Chapter 334

Could the Su family elders actually be satisfied with her? Lou Suxin finally looked directly at the woman who had been keeping her head slightly bowed beside Su Ling from the very beginning. Her figure was too thin, and her cheeks bore two scars just like her sisters'. Fortunately, she was quiet and gentle, and could be considered delicate. Since the Su family elders accepted such a daughter-in-law, she had nothing more to say.

Withdrawing her gaze, Lou Suxin said haughtily, "Even for a General's wife, there has never been a precedent since ancient times for a wife to accompany her husband into battle. If she can go, could all the soldiers bring their wives along? A woman with no strength to truss a chicken is simply causing trouble."

Xin Yuening leaned forward and smiled with a feigned air of mystery, "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but Miss Qing is not like ordinary women."

Lou Suxin frowned, "How is she different?" She was thin and scrawny, not even as good as Qing Ling and Qingfeng!

"Miss Qing is not only familiar with military strategy but also highly skilled in martial arts. Not only will she not be a burden to General Su, but she can also lend him a helping hand. If it weren't for Miss Qing's rescue last time, Lord Gao would not have escaped danger." Turning back to pat Qingfeng's hand with affected intimacy, Xin Yuening said with feigned reproach, "Sister, you really are something. With your younger sister possessing such skills, why didn't you explain it sooner?"

Qingfeng's complexion turned somewhat pale. It was indeed about the Gao Hongjian incident. The Empress had always been narrow-minded. She had tried her best to keep her eldest and youngest sisters from entering the palace, thinking she could avoid this, but she never expected the Empress to bring it up at the banquet. Qingfeng forced herself to remain calm and replied, "Sister, you flatter her. Qing Mo has been active since childhood but has never practiced martial arts; her 'flowery fists and embroidered legs' don't count as real kung fu, and she knows even less about military strategy. Perhaps because she enjoys playing Go, she only knows how to talk big and engage in 'armchair strategy.' She is still young and doesn't understand etiquette; I hope the Empress Dowager and Sister will not take offense."

Xin Yuening gave a light snort and said, "Sister, you are being too humble. This Palace has witnessed Miss Qing's abilities, and the Emperor has seen them with his own eyes as well. Are you suggesting that both this Palace and the Emperor were mistaken?"

Qing Mo was timid by nature and not in very good health; she had never practiced martial arts at all. Seeing her beloved little sister so frightened that she didn't even dare to lift her head, a flash of anger rose in Qingfeng's chest. Even the words "This concubine dares not" were spoken through gritted teeth.

As these two engaged in a tense, undercurrent-filled exchange, Lou Suxin waved her hand and said impatiently, "That's enough. For a young girl, writing poetry, painting, playing the zither, and playing Go is fine, but how can she compare to men when it comes to wielding blades and spears?"

Qingfeng breathed a secret sigh of relief, thinking the matter had ended there. Who would have thought that Xin Yuening seemed determined not to let Qing Mo off? She leaned lightly toward Lou Suxin and said ingratiatingly, "Empress Dowager, Miss Qing is a heroine who surpasses even men. Otherwise, why would General Su look at her differently and fall so deeply in love with her? Today is a joyous occasion, and it is also the Third Prince's full-month celebration. Why not let Qing Mo demonstrate for the Empress Dowager?"

A heroine who surpasses men? Lou Suxin took another look at that thin figure and still didn't believe it in her heart. However, seeing the Empress's high praise, she followed her lead and replied, "Very well, this Empress also wants to see just how she is a heroine who surpasses men."

Having obtained the Empress Dowager's consent, and with the Emperor showing no intention of stopping it, Xin Yuening smiled even more triumphantly, "This concubine has also heard that Miss Qing's fist techniques are remarkable; even seven or eight strong men cannot get close to her."

"Truly?" Lou Suxin asked in surprise, "Then this Empress really must see it!"

"Someone, come here." Xin Yuening gave a soft call, and eight sturdy guards stepped forward. To fight these eight people—let alone a woman, even a man couldn't withstand a few punches. The Empress was clearly out for her little sister's life! Qingfeng could no longer care about anything else; she rose and walked to the Empress Dowager, kneeling halfway to plead, "Empress Dowager, Mo'er is only a girl in her teens; how could she withstand such a fight?"

Lou Suxin was also somewhat hesitant at this moment, but before she could speak, Xin Yuening had already stepped forward, grabbing Qingfeng's arm to pull her up, comforting her, "Sister, you are overthinking it. Look at how calm Miss Qing is; you, as her sister, shouldn't be so humble."

Qing Mo had been keeping her head down, which, in Qingfeng's eyes, meant she was terrified. In Zhuo Qing's eyes, Yun must have had other plans, so she remained silent. Even when Qingfeng cast a look of distress toward her, Zhuo Qing only shook her head slightly, hoping she would calm down.

Zhuo Qing knew Gu Yun's capabilities, but Qingfeng did not. Seeing that even her eldest sister wouldn't save her little sister, Qingfeng had no choice but to grit her teeth and seek help from Yan Hongtian. Shaking off Xin Yuening's hand, Qingfeng walked to Yan Hongtian's side, took a deep breath, and knelt on both knees, "Your Majesty—"

Unfortunately, just as she opened her mouth, Yan Hongtian had already grabbed her arm with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist, lifting her up, "I also want to witness the style of a heroine who surpasses men." He wanted even more to know just how far Su Ling could go for Qing Mo, and what other hidden talents that scrawny woman possessed that he didn't know about.

The eight strong men walked to the open space in the center of the banquet. Each one looked like they could snap a person's arm with a single exertion of force. The eight men stared at Qing Mo with predatory eyes. Qingfeng's heart was about to jump out of her chest, and with her waist tightly encircled by Yan Hongtian, she was unable to move. To touch Mo'er, they would have to go through her first. Ignoring the pain in her waist, Qingfeng struggled desperately, when suddenly Yan Hongtian's steady voice sounded in her ear: "With me here, she will be fine; there is no need to worry."

Qingfeng was stunned. What did he mean by that? Just as Qingfeng wanted to ask, Su Ling stood up abruptly, but his wrist was held by the slightly cool, slender hand beside him. Su Ling looked at Gu Yun, who stood silently beside him, and saw her slowly stand up, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and slowly raising the head she had kept bowed.

The petite figure standing beside Su Ling appeared even more fragile. On her plain, clean face, the two scars not only failed to make her look ferocious or terrifying, but instead made her appear even more pitiful and endearing. The Empress actually let such a small woman fight eight strong men; her heart was too vicious. It was common for women in the harem to fight, but taking it out on someone else's sister was going too far.

After seeing Gu Yun's thin figure clearly, Lou Suxin also concluded that she could not possibly be a match for the eight strong men. She was just about to say that the match should be canceled, but she was shocked by the firm gaze that shouldn't have appeared on such a frail woman. When she looked directly at you, a daunting aura pressed straight into your heart, making one feel inexplicably startled; a woman shouldn't have such a gaze.

Gu Yun's cold eyes swept over the eight men eyeing her like tigers, and a mocking smile curled the corners of her mouth. Looking at the people with various expressions at the head table, she said loudly, "Just as my sister said, Qing Mo has never studied under any master, and what I play with are just 'flowery fists and embroidered legs.' Saving Lord Gao last time was purely coincidental, and it was all due to the well-trained Su Family Army and Su Ling's guidance from the side. I dare not accept the title of a heroine who surpasses men."

Qingfeng breathed a secret sigh of relief. Her little sister was doing well at the General's Mansion; at least over the past year or so, she had become much braver and could speak eloquently in front of so many people. Gu Yun's humility, however, gave Su Ling a bad premonition. Sure enough, Gu Yun changed the subject, meeting Yan Hongtian's unfathomable eyes, and asked with a hint of provocation, "However, Qing Mo does indeed have the idea of accompanying the army on the expedition. If I can prove today that I am not a weak woman with no strength to truss a chicken, will Your Majesty grant me permission to accompany the army?"

Yan Hongtian smiled readily, "If you win against eight armed guards, I will grant you permission to accompany the army!" She was naturally not someone with no strength to truss a chicken, but winning against eight guards was an impossible task. If he remembered correctly, more than a month ago, she had suffered a sword wound that nearly cost her her life, and almost all the imperial physicians in the palace had been summoned by Lou Xiyan. Recovering from a serious injury, and with the inherent disparity in strength between men and women, if she could still win, letting her go wouldn't matter.

What a cunning way of putting it; did that mean if she didn't defeat all eight of them, she would still lose? Gu Yun smiled indifferently, "Is it a deal?"

"A monarch's word is final!"

Gu Yun was full of confidence and stood up, walking to the open space in the middle. Standing beside the eight guards, she was so thin and slight that she only reached their chests. Gu Yun nodded to them calmly, with excellent poise. The eight men were somewhat embarrassed, and a commotion began among the officials. This was simply no match at all; if each of them threw one punch, would that little girl still be alive?

Gu Yun stood facing them but was in no hurry to make a move. She turned around and said loudly to the people at the head table, "Since today is the Third Prince's full-month day, and there are so many madams and young ladies present, fighting and killing is truly unsightly. Moreover, having all eight of them attack at once would be unfair, and taking them on one by one would take too much time. I have a better testing method that can test against all eight of them at once while proving that I am not a weak woman with no strength to truss a chicken."

With one hand around Qingfeng's waist, which was still struggling, and holding fine wine in the other, Yan Hongtian smiled, "How do you wish to compete?"

Pointing to the river lanterns drifting away in scattered fashion on the lake, Gu Yun replied, "The river lanterns on the lake are so beautiful; why don't I compete with the eight guards in archery? I will be in a group by myself, and they will be in a group of eight. Using the head table as the center line, have people place one hundred river lanterns on each side of the lake. The competition time will be a quarter of an incense stick. Whichever side has fewer lit lanterns on the lake surface wins. What does Your Majesty think?"

"The eight of them combined? Are you sure?" He had already witnessed her superb archery skills when she rescued the Gao Hongjian family. There was nothing to compete here, but she was actually making the wild claim of one against eight? This piqued Yan Hongtian's interest again; he did not believe that one person could use a bow and arrow to such an extreme degree.

Qingfeng's heart was tossing and turning, not at peace for a single moment. It was a relief that the fight had been changed to archery, so even if she missed, she wouldn't suffer any harm, but why did she have to say one against eight? She was understanding this little sister of hers less and less.

Her arrogance indeed aroused Yan Hongtian's curiosity. Gu Yun knew he would definitely agree and continued, "Of course I'm sure. However, I am used to using a crossbow, and the short arrows used by a crossbow can be distinguished from the long arrows used by a bow, making it easier to see the winner. I wonder if Your Majesty could lend me the crossbow that Su Ling sent into the palace today?"

The small crossbow Su Ling sent was indeed less strenuous for a woman. Yan Hongtian didn't think much of it and said readily, "Someone, go to the study and bring the crossbow."

"Yes." The guard received the order and immediately ran toward the direction of the Imperial Study.

The atmosphere in the Imperial Garden could only be described as tense. Everyone was waiting quietly to see what would happen next. Shui Xin stood leisurely behind the Empress, her eyes falling on that petite woman. She had often heard the name Qing Mo, but today was the first time she had seen her in person. A seemingly weak and scrawny little girl actually possessed such aura and energy; truly, one should not judge a book by its cover. Among the three Qing sisters, she was likely the most difficult to deal with. Looking at the confident, victory-assured expression between her brows, Shui Xin guessed that the outcome probably wouldn't be unexpected.

Shui Xin nodded slightly to the eunuch behind her. The eunuch understood, slowly retreated, and ran toward the depths of the inner palace.

Tonight, a banquet was held in the Imperial Garden, which was bustling with noise and excitement. By comparison, the various courtyards of the inner palace appeared much more deserted. Ming Ze leaned against the heavy gate of the Qingfeng Palace, staring at the relatively bright moon in the sky. His expression remained cold, but his eyes revealed a faint mockery. For the little prince's full-month banquet, the Imperial Guard Commander Guo Yi must have already made proper deployments; naturally, he didn't need to worry about or protect the safety of Consort Qing and the prince.

Ming Ze had been standing straight like this for who knows how long, when suddenly a very fast black shadow flashed across the low bushes to his side.

(End of chapter)