Chapter 19

Although not a single arrow hit the wooden target, the skill of nailing a person to the target without causing any harm was truly astonishing.

The crowd that had been making noise and laughing just now suddenly quieted down, turning their gaze to the young man.

Jiang Xiurun was dressed in a long white Confucian robe with a wide hem and sleeves today. Because it was tailored to fit him instead of borrowing his brother’s clothes, he appeared tall and slender, with a straight back.

At this moment, the young man held a small bow, and with the wide sleeves swaying lightly, he looked exceptionally graceful, making people secretly marvel—no wonder he’s so arrogant!

The envoy from the Southern Yi, in a sorry state, pulled the arrow off the target with the help of his attendants, and his eyes burned with anger as he looked at Young Master Jiang.

Jiang Xiurun pretended not to understand and waved the bow in his hand, saying, “None of them hit just now. If the gentleman has the time, shall we try again?”

Piliba was now eager to curse this young man’s eighteen generations, but due to the dampness, if he cursed again, he might draw attention to his own crotch. He could only quickly take the cloak handed over by his attendant, wrap himself tightly, and leave in stride.

Liu Pei would also shudder when he saw this. Liang and Bo were neighboring states, so he couldn’t help but think: Fortunately, this Jiang Herun has fallen out of favor. If such a character inherits the throne in the future and returns to the country, it will be great trouble for Liang!

Thinking of this for a moment, his gaze towards Jiang Herun became even more obscure and complicated.

Qin Zhao was also somewhat dumbfounded. He did not expect a woman to use a child’s toy to such an extent; it was truly mesmerizing.

This woman was not only bold and cunning but also had some real skills…

Looking again at the “young man” in white clothes, his gaze became even more eager.

Jiang Xiurun handed the small bow to Bai Qian, tidied up her sleeves, and stood respectfully on the side, waiting for the Crown Prince’s orders.

Feng Liwu didn’t particularly look at his recently skilled tutor and simply said, “Since the bow and arrow are ready, let’s go.”

Jiang Xiurun, who had been hungry for half a day, was waiting for this sentence, wishing she could quickly return home for lunch.

So, she followed the Crown Prince out of the archery range.

Liu Pei waited for so long but didn’t have a chance to say anything important to the Crown Prince. Feeling anxious, he took a few quick steps to intercept Feng Liwu and said, “I have some important matters to discuss with Your Highness. Could you spare some time to meet?”

Feng Liwu’s pace didn’t slow down, and he replied indifferently, “Wait until the gold owed by Liang State is delivered, then I will talk to you.”

Without waiting for Liu Pei to say anything more, he stepped onto the carriage.

However, as they left the archery range, a carriage approached, and a delicate guest descended from it. It was Cao Xi, the princess from Yan State.

Due to the favor of the Great Qi Empress, she enjoyed the same treatment in terms of food and clothing as the princesses in the palace. Naturally, she had also participated in some winter hunting activities.

Although she had been well-treated in a foreign country, Cao Xi felt that she had come to marry the Crown Prince. However, her cousin had been busy with state affairs and had not had the leisure to get acquainted with her. The Empress’s intention was clear: among the many foreign princesses who came to socialize, the final decision on who would be the Crown Prince’s consort depended on Feng Liwu’s preference.

Understanding the guidance from her aunt, Cao Xi thought of the fierce competition, especially from Tian Ying and others, and felt anxious.

Today was an opportunity to meet her cousin, and she hoped to talk more. She also wanted to invite the Crown Prince to choose a suitable bow and arrow for her. During the winter hunt, she could show off and compete with Tian Ying and others.

Unfortunately, Feng Liwu was currently holding his breath. When he saw this woman bowing to him and blushing, with a charming appearance, he was not in the mood to deal with it. He just nodded at her and stepped onto the carriage.

Leaving Cao Xi standing awkwardly in the distance, biting her lower lip, feeling that her cousin was not appreciating her charm. At this moment, Liu Pei smiled slightly, guiding Princess Cao Xi into the room.

As for the Crown Prince, since he boarded the carriage, he waved his hand and called Jiang Xiurun onto the carriage.

Jiang Xiurun could now understand the subtle changes in Feng Liwu’s expression and knew that his arrogant behavior earlier had displeased the Crown Prince.

After boarding the carriage, she kneeled respectfully in front of him.

Feng Liwu’s expression had now completely darkened, and he said, “Your earlier showmanship satisfied your vanity, didn’t it?”

Jiang Xiurun arched her hand over her head, humbly saying, “For me personally, it was not satisfying, just a modest display. However, in terms of showcasing national strength and intimidating the Southern Yi, it was sufficient.”

Feng Liwu raised an eyebrow and said lightly, “Southern Yi has been deceiving us for years. When my father, in his youth and vigor, wanted to launch military campaigns against them several times, he hesitated and couldn’t send troops due to various concerns. Do you understand that if you had been a bit reckless just now, it could have led to hostilities between the two countries, and even if you were torn apart, it wouldn’t have been enough to vent the anger!”

If it were someone else hearing these words, they would be sincerely terrified and apologize profusely.

However, Jiang Xiurun remained calm and composed. Although she had been in the laundry bureau for the past few years in her previous life and was unaware of the current politics of Great Qi, after being forced by Qin Zhao to become his concubine, she had heard him boast about the scars on his body. She had also heard about various incidents involving the alliance between the Crown Prince and the Southern Yi king.

Therefore, she confidently said, “If it were any other envoy, even if you gave me a hundred guts, I wouldn’t dare to show off. But this Piliba… If he can’t return to the Southern Yi, I’m afraid the newly ascended Southern Yi king will be very grateful to Your Highness.”

Feng Liwu raised an eyebrow, and the wrist that he instinctively raised was fair and translucent, truly dazzling. He then grabbed her wrist with one hand, pulling Young Master Jiang closer, and asked coldly, “Are you again speaking nonsense? Do you think I can’t bear to kill you?”

Startled by his sudden tug, Jiang Xiurun quickly stiffened her body and said, “I dare not deceive you. Although Piliba is the son of the Southern Yi general, it is rumored that he is actually the half-brother of the Southern Yi king from a different mother. Southern Yi’s customs are different from those of the Central Plains. Even if he’s an illegitimate son, he can still inherit the throne… If the new king doesn’t avoid this half-brother of a different surname, why would he send such an arrogant person as an envoy to Great Qi?”

She quickly clarified herself, saying, “When Piliba was nailed to the target,if I were his servant, I should have shown a worried expression and rushed forward to stop it. But I observed those people, except for one close servant who was genuinely worried; the others had relaxed expressions; some even showed signs of secret joy… It was truly bizarre…”

Upon hearing this, Feng Liwu slowly released his tight grip on her wrist and pondered for a moment before saying, “Are you saying that the Southern Yi king wants to use this as an opportunity to harm someone? How can you be sure that the Southern Yi and the Great Qi won’t go to war because of you?”

Hearing his question, Jiang Xiurun quickly said, “Your Highness, the previous attempts to attack Southern Yi failed many times. Based on my speculation, it’s not that we fear the strength of the Southern Yi army but rather the chaotic governance in that wild land. Various tribes coexist, and the political situation is chaotic. Additionally, swamps with poisonous miasma are widespread, making it difficult to control even if conquered. In that case, it would be better to establish friendly relations with the new king and form an alliance, resolving the concerns in the south, and then focus on other grand undertakings.”

When Jiang Xiurun showcased her archery skills at the archery range, Feng Liwu did not show any signs of surprise. However, the words of this young man now unexpectedly echoed his own thoughts, greatly exceeding his expectations.

Jiang Xiurun was not surprised that she had guessed Feng Liwu’s thoughts correctly. In her past life, after Qin Zhao returned from delivering a diplomatic letter to Southern Yi, he revealed the hidden secrets of the Southern Yi royal family. Moreover, the Crown Prince repeatedly advised the Emperor not to attack Southern Yi.

At that time, although Jiang Xiurun didn’t understand political affairs very well, she thought Feng Liwu’s strategy was correct. Unfortunately, at that time, the Emperor of Great Qi was stubbornly self-willed. Taking advantage of the severe injuries suffered by his son during winter hunting, he bluntly declared that the assassin was the envoy from Southern Yi and used this as a reason to launch a military campaign against Southern Yi.

However, the prolonged war resulted in numerous losses for Great Qi and allowed Liang State to seize the opportunity to strengthen its power, standing on equal footing with Great Qi.

By the time the Crown Prince could come out to clean up the aftermath, although he had timely negotiated peace with Southern Yi, they had lost many favorable conditions.

Now, Jiang Xiurun had only spoken out the Crown Prince’s inner thoughts two years in advance.

Serving this Crown Prince required occasionally revealing the depth of her knowledge. The words about the necessity of peace with Southern Yi and avoiding war were exactly what were on the Crown Prince’s mind.

Therefore, the arrogance displayed at the archery range was overturned. After returning to the Crown Prince’s residence, Feng Liwu personally instructed the steward to add a few more dishes for Young Master Jiang, making up for the missed breakfast.

During the meal, the Crown Prince never mentioned the words of having Young Master Jiang torn apart. He casually asked her to introduce the merits of various dishes. However, he personally picked up a plump fish belly and placed it in Jiang Xiurun’s bowl.

Jiang Xiurun naturally behaved humbly, eating the fish belly and feeling that these bitter days of eating tasteless food were finally coming to an end.

After the Crown Prince was attacked on the hunting grounds and could only be served with thin soup and gruel every day, there was no need for her to keep him company at the same table.

With this in mind, she couldn’t help but wish for the winter hunt to come soon, returning the Crown Prince to his lively self after recovering from his illness.

After finishing the meal, Jiang Xiurun took a deep breath and returned to the room. She stretched out on the bed, lazily thinking about sleeping. However, she noticed Bai Qian quietly going back and forth to the inner room, carrying hot water.

She asked from within the blanket, “Qian’er, what are you busy with?”

Bai Qian, holding a large bucket in her hands, replied, “I’m preparing warm water for the young master’s bath.”

Jiang Xiurun raised her head abruptly and said, “I haven’t given any instructions; why act on your own?”

What a joke! Now that she was in the Crown Prince’s residence, she couldn’t bathe casually. Moreover, if she did bathe, Bai Qian would have to serve her up close. Wouldn’t that expose her vulnerabilities?

Bai Qian seemed to have followed her master’s lead and acted on her own! Only after preparing the water did she kneel in front of Jiang Xiurun’s bed and say, “Please don’t avoid it, young master. A few days ago, when the young master kicked the blanket in his sleep, and when I added a blanket for the young master, I saw the tattered cloth inside… It’s a bit dirty. If it’s not changed and washed, you won’t be able to take a bath.”

Jiang Xiurun was startled to hear this, instinctively covering her chest. She thought, “I must have slept too deeply; I didn’t even notice when Bai Qian came to the bedside!”

However, Qian’er kneeled on the ground solemnly and said, “Please rest assured, young master. If I dare to speak nonsense in front of others, I will surely be struck by thunder and lightning!”