It wasn't until August that Pei Zhaoyi stopped entering the palace.
The dispute over taking concubines in the harem finally subsided completely when the imperial examinations and the palace examinations came in the autumn of August.
The palace examinations required the emperor to set the questions and supervise the examinations in person.
After the palace examinations, there was also the martial arts examination.
Lu Sihong attached great importance to this year's martial arts examination.
Since Shi Luohan, there had been no outstanding generals emerging in the court for a long time.
The last round of the martial arts examination was to be held in the drill ground.
The scale and momentum were extremely grand.
Almost all the prominent families in the capital came to watch the competition.
Because the top-ranked candidates in the martial arts competition were the preferred choices for the aristocratic families to select their sons-in-law.
Even the long-absent old marquis, Liang Xuguang, came to watch the competition.
His white hair had increased in recent years. Although he was almost sixty, his figure was still as straight as a pine. When he stood there, the imposing manner of a general immediately hit.
Lu Sihong arranged the best seat for him. Even Liang Wentao, the first-rank official in the imperial secretariat, sat below him.
"Your Majesty, have you heard that there are many talented candidates in this year's martial arts examination?"
The old marquis's eyes were full of expectation. "There is a young general, only sixteen years old, named Song Chenxi. He came from Yunzhou and has fought his way through all the challenges. His name has already resounded throughout the capital."
Lu Sihong became even more eager. "I've heard of him. I've read his martial arts essay. He is very insightful and has a solid foundation. I can hardly believe it was written by a sixteen-year-old boy. There must be a master guiding him."
Ling Yang, sitting next to Cheng Simian, whispered in her ear, "I've heard that he is also very handsome. Uncle has taken a fancy to him. He is just waiting for him to win the championship in the martial arts examination, and then he will ask His Majesty to bestow a marriage on him and Pei Zhaoyi."
Cheng Simian nodded. "If it really happens, it will be a wonderful thing."
The Empress Dowager was sitting on Lu Sihong's right, listening to everyone's discussion.
She noticed that Qiluo seemed absent-minded and kept looking down at the stands.
"Qiluo, are your father and mother here too?"
Qiluo replied, "There's nothing that can escape the Empress Dowager's notice. Although my father is a civil official, he also wants to see the young talents of our Great Zhou."
The father Qiluo mentioned was not Zhuang Qixian.
It was the man her mother, Liu Yan, married later, named Gu Jiusi.
He was originally a protégé of Jiang Jinxing, the Minister of Works. (Jiang Jinxing was Jiang Qianyu's father. He had been persecuted by the Princess Chang and was rescued by Lu Sihong. Later, he was promoted to the Minister of Works.)
Two years ago, when Jiang Jinxing was promoted to the Grand Secretary, he recommended Gu Jiusi as the Minister of Works.
This man was extremely capable. During last year's flood, he commanded the rescue operations on the front line.
At that time, it had been raining heavily in the capital for several days, and the Yun Shen Alley where Liu Yan lived was flooded.
Liu Yan was rescued by Gu Jiusi, and the two gradually developed feelings for each other.
Gu Jiusi didn't mind Liu Yan's background and married her as his legitimate wife.
In the past five years, Liu Yan had given birth to a son and a daughter for Gu Jiusi.
Gu Jiusi regarded Qiluo as his own daughter, and the family relationship was very harmonious.
Qiluo finally felt the warmth of home.
The Empress Dowager saw her eager but restrained eyes and smiled kindly. "It's rare for you to reunite with your family. You don't have to serve me today. Go and talk to your father and mother."
"Thank you, Empress Dowager, for your kindness!"
Qiluo left happily.
She walked around the stands and went down the steps.
To reach her parents' seats, she still had to walk around rows of tents.
The tents were temporarily set up for the candidates in the martial arts examination to rest.
"Qiluo!"
A tall and strong figure suddenly jumped out of the tent and blocked her way.
The man, in his late twenties, was the son of the Deputy Minister of War, named Zhou Yue.
He was broad-shouldered and muscular, good at using twin knives, and was a hot favorite to win the championship.
His home was not far from the Gu family's mansion. Qiluo always met him when she went back to visit her family.
Looking at his lecherous smile, Qiluo felt extremely disgusted.
"Mr. Zhou."
She quickly bowed and wanted to leave.
Zhou Yue stretched out his long arm to block her way.
"Qiluo, after I win the championship in the martial arts examination, I will ask the emperor to bestow you on me. Just wait to live a good life with me."
He confidently puffed out his chest.
Qiluo sneered.
Zhou Yue was quite talented as a general, but he had a violent temper and had already beaten two concubines to death.
Because of this, his father was impeached.
The emperor hated such a family that bullied others by relying on their power. He demoted Zhou Yue's father from the third-rank Minister of War to the fourth-rank Deputy Minister of War.
He also punished Zhou Yue by not allowing him to participate in the martial arts examination for five years.
Otherwise, he should have won the championship in the martial arts examination three years ago.
Zhou Yue considered himself invincible, as if the championship in the martial arts examination was already in his pocket.
He had coveted Qiluo for a long time.
Seeing Qiluo looking cold and not even looking at him, he felt angry.
"Don't act so high and mighty. Do you think you're the queen? Don't act so reluctant in front of me. It's a high honor for you to marry me! Do you think I don't know that your mother used to be the concubine of a seventh-rank official and didn't get a proper status even after raising you until you were sixteen! It was just luck that she had a bit of beauty and caught Gu Jiusi's eye. Otherwise, how could you become the daughter of a third-rank official?"
Qiluo tried her best to hide her disgust.
This stinky man belittled women but still coveted them and tried every means to get them.
"You're as despicable as Qin Ziqi, who was beheaded. People like you will never become the champion in the martial arts examination."
Zhou Yue was furious. He grabbed her wrist and roared angrily, "How dare you compare me to that traitor Qin Ziqi? I said I can be the champion in the martial arts examination, and I will be. Just wait to be mine!"
His words were vulgar and disgusting.
Qiluo slapped him.
"You little bitch, how dare you hit your man?"
Zhou Yue was ashamed and angry and raised his arm.
A force stopped him from swinging his arm.
A tall and slender young man in a sky-blue robe grabbed his wrist.
Zhou Yue recognized him. "Song Chenxi, why do you interfere in other people's business?"
He hated this inexperienced boy the most.
This boy had stolen all his limelight.
He was determined to teach this arrogant boy a good lesson on the field.
Song Chenxi easily flung his arm aside.
Zhou Yue staggered a few steps and almost fell.
The young man's eyes were deep and cold, his jawline was sharp, and there was an indescribable sense of oppression on him.
"Just you wait!" Zhou Yue didn't dare to cause trouble on the field. The emperor was watching from above.
He cursed and got into the tent.
Song Chenxi turned to look at Qiluo. "Sister, are you okay?"
Qiluo gave him a charming smile and was very grateful. "Thank you, little brother!"
Her smile was like a gentle spring breeze and a dazzling sun. Song Chenxi's heart pounded violently, and his face suddenly turned red.
What a beautiful sister!
He grinned. "Sister, I'm not a little boy anymore. You're not much older than me, are you?"
Qiluo friendly patted his shoulder. "Well, you're a head taller than me. You're really not a little boy. I wish you can defeat Zhou Yue and win the championship in the martial arts examination!"
Song Chenxi nodded seriously. "I will definitely do it!"
Qiluo walked away. He watched her graceful back for a long time and couldn't come back to his senses.
His eardrums were still vibrating, and the soft warmth remained on his shoulder.
...
In the final of the martial arts examination, only Song Chenxi and Zhou Yue were left to compete for the championship.
As soon as Song Chenxi took the stage, the old marquis stood up excitedly.
His chest trembled violently.
So alike! Too alike!
On the higher stand behind him, Ling Yang let out an exclamation.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Princess, look. That young man looks so much like Liang Yuzhou!"
Lu Sihong and Cheng Simian carefully sized up the energetic young man.
Qiluo was sitting with her parents and was also concentrating on watching Song Chenxi.
She silently cheered for him in her heart.
"Alike. Too alike."
Lu Sihong murmured. "It's incredible."
Everyone said they were alike, but it wasn't the similarity in appearance.
It was the figure, the temperament, especially the sharp eyes, which were exactly the same as Liang Yuzhou's.
As soon as the drumbeat sounded, the competition began.
Song Chenxi held a long spear, while Zhou Yue used twin knives.
As soon as he made his move, the old marquis was even more certain.
"He is the child taught by Yuzhou!"
Two lines of hot tears rolled down.
He recognized it at a glance.
Because he had also taught Liang Yuzhou before and was too familiar with his moves.
To the surprise of the audience on the stand, Song Chenxi defeated Zhou Yue within twenty moves.
He won easily.
The stand erupted into warm applause.
Qiluo also clapped vigorously for Song Chenxi.
Seemingly inadvertently, the young man's gaze looked over.
He stood there like a tall and green pine, with an unyielding spirit and a just face. The sharp eyes when he made his moves turned into infinite admiration and tenderness.
Qiluo's heart skipped a beat, and the tips of her ears turned slightly red.
Liu Yan, sitting next to her, pursed her lips and smiled.
She nudged Gu Jiusi beside her with her elbow.
"Can you talk to the emperor? It's time to find a good marriage for our daughter."
"I want to too." Gu Jiusi liked this outstanding young man very much. "But the Duke of Jing'an has already taken a fancy to him. We..."
"Although Miss Pei is good, we also have to see who the young champion in the martial arts examination likes, right?"
Gu Jiusi made up his mind. "Okay. I'll sacrifice my old face. Even if I offend the Duke of Jing'an, I will find a good marriage for our daughter!"
After the martial arts examination, Song Chenxi became the youngest champion in the martial arts examination in the history of the Great Zhou.
Lu Sihong summoned him, and the old marquis was also there.
"What's your relationship with Liang Yuzhou and Princess Yuening, Song Wanchu?" Lu Sihong asked impatiently.
"Your Majesty, they are my father and mother."
"I've long heard that Liang Er and Wanchu adopted more than sixty children in Yunzhou. I didn't expect them to teach these children so well."
Lu Sihong sighed with emotion and felt gratified. "I must thank Liang Er and Wanchu well for cultivating talents for the Great Zhou."
Song Chenxi looked at the old marquis with tears in his eyes, stepped forward, and knelt down respectfully to pay his respects.
"Grandson pays respects to grandfather."
The old marquis was so excited that his voice trembled. He held Song Chenxi's face and looked at it again and again.
He looked so much like his Yuzhou.
"Our Liang family finally has someone to carry on the family line!"
Lu Sihong also laughed. "You go back with your grandfather and pay respects to your great-grandmother."
Song Chenxi thanked the emperor.
When he walked out of the Qianyuan Hall, the autumn sun was bright.
Suddenly, he saw a woman in a peach-red palace dress walking by gracefully. Song Chenxi's eyes followed her until she was out of sight.
And Qiluo suddenly turned back and gave Song Chenxi a charming smile.
The old marquis smiled.
This was so similar to the situation when Yuzhou fell in love with Wanchu at first sight.
It seemed that all this was a new cycle.
(The End of the Whole Book)