The arrow shot through the air, and everyone in the courtyard held their breath. Some timid ladies even covered their eyes, not daring to witness the scene. The officials knew clearly that no matter how arrogant and vicious the princess of Great Qin was, she wouldn’t dare to kill a general’s daughter in front of so many people, especially in a Ming Qi venue.

But knowing something rationally was one thing; what the eyes witnessed was another. Even as bystanders, their hearts were racing—how must Shen Miao be feeling?

Shen Miao watched quietly. She didn’t even close her eyes but focused intently on the arrow flying toward her, as if determined to see it. To onlookers, she appeared composed and steady, unperturbed by the danger.

The arrow made a soft “whoosh” sound as it narrowly brushed past one side of Shen Miao’s head, missing the bright red apple by the slimmest margin.

Shen Qiu immediately let out a sigh of relief. Shen Xin and Luo Xuegan loosened their tightly clasped hands slightly. Feng Anning and Luo Tan patted their chests, while Luo Ling took a sip from his teacup to conceal his worried expression.

The entire venue fell silent. Emperor Huangfu Hao, who had been smiling earlier, gradually found himself unable to maintain his smile.

Princess Mingan waited for a moment, but when she heard neither cheers nor mockery directed at Shen Miao, she had a foreboding feeling. She tore off the black blindfold covering her eyes, only to see that the apple on Shen Miao’s head remained perfectly still. Her arrow had fallen not far away. The purple-clothed young lady stood there with not a hair out of place, her clothing intact, and without the slightest trace of panic on her face. Shen Miao simply looked at her calmly and said, “Your Highness, it seems your hand slipped and missed the target.”

“It seems your hand slipped and missed the target.”

Those words were spoken so lightly and softly, yet they seemed to contain the most triumphant mockery, burning Princess Mingan’s cheeks painfully.

After being stunned for just a moment, Princess Mingan reacted. She looked at Shen Miao angrily and said, “You must have moved! You moved! This princess never misses. If you hadn’t moved, how could I have missed?”

No one had expected Princess Mingan to suddenly turn hostile. Even Emperor Wenyi showed displeasure and said, “Is the Princess suggesting that hundreds of people at this banquet are covering for Lady Shen?”

Shen Miao stood perfectly straight, having never dodged from beginning to end. Whether it was an act or genuine, for a woman to display such courage was enough to win the admiration of all. Even if Emperor Wenyi was wary of the Shen family, ultimately, the Shens were Ming Qi people. How could he, as the Emperor of Ming Qi, allow a Qin princess to falsely accuse Shen Miao in front of him? If he indulged Princess Mingan’s recklessness today, tomorrow his imperial authority among his officials would plummet.

Princess Mingan felt aggrieved and looked toward Huangfu Hao, who glared at her with a gloomy expression. Princess Mingan shuddered. Not daring to look at Huangfu Hao anymore, she turned to the Rui Prince standing nearby and asked in a sweet voice, “Your Highness Rui Prince, did you see clearly whether Miss Shen dodged?” As she spoke, Princess Mingan softened her voice and fixed her eyes on the Rui Prince, a manner that made everyone present feel somewhat embarrassed.

The Rui Prince curled his lips slightly and said, “No.”

Princess Mingan was stunned. “Is Your Highness saying that Shen Miao did not dodge?”

“Are you questioning my eyesight?” the Rui Prince countered. He appeared infinitely graceful and admirable, but when his voice turned cold, it brought a chill that made people afraid to look directly at him.

Princess Mingan was startled. She saw Shen Miao standing opposite her, looking at her with a slight smile. “Your Highness, you should accept defeat gracefully. Or… is the Princess a poor loser?”

“How dare you!” Princess Mingan screamed. Suddenly noticing the glares directed at her from all sides, she realized she was in Ming Qi’s domain, and screaming at Shen Miao had already offended the crowd. She looked at Shen Miao and suddenly gave a cold laugh. “What could I not accept? However… don’t be too smug. If I couldn’t hit the target, could you?”

Princess Mingan was furious. Her blindfolded archery had reached perfection, and this bow had been hers since childhood. She had played this blindfolded archery game for many years in Qin without any mishaps. She had intended to give Shen Miao a little trouble, to teach the Shen family a lesson for their disrespect. It would have been easy to pierce the apple while exposing Shen Miao’s collar to humiliate her. How could she have missed the crucial moment? Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Shen Miao had not dodged, which left her puzzled about what had gone wrong.

She had proudly proposed the competition, but in the end, not only had she failed to embarrass Shen Miao, but she had also missed her shot. If the princes and princesses of Qin heard about this, they would mock her too. Thinking of this, Princess Mingan felt more disgust and resentment toward Shen Miao.

Shen Miao observed Princess Mingan’s actions, her heart growing cold. Having spent five years in Qin in her previous life, she had dealt with this Qin Princess for five years. Shen Miao knew Princess Mingan’s temperament better than anyone. Princess Mingan most enjoyed tormenting her like this, playing the “archery game” in public—one arrow to loosen her hairpin, another to open her collar, and occasionally “by accident” grazing her body. When Princess Mingan drew her bow, she already knew what the princess intended, from which angle the arrow would come, and where it would ultimately land. Having relived the scene countless times, how could she not know?

She had simply tilted her head slightly, letting the arrow “just happen” to brush past her.

No one would believe Princess Mingan’s words, just as no one had believed Shen Miao’s words before. The humiliation, misunderstanding, and disgrace—it was time for this precious princess to experience them herself.

But it wasn’t just that.

Shen Miao took the bright red apple and smiled, “Now it’s my turn. Would Your Highness please bite this apple in your mouth?”

The entire venue, which had been buzzing with low discussions, fell silent the moment they understood what Shen Miao had said.

Princess Mingan stared wide-eyed at Shen Miao in disbelief. “What did you say?” Her voice grew increasingly shrill, becoming unpleasantly hoarse with panic.

Shen Miao smiled at her, her eyes still carrying a trace of innocent clarity. “Didn’t Your Highness say this is the Qin way, where the archer decides where the apple is placed? Your Highness wanted to place the apple on my head, and I complied. Now…” She smiled generously. “If Your Highness is afraid, someone else can take your place.”

Her words only made matters worse. Princess Mingan was almost beside herself with rage. If someone else took her place, wouldn’t that imply she, Princess Mingan, was a coward who couldn’t accept defeat, losing face in front of people from Ming Qi, Da Liang, and Qin?

Yi Peilan gasped and said to Shen Yue, “Has she gone mad? How dare she challenge Princess Mingan?”

Earlier at the verification grounds, when Shen Miao confronted Cai Lin, Shen Xin’s official position was already equal to that of Official Cai. But now her opponent was a princess of a nation, and Shen Miao still dared to provoke her so boldly—it was truly unexpected. Cai Lin and Official Cai exchanged glances, both smiling bitterly. They had thought Shen Miao was targeting him specifically, but now it seemed she didn’t even respect a princess of a nation. What more could be said?

There was also a wave of whispers at the princes’ table. Li Wang laughed meaningfully, “This Miss Shen certainly holds grudges firmly.”

Princess Mingan glared fiercely at Shen Miao, who only smiled faintly in the face of her piercing gaze. Left with no choice, Princess Mingan looked pleadingly toward Huangfu Hao.

Huangfu Hao coughed lightly, also angered by Shen Miao’s failure to recognize her place. Princess Mingan represented Great Qin’s face, and he couldn’t leave her dissatisfied. So he looked at Emperor Wenyi, then swept a glance at Shen Miao and said, “It’s just a game. Why are the young ladies of Ming Qi so persistent?”

Emperor Wenyi looked toward the Shen family.

Shen Xin and Luo Xuegan continued drinking their tea, as if they hadn’t heard what was said above. Shen Qiu and Luo Ling watched the proceedings calmly, offering no opinion. Feng Anning and Luo Tan, however, stared intently at Princess Mingan with evident indignation.

The Shen family’s attitude was clear—they weren’t going to let this go; they were openly confronting Princess Mingan. Shen Xin was also internally angry. Earlier, Shen Miao had been aggressively cornered by Princess Mingan without any escape route, so now it was Princess Mingan’s turn to taste the same medicine. Do unto others as they do unto you—when Princess Mingan plotted against others, she should have considered what it would feel like to be plotted against. Since the Shen family had already been put in the spotlight, and since the Qin people had targeted the Shen family from the beginning, what was there to be cautious about? When Shen Xin’s fierce temper flared up, he thought that those with nothing to lose feared nothing—even if Princess Mingan were shot dead today, so be it.

Seeing Shen Xin’s attitude, Emperor Wenyi understood. Shen Xin was naturally protective, especially concerning Shen Miao. Since Shen Xin was willing to step forward as the target, Emperor Wenyi was happy to let him do so. Moreover, he disliked Princess Mingan’s arrogant nature that showed no respect for Ming Qi, and intended to curb her arrogance. So he smiled at Huangfu Hao and said, “It’s just a game between children. Why should the Crown Prince be so concerned? Since they’re enjoying themselves, I naturally won’t interfere.”

Huangfu Hao hadn’t expected the Shen family to be so stubborn, nor had he anticipated that Emperor Wenyi, that old fox, wanted to watch the tigers fight. He found himself momentarily without options. Besides, Ming Qi’s officials were growing bolder, beginning to whisper among themselves. If he truly refused now, Qin’s face and standing would be completely lost. He gave Princess Mingan a warning glare and said, “Mingan, since you proposed this, play it out with Miss Shen.” He then glanced at Shen Miao meaningfully and added, “Since Miss Shen is playing, she surely won’t harm you.”

The implication was clear: if anything happened to Princess Mingan, Shen Miao would pay the price.

Hearing this threat, Shen Miao merely smiled, “Rest assured, Your Highness. Since we haven’t signed a life-and-death agreement, I certainly won’t harm you.”

The more she spoke this way, the more uneasy Princess Mingan felt. But now that she was riding the tiger, she could only do as Shen Miao said. Walking to the other side, Princess Mingan’s eyes were like knives, cutting into Shen Miao. Suddenly, she thought of something, her eyes brightening as she sneered, “But Miss Shen, not everyone can draw my bow. I’m afraid you—”

Before the words “can’t draw it” could leave her mouth, Shen Miao had already easily drawn the bow.

Unlike Princess Mingan’s struggle, Shen Miao’s archery posture was exceptionally graceful. She drew the bow with ease, as if it had accompanied her for decades and she was thoroughly familiar with it. She smiled at Princess Mingan, meeting her incredulous gaze, and said softly, “A fine bow. Your Highness’s bow feels quite comfortable in my hands. Thank you.”

She beckoned, instructing her maid to tie the black blindfold over her eyes. Just as the maid was about to move, the Rui Prince took the black cloth from the maid’s tray, twirling it between his fingers. Everyone watched him in surprise as he walked behind Shen Miao, one hand gently holding her chin from behind to tilt her head slightly upward, while his other hand wrapped the blindfold around her eyes.

Luo Tan widened her eyes and pulled at Feng Anning, saying, “What… what does this mean?”

The Rui Prince’s action puzzled more than just Luo Tan. On the high seat, Emperor Wenyi’s brows furrowed slightly, while Princess Mingan watched Shen Miao with jealousy burning in her eyes, murderous intent spreading through them.

With her vision obscured by the blindfold, Shen Miao couldn’t see clearly. She could only feel the gentle, smooth movements of the person behind her. His fingertips were cool, and when they inadvertently touched Shen Miao’s cheeks, it was like snowflakes kissing her collar, bringing a faint coolness. Yet, somehow, the places he touched began to burn slightly.

When the person behind her ceased movement, Shen Miao drew her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming at Princess Mingan’s direction.

Everyone held their breath watching her, all extremely tense. Some silently blamed Shen Miao for her actions. Having Princess Mingan bite the apple would humiliate her, but it also meant that if Shen Miao made the slightest mistake, she could injure Princess Mingan or even take her life. If a Qin princess lost her life in the Ming Qi, Qin would never let the matter rest. Even if Shen Miao paid with her own life, it wouldn’t be enough—it would implicate all of Ming Qi. But if she wanted Princess Mingan to remain unharmed, she would have to deliberately miss by a wide margin, which would cause Ming Qi to lose face.

Any way one looked at it, only if Shen Miao hit the apple in Princess Mingan’s mouth with a single arrow would she win beautifully. However, that was almost impossible.

Huangfu Hao stared intently at Shen Miao. Others might not understand, but Princess Mingan was his sister, and he knew exactly how heavy her bow was. Ordinary women couldn’t draw it. Even those with martial training and a solid foundation—not just women but men too—would need time to adjust to that bow before using it properly. Yet Shen Miao had casually drawn the bow with such practiced posture, skilled gestures, and relaxed expression that one might suspect she had handled this bow countless times before to use it so effortlessly.

But that was impossible. This was Princess Mingan’s first visit to Qin, and this was the first time Shen Miao had touched this bow. Huangfu Hao suddenly felt intrigued, looking at Shen Miao as if he’d discovered something novel, his gaze growing increasingly profound.

Shen Miao remained oblivious to his scrutiny. With her eyes closed, her hands caressed the patterns on the arrow and the subtle marks on the heavy bow.

It was the same as in her previous life.

She had touched this bow countless times. Princess Mingan would always hand her the bow when she had been thoroughly humiliated, saying, “Your turn.” In truth, Shen Miao had practiced countless times in private. She could hit the target, but each time, she deliberately missed widely, causing those Ming Qi princes and princesses to laugh until she couldn’t raise her head.

Because she was a hostage, she had to swallow her pride. As a dependent in another’s home, she couldn’t be arrogant. Even if she could win, she had to lose—lose in a way that pleased Princess Mingan. Only then would she have a chance to survive and see Fu Ming and Princess Wanyu again.

Those most difficult years were etched in her heart just like the ancient patterns on this bow. The restraint of her previous life could finally be freely expressed. She was no longer the Empress of Ming Qi, but she could freely, without concerns, confront Princess Mingan, just as Princess Mingan had done to her.

She said, “I must ask Your Highness not to dodge.”

With that, she released her hold, and the fully drawn bow made a sharp “twang.” The arrow shot like a meteor toward Princess Mingan!

Princess Mingan was so frightened that her vision blurred. The arrow came too fast for her to dodge, even if she wanted to. She felt a sharp pain in her mouth as the arrow appeared right before her eyes. She wanted to scream, but with the apple in her mouth, her body went limp, and she collapsed.

The palace maids behind her quickly supported her. Huangfu Hao immediately stood up, his expression extremely grim. As whispers rose throughout the hall, Shen Miao calmly removed the blindfold from her eyes and walked to the fainting Princess Mingan, taking the apple from her mouth.

The bright red apple had the arrowhead embedded halfway through it, with the remaining half of the arrow shaft visible outside—not enough to pierce Princess Mingan’s throat, but visible to all.

A perfect hit!

“It seems my luck was good. Coincidentally, I hit it perfectly,” she smiled.

“Whoosh”—the hall immediately erupted in exclamations. Ming Qi’s officials, initially shocked, soon became so excited their faces turned red, and they began to applaud. Someone said, “Like father, like daughter!”

It was Princess Mingan who had proposed the archery competition, and Shen Miao had been forced to accept. But in the end, Princess Mingan had missed while Shen Miao had hit the target, and Princess Mingan had even fainted from fright. The stronger and weaker parties were clear at a glance. Even though Emperor Wenyi was suspicious of the Shen family, Shen Miao had now greatly enhanced his face by making the Qin people suffer, which gave Emperor Wenyi great satisfaction. Looking at Shen Xin, he said, “General Shen, you’ve raised a good daughter!”

Shen Xin bowed and humbly denied the praise.

Shen Miao stood in the hall as a gentle breeze arose, lifting the hem of her skirt like a blooming flower. She quietly stared at Princess Mingan, who was being assisted away by her maids. As she lowered her eyes to conceal her emotions, she turned her head and met the Rui Prince’s gaze fixed on her.

Unable to see the expression beneath his mask, this man’s gaze was somehow lukewarm, puzzling her. Whether he smiled or not, he glanced at Shen Miao before returning to his seat in the VIP area.

Huangfu Hao felt he had lost face but didn’t know how to recover it. Today’s events had happened suddenly, starting with Princess Mingan, but by this point, they were inextricably linked to Shen Miao. Looking at her, Huangfu Hao just snorted coldly, “I didn’t expect Miss Shen to possess such skills.”

Shen Miao lowered her head and returned to her seat.

She was always so gentle and harmless. Though ruthless and fierce when shooting the arrow, she now sat with dignified grace, as if those violent acts hadn’t been done by her at all. She was noble and dignified, and even if someone wanted to say something offensive, under such a demeanor, it seemed as if all reason was on her side, leaving others speechless.

“Shen Miao, you just now were truly…” Feng Anning held her hand. “If you were a man, I would marry you.”

“Avenging grudges and grievances—how refreshing,” Luo Tan also said. “Little cousin, I knew you weren’t the type to be easily bullied.” Back in Xiao Chun City, the Luo family understood Shen Miao’s character somewhat. Weak and easily bullied? Only a blind person would think so.

Shen Miao lowered her eyes. Everyone thought she was vengeful and had responded this way because Princess Mingan had pressured her. Little did they know that her arrow had resolved the hatred from her previous life. When facing someone as scheming as Fu Xiuyi, she naturally had to plan step by step. As for someone like Princess Mingan, if she didn’t return the humiliation suffered in her previous life, it would not be worth being reborn in this life.

Some people needed to be tolerated, while others would come looking for trouble regardless. She was careful in her actions, but in some matters, she still had her consistent temperament. With family protecting her and leverage in hand, why shouldn’t she dare to confront Princess Mingan? She aimed to strike at her pride!

Luo Ling handed her a cup of hot tea and gently asked, “Little cousin, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she answered with a slight smile. Sensitively, she noticed a clear gaze falling on her. Looking around, she found no one watching, so she dismissed it as her imagination.

In the VIP area below, a young man wearing a mask bent his fingers and tapped them on the wine cup before him. A white jade ring adorned his fingertip, emanating a faint jade-colored light.

…

No one had expected such an incident to occur in the middle of a perfectly normal tribute banquet. But the root cause was Princess Mingan’s blunder. And Shen Xin, who had just returned to the capital and been restored to his original position, with his unyielding attitude and Shen Miao’s beautifully won shot, had once again prominently stood out at the Ming Qi tribute banquet. Regardless of the outcome, Shen Xin’s current high profile caused people to feel some trepidation.

At the princes’ table, Fu Xiuyi’s expression had changed from initial composure to subtle unease, occasionally casting glances toward Shen Xin’s table. Sometimes his gaze would pass over Shen Xin and rest on the purple-clothed young lady sitting quietly.

Not just him—many gazes in the venue were assessing Shen Miao. Some young, talented men found her attention-grabbing, while others, like Huangfu Hao, had uncomfortable stares. Eventually, even someone as unobservant as Luo Tan noticed, saying, “Why is everyone looking at little cousin? Can’t they let people eat in peace?”

Luo Ling smiled and said to Shen Miao, “Cousin, would you like to switch seats with me?”

Luo Ling’s seat was slightly more toward the inside. After switching with him, his tall stature could shield her somewhat, blocking some of the inquisitive gazes. This made her feel much more comfortable.

Until the tribute banquet ended, no other incidents occurred.

Huangfu Hao left midway, saying he needed to check on Princess Mingan, who had fainted from shock. No one stopped him, but everyone knew that in the coming days, Princess Mingan would likely develop a hatred for Shen Miao. Although Shen Miao had Shen Xin’s protection, it would be easy for Princess Mingan to find some excuse to target her. People looked at Shen Miao with involuntary sympathy.

Only Shen Yue’s group felt gratified when looking at Shen Miao. Shen Wan had probably intended to get close to Shen Xin, as now that Shen Xin had been restored to his position and “invited” back by Emperor Wenyi, it wouldn’t be good for the brothers’ relationship to remain too tense. However, this time Shen Xin was determined—he passed by Shen Wan without even a glance, showing no intention of greeting him. Everyone saw this and understood.

When Shen Xin was forced to leave the capital before, the news of his separation from the Shen family was known throughout the city. It’s always easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in snow. Now that Shen Xin had made a comeback, if Shen Wan came to greet him, any man with blood in his veins would ignore him. In terms of clarifying this point, Shen Xin had firmly established his stance.

Shen Wan didn’t persist in attaching himself where he wasn’t wanted. When Shen Xin didn’t acknowledge him, he didn’t pathetically approach, and the two brothers seemed like strangers.

After the banquet, some of Shen Xin’s former colleagues came to greet him. Luo Xuegan took Shen Miao outside first to wait for the carriage.

Luo Tan hopped excitedly in front. Feng Anning had already returned with Madam Feng, and Luo Ling and Shen Qiu walked behind. After turning past a palace gate, they reached the carriage arranged by Shen Xin. Shen Miao turned her head and happened to see a slender figure slowly approaching from the end of a long corridor in the palace.

Before she could make out his appearance clearly, she saw from afar that the half-silver mask on his face showed a hint of dark brilliance under the lantern light. The pattern embroidered with gold thread on the corner of his robe appeared particularly clear in the night, though the flowing design was unclear, it was extraordinarily magnificent.

Shen Miao looked carefully. The young man stopped when he was still some distance from Shen Miao, turning his head slightly, perhaps looking in her direction.

Shen Miao watched him quietly.

In the night, the palace corridor was deep and serene. This person, draped in moonlight, stepping on swaying shadows, had an unclear expression, but appeared like an ethereal figure from a painting. He slowly extended his hand, fingers slightly bent, and gently knocked three times on the pillar at the palace wall entrance.

Shen Qiu and Luo Ling discovered that Shen Miao hadn’t followed them. Shen Qiu walked up to her and asked, “Sister, what are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” Shen Miao replied, coming back to her senses.

“Let’s wait in the carriage. It’s windy outside; you might catch a cold,” Luo Ling said gently.

Shen Miao nodded and was about to walk toward the carriage when she suddenly stopped and turned to look once more at the long corridor.

The corridor was bathed in moonlight, flower branches cast intoxicating shadows on the ground, and as the breeze passed, the branches trembled. The long corridor was empty—there was no one there. It was as if everything before had been an illusion.

Luo Tan’s soft, urging voice came through, and Shen Miao turned, lowering her eyes, lifted the hem of her skirt, and boarded the carriage.