Chapter Sixty-Six
Despite the dissuasion, Fu Yixiao still arrived at the competition grounds and was now adjusting her attire, preparing to enter the arena. Feng Suige watched her solemn and methodical demeanor, feeling a touch of sweetness in his heart. No wonder Xia Jingshi had gone to such lengths for this woman—she was worth it.
Although Xia Jingshi’s handwritten letter had been sealed with wax, Feng Suige couldn’t shake off a lingering unease. Yesterday, Steward Huang had returned from Brocade to Su Sha, but according to secret reports, he had been directly escorted into the palace the moment he entered the city gates. There was no need to speculate—it must have been on the orders of the Lord of the Nation, Feng Qishan. Moreover, given Xia Jingshi’s meticulous nature, how could he have entrusted someone with a verbal message, leaving room for criticism?
And today, the archery competition method Feng Qishan had devised was unexpectedly complex. He had ordered a hundred water deer to be released into an enclosed forest, instructing Fu Yixiao and Ye Duanfang to enter simultaneously. After one hour, the winner would be determined by the number of deer ears collected...
Feng Suige stepped forward to tighten Yixiao’s wrist guards, forcing a smile. "You wouldn’t really give me away, would you?" Yixiao lowered her head, smoothing the folds of her clothes without a word. Feng Suige sighed, covering his cheek with a sorrowful expression. "They say beauty is often fleeting, and even more so for a man as perfect as I am. It’s only because heaven made me so unique—every virtue others lack, I possess in abundance..."
"Feng Suige!" Yixiao finally couldn’t hold back and shouted. "Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?" "Of course not," Feng Suige chuckled. "Are you nervous? You seem unwilling to talk much." "No," Yixiao denied flatly. "I’ve never been one for many words."
Feng Suige simply hummed in response, his gaze burning into her. "Honestly, seeing you fight so hard for me—even if you lose, I won’t blame you. How about this? I’ll compete in your stead, as if you’ve hired me."
Yixiao shot him a glare. "But I don’t have the money to pay you." Feng Suige looked at her earnestly. "Just let me love you for a lifetime..." Before he could finish, Yixiao tightened the strap securing her quiver to her chest and strode out of the shaded pavilion.
Watching her walk into the arena, Feng Suige suddenly addressed Feng Qishan. "Father, Yixiao’s wrist is still bruised and swollen. Could we..." Before he could finish, an elder minister laughed heartily. "Newlyweds are indeed sweet as honey, but if the Imperial Son intends to favor the Minor Imperial Concubine here and now, I fear it will be hard to silence the murmurs of the crowd."
Feng Suige smiled carefreely. "You overthink, my lord. I merely wish to assign someone to follow Yixiao and collect the deer ears for her, not to compete in her stead." Feng Qishan pondered briefly before nodding. "Very well. But whom do you have in mind, Suige?" Feng Suige enunciated each word clearly. "Guyu."
Guyu, carrying a burlap sack, skipped joyfully behind Yixiao’s horse. Yesterday, Fu Yixiao had been punished for saving him, and he had been heartbroken all night. Early this morning, when Feng Suige found him and asked him to assist Yixiao by gathering the hunt during the competition, he had been so overjoyed he could hardly contain himself. Beyond shouting incoherent and meaningless syllables, he couldn’t think of any other way to express his happiness—the Imperial Son didn’t resent him for yesterday’s incident and had even entrusted the Minor Imperial Concubine to his care...The two swiftly weaved through the dense forest. Before long, Guyu's clothes were already stained with deer blood. But gradually, Fu Yixiao began to frown tightly after each rapid shot, her accuracy worsening until she nearly missed several times.
Guyu noticed it too. Pointing at the Greedy Wolf in frustration, he grunted, "Minor Imperial Concubine rest. Guyu will kill." Yixiao tilted her head to wipe the sweat trickling down her cheek onto her right shoulder. "We only have two hours. While we rest, Marquis Jianxin won't. If you're not tired, let's keep going, alright?"
Guyu puffed out his chest and nodded vigorously. "Not tired. Not tired at all." Yixiao gave a slight nod and urged her horse forward.
If Feng Suige had only one subordinate he could trust absolutely, it would undoubtedly be Guyu. Though Guyu might have some intellectual shortcomings, his loyalty was beyond question. Feng Suige had tasked him with protecting Fu Yixiao, and protect her he would. So when he fell into the pre-laid trap, he still managed to shout, "Watch out—"
Yixiao only saw an empty space ahead—Guyu, who had been running forward to cut off the deer's ears, abruptly vanished from the ground. Along with his muffled warning and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, a cloud of dry dust rose from the earth.
Instinctively, Yixiao yanked the reins and stared ahead, breaking into a cold sweat. A massive pit had suddenly appeared in the flat yellow earth—an expertly concealed trap!
"Guyu!" Yixiao leaped from her horse and rushed to the edge of the pit, peering down. "Guyu, are you alright?" Guyu lay twisted at the bottom, dazed. At her call, he seemed to regain some awareness, struggling weakly before groaning, "Careful..."
Without stopping to wonder why such a huge trap had been set in the middle of the forest clearing, Yixiao turned to untie the horse's reins. "Guyu, check if you're hurt. I'll find a way to pull you up..."
Guyu shifted in the pit, causing dirt to crumble from the walls with a rustling sound. Yixiao had already returned with the reins, tying one end around her waist and tossing the other down. "Guyu, try to grab hold. Let's see if we can pull you up."
Half-leaning against the pit wall, Guyu laboriously gathered something from the ground, muttering, "Wait... ears..." Only then did Yixiao notice the bag he had been holding had been flung aside, deer ears spilling out onto the dirt, smeared with blood and mud.
"Guyu, come up first," Yixiao urged, but Guyu stubbornly collected the ears back into the bag, carefully tying it to his waist before reaching up to grasp the reins. Yet Yixiao was too slight, and Guyu too massive. After several attempts, not only did she fail to pull him up, but she nearly tumbled into the pit herself. Defeated, she gave up.
After a short rest, Yixiao stood resolutely. "Guyu, wait here. I'll go back and bring the Imperial Son with help." At the mention of the Imperial Son, Guyu seemed to have an epiphany and began patting himself down. Soon, he held up two fire arrows with a foolish grin. "Imperial Son said... shoot up... brings help..."
On the martial competition grounds, blade contests were underway. Feng Suige watched absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting miles away to the depths of the forest.I wonder how many deer ears she's collected by now... Guyu should be a great assistant, completely focused... Just as my thoughts were wandering, I suddenly heard someone exclaim beside me, "Look, where did those fire arrows come from?"
Feng Suige instinctively looked up toward the dense forest, and his heart immediately sank to the depths—against the clear, cloudless sky, two distinct trails of white smoke arched upward, their curved paths pointing straight into the heavens.
Others in nearby tents gradually noticed as well. The crowd, which had been solely cheering for the fighters below, began to buzz with murmurs. "Those really are fire arrows... Where did they come from...?"
Those were the fire arrows he had given to Guyu, the ones he had instructed never to be used unless in danger—and yet, two had been fired at once!
Feng Suige could no longer care about etiquette. Ignoring Feng Qishan's shouts, he sprinted toward the rear where the horses were tied, hastily untied one, and galloped at full speed toward the forest.
Danger... Danger, danger... Yixiao is in danger!!!
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