The female students taking the examination arrived at almost the same time.
Jiang Li followed a teacher who guided them to one side to draw a number which would determine the order of the exam participants. The ballot's bamboo tubes were placed inside a long circular wooden pot. Jiang Li and Liu Xu took out a small piece of paper from inside, one after another.
The person in charge of recording read out: "Jiang Li, 13th. Liu Xu, 18th."
Altogether, there were 30 people taking the exams, Jiang Li was positioned neither in the upper or lower position. The words had just been read out when from another side, Jiang Yu'e's exaggerated "Aiyah" was heard. With a voice that could be heard by Jiang Li, she said: "Second sister is number 13. Just nice, she is behind third sister. Third sister is number 12, this is too much of a coincidence!"
Jiang You Yao is number 12?
Jiang Li was taken aback and her heart immediately broke into laughter. This was indeed very coincidental.
But Liu Xu wasn't as relaxed as Jiang Li. Hearing Jiang Yu'e's words, she shook her head and said: "This time it's no good. Jiang You Yao's guqin has always been one of Ming Yi Hall's best. Last year, the song <<Butterfly>> stunned everybody. This year, her skill would in all likelihood have gone up a notch. The better she plays, you will suffer more losses. Even if it is still passable, it won't be good to be contrasted with her."
People were always ready to compare. After experiencing a jade dish of valuable delicacies then in the blink of an eye looking at food waste. Consequently, the harder it was to procure the exotic delicacies, the harder it became to swallow plain tea and simple food.
This was really unfavorable for Jiang Li.
"How could it happen that second girl is behind third girl?" old madam Jiang frowned. Both were the Jiang family members, if Jiang Li fell too much behind, it's not a glorious thing for the Jiang family.
Jiang You Yao was very happy, she totally didn't expect such a delightful coincidence to happen. She felt that heaven was standing on her side. This time, of course she had to make Jiang Li pale in comparison, it's better if her face reached rock bottom.
Meng Hong Jin snorted coldly upon seeing this. She also took joy in other people's misfortune. Her own guqin skill was incomparable to Jiang You Yao, but she was very willing to see Jiang Li making a fool out of herself.
Jiang Li didn't have the mind to bother about these things. She looked at Princess Yongning, but still didn't see Shen Yurong even after a long time. However, she was clear in her heart, Princess Yongning coming today was out of character which meant that Shen Yurong would definitely come.
As she was contemplating, the surrounding girls suddenly got excited, even the nearby crowd separated by the partition also became restless. Liu Xu's startled voice sounded in her ear: "Why is his majesty Cheng Wang also here?"
"His majesty Chen Wang?" Jiang Li looked over to where the noise came from. Sure enough, she saw a male in blue was in the middle of taking a seat beside Princess Yongning. Indeed it was his majesty Cheng Wang.
Cheng Wang and Princess Yongning were brother and sisters from the same mother. Both were born from Imperial Concubine Liu. When jiang Li was still a member of the Shen family, through Shen Yurong, she would sometimes hear some court matters. When the former emperor was still alive, Imperial Consort Liu and Imperial Consort Xia fought for favor. It's just that after Imperial Consort Xia passed away due to illness, Emperor Hong Xiao was raised beside the empress and soon became the crown prince.
At that time, Cheng Wang's distance from that position was very near, probably it was just a step away. However, it was unknown if it was because she was favored at that time, the current Imperial Concubine Liu was still as domineering as before. Even Cheng Wang didn't exercise any restraint and was too sharp. If it wasn't due to Emperor Hong Xiao's benevolence and instead was a suspicious king, it's unknown how much suffering Cheng Wang would have eaten.
Immediately after Cheng Wang entered the venue, the crowd boiled. Jiang Li even heard the noble ladies speak in a low voice and discussed shyly: "His majesty Cheng Wang is really extraordinarily handsome......."
Jiang Li suddenly recalled that at the moment, Cheng Wang only had a Zheng fei but didn't have a Ce fei. Among the noble ladies present, there were some whose identities were a bit lower, it's not impossible for them to climb to be Cheng Wang's Ce fei. Perhaps Cheng Wang came over this time to pick a suitable lady? She recalled Jiang Jingrui's words of "picking a wife" and Jiang Li couldn't help wanting to laugh.
Before the smile managed to spread to her eyes, Jiang Li was stunned once again. Not far from Cheng Wang —— perhaps it's better to say not far beside Princess Yongning, a familiar figure was in the middle of taking a seat. Wearing a simple and moon white long gown with a gentle and refined appearance, it could be seen that in his youth, he was a beautiful young man. However, that young man had matured nowadays and started becoming steady and upright.
Separated far away, Jiang Li could still recognize him with a glance. Perhaps, though separated by a thousand mountains and ten thousand water, ten and thousands of years, she would still be able to recognize him at a glance.
Her husband, the half of a pair of innocent loving pairs immersed in conjugal bliss. Who was able to draw her eyebrows, able to grasp her hand and be together for a lifetime, the husband who would live together with her until their hair turned white.
That was her husband, the person sharing her bed, also her enemy, who looked at her going to the underworld unfeelingly.
Jiang Li suddenly closed her eyes.
The past regret came and her mind surged violently, the fragmented pieces were almost assembled. But at the crucial time, it came to an end, just like the shattering of a copper mirror, the final thing that appeared before her eyes was that panicked shadow escaping outside the window as she struggled in the hands of others.
That cold and weak, familiar but unfamiliar shadow.
Jiang Li opened her eyes blankly.
Even though it was just a glance from a distance, Jiang Li was sure that she saw Shen Yurong exchange a meaningful glance with Princess Yongning. Princess Yongning was sweet and charming like a flower, whispering, a lively woman. While Xue Fangfei was already dead, turned into a pile of bones, buried under the soil, ice-cold and rotting.
She lowered her head, unable to cry or laugh.
Liu Xu didn't notice him and as before, she pulled Jiang Li and said: "The examiners today have arrived, look, that's Jinghong fairy......."
At this moment, Jiang Li was feeling complicated and it was hard for her to understand. However, she had no choice but to raise her head to look at the direction Liu Xu was pointing at. She soon saw a woman dressed in a snow white dress, her head was adorned with a yellow ribbon. Her lips were red, her white teeth glistened, her eyebrows were long and slender, an outstanding beauty. As she walked, her wide sleeves slightly swayed, just like a flying immortal, making people enchanted.
This was Jinghong fairy. Jinghong fairy was originally Wang Xian Lou's famous talent. She only sold her skill, not her body. Afterwards, due to her superb guqin, she attracted the pursuit of the noble sons in the entire Yanjing and became a bit higher than the common well-bred ladies. Until later, Jinghong fairy fell in love with the son of a tea merchant and he redeemed Jinghong fairy. Soon afterwards, Jinghong fairy left Wang Xian Lou, washed her hands and made soup, and became a wife with ease.
Everyone in the capital sighed in regret from not being able to hear another song played by the Jinhong fairy. But up to now, nobody questioned Jinhong fairy's guqin skill. Her being the examiner today was not unexpected.
There were also young men present today. Seeing the married woman yet more beautiful than the young ladies, each one of their faces turned red, not daring to look straight.
Jiang Li was sighing how this Jinhong fairy was really beautiful like an immortal when she again heard Liu Xu cry out in surprise, "Duke Su has also arrived."
As if to set off Liu Xu's words, the surrounding suddenly became quiet. The focus was mixed with some careful and indistinct breathing sound, as if afraid of alarming something.
After the snow-white dress, a deep splendid red followed closely after. The color was cold and rich.
That was Duke Su, Ji Heng.