Chapter 160 Battle (2)
Meanwhile, Wang Liuniang, who had been imprisoned, was finally released. Madam Wang arranged for her personal nanny to personally wash her in a tub, dress her in gorgeous clothes, apply glamorous makeup, and help her to the front courtyard of the Wang Mansion.
The imperial edict has arrived.
Vice Minister Wang and his wife led the way in kneeling to receive the imperial decree. Wang Liuniang lowered her head like a wooden puppet and received the imperial decree from Emperor Jian'an bestowing marriage upon her and the Sixth Prince.
Wang Liuniang's hands, clenched into fists beneath her flowing brocade sleeves, held a glint of something indescribable—hate or excitement—as she accepted the imperial edict from the eunuch.
No wonder the Vice Minister Wang went back on his word and was unwilling to let her marry Meng Guanqi; it turns out he found her an even better marriage, one that would drive all the unmarried young ladies of the Prince's mansion mad with jealousy.
From that moment on, she was royalty—how glorious, yet how ironic!
She stood up, head held high, as if she couldn't hear Madam Wang's repeated calls, and walked back to her own courtyard step by step.
Now that she's about to become Princess Xin, how could she possibly let the royal family control her? It's time to turn the tide.
Two days later, at the Imperial Guard's training ground, a large arena was set up, with several rows of empty chairs neatly placed in front. The two sides of the arena were surrounded by people. On the left was the Eastern Palace Guard led by Pang Shi, and on the right was the Imperial Guard led by Lu Ke, the commander of the Imperial Guard. On the arena stood Li Xiaoxiao and Lu Biao, both clad in armor.
Li Xiaoxiao had a leather whip tied around her waist, and Lu Biao had a meteor hammer hanging from his waist. The two stood at opposite ends of the arena, waiting for the drum to sound.
A member of the Imperial Guard ran up and handed each of them a piece of paper and a pen. When Li Xiaoxiao looked at it, she realized it was a life-or-death agreement. She understood what it meant and glanced down, and sure enough, she saw the words "No discussion of life or death".
On the fighting stage, swords and spears have no eyes; no one can guarantee they'll come off unscathed. Signing a pledge beforehand means that anything that happens on the stage cannot be investigated afterward—that's the rule.
Li Xiaoxiao carefully read the contents of the life-or-death agreement, but Lu Biao signed his name in a few quick strokes without even frowning. Seeing that Li Xiaoxiao hesitated to write, he raised his eyebrows: "What? Scared? Don't dare to sign?"
Li Xiaoxiao shook her head and sighed: "It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I've lost out."
Lu Biao was taken aback: "Losed money? How did you lose money?"
Li laughed and said, "If I had known so many people were watching, I would have placed a bigger bet. Ten taels is a huge loss!"
When Lu Biao used reverse psychology to get her to agree to the martial arts contest, he hadn't expected the emperor to come and watch. He thought Lu Ke just disliked her and wanted to give her a hard time, so he casually agreed to the ten taels of silver bet. Who knew that the matter would spread wider and wider, and become more and more serious? In addition to the Crown Prince's guards and the Imperial Guards, he had also seen many civil officials working outside the capital city rushing in this direction.
If Li Xiaoxiao is right, and things have escalated to this point, a bet of ten taels of silver is far too petty.
Lu Biao raised an eyebrow: "You can add more money now, how much do you want?"
Li Xiaoxiao shook her head: "Forget it, once the move is made, it's done. Ten taels it is. But we've been standing here for almost half an hour. When are we going to start? The sun is almost high in the sky."
Why haven't they started yet? It's because the emperor hasn't arrived yet. He wants to come and observe the battle in person. How can they start if he doesn't show up?
Looking at the unhurried Li Xiaoxiao, Lu Biao suddenly remembered Meng Mao, who had come to visit him a few days ago.
The two were both playboys in the capital and often hung out together, so they had a fairly good relationship. However, he went ashore to become a member of the Imperial Guard, while Meng Mao was still hanging out in the playboy world, so they had much less contact. When Lu Biao heard that he had come to see him, he was very surprised. After meeting Meng Mao, he learned that Li Xiaoxiao was his niece-in-law.
He came to her door to plead for her, hoping that Lu Biao wouldn't really hurt her.
Normally, Lu Biao would have agreed without hesitation, but this time the emperor himself was watching the competition, so he couldn't possibly let Li Xiaoxiao win for that reason.
The only thing he could agree to was if Li Xiaoxiao admitted defeat and jumped off the stage, then he would have no reason to attack her.
This is the best way to protect her. It all depends on her choice. If she stays in the ring unwilling to admit defeat or leave, everyone knows what will happen in the end.
Before Emperor Jian'an arrived, Lu Biao whispered, "When we fight later, if you can't dodge, just admit defeat and jump off the stage, and the match will end. Your fifth uncle pleaded with me, so I'm just kindly reminding you."
Li Xiaoxiao looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected him to be such a loyal person. It was already quite kind of him to remind her of something when she was fighting for her future.
She nodded, accepting his favor: "I'll try my best not to hurt you when I knock you down."
Lu Biao was surprised by her arrogance. His good intentions had been taken for granted. He snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Since she won't listen to advice, he can't be blamed. He'll have something to say when Meng Mao asks him about it later.
Li Xiaoxiao's gaze suddenly stopped to her right. She saw a familiar figure rushing towards her, accompanied by several civil officials in green robes. She smiled slightly and waved to him.
Even when wearing the exact same clothes, he stands out in the crowd and is easily recognizable.
Meng Guanqi wiped the sweat from his brow, glanced at Li Xiaoxiao with some concern, then looked at the densely packed soldiers surrounding him, a look of astonishment in his eyes.
Many people.
The civil official next to him, Zhu Sijie, who was also the second-place scholar in the same year, asked in surprise, "Why are there so many people?"
He spotted Li Xiaoxiao in her armor, looking dashing and heroic, and nudged Meng Guanqi: "Is that your wife?"
Meng Guanqi absentmindedly hummed in agreement.
Zhu Sijie looked at Meng Guanqi, then at Li Xiaoxiao, and sighed, "They say beauties are paired with heroes, but you two seem to have switched roles."
Meng Guanqi slowly turned his head and glanced at him.
Zhu Sijie quickly raised his hand: "Sorry, sorry, I spoke without thinking. Please don't take offense, Brother Meng."
Brother Meng is indeed too handsome, and his wife, dressed in armor, truly looks like a hero.
After greeting Meng Guanqi, Li Xiaoxiao lowered her head and signed her name on the death certificate.
Zhu Sijie nudged one of the imperial guards blocking his way: "Brother, what is she holding in her hand?"
The Imperial Guard said irritably, "It's a life-or-death contract. Everyone who participates in the competition has signed it. If someone is crippled or injured, there's no way to hold them accountable after they leave the arena."
Meng Guanqi's heart sank. He signed the military order. Injuring or damaging the enemy was a minor matter; he was afraid that even if the enemy killed someone, he would be innocent.
Li Xiaoxiao actually signed this document right in front of him. Even though she had already demonstrated her excellent whip skills to him, he was still on edge.
It's so cruel. Why did she have to go through all this? And he stood below, unable to help at all.
At this moment, all he wanted was to pull her off the ring, protect her tightly, send her home, lock her up, and make sure no one could hurt her.
As if sensing his worry, she looked over and gave him a reassuring smile.
A commotion arose from ahead, and the chief eunuch, Liang Qisheng, announced loudly, "His Majesty has arrived!"
Emperor Jian'an sat high on his palanquin, with the Crown Prince, Yang Shimin, and a group of high-ranking officials attending the court meeting on his left. Surprisingly, a handsome young man dressed in a gorgeous printed robe followed on his right. When Li Xiaoxiao saw the man's face, her gaze darkened. It was none other than the Sixth Prince, Li Chengyao.
Emperor Jian'an actually brought both him and the Crown Prince to watch the battle.
Looking at the Crown Prince's expressionless face, Li Xiaoxiao couldn't help but curse inwardly. Was the Emperor suffering from some serious illness that he allowed the Crown Prince to appear alongside the man who killed her son? Was he really not afraid that the Crown Prince would go berserk and stab Li Chengyao?
Li Xiaoxiao thought bitterly, but when she thought of how aggrieved the Crown Prince had been all these years, she couldn't help but sigh. He was just taking advantage of the Crown Prince's honesty. If the Crown Prince had half the ruthlessness of Li Chengyao, he shouldn't have let him go for fear of Emperor Jian'an when he exposed him as the murderer. He should have just pretended to lose control and stabbed him with a knife. What could Emperor Jian'an have done to him then?
The opportunity has passed and will never return. Now that Li Chengyao has made a comeback, he is bound to start causing trouble.
Why is he here today? Could this competition be related to him?
A fleeting question crossed Li Xiaoxiao's mind. Her gaze shifted, and she suddenly saw a familiar face who shouldn't be there.
Wang Liuniang.
She stood behind Li Chengyao, also dressed in elaborate makeup, looking incredibly noble, with a faint smile on her face, appearing very docile.
The imperial decree of marriage had just been issued, and Emperor Jian'an summoned her to the palace to meet the Sixth Prince? How biased! Even the Crown Princess isn't here on this occasion.
At this moment, Emperor Jian'an's sedan chair slowly approached the arena, and everyone bowed their heads and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Jian'an waved his hand: "Rise."
As the sedan chair came down, the young eunuch pushed Emperor Jian'an's wheelchair onto it, transferred him to the wheelchair, and pushed him to the front of the arena.
This is the best spot to watch the game.
The Crown Prince sat to the left of Emperor Jian'an, with Yang Shimin and others sitting beside him. Li Chengyao and Wang Liuniang sat to the right of Emperor Jian'an. The chairs in the second, third, and fourth rows were occupied by ministers and other officials according to seniority.
The referee was a lieutenant general. He gestured to Emperor Jian'an, and upon receiving permission, raised a small red flag and announced loudly: "This battle is between Li Xiaoxiao, a first-class guard of the Eastern Palace, and Lu Biao, a second-class imperial guard. The flag is the signal; the battle begins when the flag falls and ends when it rises. The one who remains on the platform wins, and the one who falls off or voluntarily concedes loses. In this arena, weapons have no eyes. Both sides have signed a pledge that neither side will be held responsible for any injury, disability, or death. The rules have been read; the competition officially begins!"
With the red flag lowered, Canjun quickly withdrew from the arena, leaving only Lu Biao and Li Xiaoxiao on the huge stage.
Lu Biao smiled at Li Xiaoxiao, clasped his hands in a fist salute, reached out and took the meteor hammer hanging from his waist. With a swift movement of his arm, the meteor hammer began to spin in his hand, making a whooshing sound as it cut through the air.
Li Xiaoxiao returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, and untied the leather whip from her waist.
"Oh, she chose a whip, which is also a ranged weapon."
"That's quite clever. If the whip can entangle the meteor hammer, it will reduce its lethality."
"I heard she only recently learned to use the whip, and has only been learning for a few days. How could she possibly withstand Lu Biao's meteor hammer, which he has been wielding for over ten years?"
"Let's see how she handles this. After all, she's a first-class guard specially recruited by the Crown Prince's Palace. Surely she can't be completely incompetent?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, all eyes fixed on the two on the field. The Imperial Guards were eager to see how many moves Lu Biao would take down Li Xiaoxiao, while the Eastern Palace Guards were on tenterhooks, knowing that Li Xiaoxiao had only learned to wield the whip for a few days.
Meng Guanqi was so nervous that he was covered in sweat, and he didn't dare to blink as he watched Li Xiaoxiao, who remained motionless on the field.
She didn't launch an attack. Didn't she say that offense is the best defense? Was she waiting for Lu Biao to make a move?
Lu Biao had thought that since she was a woman, he would let her make the first move, but she stood there motionless, holding a whip in her hand without even making a move. Did she look down on him that much?
Since she refuses to take the initiative, let him do it. We can't just leave His Majesty waiting down there.
Lu Biao shouted and rushed forward, sweeping his meteor hammer toward Li Xiaoxiao.
The onlookers gasped in surprise as the meteor hammer hurtled straight toward Li Xiaoxiao's face. If it hit her, it could smash several holes in her head!
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Li Xiaoxiao ducked low, the meteor hammer grazing her face. With a flick of her wrist, her long whip slid like a dragon, coiling forward in circles. In the instant the meteor hammer retracted, it swiftly wrapped around Lu Biao's left arm. She bent her right leg back and gently pulled, lifting Lu Biao's body off the ground, almost launching him into the air.
Lu Biao was startled and quickly pulled his right hand, which was caught in the trap, back with all his might. He used half his strength to pull, but Li Xiaoxiao did not budge.
Lu Biao was shocked. What incredible strength!
It truly lives up to its reputation!
He shouted and pulled again, this time with all his might, but he only felt the other side become lighter. Li Xiaoxiao floated up like a kite, and with his pull, she quickly moved closer and kicked towards him with both legs.
Lu Biao was extremely anxious. She had used this move to get close! You should know that the thing he feared most when wielding his meteor hammer was close combat. This Li Xiaoxiao was really not simple. He had only attacked once, but she had already used the momentum to launch two attacks on him!
However, Lu Biao's close-range skills were not weak either. When he saw Li Xiaoxiao kicking at him, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and managed to block her kick. But she was really strong. He was kicked back five steps before he could barely stand up. Five clear footprints were left on the stage.
Lu Biao had just regained his footing when he tried to swing his meteor hammer again, but Li Xiaoxiao clearly didn't give him the chance. With a flick of her wrist, the whip wrapped around Lu Biao's arm seemed to come alive, automatically loosening and slipping out of his arm to wrap around his neck at an extremely tricky angle.
Wang Liuniang exclaimed, "What excellent whipping technique!"
She had also learned whip techniques since childhood, but even she didn't know the two moves that Li Xiaoxiao showed!
Even though she was mortified of Li Xiaoxiao, she had to admit that this woman's whip skills were already superb.
Hearing her call, Li Chengyao smiled and turned around: "Miss Wang thinks her whip technique is very good?"
Wang Liuniang barely managed to maintain her smile, but answered with certainty: "Very good. It would take ten or eight years of practice to develop such agile whip skills. I have also practiced whips since I was a child, but I don't think I can use such moves."
I never imagined that a whip could be used like this.
Li Chengyao turned around with a smile, but a shadow of gloom flashed in his eyes.
Lu Biao never expected that this ordinary cowhide whip would wrap around his neck like a living snake, and even wrap it around three times.
With his vital point held, he instinctively reached out to pry it open, but then heard Li Xiaoxiao say, "Are you going to admit defeat? If you don't, you'll be flying out of the air in the next moment."
With just a little force, she could snap his neck in three rotations.
Lu Biao's face turned pale and then red, completely unable to accept that he had lost so inexplicably, and that his meteor hammer, which he was so confident in, had no chance to be used.
The entire arena was silent. Everyone stared in utter astonishment as Li Xiaoxiao defeated Lu Biao with just two whips. They hadn't even seen how she won.
The referee looked at Emperor Jian'an with a troubled expression, unsure whether to raise the flag to announce the end of the match.
What should we do?
The emperor himself is here to watch the battle. Even if it's a hassle to put on a show, couldn't you at least show a few more moves? Shouldn't it be a close fight where both sides take minor injuries before a winner is decided? If it's over in just two moves, then why hold this competition with such fanfare?
Lu Biao dared not look up at Lu Ke beside the ring. He had entered the ring full of confidence, but he lost in just two moves. If he did not admit defeat, he would fly away like a kite, which would be even more embarrassing.
He gritted his teeth and forced out the words, "I lost."
Li Xiaoxiao's hand trembled, and the whip loosened, detaching from Lu Biao's neck. She put the whip back, clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your consideration."
Meng Guanqi was so happy he felt like he could fly away, and he wanted to rush over and give her a big kiss.
Out of the corner of her eye, Wang Liuniang saw his beaming face, so happy, so affectionate, but all of this belonged not to her, but to the woman on the stage. Her heart was filled with bitterness, resentment, and jealousy that drove her mad.
But sitting next to Li Chengyao, she couldn't even openly turn around and look at him.
Seeing Lu Biao admit defeat, the Eastern Palace guards roared with joy.
Who else? Who else?! Who else dares to question Li Xiaoxiao's abilities?!
She's so strong that she's already crushed you before you even have a chance to show your true abilities.
Many people even suspect that she deliberately concealed her strength:
"Who said she'd only been learning to wield a whip for a few days? Do you think someone can master it in just a few days?"
"It was intentional, wasn't it? To make Lu Biao underestimate her. Everyone knows that the key to defeating Lu Biao is close combat. With a flick of her whip, she rushed straight to Lu Biao's side, then wrapped her arms around his neck. If she had used a little force, she could have strangled him. He wouldn't have been able to refuse to admit defeat."
"She's too strong. No wonder she became a first-class guard of the Eastern Palace as soon as she arrived. I've never seen such skill before."
"No one has ever seen this before; it's only today that I've had my eyes opened."
"that is."
...
The onlookers were buzzing with discussion, while Emperor Jian'an remained enigmatic. Lu Ke walked up to him and whispered something to him, to which Emperor Jian'an nodded: "Go."
Lu Ke bowed, then suddenly flipped over and landed on the arena.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Lu Ke spoke up: "As agreed, Guard Li still needs to spar with a first-class guard. I am also a first-class guard by training, please enlighten me."
Lu Ke, the commander of the Imperial Guards, a military officer of the third rank, actually wants to personally challenge Li Xiaoxiao to a duel?
Lu Ke's words caused an uproar. Apart from Emperor Jian'an and Li Chengyao, everyone stared in surprise at the two on the stage.
Even Li Xiaoxiao subconsciously looked at the Crown Prince, who frowned deeply and said, "Isn't this against the rules? Commander Lu is the commander of the Imperial Guards, a third-rank official. Why should he lower himself to this level when fighting against a mere first-class guard like me?"
The other officials present also agreed and were all very surprised. As a third-rank military officer and the leader of the Imperial Guard, Lu Ke was known for his extraordinary skills. Why would he lower himself to compete with a female guard from the Eastern Palace?
If he wins, others will think he is a man bullying a woman, which is dishonorable. If he loses, he will lose face in front of all the officials. Why would he do this?
Li Chengyao, standing beside Emperor Jian'an, smiled and said, "Brother, you are mistaken. I've heard that this new female guard in the Eastern Palace is incredibly strong, unmatched by anyone. General Lu has long admired her and has even lowered himself to ask for her guidance. She should be extremely grateful. You must know that in our Great Wu, whether selecting guards or generals, it's all about strength. Whoever has the strongest fist gets promoted. General Lu himself is a first-class guard. What's wrong with personally assessing this first-class guard's skills to see if she meets the Eastern Palace's selection criteria?"
The Crown Prince sneered, "I just think that with all the civil and military officials present, it wouldn't be surprising if Commander Lu won, but if he lost, wouldn't that be laughable? Does Commander Lu think it doesn't matter?"
Lu Ke bowed to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, I was delighted to see this talent and wanted to compete with this Guard Li. I did not consider the issue of status. I will accept the outcome regardless of the result. Even if I lose, I will only admit that I am not good enough and should urge myself to improve. I am not afraid of being laughed at by outsiders."
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Emperor Jian'an's eyes.
Now that things have come to this point, if Li Xiaoxiao were to refuse again, it would only make her seem cowardly and afraid of battle, and that she was unworthy of being the bodyguard parachuted into the Eastern Palace.
The Crown Prince could no longer refuse. He cast a questioning look at Li Xiaoxiao, who nodded at him.
The Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief: "In that case, Commander Lu, please proceed."
Lu Ke clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Crown Prince, and finally turned his gaze to Li Xiaoxiao's face, his large, thick hand pressing down on the knife at his waist.
Li Xiaoxiao stared at him without blinking, and just before he was about to make a move, she suddenly said, "You have to sign a life-or-death waiver before going onto the arena. It seems Commander Lu hasn't signed it yet?"
Lu Ke seemed taken aback, his gaze turning icy, and he smirked, "I don't need to sign that."
Li smiled and said, "To be fair, I think Commander Lu should sign it. Otherwise, swords have no eyes. What if you get injured and others come after me for not signing a death warrant?"
Lu Ke sneered: "A word spoken by an official is like a horse let loose. The Emperor is here, and all the high-ranking officials of the court are witnessing this. By stepping onto the arena, you have naturally accepted the rules of the arena. How could anyone possibly cause you trouble? Are you perhaps afraid?"
Li smiled and said, "Words are not enough. It's better to sign as proof. If Commander Lu refuses to sign, then there's no need to continue this competition."
Lu Ke's face immediately turned ashen.
Emperor Jian'an and all the civil and military officials were seated below. How dare Li Xiaoxiao openly challenge his authority? The imperial guards below could no longer contain their restlessness and began to boo.
Although the guards of the Eastern Palace felt that Lu Ke would not renege on his promise, they believed that a written agreement would be more secure, and Li Xiaoxiao's insistence was not wrong, so they shushed her back defiantly.
Only Meng Guanqi seemed to have sensed something, his brows furrowed tightly.
Xiaoxiao is not usually so concerned about these small details, so there must be a reason why she insists on doing this.
But at this moment he had no chance to ask her why she insisted on this. Lu Ke saw the commotion below the stage, smiled coldly, and reached out to the referee: "Bring me the life-or-death contract."
The adjutant was startled and subconsciously looked at Emperor Jian'an. Seeing that he remained silent, he had no choice but to take out a life-or-death contract and present it on the stage. Lu Ke didn't even look at it and directly signed his name: "Is that enough?"
Li Xiaoxiao smiled slightly: "Of course, please give me your guidance, Commander Lu."
Beneath her smile lay a barely perceptible chill.
Lu Ke thought he had hidden it well, but Li Xiaoxiao still sensed a faint killing intent emanating from him.
Lu Ke wanted to kill her.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com