The Fourth Lady

It's said in the 'Strategies of the Warring States': Today I shall wear clothes of the Hu people and go horseback shooting, to teach the common people and the world about me.

The so called 'horseback archery' refers to riding on a horse and hitting a moving target with the arrow.

In Donghe and Wuding Kingdom, horseback archery was something that every boy must learn in school. However, because it was not required for the girls, ever so rarely do they touch upon these things. The girls of Donghe usually strive to be virtuous, thus girls who've yet to marry usually excelled in the feminine arts.

"Siyao, is your family's fourth miss crazy? This is horseback archery!" Jiang Lan look to Ning Siyao and helplessly spoke, "Just what in the world is she thinking."

Ning Siyao didn't expect that Qingyan agree so bluntly. When she looked to Qingyan, she opened her mouth, "Qingyan, as long as you admit defeat, there's still room to turn back. Why must you try to measure yourself again young master Cui?"

Although Ning Siyao wanted to see Qingyan embarrass herself, Su Qingyan was still a child of the Su manor after all. If Su manor were to lose face, then that was the same as her losing face.

Qingyan curled her lips and turned her head towards Ning Siyao, "Could it be that second aunt is sure that I will lose?"

The audience that was watching her also felt that she shouldn't accept this challenge, especially the various princes.

Although Murong Jingxuan hasn't seen Qingyan's horseback archery before, he knew that her inner strength was beyond that of a normal person. If given the time, she would definitely become someone that was only second to him in Donghe. Not to mention, she was still so young right now.

"Miss Su, if you kneel before me and admit defeat, I can consider sparing you." Cui Hanqun looked to Qingyan and shamelessly boasted. All over his body he was emitting the signal for her to beg him for mercy.

But Su Qingyan stubbornly just won't let him have his way. Besides, in the past, her horseback archery skills were personally honed by Weisheng Junmo. In Nanchen's legends, she was the most talented female archer. In horseback archery in Nanchen, aside from Weisheng Junmo, no one else could rival her.

"How does young master Cui want to compete?" Su Qingyan look to him with a smile, as if she'd just thought of something interesting, "Since the challenge is issued by young master Cui, then it should be okay for me to set the rules, right?"

Su Qingyan didn't turn her gaze towards Cui Hanqun, but instead looked directly at the judges. The judges look to her and nodded.

At such a time, they didn't dare to say 'no', especially when so many of the princes are still present.

Qingyan look to Cui Hanqun and smiled, "Young master Cui, let's find 10 people to ride on the backs of horses. We'll strap an apple to our head, and if we can hit the apple on our head with an arrow among the moving targets, then it'll be a win. What do you think?"

Chunyuan worryingly spoke out when she heard Qingyan's words, "What will you do if you injure each other? Yan'er don't be so reckless."

"That's right, that's right you can't be this reckless, what if you injure young master Cui?" Ning Siyao and Chai Yiyun's voice simultaneously sounded.

Qingyan just knew that this would happen, so she turned to Cui Hanqun with her head raised and confidently spoke, "If that's the case, why don't we sign a death contract? In the death contract, if one side were to die, then the other side doesn't need to take any responsibility."

"This is just nonsense, Qingyan even if you don't think for yourself, you should still think for the entire Su family." However, before Chai Yiyun could finish speaking, she felt a gust of wind whistle by her ear.

By the time everyone looked along Chai Yiyun's line of sight, they saw a willow leaf shaped throwing knife surprisingly stabbed into the pillar behind Chai Yiyun.

At this moment, they could only hear Qingyan's powerful voice resonating in the air, as she look to Chai Yiyun with an ice cold gaze, "Third aunt, do you have anything more to say?"

That throw not only made Chai Yiyun feel the lingering fear, even the audience present could feel the obvious killing intent carried in that knife. It was just that the throwing knife wasn't used to it's full potential, which is was why it miss where Chai Yiyun was standing.

But when Liu Shang saw Su Qingyan throw that knife, and thinking through everything that had happened just now a second time, he concluded that this person before his eyes was definitely not the original Su fourth miss. She was their former Pavilion Master--Nanchen's previous Empress, Qilian Qingyan.

"Young master Cui, are you done thinking? Sign the death contract." When Su Qingyan looked to Cui Hanqun, she had her head slightly lifted. That appearance looked as if she was very confident, confident that she could win in this match.

Right now, there was no room for Cui Hanqun to refute, especially seeing what had just happened. Xuanyuan Yuze spoke up first, "A true man has courage to accept the consequence of his action, this match I will accepted it for young master Cui."

The Crown Prince has spoken, even Cui Chujun couldn't refute now. But that scene just now made him have lingering doubts, what should he do if Su Qingyan were to injure his son?" "Since the Crown Prince has agreed to it, then why don't we all make a bet?" The Fifth Prince Xuanyuan Yuhui look to them in the eyes.

"Fifth brother, how should we bet?" Xuanyuan Yuzhen look to Xuanyuan Yuhui and coldly spoke, "But if that's the case, I will bet on Miss Su winning, as for the stakes..." Xuanyuan Yuzhen twirled his jade ring, "I remember you've always liked that 'Cold Pond and Scattered Blossoms' painting in my manor, if fifth brother wins, I will gift that painting to you."

A perfectly good archery match, in the end, became a competition between the Princes. Whether it was wealth or power, in various aspects, Xuanyuan Yuzhen seems to be the most talented one, but he was wholeheartedly supporting the Crown Prince.

"Since that's the case, then it's not good if I don't participate as well." Murong Jingxuan look to Su Qingyan with a smile, "I also bet Su fourth Miss will win. If I lose, I will throw in the Azure Dragon Falling Crescent sword."

Chunyuan, seeing the younger generation being playful, couldn't help but to want to join in. She turned to Qingyan's figure and said with a smile, "If Yan'er wins, I will ask the Emperor for another favor, to allow you to freely choose your marriage, what do you think?"

Qingyan's dress raised with the wind. Qingyan, who stood in the wind, at that moment, felt unusually lonesome. It was as if she was the only one that existed in the world.

"Thank you Princess for your generosity." Qingyan politely bowed to Chunyuan.

In the end, only 4 people stood on Qingyan's side, even Xuanyuan Yukai and Xuanyuan Yuning, who usually got along well with Yuzhen, still felt Su Qingyan would lose.

"Su Qingyan, when the time comes, don't come crying to me begging for mercy." Cui Hanqun look to Qingyan still with an arrogant look.

Qingyan smiled, "That said, young master Cui should be the one that's worried. After all, I don't know how to shoot an arrow, even if I were to accidentally kill young master Cui in this match, I wouldn't need to take responsibility." She paused before continuing, "But if I were to accidentally get shot to death by young master Cui, then this would be deliberate on young master Cui's part. You'll be sentenced to death."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐