After winter entered Jinling City, the weather became colder, and Princess Nihuang's contest to recruit a bride slowly came to an end.
Young talents from all over the country finally identified the top four, namely Xiao Jingrui, Mei Changsu, Wang Gang from Daliang, and Ling Xun, a master from Nanchu.
Except for Mei Changsu, these four people all relied on their true strength to fight all the way.
Xiao Jingrui, in particular, faced many powerful enemies and relied on Tianquan swordsmanship to overcome them and finally reach the top four, which impressed many people.
Lingxun of Nanchu was also a rare master, with superb martial arts, and even had the strength to aspire to the Langya Ranking.
As for Wang Gang's matches, they are quite boring. He usually kills his opponents with one move, but no one dares to question him.
Because he showed absolutely crushing strength and speed, even the masters on the Langya Ranking could not say that he could catch two or three moves, so Wang Gang was the favorite to win the championship.
As for the last one, Mei Changsu, it was really booed. Many people said that he was so lucky that he reached the semi-finals without even fighting once. Even if he said he had no inside information, even a fool would not believe it.
But no matter what, after the top four were determined, the contest for marriage came to an end, and Princess Nihuang's husband was destined to be born among the four.
In the final battle of the top four, Emperor Liang even came forward to preside over the battle in person, and was even witnessed by dignitaries from the DPRK and China.
Princess Nihuang and her younger brother, Prince Mu, arrived at the competition ground early in the morning to welcome Emperor Liang and the Queen.
After everyone arrived, Emperor Liang asked Gao Zhan to draw lots for the top four in person to determine the opponents for the competition to prevent fraud.
The person Wang Gang drew was Nanchu Lingxun, so Mei Changsu would naturally have to face Xiao Jingrui.
When Emperor Liang learned about Wang Gang's opponent, he couldn't help but feel happy.
"It seems that Nihuang doesn't have to marry a foreign country this time."
Princess Nihuang said seriously: "Your Majesty, according to the rules of martial arts competition, the winner must defeat me before Prince Mu's palace can agree to this marriage."
Emperor Liang chuckled and said, "I have heard Concubine Jing say a long time ago that you asked Prince Jing to participate in the martial arts competition just to see if he would lose to you in the end. Is that true?"
Princess Nihuang straightened her face and said without blushing or out of breath: "There is absolutely no such thing. How could Nihuang cheat? What's more, who can guarantee whether His Highness Prince Jing can survive to the end?"
Prince Yu retorted, "Prince Jing's martial arts skills are unparalleled. Even Commander Meng, who is second on the list of Langya masters, is ashamed of himself. Who can beat him?"
Not to be outdone, Princess Nihuang said: "There are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the world, and some people don't even bother to enter the Langya master list."
The prince said happily: "Could Princess Nihuang be talking about Su Zhe? I heard that he had good luck all the way through the martial arts competition. His opponent either had a sudden illness or was unable to come to compete. Mr. Su won the battle without fighting. Everyone said
I suspect he bribed his opponent."
Princess Nihuang smiled and said: "This competition to recruit a bride is completely open to the public, and there are royal experts in charge, who dares to cheat."
Emperor Liang's face darkened and he said: "No matter what, I will personally supervise the battle between the final four. Anyone who dares to lie will not be forgiven."
Nihuang's heart tightened and she couldn't help but feel nervous about Mei Changsu.
After the opponent was determined, the first match was between Xiao Jingrui and Mei Changsu, whose pseudonym was Su Zhe.
Standing on the ring, Xiao Jingrui held a long sword in his hand, looked at the unarmed Mei Changsu, and couldn't help but said: "Brother Mei, don't you use weapons?"
Mei Changsu smiled bitterly and said, "What's the difference between using it and not using it?"
Xiao Jingrui frowned and said: "Brother Mei, I know that Sister Nihuang is in love with you, but in this competition I represent not only myself, but also the honor of Ningguo Hou Mansion and Tianquan Villa. I will never give in to each other."
Mei Changsu smiled slightly, put on a Tai Chi starting position, and said: "Your Majesty is watching the battle, whoever dares to cheat, come on!"
Xiao Jingrui threw away his sword and said: "Although I won't give in, I won't take advantage of your weapons. Let's compete in fist and kick skills."
Xie Yu, who was on the viewing platform, looked very ugly at this moment. He really wanted to step off the stage and slap his son twice.
Xiao Jingrui inherited his martial arts from the Tianquan Swordsmanship of Tianquan Villa. Without a sword, his 100% strength was reduced to 70%. Isn’t this considered a concession? He really treated the spectators as fools.
Emperor Liang glanced at Xie Yu coldly and said, "This is Jingrui, the child of Liyang! He has a certain gentlemanly demeanor."
Xie Yu stood up and bowed and said: "Your Majesty, please forgive me. This kid Jing Rui has an old relationship with Su Zhe. Maybe he didn't want to take advantage of his friend, so he abandoned the sword. I'll go down and reprimand him right away."
Emperor Liang shook his head and said: "It's really not appropriate to use weapons until the point of martial arts competition. Jingrui did the right thing, why should he be reprimanded? Just watch the battle with peace of mind!"
On the ring, Xiao Jingrui had already punched Mei Changsu.
He has been practicing martial arts for twenty years, and his fists and kicks are not weak, and every move is extremely fierce. He has both the broad range of battlefield martial arts and the dexterity of Jianghu martial arts, combining the strengths of Houfu and Tianquan Villa.
On the contrary, Mei Changsu's boxing skills were very ordinary, even a little slow and powerless, but he was able to accurately defend against Xiao Jingrui's attacks every time.
The two exchanged more than ten moves, and the fight was back and forth.
Those who said Mei Changsu was deceitful all shut their mouths at this time.
Xiao Jingrui couldn't even attack, so he couldn't help but take three steps back and took the initiative to distance himself from Mei Changsu.
He didn't use his internal strength just now and was afraid of beating Mei Changsu to death simply because of his fist and kick skills.
After several trials, Xiao Jingrui knew that Mei Changsu had the power to protect himself.
"Brother Mei, what kind of boxing technique are you doing? Why haven't I seen it before?" Xiao Jingrui asked curiously.
Mei Changsu put on the Tai Chi stance and said: "This is called Tai Chi. Its main purpose is to use softness to overcome hardness, and use the weak to defeat the strong. It is very different from ordinary martial arts."
Xiao Jingrui's eyes lit up and he was surprised and said: "The list of Langya Masters ranks me below Brother Mei. It really makes sense. Regardless of literary talent or martial arts, I am not as good as you."
Mei Changsu was stunned and said unexpectedly: "Jing Rui, do you want to admit defeat?"
Xiao Jingrui chuckled and said, "It's impossible for me to admit defeat. You have to be careful with your next move."
Mei Changsu prepared himself carefully, adjusting his breathing rhythm. His whole body seemed to be relaxed, but in fact it was loose on the outside and tight on the inside.
Xiao Jingrui kicked his foot, and he rushed towards Mei Changsu like a tiger pouncing on food. He had used this move ten times, and he was confident that even a stone tablet could be broken.
When the fight just started, Xiao Jingrui realized that although the Tai Chi technique used by Mei Changsu was strange, it was extremely weak. If it were a head-on confrontation, he would never be able to withstand a single move, so he used the most direct method to win with brute force.
Little did he know that this was the moment Mei Changsu had been waiting for.
Before the competition, Mei Changsu knew that he was no match for Xiao Jingrui, even if he had to learn the essence of Tai Chi from Wang Gang personally and could barely stand in the ring.
But in the face of absolute power, no matter how amazing Tai Chi is, it is impossible to defeat Xiao Jingrui.
Therefore, Wang Gang and Mei Changsu agreed to win by surprise and take advantage of the competition field.
Mei Changsu suddenly shrank, curled up into a ball without any form, and rolled towards Xiao Jingrui's lower body.
Xiao Jingrui used too much force at this time and subconsciously wanted to avoid Mei Changsu, not wanting to really hurt him.
What Mei Changsu was waiting for was the moment when Xiao Jingrui hid. He suddenly stood up and faced Xiao Jingrui with his back, forcing him to dodge again, otherwise Xiao Jingrui's palm would really fall on Mei Changsu, and he would be able to directly
Killed him.
Xiao Jingrui was kind-hearted after all and couldn't bear the death of Mei Changsu. He turned over and nimbly dodged away. When he stood still, he realized that he was already standing at the edge of the ring.
Mei Changsu used all his strength to slam into Xiao Jingrui, knocking him off the ring.
The moment Xiao Jingrui landed, everyone was a little confused.
Mei Changsu stood on the ring panting, cupped his hands to Xiao Jingrui and said, "I accept."
Xiao Jingrui said in surprise: "I actually lost."
According to the rules of the competition, whoever falls behind the ring loses. Mei Changsu made full use of the rules of the ring, coupled with Xiao Jingrui's goodwill, to win this round in a despicable manner.
Xiao Jingrui was free and easy and didn't care about winning or losing, but Xie Yu shouted angrily: "Jingrui, you go on stage and compete with him again."
Xiao Jingrui was confused: "Father, I have lost when I stepped down."
"Not counting just now, he is using tricks to trick you into stepping down!" Xie Yu said unconvinced.
Nihuang coughed and said, "Thank you, Lord Marquis, please be more graceful."
Xie Yu looked at Emperor Liang unwillingly, and when he wanted to say something else, Emperor Liang said:
"Marquis Ning Guo, since Jing Rui has already taken the initiative to admit defeat, why bother forcing him anymore!"
Xie Yu reluctantly followed the order and sat down, his face as black as carbon.
In any case, the competition between Mei Changsu and Xiao Jingrui was over, and they left the ring together. Xiao Jingrui even invited Mei Changsu to his birthday party, not caring about the outcome.
"On my birthday party, Brother Mei must come early."
"sure!"
The two left talking and laughing, and many people in the court said that Mei Changsu had faked the match.
Next is the match between Wang Gang and Nanchu Lingxun.
When Wang Gang walked onto the ring empty-handed, Ling Xun hadn't arrived yet.
"Referee, when will I wait?" Wang Gang was reluctant to stand on the ring and wait.
"Back to His Highness Prince Jing, someone has already gone to find Ling Xun. Please wait a moment." The referee wiped the sweat from his head and said nervously.
Wang Gang said impatiently: "I will wait for a cup of tea at most. If he doesn't come, you will declare him to abstain voluntarily."
The referee Dui smiled and said: "Okay, if Ling Xun doesn't show up after a cup of tea, I will sentence him to lose."
After all, Wang Gang was a prince. He was waiting for a Southern Chu civilian in public. As the referee of Daliang, he felt a little angry.
Even Emperor Liang snorted coldly in the stands.
"This Nanchu Lingxun is so arrogant that he makes us all wait for him?"
The queen looked unhappy and said: "The Chu State is a barbarian country and does not understand the etiquette of the Central Plains. I think it is better to directly order Xun to abstain from power."
King Yu nodded in agreement: "Not bad, not bad."
Emperor Liang gave Gao Zhan a wink and motioned him to find the referee. At this moment, a drunken figure suddenly appeared and staggered onto the ring.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting." Ling Xun stood opposite Wang Gang, carrying a wine bottle.
The referee said angrily: "Ling Xun, you actually drank before the competition. Do you still want to compete?"
Ling Xun was clever and said: "I just drank a little to strengthen my courage. I'm not drunk."
Wang Gang said impatiently: "Forget it, let's start quickly! I'm still waiting for the next one."
Ling Xun said with a smile: "Prince Jing is indeed the most capable prince in Daliang. He has a big belly."
After saying this, Xun Xun handed the jug to the referee and motioned for him to hold it. After the competition, he wanted to drink more.
Not only was the referee angry, but Emperor Liang on the high platform also snorted.
"This Nanchu man is too presumptuous. He simply doesn't care about fighting for a bride."
The prince sarcastically said: "Maybe Ling Xun knew he couldn't win, so he broke the pot and threw it."
Many people agreed with the prince's point of view. Ling Xun knew clearly that he could not defeat Wang Gang, so he simply lay down.
Wang Gang did have some clues.
Although Ling Xun smelled of alcohol and his steps were sloppy, he didn't look too drunk in his eyes. It was obvious that he was pretending to be drunk.
The competition is not only about martial arts, but also about means. Just like Mei Changsu and Xiao Jingrui, their strength is very different. Before the competition, no one believed that Mei Changsu could win, but in the end, Mei Changsu defeated Xiao Jingrui.
What Mei Changsu relies on is not martial arts but methods and psychology.
Ling Xun pretending to be drunk at this time was probably a way to paralyze Wang Gang, hoping that Wang Gang would despise him.
It's a pity that Ling Xun underestimated Wang Gang. Not to mention that he was drunk. Even if his hands and feet were disabled and he was lying on the ground, Wang Gang would not underestimate his enemy.
"Ling Xun, are you ready?" Wang Gang raised the corner of his mouth, exuding a murderous aura.
Wang Gang's murderous aura had been accumulated over several lifetimes, and although it was invisible, it was qualitative. Xun felt as if someone had choked his neck, and it became difficult to breathe.
Even those who were watching the battle could feel a terrifying murderous aura rushing toward their faces.
"Jingyan has so much anger in him."
Emperor Liang also practiced martial arts. He practiced the royal family's secret Tenglong Jin to the fourth level and was able to sense spiritual murderous intent.
The queen was just a weak woman. She couldn't stand Wang Gang's murderous intent first, followed by the prince and some civil servants.
Meng Zhi took two steps slightly to the left, blocking the queen and the prince with his body.
In the ring, Wang Gang had already launched an attack on Ling Xun, hoping for a quick fight, but Ling Xun kept dodging, refusing to fight Wang Gang head-on, and circling around the ring, seeming to be delaying time.
The prince and queen were frightened by Wang Gang's murderous intent, and their condition became worse and worse.
"Queen, Prince, do you need to leave temporarily?" Emperor Liang asked with concern.
The queen's heart beat rapidly, her whole body felt uncomfortable, and she could not speak.
The prince was even more unbearable. His body had long been drained by wine and sex, and he was even worse than a prostitute. He really couldn't bear Wang Gang's murderous intent, and now his head hurts.
"Mengzhi, please take the queen and the prince back to the palace first." Emperor Liang was disappointed with the prince's public gaffe.
On the contrary, King Yu performed very well. Although he may not be Wang Gang's opponent, he would not be intimidated by his momentum.
Gao Zhan bent down and whispered in Emperor Liang's ear: "Your Majesty, Commander-in-Chief Meng needs to personally protect your safety. It may be inappropriate to leave like this."
Emperor Liang said nonchalantly: "I am surrounded by masters. How can I still be afraid that someone will fail to assassinate me?"
Gao Zhan wanted to persuade him again, but the queen and the prince became more and more unbearable.
King Yu had already walked to the queen and supported her.
"Father, let me take my mother back to the palace!"
Emperor Liang nodded with satisfaction and said: "You still have filial piety, then you can go with Meng Zhi!"
Meng Zhi accepted the order and left with the queen and prince together with King Yu.
Perhaps Emperor Liang had practiced crow's mouth. Not long after Meng Zhi left, the guards at the edge of the stands suddenly drew their swords and struck in the middle.
"There are assassins." Gao Zhan screamed loudly.
Wang Gang, who was in the ring, heard the commotion and ignored the martial arts competition. He was about to save someone. Unexpectedly, Ling Xun took the initiative to come over and hugged him.
