Chapter 30: Journey to Mount Tai (4) For a Brave and Fearless Woman…
After arriving in Fenggao, they lived in a temporary palace that had been built in advance. After settling down, Xie Yun's health gradually improved.
She knew she couldn't lie down any longer, or her body would become numb and stiff. Taking advantage of the good weather, she strolled around the yard both in the morning and evening. The yard was quite large, and she worked up a sweat after each walk.
"It feels so good to be basked in the sun~" Xie Yun stretched lazily.
She had been depressed and miserable these days, but she had also calmed down. She was no longer as desperate as before. She didn't want to be depressed or give up. Her mother had lost all hope, becoming weak and indifferent to the world, which was why she ended up with nothing. After her death, even her body was abandoned alone in a foreign land.
Humans possess immense subjective initiative. They patiently waited, carefully planned, and waited for their opportunity. As long as they didn't give up, they would definitely find a way out! She would always be her own strongest supporter! She silently told herself that she was the strongest and best Xie Yun, irreplaceable.
She would not allow herself to become completely destitute. If fate meant for her to fail, she would have to fight it first. Otherwise, wouldn't her life have been in vain?
Han Zhen was very considerate and brought a cool towel washed with clean water to wipe Xie Yun's sweat. She was very happy that the lady was able to cheer up again. Although she didn't know what happened that night, she could guess from the lady's attitude towards the general that something big must have happened.
But the general's attitude was beyond Han Zhen's expectations. The general seemed to have become a little... gentler than before.
"General's wife! General's wife! Are you here?" A voice called out from outside the door, though she hadn't seen the person yet. Xie Yun knew it was Yan Yiling, the governor's daughter. Ever since she'd learned that a beautiful lady was recuperating in this courtyard, she'd secretly paid a visit the day before and had stayed with Xie Yun ever since.
Hiding here with Xie Yun, she could justifiably refuse to learn needlework. This was because Yan Huinan had instructed that no one could enter the courtyard and disturb her rest without his or Xie Yun's permission.
That day, Yan Yiling was caught by the guards at the gate, and Han Zhen happened to see her, so he let her go and let her take shelter in this courtyard.
Who knew that this little girl would rely on them.
"General's wife, you are so beautiful." Every day when he came, he would coax Xie Yun like a little dog.
Han Zhen advised her, "Miss Yan, you'd better go back quickly. What's the point of you staying here all the time? This will implicate the Madam."
Yan Yiling stared at Xie Yun with a pair of tearful eyes, "No, Madam General. I've already praised you for being beautiful... Yours is not an ordinary yard, it represents freedom! Please, Madam General, you are a good person!"
Xie Yun smiled helplessly, "Okay, but if your father sends someone to take you back, I won't help you. Okay?"
Yan Yiling was as happy as if she had received a token of amnesty, nodding frantically, "Yeah, yeah. I'll avoid them myself! By the way, General's wife, I saw that the palace training grounds were bustling with activity today. There were a lot of people shooting arrows and racing horses. Let's go and see! You haven't been out all day, you must be bored to death."
Xie Yun used to be playful and playful. Now that she was feeling better, going out for a walk would be good for her recovery.
"good."
-
Xie Yun changed into clean clothes and went out.
After today's training, the soldiers had a rare chance to rest without being disciplined, so they organized an archery competition and a horse race. A crowd gathered around the training grounds, including soldiers, accompanying palace maids, eunuchs, and others, all watching the competition on the field.
"Madam, look, the archery competition over there is so intense! Come on, let's go over there and take a look!" Yan Yiling said as she pulled Xie Yun and ran forward.
Han Zhen desperately chased after her, "Miss Yan, please be careful. My wife hasn't recovered yet!"
Xie Yun had been dragged along for such a long run, and had broken into a light sweat. He felt that his condition was not so bad anymore, so he just let Yan Yiling do what she wanted.
This archery was quite interesting. The outermost area of the training grounds was the horse racing field, with a barrier in the middle separating it from the archery area. Six targets were set out, and I heard from the onlookers that this was the second round, still a fixed target competition, where the contestants would hit the most rings. The next round was the flying target competition, where the contestants would shoot at thrown pigeons to see who could hit the most targets. The final round was the most challenging, requiring blindfolded target shooting and relying on sound detection.
"It's really interesting." Xie Yun asked, "Who has the best chance of winning now? Any bets?"
"Yes, ma'am. Please move forward a few steps to place your bets." The spectator pointed to the betting area and added, "The favorite to win is the young man in position three. He's a rookie."
Xie Yun looked over from a distance and didn't see the man's face clearly, but she could see that Yan Yiling next to her was eager to place a bet, so she took out some silver and said, "Then I'll bet on number three."
After saying that, she looked at Yan Yiling and asked, "Who do you want to bet on?"
Yan Yiling hesitated. "I didn't bring any silver with me, only a jade pendant. I need to think this over carefully. Don't rush. This isn't the only round. There will be many more contestants later."
Xie Yun nodded, and the two of them went to find a place with a wide view to continue watching the game.
But Xie Yun didn't expect to see an acquaintance here.
"Yun..." Zhang Ke just opened his mouth and remembered the recent news that Xie Yun had become the general's wife. He immediately changed his words, "Your subordinate greets the madam."
Xie Yun: "Long time no see, General Zhang. How are you feeling?"
"Thank you for your concern, Madam. My injury has completely healed since you treated me that time. I didn't expect to see you here." Zhang Ke said, "I'll take you to the front, where you can see more clearly."
Seeing Yan Yiling's eyes light up instantly, Xie Yun didn't refuse: "Thank you."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked to the front, more people recognized Xie Yun as the person who shot and killed Liang Jun in public that night.
Most of the people here were the subordinates Yan Huinan had brought with him that day. Xie Yun's actions that night had truly changed the way these people viewed this woman. They didn't know Xie Yun was the daughter of the traitor Xie Qingyun, but simply thought she was Yan Huinan's wife, and their enthusiasm for her was greater than their hostility.
Seeing that the general's wife, who had been so majestic that day, had also come to the archery range, someone suggested that Xie Yun join in the next round and show off her archery skills once again.
Of course, there were also many people who had never seen Xie Yun practice archery, wondering how a woman could shoot arrows. They even asked her to compete, which was ridiculous. They looked down on Xie Yun and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? How many women in this world can shoot arrows? She's the general's wife, so she can do it?"
"That's right! Letting women compare with us is really looking down on us!"
"Even if she knows a little bit about archery, how can a mere woman compare to us? Stop kidding!"
If it were the Xie Yun of the past, she would definitely not accept it. Not only would she not accept it, she would roll up her sleeves, swing her fists and directly knock the person who mocked her to the ground. If she couldn't beat him, Xie Yun was not a good person either. She turned around and called Yan Huinan, the reinforcement, to come.
In short, I will not let myself suffer any injustice.
She wasn't irritated by these taunts anymore, but she was itching to play a match and vent all the grievances she'd endured.
She wants to cum all over these long-tongued men!
Xie Yun replied with a polite smile, "Really? Which warrior is speaking? Please tell me your name. I will play you in the next round. I hope you will give me your guidance later."
Zhang Ke was not present that day; he had led his troops halfway to join up with Yan Huinan's army. He had never seen Xie Yun shoot an arrow, but he knew that Xie Yun was not someone who lacked ability and preferred to show off his strength.
"Teng Ye. But I won't compare myself with you. There's absolutely no need to compare!"
Xie Yun raised an eyebrow. "Is the warrior afraid? I wonder how General Yan, who is so strict in his military discipline, will treat those who are afraid before the battle?"
Teng Ye: "I'm afraid of you? That's ridiculous. I'm just afraid that people will say I'm bullying you. If you really want to compete with me, then go to the registration office and sign up. I'll be included in the list, and my results will be recorded as well. Let's have a fair and just competition."
Xie Yun nodded generously, "Okay."
-
Xie Yun didn't really want to win; she knew her own limitations. She only participated in this competition to vent her emotions.
But the words have been spoken, and she will definitely participate in this competition with all her strength.
The first round of target archery was far from a challenge for Xie Yun. She had learned archery from Yan Huinan as a child, and while she lacked strength back then, her accuracy was excellent. Now that she was older, and the competition was limited to the venue, the targets weren't placed particularly far away, so even Xie Yun's strength was sufficient.
Both she and Teng Ye won easily.
There was a short break before the second game, and Teng Ye was surprised by her performance in the first round; her strength was indeed unmistakable.
But Xie Yun had just been ill, so it was normal for her to feel weak. Teng Ye was drinking and passed a pot to Xie Yun as well.
Xie Yun didn't hesitate, and took the wine and drank a big gulp. This wine was much stronger than anything Xie Yun had ever drunk before, and she felt the alcohol rushing straight to her head after taking a sip.
Crazy, really crazy today. She completely disregarded her health and acted recklessly. Drinking just a little bit wouldn't have much of an impact on her body, and it definitely gave her a sense of relief!
But this alone wasn't enough, she wanted to vent more! All her grievances needed an outlet. If she kept it all bottled up inside, it would really damage her health.
The second round of moving targets was a bit more challenging for Xie Yun. After all, she hadn't practiced archery in years, and her accuracy couldn't compare to those who had fought on the battlefield and trained all day.
But Xie Yun was unequivocal. As she took her position, the alcohol she had just drunk kicked in, instantly filling her with strength. She could actually see every flying object with incredible clarity.
When the first pigeon came flying, Xie Yun was able to rely on her intuition to predict and hit it. But when many pigeons came flying at the same time, her vision became confused. Moreover, when she learned archery, she had not been taught how to shoot multiple moving targets, so her mind was in a state of confusion.
When the audience next to her saw that she had lost her momentum, some of them immediately booed her.
But Xie Yun maintained her mentality. She really didn't care about today's results. She just wanted to have a good shot.
So she took out two more arrows from the quiver, put them on the bow, gathered her strength, and shot them out with force!
These three arrows were shot out in full view of everyone, and two of them actually hit the target!
The moment Xie Yun saw the pigeon fall to the ground, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Teng Ye and the others did indeed have the upper hand in the second round, but Xie Yun also drew cheers from the crowd for hitting the target with two of her three arrows. She was a brave and fearless woman.
During the intermission, Xie Yun realized that Yan Yiling had pressed her entire jade pendant on her.
She really wanted to rush down and stop the ignorant little girl, but then she thought, wasn't she the same kind of person?
Let her be. Xie Yun smiled and waved at Yan Yiling in the backstage.
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The author has something to say: There are no men here today.
but
This is even better! My daughter is the best!
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