Immediately following.

"Your Highness, you've shot down the bronze target! Seventy-eight!!"

"Eighth Prince, you've shot down the bronze target! Sixty!"

"Seventh Prince, you have shot down the bronze target, fifty-three!"

After hearing Jin Shu's results, the results of the other three princes suddenly seemed particularly inadequate.

The scene was quite silent for a while.

After all, no one present expected that the winner would be a married woman.

The group of ladies from prominent families had fallen silent, exchanging strange glances.

When people are shocked to the extreme, they begin to doubt the very reality of this world.

Hu Jin pinched her thigh hard.

It hurts.

"Why does it hurt? Am I dreaming?"

How could Jin Shu, a woman from a wealthy family, possess such superb horsemanship and archery skills?

Eighty arrows, not a single one missing—what does that mean? Even the world's best mounted archer couldn't achieve that!

At this moment, the three children sitting in the corner were completely excited.

Lu Xu immediately got up from his seat and ran to Jin Shu's side, shouting.

"Mother is number one!"

"My mother is number one!"

Even the usually reserved Lu Huai was so excited that his cheeks flushed red, and his eyes welled up with tears. His eyes were filled with the image of Jin Shu riding freely and gracefully on horseback.

As for Lu Gu, he was completely lost in thought, sitting blankly in his seat with his mouth slightly open, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

Is this the woman her parents described, the one who only knew about the petty squabbles and trivial matters within the inner courtyard of their mansion? Yet just now, he clearly saw a light in her that was brighter than the sun.

Every move she made was unrestrained and arrogant, like a flower in full bloom or a burning fire; just looking at her made one feel hot all over.

Amidst the astonished gazes from all directions, Jin Shu walked up to the Empress.

All the bronze targets have just been dismantled. Jin Shu was lucky; the prize was hidden inside the bronze target she shot down.

Having won first place and the grand prize, Jin Shu successfully obtained a verbal promise from the Empress.

"The Jin family has been a family of scholars for generations, but unexpectedly, they have produced a female hero on horseback."

"Speak! Tell me what you want, and I will grant you anything within my power."

“Your Majesty, I come from the Jin clan of Qingyang. Since the founding of the country by the late emperor, the Jin clan has always served the court.”

My brother, Kim Seung-rye, has practiced riding and archery since childhood, and I learned all my skills from him.

"Our dynasty now has many civil officials but few military officials. Therefore, I humbly request an opportunity for my brother to enter the court and serve as an official, so that his more than ten years of diligent study and training will not have been in vain."

The Empress was somewhat incredulous upon hearing this.

Jin Shu, a married woman, actually gave such a precious opportunity to her brother from her maternal family.

"You mean, your current horsemanship and archery skills were all taught by your brother, Kim Seung-rye?"

"Yes, I have been learning from my elder brother since I was a child, and I am able to show off a little in front of Your Majesty today, all thanks to my brother's teaching."

"Your archery skills have already surpassed those of the Eleventh Prince, but I never imagined that your brother would be even better than you."

The Jin family truly produces many talented individuals.

"Very well, I grant your request and will give your brother an opportunity to serve in the court. However, how far he goes from there depends on his own fate."

Jin Shu bowed respectfully and then returned to her seat.

His Majesty now intends to weaken the influence of aristocratic families on the court, and the number of aristocratic family descendants who can actually enter the court and become officials is still very small.

At this point, everyone knew that she had won first place in the archery competition, thus securing an opportunity for her brother to become an official in the imperial court. This was a chance for the declining aristocratic family to be revived.

The ladies from prominent families below witnessed all of this. Not long ago, they were all mocking each other, but now they were all silent, their hearts filled with mixed feelings, an indescribable sense of bitterness and sorrow.

Jin Shu, a married daughter, actually won an official position for her brother, which must have made the other scions of noble families extremely envious.

The current Empress, who grew up with His Majesty, is backed by the Empress Dowager who currently rules from behind the curtain. Therefore, although she is a woman in the harem, she also has the right to participate in politics.

If she agrees, the official position of the eldest son of the Jin family will be a sure thing.

The wife of a wealthy family, whose situation was similar to that of the Jin family, said sourly.

"This Jin Shu is quite shrewd; she actually went straight for a military officer position! Everyone knows that there are no military officers below the sixth rank. This Jin family kid is truly blessed; he easily obtained a sixth-rank official position!"

"Didn't the eldest son of the Liang family become the top scholar in the civil service exam? After entering the court, he only became a seventh-rank civil official. He's been showing off everywhere for so long, but then Jin Shu directly sent her family a sixth-rank official position! Where can you go to reason with that?"

At this point, Madam Liang's expression was beyond just looking ugly.

Her expression twitched, her smile stiffened, and she watched Jin Shu slowly walk down from the stage. As the other ladies from prominent families came forward to offer their congratulations with feigned sincerity, she hurriedly forced out a smile that was more like a grimace.

"Madam Lu is so skilled in riding and archery! She has kept it hidden for so many years. Her performance today is truly amazing!"

Madam Liang wanted to offer her congratulations, but her words were laced with sarcasm, implying that Jin Shu was deliberately trying to steal the spotlight.

Jin Shu glanced at her.

"Do we know each other? Do I need you to know what I'm capable of?"

"How can you speak so harshly? I just wanted to congratulate you."

"What, now that you've caught the Empress's eye and have a military officer brother, you look down on us?"

Jin Shu looked at her and said calmly.

"Your son caught His Majesty's eye and became the top scholar, and you still look down on us?"

"Of course not!"

"Then why do you think I'm that kind of person? What, are you targeting me? Trying to ostracize me? Making sarcastic or mocking remarks about me?"

Jin Shu spoke clearly and fluently, and her verbal attack left the other party with no chance to fight back.

Madam Liang stared wide-eyed, stammering for a long time without uttering a single word. In the end, she could only grit her teeth, swallow her anger, and force a smile.

"It was my fault, and I apologize to you here."

"Hmm, it's good that you admit your mistakes and correct them. You need to teach your son this excellent quality, otherwise his reputation will be ruined, he won't be able to become the prince consort, and the future of the Liang family will be in jeopardy."

A surge of anger welled up inside her, choking her so much that Madam Liang nearly collapsed on the spot.

Jin Shu easily dealt with one of them, and just as she was about to leave, she saw Hu Jin.

"What, you also have something to congratulate me on?"

Hu Jin was a bit smarter than Madam Liang; she smiled with her eyes narrowed.

"Madam Lu is the best horseman and archer in the world, even surpassing the Eleventh Prince. Of course, we must congratulate her."