The two of them were getting closer and closer. Soon, Zhao Hongzhuang was only half a horse behind.
Gong Yangteng turned his head to look, and a helpless expression appeared on his face.
As a member of the Gong Yangfamily, he had horse races with Zhao Hongzhuang many times.
Their dragon horses were of the same bloodline, and their strength was similar. Gong Yangteng's riding skills were better than Zhao Hongzhuang's, especially in horse races. Even if he didn't use the strength of a scholar, he could easily defeat ten Zhao Hongzhuang. After all, he had been on the battlefield.
But now, the two of them were purely in a race. The advantage of being lighter by seventy pounds was far greater than the advantage of riding skills.
Gong Yangteng turned his head and saw an unprecedented focus and desire in Zhao Hongzhuang's eyes.
As a good friend of Zhao Hongzhuang, Gong Yangteng was very clear that Zhao Hongzhuang was a unique woman and a persistent scholar. Since she was young, she studied harder than her peers and practiced the Gentleman's Six Arts more than any other man.
Gong Yangteng still remembered that many years ago, Xuan Zong held the late emperor and Zhao Hongzhuang's hands to attend a literary gathering that only the rich and powerful families of the capital and the royal family were qualified to attend.
At that time, the seven-year-old Zhao Hongzhuang was very strong. The gathering didn't allow women to write poems, but she relied on Xuan Zong's favor and rushed forward. She took the pen from a boy's hand and wrote a very outstanding poem, better than many of her peers.
An old pedant who valued boys over girls was displeased, so he asked her why she was studying so hard.
Zhao Hongzhuang raised her head and answered, "If a woman can take the imperial examination, I won't need to sharpen my spear at the last minute."
At that time, all the adults roared with laughter, and some children also laughed. But Gong Yangteng, who was three years older than Zhao Hongzhuang, felt that Zhao Hongzhuang was not ordinary. He always remembered it in his heart, because he was the boy whose pen was taken away by Zhao Hongzhuang.
One was the princess of the royal family, the other was the son of an aristocratic family. The two of them often interacted. Gong Yangteng often heard about Zhao Hongzhuang and knew that she would often answer questions after the imperial examination and then compete with the last person's poem. She often said that it was just so-so.
Five years ago. One of her close friends gave up her studies and married far away. A year later, the woman committed suicide by jumping into a well.
Not long after, Zhao Hongzhuang received a blood letter from her close friend.
I hate that I'm not a man! Hate! Hate! Hate!
From then on, Zhao Hongzhuang never did the questions for the imperial examinations again, and she never said "it's just so-so" again.
Gong Yangteng often heard the women in the Women's Club venting their anger about what they would do if they were a man. However, Zhao Hongzhuang had never said such a thing. She had only said it. One day, all the women in the world would be able to take the imperial examinations!
Many people had advised Zhao Hongzhuang to get married early and not spend so much time on studying. No matter who tried to persuade her, she would always reply with one sentence.
"If women can take the imperial examinations, wouldn't it be too late for regrets?"
When he first heard Zhao Hongzhuang's words, Gong Yangteng only felt that this girl's will was firm, and that she was not a person of the pond.
But when he heard these words later, he couldn't help but feel a faint sense of sorrow.
If Zhao Hongzhuang could not wait until the day of the imperial examinations before she died. Would she regret it?
Gong Yangteng's deepest memory of Zhao Hongzhuang was from a literary gathering three years ago.
At that time, a scholar had asked, "Princess Hongzhuang, do you believe in the Heavenly Dao?"
Zhao Hongzhuang replied, "I don't believe in the Heavenly Dao."
"Why?"
"If there is a Heavenly Dao. If women are not guilty, why do they have to bear the punishment of not being able to take the imperial examinations! Why do they have to bear the punishment of not being as good as men! "
All the men in the hall were silent.
Gong Yangteng could still remember Zhao Hongzhuang's sonorous and powerful voice.
As a High Scholar, Gong Yangteng's body had been baptized by Talent Qi three times. His body was exceptionally strong, and he felt tired after galloping for three hundred li. However, Zhao Hongzhuang's body was not only petite, but also had not been baptized by Talent Qi. Her body was far inferior to his.
Zhao Hongzhuang lay on the horse. Her hair was messy, and her breathing was rapid. Her face was constantly sweating and covered with dust. Her sweat washed away the dust, causing traces of mud to appear on her face.
She could no longer sit still. Her hands were weak, but her strong will allowed her to hold onto the reins tightly.
In Gong Yangteng's mind, Zhao Hongzhuang overlapped with the girl who had snatched his brush. She was the same red-clothed woman.
She was born without sin. She was unjust, but she never gave up!
Gong Yangteng sighed softly.
At this moment, they were only one li away from Tong Mountain.
"Hyah!" Zhao Hongzhuang gritted her teeth and shouted. Her body was suddenly filled with endless strength, and her eyes were burning with fighting spirit.
Even if the Heavenly Dao descended, she would not lower her head!
"She … is more outstanding than me."
Gong Yangteng did not deliberately want to give in. He was also in the final sprint, but he could clearly feel that his dragon horse was exhausted. As long as he used some of the Qi of Heaven and Earth, it could be solved. However, there was nothing he could do now.
A red figure was galloping between the heavens and the earth. The black-clothed High Scholar was beside her.
Fang Yun stood in front of her. There was a line drawn on the ground with the True Dragon Sword.
"Hyah!"
"Hyah!"
The two of them rushed to the finish line together.
Zhao Hongzhuang was three inches ahead of Gong Yangteng, less than half a horse's head's length.
However, after crossing the finish line, Gong Yangteng overtook her. Zhao Hongzhuang weakly let go of the reins. Her body tilted and was about to roll off.
An invisible force fell on Zhao Hongzhuang's body. The dragon horse was actually stopped in its tracks.
Fang Yun thanked the guardian Confucian scholar and flew over to Zhao Hongzhuang. He then flew to the other side and took out the suggested bedding from the River Shell and placed her on it.
Zhao Hongzhuang quickly sat up. Her lips were pale and her face was covered with sweat. However, her eyes were still shining.
"Who is the winner?"
Fang Yun smiled and said, "You are the female champion. You are half a horse's head's length."
Zhao Hongzhuang revealed a bright smile. Her white teeth were neatly arranged. Her eyes were curved and the joy in them was enough to melt the early winter.
Gong Yangteng, who was riding back, whispered, "If it was a few miles further, I would definitely be the champion."
When he spoke, he had a faint smile on his face. He looked at Zhao Hongzhuang and Fang Yun with eyes brighter than the sun.
The others arrived one after another. The top three were confirmed. Some people began to slow down before reaching the finish line.
A woman saw Zhao Hongzhuang lying on the bedding and shouted at Gong Yangteng, "Sister-in-law likes Princess Hongzhuang the most. If you hurt her, let's see how you will explain it when you get home."
Gong Yangteng heard his wife mentioned and his face was filled with a comfortable smile, "Princess Hongzhuang is fine. My wife will not blame me."
When everyone arrived, Fang Yun took out a document from the River Shell and gave it to the top three.
Zhao Hongzhuang carefully put away the document.
After giving out the document, Fang Yun looked at Tong Mountain. It was a vast expanse of yellow.
Tong Mountain was a name for many mountain peaks. It stretched for thousands of miles.
Before the founding of Jingguo, there was a small group of three hundred barbarians who lost their way to Tong Mountain. They had a fierce battle with the nearby garrison. In the end, the human race exterminated the barbarians at the cost of three thousand people.
In order to commemorate the fallen heroes, the Mishou army built a small checkpoint on the north side of Tong Mountain.
This was already part of the Mishou territory. Ten miles away from Tong Mountain was a county called Hong County. It was the place where Mount Liu was the county magistrate. It had always been regarded as the place where Mount Liu rose to power.
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