Martial Arts Crossover: My Wife is the Top Scholar

Chapter 3 Family Heirloom Jade Pendant, A Match Made in Heaven

There are three requirements for choosing a husband through a martial arts contest.

1. Under 30 years old, with a clean background;

Second, his martial arts skills were superb, surpassing all others;
Third, he successfully passed Feng Suzhen's test;

Li Zhaoting is nineteen years old this year. He easily defeated all the challengers. Even arrogant people like Dongfang Sheng and Liu Changying admitted that they were not as good as Li Zhaoting.

After defeating Murong Fu of Gusu, no challenger dared to step onto the stage, leaving Li Zhaoting with only one challenge remaining.

Feng Suzhen had been watching the match from the sidelines. When she heard Li Zhaoting challenge her, she gently plucked the strings of her zither, causing the pearl curtain to sway slightly and releasing a melodious sound.

Feng Suzhen was not a sheltered young lady who never left her home. From a young age, she was taught advanced martial arts by a mysterious person. She mainly studied music, while also learning swordsmanship and lightness skills.

Martial arts are nothing more than physical training, internal energy training, and spiritual training.

Martial artists who cultivate the Way of Music are most afraid of suffering backlash from their mental techniques, and must be proficient in refining their spirit and cultivating their qi.

If one's spiritual cultivation is insufficient, one cannot unleash the power of the music; if one's qi cultivation is inadequate, one is easily countered by the opponent's true qi, resulting in a devastating backlash.

For example, during the battle at Juxian Manor, Tan Qing, wielding the "Soul-Chasing Staff," used ventriloquism to cause trouble. Xiao Feng shouted loudly, and Tan Qing suffered a backlash from the technique, dying with his heart and courage shattered.

Later, Tan Qing's master, Duan Yanqing, encountered Xiao Feng at Xiaojing Lake. Fearing Xiao Feng's profound internal energy, he dared not speak using ventriloquism and could only write with his iron staff.

Feng Suzhen was a musical genius with the potential to be a top scholar, and she was also a "double champion in both literature and martial arts." Her skills were superb, her power profound, and she used music to express her emotions.

The music began with a low note, like the call of a weary bird returning to its nest at sunset. At this moment, it was dusk, with fleeting light and rosy clouds filling the sky.

Every flower, every tree, every blade of grass, every leaf, even the white clouds in the sky, seemed to have come to life. The sky was like a bride on her wedding night, gently removing her red dress.

The melody became increasingly ethereal, giving people a sense of temporal and spatial displacement. In a daze, starlight filled the sky, and then another daze, as if spring, summer, autumn and winter had passed.

There was neither a bright moon nor a shining star, only a faint, colorless, and almost imperceptible sound of a zither, yet it evoked a sense of tranquility and remoteness, like a gentle breeze, a bright moon, high mountains, and a vast sea.

Even a hot-tempered, illiterate martial artist like Dongfang Sheng felt refreshed and invigorated.

The fierce atmosphere of the martial arts competition that had lasted for several days was inadvertently dispelled by the sound of the zither. Clearly, Feng Suzhen had no intention of fighting, but was testing her knowledge of music.

Li Zhaoting looked at the stage with deep eyes. Through the pearl curtain and the white veil, he saw Feng Suzhen's peerless beauty and unparalleled charm, and through time and space, he saw their destined meeting.

With this thought in mind, Li Zhaoting reached into his robes and pulled out a bamboo flute, from which a faint, melodious sound rose.

The sound of the xiao (vertical flute) is like a lament, a yearning, a weeping, a plea, a gentle autumn breeze, the waves of Dongting Lake and the falling leaves, and also like a piece of sweet honey in the heart when two children are innocent and carefree.

Li Zhaoting's flute playing, however, was quite different. The melody was like a rushing waterfall, cascading down, turning and twisting, transforming into towering waves, each wave more surging than the last.

He held only a bamboo flute, yet his playing exuded a powerful and majestic aura, which resonated with Feng Suzhen's zither music, adding to its grandeur.

Li Zhaoting's flute playing was like a high mountain or a waterfall, while Feng Suzhen's zither playing was like a bamboo forest in the mountains or plum blossoms on a ridge. Although it was their first time playing together, their harmony was flawless.

High mountains and flowing water, spring snow in the sunshine...

The two couldn't help but play a series of famous pieces together.

Ding Dong!

Feng Suzhen gently stroked the strings of the zither and sat down in deep concentration.

The last piece was a solo by Li Zhaoting.

This song is... Phoenix Seeks Its Mate!

There was a beautiful woman, whom I could never forget once I saw her.

I miss him terribly if I don't see him for a day.

The phoenix soars high, seeking its mate across the four seas.

……

The song ended, no further words were needed.

The "Smell-Smelling Prince," who was watching the spectacle, chuckled and voluntarily admitted defeat, saying he would go to the wedding banquet.

Dongfang Sheng may have been unconvinced, but he knew that he was inferior to Li Zhaoting in both martial arts and academics.

Liu Changying readily admitted defeat.

Feng Shaoqing stood up and announced the successful conclusion of the martial arts contest for marriage. He then invited Li Zhaoting to his residence to discuss in detail when to formally propose marriage and when to welcome his bride into the house.

For wealthy families, the process of getting married is quite elaborate. Even if it's a martial arts contest to choose a bride, it still takes about a month from start to finish, otherwise they would be laughed at.

Fortunately, during the preparation for the martial arts contest to choose a husband, Feng Shaoqing had already prepared everything. All that was needed was to compare their birth dates and choose an auspicious day, and the wedding could be completed in three to five days.

When Li Zhaoting was being taught by his master, he learned about the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, medicine, divination and astrology. If he didn't have real skills, how could he dare to call himself "Li Buyi"?
A quick calculation shows that five days from now is an auspicious day.

……

The Feng residence.

Feng Shaoqing prepared a feast to entertain his son-in-law.

When Li Zhaoting first participated in the competition, apart from his appearance, there was nothing about him that Feng Shaoqing found pleasing. After the competition, all those previous shortcomings became great advantages.

Li Zhaoting is young and handsome, skilled in both literature and martial arts. He can play the qin and xiao together with Feng Suzhen, and he can also gain the recognition of the Grandmaster of the Heavenly Gang List. He can truly be said to have a bright future.

If Li Zhaoting had the outstanding family background of Liu Changying and Dongfang Sheng, how could Feng Shaoqing stand up for himself in front of his son-in-law? Wouldn't he be suppressed for the rest of his life?

This is just right!

"My son-in-law seems to have a Nanjing accent."

"My father was convicted of a crime and exiled to Lingnan."

"If you are exiled, how can you return?"

"On the Empress Dowager's birthday, a general amnesty is granted."

This is not a fabricated excuse; a group of exiles were indeed pardoned last year on Liu E's birthday.

Li Zhaoting's father, Li Nanxing, hadn't done anything wrong; he'd just gotten himself involved in some scandals and had connections in the court. He just happened to be on the list.

However, Li Nanxing settled down in Dali, spending his days traveling, enjoying the scenery, cultivating his mind and body, and living a very happy life. Whether he was on the list or not actually made no difference.

Uh... it's not that there's absolutely no difference.

At least restore their clean living conditions.

If Li Zhaoting wants to become the top scholar in the imperial examination, he might be able to restore his academic record by using his past connections.

"Your father is in Lingnan..."

“My mother passed away early, and my father moved to Dali to become a jade merchant. This is the betrothal gift for Miss Feng.”

Li Zhaoting took out a jade pendant.

Feng Shaoqing's eyes widened, and his expression changed drastically. Feng Shaoqing was not an incorruptible official who was as clear as water and as pure as a mirror. He was more adept than anyone else at dealing with interpersonal relationships.

Having navigated the ups and downs of officialdom for over twenty years, Feng Shaoqing, having risen to the position of Prefect of Hangzhou, was certainly a discerning judge of character.

The jade pendant that Li Zhaoting took out was warm and lustrous, clearly a top-quality piece, and the carving was a masterpiece.

The material itself is a priceless treasure, and if you take into account the craftsmanship, it could fetch at least 300,000 to 400,000 taels of silver if sold to some jewelry collectors.

Are jade merchants really that profitable?
Feng Shaoqing was too young. The jade merchants in Dali were making more money than he imagined. A five-copper Yuhua stone would be priced at least fifty taels by tourists from other places.

Li Zhaoting explained, "Father-in-law, please don't misunderstand. This jade pendant was neither stolen nor robbed. It is a family heirloom passed down from the Sui and Tang Dynasties."

"family heirloom?"

"It is passed down to daughters, not sons, only to daughters-in-law."

"My dear son-in-law just mentioned the Sui and Tang dynasties. Could it be that you are from the Li clan of Longxi or the Li clan of Zhao County?"

"According to the family genealogy, my son-in-law's family is very likely the Li family of Lingnan. It's not a big deal. No matter which Li family it is, can they become emperors?"

"My dear son-in-law, be careful with your words."

"I'm used to navigating the world, please don't take offense, father-in-law."

……

"Miss, this is Young Master Li's betrothal gift. I heard from Master that this jade pendant is worth hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, enough to buy more than a dozen mansions and thousands of acres of fertile land!"

Mei Zhu handed the jade pendant to Feng Suzhen.

Feng Suzhen teased, "You're so talkative! I think you can't wait to become a dowry maid!"

Meizhu was Feng Suzhen's personal maid and would accompany Feng Suzhen in her dowry when she got married. Therefore, Meizhu paid more attention to Feng Suzhen's husband than Feng Suzhen did.

Mei Zhu didn't know Li Zhaoting's temperament, but Li Zhaoting's appearance was so handsome that every smile and frown made Mei Zhu's legs go weak and her whole body feel powerless.

Feng Suzhen looked at Meizhu with a smile. The little girl, who used to be a sharp-tongued and fiery girl, was unusually gentle and tender today, completely changing her personality.

If it weren't for the fact that it's an auspicious day in five days, and everything at home is already prepared for the wedding, Meizhu might have offered herself up tonight.

This is reasonable for wealthy families.

Before marriage, many wealthy young ladies would have their maids test their husbands to see if they had any unspeakable secrets.

Feng Suzhen gently stroked the jade pendant, and a blush appeared on her face as she thought of the qin and xiao duet during the day.

Suddenly, Feng Suzhen looked surprised and took out a palm-sized jade pendant from her bosom. The jade pendant was milky white and was carved from sun-warmed jade.

Feng Suzhen compared the jade pendants side by side.

The jade pendants are made of different materials and have different patterns, but the carving techniques are exactly the same, clearly indicating that they were made by the same person. Putting the jade pendants together gives a sense of a jigsaw puzzle.

Li Zhaoting's jade pendant is carved with distant mountains.

Feng Suzhen's jade pendant is carved with a stream.

If Li Zhaoting's jade pendant is placed squarely above Feng Suzhen's jade pendant, it will create a harmonious landscape, with rippling blue waves and vibrant life.

The jade pendant that Feng Suzhen wore was a gift from her master, who said it was a treasure passed down through generations of the sect.

Why does it overlap with Li Zhaoting's jade pendant?

Could it be a preordained marriage?
Looking at the pile of jade pendants, Feng Suzhen suddenly remembered the picture album she had accidentally found when she went to her father's study to look for books, which seemed to have a similar pose.

Thinking of this, his face turned as red as blood.

Mei Zhu knew Feng Suzhen best. When she saw the overlapping patterns on the jade pendants, she wanted to offer her congratulations, but seeing Feng Suzhen's expression, she knew that her young mistress had misunderstood.

"Miss, it's time for you to bathe and change."

"Hmm~"

Feng Suzhen gave a barely perceptible "hmm".

……

The next day, Li Zhaoting went to Tang Zhuquan and asked him to act as an intermediary to buy a house!
Tang Zhuquan readily agreed.

Li Zhaoting didn't require a grand mansion or a specific location; he just wanted a place that could serve as their wedding home.

After the transaction was completed, Tang Zhuquan pulled Li Zhaoting aside.

"Li the fortune teller, please tell my fortune and tell me when my luck will change and whether I will be able to marry a talented woman!"

"Your forehead is dark; tonight is not auspicious for anything."

Is there a solution?

Don't go home tonight.

"It's that simple?"