Fan Chongqing remounted his horse and rode alongside Song Chuzhao.
He grinned at the person beside him, not bothering to hide his observation of the other’s expression. However, he did not see the familiar mockery, anger, or hostility on Fifth Son Gu’s face. The other’s expression and even his gaze were as calm as a lake, his eyes constantly scanning the several archery targets, serious and earnest.
Then he noticed that Fifth Son Gu was looking at him, that he turned his head and smiled at him.
The smile was innocent, but Fan Chongqing immediately turned his head away.
Bah! He was trying to feign goodwill, hoping to shake him!
How cunning! by carpreads.pages.dev
Everyone stopped looking at the viewing platform and rushed to the edge of the archery field to watch.
The gong sounded again, and two horses, each with a blur of motion, shot out simultaneously.
Everyone blinked, and they saw that Song Chuzhao’s riding speed was not slow at all, keeping pace with Fan Chongqing. She showed no fear, and the two horses were so close together, dangerously close to colliding. Even so, she did not dodge or avoid.
Fourth Son Gu watched with a pounding heart: “Fifth Brother, stay away from him!”
The people on either side of Fourth Son Gu grabbed his hands, afraid that he would rush forward in his excitement.
Fourth Son Gu continued to shout: “Go for the second arrow, don’t compete with him for the first one! Fifth Brother!”
Fan Chongqing did not pay attention to Song Chuzhao. He also thought that Song Chuzhao would not dare to compete with him for the same arrow, especially the first one, which was closest to the starting point.
The arrow was planted straight into the ground.
Fan Chongqing pulled on the reins, adjusting his mount’s direction, and galloped past from the side. At the same time, he felt Song Chuzhao’s horse also pulling away from him.
Fan Chongqing leaned down, ready to grab the arrow. His fingers were about to touch the shaft when a hand swooped in faster than his, snatching the arrow away before he could react.
Fan Chongqing’s eyelids twitched. He realized that Song Chuzhao had somehow gotten to the other side of him, approaching from a different direction.
She was no closer to the arrow than he was, but her upper body was bent very low, her long arm extended, as if she were about to fall off the horse. After grabbing the arrow, her waist arched like a cat’s back. Her long, slender fingers gripped the reins tightly, holding onto the saddle, and she used the momentum to sit upright.
The movements were smooth and elegant, not at all like an amateur.
Her horsemanship was quite exquisite!
Fan Chongqing became wary.
After grabbing the arrow, Song Chuzhao continued to press forward, her body moving in sync with the horse’s running posture, quickly nocking the arrow onto the bow.
She released the arrow very quickly, a “whoosh” sound, as if she hadn’t even aimed, the arrow was already flying.
Fan Chongqing still remembered her archery skills from before, convinced that she was not good at archery. He thought she was just throwing the arrow randomly out of frustration. He glanced away, but saw the black dot land precisely on the bullseye.
He tricked me!
This thought flashed through Fan Chongqing’s mind, and he was instantly furious.
However, while he was distracted, Song Chuzhao had already taken advantage of the opportunity to grab the second arrow. Fan Chongqing unconsciously followed her figure.
He saw her skillfully draw back the bowstring again, her slender fingers turning white from the pressure, and she released the arrow decisively. Her lips were slightly pursed, her eyes shining slightly in the sunlight. After shooting the arrow, she didn’t look at the result, and quickly rode to the next spot.
A soft sound, the arrow hit the target behind her. It was another bullseye!
The posture, the speed, the accuracy, all in one fluid motion, without a moment’s hesitation.
Fan Chongqing was certain that this person’s archery skills had also reached the pinnacle of perfection!
This was impossible!
Archery relied on eyesight, but it didn’t have to be perfectly clear. Many archers with exceptional skills had already lost their sight, yet, they could still hit the target from a hundred paces, picking off enemy leaders from among thousands of soldiers. It was all about that indescribable ‘feeling’ cultivated through years of training.
Where did Fifth Son Gu get that feeling? He must be having delusions!
But Fan Chongqing didn’t know that the military camp was her home. She learned to ride before she learned to walk. She learned to use a bow before she learned to use chopsticks. It was impossible to compare with her in archery or accuracy.
Fan Chongqing’s heart was churning like a stormy sea. He glanced at Song Chuzhao, knowing he couldn’t let her continue. He pushed aside all distractions and quickly chased after her.
Song Chuzhao had already aimed her third arrow. Before she could release it, a longbow struck her arrow.
Her hand trembled, the arrow veered off course, and predictably missed the target.
Song Chuzhao’s horse was also bumped by the approaching rider. She quickly regained her balance, bending down to hug the horse’s neck. Once she was steady, she turned her head and met Fan Chongqing’s gaze, filled with murderous intent.
Song Chuzhao smiled, knowing he was finally taking it seriously. This time, she wouldn’t compete with him. She bypassed him and went to another spot.
Fourth Son Gu witnessed their collision, deeply agitated. He struggled to get to them, but was held back by those around him.
“What if my fifth brother falls?” Gu Fengwei exclaimed anxiously, “That horse doesn’t have eyes!”
A nearby brother, bewildered, said, “Horses… horses have eyes?” If horses didn’t have eyes, that would be a disaster!
Fourth Son Gu: “Fan Chongqing, be fair. Don’t hurt my fifth brother!”
Fan Chongqing couldn’t take it anymore. He roared, “Shut your mouth!”
Fan Chongqing was determined to settle the score with Song Chuzhao, but she, in contrast to her initial sharpness, began to avoid him.
Fan Chongqing knew he was still in a competition. If he only chased after her, he would surely lose. With no other choice, he could only try to grab other arrows.
Song Chuzhao was too slippery. Fan Chongqing tried to pick a fight with her several times, but he couldn’t do anything to her. They went back and forth, quickly reaching the end of the archery range.
The competition was over.
In the end, Song Chuzhao had grabbed twelve arrows, nine of which hit the bullseye. Two others landed near the red circle. One missed the target because Fan Chongqing had hit her hand.
Based on the results, her archery skills were indeed far superior to those of Fan Chongqing and Gu Fengwei.
Fan Chongqing was stunned.
Gu Fengwei was also stunned.
Due to their astonishment, the members of the martial arts faction couldn’t recover.
—Fifth Son Gu had prevailed in a direct confrontation with Fan Chongqing, defeating him!
This notion, no matter how hard they tried, couldn’t be reconciled with their understanding of the two individuals.
The members of the literary faction, however, didn’t think so much. They immediately crowded around Song Chuzhao, excitedly praising her with incoherent phrases like “living up to your reputation,” “a tiger’s gaze,” and “a majestic spirit.”
Song Chuzhao dismounted, smiling and nodding in return to everyone. Then, she pushed through the crowd and stood before Fan Chongqing, asking, “I won, didn’t I?”
Her victory was clear and undeniable, leaving no room for debate. Except for Gu Fengwei, who stood there like a dead man, shouting nonsense and diminishing her triumph, it was a perfect victory.
Fan Chongqing’s face was contorted, his eyes fixed on Song Chuzhao, as if he wanted to tear a piece of flesh from her face. His voice was harsh: “Fine. I’m not as good as you. I didn’t expect Fifth Young Master to be so skilled. You can have Huang Qicheng. But remember this, if it happens again, I will hunt you down. No one can plead for mercy!”
He turned to leave, but Song Chuzhao stopped him: “Wait. That’s not what I want.”
Fan Chongqing said angrily, “Then what do you want?!”
Fourth Son Gu was displeased. “Fan Chongqing, have some decorum. You are the one who lost. The conditions were your own agreement. To be so tyrannical is rather unsightly.”
“What decorum do I have with you?” Fan Chongqing sneered. “Was it not you who wanted to renege on the agreement earlier?”
Fourth Son Gu was shameless in this matter. “I am I, and my fifth brother is my fifth brother. I didn’t ask you to be decorous with me.”
Song Chuzhao raised her hand to stop them, urging them to calm down. She stood between them and said patiently, “You haven’t even heard my request yet. There’s no need to be so angry, sir.”
Fan Chongqing said, “You came with him, so naturally you are of the same ilk. What is there to say?”
Song Chuzhao replied, “I never said I was here for anyone today.”
Fourth Son Gu was dumbfounded. “No way fifth brother, it’s me, your fourth brother! Didn’t you come to help me?”
“If I didn’t care, I would have stood by and watched. But even if I do care, I can’t just intervene blindly.” Song Chuzhao said, “I was willing to step in earlier because I didn’t want you two to become more estranged. If you really started fighting, it would be impossible to stop. You are all classmates, and you may even work together in the future. Why be like this? To seek momentary satisfaction and create an unresolvable feud, is that your usual way?”
A scholar nearby was bewildered. “Fifth Young Master, are you on their side?”
“I’m not helping him, nor am I helping my own family. I’m only on the side of justice.” Song Chuzhao said, “I’m the one who won now, so you should all listen to me. Calm down, clarify the situation, and don’t fight. That’s my request. If you both think you are right, then speak your truth. Don’t worry.”
Someone behind Fan Chongqing shouted, “What’s there to say? They are clearly in cahoots! They say nice things, but they are just looking for an excuse to cover things up. They don’t want to take responsibility, but they want to save face. What a clever scheme!”
The scholar chuckled. “Fifth Young Master, you can hear for yourself. You have good intentions, but they don’t appreciate it!”
A vein throbbed on Song Chuzhao’s forehead.
“If you weren’t always two-faced, why would we have these suspicions?”
“I’m two-faced? You’ve said it all. What’s left to talk about?”
Song Chuzhao silently thought to herself, she is Fifth Son Gu, a refined and courteous young master.
“You always take pride in deceiving people. Who doesn’t know that you sour scholars look down on us behind our backs?”
“The feeling is mutual!”
“I think you…”
“Enough!” Song Chuzhao roared, “Are you done bickering?!”
The noise abruptly stopped. Everyone looked at her in shock.
“You keep chattering, but I don’t like a single word you’re saying!”
Song Chuzhao pressed the longbow in her hand against the chest of the person who had been arguing, pushing him back so that he stumbled and swayed.
“Whether you are a scholar or a warrior, you will all be pillars of our nation in the future. You are all insulting each other here today. It truly chills my heart!”
She swept her gaze across the faces of the crowd, her anger evident, stopping on the face of a scholar who had been arguing the loudest.
“How can anyone be all-powerful? Can they really do everything? Even if they can’t learn literature or martial arts, if they have a heart full of loyalty and courage, and are willing to serve their country, they are still worthy of praise. Why must it be like this, with every word laced with sarcasm, and every sentence filled with slander? Look at yourselves, what are you doing now?!”
The man was intimidated by her and stammered, “I just wanted to discuss the matter at hand.”
Song Chuzhao said, “Then discuss the matter at hand! What’s the matter? What’s the reason? All I see is you being unreasonable and ugly!”
Everyone was silenced by her loud reprimand. They had never seen Fifth Son Gu so furious, and for a moment, they dared not speak back.
Song Chuzhao pointed at Fan Chongqing: “Learning martial arts—”
Fan Chongqing took a deep breath, straightened his back, and prepared to listen to her scolding. He glared at her fiercely.
But Song Chuzhao continued, “Do you think it’s easy? Those who learn martial arts cannot afford to waste a single day. In the bitter cold of winter and the scorching heat of summer, they still train outside all day long. They traverse icy rivers and towering mountains on foot. They do the most dangerous things, living the most laborious lives. Their strength and skill are honed day by day, they owe nothing to anyone, and there’s no reason for them to be looked down upon!”
“What’s wrong with being loyal and righteous? What’s wrong with being a rough man? If it weren’t for these rough men who risk their lives to protect our country, how could we have peace today!”
Suddenly praised and elevated, Fan Chongqing stood there stunned. After a moment, he blushed with embarrassment.
Fifth Son Gu… was truly different from his fourth brother.
Song Chuzhao: “The difference between being straightforward and honest and being reckless and impulsive is merely a matter of prejudice! ‘If the eyes wander, they will lust; if the ears wander, they will be deceived; if the mouth wanders, it will cause chaos.’ You are all scholars, don’t you know this saying?”
Everyone lowered their heads.
“What’s wrong with learning literature?” Song Chuzhao changed her tone and continued, “You learn about benevolence and righteousness, you learn about the way of governing the world. They are full of talent and elegance, is there anything wrong with that? They hang their heads over their books and pierce their legs with awls, reciting the words of wise men, worrying about the affairs of the people, so their hands and feet are not as strong as yours, is there anything wrong with that? They speak politely, act tactfully, leave room for maneuver, and give others a little face, is there anything wrong with that? How can you call them hypocritical?”
Fan Chongqing shook his head vigorously.
“Even so—” Song Chuzhao said, “What are you arguing about? Who is this Huang Qicheng? What kind of troublemaker is he?”
Everyone quieted down, but they were hesitant to answer her.
Song Chuzhao: “Fourth Son Gu, you talk a lot, you go first!”
“Fourth Son Gu?” Gu Fengwei pointed at himself, his heart deeply wounded, “What are you calling me?”
Song Chuzhao: “I’m asking you a serious question, be serious!”
Gu Fengwei opened his mouth, looking aggrieved, “Huang Qicheng… is just a person. We aren’t really that close, but we were classmates for many years, so we could talk. Last month, he said he offended one of Fan Chongqing’s brothers while drunk, and they chased him and beat him up several times, leaving him bedridden. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, so he asked us to send some silver to apologize. But Fan Chongqing refused to accept it and got angry, and he even held a grudge against us.”
Fan Chongqing: “You’re full of shit!”
Gu Fengwei: “How do you talk? If anyone’s full of shit, it’s him, I’m just relaying the message!”
Fan Chongqing quickly corrected his mistake: “He’s full of shit!”
Song Chuzhao: “Then tell me what happened.”
Fan Chongqing stopped again, looking troubled and unwilling to speak.
Song Chuzhao reminded him: “I won the competition just now, right?”
Fan Chongqing closed his eyes, steeled his heart, and said, “It was one of my brothers… he offended Huang Qicheng in the past, and recently he’s been having bad luck and encountered some trouble. Huang Qicheng took advantage of his family’s wealth and status, and for fun, he bullied and harassed the man’s younger sister, and even stole money from their family! What does he mean by just sending the money back? How could I let him off? In my dreams!”
The literary faction didn’t know there was such an inside story, and seeing Song Chuzhao’s gaze sweep over them again, they hurriedly said, “You didn’t tell us!”
Fan Chongqing: “He’s so despicable, how could I say it out loud! You were the ones who were gullible in the first place!”
After he finished speaking, he warned, “Only a few of you here know about this today, if any of you tell anyone, I won’t let any of you off!”
“This concerns a woman’s reputation, we wouldn’t be so gossipy.”
Song Chuzhao raised her hand, and everyone fell silent again. They were quite obedient.
Song Chuzhao asked Fourth Son Gu and the others, “So, are you still going to protect that Huang Qicheng?”
Gu Fengwei exchanged glances with his brothers, and they all felt a sense of retreat, their meaning clear.
“No, right? We’re not on the same as him.”
Song Chuzhao turned around, “What about you? Are you really going to beat Huang Qicheng to death and then go to the government office to confess your crime?”
Fan Chongqing hesitated, “It wouldn’t go that far, would it?”
Song Chuzhao said, “Can’t you think of any other way? What’s the point of beating him up?”
Someone behind Fan Chongqing whispered, “What else can we do besides beating him up?”
Song Chuzhao, “There are plenty of underhanded ways.”
Fan Chongqing humbly asked, “What are some?”
How could Fifth Son Gu possibly have underhanded methods! He was a true gentleman!
Song Chuzhao remained silent, her gaze drifting towards the group where Fourth Son Gu stood. Everyone immediately understood and nodded.
Seeing that there was nothing more to be done, Song Chuzhao waved her hand, “I’m leaving. You clean up the mess yourselves. No more fighting. From now on, if you have a cause, say it. If you have a consequence, say it. I don’t want to hear you talk about your differences in background anymore. Otherwise, I can use my fists to teach you what’s right and wrong!”
This group of people was truly childish. No wonder Fifth Son Gu didn’t play with them.
Song Chuzhao shook her head and walked away with her hands behind her back.
Everyone watched her retreating figure in unison.
The figure was slender and tall, bathed in a faint glow under the sunlight.
Fan Chongqing grabbed Gu Fengwei’s sleeve and whispered, “Your fifth brother…”
Gu Fengwei let out a long sigh, pulled his sleeve back, and exclaimed, “So imposing…”