"My turn." The three words spoken by Shen Miao were light, yet carried an inexplicable chill, as if they had descended from the heavens and struck heavily before Cai Lin.
Cold sweat trickled down Cai Lin’s forehead as he stared blankly at Shen Miao before him.
Shen Miao took a few steps forward, bent down, and picked up the longbow from the ground. Every move she made was watched intently by the entire crowd, their eyes unwilling to look away.
This was truly an unexpected sight. They had expected to see Shen Miao faint in terror or lose her composure, yet she remained completely unfazed. Instead, it was Cai Lin who was drenched in cold sweat, failing to hit the target with any of his three arrows.
After a brief silence, murmurs broke out among the spectators below.
"Truly, a tiger father does not beget a dog of a daughter! This young lady of the Shen family has remarkable courage!" The speaker was someone who had always been on good terms with Shen Xin. He had previously doubted the rumors of Shen Miao being an incompetent fool, and now, seeing her today, he was convinced those were nothing but slander. With such bravery and poise, how could she possibly be an incompetent? Clearly, someone had deliberately tarnished the young girl’s reputation.
"Indeed, she didn’t even blink earlier. Had that arrow been slightly off, it could have grazed her face. This girl has the bearing of a great general. Even we would likely have been startled in her place."
"Have you forgotten whose family she comes from? How could General Shen’s daughter be anything less than outstanding? It seems all those past rumors were baseless. No wonder they tried to smear her—tall trees catch the wind. At such a young age, she’s already so remarkable, no wonder she invites jealousy."
Most officials held a favorable view of Shen Xin, given their shared interests. Moreover, spending their days in court affairs, they lacked the meticulousness of women in the inner quarters and thus saw things differently. Shen Miao had been young before, but now that she was growing older, her true excellence was naturally coming to light.
Prince Zhou and Jing Wang exchanged glances. Jing Wang shook his head and sighed, "It seems both of us were mistaken. She truly is a bold one."
"Does the Ninth Prince regret it now?" Prince Zhou chuckled, glancing at Fu Xiuyi. "Such an extraordinary woman—how could you have rejected her before?"
"People don’t change overnight. Either Fifth Miss Shen encountered a master who transformed her, or she was pretending to be foolish all along. Either way, Ninth Brother, you’ve lost out," Jing Wang remarked.
Fu Xiuyi smiled faintly. "A graceful lady, but not one who pleases my heart." Did he regret it? Not really. Yet, Shen Miao’s composed demeanor struck him as somewhat grating. He, too, found it hard to believe that someone could change so drastically overnight. Had she been feigning foolishness all along? But why? Was it to deliberately make him disdain her?
Pei Lang set down his teacup. For some reason, his heart had clenched tightly for Shen Miao earlier. Yet, against all expectations, she had remained steady—not only steady but had even frightened Cai Lin into failing his usual archery.
Was Shen Miao truly this formidable?
"What a marvelous woman indeed," Prince Yu remarked with satisfaction, his gaze lingering on Shen Miao’s figure. "I wonder... what she tastes like?"
Pei Lang frowned. Prince Yu’s words undoubtedly hinted at some vulgar and shameful thoughts. Unfortunately, as a man of little influence, there was nothing he could do about it."You lost." In the pavilion, Xie Jingxing leaned casually against the window, speaking with effortless composure.
"Such an outcome!" Su Mingfeng's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he glanced between Xie Jingxing and the distant platform. "Did you already know this would happen?"
"A bet is a bet." Xie Jingxing stood up, brushing the dust off his clothes.
"Fine, I admit defeat. What's the penalty?" Su Mingfeng replied readily.
"After this match, celebrate with me over some twenty-year-old Daughter Red Wine. How about that?"
"You truly have a black heart," Su Mingfeng cursed, then suddenly realized something and asked suspiciously, "But what are we celebrating? Is there anything worth being happy about?"
"Not yet, but there will be soon." Xie Jingxing raised an eyebrow. "Something very much worth celebrating."
On the platform, Shen Miao handed the Herb Fruit to Cai Lin.
Cai Lin's hand trembled slightly as he took it. "Shen Miao, have you ever practiced mounted archery before?"
"Never." Shen Miao smiled at him. "Today is the first time I've held a bow. But since I can shoot three arrows, even if one misses, there's always the next. I'll learn eventually."
Cai Lin shivered, staring at her in disbelief. "Are you joking just now?"
Earlier, Shen Miao had appeared calm and composed, as if she were accustomed to such challenges. He had assumed she must be skilled—after all, Shen Xin was the Grand General of Might, and it was possible he had personally taught his daughter archery. But now Shen Miao claimed this was her first time holding a bow?
How dare she!
"You know nothing—how can you attempt mounted archery? You won’t hit the Herb Fruit, and I’ll be throwing my life away for nothing!" he protested.
"Young Master Cai, this is truly laughable," Shen Miao said evenly, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, carrying clearly across the entire venue. Everyone watched as the girl in the purple robe lowered her gaze slightly, yet her presence remained overwhelmingly assertive.
"When you challenged me earlier, you never asked if I could do mounted archery. When you shot at me, you never asked if I might die. So why ask now whether I can or cannot do it?"
Cai Lin was left speechless. Indeed, he had chosen mounted archery precisely because he thought Shen Miao wouldn’t know it, all to vent his anger for Shen Yue. But now, he had lifted a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
"Miss Shen, my son is unruly. As an official, I apologize on his behalf—please do not take it to heart. But the truth remains that you are untrained in mounted archery. An accident would be unavoidable, and it would be difficult to hold you accountable." Cai Daren finally spoke up under his wife’s insistent glances. His face flushed with shame as the words left his mouth, but he had no choice. Though humiliating, it was better than his youngest son losing his life.
He even used "this official" to intimidate Shen Miao. Though bullying a young girl was hardly honorable, Cai Daren couldn’t help but resent Shen Miao’s inflexibility, and his tone inadvertently carried authority.
But since when would Shen Miao be cowed by an official? She had dealt with the Xiongnu, the Qin State’s imperial family, and even the Emperor of Ming Qi. A mere subordinate official was beneath her notice.
So everyone watched as Shen Miao tilted her chin slightly upward. Cai Daren stood below the platform, and from a distance, it almost looked as though he were prostrating at her feet. And what Shen Miao said next left the entire crowd stunned.She said, "Cai Daren, just now I staked my own life, and now it's Cai Lin's turn to stake his. The life-and-death contract has been signed, clearly written in black and white. Even if I shoot him dead today, it would be fair and square without the slightest issue—he who gambles must pay the price."
Before Cai Daren could speak, she continued, "A man without integrity cannot stand. These were the rules Cai Lin himself proposed. Now he goes back on his word—does Cai Daren conduct himself the same way in officialdom, changing the rules the moment the tide turns?"
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Guess! Will the brat lose his life?
...
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