As Yi Xiao steadied herself, Feng Qishan calmly ordered, “Begin!”
“Father, do you still love Imperial Consort Chen?” Feng Suige suddenly asked. Feng Qishan was taken aback and frowned, “Why are you asking this?”
“Father has always favored Xi Yang, mostly because of Imperial Consort Chen, right? So, even today, Imperial Consort Chen still lives in Father’s heart, doesn’t she?” Feng Suige spoke while taking three feathered arrows from the guard, carefully inspecting each one. “Father keeps Imperial Consort Chen in his heart. Although there are others by your side, Imperial Consort Chen is irreplaceable to you. So, Father, you do love Imperial Consort Chen, don’t you?”
Feng Qishan nodded, “That’s correct—Is Suige saying this now to tell me that if she dies, you’ll remember her for life?” He glanced at Yi Xiao, sneering, “Or perhaps this: I don’t want to spoil the atmosphere. If she’s willing to bow her head and admit her mistakes, we can let bygones be bygones…”
“If she were so easy to bend, this son wouldn’t have liked her,” Feng Suige chuckled softly. “Yi Xiao means more than just ‘like’ to me now. Although we can’t be each other’s flesh and blood, nothing in this world can separate her from me.”
Feng Qishan angrily slammed the table, “Are you saying that if she dies, you won’t live alone?”
“No,” Feng Suige nocked an arrow, “This son won’t let her die.” He took a deep breath and aimed the bow.
The air seemed to freeze, and the vast hall fell silent.
Feng Suige could no longer see Yi Xiao; his eyes focused only on the phoenix hairpin and the swaying string of pearls hanging from it. ‘The mind must be calm,’ he thought silently. ‘The target is the hairpin, not the pearl string.’
Yi Xiao discreetly wiped her sweaty palms on her clothes. Although not afraid of death, facing the cold, glinting arrowhead, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous. But she couldn’t retreat, nor show a hint of fear.
What use was Feng Suige’s protection? She was merely a woman with the empty title of Prince’s Consort, facing the entire Shu Sha kingdom.
Unexpectedly, Wei Ran’s advice flashed through her mind: “Girl, the most useless thing in this world is reckless bravery. Even with a heart full of passion and a hundred martial skills, you can’t fight bare-handed against armed opponents. To roam the world freely, you must rely on wisdom and strategy. This path isn’t easy, but as long as you understand what I’m saying, there’s nothing you can’t overcome.”
The words were right, but Wei Ran, could you teach Yi Xiao how to acquire the wisdom and strategy to roam the world freely?
She only understood that in this forced war, to win and win beautifully, defense was important but not the main focus. Any chance to counterattack and intimidate the opponent, no matter how small, couldn’t be missed. Because maybe this small chance could be the turning point of the entire battle.
She smiled.
She had to win!
Although knowing this shot would undoubtedly hit its mark, Feng Suige couldn’t help but close his eyes the instant the arrow left the string.
The arrowhead, wrapped in strong wind, whistled as it snapped the beautiful neck of the jade phoenix, embedding deeply into the wall panel behind Yi Xiao. Simultaneously, Qin Qi’s cheer rang out in the hall, “It hit!”
Feng Suige didn’t reach for the second arrow. The guard’s hand, offering the feathered arrow, froze in midair.
“If I can’t guarantee the next two shots, do you still want me to continue?” Feng Suige asked calmly.
“If I must have two more holes, I’d prefer them in my ears—don’t speak, focus on the bowstring,” Yi Xiao answered steadily.
Feng Suige took the second arrow expressionlessly. The tough bow limbs and specially made bowstring ensured Tan Lang’s range and accuracy. Although he could easily draw this strong bow, he couldn’t achieve a state of perfect calm—even a slight deviation in his hand could mean…
The more he forced himself to be calm, the less calm he became. The more he tried to steady his hands and feet, the more they trembled slightly. The bowstring was fully drawn. Feng Suige could feel every muscle in his body contracting, every pore closing, helping him exert all his strength to restrain Tan Lang’s eager desire to strike.
The second arrow.
It deviated slightly but still shattered the jade phoenix’s beak holding the pearl string. For a moment, pearls scattered everywhere, pattering for quite a while before settling.
Feng Suige had no mind to hear what the jumping and laughing Qin Qi was shouting. He hurriedly nocked the third arrow on the bow. He just wanted to end this torment quickly—
“Prince, please wait a moment,” Qin Yu suddenly called.
Turning around, Feng Suige saw Qin Yu offering him a blood jade the size of a pigeon’s egg. “This is the Qin family’s ancestral protective charm, known for its calming effects. Prince, please hold it for a while!”
A buzz of discussion immediately arose around them. Feng Suige looked at him gratefully and took the blood jade, gripping it tightly.
Feng Qishan chuckled dryly, “Old Qin sure has many treasures.” Qin Yu smiled naturally, “It’s all thanks to Your Majesty’s benevolence. If not for Your Majesty’s virtuous rule, Shu Sha might still be mired in war. Ah, I’ve long heard of the Prince’s exceptional skills, and today I finally had the pleasure of witnessing them. It was truly worth the visit. It’s just a pity that Consort Jing’s hairpin was destroyed—Coincidentally, this old Qin recently acquired some fine jade hairpins. If Consort Jing doesn’t mind items from the common folk, I’ll send someone to deliver them tomorrow.”
Consort Jing smiled behind her hand, “Old Qin always knows what to say. I thank you in advance.” Feng Qishan also laughed helplessly, “If Old Qin’s things are considered common, I’m afraid only sand and stones would be left in all of Shu Sha.”
Meanwhile, Feng Suige’s gaze had regained its clarity. He smiled and returned the blood jade to Qin Yu’s hand, quietly expressing his thanks. Qin Yu simply patted his arm and stepped aside.
Feng Suige steadily raised Tan Lang, took his stance, and released the arrow. It flew like a shooting star, striking the wall with a clang. The crowd fell silent for a moment before breaking into a round of admiration.
Yi Xiao bowed slightly to Feng Qishan, then quickly ran towards the approaching Feng Suige. She poked his shoulder, “Don’t expect me to thank you. I should thank Mr. Qin.” Feng Suige smiled and handed over Tan Lang, “We should indeed thank Old Qin. If not for his family heirloom blood jade…” Qin Qi immediately burst into giggles, and Yi Xiao glared at him, “Have you ever seen a family heirloom used to decorate a belt?”
Seeing Feng Suige’s bewildered look, Qin Yu smiled and handed him the blood jade, “Prince, please see for yourself.” Feng Suige took it and looked carefully. The thread holes at both ends of the jade even had remnants of broken threads. Qin Yu explained with a smile, “When one is concerned, they become confused. This old Qin feared the Prince might shoot hastily, so I resorted to this small trick. I beg the Prince’s forgiveness.”
Feng Suige sighed deeply, “Old Qin’s intentions were good. What is there to forgive? If not for Old Qin, I’m afraid the last arrow might have caused a great disaster.” Yi Xiao snorted, “Hitting me wouldn’t be a disaster. If it had deviated too much, I fear—” She stopped here, smiled, and turned to Qin Yu, bowing, “Thank you, Mr. Qin!”
Qin Qi’s eyes darted between them, suddenly understanding. She ran forward, linking arms with Feng Suige, and smiled sweetly at Feng Qishan, “Brother Feng is so amazing. Your Majesty, may little Qi learn archery from the Prince?”
Feng Qishan’s face remained calm and serene as he nodded with a smile.