“Pfft.” Despite trying to maintain decorum for the emperor’s sake, someone on the high platform couldn’t help but laugh.

In truth, Prince Weiyang’s archery wasn’t terrible—at least during hunts, he could manage to take down some game.

But the Zhuori (Scorching Sun) competition was designed specifically for military generals. Every gong, including the largest one at the bottom, was hung at a significant height.

Yet Prince Weiyang had an inexplicable fondness for the smallest gong at the very top, ignoring the easier, larger ones below.

…And he missed every time.

Almost every time he participated in the Zhuori, this was the result.

Gao Quan coughed lightly, noting the emperor’s expression of speechless exasperation.

It was fortunate that the emissaries from Haozhou weren’t invited to the opening ceremony. Otherwise, this would’ve been a great embarrassment.

Each main general participating in the Zhuori was allowed three arrows.

Prince Wei Yangwang, unfazed by his first miss, urged his horse forward and loosed a second arrow.

…Naturally, he missed again.

As he rounded the track for the third time, the leader of the Palace Guard, whom Prince Wei Yang was representing, couldn’t hold back and stepped forward to suggest, “Your Highness, perhaps you could aim for the fifth gong?”

Prince Wei Yangwang: ?

Even he was looking down on him!

Despite his indignation, Prince Weiyang was at least sensible.

For his third arrow, he refrained from aiming for the rixin (the Sun Gong) at the very top and instead targeted the fifth gong.

“Dong!” The gong resounded, and a court eunuch announced loudly, “Palace Guard, hit!”

There was no need to specify which gong was struck—everyone saw it.

Prince Wei Yang’s performance left the officials on the high platform in an awkward position—whether to laugh or stay serious.

Some offered half-hearted compliments, but under the emperor’s amused yet critical gaze, they wisely fell silent.

Fortunately, the generals who followed were far more capable.

Among the leaders of the Imperial Guard, several excelled in archery, with the most outstanding being from the Yulin Guard.

Their leader, Fang Ce, entered the field and hit the second gong with his very first arrow.

“Yulin Guard, hit second gong!” The eunuch barely finished announcing this before Fang loosed a second arrow.

The second shot was even stronger than the first, though slightly off-target, failing to strike the rixin.

Taking a deep breath, Fang Ce spurred his horse into a third lap.

On his third attempt, his draw and release were fluid and seamless.

“Bang!” The arrow struck the rixin squarely, producing a crisp, clear sound.

“Yulin Guard, hit the Sun Gong!”

Cheers erupted from the audience.

“Last year, the Yulin Guard took second place in the military exercises. It seems they might claim first this year.”

“This General Zhang was recently promoted. His archery is exceptional. To achieve such a result on his first appearance, his future is boundless.”

“It’s a pity, though—during his third shot, the wind picked up. The rixin is so small that even a slight breeze makes it sway, preventing him from hitting dead center. It wasn’t a matter of poor aim.”

Amid the flood of praise, Li Qingyuan felt the mounting pressure.

He couldn’t help but glance at Wen Yue Sheng.

Thus far, Wen Yue Sheng had not decided who would participate in the Zhuori on their behalf.

But with the two captains from the Northern City Garrison absent, it seemed he was the only viable option.

While this discussion took place, the Yulin Guard’s leader exited the field, making way for Xiao Jin.

As soon as Xiao Jin appeared, many noblewomen on the high platform perked up.

Wen Yuruo’s gaze sparkled as it fell on him.

Under the sunlight, Xiao Jin, clad in black armor, held a bow named Crescent Moon.

The bow, gifted by the emperor on Xiao Jin’s coming-of-age, was entirely white, its string gleaming like the arc of a crescent moon.

Hence, it was called the Crescent Moon Bow.

Riding his galloping horse, Xiao Jin drew his bow and nocked an arrow with confidence. Without hesitation, he loosed it.

“Dong—” The arrow struck the rixin dead center!

The high platform fell silent for a moment before erupting in thunderous applause.

The eunuch announced loudly, “Imperial Guard, direct hit on the Sun Gong!”

The triumphant declaration echoed throughout the hunting grounds.

Sitting in the hall, Prince Hengguang’s face darkened.

Having recently been reprimanded by the emperor and nursing an injury, he couldn’t participate in the event.

Unlike Prince Jingkang, however, he couldn’t afford to skip such occasions.

But no matter how much he anticipated the event, he hadn’t expected Xiao Jin’s rapid improvement over the years.

The last time Xiao Jin appeared at the opening ceremony was three years ago, when he managed to hit only the second gong with one of his three arrows.

Three years later, his first arrow had struck the rixin dead center.

“Among the four princes, the Prince of Yong’an is renowned for his exceptional talent and outstanding martial skills, truly embodying the phrase ‘accomplished in both literature and martial arts.'”

“During the previous competition against Hao Zhou, the Prince of Yong’an also performed remarkably.”

“Not only that, but last year’s Imperial Guard won first place in the military drill, and now the Prince of Yong’an has secured another first-place victory for them.”

“I can’t say how the Imperial Guard feels, but if I were the commander, I would be immensely grateful to the Prince of Yong’an.”

The annual military drill is of great significance, and within the Imperial Guard, it is regarded as the most important event of the year.

Xiao Jin’s actions greatly boosted the morale of the Imperial Guard.

The Imperial Guard, being the Emperor’s most formidable military unit, now held the Prince of Yong’an in high regard.

His victory today in the Zhuori competition had earned him great fame among them, an advantage that could prove invaluable in the future.

Although the Emperor’s personal guard refrains from showing favoritism towards any prince, this goodwill towards him, when needed, might surpass that of anyone else.

For a moment, the hall was filled with praise for Xiao Jin.

After hitting the mark with his arrow, Xiao Jin did not continue and withdrew from the hunting ground.

He entered the hall together with the Prince of Weiyang, where people inside were already offering their congratulations.

The Prince of Weiyang remarked indifferently, “Is that all it takes to claim first place? It’s not over yet.”

Indeed, the competition was not yet over, but most of the main generals of the Imperial Guard had already participated.

The remaining participants were mostly from the lower-ranked Guard units.

Speaking of the Guard…

The Prince of Weiyang turned to Wen Yuesheng and asked, “Since Young Master Zhang is absent today, who will you send to compete in Zhuori?”

The hall fell silent, and even Xiao Jin, who had just entered, couldn’t help but look over.

Wen Yuesheng maintained her usual calm demeanor, sitting in the hall with a string of prayer beads in her hand, her face expressionless.

Hearing the question, she gently raised her eyes.

Li Qingyuan, standing nearby, had already steeled himself and was about to step forward when Wen Yuesheng suddenly rose and descended from the high platform.

Li Qingyuan froze in place.

He wasn’t the only one. Many others in the hall were equally stunned.

The Prince of Wei Yangwang finally reacted after a long pause and exclaimed in surprise, “Is Si Ning competing herself?”

His words caused an uproar in the room.

“Princess?”

“Can the Princess even ride and shoot?”

“She can. A few years ago, the Princess participated in the royal hunt.”

However, most people only remembered her as someone who could merely participate, not excel.

Glancing at the Guard contingent, they noticed that Zhang Yulin was absent, and among the captains, only Li Qingyuan was present.

Under such circumstances, it was deemed inappropriate to send an ordinary soldier to compete.

“Even so, Captain Li should be the one to go.”

“Yes, women lack the strength of men. Even if the Princess is skilled in archery, she may find it difficult to hit the fifth gong.”

Amidst the discussions, Marquis Zhongyong remarked lightly, “That’s not necessarily true.”

Many turned to look at him. The Grand General of the Nation, seated beside him, asked, “What do you know?”

Marquis Zhongyong replied calmly, “Yesterday, when I invited you to the training ground in the northern part of the city, you refused.”

“The Princess’s method of training soldiers is quite unconventional,” he paused before continuing, “She has only had a few days with the Guard at the northern training ground, yet the soldiers I’ve seen are exceptionally brave.”

“Ordinary soldiers vary in physical condition, but to make each one improve significantly is truly remarkable.”

After a brief pause, he added, “The techniques used to train others could naturally be applied to herself as well.”

The people of the Great Hui Kingdom were unaccustomed to the idea of women intentionally honing such skills.

However, Wen Yuesheng had not been an ordinary woman since she was entrusted with the golden waist badge of the palace.

Everyone present understood the implications of Marquis Zhongyong’s words.

Still, doubts lingered about whether Wen Yuesheng could hit the gong.

If all three of her arrows missed, the Guard would undoubtedly finish in last place. Compared to the Prince of Weiyang’s Imperial Front Guard, their defeat would be even more embarrassing. Having just acquired the golden waist badge, Wen Yuesheng returning with a last-place result would be a severe blow to her reputation.

The Prince of Weiyang muttered under his breath, “In this situation, it would be better to let Captain Li compete.”

At least Li Qingyuan could guarantee hitting the third gong.

Then again, if Wen Yuesheng failed, it would serve as a cushion for the Imperial Front Guard, and the Emperor would no longer view him with such scrutiny.

Fine, let Wen Yuesheng compete.

Because Wen Yuesheng decided to enter the field herself, the spirits of those on the high platform and the soldiers at the hunting ground were reignited.

Countless eyes focused on her—some expectant, some puzzled, and most doubtful.

Wen Yuesheng mounted her horse and accepted the bow and arrows handed to her.

The bow she was given was an ordinary one used by common soldiers.

Without her own weapon, she could only make do with what was provided.

As she leisurely guided her horse forward, those on the high platform grew even more perplexed.

Archery on horseback required speed to generate the force necessary for the arrow to hit the target with maximum impact.

Yet Wen Yuesheng’s slow pace reduced the power of her shot.

With her limited strength, it seemed unlikely she could hit the fifth gong.

However, just as everyone thought this, Wen Yuesheng suddenly spurred her horse.

The horse began to gallop, though not at its fastest speed—slower than when Xiao Jin and others had taken their shots.

Before the horse reached its peak speed, she had already nocked an arrow and drawn her bow.

Under the sunlight, Wen Yuesheng, dressed in black, her pale skin like jade and her dark hair flowing, looked nothing like someone skilled in horseback archery.

But when she released the arrow, the powerful sound of it slicing through the air drew everyone’s attention.

In that instant, all eyes watched as the arrow shot forth with thunderous force, piercing straight through the highest gong!

“Clang—” The sun-shaped gong emitted a crisp and distinct sound, entirely different from before, as it was nailed firmly to the wooden frame.

Even as the wind blew, the gong that once swayed no longer moved an inch.

The entire field fell silent.