Chapter 118 Completely Convinced? A Slap in the Face on the Spot
Her aim was steady and precise; the arrow shot out with a whoosh.
At the same time, cheers erupted from the entire stadium.
The announcer excitedly shouted, "Ten rings! Her Highness Consort Wei has hit the ten rings!"
As expected of a woman raised in a noble family, Consort Wei did not disgrace Wei Ting's reputation, delivering a perfect performance at the most crucial moment.
Wei Liru's motivation was not only for the honor of her family, but also to prove her abilities to the emperor.
Upon hearing the result, a flicker of emotion crossed Ji Qingwu's eyes.
It wasn't for Consort Wei's perfect shot, but rather...
She had once pestered Wei Ting to teach her riding and archery in the North, but he always used the excuse of being busy with military affairs to deal with her. His promise of another day eventually became a distant dream.
However, Wei Ting had rejected her many times, and she was already used to it.
The way Consort Wei shoots arrows shows a resemblance to Wei Ting. But as Emperor Wusu's favored concubine, did she also receive guidance from him, just like I did?
Ji Qingwu lowered his head, his heart churning with a bittersweet feeling, and touched the horse's mane with his hand.
After Wei Liru shot the arrow, she looked at the emperor in the distance. The crowd was cheering, but he remained seated calmly and did not move. At this distance, it was impossible to see what his expression was, but it did not seem like he was happy or excited.
She tossed the bow and arrows to the guard beside her, dismounted, took the Suihou Pearl from the brocade box, and came up behind Ji Qingwu.
"Miss Ji, I have won! The Suihou Pearl is mine now. Are you convinced?"
Wei Liru was already immersed in joy, knowing that even if the opponent shot another bullseye, it would be useless; she was already the winner of this match.
Ji Qingwu looked at the bow and arrow in her hand and said slowly, "Congratulations, Consort Wei. However, I did not participate in the competition for the reward or to win first place."
She may lose the game, but she won't accept it.
Wei Liru seemed to have heard something shocking, raising her eyebrows and asking, "Oh? Then what is it for?"
Ji Qingwu said, "It's just to test the results of my training during this period. Actually, first place and last place make no difference to me."
Wei Liru burst out laughing, her tone mocking: "Miss Ji, the winner takes all. You can't get first place, so you have to talk such big words in front of me. Isn't that a bit petty?"
Ji Qingwu rode past her without offering any further explanation.
She realized the reason was simply that she loved the feeling of freedom and liberation that riding and archery gave her, nothing more. It wasn't for the favor of others, nor to win the emperor's attention, but simply because she loved it from the bottom of her heart.
Looking back now, men only hindered her archery speed.
Ji Qingwu returned to the archery area, still with that unhurried demeanor. She calmly inhaled and exhaled, her gaze following the moving target.
The cheers and jubilation were all for Consort Wei. Ji Qingwu didn't care where everyone's attention was or whether anyone was even looking at her. What she cared about was her arrow.
She suddenly spurred her horse and began to run on the field, the wind blowing through her black hair as if she were chasing the wind and the sun.
Ji Qingwu stepped onto the stirrup with one foot, stood up, and with a graceful spin, began to draw her bow and arrow.
As if sensing what she was about to do, the emperor on the high platform finally could not sit still. He stood up, tall and elegant, his eyes fixed intently on the white tail of the feathered arrow.
Once she was in position, she confirmed the location of the target, and Ji Qingwu dismounted and lay prone on the ground. The arrows were fired almost simultaneously.
Her waist was supple and elastic, bending into an incredible arc, very close to the ground, yet she could maintain it for a long time.
The arrow flew straight toward her desired destination.
First, there was a clanging sound.
It collided with something, followed by the crisp sound of the arrow hitting the target.
Seeing that he had hit the target, Ji Qingwu used his waist and legs to land back on his horse, his whole body as light as a floating cloud.
The horse strolled around the field, and she breathed softly.
The cheers in the stadium stopped, replaced by gasps of disbelief.
With his last arrow, Ji Qingwu pierced through the target.
However, the arrow pierced through Consort Wei's target!
The scorekeeper shouted, "A perfect score, but it doesn't count towards the total score. The winner of this round is Consort Wei!"
Wei Liru, the victor, saw her arrow, which had been split in two and fallen into the sand.
She said angrily, "Ji Qingwu, what do you mean by this!"
Ji Qingwu nimbly dismounted and looked at the woman blocking her way, saying, "Your Highness Consort Wei, my eyesight isn't very good. I didn't see the target clearly and missed again."
After saying that, he quickly left the shooting range.
Even though the shot missed, it still managed to pierce her arrow accurately. Wei Liru gritted her teeth in resentment.
This reason might not hold water for anyone else, but it makes a lot of sense when applied to Ji Qingwu.
Ji Qingwu's first arrow hit someone else's target, and his last arrow missed. Isn't this a kind of beginning and end?
The winner of the archery competition was Consort Wei, who received the originally planned reward, as well as the Suihou Pearl, a special gift from the emperor.
Ji Qingwu missed the target again, dropping to fifth place, while Huo Shaofang, thanks to her, returned to second place.
After the women's competition, it was time for the men's team to take the stage, and the atmosphere immediately changed.
The men's group will participate in a traditional archery competition, which is more rigorous and adopts the "three-shot" rule.
The first round of shooting only reports the result, not the number of shots. The second round counts the number of hits; arrows that do not penetrate the target are not counted. The third round requires shooting in sync with drum music; not only must the arrow hit the target, but it must also be in sync with the music.
The venue is being set up below the stage.
Ji Qingwu had returned to the side stands, and Qiao Shi looked at her with red eyes.
She immediately asked in surprise, "Mother, what's wrong? You look like you were crying just now. Who bullied you?"
This area was the quarters for the wives and daughters of high-ranking officials. She looked around suspiciously but found nothing unfriendly.
It was rather strange that all the elegantly dressed ladies were looking at her with eager eyes.
Qiao's voice was a little choked up as she quickly said, "No, it's nothing, Mother is fine, I just got some wind in my eyes."
She was too embarrassed to admit that at her age, she was so moved by Xiao Wu's final arrow that she shed tears.
The thought of her wonderful daughter filled Qiao with emotion. Then, she thought of how Xiao Wu had been living away from home for so many years, unlike Consort Wei, who had received a proper education from a young age, thus hindering her from developing her great talent.
Otherwise, it would be impossible to know who would win or lose today.
Qiao felt a pang of sadness, realizing it was all her fault. She was both touched and deeply remorseful.
Madam Qiao smiled so much that her eyes crinkled into wrinkles, and said, "Little Wu, Ruying was just so excited watching you shoot arrows that she cried tears of joy."
Ji Qingwu tucked her wind-blown hair behind her ear and said shyly, "Grandmother, Mother, I didn't win."
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