Since Yu Lin's visit to Luoyi was intended for peace talks, no one could openly carry weapons into the city.
General Muman brought a brand-new bow and arrow, intending to lend it to Xie Jingqi. However, Xie Jingqi found fault with it, claiming new bows and arrows had no soul.
General Muman was speechless with anger.
Why would a mere bow and arrow need a soul?
"Go fetch all the good bows and arrows in the city!" General Muman now only wished for the competition to start quickly so that he could leverage Turku's position for maximum benefit amidst Yu Lin's dejection.
Soon, soldiers filed in one after another.
The bows and arrows on each tray were different and had their own characteristics.
Many of them were not even available to Yu Lin.
Han Jingyu secretly marveled.
It was true that the Tujue, who had conquered the world on horseback, were different, dedicating all their efforts to weapon making. Fortunately, today, he had the privilege of witnessing this thanks to the Seventh Prince. This would allow him to prepare defenses when he returned to Yu Lin to train troops.
However, for Xie Jingqi, who was intent on causing trouble, the best bows and arrows were worthless. He picked up one, then looked at another, first complaining that bows and arrows with hidden weapons were too heavy and inaccurate, then that those without hidden weapons were too light, making it difficult to shoot straight.
The Tujue present were truly driven to curse.
Was this choosing a bow and arrow or a bride?
Xie Jingqi seemed oblivious to the enraged looks around him, leisurely continuing his critique of the bows and arrows. "Choosing a weapon is like choosing a wife; it must be comfortable and handy for oneself. Otherwise, if you choose one you can't stand to look at, forget about having sons; even eating together would be a turn-off. Our Yu Lin is not as casual as Tujue."
The Tujue envoys were silent, collectively bleeding three liters of blood!
Ji Zizhao looked at the increasingly restless Tujue envoys and felt gratified.
The Seventh Prince appeared somewhat frivolous, but he was a person who understood adaptability.
Qing Zhu entered the room discreetly and spread a shawl over Ji Zizhao's shoulders.
The Tujue knew that Princess Ronghe had entered the city with two maids, and General Muman had a photographic memory, so they didn't react much to Qing Zhu's appearance.
However, as the Tujue were focused on the Seventh Prince, Qing Zhu, while seemingly adjusting the shawl straps for Ji Zizhao, whispered, "The second young lady has secretly entered the city."
Ji Zizhao's heart skipped a beat.
The second sister's entry meant that Lian Ju should be taking action.
Even with the large number of Tujue in Luoyi, they couldn't cause much of a stir if they lacked a leader.
Therefore, all she needed to do now was to find a way to delay these peace talks and keep General Muman and his son Mu Shizhen here.
Han Jingyu's heart tightened as he noticed the change in Princess Ronghe's expression.
Others didn't know what had happened, but he, having been informed by Princess Ronghe herself, couldn't afford to be ignorant.
If something went wrong, not only would his position as a major general be jeopardized, but everyone currently in Luoyi would be in danger!
Just then, Ji Zizhao glanced in Han Jingyu's direction.
Their eyes met, and Ji Zizhao gently shook her head.
It's alright.
As long as everything proceeded according to plan, it would be foolproof!
At the same time, before angering the Tujue to the point of outburst, Xie Jingqi reluctantly picked up a bow and arrow.
Mu Shizhen, who had grown impatient waiting, said, "Yu Lin is the guest. Seventh Prince of Yu Lin, please shoot first."
Xie Jingqi's mood soured upon hearing this.
Seeing Xie Jingqi's glare, Mu Shizhen's heart sank, fearing the Seventh Prince of Yu Lin would utter more blood-curdling words. He quickly raised the bow and arrow to his chest, "If the Seventh Prince of Yu Lin is unwilling, it's fine for me to shoot first."
Xie Jingqi didn't even bother to yield. "Then what are you waiting for? New Year's?"
Mu Shizhen was speechless.
It was beneath him to argue with a scoundrel.
While Tujue men were skilled in archery from a young age, Mu Shizhen's archery was particularly praised by the Tujue.
Princess A Shiya loved watching Mu Shizhen shoot. Seeing him draw the bow now, her eyes lit up.
Ji Zizhao drank her tea, silently observing everything.
As Mu Shizhen drew his bowstring to its limit in the center of the hall, the Tujue soldiers standing by the target took out a copper coin from their waists and aligned its hole with the target.
Mu Shizhen narrowed his eyes slightly, then, after a moment, he let go of the arrow.
With a 'clang,' the arrow's tip pierced the very center of the copper coin and landed steadily in the middle of the target.
Such precise archery earned cheers and applause not only from the Tujue but also left the Yu Lin envoys stunned.
Princess A Shiya even stood up and smiled, "Ah Zhen's archery has indeed become even more exquisite!"
"You only hit the target, can't you Tujue stop acting like you've never seen the world before?" an extremely discordant voice rang out.
Even without looking, everyone knew who spoke these words.
Mu Shizhen, confident of victory, saw no point in arguing with a scoundrel. "Seventh Prince of Yu Lin, it's your turn."
Xie Jingqi swung the bow and arrow in his hand and stepped forward, bumping Mu Shizhen aside with his shoulder. "Since you know it's time for a change, be proactive and get out of my way."
Mu Shizhen's excellent upbringing was about to break.
General Muman laughed heartily, "The Seventh Prince of Yu Lin's carefree nature is quite similar to our Tujue men." (Sultan Novel Network)
This statement was clearly meant as a jab.
Unexpectedly, Xie Jingqi did not reply. Instead, he aimed at the bullseye and slowly raised his bow and arrow.
The Yu Lin envoys clenched their fists, wishing they could impale the copper coin on the target with the Seventh Prince's arrow tip.
If the Seventh Prince truly lost the competition, how would they, the peace negotiators, hold their heads high in front of the Tujue?
As everyone held their breath, Xie Jingqi released the string from his drawn bow.
With a 'whoosh,' the sharp arrow shot like lightning towards the center of the target.
Mu Shizhen's heart sank as he saw the direction of the arrow.
As someone who also played with arrows, he knew whether it would hit or miss just by looking at the direction.
However, Mu Shizhen wasn't worried. Even if the Seventh Prince of Yu Lin hit, it would only be a draw.
General Muman, however, could not afford a draw. He subtly glanced at the two Tujue soldiers standing by the target and gave them a very obscure signal.
The two Tujue soldiers holding the target quickly shifted their bodies to the left.
The arrow's tip, which was originally aimed at the bullseye, naturally deviated from the center.
Ji Zizhao narrowed her eyes slightly, and the sound of cracking could be heard from the tea cup she was toying with.
The Tujue were not worthy of trying to deceive her.