Despite all dissuasion, Fu Yi Xiao still came to the competition arena. She was now preparing her attire, ready to enter the field. Feng Suige, watching her solemn and orderly manner, couldn’t help but feel a touch of sweetness in his heart. This woman, no wonder Xia Jingshi would go to such lengths for her. She was worth it.

Although Xia Jingshi’s letter was sealed with wax, Feng Suige still had a nagging doubt. Yesterday, Steward Huang had returned to Su Sha from Jin Xiu, but according to secret reports, he had been taken directly to the palace as soon as he entered the city gates. It didn’t take much imagination to know that King Feng Qishan had summoned him. And given Xia Jingshi’s meticulousness, how could he do something as indiscreet as entrusting someone to deliver a message?

Today, Feng Qishan’s chosen method for the archery competition was unexpectedly complex. He had ordered a hundred water deer to be released in an enclosed dense forest, allowing Fu Yi Xiao and Ye Duanfang to enter the forest simultaneously. After one hour, the winner would be determined by the number of deer ears collected…

Feng Suige stepped forward to tighten Yi Xiao’s wrist guard, forcing a smile as he said, “You’re not going to hand me over to someone else, are you?” Yi Xiao lowered her head, arranging her clothes without speaking. Feng Suige sighed, covering his cheek with a worried expression, “People always say that beautiful women often have tragic fates. How much more so for a perfect man like me? I can only blame the heavens for making me so unique, possessing all the virtues that others lack…”

“Feng Suige!” Yi Xiao finally couldn’t help but shout, “Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?”

“Of course not,” Feng Suige said with a chuckle. “Are you nervous? You seem unwilling to speak much.”

“No,” Yi Xiao denied outright, “I’ve never been talkative.”

Feng Suige simply said “Oh,” his eyes blazing as he looked at her. “Seeing you try so hard for me, even if you lose, I won’t blame you—How about this? I’ll compete in your place, just consider it as you hire me.”

Yi Xiao glared at him, “But I have no money to pay you.”

Feng Suige looked at her very seriously, “Letting me love you for a lifetime would be enough…” Before he could finish, Yi Xiao tightened the strap securing her quiver to her chest and walked out of the shade tent.

Watching her enter the field, Feng Suige suddenly addressed Feng Qishan, “Father, Yi Xiao’s wrist is still swollen. Could we possibly…” Before he could finish, an elderly minister chuckled, “Newlyweds are indeed sweet as honey, but if the Prince were to show favoritism to the Junior Consort at this time and place, I’m afraid it would be difficult to silence the gossip.”

Feng Suige laughed casually, “Your Excellency worries too much. I merely wish to assign someone to follow Yi Xiao and help her collect deer ears, not to compete in her place.” Feng Qishan pondered briefly, then nodded, “Very well, but who does Suige have in mind?” Feng Suige said slowly and deliberately, “Gu Yu.”

Gu Yu, carrying a cloth bag, happily ran behind Yi Xiao’s horse. Yesterday, when Fu Yi Xiao was punished for saving him, he had been upset all night. Early this morning, when Feng Suige found him and said he needed him to help Fu Yi Xiao collect the game during the archery competition, he danced with joy. Apart from shouting some vague and meaningless syllables, he couldn’t think of any other way to express his happiness—the Prince didn’t dislike him because of yesterday’s incident and even entrusted the Junior Consort to his care…

The two moved swiftly through the dense forest. Soon, Gu Yu’s clothes were covered in deer blood. Gradually, however, Fu Yi Xiao began to frown tightly after each quick shot, her accuracy deteriorating. Several times, she nearly missed her target.

Gu Yu noticed this too. He pointed at Lang Xing and made a frustrated gesture, grunting, “Junior Consort rest a while, Gu Yu go kill.” Yi Xiao tilted her head to wipe the sweat dripping down her cheek onto her right shoulder. “We only have one hour. While we rest, Marquis Cheng Xin won’t be resting. If Gu Yu isn’t tired, shall we continue?”

Gu Yu puffed out his chest and nodded vigorously, “Not tired, not tired at all.” Yi Xiao nodded slightly and spurred her horse to continue.

If Feng Suige had only one trustworthy subordinate left, it would undoubtedly be Gu Yu. Perhaps Gu Yu’s intelligence was somewhat lacking, but his loyalty was beyond question. When Feng Suige told him to protect Fu Yi Xiao, he would certainly do so. Therefore, when he fell into the pre-set trap, he even remembered to shout, “Be careful—”

Yi Xiao only felt a sudden emptiness before her eyes. Gu Yu, who had been running ahead to cut deer ears, abruptly disappeared from the ground. Following his unclear shout of “Be careful” and the sound of a heavy object falling, a cloud of dry dust rose from the ground.

Yi Xiao instinctively pulled on the reins. Looking closely, she broke out in a cold sweat. On the flat yellow earth ahead, an enormous pit had suddenly appeared—it was an expertly concealed trap!

“Gu Yu!” Yi Xiao leaped from her horse and ran to the edge of the pit, looking down. “Gu Yu, are you alright?” Gu Yu, his massive body twisted, lay dazed at the bottom of the pit. Hearing her call, he seemed to regain some consciousness. He struggled to move, again mumbling, “Be careful…”

Without time to wonder why such a huge trap would appear in an open area of the forest, Yi Xiao turned and stood up to untie her horse’s reins. “Gu Yu, see if you’re injured. I’ll find a way to pull you up…”

Gu Yu shifted at the bottom of the pit, causing soil to fall from the pit walls with a rustling sound. Yi Xiao had already returned to the edge of the pit with the reins. She tied one end around her waist and threw the other end down. “Gu Yu, see if we can pull you up with this.”

Half-leaning against the pit wall, Gu Yu struggled to reach for something on the ground, mumbling, “Wait, ears…” Yi Xiao then noticed that the bag he had been carrying was thrown aside, deer ears rolling out from the open mouth, bloodied and muddy.

“Gu Yu, come up first,” Yi Xiao called. But Gu Yu stubbornly collected the deer ears back into the bag, carefully tied it, and secured it to his waist. Only then did he reach out his large hands to grab the reins? However, Yi Xiao was too weak, and Gu Yu was too bulky. After several attempts, not only had they failed to pull Gu Yu up, but Yi Xiao nearly fell into the pit herself. They had to give up.

After resting for a moment, Yi Xiao resolutely stood up. “Gu Yu, wait for me. I’ll go back to find the Prince and bring people to rescue you.” Upon hearing the word “Prince,” Gu Yu seemed to have an epiphany and began searching his body. Soon, he held up two fire arrows, grinning foolishly, “Prince said, shoot up and help will come…”

On the competition field, a weapons contest was underway. Feng Suige watched absent-mindedly, his thoughts flying to the dense forest several miles away.

He wondered how many deer ears she had collected by now… Gu Yu should be a good assistant and focused… As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard someone nearby exclaim, “Look, where did those fire arrows come from?”

Feng Suige instinctively looked up towards the dense forest, his heart sinking to the bottom—in the clear, cloudless sky, two distinct white smoke trails curved upwards, pointing straight to the heavens.

People in other tents gradually noticed as well. The crowd, which had been cheering for the fighters below, began to buzz with excitement. “They are fire arrows… where did they come from…”

Those were the fire arrows he had given to Gu Yu, instructing him to use them only in case of danger. And surprisingly, two had been fired at once!

Feng Suige could no longer care about etiquette. Ignoring Feng Qishan’s reprimands, he ran towards the horse tethering area behind the field. He untied a horse at random and galloped wildly towards the dense forest.

Danger… danger, danger… Yi Xiao was in danger!!!