"In two days, Mo Feng and Mo Yu will also be back."
Mo Yun and Mo Lei were ecstatic, as they, along with Feng and Yu, had served Prince Xuan Mo since childhood. Although not blood brothers, their bond was closer than that of real brothers. Over the years, Mo Feng had been stationed at the frontier, and Mo Yu was in charge of the power balance among the three countries, so naturally, they longed to reunite with their two brothers whom they hadn’t seen for a while.
Seeing the joy in their eyes, Long Xuanmo remained silent, but the slight upturn of his lips revealed his mood.
"Mo Lei, take someone to take care of the Red Flame Steed. Mo Yun, lead a team to the competition grounds, and thoroughly inspect everything inside and out several times. There must not be a single mistake!"
The Red Flame Steed was Long Xuanmo’s beloved mount, having shared life and death moments with him, and it had also grown very close to Yang Mengchen.
"Your subordinate obeys!"
With a wave of his hand indicating for them to leave, Long Xuanmo turned and went back to the bedroom, undressed, and lay down beside his beloved wife. He tenderly kissed her forehead and then took her into his arms.
It was evident that Ah Jiu was very fond of children. He originally planned to discuss with Ah Jiu about having a child after the competition, now that he had stopped taking the medicine. However, with restless elements at play, he would have to wait until after sorting out these annoying matters.
Early the next morning, a group arrived at the competition field on time.
Yang Mengchen was dressed in a light purple riding outfit. Her ink-black hair was tied with a light purple ribbon, and she wore not a single piece of jewelry, looking bold and vigorous.
Hai Ruofeng and Su Manru were clothed in dark blue and tender green riding outfits respectively. They both looked quite attractive, but they were merely making up the numbers in the morning’s competition.
Princess Yashuang was in goose yellow riding attire, while Princess Feilan wore orange. They were a pleasant sight to behold.
It was Qi Qiuxin who stood out, in her fiery red riding outfit, especially flamboyant. When she saw Yang Mengchen arrive, she gave a proud and provocative look, her chin lifted high like a proud peacock.
Yang Mengchen smiled faintly, paying no mind to Qi Qiuxin.
Qi Qiuxin naturally became furious with embarrassment. Seeing Prince Chen and her own Imperial Brother foolishly fixated on Yang Mengchen, jealousy flared intensely in her eyes.
You lowlife, not only did you drug Prince Chen with an infatuation potion, but you also ensnared my Imperial Brother. I, Princess Qi, will not let you off the hook!
The competitors first drew their number tags, and then listened to Old Hai explain the rules. When the competition began, they stepped forward in ordered sequence to compete.
The target was set forty meters in front.
The earlier competitors, including Princess Yashuang and the participants from Xiliang and Beiyue countries, all hit two bullseyes and one slightly off-mark. Hai Ruofeng barely hit the target, while Su Manru and the other two participants from Nanping Country didn’t even hit the target.
The crowd still offered applause in encouragement, especially the people from Dong Chu, as their women traditionally ranked last in the equestrian archery competition, so no one would ridicule Hai Ruofeng or Su Manru.
Princess Feilan and Qi Qiuxin also hit three bullseyes. After Princes Feilan’s round, the applause was enthusiastic. Qi Qiuxin received only scattered claps, consumed with thoughts of how to humiliate Yang Mengchen after her presumed blunder, she paid no attention to the crowd.
Yang Mengchen was the last to compete. Seeing her take the stage, the crowd exploded in applause and many shouted words of encouragement.
As expected, Yang Mengchen hit three bullseyes.
With a tie between three competitors, the rules dictated a tiebreaker. This time, the target was moved back by fifty meters.
Again, the three competitors ended in a tie, so the target was moved back eighty meters.
Seeing that Yang Mengchen’s archery skills were indeed as superb as rumored, Qi Qiuxin started to panic as her plans to humiliate her seemed likely to fall through. Her first arrow veered slightly off the bullseye, causing her to become even more flustered. Her following two arrows were even less impressive, forcing her to retreat in fury, silently cursing Yang Mengchen and Wu Feilan to miss their shots.
Unfortunately for her, the heavens seemed to disfavor her wishes. Yang Mengchen and Wu Feilan both ended up hitting three bullseyes again, leaving Qi Qiuxin seething to the point of spitting blood.
The venue erupted, filled with loud cheers and shouts of support that lasted for a long time.
The target was once again moved, this time to a distance of a hundred meters.
Wu Feilan went first, hitting two bullseyes and missing one. For a performance that even normal men would struggle to achieve, the crowd gave an enthusiastic round of applause.
When it was Yang Mengchen’s turn, everyone held their breath in anticipation. The atmosphere was so silent you could hear a pin drop, with only the gentle sunlight beaming down and the soft breeze caressing the scene.
Yang Mengchen, with her serene face and calm demeanor, shot her arrows steadily, hitting three bullseyes.
The crowd was astonished; the cheers and shouts of encouragement were long and sustained.
Wu Feilan gave Yang Mengchen a heartfelt smile, her bright eyes shining with admiration. No wonder my Imperial Brother holds the Princess Chen in such high esteem. After watching these competitions, she was thoroughly impressed.
Next up was the mounted archery competition, which also used three arrows to determine the winner. A performance of equestrian skills would give an extra advantage in the event of a tie.
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