Some earnest military official couldn’t help but gasp at Huo Liuxing’s current composure.

It truly wasn’t that the assembled Daqi officials were boosting others’ morale while diminishing their own country’s prestige. Rather, Yeli Chong’s earlier fierce-as-a-tiger performance had already reached the pinnacle of arrow-throwing skill. To compete with him, the next person to take the stage would also have to stand one and a half zhang away and shoot blindfolded. Given this, who could perform even more spectacular tricks?

If it were someone who could run and jump, they might be able to perform blindfolded throwing while spinning in circles for everyone. But Huo Liuxing couldn’t do that.

Since winning with tricks wouldn’t work, surely they wouldn’t resort to winning by quantity and throw four arrows at once? Not to mention that three arrows was already the limit for ordinary people—even if Huo Liuxing truly threw one or two more, winning that way would seem petty and hardly sufficient to demonstrate a great nation’s bearing.

The eunuch pushed Huo Liuxing to the center of the great hall, one and a half zhang from the bronze pot, tied a black cloth over his eyes just as before, then placed ten arrows in his hands.

As several military officials furrowed their brows and shook their heads in dismay, Shen Lingzhen knew that Huo Liuxing would certainly have a solution.

Having suffered a major setback in his youth when full of vigor, he absolutely would not fight a battle he wasn’t confident of winning.

The entire venue held its breath. After receiving the arrows, Huo Liuxing didn’t immediately prepare to throw. Instead, he first held each of the ten arrows in his hand, carefully weighing them, his fingers meticulously feeling over each arrow’s head and tail.

Yeli Chong’s oxen-bell-sized eyes fixed intently on his every movement.

From his gaze, Shen Lingzhen detected an unusual competitive desire. It seemed that to Yeli Chong, this wasn’t a contest between Xiqiang and Daqi, but between him and Huo Liuxing. Recovering Xiqiang’s dignity was secondary—more importantly, he hoped to have a satisfying, genuine battle with real arrows against Huo Liuxing.

After comparing all ten arrows, Huo Liuxing drew out two—giving one to the eunuch on his left and one to the eunuch on his right. Then he took one of the remaining eight arrows, held it in his hand and slowly rotated it, finally throwing it.

The arrow entered the pot with a “clang.” He tilted his ear slightly, listening carefully. After a while, he drew the second arrow and repeated the same action.

After three arrows, several impatient military officials were already sweating profusely.

Throwing one arrow at a time like this, hesitating and feeling around, turning them, throwing so slowly—this Second Young Master Huo’s skills truly weren’t what they used to be.

As several people lamented in dismay, three more arrows entered the pot one by one. Suddenly a female family member said softly: “Throwing them like a flower—quite distinctive.”

Though this comment was made quietly, in the currently pin-drop silent great hall, it became a heavy hammer striking everyone’s ears.

People looked intently and only then discovered that the six arrows in the pot weren’t randomly scattered, but evenly inserted diagonally along the rim, each arrow equidistant from the others. From afar, it looked as if half a circle of flowers had bloomed at the pot’s mouth.

So Huo Liuxing’s listening to determine position was to calculate this.

But arrow-throwing wasn’t a competition of beauty—what was the point of such elaborate effort?

Before people could react, they saw Huo Liuxing had already thrown two more arrows into the pot following the same pattern as before.

Now, only one empty space remained at the pot’s rim—the spot closest to the thrower.

Huo Liuxing took the arrow from the left eunuch’s hand and inserted it precisely at an angle into that spot.

At this moment, with nine arrows in a circle, the flower was fully bloomed.

Many people were still confused until Huo Liuxing took the final arrow from the right eunuch’s hand and held it aloft. His arm formed a full moon like a bow, tensing into an arc. Abandoning his previous slow and gentle throwing method, he hurled it fiercely.

This throw was both fast and fierce, almost exceeding ordinary human arm strength. People couldn’t even see the arrow’s trajectory clearly—they only saw a flash before their eyes, then heard a “crack”—this tenth arrow had split straight through the ninth arrow’s tail, cleaving it in two before steadily falling into the pot!

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

Three counts later, a young military official leapt to his feet in excitement: “Eleven arrows! That’s eleven arrows!”

The hall instantly erupted in clamor.

Several military officials who had been repeatedly losing their composure froze for a moment, then slapped their thighs in anger.

Comparing the differences between arrows, adjusting throwing angles—all the calculations were for this eleventh arrow. Huo Liuxing had held victory in his grasp from the start!

After slapping their thighs, everyone’s faces showed smug expressions of “your father is still your father.”

But on Yeli Chong’s face, countless complex emotions seemed to flash by in an instant, finally settling into what appeared to be regret.

Huo Liuxing removed the blindfold. Amid the surrounding cheers, he looked toward Shen Lingzhen’s direction, meeting her eyes that were watching him, bright as stars, and smiled gently.

Facing this Huo Liuxing, Shen Lingzhen felt for the first time in her life an overwhelming urge to rush up and embrace him.

Before she had time to deeply consider what this impulse meant, Yeli Chong had already picked up his wine cup and strode toward Huo Liuxing: “A bet is a bet—I toast General Huo with this cup!”

Huo Liuxing nodded toward him and returned to his seat.

After this interlude passed, the tense atmosphere dissipated. Everyone in Daqi wore joyful expressions, and the great hall returned to its scene of music, drums, and harmonious celebration.

Shen Lingzhen picked up her silver chopsticks and piled dishes as high as a small mountain for Huo Liuxing, pushing them before him as if rewarding him.

Huo Liuxing glanced at her and said in a low voice: “Why not go reward the other one?”

At his words, Shen Lingzhen instinctively looked toward Xue Jie.

Xue Jie seemed to have been constantly watching her and Huo Liuxing from the corner of his eye. Sensing her gaze, he immediately looked up.

Their eyes unexpectedly met directly. Shen Lingzhen was first startled, then seeing the chagrin on his face, her expression quickly softened and she nodded affirmatively at him.

Xue Jie must have been blaming himself for underestimating the enemy earlier.

Shen Lingzhen understood his abilities well and knew he was also fully capable of blindfolded shooting. However, being first to take the stage, he wouldn’t immediately rush to show off his skills.

Actually, though Xue Jie appeared to have lost, he was also a great contributor tonight. The reason Zhao Xun had him pave the way before Huo Liuxing took the field was precisely because he was certain that with Xue Jie’s skills, he would force Yeli Chong to reveal his trump card.

And only after Yeli Chong showed his hand first could Huo Liuxing control the initiative and win decisively with one move.

Shen Lingzhen’s nod was telling him not to be discouraged.

After all these years of acquaintance, one glance conveyed everything. The gloom on Xue Jie’s face completely cleared. Just as he was about to return her smile, Huo Liuxing’s body blocked his view again.

“That’s about enough.” Huo Liuxing glanced at her.

To be fair, after marrying, Shen Lingzhen’s only direct interaction with Xue Jie was that single nod, which was purely out of gratitude for his helping pave the way for Huo Liuxing and meant to console him. To call it excessive would be unfair.

Of course, tonight heaven and earth were vast, but the hero was greatest. Shen Lingzhen still very obediently lowered her head, continued serving Huo Liuxing food, and after relaxing, extracted and ate the last crab leg.

Seeing her finish both crabs completely, Huo Liuxing instructed the palace maid standing nearby to bring Shen Lingzhen a bowl of hot soup.

Crabs were cold in nature—drinking hot soup could warm the stomach.

Because hairy crabs were rare, Shen Lingzhen had been somewhat greedy earlier. After receiving the soup and drinking only a few sips, she felt her belly was heavy and distended, with a faint aching.

The moment her brow furrowed, Huo Liuxing noticed and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Shen Lingzhen was just thinking whether she had eaten too much when a warm flow startled her. Realizing what had happened, she quickly looked around: “I… I need to go to the washroom to relieve myself…”

Huo Liuxing really couldn’t leave for such a reason and could only instruct a palace maid to accompany her away from the banquet.

Rising halfway, Shen Lingzhen hesitated again and pointed to Huo Liuxing’s cloak: “It might be a bit cold outside—my lord, could I borrow your cloak…”

Huo Liuxing grabbed the cloak set aside, fastened it on her, and instructed the palace maid to take her along paths with less wind.

At such occasions, guests’ own servants and maids couldn’t enter. Following the palace maid out the side door and walking a very long palace corridor, Shen Lingzhen finally saw Jianjia and Bailu waiting in the distance and waved to them.

The two hurried forward anxiously: “What happened? Why did Young Madam leave the banquet alone?”

Shen Lingzhen wrapped the cloak tighter: “I’m not feeling well—my monthly courses seem to have arrived…”

Hearing this, Bailu hastily went to fetch menstrual cloths. Jianjia followed the leading palace maid, accompanying Shen Lingzhen to a nearby washroom, worrying: “How did Young Madam’s cycle suddenly come early again?”

When Shen Lingzhen first had her monthly courses at fourteen, she would naturally carry menstrual cloths during those days. But in the past six months or so, the timing had often been unpredictable. This time it came nearly ten days early—truly impossible to guard against.

Bailu quickly delivered the menstrual cloths and helped Shen Lingzhen tidy up inside, sighing as she worked: “Young Madam, this maid has heard that early monthly courses are usually a sign of bodily weakness. That winter you spent at the mausoleum truly chilled you to the bone. You really should properly recuperate now.”

Shen Lingzhen couldn’t listen to her nagging at the moment and had her quickly check if there were any problems with her dress.

Bailu looked and softly said “Ai”: “There really is a small red stain.”

Shen Lingzhen embarrassedly covered her eyes.

Normally if her monthly courses suddenly arrived it wouldn’t matter—with layers upon layers of clothing, it couldn’t possibly seep through to the outside. But today she had specially dressed up for the palace banquet. This flowing immortal dress was renowned for skirt panels as thin as cicada wings. Who knew if she had also soiled the cushion at Chongzheng Hall.

This was truly too improper.

Shen Lingzhen instructed the palace maid who had led her here to quickly return and quietly check.

Jianjia and Bailu helped straighten her clothes, re-draping Huo Liuxing’s cloak over her shoulders, consoling: “The young master is such a perceptive person. Rest assured, before the palace people discover it, the young master will definitely have already concealed it for you.”

How could he conceal it? Clutch the cushion she sat on and tell the Emperor he really liked this cushion’s style and begged the Emperor to bestow it upon him as an imperial gift?

Moreover… Shen Lingzhen thought with a worried expression—Huo Liuxing was the type who would lose his voice in anxious moments when overly concerned. If he saw that bloodstain and didn’t immediately realize what it was, might he leap up in alarm?

Inside Chongzheng Hall, Huo Liuxing—who was being frantically thought about in Shen Lingzhen’s mind—felt his nose tingle. He turned his head, covered his sleeve, and sneezed. Just as he was about to turn his head back, his eyes caught sight of a conspicuous bloodstain on the cushion beside him.

Huo Liuxing’s eyelid twitched, and the veins at his temple suddenly bulged.