The fairy is fierce

The evening drums resounded throughout the capital, and the streets were filled with music and lights.

Zuo Lingquan said goodbye to Tang Jingyan and drove his horse back to the south bank of Wende Bridge. It was already completely dark.

The Zuo family in Qinghe County had been there for generations. Apart from other things, the family was very wealthy. Zuo Hanchou's mansion was also a rare luxury house in Wende Bridge. There were two stone lions at the door, and the red lanterns hung on the eaves at the end of the year had not been removed yet.

Zuo Lingquan handed the horse to the servant, entered the gate and bypassed the screen wall. He wanted to go back to his room directly, but when he looked up, he saw a person under the eaves outside the main hall.

To be precise, there was a person hanging.

When he looked up and saw this scene, Zuo Lingquan was really shocked. He thought someone in his uncle's house had hanged himself, but when he looked carefully, he found something wrong.

The lights were on in the main hall, and two servants were standing in the corridor next to it. Under the eaves outside the main hall, a hemp rope passed through the beam, and under the hemp rope was a young man tied up in the air, swaying with despair.

Judging from his usual appearance, it seemed that this was not the first time he was hung like this, and there was a chicken feather blanket leaning against the wall.

? ?

Zuo Lingquan knew something about his third uncle Zuo Hanchou. Among his three sons, the eldest and the third were down-to-earth and studied abroad, but the second son Zuo Yunting was a loser, seeking pleasure and lingering in the wind and moon all day long, and his reputation spread back to his hometown Qinghe County.

When the Zuo family taught the younger generation, they always said:

"Learn more from your brother Lingquan, but don't be like Yunting of the third uncle's family, who is lazy and can't do anything."

And the young man who was hung up and beaten in front of him seemed to be no one else except Zuo Yunting.

Zuo Yunting is older than Zuo Lingquan and is the fifth child in the entire Zuo family, so Zuo Lingquan has to call him the fifth brother.

Facing his brother, Zuo Lingquan naturally couldn't show a mocking look, so he walked slowly to him and raised his hand to salute:

"Fifth brother?"

Under the eaves, Zuo Yunting, who was hanging in the air, saw Zuo Lingquan coming over. Although it was their first meeting, he still recognized this beautiful cousin at a glance.

Zuo Yunting was tied up and couldn't come down to greet him. He could only greet him with a kind smile like his brother:

"Lingquan, you're back."

Not to mention, although he was hung, his expression was upright and not arrogant, and he really had some of the gentle and elegant demeanor of a young master from an aristocratic family.

Zuo Lingquan didn't want to embarrass the other party, so he stood below and asked:

"What's going on, Fifth Brother?"

Zuo Yunting looked down at the rope on his body, thought for a moment, and smiled calmly:

"I have read ancient books recently and learned a unique skill. I am practicing it. I guess you haven't seen it.♦♦  ♦♦"

I definitely haven't seen it...

Zuo Lingquan blinked his eyes and acted as if he suddenly realized something:

"So that's it. I am ignorant. Hmm... How long will it take to practice? Do you need me to help Fifth Brother..."

"No!"

Zuo Yunting's face was serious: "It's not time yet. If you stop practicing rashly, you may hurt your bones. You have to choose a prince consort tomorrow, so go down and rest first. I will come down by myself when the time comes."

"Fifth Brother, are you sure you can come down?"

"..."

"Oh, I'm talking too much. Hmm... Lingquan will take his leave first. Good night."

Zuo Lingquan didn't know why Fifth Brother was hung up and beaten. In order to save Fifth Brother's face, he still raised his hand and said goodbye tactfully.

Although Zuo Yunting didn't know why he was hung up and beaten, his heart warmed a little when he saw that his cousin was so considerate and knew how to take care of his cousin's face...

------

The wind died and the lights went out, and it was early morning before he knew it.

The morning dew hung on the tips of the green bamboo leaves outside the window, reflecting the bright dawn in the distance.

In the elegantly decorated wing room, Zuo Lingquan was still asleep. Suddenly, there were dense footsteps in the corridor, and then the door opened, and a dozen beautiful and lovely young maids came in one after another.

"Seventh Master~"

"Get dressed and wash up..."

Zuo Lingquan suddenly woke up, sat up from the bed, and covered the uncontrollable youth under his belly with a thin blanket.

The maids had a smile in their eyes, and without giving Zuo Lingquan a chance to chase them away, they ran to him, combed his hair and dressed him.

Zuo Lingquan didn't like being served by others, but these little girls were too enthusiastic. After refusing several times to no avail, he could only let them bully him.

The eldest princess was selecting a consort, so the candidates could not dress casually. A group of maids tossed around for nearly half an hour, and did not stop until the sky was bright.

Zuo Lingquan walked out of the room, and he had become a handsome man in a snow-white robe and cloud-patterned boots, which made the little maid, who was already drooling over men, stare at him.

The princess had to be present when selecting a consort at Qiyuntai. Without the princess, the court could not hold a meeting. Fortunately, the court gave all the civil and military officials a day off.

At this time, in the Zuo Mansion, the third uncle, the third aunt, and the fifth brother Zuo Yunting were having breakfast.

After Zuo Lingquan had breakfast together, he got on the carriage with Zuo Hanchou and headed to Qiyuntai on the east side of the imperial city.

Qiyuntai is a manor located on the side of the imperial city. The carriage was moving forward on the prosperous long street. After about half an hour, it arrived nearby.

The thirty-six counties under the rule of the Great Dan Dynasty all sent their sons from aristocratic families to come. At this time, there were many carriages and horses outside the Qiyuntai, and many daughters of officials were watching the excitement from the windows of teahouses and restaurants on the street.

Zuo Hanchou gave instructions along the way, and when the carriage stopped, he dressed properly and got out of the carriage. Zuo Lingquan followed behind him, and before he reached the entrance of the Qiyuntai, he suddenly heard a burst of exclamations:

"Wow! Look..."

Zuo Lingquan heard the sound of breaking wind and subconsciously looked at the top of the house on the street. He saw a young man wearing a scholar's robe, holding a black sheath long sword, galloping towards him. His clothes were blowing in the wind, and his long hair was fluttering. It only took a few The rise and fall came to the broad long street, and the smooth landing was indescribably free and unrestrained, arousing countless cheers on the street.

Zuo Hanchou saw this and hummed: "I will try my best to do some tricks to gain an advantage. That scholar should be Li Cang from Jintang County, who is a distant relative of the current Prime Minister Li. Your biggest opponent this time is probably him. What a surprise." Be careful and don’t be suppressed in front of outsiders.”

Zuo Lingquan looked at those oily-headed and pink-faced gentlemen and scholars as if they were children. He didn't take them seriously at all. Just as he was about to nod, he suddenly noticed someone staring at him from a distance.

Zuo Lingquan quickly turned his head and looked at the high-rise building inside Qiyuntai, but the figures on the high-rise building came and went, and no one was seen looking towards him.

Zuo Lingquan frowned and noticed something strange, but there were many people here and it was normal to have illusions. He didn't take it to heart and entered the gate with Zuo Hanchou...

————

As the morning light dawns, the mist of Qiyuntai Manor, which is blooming with flowers, has not dispersed. From the high-rise building, it looks like a sea of ​​falling clouds.

Qiyuntai is where the royal family plays polo. There are stands around it and a court in the middle. Various facilities have been built. There are many dignitaries gathered in the stands, and many princes and nobles are already sitting on the stage.

On the top floor of the three-story building in the middle, there is a terrace outside. Bead curtains and seats have been put up. The eunuchs and maids are standing by the fence and waiting with bows.

In the elegant room inside the high-rise building where the emperor's concubines rested, Longli Princess Jiang Yi, dressed in bright red, stood at the window with cold eyes, having just closed the window.

The palace maid Leng Zhu was sitting behind the desk next to her, sorting out the list of 'show men'. When she saw Her Royal Highness biting her lower lip and thinking about her fault, she curiously spoke:

"Princess, why did you close the window? Everyone is here?"

Jiang Yi's chest rose and fell, and she took several deep breaths before suppressing the unbearable memory of the night before. She sat down on the couch and asked:

"Have you arranged all the things I asked you to arrange?"

"Princess, you are ready. Today you will choose a prince-in-law and take the test of riding, archery, and martial arts. You can't fake martial arts, but riding and shooting is easy. Princess will just wait and see the joke later."

Jiang Yi nodded at first, but after thinking about it for a moment, she felt that it was very despicable and inappropriate to do this behind the scenes.

But thinking about how Zuo Lingquan used dirty tricks twice to defeat her in Linhefang, and even held her down and spanked her, the only feeling of guilt disappeared.

Who told you to be unkind in the first place? This is what you asked for...

Jiang Yi thought this way. After everyone had almost arrived, she got up and walked out of the private room, and came to sit behind the bead curtain on the terrace.

Leng Zhu didn't know Zuo Lingquan, but by his name, she knew he was the nephew of the minister Zuo Hanchou. She scanned the surrounding stands, and sure enough, she spotted a handsome man in white clothes next to Zuo Hanchou next to a pillar. Young Master.

Zuo Lingquan has been practicing martial arts since he was a child. He has a slender and well-proportioned figure. He wears elegant robes but does not look weak at all. Even if he does not make any movements, the energy and energy in his bones are still fully displayed. Compared with the scholars and officials next to him, he looks like he stands out from the crowd.

Leng Zhu's eyes lit up, and when he saw the princess looking over there, looking like a harem who had been deceived by her lover, he asked cautiously:

"Princess, that handsome young man in white robe is Zuo Lingquan."

Jiang Yi held the hem of her skirt with her hands, her eyes filled with hatred. When she heard this, her face darkened:

"What's so handsome about being so handsome? He's gold and jade, but he's got a lot of bad looks on the outside. He doesn't have the slightest bit of a gentleman's style. His appearance is all in vain."

"..."

Leng Zhu blinked his eyes, feeling that the words were half a curse and half a compliment, but the princess still admitted that she was good-looking...

————

"It's February, and everything is in spring. Today the emperor is hosting a banquet and inviting all the gentlemen to come to Qiyuntai..."

As people gradually arrived, on the terrace of the tall building in the middle, an elderly eunuch read the opening words in a loud voice.

The so-called selection of a consort is different from the examination of the number one scholar. To put it bluntly, the princess is sitting on the stage, choosing among the many young gentlemen in the audience to see who is pleasing to the eye and choosing whom. All kinds of competitions are nothing more than giving the young gentlemen present a chance to show themselves.

Zuo Lingquan sat next to his third uncle, his mind always on the apprenticeship in Qihuang Valley. Occasionally he would glance at the terrace of a high-rise building in the distance, but the eldest princess's seat was blocked by a bead curtain, and she could only see a vague outline. I glanced at it and stopped looking.

After the old eunuch on the terrace finished chanting, various competitions officially began. The first one was equestrian.

For the young masters of aristocratic families, the Six Arts of a Gentleman are compulsory courses. Riding in "horseback shooting" was originally a test for driving chariots, but with the rise of cavalry, chariots were eliminated and now they are all replaced by horses.

Horse racing tests the quality of the horses more than the skills of the riders, so it is impossible to compete with horses. Qiyuntai is originally a polo field. Today, the competition is "playing polo", an entertainment item that was loved by the princes and nobles of the Great Dan Dynasty. It happened that the eldest princess Love playing this too.

Polo, also known as ‘polo’, is a game where two teams of nearly a hundred people compete against each other on the same stage. But there is only one winner when choosing a polo, so the rules were changed. Forty people came on the field at the same time to compete for a polo. Someone grabbed it and knocked it into the flower basket, and then threw another polo. The one who hit more flower baskets won.

This kind of competition is equivalent to everyone having to face thirty-nine opponents, and they have to pay attention to their demeanor and appearance to avoid being disgusted by Her Royal Highness. You can imagine how difficult it is.

However, Zuo Lingquan didn't want to be a prince-in-law, so he naturally didn't worry about his grades. All he wanted to do was to show off a little bit and not let his third uncle down.

There were more than two hundred people participating in the election, divided into five teams, and the competition lasted only a moment. When the first team came off the field, the old eunuch on the terrace took the name list and began to read the names again:

"Beiya County Zhao Huai'an, Pengyu County... Qinghe County Zuo Lingquan, Lihua County..."

On the stand closest to the tall building, a group of senior officials were sitting. Prime Minister Li Jingsi, as the elder of the court, sat at the front.

Hearing Zuo Lingquan's name, Li Jingsi paused in picking up the tea leaves and looked up at Zuo Lingquan who was walking down the stand:

"That kid in white clothes is Zuo Hanchou's nephew?"

Wang Zheng, the Minister of Hubu, who was Li Jingsi’s confidant, nodded and said:

"Getting up from Zuo Hanchou, I guess yes, he looks really handsome."

Li Cang is Li Jingsi's distant nephew and is very close to Li Jingsi. When he heard his elders complimenting other people's looks, he also took a look at them and said:

"I have inquired privately about all the people who came to Beijing. I heard that Zuo Lingquan is very good at martial arts and is very famous in Qinghe County."

Li Jingsi rubbed his tea cup with his fingers, turned around and asked:

"A practitioner?"

Li Cang shook his head respectfully: "I am an ordinary person who has no foundation in cultivation. He is just a good businessman."

Li Jingsi heard this and sneered softly:

"If I'm not a cultivator, how can I compete with you on the same stage? You can't compare to a martial artist in the market?"

Li Cang naturally looked down upon Zuo Lingquan, who had no cultivation background:

"What my uncle taught me is that the younger generation should try their best."

A few people were chatting, and the officials sitting behind them were all close followers of Li Jingsi.

One of them, who was facing the wealthy official, originally just lowered his head and listened silently. But after hearing Zuo Lingquan's name, he thought of something and raised his head:

"Prime Minister, I have something to report to you."

"Um?"

Li Jingsi turned around and saw Chen Maode, the young censor from the censor station, and was slightly confused:

"If you have anything to do, just ask."

Supervisory censor Chen Maode quickly bowed:

"Excuse me, Prime Minister, last night, my unlucky dog ​​came home and said that he met in Linhefang..."