Chapter 90: Brutally Beating Gao Gao Shanshan

Gao Gao Shanshan drew the bowstring taut, aiming at the three copper coins a hundred meters away. She could only strive to shoot farther, having no time to worry about accuracy. Gao Gao Shanshan's arrow left the string, traced an arc in the air, and fell to the ground.

Gao Gao Shanshan stood there, dazed and stunned. Several guards ran forward, inspected the scene, and reported to Quan Quan Wuji: "Your Majesty, the arrow traveled fifty-nine steps, missing the target by one foot and six zhang."

"Pfft, ha! It seems Young Lady Gao's archery skills are nothing special!" Quan Quan Aoyu burst out laughing. Quan Quan Tianchen also breathed a sigh of relief, a gentle smile spreading across his face.

Quan Quan Tianyi was displeased and said:

"Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, wait until Lady Lady Qingping finishes shooting before you laugh." Gao Gao Shanshan was, after all, his maternal family's sister; he had to defend her a little, lest he earn the reputation of being heartless and unrighteous.

Prime Minister Gao remained silent, veins bulging on his forehead as he clenched his fists tightly.

It was Jun Jun Zijin's turn. She calmly urged her horse forward. Jun Jun Zijin took a deep breath, squeezed her thighs against the horse's flanks, and the steed galloped forth like an arrow leaving the string.

Her riding speed was neither fast nor slow, lacking any fancy tricks, strictly conventional and extremely steady.

Seeing this, the crowd murmured in surprise. Princess Jiahe sneered disdainfully, "Jun Jun Zijin is nothing special either; how dare she make such a bold claim here."

The Fifth Imperial Prince, Quan Quan Tianjiao, nodded in agreement upon hearing this.

The Second Imperial Prince, Quan Quan Qiming, even laughed out loud in mockery. The Third Imperial Prince finally felt relieved.

Gao Gao Shanshan believed that if she couldn't hit the target, Jun Jun Zijin certainly couldn't. The heart she had held in her throat eased slightly.

Jun Jun Zijin, of course, knew nothing of the audience's reactions on the viewing platform. She gazed with determined eyes at the three copper coins on the distant tree. A gentle breeze stirred her hair, yet it could not blow away the confidence radiating from her entire being.

Just as the horse galloped to a position a hundred paces away, she lightly squeezed her thighs against the horse's flanks, causing the steed to pause briefly. In that instant, Jun Jun Zijin nocked an arrow and drew the bow, her movements fluid and seamless.

At that moment, the entire riding arena was so quiet that only the rustling sound of wind through the leaves remained. The atmosphere on the viewing platform grew as tense as it could possibly be, following Jun Jun Zijin's movements.

Only heard "Swoosh!" The sharp arrow flew from the string. In the sunlight, the arrow shot forth like a meteor, precisely threading the three copper coins onto its shaft as if stringing beads.

The Emperor Tianqi Emperor's eyes suddenly "flashed" with light. Yet the arrow did not stop there; carrying the three copper coins, it continued flying forward.

At this, Quan Quan Aoyu sat upright, for the first time not lazily leaning against his chair. Quan Aoyin widened his eyes, staring tightly at the arrow still in flight.

That arrow, carrying the three copper coins, seemed to have grown eyes as it dodged the tree trunk directly ahead, continuing to fly forward for another fifty meters or so, before actually spinning in mid-air.

Just at the moment the arrow carrying the coins dodged the tree trunk, the Emperor's entire body trembled. And at the moment of the spin, for a brief instant, the Emperor felt his heart stop beating; he stared with wide eyes, fixed intently on that arrow.

Finally, with a "Thud!", the arrow was firmly embedded in the large tree ahead.

The entire riding arena fell silent. Everyone held their breath. For a long while, until they almost suffocated themselves, no one knew who took the lead in clapping first. Instantly, thunderous applause and cheers shook the entire venue. They were crazy; everyone in the venue was crazy.

"Good! Good! Good!" Emperor Quan Quan Wuji, excited, stood up, clapping his hands and exclaiming in admiration, uttering three consecutive praises.

"Sister-in-law truly is a woman who does not yield to men." A smile full of excitement spread across Quan Quan Tianchen's gentle face.

"Wow, Sister Jun Zijin, you are too amazing!" The Seventh Imperial Prince, Quan Quan Tianwu, shouted excitedly.

Jun Zhengming still hadn't come to his senses. Previously, he could accept that Jun Jun Zijin understood medicine because she was Fang Fang Jizhou's granddaughter. Now, it seemed her martial arts were equally formidable, yet he had known nothing about it.

Jun Jun Zijin turned her head to look at Quan Quan Aoyu. She saw that man stand up and give her a thumbs-up.

Jun Jun Zijin smiled proudly. She had practiced hard for several months. Although her martial arts from her past life had recovered to about fifty or sixty percent, the strength of this small body was always insufficient; shooting one hundred and fifty meters was already the limit. Fortunately, besides medicine, her favorite skill in her past life was archery, and today's shot had also taken a bit of a clever shortcut.

"This... how is this possible? This... what kind of demonic art is this?" Gao Gao Shanshan was completely stunned, and the bow and arrow in her hand fell to the ground.

The crowd's cheers for Jun Jun Zijin severely struck Gao Gao Shanshan's self-esteem. She was furious with shame. She stood there, her face filled with anger and humiliation. She never expected Jun Jun Zijin to possess such superb archery skills. Unwilling to lose face before everyone, Gao Gao Shanshan glared at Jun Jun Zijin, a flicker of viciousness flashing in her eyes.

Gao Gao Shanshan suddenly pulled a small hidden weapon from her waist and shot it straight at Jun Jun Zijin's face. The hidden weapon traced an arc in the air, heading directly for Jun Jun Zijin.

This move stunned everyone present. The crowd on the viewing platform saw clearly that Gao Gao Shanshan, despite her young age, had a vicious mind. Everyone held their breath for Jun Jun Zijin.

"Gao Gao Shanshan! Are you not afraid of making a fool of yourself by doing this?" He Ling'er, Quan Quan Qingle, and several others shouted loudly.

Jun Jun Zijin narrowed her eyes slightly and let out a cold snort:

"Seeking death." She originally did not want to bother with a clown, but if someone recklessly provoked her, it would be a different matter.

Jun Jun Zijin casually pulled two pieces of broken silver from her waist and threw them. A flash of silver light passed by, and with a "Clang!" of a crisp sound, it struck Gao Gao Shanshan's hidden weapon squarely, instantly rebounding it back.

"Ah!" A cry of shock rang out. Gao Gao Shanshan was struck by her own hidden weapon. Her body swayed, and she fell heavily from her horse.

The viewing platform erupted in another uproar. Princess Lady Qingping's archery was so formidable; did she also possess martial arts?

Quan Quan Qingle and others shouted even louder, "Jun Zijin, well done!"

Gao Gao Shanshan sat on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. She widened her eyes, clutching her beaten chest, which hurt terribly, seeming to have been beaten into a dent. He looked at the Jun Jun Zijin before him in disbelief.

Then, Gao Gao Shanshan trembled, pointing a finger at Jun Jun Zijin, who sat atop her horse looking down from above, and roared:

"Witch! Jun Jun Zijin must be a witch!"

Before Gao Gao Shanshan's words had finished, a figure in dark ink on the viewing platform leaped up. Using lightness skill, he instantly mounted Jun Jun Zijin's horse, one arm tightly embracing Jun Jun Zijin in his chest. With a "Smack!" sound, Quan Quan Aoyu raised a whip and struck Gao Gao Shanshan.

Gao Gao Shanshan could not dodge in time and was struck squarely.

"If you dare slander my wife again, I will take your life!" Quan Quan Aoyu roared.

The crowd was awed by Quan Quan Aoyu's momentum; for a moment, no one dared to speak.

The whip's tail scratched Gao Gao Shanshan's cheek, instantly leaving a bloody mark. Her clothes were whipped to shreds, revealing her blood-stained undergarments. She didn't even groan; her eyelids flipped, and she fainted.

Prime Minister Gao "Zeng!" stood up, then slowly sat back down. Recently, the Emperor had held some grievances against the Gao family. If handled improperly, Quan Quan Wuji might use this as an excuse to attack the Gao family. Prime Minister Gao looked at Quan Quan Aoyu and Jun Jun Zijin with venomous eyes. He was about to open his mouth to request the Emperor's permission to carry Gao Gao Shanshan away for treatment.

At this moment, Quan Quan Wuji slowly spoke:

"In this round, Princess Lady Qingping wins. Gao Gao Shanshan lost her composure before the throne; she is punished with three years of prohibition from entering the palace."

Quan Quan Wuji paused slightly:

"As for Gao, my beloved minister, you must have been too focused on court affairs, neglecting the education of the children in your household. Speaking of it, it is I, the ruler of a nation, who did not consider things thoroughly enough. Very well, I grant you a three-month leave. For these three months, Gao, my beloved minister, shall not attend court. Enjoy your holiday well and accompany your children. Gao, my beloved minister, hand over your official duties. All my beloved ministers, please be more tolerant and accommodating; do not disturb Prime Minister Gao with those annoying matters while he enjoys family happiness."

Quan Quan Wuji spoke in plain, straightforward language, leaving the crowd stunned.

As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, ministers immediately knelt on the ground: "Your Majesty, rest assured. For the sake of Prime Minister Gao, we fear no hardship and will certainly live up to your high expectations."

Prime Minister Gao felt his vision go black with anger. Damn it, who asked for your leave? If a minister does not attend court, is he still a minister? Not to mention three months; even one month would likely cause him to lose a large portion of his power. These shameless colleagues, who asked for your tolerance?

Prime Minister Gao wanted to refuse, but as soon as he opened his mouth, a mouthful of blood spurted out.

"Oh my, Gao, my beloved minister, you must be exhausted from court affairs. I do not wish to bear the reputation of mistreating and exploiting my ministers. Very well, I will grant you another three months of leave. Go back and properly recuperate your body!" Quan Quan Wuji exclaimed in shock.

Hearing he was granted a six-month leave, Prime Minister Gao could no longer hold on; his vision went black, and he fainted.

Quan Quan Wuji made two "Zze, zze" sounds and shook his head:

"With such poor health, one should indeed take more time to recuperate."

Quan Quan Wuji then turned his head again to the stunned eunuchs and said, "What are you still staring at? Why not quickly escort the Prime Minister, my lord, and his daughter back to the Prime Minister's residence?"

Gao Gao Shanshan, who had been lying on the ground for quite some time, was finally carried away.

The Noble Consort Gao on the high platform had remained silent from beginning to end; she only fixed her venomous eyes on Jun Jun Zijin, not knowing what she was plotting.