In the literary test seven days ago, a hundred people stood out from thousands of talented people and were able to participate in today's martial arts test.
The martial arts test will be held in Furong Garden. The order of the hundred people will be shuffled and divided into ten groups. Each group will have only one winner. As long as they can defeat Princess Shouning, they can become the consort.
Of course, if two or more people defeat the princess, they will need to compete with each other again, and only one consort will be left in the end.
As for whether the grouping will be unfair and whether the distribution of power is even, there is only one prince-in-law anyway, and there is no difference between the second and the hundredth, so there is no need to think so much.
The courtiers were very worried about this. Who didn't know that although Princess Shouning was a woman, she was talented in both civil and military arts, and her martial arts skills were extremely outstanding. Last year, when the imperial court recruited the number one martial arts scholar, she secretly dressed up as a man and made it into the top ten...
At that time, Baiguan had already realized that Princess Shouning had few rivals among her peers and even among those a generation or two older than her.
Those who are more skilled in martial arts than her have practiced martial arts for many years and are unlikely to participate in this competition.
Of course, this is something that those would-be princes-in-law need to worry about, and they like to hear about it.
In the Furong Garden, ten arenas have been set up in a huge open space.
The officials and dignitaries in Beijing were not outside, but in a large hall, where they had wine and food and talked freely with each other.
They don't pay attention to the competition outside. After a while, they will compete for the last ten people and they will come here.
Several old men with white beards sat together, their faces full of spring breeze.
"This time we are recruiting a consort, during the literary test, we found a lot of good prospects, which are worthy of attention."
"That Muzi is definitely a good prime minister. His political commentary puts even me to shame..."
"Come on, it seems that except for political commentary, you can compare with him. His poetry and prose, there are not many in the whole Kyoto that can compare with him. It even reminds me of King Jing back then. The strange thing is,
Why have I never heard of such a person before..."
"It's a bit exaggerated to be compared with King Jing... In fact, apart from the mysterious Muzi, there are a few others whose performance is quite remarkable..."
…
In the palace, the officials and dignitaries of the court were watching the excitement without taking it too seriously. Next to the ring in the Furong Garden, the people who had been divided into their respective groups had sad faces.
A young man with an elegant appearance waved his hand violently, with an angry look on his face: "The literary test is just a literary test, why do you have to compete in martial arts? It is an insult to elegance, it is an insult to elegance..."
The person next to him nodded in agreement and said, "We are here to settle the world with our pen, how can we act like a reckless man..."
A eunuch came over and said: "You two, please come to the ring!"
After hearing this, the two walked onto the ring silently.
It's not easy to stand out from thousands of people. Even if it's insulting to politeness, they will never let go of this opportunity.
The rules of the second martial arts test are very simple, that is, there are no rules.
Ten arenas, one stick of incense time, the one who finally stands on each arena is the winner, and can enter the inner hall for the final level.
There were many people standing around the ring and watching. As a eunuch lit incense and announced the start of the martial arts test, the atmosphere in the ring immediately changed.
Even the referee on the sidelines couldn't believe what he saw.
They have seen handsome young men swiping ink in the examination room and writing beautiful articles, but they have never seen weak scholars who fight in groups, scratch their faces and flirt with each other, and do anything they can.
If you think about it carefully, it is not surprising that such a scene occurs.
After all, it is rare to be versatile in both literature and martial arts. The first literary test is so difficult. Most of the people left in this test are extremely talented scholars. There are countless people who are powerless. Let them write articles and let them compete in a decisive battle.
——This is the scene in front of you.
Of course, not all of the ten arenas are so unsightly.
Two certain arenas were the home arenas of young heroes from two aristocratic families in Beijing. They had martial arts skills at their disposal, and the rest of the people in the arena were quickly cleared out by them.
There was also a ring where nine people rarely united together and chased a fat man to fight. I don’t know what the situation was...
The weirdest thing is probably the first stage.
There were only two people in the first ring, and they stood on one side of the ring, motionless.
Li Yi also immediately cleared out the people who were rushing towards him, only to find that there was only one person left on the opposite side.
The man wore a hood on his head, which covered his face and could not be seen clearly from outside.
The other party's body was also covered in a loose robe, making it difficult to see at all.
Apart from Li Yi himself, this is another weirdo who doesn't want to show his true colors to others.
The other party didn't move, and neither did Li Yi.
He didn't move because the person opposite him was very powerful, very powerful.
Li Yi just taught Li Han yesterday that there are people outside the world and there is a sky outside the world. Unexpectedly, just one day later, something happened to him.
He thought that he had made many mistakes in his life, and now that he was a master, it was difficult to find an opponent. Obviously, he had also been a frog in the well.
The person opposite is obviously not a master yet, but he is not sure he can beat him.
Li Yi didn't move, so the person opposite did.
His speed was so fast that an afterimage even appeared in front of Li Yi. His figure flickered and disappeared on the spot. At the same time, the figure of the man appeared at the place where he had just been.
Li Yi suddenly smelled a familiar fragrance.
It's not a perfume scent.
It is the fragrance of pearls.
"Pearl!"
He opened his eyes wide and was so shocked that he even used his original voice.
The figure had already made a move, but after hearing his voice, it suddenly stopped.
Li Yi could feel a pair of shocked eyes looking at him under the cloak.
He walked over quickly, but the figure hidden under the cloak suddenly took a few steps back, jumped off the ring, and quickly disappeared from his sight.
Li Yi stood alone on the ring, a little confused.
What's happening here?
Mingzhu disguises herself as a man and competes with him for Shouning?
Li Yi himself was shocked, not to mention the audience below.
The man in the cloak just now had an afterimage. He must be a master. They were getting excited, but the other party suddenly gave up and stepped down. They were not only surprised but also disappointed.
In desperation, he had no choice but to focus on the last arena where the winner had not yet been decided.
On the ring, a young scholar with a bruised nose and swollen face struggled to push a companion off the ring. Looking around, he found that apart from him, the only one left was the fat man lying on the edge of the ring.
As long as the fat man is dragged down, he will be the winner.
He walked over to the fat man, grabbed his legs, and dragged him outwards.
The fat man didn't move at all.
He blushed and used a little more strength.
Stab!
The fat man's trouser legs were torn by him. He held a piece of cloth in his hand and fell off the ring.
At this point, all ten people who won the martial arts test have competed.
…
Furong Garden, in a certain palace.
Li Xuan looked around and said doubtfully: "Strange, where did the pearl go?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure walked in from outside.
Li Xuan stepped forward and said, "Where have you been? The last ten people have already competed. It's time for us to go to the palace."
"Some things have been delayed." Li Mingzhu tidied her clothes and said, "Let's go."
…
"The Queen Mother is here, the Queen Mother is here!"
"Your Majesty is here!"
"The eldest princess has arrived! Princess Shouning has arrived!"
In the main hall, hearing the eunuch's high-pitched and thin voice, many courtiers and dignitaries bowed and saluted.
"Excuse me." The Queen Mother looked down and said, "Invite those ten young men to enter the palace..."
A trace of doubt appeared on Li Xuan's face, and he murmured: "It's already this time, and that guy hasn't shown up yet..."
Li Mingzhu glanced outside the hall, then looked away again without speaking.
Shouning sat in his seat, with his body upright, looking in the direction outside the hall without blinking, and holding the corners of his skirt tightly with both hands...
Under the leadership of a eunuch, nine people walked into the hall.
The reason there were nine people was because there was another fat man who was carried in.
Li Xuan glanced at the faces of those people, showing disappointment.
Shouning's eyes immediately turned to the figure on the far left, and he couldn't move away anymore...
