Wu Linger finally spoke at the moment when Su Jue caught Fu Xiaoguan for the 1,800th time.
"Sir, wait a moment!"
Fu Xiaoguan was about to fly again, but stopped.
"My name is Wu Zhao, also known as Ling'er. I once hoped to meet you at the Qishan Corridor, but you refused. I have come with my father's letter and would like you to review it."
Fu Xiaoguan looked at Wu Linger, took the document she handed over, and confirmed that the woman in front of him was Princess Taiping.
He did not salute, but asked, "I wonder why Your Highness has come here?"
"Sir, it's getting late. I'm thinking, should we go to Fanning City first and let everyone settle down?"
Only then did Fu Xiaoguan notice that a long time had passed. He looked at Guan Tong and asked, "That person... standing stupidly in the rain, soaked like a drowned rat. Who is he?"
When Guan Tong heard this, he was so angry that his heart rushed to his chest. Moreover, he was already shivering with cold all over. His throat felt sweet, his eyes turned black, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
"Ah, I just asked him a question, but I didn't do anything to him. If anything happens to him, it has nothing to do with us. Your Highness is here. If he gets into trouble, you have to take charge of us!"
Officials from the viewing hall hurried over and carried Guan Tong to the carriage.
Fu Xiaoguan raised his brow slightly and said to Wu Ling'er, "Since Your Highness has come in person, I will forgive what happened last night. However, there is one thing I hope Your Highness understands, and you can even pass it on to His Majesty Emperor Wen. We have come thousands of miles for Emperor Wen's invitation. This is a major event in the literary world, and I hope to keep it simple and not involve any other connotations. Otherwise... this article will change its flavor."
Wu Ling'er's eyes flickered, and she bowed once more, "Sir, I fully agree with what you said. Please rest assured and follow my team to that prosperous city!"
"OK!"
So Wu Linger left happily.
The convoy also turned its horses around and followed the 1,000 Red Detachment of Women.
The spring rain was falling finely and heavily, and the lanterns in Fanning City were already lit.
The lights in the reception building of the viewing hall in Fanning City were also brightly lit.
The students and envoys from Fan State, Yi State and Huang State all lived here. They arrived two days earlier than Fu Xiaoguan and his party, had several exchanges, and became much more familiar with each other.
In addition, they all agreed in their hearts that Fu Xiaoguan was the biggest enemy of this literary gathering, so they seemed much closer.
Now, their representatives gathered together to discuss a question: Princess Taiping had been out of the city for half a day, and Fu Xiaoguan had not yet arrived. Did Princess Taiping execute Fu Xiaoguan? Or did Fu Xiaoguan really run away?
The representative of the students of Fan State was the thirteenth prince Fan Tianning, who was sixteen years old, handsome and quiet. Although he was sitting at the table, he just drank tea quietly with a smile and did not participate in the debate.
The representative of the Yi nation students was the Sixth Prince Yan Hanyu, eighteen years old, tall and majestic, standing seven feet tall. A nine-ringed, gold-swallowing sword hung from his waist. He was currently writing passionately, "In my opinion, Princess Taiping will not execute Fu Xiaoguan. I think she will imprison him. That fellow is ignorant of what is good for him. He thinks he can do whatever he wants with his shallow reputation. He doesn't know that this is the Wu Dynasty, not the Yu Dynasty. This is not the place for him to act recklessly!"
Tuoba Yuan of the Desolate Nation laughed heartily and added, "I heard that the Yi Nation has already invaded the Yu Dynasty by three hundred miles. I wonder what Fu Xiaoguan, a Yu person, thinks about this?"
As soon as Tuoba Yuan said this, the students here immediately became excited.
However, no one was speaking up for Fu Xiaoguan, but rather voices of gloating were heard one after another.
"The eastern border troops of the Yu Dynasty were vulnerable. I heard that during the initial battle, the Yi army crossed the Xima Plain and directly crossed the Xima River to advance to the Sangyu line."
"I heard that in the Battle of Xima River, the Yi Kingdom lost over a thousand people and suffered three thousand wounded, while the Yu Dynasty lost five thousand and suffered tens of thousands of wounded... You said the Yu Dynasty was still on the defensive, but what kind of defense was that?"
"You probably don't know that since Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, the Yu Dynasty has been declining. Civil officials are greedy for wealth, and military officers are afraid of death. There's no trace of the former Taihe prosperity! The Yu Dynasty has long been hollowed out by the six major clans in the capital. It is said that the emperor's decrees are difficult to get out of the Chengtian Palace, and the treacherous Prime Minister Yan Beixi controls the government. The general of the Eastern Frontier Army is none other than Yan Beixi's son Yan Haochu. He's a scholar, he can pick up a pen, but holding a knife... if he holds a knife, he'll only cut his own foot!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
The hall erupted in cheers. Someone else said, "So even if Fu Xiaoguan truly possesses literary talent, what good does it matter? He can write beautifully, but he lacks the ability to help the world. He can lift a pen, but he can't wield a sword! So, gentlemen, this fellow won't be able to cause any trouble. I think he came to the Wu Dynasty to ask for something. Even if Princess Taiping crippled him, Emperor Xuan wouldn't complain at all."
Everyone thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case. This was also what Guan Tong, the Left Vice Minister of the Wu Dynasty's Guanli Hall, knew last night. That's why Guan Tong invited them to a banquet, but left the famous Fu Xiaoguan outside the city.
So, if we can’t defeat Fu Xiaoguan in literature at this literary gathering, what about martial arts?
It should be okay to beat him up!
As long as he is not beaten to death, Emperor Wen will probably turn a blind eye.
This had to be done before the literary gathering began. If Fu Xiaoguan was paralyzed in bed, he would have no chance to participate in the gathering. Then, whoever won the title of first prize would depend on their own abilities.
This was the thought of many young people, except Fan Tianning, who was still sitting alone, still looking at them with a faint smile, but without making any sound. His silence made everyone else forget about him.
Yan Hanyu spoke again, slamming the Nine-Ring Gold-Swallowing Sword at his waist onto the table, his voice full of confidence. "You don't know the latest military information, but the Yi army, led by General Bo Yixian, has already broken through the defenses of Sangyu and Guanshanji. More than ten days have passed, and I think they've already reached the important eastern city of Lanling. If we take Lanling... the eastern part of the Yu Dynasty will no longer have natural defenses, and we, the Great Yi, will be able to graze our horses on the Lanling Plain!"
"Lanling is a good place. We could hold Lanling, reorganize our forces, and march westward without any powerful army to hinder us... Could it be that your Yi Nation is planning to swallow up the Yu Dynasty?"
Yan Hanyu laughed and did not comment on the question.
Just then, the sound of horse hooves was heard outside. Everyone looked outside and saw a huge group of carriages and horses occupying the huge square.
Wu Linger took the lead, looking extremely brave and heroic.
She jumped off the horse and walked backwards. A group of students came out and, under the light of the square, saw Wu Linger coming to a carriage.
A man got out of the carriage. Although the light was bright, the drizzle was too heavy to see the man's face clearly, but one could see Wu Linger's respect for the man.
Wu Linger bowed, but the man did not return the greeting, which seemed to indicate that he was of a very noble status.
Wu Linger said a few words to the man, and then the man waved his hand. The accompanying cavalrymen turned their horses around and followed the female army out of the square.
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