The first round of horseback archery concluded, with the outsider Qiao Ci unexpectedly claiming the Luli champion title.

Although the result was surprising, the Youzhou soldiers present felt no shame. Instead, they were elated. Qiao Ci was the younger brother of the Lord Marquis’s wife, making him the Lord’s brother-in-law. Being the Lord’s brother-in-law made him practically half a Youzhou native. How was his victory any different from a Youzhou person winning? Moreover, the grace he had displayed earlier, especially the dramatic final arrow, was truly spectacular. All who witnessed it were impressed.

The soldiers eagerly discussed the recent events, waiting for the next round of combat to begin.

The combat round involved a raised platform where two opponents faced each other. The loser would descend, while the winner continued to accept challenges. This cycle continued until the final victor emerged as the Li champion. It was a significant test of martial skill, physical endurance, and willpower. Apart from prohibiting the use of flying daggers and other concealed weapons, there were no restrictions on the platform.

In terms of practical warfare, horseback archery was more useful.

But these were turbulent times, and turbulent times revered heroes.

From the perspective of martial spirit, the platform combat more fully embodied the charm of individual heroism. Thus, everyone eagerly anticipated this intense, physical contest.

…

The Luli Platform offered an excellent view, providing a clear panorama of the large combat platform set up in the center of the training ground.

However, as soon as Qiao Ci’s horseback archery round ended, Xiao Qiao began to lose focus.

Although she knew her brother would likely tend to his arm injury after descending, she still felt worried. She had little interest in watching people engage in fierce combat on the platform. Sitting there, her mind inevitably began to wander.

She first glanced at the Xuanwu Platform.

The Xuanwu Platform was not far from the side of the Luli Platform, positioned lower, offering a clear view from above.

Su E’huang sat at the edge of a group of Yuyang noble ladies, her posture elegant, her expression composed, her gaze fixed on the center of the training ground.

The earlier incident where her nephew Su Xin had incurred the crowd’s disapproval seemed to have little effect on her. She did not engage in conversation with the nearby Yuyang ladies. The Yuyang ladies also seemed distant towards this famous “Jade Tower Lady” from Zhongshan State, who had married Liu Li, become a widow, and now returned to Yuyang from Luoyang, carrying a hint of legend. No one actively engaged her in conversation. They merely cast occasional glances at her, scrutinizing her seemingly casual but carefully styled hair, the ornaments in her hair, her dress, and the “Luoyang air” that emanated from her head to toe, as if trying to overshadow them. Then they would whisper to the women near them.

Su E’huang remained consistently poised, regardless of the gazes around her.

After observing Su E’huang, Xiao Qiao turned her attention to Wei Shao.

He sat with Gongsun Yang, Li Dian, and others on a viewing platform opposite the combat arena. Wearing his sword and seated in the center, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he was quite conspicuous. It took almost no effort to spot his familiar profile at first glance.

Xiao Qiao suddenly became curious. Su E’huang had appeared here as if descending from the heavens. Did Wei Shao know that she was here, sitting on the Xuanwu Platform not far behind him?

She observed Wei Shao discreetly for a moment. His gaze seemed to be fixed on the two warriors fighting on the platform. Occasionally, he would turn to speak a word or two with Li Dian or Gongsun Yang beside him, apparently commenting on the skills of the warriors on the platform.

Xiao Qiao watched for quite a while, but he never turned his head back.

Xiao Qiao concluded that he probably didn’t know.

At this moment, one warrior on the platform emerged victorious. His opponent was mercilessly thrown off the platform, getting up and leaving in shame. The victorious warrior stood on the platform, accepting cheers from all sides.

Xiao Qiao’s attention was drawn to this, and she was about to shift her gaze to the platform when she saw Wei Shao suddenly turn his head.

Although the distance was considerable, Xiao Qiao instinctively felt that his gaze was directed towards her.

Xiao Qiao immediately felt a sense of guilt, as if caught peeking, and quickly looked towards the platform, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

Wei Shao gazed at the formally seated Xiao Qiao from afar, then withdrew his gaze.

He was trying hard to control himself, to focus his attention on the impressive duel between his warriors on the platform.

He didn’t want to waste energy noticing what his elder brother Wei Yan, sitting not far from his side, was looking at, or what he might be thinking.

Otherwise, if he were to see another scene like Wei Yan’s earlier distant gaze at her, he feared he might completely lose control of his emotions and erupt on the spot.

Every time he thought of the private matter that Lan Yun had revealed to him, Wei Shao felt the blood in his veins boiling beneath his skin, as if countless needles were pricking him densely.

He didn’t want to believe it. But he knew that Lan Yun, regardless of her motives, was telling the truth.

He and his cousin Wei Yan had a brotherly relationship of nearly twenty years. Because Wei Yan was several years older than him and had always been steady and reliable, never making any mistakes, Wei Shao had a natural trust in him.

It was precisely because of this that when he suddenly learned that his elder brother not only harbored unmentionable thoughts about his wife but had also defiled her, he felt overwhelming anger and sank into a deep, inescapable sense of shame that surpassed all his previous understanding.

If it had been anyone else, even cutting them into pieces would not have been enough to quell the hatred in his heart; he would have long since chopped ten such people into mincemeat.

But this person happened to be his elder brother.

Even though two days had passed since the incident, he had been trying hard to control himself. But at this moment, when the scene he imagined flashed through his mind, Wei Shao suddenly felt as if thorny needles were flowing through his blood, beginning to prick him, making it impossible to concentrate.

“My Lord, did you see? This is the talented man I mentioned to you earlier. His surname is Shi, given name Jun, from Panyu in De Prefecture. He inherited spear techniques from his ancestors and possesses extraordinary arm strength. His ancestors were heroes, once serving as the magistrate of Xingyang, but later the family fell on hard times and returned to farming. I heard about him by chance through someone’s recommendation and sought him out…”

Li Dian leaned closer, pointing at a warrior fighting an opponent on the platform, and spoke enthusiastically.

The warrior was in his early twenties, robust and imposing, wielding a long spear of fine iron. His skills were remarkable, each thrust of his spear-carrying wind, forcing his opponent to retreat step by step amidst constant cheers from the crowd.

Hearing Li Dian speak to him, Wei Shao finally snapped out of his thoughts, forcibly driving the images from his mind. He refocused his attention and turned his gaze to the platform.

…

Shi Jun indeed proved to be highly skilled and exceptionally brave, living up to Li Dian’s expectations. He defeated seven consecutive challengers who came up to the platform, leaving the soldiers in the training ground mesmerized. After throwing down the last challenger from the platform, Shi Jun suddenly planted his iron spear and shouted, “Is there anyone else who dares to challenge? Shi Jun of Panyu awaits!”

His fierce eyes scanned the crowd, but no one on the ground dared to step up and face him.

Li Dian, who had an eye for talent, was delighted at this sight and was about to cheer when suddenly, a figure rose from the White Tiger Platform opposite. The man leaped down from the ten-foot-high viewing platform and strode towards the combat platform like a shooting star, reaching it in the blink of an eye. Standing seven feet tall with broad shoulders and a powerful build, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, it was none other than Ding Qu, the adopted son of Yuan Dai who had arrived with him the day before yesterday.

Ding Qu flipped onto the platform and announced loudly, “I am Ding Qu from Xiami! The day before yesterday, I accompanied my uncle to Yuyang and have been graciously hosted until today. Back in Shandong, I had heard of the Youzhou Luli Gathering. Today, I am fortunate to witness it. Seeing Shi Panyun’s excellent skills and hearing his challenge, I couldn’t resist the urge to test my abilities. I wonder if this Luli Gathering would allow an outsider like me to humbly participate?”

He stood tall, his long halberd held high, his demeanor rather arrogant.

…

Ding Qu, a native of Xiami, quickly rose to fame after joining Yuan Zhe’s forces. Last year, when Yuan Zhe was battling in Beihai, he fell into a trap and was surrounded. Fortunately, Ding Qu charged in to protect him, and they managed to fight their way out, narrowly escaping death. From then on, Yuan Zhe greatly admired Ding Qu, adopting him as a son and keeping him close at all times. This time, when Yuan Dai came to Youzhou, Ding Qu was sent to accompany him.

During the feast the other day, he encountered a show of dominance. Ding Qu dared not react at the time, but he was seething inside, remembering the humiliation. He had long harbored thoughts of overpowering others and regaining face in front of the Youzhou troops. Finally, when the opportunity arose, he could no longer contain himself and jumped out to accept the challenge. After speaking loudly, his eyes couldn’t help but look toward the graceful figure sitting high on the Luli Platform.

In this world, eight or nine out of ten men are lustful creatures. Ding Qu was no exception. When he arrived with Yuan Dai earlier, he saw Xiao Qiao alighting from the carriage with Madam Xu and immediately guessed she was Wei Shao’s wife. He had heard that Wei Shao of Youzhou had married a beautiful woman from Yanzhou last year. Seeing this young woman in splendid attire, a beauty unlike any he had ever seen, he couldn’t help but steal several glances. Later, when he saw the beauty appear on the high platform, beating the drum and reciting verses, her unparalleled grace left an indelible impression. Now, as he stepped forward, apart from wanting to avenge his earlier humiliation, he couldn’t help but want to show off his skills in front of the beautiful lady.

Xiao Qiao had no idea she had caught someone else’s eye. She had been sitting for a long time, and when she finally saw Shi Jun undefeated, she thought it was over. Unexpectedly, another person suddenly jumped out, with a hint of provocation in his words. She immediately focused her attention, her eyes fixed intently on the scene, growing concerned.

…

Li Dian glanced at Wei Shao, seeing his expression remained calm, showing no particular reaction.

In such a situation, since Ding Qu had accepted the challenge, as the host, there was no reason not to respond. Li Dian briefly explained the rules, and as the drums sounded again, Shi Jun and Ding Qu began their duel.

Ding Qu indeed lived up to his reputation as the champion of Yuan Zhe’s army, displaying extraordinary ferocity. Although Shi Jun was also exceptionally skilled, his lack of experience was no match for Ding Qu’s battle-hardened prowess. After just over ten exchanges, Ding Qu landed a heavy blow on Shi Jun’s back with his staff, causing him to spit blood and admit defeat.

Yuan Zhe was triumphant, using his halberd to pick up Shi Jun’s weapon that had fallen to the ground. He held it high, striding around the arena, laughing loudly, “What’s so great about the Panyun Iron Spear? It’s nothing but a defeated weapon in my Ding Qu’s hands!”

Madam Zhu’s face showed anger as she stood up from her seat.

Xiao Qiao’s heart also began to race slightly. She turned to look at Madam Xu beside her, seeing that she remained seated and unmoved. Only her gaze, fixed on the scene below, seemed slightly more intense than before.

…

The Youzhou soldiers, who had been cheering loudly moments ago, suddenly fell silent. Seeing Ding Qu’s arrogance reach such heights, a murmur spread through the crowd below the platform, with anger visible on everyone’s faces.

Shi Jun, filled with shame, ran to Wei Shao’s viewing platform and knelt to apologize.

Wei Shao’s eyes flashed with intensity, but his face showed no anger. He merely narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his chin a bit.

Li Dian understood and said, “Victory and defeat are common in battle. What crime have you committed? Go and tend to your wounds first.”

As Shi Jun lowered his head and left, Ding Qu stood on the platform, once again glancing at the beautiful figure on the Luli Platform. He then turned to the opposite viewing platform and said, “I’ve heard that the Marquis of Yan from Youzhou is a peerless warrior among the army, known as the God of War. When I was in Shandong, I had hoped to learn from him. Now that we have this excellent opportunity, would the Marquis be willing to grant me some instruction?”

These words were utterly disrespectful and arrogant. Even Li Dian, with his years of experience and great composure, felt anger rising in his heart. Just as he was about to stand up, a figure beside him slowly rose.

Wei Yan said, “Who are you? Nothing but a dog or horse at Yuan Zhe’s beck and call. You’ve won one match by luck and think you’ve become human? What right do you have to challenge our lord who commands 400,000 Youzhou soldiers? I am Wei Yan from Dai Commandery. Though unworthy, I wish to exchange a few moves with you. If you can defeat me, then we’ll talk further!”

Wei Yan leaped down from the high platform, walked to the weapons rack, picked up an iron rod, and quickly ascended the arena.

Seeing Wei Yan enter the arena, the soldiers immediately became excited again.

Ding Qu saw that he had only taken an iron rod as a weapon, clearly not taking him seriously. He was momentarily stunned, then angrily said, “Very well. You’re asking for humiliation. Don’t blame me for not showing mercy.” He raised his halberd to meet the challenge.

…

As Wei Yan and Ding Qu fought in the arena, Madam Xu sat on the high platform, her single eye fixed intently on the scene.

At first, her expression was serious, but gradually it relaxed.

A moment later, when Xiao Qiao looked at her, her expression had returned to normal. She turned to Xiao Qiao and said, “This fool is asking for a beating. To come to our Youzhou and act so wildly at our doorstep. It’s good to let Yan teach him a lesson and dampen his spirits.”

Just as Madam Xu finished speaking, Xiao Qiao heard a burst of cheers from the training ground. Looking over, she saw a long halberd flying through the air. Wei Yan’s iron rod swept across horizontally, swift as lightning, mimicking Ding Qu’s earlier technique against Shi Jun. He struck Ding Qu heavily on the back, immediately causing him to fall flat on the arena, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Ding Qu, filled with shame and anger, struggled to get up for another round. But Wei Yan’s iron rod was already pressing heavily on his throat. Wei Yan said menacingly, “You think I dare not kill you? What could Yuan Zhe do to me, no matter how fierce he is?”

With his throat locked, Ding Qu couldn’t move. Yuan Dai, seeing the situation turn bad, hurriedly descended from the platform and rushed forward. He repeatedly said to Wei Shao, “Marquis, please calm your anger. He was indeed too rash and didn’t listen to my advice, causing this mess. I beg the Marquis to spare his life for my elder brother’s sake. When I take him back, I will surely report this to my brother truthfully, and he will send an envoy with gifts to apologize!”

Wei Shao raised his gaze to look at Wei Yan on the opposite platform, his expression calm.

Wei Yan met his gaze for a moment, then slowly withdrew his iron rod.

Yuan Dai quickly ordered people to carry Ding Qu away.

Wei Yan descended from the arena amidst the cheers of all the soldiers. With this, the Luli Grand Meeting came to an end. Although there were three twists and turns, the scene was thrilling. Not only did it produce young talents like Qiao Ci and Shi Jun, but Wei Yan’s powerful defeat of Ding Qu at the end further raised morale. The soldiers were all elated, with heroic songs rising one after another.

Madam Xu saw Wei Shao and Wei Yan walking towards the Luli Platform from afar, knowing they were coming to escort her. She rose from her seat, supported on either side by Xiao Qiao and Madam Zhu, and descended the steps. Finally, she met the two brothers coming to receive her.

Madam Xu’s face showed contentment as she said, “When brothers are of one mind, their sharpness can cut through metal. With you two brothers in Youzhou, my heart is greatly comforted!”