Volume 1 Chapter 32
Horseback archery wasn’t just limited to these two aspects. After shooting at the fixed target, someone brought out several cages of pigeons and a cage of fast-flying larks. Marked arrows were used, and whoever shot the most would be the winner!
Leng Jiu set down her teacup and beckoned to Lu Chang to come closer. “What’s the prize for today?”
Lu Chang replied, “It’s a Qingfeng Sword. It’s said to be extremely light and agile, with a cool breeze when swung. It’s considered a women’s sword, but it’s still a renowned treasure in the martial world, so many people want to get their hands on it!”
“What a pity!”
“Does Her Majesty also want this sword?” Lu Chang asked tentatively.
“Why would I want it?” Leng Jiu raised an eyebrow boredly. “If it were a dagger, I might be interested. A sword is too long and impractical. Occasionally practicing with it is fine, but using it as a weapon? No thanks!”
“If Her Majesty wants a dagger, she can command someone to specially craft one. There are also some rare sword-casting materials in the national treasury. If you tell the emperor, he should agree!”
“Forget it! I was just talking. Do you really take me seriously? Besides, what would I do with a dagger? Stab you?”
Lu Chang smiled helplessly and shook his head. “How could I not take Her Majesty’s words seriously? But for such a trivial matter as killing a servant, Her Majesty doesn’t need to do it herself!”
Leng Jiu was speechless. There was nothing to say to someone with such a servile attitude!
“Release!”
The officiating official shouted, and seven cages of pigeons, over a hundred in total, were released simultaneously. Then more than a dozen arrows were shot out, and the pigeons fell one by one. Each person had five arrows. After shooting, someone immediately went to pick up the shot pigeons along with the arrows, counting them according to the markings.
Hua Jinzhi’s archery skills were superb, so naturally, he came in first. However, surprisingly, there was another person tied for first place with him, the man who had also shot three arrows into the bullseye. The man had an ordinary appearance, but there was a strong aura about him, indicating he would likely become a great general in the future!
When Lu Chang glanced at Leng Jiu, he immediately approached her like a worm wriggling up. “He is the older brother of Consort Hui, named Zhao Yuncheng. Although not as handsome as Master Hua, when it comes to martial arts, he is one of the few who can match Master Hua. His specialty is the long spear, slightly inferior in archery!”
Leng Jiu raised her eyes. With the Zhao family’s military background, it wasn’t surprising to see such a talented military general!
Withdrawing her gaze, the final round began, with only Hua Jinzhi and Zhao Yuncheng participating. Larks were half the size of pigeons, and although they were not high-flying, they were much faster, making it even more difficult to hit them!
As before, each person had five arrows. As soon as the gong sounded, the larks were released, and over a hundred of them flew out simultaneously, scattering in all directions in the blink of an eye. Most people would probably panic at the sight!
Five arrows were shot in quick succession, and as soon as the round was over, someone immediately went to retrieve the arrows. Some arrows hit two birds, some only hit one, and of course, there were misses. In the end, Hua Jinzhi’s five extra birds secured his victory over Zhao Yuncheng, making him the champion of this round!
“Excellent!” Long Yi applauded for Hua Jinzhi, and the attendant had already brought out the prize, the Qingfeng Sword. It was a women’s sword, with a length of two feet and seven inches. The sword was silver-white with intricate flower patterns carved on it, looking extremely exquisite. At one end of the hilt was a round jade pendant with tassels, giving it a feminine touch!
Hua Jinzhi put down his bow and walked to the foot of the dragon platform, bowing respectfully. “Your Majesty!”
“Not bad! Indeed worthy of being the first son of our Feng Imperial Dynasty, talented in both civil and martial arts. Given time, you will definitely become a pillar of our dynasty!” Long Yi descended from the dragon platform with a smile, patting Hua Jinzhi’s shoulder affectionately, then handed him the Qingfeng Sword. “From now on, this sword is yours!”
Hua Jinzhi accepted it with both hands. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
After expressing his gratitude, he stood up straight and looked at Long Yi. “Since this sword is now mine, may I give it to someone else?”
Long Yi raised an eyebrow. “Although this sword is a women’s sword, it is indeed a rare and excellent sword in the world. Are you willing to give it away?”
Hua Jinzhi nodded slightly and looked to the side, towards Leng Jiu, who had been watching the spectacle. “Yesterday, due to my recklessness, I almost injured Her Majesty. It’s rare that Her Majesty is magnanimous and didn’t blame me. Today, I want to give this sword to Her Majesty, as an apology for yesterday’s incident. I hope Her Majesty won’t refuse!”
With these words, Hua Jinzhi shattered countless hearts, especially that of Hua Yuxuan, whose lips tightened, her expression far from pleasant! Hua Jinzhi’s words also drew everyone’s gaze to Leng Jiu, waiting to see her response!
Long Yi also turned his head to look at Leng Jiu, his deeply hidden eyes revealing no joy or anger. “If Hua Jinzhi wants to give this sword to Her Majesty, will Her Majesty accept it?”
Leng Jiu seemed to be completely unaffected by the piercing gazes falling upon her, and Long Yi’s words didn’t cause any ripples in her demeanor. She casually picked up the Longjing tea that had just been brought over, gently brushed away the tea leaves on the surface, took a sip gracefully, and behaved with elegance and composure, as if she wasn’t the focus of everyone’s attention at all!
Finally, she set down the teacup, took a silk handkerchief, lightly dabbed her red lips, and raised her eyes with a smile. “Since it’s meant as an apology, I’ll reluctantly accept it. They say the Qingfeng Sword is a rare treasure, so this gift is not insignificant. As for yesterday’s incident, I won’t pursue it any further!”
After saying this, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Long Yi. “But this competition was to showcase the talents of the Feng Imperial sons. Isn’t it a bit stingy of Your Majesty to only reward a women’s sword? Master Hua’s martial arts are outstanding, and after some training, he will surely become a great general of Feng Imperial. Wouldn’t it be appropriate for Your Majesty to grant him a position or title? I remember Master Hua is already eighteen years old, it’s time for him to start a family and establish himself. Moreover, there are two princesses in the palace who are about to reach marriageable age. Wouldn’t Your Majesty consider it?”
With these words, Leng Jiu ignited a fire in the hearts of the crowd, leaving them to ponder the implications. What taste, only they knew!
Many girls once again had their hearts shattered by Leng Jiu’s words. Even though she was an unloved princess, she still held the position of lawful wife, a position they all dreamed of. And now, it was about to be given to someone else!
As for Hua Jinzhi, upon hearing this, he looked up sharply at Leng Jiu, his grip on the sword tightening, his eyes flashing with shock and pain, ultimately turning into desolation.
Leng Jiu, as if oblivious to his gaze, continued to smile at Long Yi. “Have I put Your Majesty in a difficult position?”
－－－－－－Side note－－－－－－
Hua Jinzhi is the male lead, this is absolutely true, everyone don’t worry! Ah! You guys said that Hua Jinzhi, who is proud and face-conscious, is being given away by Leng Jiu like this. Guess if he will do something exciting out of resentment? Ah! If you want to see, throw some flowers, ladies. I’ll write three thousand words tomorrow, I promise to get you excited enough!