I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 111: Capture the Traveler Mission Progress: 45
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This imperial examination lasted a total of four days.

One day of cultural knowledge, one day of court etiquette, one day of needlework skills, and one day of moral cultivation.

In fact, after the first day of competition, Li Qingzhao didn't want to compete anymore.

This was mainly because Li Qingzhao had come here specifically for the cultural knowledge competition; she had no desire to compete in anything else. She wasn't good at anything else, and she certainly didn't know anything about needlework. If she went up, she would only be embarrassed.

Moreover, Li Qingzhao was an unmarried girl and it was not convenient for her to spend the night outside.

——In Li Qingzhao's view, she had secretly run away to take part in the imperial examination, and her father didn't even know about it.

Li Qingzhao told Chao Min her thoughts.

Chao Min rolled her eyes. "This is the Imperial Examination held by the Empress. Your Majesty will come here in person to serve as the examiner when you have free time. This is the harem, how can you come and go as you please?"

Li Qingzhao agreed with what she thought. This was not the place for her to act recklessly. If she did so, it might bring disaster to her family.

As for how she would explain this to her family, "Master should send someone to my house to tell them, right? Otherwise, if Daddy sends someone to Master's house to look for me, he will know that I am here."

Thinking of this, Li Qingzhao had no choice but to stay in the harem obediently for five days.

Why is it five days and not four days?

That’s because it will take another day to evaluate the rankings.

The only thing that comforted Li Qingzhao was that the results of the cultural knowledge competition would be announced on the first day.

Just when Li Qingzhao was confidently waiting to win the championship, the result was announced that she only won second place.

'How come you're second?'

Li Qingzhao was secretly surprised, her brows slightly furrowed, with a hint of confusion and unwillingness.

Li Qingzhao knew that she did not perform well in the classics, because those classics that taught women's virtues were simply a torment and a confinement for her. Therefore, she had never read these crappy books at all. She completely guessed the answers based on the questions. Moreover, what she explained was somewhat unorthodox, so her performance could not be very good.

But Li Qingzhao was extremely confident in her poem "Ru Meng Ling". She believed that anyone who understood poetry would definitely give her poem a high evaluation.

The key point is that Li Qingzhao had already heard that among the examiners this time were her master Su Shi, her uncle Su Zhe, as well as great poets such as Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, and Cai Jing.

This shouldn't cause her song "Ru Meng Ling" to be buried.

This is not conceit, but she has been well-read in poetry and books since childhood and has outstanding literary talent. This time, "Ru Meng Ling" was created during a burst of inspiration not long ago.

Let’s put it this way, “Ru Meng Ling” is her masterpiece that is definitely among the top three and may not necessarily be ranked third.

Therefore, she is confident that no one can compare to her in poetry.

Li Qingzhao guessed that if she did not win first place in the cultural knowledge competition, the problem must be in the classics, history, and literature, and definitely not in poetry.

But even knowing the reason, Li Qingzhao was still unwilling to be second.

Chao Min was even more annoyed. "This harem is full of hidden talents! And I only got seventh place! It's probably because of the classics, history, and miscellaneous works. But even so, I shouldn't have ranked so low. I want to see why they are ranked ahead of me!"

Chao Min's poetry level is also very high, ranking seventh is indeed far from the mark.

So, Li Qingzhao and Chao Min squeezed to the front with the intention of finding fault, wanting to see how the ranking was determined.

Without waiting for Li Qingzhao and Chao Min to make a scene, Cai Xuan bowed to Pei Sui, who was presiding over the announcement of the results, and said, "Excuse me, sister, is it convenient for us to check the exam papers?"

Li Qingzhao and Chao Min heard from the people next to them that Cai Xuan didn't even make it into the top ten.

You know, Cai Xuan is here to win the championship.

How could Cai Xuan, who has always been proud and arrogant, accept such a huge gap?

Pei Sui didn't waste any time and directly asked someone to hang up the test papers of the top ten students.

Undoubtedly, the first thing everyone looked at was the test paper of Zhang Chun, the first place winner.

When all the women finished reading Zhang Chun's "Yi Jian Mei", they all fell silent.

You can say that some of these women are arrogant or even conceited, but you cannot doubt their vision.

These women who grew up in the deep palace and were recommended by a group of ministers were exposed to poetry, books and etiquette since childhood. Their sensitivity and appreciation for words were beyond ordinary people.

Just by reading this poem "Yi Jian Mei", the delicate emotions and superb artistic attainments revealed between the lines made all the women present feel ashamed.

Even Li Qingzhao was deeply shocked and felt that it was hard to tell which was better between "Yi Jian Mei" and her "Ru Meng Ling".

When her poetry and lyrics were almost equally matched, Li Qingzhao suddenly felt that her defeat was not unfair when she looked at her performance in classics, history, and literature.

However, Li Qingzhao vaguely felt that this poem "Yi Jian Mei" was too closely aligned with her. If she had not really written this poem, she would have thought that it was created by her.

Chao Min, standing by, was even more impressed and said, "I never expected that someone could express emotions so deeply and vividly in a single poem. Who on earth is this Concubine Zhang, that she could write poems to such a high level?"

After the women present read Li Qingzhao's "Ru Meng Ling" again, they all smiled bitterly again.

One talented female poet is already amazing enough, and now there is a second talented female poet, and the two are evenly matched. How can this not make people sigh with emotion?
The girls looked at the Li Qingzhao they were familiar with, and there was less gloating in their eyes when they saw her only get second place, and more sympathy for her loss to a master of the same level.

Chao Min also sighed deeply! Although she still felt a little dissatisfied, she had to admit the excellence of the two poems written by Zhang Chun and Li Qingzhao. She looked at Li Qingzhao and said admiringly, "I thought my poems were already outstanding, but now I know that there are always people who are better than you. You and this Princess Zhang are truly amazing and brilliant."

Looking back, it cannot be said that there is absolutely no controversy. After all, there is no best in literature, and everyone has different opinions. But objectively speaking, the selection of the cultural knowledge part of the imperial examination was fair and just.

After reading the test papers of the top ten students, even Cai Xuan, who was the most unconvinced, shut her mouth obediently.

Zheng Xiansu arranged dining and temporary accommodation for Li Qingzhao and other women recommended by the ministers to participate in the imperial examinations.

After looking at the results, Li Qingzhao and the other girls could go eat and then rest.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Chun came over at this time.

When Li Qingzhao saw that Concubine Zhang, whom she had met once before, came to see her, she was a little surprised and also a little confused as to why Zhang Chun wanted to see her.
Without Li Qingzhao asking, Zhang Chun smiled and told her the reason for visiting her: "Young Lady Li and I have known each other for a long time. I wonder if you would like to come to my palace to chat. I can introduce you to a few of my close friends."

Fearing that Li Qingzhao would not accept her invitation, Zhang Chun pointed to the top-ranked exam paper and said with a smile, "I was in a hurry to enter the exam room, so I didn't register my full name..."

It was not until then that Li Qingzhao realized that she had lost to the man in front of her.

At the same time, Li Qingzhao suddenly realized that Zhang Chun was a hero who admired heroes and wanted to invite her to discuss poetry.

Li Qingzhao also praised her: "I also admire the imperial concubine's outstanding literary talent..."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Qingzhao gladly accepted Zhang Chun's invitation.

Zhang Chun invited Chao Min to visit her place.

But Chao Min came to take part in the imperial examination with a mission, and she didn't dare run around in the palace. If someone caught her, they would think she didn't know the rules and ruined Su Shi and Su Zhe's plans. Then she would be a sinner of the Yuanyou Party. So she tactfully declined Zhang Chun's invitation and gave Li Qingzhao a wink, hoping that Li Qingzhao would also consider the overall situation.

However, Li Qingzhao had no hope of getting Chao Min. Seeing that Chao Min was unwilling to go with Zhang Chun, she chatted with Zhang Chun about poetry while going with him...

Seeing this, Chao Min had no choice. After all, Li Qingzhao might really be here for fun, unlike her. Li Qingzhao was intelligent, straightforward, brave, rebellious, affectionate and loyal. People with such a personality would easily make friends.

On the other hand, the reason why Zhang Chun came to find Li Qingzhao and made friends with her was mainly because she knew that the real first place was not her, but Li Qingzhao, whose two poems were ranked first by Zhao Ya and others. If she had not cheated, she might not even have made it into the top 20. Therefore, Li Qingzhao was the real great person, and she was just a lucky person who was favored by God by chance.

Zhang Chun invited Li Qingzhao to her palace and immediately asked people to prepare mutton hotpot. At the same time, she sent people to invite Li Lin, Ye Shiyun, Ma Xiaojiao and Yuan Qingcheng over.

Zhang Chun specifically instructed Ye Shiyun to bring a jar of imperial wine and Ma Xiaojiao to bring a set of mahjong.

It can be seen that Zhang Chun really wanted to entertain Li Qingzhao well.

This is also normal.

As a woman of literature, how could Zhang Chun not admire Li Qingzhao, the most talented woman in history? Especially after she truly understood Li Qingzhao's strengths.

Soon, Ye Shiyun came over with a jar of imperial wine.

Li Qingzhao was a connoisseur of fine goods. As soon as she saw the red jar and yellow seal, she immediately guessed that this was imperial wine that could not be bought even with money.

Li Qingzhao's appetite was immediately aroused.

'Princess Zhang is worth making friends with!'

As soon as they met, Ye Shiyun teased Zhang Chun: "I heard that you defeated Li Qingzhao's "Ru Meng Ling: Always Remember the Sunset at the Stream Pavilion" with "Yi Jian Mei: The Fragrance of Red Lotus Leaves and the Jade Mat in Autumn". You are so shameless..."

Before she could utter the word "shame", Ye Shiyun saw Zhang Chun desperately winking at her.

At this moment, Ye Shiyun noticed Li Qingzhao not far away and asked, "Who is this?"

Zhang Chun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly introduced Li Qingzhao to Ye Shiyun: "This is Miss Li."

Ye Shiyun had never expected that Zhang Chun would actually invite Li Qingzhao over. She greeted her cheerfully, "I heard that you're a good gambler and have never lost in your life. I'm the same way. How about we have a little sparring match later?"

Li Qingzhao was overjoyed. He felt that he had found a treasure trove. Here, there was not only imperial wine, but also people who loved gambling. "I can come here often to have fun in the future."

"What are we betting on? Horse racing?" Li Qingzhao asked.

"Dama" is a chess and gambling game that is quite popular in this era.

Li Qingzhao particularly enjoyed this game, calling it "the finest form of gambling, an elegant pastime for the boudoir." She believed it was not only entertaining but also a way to hone thinking and strategic skills. She possessed a deep understanding and extensive experience in the art, becoming a master at it.

Ye Shiyun shook her head: "It's just a little trick. I'll show you some games you haven't played before."

Li Qingzhao was a very curious person. She loved to accept new things, so she was very much looking forward to the game that Ye Shiyun mentioned that she had never played before.

After a while, Li Lin, Ma Xiaojiao and Yuan Qingcheng also came to Zhang Chun.

The banquet began, and several people clinked glasses and chatted enthusiastically.

What Li Qingzhao never expected was that the five daughters of Zhang Chun knew a lot of things that she didn't know, and they each had their own abilities, and seemed to be extraordinary people.

The mechanical technology that Ma Xiaojiao talked about made Li Qingzhao very curious.

Seeing that Li Qingzhao liked these things, Ma Xiaojiao readily agreed to take her to her place to see them the next day.

After they started chatting, Li Qingzhao discovered that Zhang Chun and the others were not only knowledgeable but also interesting. They were informal and lacked the airs of imperial concubines. Their words and actions were bold and forthright, a rarity among women of that era.

This was exactly what Li Qingzhao wanted. She felt that they had met too late.

The only pity is that although Ye Shiyun, who brought the wine, likes to drink a little, her alcohol tolerance is very limited. After reaching the limit, she says she will not drink anymore; Ma Xiaojiao is pregnant and cannot drink; Li Lin takes care of her health and does not drink at all; Zhang Chun’s alcohol tolerance is also not good. He feels drunk after a few drinks.

Fortunately, there is Yuan Qingcheng.

how to say?

If Ye Shiyun hadn't insisted on teaching Li Qingzhao how to play mahjong, Yuan Qingcheng, who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, would have drunk Li Qingzhao to the ground.

After dinner, Zhang Chun, Ye Shiyun and Yuan Qingcheng played mahjong with Li Qingzhao.

After only one round, Li Qingzhao had mastered the essence of mahjong. Whether it was eating, touching, barging, or winning, she used them just right, as if this was a game she was born to master.

The more she played, the more energetic Li Qingzhao became. In Li Qingzhao's opinion, what Ye Shiyun said was true. Compared with mahjong, playing mahjong was simply too boring.

As the game progressed, Li Qingzhao became increasingly absorbed. Her mind raced, and her card-counting skills amazed everyone. Every move and every pick and pick was decisive and precise, making it impossible to tell she was a novice.

After eight rounds, Zhang Chun and Yuan Qingcheng, who had lost a lot of money, surrendered.

Li Qingzhao, who hadn't had enough fun, started playing mahjong for two with Ye Shiyun.

Others watched from the sidelines.

After watching for a while, everyone discovered that Li Qingzhao was a genius at playing mahjong. She played cards cautiously, listened to multiple cards, focused on defense, changed her tactics flexibly, was greedy when she should be greedy, gave up when she should give up, rarely made mistakes, and had a good memory. It seemed as if she was born to play mahjong.

Only then did Zhang Chun and Yuan Qingcheng realize that they could not beat Li Qingzhao. It was not because Li Qingzhao had the aura of a novice, but mainly because their skills were really not as good as Li Qingzhao's, even though this was only Li Qingzhao's first time playing mahjong.

Of course, Ye Shiyun won in the end.

There is no way. Ye Shiyun’s memory is too strong. When she plays mahjong, it is almost like playing with open cards.

No matter how good Li Qingzhao was at fighting, she could not beat a cheating opponent like Ye Shiyun.

However, Li Qingzhao was a little dissatisfied and asked Ye Shiyun to fight again tomorrow.

Afterwards, the girls drank together for a while, and Zhang Chun and the other four girls took advantage of the alcohol to tell Li Qingzhao a lot of things she didn't know.

Only then did Li Qingzhao truly understand what it meant that there are always people better than you and there are always things better than you. It turned out that there were so many things she didn't know.

That night, Zhang Chun and Li Qingzhao slept on the same bed. They talked a lot, some about literature, but more about areas that Li Qingzhao didn't know...

Until they both fell asleep.

late at night.

After the banquet.

Zhao Ya, who also drank a lot of wine today, thought about it. Although the final result of the imperial examination had not yet come out, Zhang Chun had at least won the first place in cultural knowledge. It was time for him to fulfill his promise and give Zhang Chun a son.

——Zhao Ya was clear in his mind that Zhang Chun would definitely not get very good results in the next few events. If he strictly followed the agreement with Zhang Chun, he would have to control Zhang Chun for a period of time, which was a bit too bullying for Zhang Chun. After all, apart from Yuan Qingcheng who had been avoiding him, Zhang Chun was the only one left. Considering the ridiculous things Zhang Chun had done before, if Zhang Chun still couldn't defeat him this time, Li Lin, Ye Shiyun, and Ma Xiaojiao might laugh at Zhang Chun and make him turn evil.

So, Zhao Ya, who didn't want to cause any trouble, came to Zhang Chun's palace.

The lady-in-waiting wanted to tell Zhang Chun to prepare to sleep with her.

But he was stopped by Zhao Ya.

He planned to give Zhang Chun a surprise...

……

(End of this chapter)