A confident smile spread across Ali's face.
The system, with a hint of pity, said: "Did Princess Ali forget her intelligence when she went out? What's there to be proud of? If she wins, she'll bring a generous dowry to marry into the Great Zhou; if she loses, the Mongol Kingdom will increase its annual tribute by 10%..."
Chu Xinxin disagreed: "Hey, don't talk about people like that, it's not good for us."
The competition begins.
All three of Ali's arrows hit the bullseye. She drew her bow, turned around in her flowing red dress, and looked as beautiful as a peach blossom. Many men stared at her, mesmerized.
Princess Ali is incredibly beautiful, so why was she so blind as to fall for Prince An?
"Your turn."
Ali tossed the bow in her hand to Chu Xinxin. The bow was quite heavy, and Chu Xinxin, with her frail appearance, certainly couldn't catch it; she might even get her head smashed by it.
Ali did it on purpose.
To everyone's surprise, Chu Xinxin not only didn't take it, but also took two steps to the side.
The bow fell to the ground with a "crack" and broke.
Ali's face darkened, and she said in a deep voice, "Why didn't you accept the gift I, the princess, bestowed upon you?"
Chu Xinxin took the new bow and arrows from Yun Zheng and said with a faint smile, "Princess, you may not know this, but women in our Great Zhou do not like to use things that others have used."
As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Xinxin drew three arrows from the quiver, nocked them on the bow, drew it taut, and released it.
With a clang, the three arrows shot toward the target.
The movements were clean, crisp, and executed in one smooth motion.
Everyone was so surprised that they stood up and craned their necks to see.
The three arrows pierced through Ali's arrows and struck the bullseye.
The arrowhead even pierced the bullseye, and half of the arrow shaft was missing.
It's obvious that Ali lost.
"It's just one win, what's there to be so proud of!"
Ali snorted and urged the person drawing lots, "Hurry up and draw the next one."
The second scene, also written by Ali, is about whips.
How do we compare them?
"Of course... it's a fight."
Chu Xinxin immediately conceded defeat: "I don't know martial arts, I concede this match."
The score is tied at one to one. The third match will be a dance.
"Princess Ali is too lucky. It's the third match and it's still her specialty."
An Yi glared at the person who drew the lots, suspecting him of cheating.
Being good at something doesn't guarantee a win.
Zhou Huaichuan stared at the woman standing quietly on the field, his fists clenching slightly.
Seemingly sensing his gaze, the woman turned her head and winked at him playfully.
"Princess Ali, how should we compete in this dance?" Chu Xinxin asked.
Archery competitions are easy to determine a winner, but this dance... if both are performed well, it's really hard to tell who's better.
Moreover, this is the Great Zhou Dynasty. If it were a vote, everyone would definitely choose Chu Xinxin.
Ali: "What's so difficult about that? You and I will wear the same clothes, the same hairstyle, and cover our faces. After we finish dancing, the people present will choose the one who gets the most support."
What is she thinking?
The system seemed quite puzzled: "Everyone's not stupid. Most Mongolian dances are passionate and unrestrained, while the Great Zhou's are more subtle and graceful. Everyone's obviously voting for the elder sister, right?"
Chu Xinxin: "Let's see how she dances first."
After changing clothes, the two were about the same height, and even up close, it was impossible to tell who was who.
Ali was the first to go up again.
Just when Chu Xinxin and the system thought they would be able to enjoy a Mongolian dance, Ali danced a "Dian Jiang Chun" (a type of Mongolian dance).
The phrase "点绛唇" (dian jiang chun) was created by a woman confined to her chambers when she longed for the man she loved.
This dance was also the dance by which an emperor and empress from the previous dynasty pledged their love, so the "Dian Jiang Chun" dance was very popular in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Ali danced very gracefully, and she didn't look like a Mongolian at all. Instead, she seemed to have lived in the Great Zhou Dynasty for a long time and was deeply influenced by its culture.
System: [I was wrong, she does have a little bit of brains, and her skills are quite good too. Sister, how do you plan to beat her?]
Chu Xinxin remained completely calm: "System, I can't dance."
Oh...ah?
Sister, just a little bit of energy...
"No need, I've already learned it."
【Um? 】
Ali had finished her dance and was walking off the field when she deliberately stepped on Chu Xinxin's foot as she passed by.
On Chu Xinxin's clean shoe surface, a dark, murky object stood out conspicuously.
“You can’t beat me.” Ali tilted her head. “I hired the best dancers to teach me this dance for two months. Look, I’ve already left the stage, but they’re still watching me.”
"The princess really went to great lengths, but unfortunately, she only learned the basics."
Chu Xinxin squatted down, took off her shoes, and then patted Ali's shoulder with the hand that had taken off her shoes: "Learn from her carefully."
A large black patch appeared on Ali's shoulder as well.
"Chu Xinxin, you're asking for it!"
Ali wanted to hit someone, but Chu Xinxin had already gone up on stage.
"Do you need a piece of music?" asked the palace musician.
Chu Xinxin nodded.
What song?
Chu Xinxin whispered three words: "Dian Jiang Chun".
As soon as the zither music started, the once noisy hall fell silent.
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, wondering why it was another round of "dotting the lips with rouge."
Was that Chu Xinxin or Princess Ali just now?
However, none of that mattered anymore; the women on stage began to dance.
She held a red plum blossom in her slender hand, her body as soft as a cloud, her red dress fluttering and lingering, as if countless petals were drifting down from the wind.
Bathed in the bright moonlight, she resembled a radiant fairy, pure and ethereal, exquisitely beautiful.
Graceful as a swimming dragon, ethereal as a startled swan.
Everyone in the hall held their breath, their eyes fixed on the woman.
When the music ended, everyone was still in a daze for a long time.
An Yi, still feeling dizzy, handed her the hairpin before realizing, "Damn it, why did I give the flowers away? What if that person is Ali?"
The results were in: the second woman won.
Ali angrily ripped off her veil and went to change her clothes without turning back.
"Xin Xin, you've been hiding this for too long!"
An Yi was extremely surprised. If she had a heartbeat as good as Chu Xin's, she probably would have made it public knowledge long ago.
Chu Xinxin said very modestly, "So-so, third in the world."
The fourth competition is... drinking!
Coincidentally, both Chu Xinxin and Ali wrote about drinking, putting everyone's hearts in suspense.
Ali's dark complexion has softened a bit.
She's been drinking alcohol since she was three years old. Not to mention Chu Xinxin, probably no one present could beat her.
Without saying a word, Ali picked up her wine cup and started downing it one glass after another.
Chu Xinxin wasn't in a hurry. She took her time, lowered her head, and lifted her veil to savor the taste, sip by sip.
This Royal Jade Liquor is truly excellent.
When Zhou Huaichuan saw her, he saw her drinking with great relish, her eyes narrowed.
Amused, he turned and instructed Yun Zheng to take a jar of all the fine wines from his cellar and deliver it to the Prime Minister's residence.
The wine of the Zhou Emperor was very pure and had a high alcohol content, unlike the wine of the Meng Kingdom, which was not sufficiently purified.
Chu Xinxin remained completely calm and composed, while Ali was so drunk that she collapsed, unable to even support herself with her hands.
You lost!
Ali has already drunk a full six jars of wine, while Chu Xinxin has only drunk four.
"Princess, I haven't finished drinking yet."
After Chu Xinxin finished speaking, she directly broke the seal on the wine jar, tilted her head back, and drank three jars in a row.
After she finished drinking, she turned the jar upside down and shook it; not a drop of wine remained.
"Princess, I have won."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com