Chapter 21 The Spotlight
Liu Yu belatedly hummed in response, "What did you just say, elder sister?"
"Is something on your mind, A-Yu?"
certainly.
Liu Yu realized almost suddenly that, regardless of his purpose or status, he was someone who had no right to stand up for Liu Xi.
Her half-brother was Liu Yan, her kindred spirit was Huo Lin, and the man with power and status who was willing to discuss marriage with Liu Xi was a foreign prince.
He had nothing.
But Liu Yu quickly adjusted her emotions and put on a seemingly flawless smile.
"Sister, you're overthinking it."
Liu Xi wasn't stupid; she could tell that Liu Yu was in low spirits and completely out of sorts.
This was the first time Liu Yu had been ambiguous in front of her. Looking at the mask he wore, Liu Xi was suddenly speechless.
Of course she knew that Liu Yu would grow up and have her own thoughts and judgments, but she didn't expect this day to come so soon.
Rather than saying Liu Xi hated betrayal, it would be more accurate to describe her as being afraid.
In an instant, she was overwhelmed with emotions, and Liu Yu noticed every subtle change in her expression.
Liu Yu didn't want to disappoint Liu Xi, so he was eager to prove his abilities through his actions.
His gaze swept back and forth among the offerings, his tone unusually enthusiastic.
"Sister, is this the test question you were talking about?"
Seeing this, Liu Xi mentally slapped herself hard.
What are you thinking? Liu Yu is the cutest and most well-behaved person right now.
She regained her interest and said cheerfully.
“Listen carefully, Ayu. If anyone stands up and asks who can pick the strongest one from this herd of red deer and antelopes, then you…”
"Hunt them all down?"
Liu Yu blinked. "My sister made me practice the continuous arrow technique for so long, it couldn't have been just for fun, could it?"
"That makes sense, but we can't kill them all."
"Father might not choose you directly to solve the problem. I've thought about it, and it's safest for me, your older sister, to step forward first."
"So, in a moment, A-Yu will retreat to the sidelines, right there, where the flag was planted."
“Once I make my choice, the messenger who set the question will surely object, and that will be the time for A-Yu to make his move.”
Liu Yu quickly understood Liu Xi's meaning: compared to dead prey, the living creature was the stronger one.
Everything was exactly the same as in the previous life. The envoys introduced the tributes one by one. The third prince clapped his hands and cheered, then stood up and proposed to play an interesting game with the emperor, using the tributes as stakes.
"If Your Majesty can select the strongest deer from this herd at a glance, I promise to bring another fifty cartloads of tribute to the Celestial Empire in the near future."
"Of course, if no one can be chosen, then I, Xiao Wang, will be considered superior, and these tributes will be used as stakes to take me back to the Northern Faction."
The emperor laughed loudly but did not respond. The imperial concubine received a look from His Majesty, thought for a moment, and then cleverly took over the conversation.
"No matter what, the Third Prince is a junior. How can Your Majesty, as an elder, compete with a junior in a game?"
"I know perfectly well that the prince has no intention of competing for the tribute; he just wants to have some fun. How about we let the other princes keep the Third Prince entertained?"
The Imperial Concubine's words were so clever; she didn't even give the Third Prince a reason to refuse.
Both the emperor and the imperial concubine knew that the question posed by the third prince was unsolvable. The key was whether someone could make a choice and then skillfully deal with the third prince's rebuttal, making him completely convinced.
The Imperial Concubine glanced at Liu Yan, who was sitting to the side, furious and powerless. He was still angry about how the Second Prince Liu Cheng had stolen all the limelight from him during the ball game.
"What a useless son of a man," the Imperial Concubine thought to herself with disgust.
Well, as long as he can stay quiet and not cause trouble for himself, that's fine.
Then she looked at the Third Prince Liu Ji, who was sitting on the other side. He was the most intelligent of the princes, and she was sure he would have a way to solve this problem for His Majesty.
The third prince was intelligent, but unfortunately his mother was of low status and had no powerful backing, so the Imperial Concubine never regarded him as a threat.
Let the Third Prince have this chance to rise to prominence.
Unexpectedly, the Third Prince had no intention of recommending himself. He sat calmly in his seat, intentionally or unintentionally casting his gaze toward Liu Xi.
The third prince had clearly taken an interest in Liu Xi, and if Liu Xi spoke up now, there was no reason for him not to go easy on her.
"Father, why don't you let me give it a try?"
Liu Xi stood up and bowed gracefully to the emperor.
The imperial concubine's expression changed drastically. "Princess, this is not the time for you to act recklessly. Sit down immediately."
"Why not, Xiao Si? Even if you lose, Father won't blame you. Go ahead and try."
The emperor and the third prince Liu Ji had clearly reached the same conclusion. With his approval, even if the imperial concubine was unwilling, she had no choice but to endure it.
Under the watchful eye of the Third Prince, Liu Xi walked off the field. She reached out and touched the head of the red deer beside her, then teased the antelope that was shaking its head nearby, and carefully selected a large, spirited male deer.
"Princess, you've already made your choice? Won't you compare them a bit more?"
The third prince had a somewhat roguish posture, with his arms crossed and his head tilted as he raised an eyebrow at Liu Xi.
Liu Yan couldn't sit still in the stands.
"Your Highness, please forgive my ignorance. My elder sister is truly lacking in knowledge and cannot distinguish between good and bad."
"Liu Xi, if you're not capable, don't show off. You're just making a fool of yourself for no reason."
Liu Xi shrugged. "Does the Third Prince think so too?"
Although the emperor was annoyed by Liu Yan's unrestrained speech, he could not openly express his anger in front of the envoys.
"Xiao Si, don't be too hasty."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Yu fired a series of arrows from a place where no one was paying attention.
With one bow and three arrows, each arrow hit its mark perfectly, even striking the eyeballs.
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, three more arrows were fired, and the remaining antelopes fell as well. Liu Xi stood in the center, calmly leading the deer she had chosen beforehand.
The deer didn't scatter in fright; instead, it stood firmly in place, head held high, displaying quite a bit of courage.
Liu Yan shouted as if he had suddenly seized on something extremely serious.
"The Seventh Prince dared to indiscriminately kill tribute tribute! He's gone mad!"
No one else dared to speak or move rashly; they simply looked at each other and cautiously observed the emperor's expression.
The emperor frowned, his expression grave, but the next second, he suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Excellent! You truly are my good son!"
The emperor stood up and beckoned to Liu Yu.
After exchanging glances with Liu Xi, he put down his bow and arrow and slowly walked towards the emperor.
"I never expected that my children would surprise me more and more each time."
Many people present did not realize the reason until Liu Xi explained it to them, and then everyone understood.
“Father, I do not wish to claim credit for others. This method was secretly told to me by my seventh brother after he came up with it.”
Liu Xi knelt on the ground, begging for a reward for Liu Yu.
The emperor was in high spirits and momentarily forgot his fear of Liu Yu's identity.
"Very well, all will be rewarded! I will give all these tributes to my son as a reward for your decisiveness, courage and resourcefulness."
Liu Xi hurriedly kowtowed to express her gratitude to the emperor along with Liu Yu. As she stood up, she caught a glimpse of the third prince beside her. He was all smiles, as if he had already seen through Liu Xi's little scheme.
Liu Xi didn't dare to meet his gaze directly, probably because of his fox-like eyes.
Liu Yu asked, "Third Prince, are you truly convinced of your defeat?"
The answer was of course yes, but the Third Prince never took his eyes off Liu Xi, which made Liu Yu's originally good mood become irritable again.
The court assembly for today has concluded, and the emperor should now move to the Mingzheng Hall to handle state affairs.
Before Liu Xi could leave, the Third Prince called out to her.
"Fourth Princess, may I speak with you in private?"
Liu Xi suppressed the inexplicable resistance in her heart and tried her best to maintain a generous and proper smile.
"What advice does the Third Prince have for me?"
Seeing that Liu Xi had no intention of moving, he didn't press the matter further.
"I suppose the princess is unaware of my name. I am Murong Xiaohe."
It was an ordinary sentence, but Liu Xi sensed a subtle aggression in him.
This Murong Xiaohe is just like his appearance—an elusive fox.
Before Liu Xi could answer, Xiao He turned and left, leaving behind only a dazzling figure, like a fiery red maple leaf at the end of autumn.
"Sister?"
Liu Yu's voice interrupted Liu Xi's thoughts as she chased after Xiao He.
"Shall we go back to the palace?"
Liu Xi smiled and nodded, as if nothing had happened.
The sedan chair carried the imperial concubine back to the palace. Throughout the journey, the concubine wearily supported her head with her hand, her brows furrowed.
"That little bitch Liu Xi really can't be allowed to live."
She had previously thought Liu Yu was a useless person kept in the palace by the emperor, never expecting that this useless person would suddenly emerge one day.
"What tricks did that little bitch use to persuade that old hag Empress Dowager to personally train the Seventh Prince?"
The Imperial Concubine believed that Liu Yu's sudden success was due to the Empress Dowager's guidance, but she didn't know that Liu Xi was the most capable strategist.
"Your Majesty need not worry. After the court assembly, the chief witness of the Imperial Observatory will report to His Majesty and request that the Fourth Princess be expelled from the palace on the grounds that she is a reincarnation of a demon concubine."
"At that time, Your Majesty will be able to get rid of a great worry."
The imperial concubine slowly opened her eyes, revealing the sinister intent within them.
"I never want to see that little bitch's smug look again. Send someone to inform the witness that I can't wait any longer."
Xiangying agreed, and this was the first time she had shown a knowing smile when the Imperial Concubine couldn't see her.
Inside the Yihuai Pavilion, Imperial Physician Zhu reported the latest developments of the fetus in the Consort's womb to Liu Xi.
"Princess, the Imperial Concubine's belly is empty, but her pregnancy is progressing. It's only a matter of time before she shows signs of pregnancy. You should make plans as soon as possible."
"Don't worry, the Imperial Concubine won't be able to hold out for long."
Liu Xi raised an eyebrow slightly, "Have you taken care of the things I entrusted to you before?"
"It was presented to His Majesty several days ago. The princess's birth date and time are very auspicious, and His Majesty will surely remember them."
"Then I have nothing to prepare."
Liu Xi leaned back against the soft mat.
"Your Highness, you should understand the meaning of the phrase 'to weave a cocoon around oneself'."
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