Because of the festival, there are many celebrations on the Chunlan River. There are many folk customs, such as fighting for flowers and birds, and burning incense to drive away insects. The most eye-catching thing is the donation from the rich people in the city. On the long river, there are more than a hundred dragon heads flowing in the shallows. Sailors are holding baskets and scattering ash to attract the dragons. There are drums on the shore. People who are interested can go to the river to touch the dragon head and get some happiness.
Along the riverbank, there were peddlers selling flowers, fruits, and steamed black and white glutinous rice balls. It was a must to eat a few during this season to show respect to the Lord of the Earth and to get rid of the bad luck on one's body.
Yu Shu and the others were walking and stopping on the riverbank. After tasting the glutinous rice balls, two girls stopped in front of an old woman who was selling flowers with a big basket. They were picking out the fresh flowers that were picked early in the morning and still had dewdrops on them.
They are not expensive flowers. Most of them are wild flowers that can't be named. However, the fragrance is not reduced. Yu Shu is in a good mood and picks out two pink apricot flowers. She compares them to Xue Jinxun's face and puts them next to the bead on her ear. She looks at them and finds that Xue Xiaomei's complexion is much rosier.
Xue Jinxun touches the flower petal on her ear and shyly lowers her head and rubs her toes.
The old woman says to them with a smile, "Both of you look good. The younger sister wears an apricot and the older sister wears a hibiscus. It's good to have both 'good luck' and 'good luck'."
"You really know how to say auspicious words. Then I will buy another hibiscus." Yu Shu readily accepted his advice and took out a bright red hibiscus, but she did not put it on her head. Instead, she broke off the flower branch and inserted it into the left button of her shirt, turning it into a fake brooch.
When Xue Rui saw that they had made their choices, he went forward to pay for them on his own accord. Because it was not anything expensive, Yu Shu did not fight with him over it. She then brought Little Sister Xue to another place to look at something new.
Feng Zhaomiao disappears as soon as she gets off the carriage. At this moment, she comes out of nowhere and squeezes in front of them.
"Lotus Room, where is Brother Rui?"
The word 'Lotus Room' was originally a pseudonym that Xue Rui wanted to give to Yu Shu. Feng Zhaomiao called her by Yu Shu's name smoothly. He didn't change it even after he found out that it was Yu Shu's real name. Yu Shu just took it as an elegant name and let him be.
Yu Shu pointed at Xue Rui, who was paying at the back. Then she asked, "Where did you run off to just now?"
Feng Zhaomiao excitedly told her, "The Shuang Yang Association has already sounded twelve drums. Someone has set up a stage on the south bank of the river and they are having a duel. They are fighting fiercely. Shall I take you to have a look?"
When Yu Shu heard that there was an arena to watch, she was a little tempted. She was afraid that Xue Jinxun would not like it, so she turned around and asked for her opinion.
However, Xue Jinxun was the most indecisive one. He hesitated and didn't say anything. It was unknown whether he wanted to go or not. Later, Xue Rui came over and made the decision. The four of them crossed the bridge and followed the crowd to the south bank to watch the martial arts competition.
***
Every three years, the drums would sound on the first day of the Shuang Yang Association. There were twelve huge drums on the river bank. Around a hundred young and strong drummers surrounded them, waving their arms and beating the drums. The rumbling was comparable to the sound of spring thunder. This was to inform the people who had come to attend the meeting that the Shuang Yang Association had already begun and they could show their skills.
Facing the Spring River, there was a three-storey Qiongyu Tower. The top and bottom of the tower were filled with the nobles of the capital. There were countless tea and wine tables. The most distinguished ones were the princes on the third floor. They were high up and had a wonderful view. Once they lowered their heads, they could see half of the spring scenery on the Spring River.
After another three years, there were a few more princes who were qualified to sit here. Prince Jia and Prince Ning were already of age and had long left the palace to build their manors. Before this, they had attended the Shuang Yang Association twice. The Eighth Prince Liu Du had not yet been conferred the title of Prince. Three years ago, he had also sat in Qiongyu Tower. As for Liu Tan and Liu Yi, because they were still weak, this was the first time they had appeared in the Shuang Yang Association.
For more than a hundred years, the Shuang Yang Association had accepted all the scholars and martial artists from all over the world. As long as they had a skill, they could try their skills here. They had also set up a forty-nine day arena. There were literary and martial arts selections, not sticking to a single style. The most important ones were the Yi Duel, where eighteen Great Yi Dojos from the north and south sent their masters to participate. There were also the Martial Duel, where twenty-three dojos and six escort agencies sent their masters to participate. Finally, there was the Hundred Literary Duel, where scholars and poets gathered.
Although they were all to select talents, the Shuang Yang Association's requirements were much more relaxed compared to the Imperial Examination and the Great Yan Examination. Scholars did not need to pass the provincial and provincial examinations, and merchants did not need to have a recommendation letter from their masters to have a chance to make a name for themselves. The biggest difference between the two was that one emphasized the "examination", while the other emphasized the "competition". The two did not conflict.
Naturally, there were examinees who participated in the Imperial Examination and came to the Shuang Yang Association to compete before the results of the Great Yan Examination were released. It was another good opportunity to gain fame and profit.
As for the nobles and the rich who came to watch, their thoughts were different. Who knew which nameless person that caught their eye today and invited to join them, would become a Jinshi or Master Yi tomorrow.
But these were not the reasons why the Shuang Yang Association was unfailing. In the end, the true meaning of the Shuang Yang Association was that it was a test for the future successors of the Da An Empire. The dragon gave birth to nine sons, but in the end, only one could become a true dragon. "For the country, one must first know how to treat people well." This was a holy teaching left behind by the Da An Dynasty's founder, Emperor Anwu. Future generations must not defy it.
Therefore, the true "protagonists" of the Shuang Yang Association were not the ambitious heroes on the arena, but the scheming dragon sons in Qiongyu Tower.
***
As the elder brothers, Excellent Prince and Ning Prince each occupied the two seats on the second floor with the best view, sitting next to each other. On the arena below the building, the opening event today was a martial arts battle. Martial artists would fight against each other in pairs with all kinds of weapons at their disposal. On the stage, they would first announce their name, then they would greet each other with their fists and legs. Swords have no eyes.
"Good! This sword is good! "
"Good martial arts!"
The people on the riverbank were bustling with noise. Nearby, there were a few layers of commoners watching the excitement. They were extremely excited. Many spies were also mixed among them, waiting for the experts on the stage to take a look so that they could help their masters find out where they came from.
According to the teachings of the Zhen Sect, all the princes who attended the Shuang Yang Association would only have two seats next to them, one Qian and one Kun. They could be used as strategists or as barters, but they could not be the Celestial Commissioner's barters or court officials.
Therefore, beside every prince, other than the servants who served tea and a guard, there were only two people who could offer advice.
Excellent Prince Liu Si was playing with a Tai Chi jade lock in his hand. He didn't know how many times he had turned his head to look at the veiled young woman sitting beside Liu Hao.
Liu Hao took a sip of tea and turned to look at Liu Si. He joked: "Why isn't fourth brother looking at the arena, why is he looking at me?"
Excellent Prince was caught red-handed by him, but he wasn't embarrassed. He simply asked: "Seventh brother, which family's young lady is at the Kun table? She looks familiar to me."
Liu Hao laughed, "I also wanted to ask fourth brother about the two you're sitting with. I recognize one of them, Mr. Ming De. Every time I read his articles, I admire him very much. I originally wanted to invite him this time, but fourth brother beat me to it. As for this lady, she doesn't look like someone from the capital. I wonder where fourth brother invited her. "
Liu Si first heard him compliment the Qian table and felt a bit proud. Hearing him ask about the Kun table, he didn't conceal anything. He pointed at the table on the right and introduced: "This is Lady Qing of the Wen Chen Family of the Northern Fu. She is the sixth generation successor of the secret script."
Just two short introductions were enough to show the extraordinariness of the Kun table. Everyone knew that the South had Xia Jiang and the North had Wen Chen. These two families with the surname Yi were illustrious. A hundred years ago, they each produced a Yi Zi who created a unique technique.
That "Lady Qing" who was around thirty years old heard Liu Si's introduction and stood. She bowed to Liu Hao in a manner that was neither haughty nor humble. She greeted: "Greetings to Ning Wang."
Liu Hao narrowed his eyes and only nodded his head in return. He didn't reveal an expression of surprise as Liu Si had expected. He turned his gaze back to the matches below.
Liu Si sat a bit disinterestedly, but he forgot to inquire who the woman sitting at the Kun table on Liu Hao's side was.
On the other side of Liu Si sat the Eighth Prince Liu Du, and on the other side of Liu Hao sat the Ninth Prince Liu Tan. Both of them also had people accompanying them. Not to mention Liu Du, on the Kun table on Liu Tan's side was Jing Chen's shimei, the female cultivator of Taiyi Sect, Shui Yun.
Unlike the rest of the men and women on the Qiankun Banquet, the table in front of Shui Yun wasn't filled with brush, ink, and paper, nor was it filled with the Eight Trigrams. Instead, there was only an ancient Lot Pot with nearly a hundred pitch-black Lot Strips inserted in it. It was unknown what they were made of.
If one paid close attention, they would find that every time someone changed on the arena, she would watch attentively, draw out two slender black sticks from the pot, and calculate with her fingers. After about ten minutes, she would insert the black sticks into the pot, shake them and mess them up, and then take them out next time.
The people present were used to seeing strange people, so they didn't blame her. Shui Yun's movements were not eye-catching, and she was young, so they only thought that she was invited by Liu Tan to make up the numbers. They didn't know the power of the black sticks!
***
There were too many people below the arena. Xue Rui and Feng Zhaomiao acted as flower protectors, one on the left and one on the right, pushing through the crowd and protecting the two girls, Yu Shu and Xue Xiaomei, who squeezed to the front and stood in a good position to watch.
When the fighting on the arena was about to get interesting, the first part of it was just some flowery but impractical moves. Just now, there were two martial artists fighting, one with a nine-inch sword, the other with a scimitar. They fought back and forth, the light of the knife and the shadow of the sword were very enjoyable.
Although it was not the first time for Yu Shu to see a real knife and a real spear, she had never seen a real martial arts competition. As a layman, she was soon dazzled and her blood surged. Like Feng Zhaomiao, she clapped and cheered with a group of onlookers.
Because Xue Rui's martial art skill was not bad, he did not pay any attention to the small fights on the platform. His attention shifted upwards and he stared at the crowd of figures on the top of Qiongyu Building. He could vaguely distinguish who was who, and he plotted in his heart.
One of Liu Tan's seats was a Junior Sister from the same sect as the Daozi. According to what Liu Tan told him in private, she was a Junior Sister that possessed peerless skills, and the other was an extraordinary person that Xue Rui had personally invited.
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