Chapter 159 Battle (1)
Li Xiaoxiao brought Aze back to the East Palace, and Pang Shi immediately came to their door: "Lu Biao has challenged you to a duel?"
Li Xiaoxiao was surprised: "How did you find out so quickly? I just got back!"
Pang Shi frowned: "It's already spread throughout the palace. Have you arranged a time for the competition with him?"
Li Xiaoxiao shook her head: "I need to come back and ask you what's going on. Why did someone come to challenge me as soon as I arrived?"
Pang Shi sighed, "I don't know either. We'll have to wait for His Highness the Crown Prince to return before we can discuss this together. You've only just arrived at the Eastern Palace, and you're a specially appointed female guard, yet you received a challenge from the Imperial Guards on your very first day. It doesn't seem like you're being targeted."
Li Xiaoxiao frowned and clenched her fist: "If it's not simple, we'll beat it until it's simple!"
Pang Shi's expression was complicated. He looked at her without saying a word. To be honest, if they really fought, he wasn't afraid that she would lose, but he was afraid that she would be unable to control her own destiny and win.
Li Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered Lu Biao's words: "He said something about 'no regard for death or injury,' was that the rule for the Imperial Guard competitions in the past?"
Pang Shi pondered for a moment and said, "Some people in the Imperial Guards are skilled in weapons with considerable destructive power, such as Lu Biao. His weapon is a meteor hammer, and he is known as the King of Hidden Weapons. If you are hit by it once, you will either die or be seriously injured. Therefore, once you step onto the stage, no one can guarantee that they will come down unscathed, nor can they guarantee that they will be saved after being hit. Therefore, they will all sign a life-or-death contract, which means that death or injury will not be considered, and they will not seek revenge after leaving the stage."
"Oh, I see," Li Xiaoxiao suddenly realized.
Pang Shi said seriously, "The meteor hammer is a long-range weapon. To defeat Lu Biao, you must get close. Unfortunately, he is extremely skilled and his close-range combat is also excellent. I have fought him twice and only won by a narrow margin. I know you are strong and can win by taking advantage of someone's unpreparedness, but your opponent is definitely prepared. If he uses martial arts techniques to deal with you, you will probably be at a disadvantage."
Pang Shi had said before that her fighting style was unpredictable. In previous years, when she fought against her, she only won by overwhelming force. But if Lu Biao knew her true strength and prevented her from getting close, how could she possibly win?
Li Xiaoxiao's brow twitched slightly as she thought of another question: "Lu Biao said he was only a second-class guard. If I defeat him, I will still need to fight a first-class guard. Who will that person be?"
Pang Shi shook his head: "I don't know either."
As the two were talking, the Crown Prince hurriedly returned. Upon his return, he summoned Li Xiaoxiao and Pang Shi inside, his face grim: "His Majesty issued an edict today, bestowing upon the Sixth Prince Li Chengyao the title of Prince Xin, granting him a Prince's Mansion on Yongning Street, and also arranging a marriage between him and Wang Liu Niang, the youngest daughter of Wang Yongqin, the Vice Minister of War. The wedding date is set for July 28th. Li Chengyao has finally been released."
Even though he was mentally prepared, the Crown Prince's heart still turned ice-cold the moment Li Chengyao was released.
The title Emperor Jian'an chose for him was "Xin" (信). What does that mean? Doesn't it clearly mean that he trusts him, believes in him, and encourages and supports him? Isn't this condoning his previous actions and making him even more reckless?
The Crown Prince was like an angry, trapped beast. He didn't understand why his father had suddenly become like this, clearly intending to support Li Chengyao to fight against him. During the time he was injured, the relationship between father and son had clearly improved. His father had shown signs of retiring and had repeatedly offered to let him oversee the country. The Grand Secretary Yang Shimin had also given him signals. But after meeting Wang Yongqin, everything changed. Emperor Jian'an became more wary and suspicious of him, and all his previous efforts were ruined.
Yang Shimin, that old fox, also realized this and reverted to his old cautious self, refusing to say another word. The Crown Prince had tried to investigate what slander Wang Yongqin had told Emperor Jian'an, but he found no trace of it.
If Emperor Jian'an had investigated Wang Yongqin's words, he would surely have found out the truth, but he found nothing. In other words, Emperor Jian'an simply chose to believe what Wang Yongqin said.
This made the Crown Prince especially upset. Since his father had a grudge against him, why didn't he investigate? He could even summon him for a confrontation, and the Crown Prince could then offer some explanation.
But he didn't.
The Crown Prince immediately summoned Gu Henian and asked him for advice. Gu Henian pointed out incisively: "It is no longer necessary to investigate what slander Wang Yongqin has spread, because His Majesty has already made his choice. He has chosen to distance himself from you and be close to the Sixth Prince. This is the fact. Your Highness, please do not put the cart before the horse. Right now, you should think about how to break this deadlock."
The prince said sincerely, "Please teach me, sir."
Gu Henian paced back and forth in the study of the Imperial Household Department, and finally wrote down two words: "Bright Sword".
The prince was taken aback: "May I ask, sir, what is the meaning of these two words?"
Gu Henian said, "His Majesty is raising two tigers at the same time, you and the Sixth Prince. He wants to watch you fight each other from a distance while he sits back and enjoys the 'balance' he has created. This way, you can't become too powerful, and he won't need to rush the transfer of imperial power."
He spoke very bluntly, directly exposing Emperor Jian'an's true intention: he did not want to relinquish power.
The prince's face turned pale and then red.
Gu Henian said, "Given the current situation, you and the Sixth Prince are irreconcilable enemies, and His Majesty holds great power. What you can do is to defeat the Sixth Prince in the shortest possible time and demonstrate your strength."
The Crown Prince frowned: "But wouldn't that mean Father Emperor is favoring him again?"
Gu Henian said bluntly, "Your Highness has always kept a low profile and compromised, but what has it gotten you in return? The same suspicion, suppression, and distrust from His Majesty. I think that if Your Highness continues like this, you can only maintain the current predicament. Your Highness has no way to change the status quo except to endure and persevere."
The Crown Prince said, "Does the master mean that I should take a gamble and fight the Sixth Prince to the death?"
Gu Henian said, "Your Highness, although it cannot be said that you have lost the Emperor's favor, you are not far from it. Choosing to draw your sword now is a good opportunity to find out who is behind the prince. Only when he is beaten to the point of being powerless and his life is in danger will his true colors be revealed. Otherwise, the power behind him is like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, which will bite you from time to time and is impossible to guard against."
Gu Henian looked at the Crown Prince and pointed out a cruel fact without any mercy: "Now it depends on what Your Highness chooses. Will you go all in and take a gamble, or will you proceed cautiously and compromise as you are now? It all depends on Your Highness's decision."
The Crown Prince was caught in a fierce dilemma. If he chose to endure, he could only watch helplessly as the Sixth Prince, with the support of Emperor Jian'an, swaggered around. If he took a gamble and revealed his trump card, would it arouse Emperor Jian'an's even deeper suspicion?
Looking at his painful struggle, Gu Henian said softly, "No matter what Your Highness does, His Majesty will always be wary of you and suppress you if His Majesty becomes suspicious of you. Why don't you change your approach and beat the Sixth Prince so badly that even His Majesty can't save him?"
Even though Gu Shanzhang was just a scholar, he exuded a decisive and ruthless aura at this moment, which greatly shocked the Crown Prince.
After a long silence, he finally made up his mind: "Okay."
Back at the East Palace, he summoned Pang Shi and Li Xiaoxiao. Just as he was about to discuss the next plan, he unexpectedly overheard Pang Shi say, "I wonder if Your Highness has heard? Li Xiaoxiao just started working in the palace today, and the Imperial Guards have already issued a challenge to her, demanding a match. She has already accepted."
The Crown Prince's mind was preoccupied with Emperor Jian'an's release of Li Chengyao, bestowing upon him the title of king and a marriage alliance, and he hadn't paid attention to Li Xiaoxiao's situation. Upon hearing this, he was taken aback: "The Imperial Guards have issued a challenge to Li Xiaoxiao? What do you think?"
Pang Shi said, "I think the Imperial Guards were prepared in advance. They specially sent Lu Biao to deliver a challenge to her. Moreover, according to the agreement, Li Xiaoxiao not only has to defeat Lu Biao, but also a first-class guard. However, Lu Biao did not say who this guard is."
The Crown Prince recalled Mr. Gu's earlier suggestion of "drawing the sword," and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes: "Li Xiaoxiao! Are you confident? Are you confident that you can defeat them? No matter who they send, defeat them soundly."
Li Xiaoxiao rarely saw the Crown Prince like this; he seemed extremely angry: "There is—right?"
After Pang Shi said that, she wasn't so sure anymore.
The main thing is that the fact that the other party used a meteor hammer was quite a shock to her. To be honest, she had never seen anyone use a meteor hammer before, let alone fought against such a master.
The Crown Prince said resolutely, "You must win. You must win this match at all costs. The Eastern Palace has been beaten for too long. It's time to fight back."
He looked at Pang Shi: "Pang Shi, has the date for the martial arts competition been set?"
Pang Shi shook his head: "Not yet."
The Crown Prince said, "Then we'll decide. You'd better give Li Xiaoxiao a good talking-to these next few days, and make sure she makes a name for herself on the day of the martial arts competition!"
When she got home that evening, Meng Guanqi immediately pulled her into the house and asked, "Everyone's saying you're going to have a martial arts contest with the Imperial Guards. What's going on?"
Li Xiaoxiao then told him the whole story, and Meng Guanqi's expression changed drastically: "Meteor hammer? How could anyone use such a weapon?"
Li Xiaoxiao shook her head: "I don't know either, this is the first time I've heard of it."
Meng Guanqi was so anxious she jumped up and down: "What should we do? You're just strong, how can you be a match for these martial arts masters who practice every day? You shouldn't have agreed to him so easily. You're a woman and he's a man. All that talk about taking over the position is nonsense. You've already found the loopholes in his words, why are you still stupidly jumping in?"
Li Xiaoxiao is a female guard. Even a fool would know that she couldn't possibly steal a promotion spot from the Imperial Guard. As long as she doesn't challenge them, the other side won't succeed.
Li Xiaoxiao comforted him, "It's not that scary. The Crown Prince instructed Pang Shi to arrange special training for me these few days. Once I understand the characteristics of this weapon better, it will be easier. Don't worry."
How could he not be anxious? He was so anxious that he couldn't eat or sleep.
They had just gotten married. If she were accidentally hit by that meteor hammer covered in sharp nails, would she survive?
He needed to find out who Lu Biao was and what his character was like.
He immediately sent Zhao Jian out to inquire, and news of Lu Biao was easy to find. He came from a collateral branch of the Duke of Lu and had loved playing with meteor hammers since childhood. Before entering the palace to serve, he was a well-known playboy in the capital. Later, his mother saw that he was useless and begged the Duke of Lu, who then found him a job in the Imperial Guard. Unexpectedly, he was quite talented and rose to the rank of second class in just a few years after entering the palace, with a bright future ahead of him.
A notorious playboy in the capital? Meng Guanqi's heart stirred slightly as he thought of someone.
He sent Ah Sheng to find Meng Mao.
When Meng Mao heard that Meng Guanqi was looking for him, he was quite surprised and came out to see him: "Guanqi, what do you want with me?"
Meng Guanqi then asked him if he knew Lu Biao, and told him about Lu Biao's challenge to Li Xiaoxiao. He was very anxious: "I heard that Lu Biao uses a meteor hammer. Xiaoxiao is just stronger. If she gets hit by that hammer, will she still be alive? Fifth Uncle, are you familiar with Lu Biao?"
Meng Mao was also very surprised: "How could Lu Biao issue a challenge to his nephew's wife? How could a grown man like him lay a hand on a young girl?"
Meng Guanqi sighed, "We've fallen for his trick, but we knew nothing about this person beforehand, nor do we know why he issued a challenge on Xiaoxiao's very first day on the job..."
Meng Mao hesitated for a moment: "I know Lu Biao. Wait a moment, I'll go to his place and ask him what's going on."
Meng Guanqi sincerely thanked Meng Mao: "Thank you, Fifth Uncle. Xiaoxiao is so carefree and didn't take this matter to heart at all. I'm so anxious and don't know what to do. Please put in a good word for me with Lu Biao, and please don't hurt my wife."
Meng Mao laughed and said, "I didn't realize you were so fond of your wife. Go home and wait for my news. I'll come to see her right away."
The next day, Meng Mao personally came to the Li residence to give Meng Guanqi and his wife a reply, his expression not very good: "Do you know why Lu Biao issued a challenge to his nephew's wife?"
Even the Crown Prince's side hadn't received any news yet, so the couple naturally shook their heads.
Meng Mao said, "Because His Majesty wanted to be present to watch the battle, Lu Ke gave him a death order that he must go all out. Although we have some friendship, for the sake of his future, he could not possibly let his niece-in-law win on the field. He even advised his niece-in-law that if she couldn't avoid it, she should admit defeat. He would try his best not to hurt her. That's all he could do."
Meng Guanqi's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and her eyes were almost filled with tears as she looked at Li Xiaoxiao.
Meng Mao said, "Besides this news, Lu Biao also said that even if his niece-in-law beats him, there is still a first-class guard to get past. But he doesn't even know who this first-class guard is. Lu Ke didn't tell anyone, but he thinks that he must be someone with exceptional martial arts skills, at least more difficult to deal with than himself."
It was already quite remarkable that Meng Mao was able to find out such inside information for them, so Meng Guanqi sincerely thanked him. Suddenly, he remembered something: "Fifth Uncle, is Yue Niang from my eldest uncle's family discussing marriage with the Wang family?"
Meng Mao was taken aback: "Oh right, you found out too?"
The two families have almost finished discussing things, so they should be finalizing the engagement soon, right?
Meng Guanqi thought for a moment and decided to return the favor: "Have you heard about His Majesty's decree a couple of days ago bestowing a marriage upon the Sixth Prince and Wang Liuniang?"
Meng Mao said, "Of course I've heard about such a big event. I've also heard that the Prince Xin's residence is located in Yongning Ward, right next to our Taiqing Ward."
Meng Guanqi pondered for a moment and said, "If possible, Fifth Uncle should try to persuade Eldest Uncle that this marriage with the Prince's Mansion is not advisable."
Meng Mao was startled: "Why is that?"
The Wang family is currently very popular, having produced a Princess Consort, bringing glory to the entire family. After learning this news, Madam Nie intensified her efforts to contact Madam Wang, hoping to finalize the marriage between Meng Yueniang and Wang Erlang as soon as possible.
Meng Guanqi said in a low voice, "Prince Xin intends to compete for the throne. If the Meng family and the Wang family form a marriage alliance, they will be regarded as Prince Xin's lineage. Isn't the Meng family usually reluctant to get involved in factional struggles? Fifth Uncle might as well use this reason to persuade Grandfather to step forward and stop it."
He couldn't say too much, so he could only vaguely say, "If the Meng family gets involved with Prince Xin, they might be implicated in the future. The second son of the Wang family is not a good match. Yue Niang is still young and comes from a high-ranking family. Perhaps we should find another marriage."
Meng Mao was shocked: "Prince Xin intends to vie for the throne? This, how is this possible? He and the Crown Prince are brothers!"
Seeing that Meng Guanqi remained silent, he frowned and said, "This matter is too shocking. Do you have any evidence? This marriage is something that my elder brother and sister-in-law have been eyeing for a long time. If it is just based on your words without any real evidence, they will not believe it."
They might even think that Meng Guanqi is jealous that Meng Yueniang found a good marriage and is taking the opportunity to vent her resentment at being looked down upon in the past!
After pondering for a long time, Meng Guanqi decided to tell Meng Mao the truth: "The Crown Prince lost three sons in succession, and there are rumors of misfortune in the Eastern Palace. All of this was caused by Prince Xin. Prince Xin was imprisoned in the palace for nearly a year because of this, and was only released these past two days. The royal family says that Prince Xin was unwell and recuperating in the palace, but Xiaoxiao and I know the inside story very well. Minister Wang offered his daughter, which means he is on Prince Xin's side. If the Meng family also forms a marriage alliance with the Wang family, they will most likely be implicated by him."
Meng Mao was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Are you kidding me? You can't just say things like that!"
Meng Guanqi said, "How dare I speak carelessly about such an important matter! Why do you think Xiaoxiao is valued so much by His Highness the Crown Prince? It's because she saved the life of the Crown Prince, so the Crown Prince trusts her and insists that she enter the palace to protect the Crown Prince's safety."
Meng Mao was completely devastated.
Meng Guanqi said, "I know that Fifth Uncle has no say at home, but we can tell Grandfather about this in person and let him make the decision."
Meng Mao nodded blankly, then rushed home, filled with shock.
After Meng Mao left, Meng Guanqi reverted to her melancholy, wifely demeanor. Li Xiaoxiao finally couldn't help but say, "Actually, the meteor hammer isn't invincible; it's not as scary as you think..."
Meng Guanqi looked at her resentfully, her voice barely audible: "How do we break it? That thing is covered in nails, one puncture and it'll leave a hole. How do we break it?"
Li Xiaoxiao tried to reason with him: "The meteor hammer is a ranged weapon. I just need to use a ranged weapon to deal with it, right? He uses a meteor hammer, and I use a leather whip. As long as I wrap it up and pull it off, it will break without a fight."
Meng Guanqi said weakly, "Are you just trying to make me happy? Can you really postpone your competition for another year or two? I've never seen you use a whip before, how could you have learned it in just a few days?"
Li Xiaoxiao awkwardly touched her nose. In fact, she not only knew how to use a whip, but she used it quite well.
The reason everyone thought she couldn't use it was because she rarely had the chance to use the whip here.
But there's a downside to not having used it before: how can she explain to others that she uses it very well and is very skilled at it?
She had taken advantage of the extra training Pang Shi gave her to try to make herself look like a beginner. After practicing for two or three days, she would make a "stunning debut" and then use the excuse of being a martial arts prodigy to fool everyone into thinking that she was a beginner, just a gifted person who was born with talent.
She was still very confident that she could easily defeat these arrogant men in terms of physical strength.
Unfortunately, her husband at home was always worried that she would die before she could achieve her goal, which made her feel both sweet and burdened.
Seeing that he couldn't eat or sleep, she thought for a moment and took down the leather whip she had brought from the palace from the wall. It was a heavy whip that Pang Shi had asked her to pick out from the armory in the East Palace. It was very heavy and suitable for her to use.
She picked up the whip and then a plate of walnuts from the table: "Come out with me."
Meng Guanqi followed her to the open space outside the courtyard.
Li Xiaoxiao shoved the plate into his arms: "Take the walnuts and throw them into the air. I'll show you my new whip technique."
She tossed a walnut, no bigger than an egg, into the air—was she trying to whip it? How could that be?
Meng Guanqi was skeptical, and hesitantly picked up a walnut and threw it away.
With a flick of her long whip, Li Xiaoxiao sent a dragon soaring into the air, its hissing sound echoing as the dragon swiftly opened its mouth and bit the walnut that was about to fall. With a powerful bite, the walnut was smashed into several pieces, which flew to various corners of the yard.
Meng Guanqi stared in disbelief and threw out another one.
Li Xiaoxiao's long whip seemed to have eyes, and with another crack, the walnut shattered.
After smashing four walnuts in a row with perfect accuracy, Meng Guanqi was beyond amazed; he was practically in awe, prostrating himself in reverence: "Is this the result of your practice over the past few days?"
Li Xiaoxiao nodded without blushing.
Meng Guanqi exclaimed in amazement: "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have known that there really are martial arts prodigies like you in the world. You've mastered the whip so well in just a few days. Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd been practicing for over ten years."
Li Xiaoxiao said without changing her expression, "It's the same as when you read books. You can memorize an article after reading it a few times, but I can't memorize it even after reading it for two days. It's normal for there to be a gap between us in terms of literary and martial arts."
Meng Guanqi said modestly, "If you can't memorize an article, you can memorize it a few more times, but this kind of accuracy is something that many people probably can't achieve in their entire lives. My wife has to describe it as a martial arts prodigy."
Li smiled and enjoyed her young husband's praise: "Now you can rest assured, right? Don't worry about me, I'm very strong."
The fact that she picked it up so quickly surprised not only Meng Guanqi, but Pang Shi also asked her more than once, "Is this really your first time handling a whip? You haven't been secretly practicing for over ten years, have you?"
Li Xiaoxiao said expressionlessly, "When have you ever seen me use a whip? What I have is a weapon that can illuminate a hundred miles away. Weapons always have some commonalities."
Pang Shi stared at the whip in her hand for a few moments, then tried it himself and sighed, "I consider myself quite skilled in martial arts, so why didn't I master it? It seems that talent is something that can't be compared."
Li smiled and asked him, "The time for the martial arts competition can be set now. Let's set it for two days from now. After the competition, I will report to His Highness and take Aze out of the palace with me. My mother-in-law and Rui Rui will be returning to Biyang County in a few days. This separation may last for two years before we see each other again."
Pang Shi sighed, only she had the guts to take the Crown Prince to live in her home without worrying about his safety: "Alright, I'll get back to the Imperial Guards right away, you can be prepared."
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