Chapter Forty-One
Once Yixiao had steadied herself, Feng Qishan calmly commanded, "Begin!"
"Father, do you still love Consort Chen?" Feng Suige suddenly asked. Feng Qishan was taken aback and frowned. "Why ask such a thing?"
"Father has always doted on Xiyang, largely because of Consort Chen, hasn't he? So even now, Consort Chen still lives in Father's heart, doesn't she?" As he spoke, Feng Suige took three feathered arrows from the guards and carefully inspected each one. "Father keeps Consort Chen in his heart. Though others may be by your side, no one can replace her. So, Father does love Consort Chen, doesn't he?"
Feng Qishan nodded. "That is indeed the case. Are you saying this now to tell me that if she dies, you will remember her for the rest of your life?" He glanced at Fu Yixiao and sneered. "Or perhaps this—I don’t wish to ruin the mood. If she is willing to bow her head and admit her mistake, what happened before will be wiped clean..."
"If she were so easily swayed to submit, I wouldn’t have fallen for her in the first place," Feng Suige chuckled softly. "In truth, Yixiao is no longer just someone I like. Though we may not be as inseparable as flesh and blood, nothing in this world can tear her apart from me now."
Feng Qishan slammed the table in fury. "Are you saying that if she dies, you won’t live on alone?"
"No," Feng Suige nocked the arrow onto the arrow rest. "I won’t let her die." He took a deep breath, drew the bowstring, and took aim.
The air seemed to freeze. The vast hall was utterly silent.
Feng Suige could no longer see Yixiao—his vision was filled only with the Phoenix Hairpin and the swaying string of beads dangling from it. Calm your heart , he silently reminded himself. The target is the hairpin, not the beads.
Yixiao subtly wiped her sweat-drenched palms on her clothes. Though she wasn’t afraid of death, facing the cold, gleaming arrowhead, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous. But she couldn’t retreat, nor could she show even a hint of fear.
What did it matter that Feng Suige stood by her? She was merely a woman from Brocade, bearing the hollow title of the Imperial Son’s concubine. What she faced was the entirety of Su Sha.
Unbidden, Weiran’s admonition flashed through her mind: "Child, the most useless thing in this world is reckless bravery. Even with passion and skill, fists alone cannot defeat many hands. To conquer the world, one must rely on strategy and wisdom. The road ahead is difficult, but once you understand my words, nothing will be insurmountable."
The words were wise, but Weiran, could you teach Yixiao how to possess the strategy and wisdom to conquer the world?
All she knew was that in this forced war, if she wanted to win—and win beautifully—defense was important, but not the main focus. Any opportunity to counterattack or intimidate the enemy, no matter how small, could not be missed. Because perhaps that small chance could turn the tide of the entire battle.
She smiled.
She would win.
Though he knew the shot would undoubtedly hit its mark, the moment the arrow left his fingers, Feng Suige couldn’t help but close his eyes.
The arrowhead, propelled by a fierce gust, whistled through the air, shattering the elegant jade neck of the phoenix before embedding itself deep into the wall behind Yixiao. At the same time, Qin Yi’s cheer rang through the hall. "It hit!"
Feng Suige did not reach for the second arrow. The guard’s outstretched hand holding the next feathered arrow froze mid-air."If I can't guarantee the next two arrows, do you still want me to continue?" Feng Suige asked calmly.
"If I must have two more holes, I'd rather they be in my ears—don't speak, focus on handling the bowstring," Yixiao replied steadily.
Feng Suige expressionlessly took the second arrow. The sturdy bow limbs and specially crafted bowstring were the guarantees of the Greedy Wolf's range and precision. Though he could easily draw this Powerful Bow, he couldn't achieve a tranquil state of mind—the slightest deviation in his hand, and the arrow might...
The more he forced himself to calm down, the more restless he became. The more he tried to steady his hands and feet, the more they trembled slightly. The bowstring was fully drawn, and Feng Suige could clearly feel every muscle in his body tensing, every pore closing, aiding him in summoning all his strength to restrain the Greedy Wolf's eager lunge.
Second arrow.
It was slightly off target, but it still shattered the jade phoenix's beak holding the pearl strand. For a moment, scattered pearls rained onto the ground, clattering for a long while before settling.
Feng Suige had no mind to listen to what Qin Yi, who was jumping and laughing, was shouting. He hurriedly nocked the third arrow on the Arrow Rest, wanting only to end this torment as quickly as possible—"Imperial Son, wait a moment," Qin Yu suddenly called to him.
Turning around, Qin Yu handed him a blood-red jade the size of a pigeon's egg. "This is the Qin family's ancestral protective charm, renowned for its calming effects. Hold it for a while!"
A buzz of discussion immediately rose around them. Feng Suige gave him a grateful look, took the blood jade, and clenched it tightly in his hand.
Feng Qishan chuckled dryly, "Qin Lao certainly has many treasures." Qin Yu smiled naturally. "All thanks to the Lord of the Nation's blessings. If not for his benevolence, Su Sha might still be embroiled in war. Ah, I've long heard of the Imperial Son's exceptional skills, and today I finally witness them firsthand. Truly a worthwhile trip. Only Consort Jing's hairpin was ruined—fortunately, I've recently acquired some exquisite jade hairpins. If Consort Jing does not disdain the crudeness of common folk's items, I'll have them delivered tomorrow."
Consort Jing covered her lips with a laugh. "Qin Lao is always so eloquent. I thank you in advance." Feng Qishan also laughed helplessly. "If Qin Lao's items are crude, then all of Su Sha must be nothing but sand and stones."
As they spoke, Feng Suige's gaze had regained its clarity. Smiling, he returned the blood jade to Qin Yu and thanked him quietly. Qin Yu merely patted his arm and stepped aside.
Feng Suige steadily raised the Greedy Wolf, shifted his stance, and let the arrow fly like a shooting star through the air. It struck the wall with a metallic clang. The crowd was silent for a moment before erupting in admiration.
Yixiao bowed slightly to Feng Qishan, then briskly ran to Feng Suige, who was coming toward her, and poked his shoulder. "Don't expect me to thank you. I'll thank Qin Lao instead." Feng Suige handed her the Greedy Wolf with a smile. "We should indeed thank Qin Lao. If not for his family's blood jade..." Qin Yi burst into giggles, and Yixiao glared at him. "Have you ever seen a family heirloom meant to be sewn onto a belt?"
Seeing Feng Suige's puzzled expression, Qin Yu smiled and handed the blood jade back to him. "Imperial Son, see for yourself." Feng Suige took it and examined it closely—the thread holes at both ends still bore traces of snapped threads. Qin Yu laughed. "Anxiety clouds judgment. I feared the Imperial Son might rush the shot, so I resorted to this trick. Please forgive me."Feng Suige sighed deeply, "Qin Lao's intentions were well-meaning, how could there be any fault? If not for Qin Lao, the last arrow might have caused a great disaster." Yixiao scoffed, "Hitting me isn't a disaster, but if it had gone too far astray, perhaps—" At this point, she pursed her lips into a smile and turned to Qin Yu, clasping her hands in gratitude, "Thank you, Master Qin!"
Qin Yi's eyes swept over the group before she suddenly understood and rushed forward to cling to Feng Suige's arm. She gave Feng Qishan a sweet smile, "Brother Feng is so amazing! Lord of the Nation, can little Yi learn archery from the Imperial Son?"
Feng Qishan's expression remained calm and composed as he nodded with a gentle smile.
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