Free Web NovelChapter 114: Chapter 114: The Final Winner, Princess Consort Wei or Ji Qingwu?
Ji Qingwu gave a stiff nod and left.
It was obvious the Emperor had given some instructions, and she wouldn’t be able to find out anything even if she asked.
However, Princess Hua Chang didn’t get a chance to find Ji Qingwu during the night.
When she returned that evening, she cleaned Wei Chi Lianping’s wounds using the method Ji Qingwu had shown her.
He had four wounds on his body. One of them was very deep, and she had also struck it with a branch, causing the surrounding flesh to turn white. It looked particularly severe.
This was nothing like her Princess Mansion, where servants were always on hand. In a moment of weakness, she helped him apply medicine and bandage his wounds. But the brute insisted on finding an excuse, claiming she had worked so hard that he had to reward her properly.
And as he "thanked" her, he became overwhelmed with passion and pulled her into an embrace on the bed.
Princess Hua Chang was afraid his wounds would reopen, and she also felt guilty for having struck him earlier.
Wei Chi Lianping noticed her resistance had weakened considerably and took advantage of her guilt.
He was in no state to prepare a feast, but he was determined to have a taste.
And so, Wei Chi Lianping managed to get his fill, if only a small one.
The price, however, was his wounds splitting open and staining Princess Hua Chang’s snow-white nightgown with blood. Afterward, he was mercilessly kicked out of the tent.
Left with no choice, Wei Chi Lianping knocked on the tent flap of Imperial City Envoy Duan Mingfeng, who had only just fallen asleep. He then squeezed in to spend the latter half of the night with him.
Lord Xiao Duan was forced to stay wide-eyed until dawn.
Meanwhile, before the sky had even brightened, the Emperor had already returned to the Diligent Governance Hall in the palace and dispatched a secret decree to the Northern Border Army.
Of everyone that night, Ji Qingwu had slept the best. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Princess Hua Chang awoke at the crack of dawn, her mind on the words Ji Qingwu had whispered to her.
But when she arrived at the entrance to Ji Qingwu’s tent, she saw Li Yuzong standing guard.
With the Chief of the Internal Affairs Office personally standing watch, it was self-evident who was inside.
Princess Hua Chang paced on the spot and sighed. She had been foolish enough to confront the Emperor yesterday; she could not make the same mistake this morning. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
’I’ll just wait for an opportunity to see Ji Qingwu during the day,’ she thought. ’It won’t be too late.’ Already exhausted, she turned around and went back to get more sleep.
*
「The second day of the Grand Archery Ceremony was the archery competition.」
The previous day’s hunt had tested teamwork, while today was for individual competition. The men’s and women’s events were held separately, and since fewer women were participating, their competition went first.
On the high platform, after Emperor Wu Su took his seat, he glanced at the tables below him. Three were empty.
Li Yuzong waved a hand at a Palace Attendant standing to the side. The Empress Dowager’s attendant, Aunt Shi Xi, immediately hurried forward, bowed, and knelt to report.
"Your Majesty, Princess Qingyun fell ill from a chill last night. The Empress Dowager is looking after her in Cining Palace and will not be attending the competition today."
This was just the official story.
The truth was, Princess Qingyun had knelt by the cliff until she fainted.
When she was carried back to Cining Palace, her clothes were soiled with filth, her face was deathly pale from the cold, and her lips were chapped and blue. She was so feverish that her eyes were rolling back in her head; it looked as if she was on the verge of death.
This had frightened the Empress Dowager terribly. She was busy caring for the princess while chanting sutras and praying.
And yet, despite something as major as the Emperor punishing Princess Qingyun by forcing her to kneel, not a single whisper of it had reached Cining Palace.
It was clear that any news the Holy Emperor did not want to spread would not get out.
After hearing the Palace Attendant’s report, Emperor Wu Su’s reaction was placid.
He had already been informed of Qingyun’s condition.
A guard had reported early that morning that after being exposed to the cold wind all night, Princess Qingyun had developed a high fever with convulsions and fainted while kneeling by the cliff. Only then did he order her punishment to be lifted and have the guards escort the princess back.
If he didn’t torment her half to death and make her suffer, the willful and spoiled Qingyun would never learn to cherish her own life.
Emperor Wu Su said calmly, "Have Dean Chen from the Imperial Hospital go see Qingyun personally. I recall he is the most skilled at treating ailments caused by cold."
Shixi breathed a quiet sigh of relief, her heart rate steadying. She bowed and retreated.
’Thankfully, the Holy Emperor still has some regard for familial bonds.’
By summoning the most renowned physician from the Imperial Hospital, Old Doctor Chen, to treat Princess Qingyun in front of everyone, he was letting all the imperial consorts know that the princess had not lost the Emperor’s favor, thus quelling their speculation.
Unaware of the inside story, Ji Qingwu heard that Princess Qingyun had fallen ill from a chill and assumed it was just a common cold, like the one she’d had.
Besides, she had thought the Emperor only made her kneel for a short while, not for the entire night.
Ji Qingwu nodded in understanding. ’If even someone with my strong constitution caught a cold, it’s perfectly normal for the little princess to fall ill.’
She looked up at the Emperor on the high platform. Dressed in his bright yellow Dragon Robe and wearing his crown, he had once again assumed that majestic, unapproachable air.
’Still, my own illness cleared up surprisingly fast this time. I feel completely refreshed after just one night of sleep.’
’Sleeping next to the Emperor for one night was more effective than any medicine. Could this be the aura of a true dragon?’
Her gaze then swept over to the seats on the right side of the high platform.
The seat belonging to Prince Yong was still empty...
’I wonder how things are progressing on Princess Yong’s end. I need to pick a day to meet with Tao Wanxin.’
Down on the field, the supervising official was taking a count of the upcoming competitors.
Over twenty women were participating in today’s archery event. They would all stand in a line and shoot ten arrows each. The top six with the most hits would advance.
The first round of the competition quickly determined the top six.
They were Princess Wei; Huo Shaofang, who had been with Princess Qingyun yesterday; Ji Qingwu; and three other young ladies.
Ji Qingwu entered the final round in fifth place, a respectable but unremarkable result.
However, aside from her, the others all came from a Military General’s Family.
No one had held high expectations for Miss Ji Wu, but the fact that she had made it to the finals was enough to bring honor to the families of civil servants.
Mrs. Qiao, watching from the sidelines, was already more than satisfied, gazing at Xiao Wu with a face full of pride.
Soon, the moving targets for the final round were ready, and the supervising official explained the rules.
"The final round is mounted archery. You will shoot at moving targets. There are ten arrows in total. The person with the highest total ring count will be the winner and take first place."
The final round officially began.
To simulate battlefield conditions, they had to shoot at moving targets. For the young ladies of noble families, who had little opportunity for actual combat practice, this was much more difficult, but it was also the truest test of skill.
In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the first five arrows had been shot.
Aside from the top two, whose ring counts were still relatively close, a large gap had already formed between them and the other four.
Huo Shaofang, who had abandoned the princess yesterday, may have been timid, but her riding and archery skills were truly first-rate. She was nearly on par with Princess Wei, trailing by only two rings.
At the moment, the two of them were vying for the top spot.
Princess Wei didn’t consider Huo Shaofang a rival at all; she felt she could easily defeat her with a casual effort.
As for Ji Qingwu, her very first arrow drew everyone’s attention.
And...
a roar of laughter from the entire field.
Because just as she drew her bow, something went wrong.
She had accidentally shot someone else’s target.
At first, Ji Qingwu hadn’t realized which color was her target. She rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. ’It’s easy to make a mistake with these moving targets if you don’t watch them carefully.’
A smile also touched the lips of the Emperor, seated on the high platform, but he wasn’t smiling because she had shot the wrong target. It was because of something else entirely.
