The Luli Platform stood in a prominent position, drawing everyone’s attention. Xiao Qiao knew countless eyes were fixed on her at this moment. Seeing her younger brother salute her from below the platform, she, mindful of her status and to avoid any suspicion, merely returned a smile without displaying excessive emotion. However, the encouragement in her eyes was unmistakable.

Just then, Xiao Qiao heard rhythmic footsteps of wooden clogs ascending the stone steps. She turned her head to look.

On the steps of the Luli Platform, a figure in purple gradually came into view.

She recognized who it was. It was Su E’huang.

Su E’huang lifted her skirt slightly with one hand as she climbed the steps. Two maids followed on her left and right. Her purple silhouette swayed gracefully against the backdrop of the blue-gray stone steps as she approached Madam Xu’s direction.

When she neared, she stopped and halted her steps.

A guard of the Luli Platform approached and reported to Madam Xu, saying that Madam Su, wife of the Duke of Zuofengyi, had arrived and requested an audience with the elder madam.

Madam Xu had already noticed Su E’huang but remained impassive, not even turning her head to look. She simply said to let her approach.

When Madam Zhu heard “Madam Su, wife of the Duke of Zuofengyi,” she abruptly turned her head. Seeing Su E’huang standing there, her face immediately darkened.

The guard returned and allowed Su E’huang to pass. Su E’huang came before Madam Xu and first bowed respectfully to her.

Madam Xu smiled slightly and told her there was no need for such formality.

Su E’huang then bowed to Madam Zhu.

Madam Zhu said in a muffled voice, “Rise. Though you are a widow, you were once the wife of the Duke of Zuofengyi. I am but a humble country woman. How can I accept such a grand gesture from you?”

As she spoke, her face was slightly turned to one side.

Su E’huang’s face still bore a smile as she rose. Finally, she turned to Xiao Qiao, who was seated to Madam Xu’s right, and said with a smile, “Since we parted at Lunu, I have often thought of you, sister, hoping to see you again. Today my wish is finally fulfilled.”

Xiao Qiao also revealed a smile, nodding slightly, and said, “I’m deeply grateful for your kind thoughts, Madam.”

As the two women spoke, Madam Zhu said, “When did you arrive in Yuyang? You didn’t even send a word in advance. It makes us appear negligent.”

Su E’huang hurriedly replied, “Madam, you may not be aware. Luli is hosting a gathering of heroes. I have a nephew named Su Xin, who serves as the Cavalry Commander of Zhongshan. He excels in horsemanship and archery and is fortunate to attend the gathering. I came for two reasons: first, to support my nephew, and second, although I haven’t set foot in Yuyang for many years, I often think of my great-aunt and you, Madam. So I took this opportunity to come and pay my respects to my great-aunt and you. I arrived late yesterday and longed to visit immediately, but fearing to disturb your rest, I dared not call. I thought it would be convenient to come early this morning to pay my respects.”

Madam Zhu’s lips curled slightly, but she remained silent.

Below the platform, in the center of the training ground, the area for the horseback archery competition had been marked out. At the starting point, thirty-two warriors had mounted their steeds, bows at the ready, eager to begin at the sound of the signal.

Su E’huang pointed to a tall, long-armed young man in purple robes in the middle and smiled, “That is my nephew Su Xin. Though he’s not much younger than me, he has been training and honing his skills in the Zhongshan army for several years. This time, he fought hard and earned the recognition of his superiors, which is why he has the honor to come to Yuyang to demonstrate his skills, though he may embarrass himself in front of such distinguished company.”

Xiao Qiao glanced over.

Su Xin was in his early twenties, tall and long-armed, riding a black steed. His saddle and harness were ornate, inlaid with gemstones that gleamed in the sunlight, making him stand out among the warriors. He sat tall and proud on his horse, exuding confidence.

Madam Xu also looked and nodded, saying, “He is indeed a young hero.”

Su E’huang quickly thanked her for the praise. After a slight hesitation, she took a step towards Madam Xu. Just as she was about to lift her foot, Madam Zhu spoke, “We didn’t know you were coming this morning, so we haven’t prepared a seat for you here. I see the horseback archery competition is about to begin. Since you came to support your nephew, why don’t you go take a seat at the Xuanwu Platform?”

The Xuanwu Platform was to the side of the Luli Platform, specifically set up for the noble ladies of Yuyang who came to watch the competition.

Su E’huang stopped in her tracks and fixed her gaze on Madam Zhu for a moment. Then she smiled and said, “Thank you for the arrangement, Madam. I’ll go down then. Later, I’ll come to pay my respects to Great-aunt and Madam at your residence.” With that, she bowed gracefully once more to Madam Xu and Madam Zhu, bid farewell to Xiao Qiao, and then turned to leave with her maids, walking away with elegant steps.

After Su E’huang left, Madam Xu’s expression remained unchanged. Madam Zhu cast a disdainful look at her retreating figure and let out a faint snort.

Xiao Qiao glanced at her, her face betraying no emotion, but inwardly she couldn’t help but feel surprised.

No one knew better than her the destructive power that came from Madam Zhu, so she wasn’t surprised by Madam Zhu’s actions that almost amounted to driving Su E’huang away.

She was only surprised that this Su woman, who was truly impeccable in her manners and conduct, could have incurred such disfavor from Madam Zhu.

Madam Zhu’s words were full of barbs, showing no courtesy at all.

It seemed that in her heart, besides herself, Su E’huang was also a notable object of contempt.

At this moment, the clamor on the training ground gradually subsided. The entire crowd held their breath, looking towards the thirty-two mounted warriors poised and ready in the horseback archery field.

Xiao Qiao knew the competition was about to begin. She put aside all other thoughts and focused on watching the match, searching for her brother’s figure.

With the sound of the starting signal, all thirty-two riders spurred their horses forward, racing towards the golden bell hanging a hundred paces away at the finish line. At first, the thirty-two riders each followed their path, but after galloping about twenty or thirty paces, the horses began to separate into front and back. The warrior on the leading chestnut horse nocked an arrow and aimed at the golden bell. The rider of the white horse just behind him swung his staff, but the chestnut rider ducked to avoid it, drawing his halberd to counter-strike. The two became entangled in combat.

According to the rules, each person was limited to carrying only three arrows. If all arrows were shot without hitting the golden bell, or if the rider fell from their horse, they would be eliminated.

Now that someone had made the first move, the remaining warriors followed suit. After all, the rules allowed it. Everyone wanted to obstruct their opponents and be the first to break free and shoot down the golden bell. Amidst the rapid drumbeats and the unified cheering of the soldiers watching from the training ground, a fierce battle of pursuit and obstruction unfolded on the racecourse. Soon, several riders were successively unhorsed, unable to withstand the onslaught.

Halfway through the course, less than half of the original thirty-two riders remained. The rest had either fallen from their horses due to injuries, had their bows and arrows taken away, or had already shot all three arrows without hitting the target.

Qiao Ci’s customary weapon was a pair of halberds. From a young age, he had been passionate about martial arts, practicing diligently on the small training ground at home every morning and evening, regardless of harsh winter or scorching summer. Blessed with a physique well-suited for martial arts, years of practice had made him highly proficient. Moreover, the blue stallion gifted to him by Wei Yan was a rare steed among thousands. Although he hadn’t ridden it for long, it was quite intelligent. Today, man and horse were in perfect harmony. Before even reaching the halfway point of the course, they were already showing signs of pulling ahead.

He had just defeated a warrior who had chased up from behind, attempting to snatch his bow and arrows. In the end, he used his halberd to knock the opponent off his horse.

This was already the third opponent he had defeated.

The martial spirit in Wei Shao’s army had always been fierce. Although the Luli gathering was a contest of martial skills between brotherly military camps, it involved real weapons, and the warriors were protected by armor.

Qiao Ci was the youngest among the warriors. His handsome appearance and the fact that many soldiers knew he was the Lady’s younger brother had drawn attention as soon as the horses set off. As the race passed the halfway point, I saw his superb horsemanship and outstanding martial skills, consecutively defeating three warriors who had entangled with him, and showing considerable restraint in his attacks, unlike some other warriors who, in their desire for victory, used vicious tactics and aimed for vital points with every move. Seeing him fight with his opponent on horseback for over a dozen exchanges, finally overpowering them and using the shaft of his halberd to knock them off their horse, the crowd couldn’t help but feel respect. They began to cheer and support him enthusiastically.

Her brother’s brilliant display of skill and his gentlemanly demeanor had won the cheers of the crowd in the training ground. Although Xiao Qiao was delighted, she felt even more nervous. Her eyes were wide open, following his galloping figure intently, both hands clenched into fists, not daring to blink even once.

After knocking down that warrior, Qiao Ci immediately tightened his legs around his horse’s belly. The blue stallion, sensing its rider’s intent, galloped at full speed towards the finish line, quickly overtaking the few riders ahead. Just as he was about to shoot his first arrow under the gaze of the entire crowd, he heard the wind of a blade coming from the side. A large sword slashed down diagonally. Qiao Ci quickly retracted his bow to dodge, turning his head to see a warrior on a black horse had caught up. Clad in purple robes with flashing eyes revealing a fierce look, it was Su Xin from Zhongshan.

Su Xin swung his sword for a second strike. Qiao Ci immediately drew his dual halberds to meet the attack. Amidst the thunderous cheers of the surrounding soldiers, the two exchanged over twenty moves in the blink of an eye.

Su Xin was the eldest son of Su E’huang’s elder brother. As Su E’huang’s elder brother was much older than her, the aunt and nephew were not far apart in age. Ten years ago, before Xing Xun entered Luoyang when his aunt Su E’huang first married Liu Li, her name was renowned throughout Luoyang, and the Su family also enjoyed a period of glory. Now, however, the family had fallen from grace, and many of its members had perished. Su Xin was determined to bring honor to his family.

Skilled in horsemanship and archery, he had come from afar today with the sole purpose of making a name for himself at the Luli Platform. Thus, from the start, he had fought viciously, injuring several opponents to clear a path for himself. Seeing Qiao Ci’s formidable skills, he viewed the young man in white as a worthy opponent. Noticing that Qiao Ci had charged to the front and was about to shoot, how could he allow him to take the lead? He pursued with all his might to block Qiao Ci’s momentum.

After fighting for over twenty exchanges, Qiao Ci grew increasingly powerful, while Su Xin gradually found himself at a disadvantage. Seeing other warriors catching up from behind, Su Xin became anxious and devised a plan. As Qiao Ci’s halberd came down, Su Xin suddenly cried out, his face contorted in pain, his body swaying as if about to fall from his horse.

Qiao Ci immediately pulled back his attack, but in the blink of an eye, Su Xin drew a short dagger he had hidden on the side of his horse, one he hadn’t used before, and swung it at Qiao Ci. Qiao Ci saw the flash of the blade and quickly dodged it, but it was too sudden to avoid completely. The blade grazed his arm. Fortunately, he was wearing armor, but the sleeve was still cut, and he felt a sharp pain. Looking down, he saw blood had seeped out, staining his white robe red.

By now, they were some distance from the Luli Platform. But Xiao Qiao vaguely sensed something was wrong. Her heart skipped a beat, and disregarding everything else, she rose from her seat and rushed to the railing, straining her eyes to see.

Qiao Ci had been battling Su Xin and was clearly about to gain the upper hand when Su Xin suddenly resorted to trickery, causing Qiao Ci to be wounded. The soldiers on both sides immediately shouted in disapproval. Su Xin, however, seemed not to hear. After forcing Qiao Ci back, he gritted his teeth and abruptly turned his horse towards the finish line. As he approached, he aimed and released an arrow.

The first arrow missed, barely grazing the rope from which the golden bell hung.

Su Xin felt frustrated and quickly nocked another arrow, aiming to shoot his second.

However, at that moment, another arrow with white feathers had already been released from behind him, whistling past like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for the golden bell dozens of paces away.

The arrow came from Qiao Ci, who was behind him.

The training ground fell silent in an instant, countless eyes fixed on that white-feathered arrow.

The arrow tore through the air resistance, reached the finish line, and hit its mark perfectly, piercing through the rope and finally embedding itself in a target board behind.

The rope snapped, unable to support the weight of the golden bell. The bell swayed a few times before falling onto a bronze gong placed below.

With a clear, prolonged “dong,” the sound of metal striking metal rang out.

Su Xin froze, watching helplessly as the young man in white robes galloped past him like the wind, reached the finish line, dismounted swiftly, walked briskly to the target, pulled out the arrow, then leaped onto the high platform, raised the arrow high, and waved to acknowledge the crowd on all sides.

The training ground erupted in thunderous applause. On the Xuanwu Platform, the group of noble ladies from Yuyang gazed at Qiao Ci, whispering among themselves.

Xiao Qiao’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled back down.

Under the bright autumn sun, she saw her brother standing on the high platform, arm raised, resplendent in his white robe and silver armor, full of vigor and spirit.

And at this moment, in the vast training ground, almost everyone was cheering and shouting for his brilliance.

Xiao Qiao was so moved that her nose stung with emotion, and she couldn’t help but raise her hand to cover her mouth and nose.

At this moment, Wei Shao was standing on a viewing platform not far from the high platform. His gaze shifted from the spirited young man on the high platform to the Luli Platform across.

He saw her standing at the railing, hands covering her face, apparently on the verge of joyful tears.

Wei Shao’s lips curled slightly in a smile. Suddenly, he instinctively glanced toward his elder brother Wei Yan, who was not far from him.

Wei Yan was gazing in the direction of the Luli Platform. He had his head slightly tilted back, seeming lost in thought, his expression as if caught in some vague, indefinable contemplation.

In the vast training ground, Qiao Ci on the high platform was the focus of everyone’s attention. Nearby, General Li Dian, who had witnessed the entire event, was telling Gongsun Yang that this young phoenix, this young unicorn, also possessed a benevolent nature. Given time, he would surely become a great talent.

No one would notice this inadvertent glance from Wei Yan.

Wei Shao lowered his eyes, his expression impassive.