court to become somewhat calm and composed, which was very different from his appearance as a child.
Xue Yuanyin felt a bit complicated. Although their relationship had become increasingly incompatible over the years, she still had some youthful affection in her heart, and she always felt a little soft-hearted towards him. She privately believed that he should be the same way.
But until the group of people walked away, the figure didn't even cast a glance at them.
Xue Yuanyin's mood worsened again.
She slowly fell behind, and when there were no more people in the training ground, she turned and walked towards the wooden target, unwilling to give up and check the six arrows that Zhang Jingxuan had nailed on it.
It really is six ten rings!
How on earth did he do that? Damn it!
Xue Yuanyin studied alone for a long time, and just when he was about to accept the reality with disappointment, a familiar clear voice suddenly came from behind him:
"Xue Xueyou, what are you doing?"
Xue Yuanyin was suddenly startled and turned around holding the arrow. She saw Zhang Jingxuan who had come back for some reason and was standing not far away, looking at her with a polite and distant smile.
She felt subtly guilty, but remained calm as she continued, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you this? You call yourself a noble gentleman, but don't you know that peeping from behind is a mean act?"
Zhang Jingxuan raised the wooden rattan box in his hand and pointed to several good friends who were waiting for him at the gate of the training ground in the distance, as if to explain why he had come back.
Only then did Xue Yuanyin see his name written on the box, and a few books tucked inside. He had obviously come back to pick up something he had left there.
Seeing that she understood, Zhang Jingxuan smiled slightly, but his eyes were distant and cold. He asked, "Xue Yuanyin, why are you studying the arrows I shot? Could it be that... since you came in second, you suspect I cheated?"
“Who said that!”
Xue Yuanyin retorted hastily, then realized he was too excited. He took a deep breath and said, "I'm not as skilled as you, so I admit defeat. Why are you slandering me?"
Zhang Jingxuan stretched out his arms, which were carrying the suitcase, and said, "Then who knows why you're so secretive? Wouldn't that just lead to misunderstandings?"
"Could it be..." He paused, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally sweeping across the public announcement of the archery test results, pretending to suddenly understand: "You suspect that my first place in the archery test is fake, and you want to prevent me from entering Ruxing Hall?"
Although there was a smile on his lips, his eyes and tone were very cold, so cold that it made people feel unfamiliar.
Xue Yuanyin was stunned for a moment by his attitude.
They had been sworn enemies for four years, constantly at odds with each other, disliking each other. Even though their youthful friendship had worn off, she insisted that there was always an unspoken mutual appreciation between them. If they were ever to be together and interact, the atmosphere would probably be good.
But she never expected that when they were together again, he would speak so coldly to her!
Zhang Jingxuan saw her stunned expression and paused for a moment before softly saying, "Long time no see, Xue Yuanyin."
Xue Yuanyin came back to her senses and saw his calm expression, and suddenly a surge of anger rose in her heart.
She stared at the handsome face, broke the arrow with force, and felt angry in her heart: This person is even more annoying than before!
She raised the broken arrow and slowly approached, gesturing threateningly at his handsome face:
"Zhang Jingxuan, you deliberately stole my first place in the shooting test. Don't think I won't come after you!"
Zhang Jingxuan turned his head slightly to avoid the arrows swaying before his eyes. Upon hearing this, his eyebrows slightly raised and he frankly admitted, "I'm sorry, but I'm determined to snatch the first place from Miss Xue this time."
Xue Yuanyin frowned, trying to hold it back but unable to. Her resentment and resentment turned into anger and lashed out at him: "You don't need the top spot, but you insist on snatching it from me? Oh, could it be that Master Zhang is so unable to stand losing that he can't show off his superiority unless he steps on me to get to the top?"
She herself was irritated by the sarcastic tone.
Zhang Jingxuan frowned for a moment before returning to a gentle and modest demeanor, his tone revealing a hint of arrogance:
"I thought you remembered what you all said about me."
Xue Yuanyin was startled. In a trance, scenes of their childhood friendship flashed through his mind. The high-pitched, clear, and smiling voice of the young man pierced through the layers of time mist between the present and the past, overlapping with the leisurely and indifferent voice of Zhang Jingxuan in front of him:
"I was born to be outstanding. I was born to win."
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