Chapter Sixty-Eight
Standing dumbly to the side, Feng Suige clutched the fabric at his chest tightly, the two golden dragons embroidered on his robe contorting into ferocious shapes from the crumpled folds. Ye Duanfang hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to check Guyu's pulse at the neck. Shaking his head, he retreated behind Feng Suige and murmured, "He's gone."
Feng Suige remained silent, but Yixiao suddenly whipped her head around. Her large eyes, brimming with tears, glared at Ye Duanfang with hatred as she spat, "If you wanted my life, you could have taken it openly! Why drag others into this?! You're despicable!! Shameless!!!"
Ye Duanfang's lips twitched as he replied darkly, "If you cannot defeat me, you are unworthy of his sacrifice—and unworthy of my explanation."
The last drop of water finally dripped from the hourglass. The scene fell into silence as everyone craned their necks toward the dense forest. Feng Qishan tapped the armrest of his grand chair impatiently before ordering the palace guards standing nearby, "Send someone to check again."
In the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the dispatched soldier galloped back. Dismounting, he knelt in the center of the field and reported uneasily, "My Lord... the Imperial Son says he cannot come now. He requests Your Majesty and the ministers to join him instead..."
Feng Qishan immediately stood up in shock. "Has Suige been injured?!"
"The Imperial Son is unharmed," the soldier faltered. "The situation is... difficult to explain, so—"
"Enough," Feng Qishan waved his sleeve imperiously. "Lead the way!"
The carriages of the nobility trailed behind the royal chariot as they slowly advanced along the forest path. Feng Qishan swayed slightly with the jolts of the vehicle, his expression shifting unpredictably.
That man had schemed meticulously, yet overlooked two fire arrows. Not only had his plans failed, but who knew what trouble might arise now...
The carriage finally came to a stop, and the rumbling behind gradually ceased. After a long pause, Xingling tremblingly lifted the curtain. "My Lord, the Imperial Son is ahead."
Feng Qishan stepped out of the chariot with a composed expression. At the sight before him, his heart first lurched—then eased slightly. Only three figures stood ahead: Feng Suige and Ye Duanfang side by side, each holding a bloodstained burlap sack. Not far in front of them lay a massive, bloodied corpse—none other than the giant called Guyu. Further behind them, Fu Yixiao knelt, covered in blood, silently counting and bundling collected arrows without lifting her head.
As Feng Qishan emerged, all the surrounding soldiers—including Marquis Jianxin, Ye Duanfang—knelt and hailed, "Long live the Lord!" Only two remained unmoved: Feng Suige, standing tall and proud, and Fu Yixiao, absorbed in her task.
Feng Qishan frowned. "Fu Yixiao's lack of decorum is one thing, but why must you—"
"Father," Feng Suige interrupted, upending his sack. Bloody deer ears spilled over Guyu's corpse, scattering across the ground. In a clear voice, he declared, "Here are the deer ears. I ask Father to inspect them publicly!"
The atmosphere turned eerie. The ministers who had followed exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to breathe too loudly.
A man had died—yet why did the Lord seem indifferent, concerned only with whether the Imperial Son had paid his respects?
A man had died—yet why did the Imperial Son seem indifferent, insisting first on verifying the deer ears?A life was lost—clearly, a life was lost...
Ye Duanfang silently rose to his feet and poured out the deer ears he had hunted onto the other side. Immediately, all eyes turned to the ground—two piles of deer ears, seemingly equal in number. Only a detailed count could determine the outcome, but without Feng Qishan’s order, not a single soldier dared step forward to tally them.
After a long silence, it was Ye Duanfang who spoke first. "Your subject admits defeat." Before his words even faded, both Fu Yixiao and Feng Suige turned to him in surprise. The officials behind Feng Qishan erupted into murmurs. Feng Qishan narrowed his sharp eyes. "This lord has yet to order the count. Why does Marquis Jianxin say this?"
Ye Duanfang remained silent for another moment before turning toward Fu Yixiao. He picked up a bundle of arrows from the ground. "Your subject may not have lost to the Minor Imperial Concubine, but I lost to these arrows—or rather, to the one who used them."
Dead silence.
Feng Qishan said nothing, while Ye Duanfang’s brows furrowed deeply. His words were clear and forceful: "Had this been a fair contest, regardless of victory or defeat, I would have accepted it with peace of mind. But—" His finger pointed at Guyu’s corpse on the ground. "The Minor Imperial Concubine was ambushed during the contest, and her attendant lost his life protecting her. Even if I won, it would be an unworthy victory!"
Large tears suddenly welled up in Fu Yixiao’s eyes. She wiped her bloodstained face roughly with her sleeve, gathered all the bloodied arrows from the ground, and strode defiantly toward Feng Qishan. Instantly, several civil and military officials rushed forward, shielding him.
Yixiao laughed coldly. "Why so nervous? Could it be someone has a guilty conscience?" With that, she flung the bundle of arrows at Feng Qishan’s feet. "Including those in Marquis Jianxin’s hands, there are seventy-four arrows in total. Sixty-seven of them were pulled from Guyu’s body."
Then she turned and pointed at Ye Duanfang. "Don’t think admitting defeat absolves you of suspicion. As long as I draw breath, I swear to avenge Guyu!" Ye Duanfang nodded expressionlessly but said nothing.
Feng Qishan nudged the arrows with his foot and snorted. "This lord will investigate this matter thoroughly. Guards, come forward and gather the deer ears. Count them publicly to determine the winner of the archery contest." Before his words faded, Ye Duanfang had already knelt again. "For the sake of your subject’s reputation, I beg the Lord of the Nation to revoke this order!"
Seeing the soldiers freeze mid-step, Feng Qishan roared in fury, "This has nothing to do with the contest! I command you—" "The Lord of the Nation is wise!" Ye Duanfang suddenly grew impassioned. "If my innocence cannot be proven, what use is winning the contest? How could I face the soldiers under my command, or the judgment of the entire nation?"
Feng Qishan trembled with rage, lips quivering, before he could speak. Feng Suige, who had remained silent until now, said slowly, "This son believes only an insider could have colluded with an outsider. Therefore, Father should not dwell on the contest any longer but swiftly and strictly uncover the mastermind behind this incident to prevent further complications."
"Rebellion! All of you are rebelling!" Feng Qishan laughed in fury. "For the sake of a foolish, dim-witted gatekeeper, you all dare lecture this lord?!"
"How could we dare call it rebellion?" Yixiao smiled faintly. "The Lord of the Nation never errs. How could we dare lecture him?"She took a few steps and cast a cold glance at the officials behind Feng Qishan. "I just want to remind those with ulterior motives that assassinating a royal family member is a crime punishable by extermination of one's clan. And as you all know, Fu Yixiao comes from a military background—she only knows how to repay tooth for tooth. If anyone tries to push me into a corner, from this day forward, they can forget about ever having peaceful days again!"
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