Chapter 68 All Nations Pay Tribute

In the golden autumn, the Celestial Empire's power and prestige were at their peak, and all under heaven submitted to its rule. The Emperor decreed that the "All Nations Paying Homage" Autumn Hunt Ceremony be held at the Shanglin Garden, inviting envoys from all friendly nations and vassal states to participate in this grand event. This served two purposes: to demonstrate the nation's power and to deter those with treacherous intentions. In a short time, envoys from various countries flocked to the capital, including many from powerful nations who harbored ambitions of testing the waters.

In the Shanglin Garden, banners fluttered and drums resounded.

The emperor sat high on his throne, with the empress, crown prince, concubines, princes and princesses, members of the imperial family and nobles, and civil and military officials arranged on either side. Envoys from various countries sat below the platform, dressed in strange clothes and speaking different languages. Their gazes swept over the emperor with a mixture of curiosity, awe, scrutiny, and probing.

As the Crown Princess, Su Jingyu sat gracefully beside Xiao Jingzhan, dressed in a light-colored brocade robe embroidered with phoenixes, dragons, and auspicious clouds. She wore a red-gold phoenix crown inlaid with kingfisher feathers and pearls, with several strands of fine pearl tassels hanging from the phoenix's beak. As she slightly turned her head, the tassels swayed gently on her cheeks, their luster reflecting the watery color in her eyes, making her appear both noble and elegant.

Sitting side-by-side with the Crown Prince, who was dressed in a black imperial robe and wore a golden crown and jade belt, they were a perfect couple, attracting countless gazes. Although she wore a polite smile, she knew in her heart that today's banquet was by no means a simple feast or entertainment.

Sure enough, as the banquet reached its climax, the envoy from the powerful northwestern Di Rong rose, placed his hand on his chest, and spoke in a somewhat broken Central Plains Mandarin: "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Da Sheng, and Your Highness the Crown Prince! We have long heard of Da Sheng's vast territory, abundant resources, and numerous talented individuals. We Di Rong live in a harsh and cold land, and our only source of pride is our brute strength. Today, at this grand gathering, why not add some entertainment? How about setting up a wrestling ring, where our Di Rong warriors would like to exchange skills with the warriors of Da Sheng in archery, horsemanship, and wrestling, just to amuse you all?"

This statement, seemingly flattering, is actually a provocation. The Di and Rong peoples established their nation through military force, and their horsemanship, archery, and wrestling were unparalleled in the Western Regions. This is an attempt to use their strengths to test the strengths and weaknesses of the Da Sheng and to dampen its arrogance.

The emperor remained unmoved, stroking his beard and smiling, "It is good that the envoy has such refined tastes. My Great Sheng also has fine men. However, at today's grand gathering, swords have no eyes; let's stop when the fighting is over."

The Di Rong envoy's eyes gleamed: "Your Majesty is wise! How about we start with a horse archery contest? Set up a grass target a hundred paces away, and the winner will be decided in three arrows!"

The emperor looked at Xiao Jingzhan: "Zhan'er, who do you think is willing to accept the challenge?"

Xiao Jingzhan stood up and bowed calmly: "Father, the Di and Rong warriors are guests from afar. Your son is willing to personally participate and exchange skills with your esteemed warriors to fulfill the hospitality of a host."

These words shocked everyone present. How could the Crown Prince, a woman of noble birth, risk such a dangerous life? The Di Rong envoy was secretly delighted; if they could defeat the Crown Prince of Dasheng, their national prestige would surely be greatly damaged.

Su Jingyu's palms clenched slightly as she looked at Xiao Jingzhan with concern. Xiao Jingzhan returned her a reassuring look, his gaze calm and composed.

The first event was mounted archery.

On the shooting range, a straw target stood a hundred paces away. The Di Rong had sent out their most renowned archer, who had once shot down a giant eagle in the sky with a single arrow. He nimbly mounted his horse, and in the midst of the gallop, drew his bow and fired three arrows in quick succession, each hitting the bullseye slightly above the center, forming a triangular pattern, drawing cheers from the crowd.

It was Xiao Jingzhan's turn. He didn't use his own horse, but casually pointed to a gentle one and mounted. His movements were fluid and effortless, devoid of any hint of arrogance, yet possessing an unwavering composure. He spurred the horse forward slowly, his gaze calm and serene. Halfway there, he suddenly accelerated!

Just when everyone thought he was about to charge and fire like a Di Rong archer, he suddenly pulled on the reins, and the warhorse reared up and let out a long neigh!

In that split second, Xiao Jingzhan, on horseback, twisted his waist, drew his bow, and released the arrow in one fluid motion! With a series of sharp "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sounds, three arrows shot through the air!

The first arrow, like a shooting star chasing the moon, struck the center of Di Rong's three arrows, actually splitting them in two!

The second arrow followed closely behind, hitting the arrow mark created by the first arrow precisely!

The third arrow, though launched later, struck the fletching of the second arrow, propelling it forward another three points and firmly embedding it in the very center of the bullseye!

The entire arena fell silent. Then, thunderous cheers erupted! The Crown Prince's three arrows not only hit the bullseye, but he also broke arrows with arrows—a divine feat! He not only displayed unparalleled archery skills, but also demonstrated unparalleled control and confidence!

The Di Rong envoy turned pale, and his archer was even more ashen-faced, muttering, "This...how is this possible..."

The emperor clapped his hands and laughed: "Excellent! The Crown Prince is a master archer!"

Xiao Jingzhan remained calm, dismounted, and bowed to the throne as if he had done nothing of importance. His gaze swept over the Di Rong envoy, his expression serene, yet it sent a chill down the latter's spine.

The second match was wrestling (sumo).

Not to be outdone, the Di Rong envoy sent out a nine-foot-tall, towering wrestler, bare-chested, his muscles bulging, the ground seeming to tremble with his movements. His voice boomed: "Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Dasheng, is unparalleled in horsemanship and archery; how about your fists and feet? Do you dare to challenge the number one warrior of my Di Rong?"

This was clearly a provocation, and even more so, malicious. How could the Crown Prince, of such noble status, engage in close combat with such a brute? If he did not fight, it would be a sign of weakness; if he did fight, winning would be an act of humiliation, and losing would be a profound disgrace.

Everyone looked at the Crown Prince, and Su Jingyu clenched her handkerchief even tighter.

Xiao Jingzhan smiled slightly and whispered a few words to a servant beside him. The servant obeyed and left. Before long, he returned with a man. This man was of medium height and unremarkable in appearance, dressed in ordinary guard uniform, but his steps were steady and his eyes were sharp.

"This is just an ordinary guard from my Eastern Palace, named Lu Jiu," Xiao Jingzhan said calmly. "Since the envoy wishes to have a wrestling match, I will let him play with your country's warrior. Let's stop here and not hurt feelings."

The crowd gasped. Sending a mere guard to fight the strongest warrior of the Di tribe? Was the Crown Prince overconfident or arrogant?

Feeling insulted, the Di Rong warrior roared and lunged at Lu Jiu like a mountain. Lu Jiu neither dodged nor evaded, until the opponent's large, fan-like hand was about to grab his shoulder, at which point he swayed and slid away like a fish, while simultaneously tripping lightly with his foot.

The Di Rong warrior couldn't stop his momentum, and with the added force of his charge, he crashed to the ground with a loud "thud!" The entire arena fell silent, then erupted in laughter.

Enraged, the warrior scrambled to his feet and lunged again. This time, Lu Jiu didn't dodge. Instead, he rammed into the man's arms with his shoulder, his hands flashing as he gripped the man's waist. He lowered his stance, gave a low shout, and swung the towering man through the air in a semi-circle before gently placing him on the ground! He stopped short of causing serious injury.

"You flatter me." Lu Jiu clasped his hands in a fist and stepped back behind Xiao Jingzhan, as if nothing had happened.

The Di Rong envoy's face turned ashen, but he couldn't utter a word. What more could be said when an ordinary guard so easily brought down your number one warrior? The Crown Prince is a man of few words, even his personal guards are so formidable; the power and prestige of his nation are evident.