Chapter 36

◎Though he lacked the title of male concubine, he acted in reality as one.

In an instant, all eyes were on the boy.

He wore a moon-white straight-cut court robe with silver-embroidered cloud patterns around the collar, and his black hair was tied up with a plain jade hairpin. Just standing there, he exuded a profound and serene aura that seemed to seep into his very bones.

The candlelight in Linde Hall was dim and dim. The young man, who was the focus of everyone's attention, remained calm and composed. He simply stepped forward, lowered his eyes, and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect: "I will obey Your Highness's orders."

His every move exudes a composure beyond his years.

That face was so stunning that only then did everyone belatedly realize that Prince Muqing, Su Chengyu, seemed to have a young son who had been sent to the palace as a hostage since childhood and left to fend for himself. Now, more than ten years had passed, and this youngest son had grown into such a handsome man; no wonder Princess Ning'an had taken a liking to him. However, this "sparring" in front of the palace concerned the face of both countries, and was not a place for the princess to casually amuse her male favorites.

"Absurd! This is not a place for child's play!"

Some of the older advisors, already of advanced age, spoke out in anger.

"Who is he? You are the envoy to receive our envoys, yet you disregard the overall situation, show no shame, and promote one person after another...to the throne. What are your intentions?!"

For a moment, everyone in the hall kept their eyes down, knowing exactly what the person meant, even though they hadn't said "what."

The story of how Prince Su was locked in bed by Princess Ning'an for three days and three nights and kept out of the room had already spread throughout the entire Da Yan Kingdom.

Although he was not called a male concubine, he was in fact one.

"General Ashan took the initiative to request a sparring match, and as his envoy, I naturally selected someone who could rival him in martial arts. Prince Su is the commander of my household guards, someone I have entrusted with my life and safety. Besides his martial arts skills, I also trust him in both his character and heart. How can it be considered childish for me to send him to spar with General Ashan?"

Xie Yutang's gaze swept across the main hall, then she looked directly at the minister who stepped forward to remonstrate. Her words were firm and resounding, and her attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. The young man at the center of the controversy remained silent. He did not react when he was identified as the "male favorite" in court. However, his fingers, hidden under his sleeve, twitched slightly when he said, "His person and his heart are both trusted by me."

The emperor wished he could drag the old man out and give him a good beating.

idiot!

You almost ruined Tang'er's brilliant plan.

But as the emperor, he had to consider his reputation and couldn't very well have someone drag him away in public. Just as he was thinking of finding a reason to shut people up, he heard Helou Wulan chuckle.

"I have long heard of Prince Su's great name, and seeing him today, I can attest to it..." She paused here, as if thinking about how to describe it, her eyes brimming with autumn water as she stared at Su Lu, "I have read your books of Da Yan, which say that a gentleman is like jade, as if cut and polished, as if carved and refined. I always wondered how there could be such a person in this world, but seeing him today, I believe it."

The Grand Preceptor rushed back to Beirong overnight for a secret meeting with this person. He Lou Wulan had heard the name "Su Lu" many times and became quite curious. This time, his visit to Dayan was not only due to Tuoba Xiu, but also because of this Prince Su.

She meant it sincerely when she said "I've long heard of your great name," but to the ministers of Da Yan, it took on a completely different meaning.

The heir of the Muqing Prince's Mansion was taken in by the princess as a male concubine; this is truly a disgrace to the country.

The crowd's gazes then subtly shifted to Prince Mu Qing.

"I've heard that Prince Su is the son of King Muqing." Helou Wulan seemed completely oblivious to the subtle atmosphere in the hall and said loudly, "Like father, like son. My Northern Rong has dealt with General Su on the border for many years, so it would be excellent to let the younger generation meet him now."

Everyone was somewhat surprised. If Su Lu went on stage, whether the Northern Rong won or lost, they would not fare well. It would be fine if she didn't object, but judging from her words, she was actually speaking up for Su Lu. However, whether this Northern Rong princess was pretending to be ignorant or doing it intentionally, after she finished speaking, Su Chengyu's face turned completely ugly.

Only Tuoba Xiu silently downed a mouthful of wine, cursing inwardly, "Lust at first sight."

The emperor, seeing that things were going well, decided to stop and no longer gave the old man a chance to "speak frankly and offer advice," and immediately granted permission for this "exchange of ideas."

"Although this is a friendly competition, there still needs to be questions and rules to determine a winner." Xie Yutang's gaze swept over everyone in the hall, and he said loudly, "If you all trust me, how about I set the questions and act as the examiner?"

Tuoba Xiu put down his wine cup and sneered, "Young Master Su is His Highness's guard. Who knows if you've colluded in private or shown favoritism?"

"The martial arts competition was proposed by your country, and I was unaware of it beforehand. How could I have colluded with my subordinates? As for personal bias—" Xie Yutang turned directly to Ashan: "General Ashan, how about we compete in archery for the first round?"

Upon hearing this, not only Ashan, but also the Northern Rong delegation, the officials of the Dayan court, and everyone in the hall looked at each other in astonishment, and there was an uproar.

Ah Shan's talent in horsemanship and archery is known throughout the world. Even the Northern Rong, a people who grew up on horseback, only produced one such person in decades.

Xie Yutang, however, actually challenged a pretty but useless person to an archery contest with Ashan.

What difference is there between comparing embroidery skills between a butcher from the woodshed and the best embroiderer from the embroidery workshop?

Tuoba Xiu almost vomited the wine he drank in one gulp.

Princess Ning'an, I know you don't want to win, but there's no need to humiliate your own people like this.

The Northern Rong delegation fell completely silent, indicating that Xie Yutang was indeed biased and favoring them.

They're showing too much favoritism towards the Northern Rong.

Ah Shan laughed: "Did I hear that right?"

Xie Yutang also laughed: "You heard me right, it's an archery competition."

"Your Highness, is this a case of comparing the inferior horse to the superior horse in Tian Ji's horse racing strategy?"

Song Zhen whispered in Lin Tan's ear that the latter's condition had been off ever since Xie Yutang summoned Su Lu.

Since we're going to lose anyway, losing to "General Riftwind" in mounted archery is something no one can complain about.

Lin Tan nearly broke the folding fan in his hand, gritting his teeth and whispering, "She's too good to him!"

He Louwulan, however, was not as relaxed as the others.

— Xie Yutang is taking the use of minimal force to achieve maximum effect.

Is she really willing to admit defeat in such a tragic way?

Could it be a scam?

But no matter what schemes or tricks they employ, they are all insignificant in the face of absolute power.

When soldiers come, generals will block them; when water comes, earth will dam it.

Ashan gave Tuoba Xiu and Helou Wulan a look, stepped forward, cracked his knuckles, feeling the restlessness brought to his body by the words "archery," and said to Xie Yutang, "I have no objection."

"very good."

Xie Yutang smiled and nodded, then beckoned to the guards in front of the palace and gave them a few instructions. The dancers and musicians in the palace had already left, and the guards presented the items that Xie Yutang had instructed them to give.

Besides the archery targets, there were also two large bamboo baskets covered with red silk.

The match, which was thought to be a foregone conclusion, was surprised by the unexpected props. Everyone became interested and asked her what was inside.

Xie Yutang, however, was in no hurry to answer everyone's questions. He casually took an arrow from the quiver and said, "Since we're competing in archery, we should naturally compete in accuracy."

Those who were waiting to watch the spectacle were somewhat disappointed, with some questioning, "This is too easy. If you ask these two to compete, they can both hit the bullseye. How can you possibly compare them?"

Xie Yutang seemed to have anticipated this. He twirled the arrow in the air with his fingers, flicked it, and the arrowhead lifted the red cloth covering the bamboo basket. With another flick of his wrist, the red cloth was lifted off.

Everyone craned their necks to look, and when they saw what was in the basket, they all looked astonished.

A hint of interest flashed in He Louwulan's eyes.

The two bamboo baskets were filled with snow-white feathers.

Several feathers fluttered down along with the fluttering red silk, making the woman in the black court dress with red collar appear even more radiant and dazzling.

Lin Tan paused for a moment as she tapped the white jade fan pendant in her palm.

"Hitting the bullseye is naturally not difficult for you two, but what if my requirement is to hit a goose feather?"

Xie Yutang picked up a goose feather with her nail-painted fingertips, blew on it gently, and the feather was blown far away, drifting down in a zigzag pattern without any discernible path.

"I will have people scatter goose feathers into the air. The person who hits the target with the most feathers before they all land wins."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

Goose feathers are so light that arrows are blown away by the air currents before they even touch them. To pierce through a goose feather and hit the target is simply a pipe dream.

Ashan, however, was intrigued. He picked up the bow and arrow, tested the feel of it, and said, "I'll go first."

The guard lifted the bamboo basket, and after Ah Shan nodded in acknowledgment, he gathered his strength in his arm and suddenly swung it up, causing all the goose feathers to fall and flutter down, like snowflakes flying in the air.

Ashan drew his bow, his arm muscles bulging with veins. With a bang, the arrow flew out. The target swayed, and the arrow struck the bullseye, the arrowhead firmly embedded in the fletching.

The targets were fixed to the ground by special mechanisms. Even a strong man would find it difficult to move them if the mechanisms were not activated. Yet, Ah Shan managed to make the target sway when he shot it, which shows how much force was infused into the arrow.

Before the crowd could cheer, Ah Shan fired several more arrows, each one piercing through the goose feather and hitting the bullseye, until there was no more room on the bullseye before the arrows gradually spread outwards.

Once all the goose feathers had fallen, the target was filled with arrows, each arrow pierced by a goose feather, with not a single one missing its mark.

The guard stepped forward, pulled out the arrows, and counted the goose feathers one by one. "There are seventy-three in total."

A suppressed gasp filled the hall.

Tuoba Xiu concealed the smile on his lips by drinking. So be it. Even if Xie Yutang was eloquent and tried to disrupt things, making their victory seem too "easy," their absolute strength would still intimidate the entire Da Yan court.

A-Shan put away her bow and didn't look at Su-Lu once throughout the entire process.

In archery and horsemanship, no one could compare to him; he only challenged himself.

He has already done his best and is confident that he will win.

The loser doesn't deserve his gaze.

A-Shan's fingertips were still slightly numb from the intense pulling of the bowstring. He recalled the Grand Preceptor's special instructions before the trip—if he were to face Su Lu, he must be extremely cautious and not be arrogant. He had thought Su Lu was some kind of talented young man, but upon meeting him... He had seen too many people like this in the Northern Rong Palace. Using his looks to serve his master, what future could he possibly have?

Nevertheless, he still exerted all his strength. If this kid knew what was good for him, he would admit defeat early and save himself from making a fool of himself.

Everyone thought this was the ultimate achievement.

The time it takes for a goose feather to fall is so short, yet he managed to shoot seventy-three arrows without missing a single one. It's impossible to achieve a better result than that.

One member of the Northern Rong delegation even kindly asked, "Young Master Su, shall we still compete?"

The delegation burst into laughter.

Su Lu did not answer, but instead drew an arrow from the quiver, the arrowhead wedged against his finger bone like delicate porcelain glaze.

Seeing this, the ministers of Da Yan sighed inwardly, thinking that this young man actually had some backbone. Even if he lost, they would try to give him as much encouragement as possible, so as not to embarrass him too much.

The bamboo basket was lifted up, and goose feathers poured down.

But nobody watched it.

The officials of Dayan remained silent; some drank with their heads down, some ate melons, and others were intently rummaging through their nut dishes with small spoons, afraid their eyes would be idle. Meanwhile, the activity in Beirong never stopped. Some were discussing Ashan's archery skills, some were giving pointers to their younger relatives, and others were congratulating Ashan. Their desire to strike up conversations and make friends was all too obvious.

Goose feathers fluttered down, the boy's eyebrows were sharp as knives, his finger rested on the arrow's fletching, he hesitated to release it.

The man who had been chatting with Ah Shan, eager to curry favor, scoffed and raised his voice, "If you can't do it, don't force it—"

A very faint sound, like fine spring rain piercing the night sky.

The arrow hit the bullseye, its fletching still carrying a buzzing, trembling afterglow, while four goose feathers were stuck in the shaft.

The man fell silent for a moment, as if someone had been choked.

Ah Shan turned around in confusion, and was also stunned on the spot.

More and more people stopped what they were doing and looked at the field, as if they had been put on pause.

Several officials from Da Yan were still pouring wine; the wine glasses on the table were already overflowing, and the wine was dripping down the edge of the table.

The boy moved very quietly.

Compared to Ah Shan, whose arrows pierced the target with the force of thunder, his arrows could almost be described as elegant.

Just right.

Effortless mastery.

Not a single bit of extra force was used.

Each arrow precisely found the line that could string together the most feathers.

Not too early, not too late, the first arrow hits, and the next one lands perfectly on the tip of the arrowhead.

Ah Shan stared intently at each of his arrows, his eyes blazing with fury.

Those who know archery best can see that it is a subtle and masterful control over force, objects, and wind.

When the last feather fell to the ground, everyone present felt as if a thousand pounds had been pressed on their chests.

There's no need to count anymore; the number of goose feathers falling to the ground is enough to tell who won and who lost.

The guards pulled out the arrows one by one. Each arrow had as few as three or as many as six feathers, densely packed together, so many that it looked like a child's prank.

After counting, the guard took a deep breath before announcing the number: "One hundred and eighty-seven in total!"

The hall was clearly full of people, yet the sounds seemed to echo in an empty valley.

A-Shan's pupils suddenly contracted.

187.

It was more than twice as much as his!

He stared blankly at the boy in the arena who had just won a standing ovation and amazed everyone. The boy showed no trace of arrogance on his face. When the guard came to collect the bow, he even nodded his thanks. His every move was calm and composed.

Only when his eyes met Princess Ning'an's did the corners of his mouth curl up slightly.

A-Shan was greatly shaken, and his blood and qi surged.

From a young age, he displayed unparalleled talent in archery. Even the strictest teacher on the grassland would praise him kindly. Moreover, he was diligent and hardworking, always surpassing others. He was the only one on the mountaintop.

How could this be?!

How could that be?!

A male favorite of a princess from an enemy country actually defeated him?!

Suddenly, a hand pressed down on his shoulder, suppressing the turbulent emotions churning within him.

A-Shan turned his head and saw the Imperial Advisor staring at the young man in the arena with a deep gaze: "I told you long ago that you must not be careless when facing Su Lu."

After a moment of silence, the atmosphere in the hall subtly shifted again. The lively Northern Rong delegation suddenly fell silent, and those who had just offered congratulations, flattery, and ingratiation now had increasingly interesting expressions on their faces, while the officials of Dayan were all beaming with joy, their backs straightening even more.

The emperor and empress exchanged a glance and smiled.

Tuoba Xiu swallowed hard in disbelief, glancing at Helou Wulan, who was equally stunned and bewildered: "What do you mean by using four ounces to move a thousand pounds? This is an explosive crushing!"

A male concubine is so powerful!

Even the way he looked at Xie Yutang was filled with admiration.

The master of the male concubine showed no joy at the victory. He struck the gong with his drumstick and said in a calm voice, "First round, Su Lu wins."

Before he finished speaking, Tuoba Loulan raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there a second round?"

This princess of Loulan is quite clever, Xie Yutang smiled and said, "Indeed."

Everyone's interest was even higher: "What will we play in the second round?"

"Still mounted archery."

Xie Yutang said, "Horseback archery is different from other competitions. There are too many random factors in just one round. Therefore, the competition is divided into three rounds, and the first to win the first two rounds wins."

It seems they have truly detached themselves from their stance and are now completely neutral.

The emperor's smile widened, but a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

This explanation can be seen as giving the Northern Rong a way out.

She remains neither arrogant in victory nor discouraged in defeat, her face as calm as a still lake without showing any joy or sorrow. This girl is becoming more and more composed.

The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly exploded.

The people of Da Yan were overjoyed by their impressive victory. They had thought Xie Yutang would stop while he was ahead, but they were surprised to see a second round of excitement. For a moment, they didn't care whether they were Da Yan officials or the Northern Rong delegation. They all tried their best to get closer, afraid of missing out on a good spot.