Chapter 116: Chapter 116: A Clamorous Bid for Favor, Who is Your Majesty Watching?

Wei Chi Lianping, seated with the Imperial Family, was unable to drink heartily with the other military generals and had long been itching with impatience.

If not for the Eldest Princess beside him, as ethereal as a fairy from the Moon Palace, he wouldn’t have been able to sit still at all.

Princess Hua Chang tilted her head slightly, as if to ask him a question, and Wei Chi Lianping, sensing her intention, looked up at her first.

Having annoyed her the previous night, he brazenly struck up a conversation. "Eldest Princess," he said with a smile, "have you discerned who has the better chance of winning today?"

Because of his "misdeeds" the night before, Princess Hua Chang had no intention of acknowledging him, her expression arrogant and cold.

Her gaze fell upon the turquoise figure on the competition field, but she truly wanted to know who would win and who would lose this match.

Seeing her expression, Wei Chi Lianping knew what she wanted to ask and said bluntly, "I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed, Eldest Princess. Fifth Miss Ji is going to lose."

Princess Hua Chang furrowed her brow. "Ji Qingwu’s accuracy with these last few arrows has been extremely high. Why would she lose?"

Ji Qingwu’s recent shots had been a great surprise to everyone present who understood archery. Even a layperson like Princess Hua Chang could see she had improved tremendously compared to the last time.

’She has great aptitude and is highly adaptable.’

If she were a man, Wei Chi Lianping would want to recruit her for the Northern Border Army. He happened to be in need of a Colonel skilled in mounted archery.

But he could only covet her skills from afar. Even if Ji Qingwu were willing, the Emperor would never let her go. The thought was a fleeting one.

Wei Chi Lianping explained, "Miss Ji fell too far behind earlier. The competition is based on cumulative scores. Even if she hits a perfect bullseye with her last arrow, she can only win if Princess Consort Wei misses the mark and scores below the eighth ring."

But so far, Princess Consort Wei hadn’t scored below the eighth ring. Her hand was very steady.

’This brute is surprisingly good at math,’ Princess Hua Chang thought, shooting him an irritated glance. "Who asked you?" she snapped.

’He only says things I don’t want to hear!’

Wei Chi Lianping poured her a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Yes, yes. It was I who insisted on telling you."

Princess Hua Chang watched as he filled the cup until tea overflowed, and her annoyance grew.

’A full cup of tea is an insult, while a full glass of wine shows respect.’

’Is he trying to walk all over me?’

With a cold expression, Princess Hua Chang beckoned to the Palace Attendant behind her, ordering a new teacup and having it filled.

Wei Chi Lianping picked up the cup she had rejected and drained it in one gulp, completely unfazed.

’If a princess didn’t have a few incomprehensible quirks, could you even call her a princess?’

「On the high platform.」

Li Yuzong poured the Emperor a cup of wine and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, in this old servant’s opinion, Miss Ji’s archery has improved remarkably."

Emperor Wu Su nodded.

The initial approval in his eyes had transformed into a different kind of admiration.

Ji Qingwu was the type of person who acted on her desires. The calluses and blisters on her hands were a testament to that, not grown in vain.

Once she set her mind to something, she would give it her all.

Such a gentle yet resilient character was a rare find.

At first, he’d only ordered the Hidden Guard to deliver that riding outfit because when Li Yuzong presented it to him, he thought at a glance that the color and style would look beautiful on her.

He had no intention of hinting that she should practice her archery, let alone urging her to do so.

And just as he’d expected, on the opening day of the archery ceremony, Ji Qingwu had changed into that gold-and-red riding habit with the intertwined-lotus pattern. It revealed her graceful figure completely, making her so stunning she was almost bewitching.

Yet, he disliked that so many people got to see her like that. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Today’s turquoise outfit was more conservative, its looser cut suiting her well and giving her a fresh, spirited air.

This outfit had actually been one of the alternate choices from before. It also carried an additional meaning, making it the perfect gift for her at this time.

Emperor Wu Su’s gaze fell once more upon the hand Ji Qingwu used to hold her arrow.

That hand looked so delicate and soft, yet it could draw a bow, rein a horse, take a pulse, unfasten buttons, and weave a five-color thread.

It could also...

Thinking of the previous night, a dark glint flickered in the depths of his eyes.

Ji Qingwu was a still sleeper. She would curl up into a ball in one spot and not move an inch after falling asleep, her expression peaceful and sweet.

This soft little bundle looked so tempting to poke and prod.

Emperor Wu Su’s hands had itched with an unbearable urge to do just that.

He had given in to the temptation several times. She felt just as he’d imagined: utterly soft.

She had a truly good temper. Only when she became thoroughly annoyed by his pestering would she whimper, turn her head away, and even try to nudge him off with her backside.

But the more she nudged, the more it backfired, only fanning the flames of his desire and making his grip tighten.

Emperor Wu Su had guided her hand to assist him. The palm of a woman’s hand was as soft as if it were boneless.

But from her recent practice, a thin layer of calluses had formed, adding a rough friction to the yielding softness...

On the high platform, Emperor Wu Su drank his wine, his expression deep and inscrutable.

To the onlookers, it seemed the Emperor was exceptionally invested in the match. The military generals no longer dared to chat idly. They all put down their wine bowls and turned to watch the final arrow with rapt attention.

Wei Liru, dressed in a gilded-pink riding habit, sat atop her horse, which shifted slowly.

Although she hadn’t hit a ten-ring bullseye in the finals, she had consistently maintained an excellent score of eight or nine rings in every round.

She had participated in the archery ceremony many times and had usually taken the top prize in the women’s division. The resident of Anhua Palace had also claimed first place once.

But that person would never appear before the court again, no matter what.

After loosing her ninth arrow, Wei Liru turned her head to look at Ji Qingwu, who was also on horseback just a few meters away.

This Fifth Miss Ji... the last time in the Diligent Governance Hall, her archery had been raw and clumsy. It was true what they said: absence makes one see others in a new light. Her improvement was astonishing.

What had left the deepest impression on her, however, wasn’t the archery itself. It was how Emperor Wu Su had not only personally come down to instruct her but had even lent her the Xuanyuan Bow.

Wei Liru had never seen such a gentle expression on the Emperor’s face. She glanced back at the imperial-yellow figure seated high on the platform.

’Just as I expected, Emperor Wu Su’s gaze is fixed on the field. Who is he looking at...?’

Wei Liru suddenly raised her bow and arrow, brandishing it toward the Emperor on the high platform with a confident, brilliant smile.

Her smile was one of graceful dignity, dazzlingly beautiful.

’Naturally, His Majesty’s eyes will follow whoever shines brightest on the field!’

As Emperor Wu Su’s rightfully favored concubine, it was perfectly appropriate for Wei Liru to make such a public display.

From where the military generals were seated, a rowdy cheer erupted at the sight of Princess Consort Wei’s overture to the Emperor.

The entire arena grew animated.

Now, only the final arrow remained.

Wei Liru held her head high, her gaze sweeping over the other women. Unsurprisingly, she saw looks of envy and jealousy in their eyes.

She then turned her gaze back to the figure in turquoise, curious to see her reaction.

When she saw clearly what the other woman was doing, her smile froze.

Ji Qingwu was toying with her bowstring, plucking and flicking it with her fingers. In her hands, the bow seemed less like a weapon and more like a musical instrument.

Her face was flushed with excitement, her eyes shone brightly, and her entire being radiated a soaring, vibrant spirit.

Sunlight spilled over her turquoise riding habit, glinting with a dazzling gold.

’Gold?’

Looking closer, she saw a circle of dark gold thread embroidered on the chest of the garment, visible only when it caught the light.