What was wrong with this woman?

At that moment, every eye turned toward her—shock, suspicion, confusion etched across every face!

Chu Feiyan was overjoyed, finally examining Ziqing closely, secretly hoping something had gone wrong with her—ideally enough to force her withdrawal mid-contest!

Otherwise, she had already won the first round. If Ziqing won the archery contest as well, everything would be settled once and for all!

Chu Tiange glanced at Ziqing’s kneeling leg, a flash of malice crossing his eyes. He was about to speak when Jun Beiyue beat him to it. “Father Emperor, I have a proposal—let’s hold the sword contest tonight instead. I guarantee it will be far more exciting than target archery right now.”

“What idea do you have in mind? Let’s wait for Ziqing to get up first—what’s wrong with her?” Emperor Tianhui asked, feigning concern.

Just as Jun Beiyue moved to help her up, Ziqing rose on her own, standing firmly on both legs, though her breathing remained somewhat labored. She bowed gracefully. “Father Emperor, Ziqing is fine—I was simply moving too fast earlier, and I haven’t quite caught my breath yet.”

She had always possessed a face captivating enough to enchant an entire nation, and now, dressed in her white brocade riding attire, drenched in sweat and breathing unevenly, she looked every bit like a goddess of the battlefield—her heroic bearing and noble aura undiminished in the slightest.

The crowd, who had been eyeing her with suspicion, finally understood and broke into murmurs of admiration.

“Of course she’d need to catch her breath—anyone else would have collapsed off their horse long before now!”

“No wonder she’s the Consort of Prince Yao—such riding skill is truly worthy of our Prince!”

…

These remarks pierced Chu Feiyan’s ears like needles. She couldn’t help snorting coldly. “Falling to your knees over a single stride’s difference? If you’d run ten or a hundred li, would you just collapse entirely? If you’re too delicate for it, don’t bother mounting a horse in the first place! Winning by a single stride is nothing to boast about!”

Her words were undeniably harsh. Though the situation had shifted dramatically, Chu Feiyan’s status still commanded enough weight that most people held their tongues.

“Oh my, did someone eat something sour? Why so bitter?” The Tenth Prince suddenly pushed through the crowd, swaggering forward.

“Who are you talking about!” Chu Feiyan snapped furiously.

The Tenth Prince ignored her entirely, covering his mouth and looking skyward. “Ah, my teeth! So sour, terribly sour!”

This foolish, carefree fellow—no wonder Emperor Tianhui indulged him so much. His exasperating antics made even Ziqing struggle to hold back a laugh. “Tenth Brother, do you know what Fourth Sister-in-law’s most impressive move just now was called?”

“I know, I know—it was that move, the horse-stomping… stomping something, someone just mentioned it a moment ago, my memory’s terrible!” The Tenth Prince genuinely couldn’t recall, patting his head trying to think.

“Flying Swallow! The Flying Swallow Gallop!” Ziqing said with a laugh, not sparing Chu Feiyan so much as a glance the entire time.

She was genuinely amused by the Tenth Prince’s simple, guileless nature, and for the first time in front of everyone, she laughed openly, showing her teeth—a sweetness and charm paired unexpectedly with a commanding, breathtaking presence, leaving every man present utterly transfixed, their hearts stolen away.

“Right, right, Prince Xiang just said it—the Flying Swallow Gallop!” the Tenth Prince quickly confirmed.

At these words, not only did Chu Feiyan grind her teeth in fury, but even Chu Tiange lost his composure, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked audibly!

He had originally suspected the woman’s legs might genuinely be injured, given how she’d suddenly slowed down at the start. But now it was clear—she had deliberately unleashed the “Flying Swallow Gallop” specifically to humiliate Western Chu!

This seemingly low-key, reserved young woman had proven so brazenly bold, showing utter disregard for Western Chu’s honor. He would absolutely make her pay for this.

The crowd exchanged quiet, amused glances, but Jun Beiyue’s expression remained just as cold as ever, saying flatly, “Father Emperor, if the archery contest is simply target shooting, it will be dull, and it may not even decide a clear winner. Why not wait until nightfall and hold a contest of shooting incense sticks instead?”

Shooting incense sticks?

That was a trick that originated from the Western Chu royal court!

In the dead of night, a lit incense stick would be suspended in midair on a thin thread, and the archer would be required to shoot out the flame without breaking either the incense stick or the thread.

Not only that, but the arrows used wouldn’t be ordinary arrows—they would be heavy arrows, three times the weight of a standard arrow.

A thin, light target paired with thick, heavy arrows—this was without question an extraordinarily difficult challenge!

The moment Jun Beiyue said this, the crowd was stunned. Having finally found a golden opportunity to humiliate Chu Feiyan, why would Prince Yao suddenly change the subject so urgently? No one quite understood—and what puzzled them even more was why he would deliberately invite such difficulty upon himself.

“Prince Yao truly has courage, daring to take on a signature skill of our Western Chu royal house!” Chu Tiange said with a cold smile. Did Jun Beiyue truly believe there would be another chance at humiliation?

Absolutely not!

“Does Prince Xiang think it inappropriate?” Jun Beiyue asked in return.

Chu Feiyan immediately cut in. “No—since Prince Yao is offering such a generous challenge, then let’s settle it once night falls!”

To her surprise, Jun Beiyue didn’t even look at her, instead turning to Emperor Tianhui. “Father Emperor, what do you think?”

“Excellent, excellent! Ha, someone go prepare the venue!” Emperor Tianhui immediately gave the order.

It was still early afternoon at this point, the sun far from setting; nightfall was still an hour or two away. With no other plans for the rest of the day, once Emperor Tianhui departed, the crowd gradually dispersed.

It was only then that Jun Beiyue finally turned his gaze properly toward Ziqing’s knees, his cold, dark eyes deepening ominously. Without a word, he scooped Ziqing up into his arms and leapt onto the Blood-Sweating Horse…