"Yang Mengchen? Are you sure you heard correctly, that Princess Chen is truly called Yang Mengchen?" Chu Dieyi suddenly turned to look at her husband.
"I am certain that Noble son’s Luo indeed said that Princess Chen is called Yang Mengchen," Shao Mingyi affirmed with a nod, seeing his wife suddenly become somewhat inexplicably excited, he couldn’t help but ask in confusion, "Madam, what’s the matter?"
Suppressing the unusual emotions stirring within, Chu Dieyi gently shook her head, "I’m fine." Then she looked straight at Yang Mengchen, her pupils brimming with shock, joy, trepidation, tension... a myriad of complex feelings.
Could Princess Chen be the person she knew? Or was it simply a case of sharing the same name? It seemed she would have to find an opportunity to meet with Princess Chen.
"Speak then, how shall we compete?" Higuirre, already prepared, looked down at Yang Mengchen with a raised chin and a proud gaze, "Will it be shooting through the willow at one hundred paces? Or perhaps hitting the birds in the sky? I shall accompany you in either."
The crowd’s expressions changed dramatically upon hearing this.
That Higuirre could speak of shooting through the willow at one hundred paces with such confidence indicated that the princess was indeed a master; however, Princess Chen’s movements appeared clumsy – could she really win against Princess Higuirre?
Aside from some with less than honorable intentions, everyone else was deeply worried for Yang Mengchen.
"Since Princess Higuirre has traveled a long distance to be here, I, as Princess Chen, shall comply with your wish to compete in shooting through the willow at one hundred paces." Setting down the bow and arrows in her hand, Yang Mengchen looked at Higuirre and spoke with a faint smile, "Princess Higuirre and I will each have ten arrows, to see who can hit the most falling leaves from one hundred meters away – the one with the most hits wins. What do you think, princess?"
"Fine!" Higuirre eyed Yang Mengchen provocatively, choosing red-colored arrowheads among the red and blue options, confident there would be no mix-up at the end.
Yang Mengchen watched Higuirre quietly, her brow clear as water, completely unmoved by Higuirre’s challenge.
The Emperor waved his hand, and soon two guards holding leaves stood on either side a hundred meters away, beginning to toss the leaves into the air.
Higuirre immediately picked up her bow and arrows and shot at the fluttering leaves, her archery truly impressive; six consecutive arrows each pierced through two or three leaves. She proudly glanced at Yang Mengchen beside her, then reached for her seventh arrow.
Laksh and Batelgen wore proud expressions, while others from the Taji Chang Tribe cheered loudly for Higuirre, giving her their vocal support.
Seeing that Yang Mengchen stood silently, not once picking up her bow and arrows, the hearts of the Dong Chu people burned with impatience – had Princess Chen been bluffing when she had sworn her bold claims with such certainty?
Chu Dieyi’s hand holding her teacup unconsciously tightened, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, lips pursed, and a hint of worry and anxiety hidden in the depths of her profound eyes.
The Emperor and Long Xuanmo among others looked at Yang Mengchen, believing that she had a reason for her actions, and thus all remained silent.
Just as Higuirre reached for her ninth arrow, the still and unmoving Yang Mengchen suddenly turned her eyes towards Chu Dieyi, her lips curving into a faint smile, then she withdrew her gaze. With one hand, she picked up the crossbow, and with the other, she grabbed five arrows and released them.
The five arrows ’whooshed’ through the air towards the leaves, remarkably altering their course mid-flight from vertical to horizontal trajectories, penetrating countless leaves before embedding deeply into the wooden wall behind them. The crowd was too astonished to cry out when another set of five arrows swiftly followed.
Everyone was dumbfounded, taking a long time to recover.
Higuirre stood there slack-jawed, the ninth arrow still resting on her crossbow, seemingly having forgotten to release it.
For a moment, the entire Imperial Garden was as silent as the grave, with only the gentle breeze and the fragrance of flowers in the air.
"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" the Emperor exclaimed in praise, his heart finally settling down, his face beaming with a proud and delighted smile.
The crowd then came back to their senses, bursting into thunderous applause that almost seemed to pierce the heavens. They looked at Yang Mengchen with eyes filled with shock and awe, especially the warriors, who from the bottom of their hearts admired and respected Yang Mengchen.
One must know that since ancient times, no one had managed to release five arrows at once. Even the once-renowned archer, Young Master Mingyue, could only shoot three arrows simultaneously. Yet Princess Chen, a woman, had managed to fire five arrows, changing their trajectory mid-flight, a feat both horrifying and unbelievable. But as they had seen it with their own eyes, they had no choice but to believe.
Long Xuanmo and others wore expressions of shared glory, naturally offering the loudest applause.
Secretly breathing a sigh of relief, Chu Dieyi’s face relaxed, her eyes twinkling with admiration and curiosity. She admired Princess Chen for not being inferior to men, but she was puzzled as to why Princess Chen had looked at her before shooting her arrows.
And Lin Zheqi, watching Yang Mengchen, even as an adversary, couldn’t help but admire Princess Chen internally; after all, not only was she exceptionally capable, but she also put aside personal gains and losses, always seeking the Emperor’s and the Imperial Court’s well-being. Such a person deserved respect.
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