Edited by Tnyhy

When the arrow was shot, everyone at the hall held their breath with rapt attention, and those timid female guests would directly cover their eyes, fearing to see the scene. The ministers were all very clear in their hearts, that no matter how vicious this Princess of the Qin country was, she would not shot a General’s daughter to death on Ming Qi’s soil in front of everyone.

But it was one thing to know it in one’s heart, and another thing to see it with one’s eyes. They were only onlookers but already felt their heart rapidly beating, so how would it be for Shen Miao?

Shen Miao quietly watched and did not even close her eyes at all, but looking seriously at the arrow that was sweeping towards her, as if she wanted to see the entire arrow clearly. But when it fell into others" eyes, it became unswerving steadiness.

The arrow gave a ‘xiu’ sound but lightly pa.s.sed, just by a small difference, by Shen Miao’s head.

Narrowly avoiding that red apple.

Shen Qiu who was sitting suddenly felt relieved, and Shen Xin"s and Luo Xue Yan"s clenched hands slightly loosened. Feng An Ning and Luo Tan patted their chests while Luo Ling picked the cup of tea in front of him, and drank a sip to hide his concerned expression.

The entire hall was silent. HuangFu Hao was originally smiling, but gradually became unable to smile anymore.

Princess Ming An waited for a while, but did not hear any cheers or mockery against Shen Miao from the crowd, and a bad feeling raised in her heart. She pulled the black cloth away from her eyes and saw that opposite of her, the apple on Shen Miao’s shoulder was still safe and sound, and her arrow fell slightly away. The purple clad young female did not have a messy hair and her clothes were still intact without any trace of panic. She just looked at her lightly, “Your Princess Highness’s hand had slipped and did not hit the target.”

Did not hit the target.

That sentence was said extremely mildly, but it seemed to contain the highest form of ridicule, so hot that it made Princess Ming An’s cheeks feel painful.

But after being stunned for that moment, Princess Ming An quickly reacted. She looked at Shen Miao and said angrily, “You must have moved just now. It is you that moved! BenGong have never miss before. If you did not move, how would BenGong not hit the target?”

Everyone did not expect that this Princess Ming An would suddenly create trouble, and even the Emperor showed his displeasure, “Is the Princess saying that the hundreds of people in this banquet are covering up for Young Lady Shen?”

Shen Miao stood straight and did not avoid or evade from the beginning to end, even though one did not know it was an act or real. If it was real, then everyone under Heavens would be enchanted for a female with such courage. No matter how Emperor Wen Hui fear the Shen family, they were at the end Ming Qi"s people and he as the Ming Qi’s Emperor, how could he let a Princess of the Qin country indiscriminately sneer at Shen Miao in front of him? One fear that if he indulged Princess Ming An’s nonsense today, tomorrow the prestige this Emperor had with all the officials would plummet.

Princess Ming An felt grievances in her head and she looked at HuangFu Hao. HuangFu Hao looked at her with a grim face and Princess Ming An quivered. She dare not look at HuangFu Hao again, and instead turned to look at Prince Rui who was standing at the side before speaking delicately, “Did Your Highness Prince Rui saw clearly if the Young Lady of Shen family avoided it?” When she was speaking, Princess Ming An softened her voice as her eyes focused on Prince Rui, making everyone felt that it was somewhat unnatural.

Prince Rui’s lips hooked up, “No.”

Princess Ming An was surprised for a moment, “Your Highness Prince Rui is saying that Shen Miao did not evade it?”

“Are you questioning this Prince’s eyes?” Prince Rui retorted. He looked exceptionally charming that was enough to break one’s heart. But when his voice became cold, it made others feel a pressing chill, and one would not dare to look straight.

Princess Ming An jumped in shock but then saw Shen Miao facing her while smiling gently, “Your Princess Highness, one must accept the lose upon an agreement to bet. Or is it… Your Princess Highness cannot afford to lose?”

“Impudent!” Princess Ming An screamed. She suddenly saw the angry gazes that were on her from the surroundings, before understanding that this was the Ming Qi and her screams to Shen Miao had caused public outrage. She looked at Shen Miao and sneered, “It is not that BenGong cannot afford to lose, but… You should not be too happy too soon. BenGong did not hit the target, but can you hit it?”

Princess Ming An was angry as her archery skills had reached the stage of perfection. Moreover, this bow was one that she had used since young and today’s blindfolded archery, Princess Ming An had played it for many years in the Qin country, and there had been no slip-ups before. She initially wanted to give some difficulties to Shen Miao, to give the Shen family a lesson for being rude and shoot open Shen Miao’s clothes when she shot through the apple, to make her lose face. It was such an easy task, but why at the crucial time it did not hit the target? And under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shen Miao did not dodge which make her unsure where the problem was at.

One came out in elation to compete, but the result was that not only Shen Miao was not disgraced, one did not hit the target. If those Princesses and Princes knew about it, they would also laugh at her. Thinking of that, Princess Ming An hated and resented Shen Miao even more.

Shen Miao looked at Princess Ming An’s actions and her heart went slightly cold. In her previous lifetime she had stayed in the Qin country for five years, and had been in contact with this Princess of the Qin country for that time. Shen Miao understood clearer than anyone else, what kind of character this Princess Ming An had. Princess Ming An loved to make fun of her like this, ‘playing’ an archery game in front of a big crowd. One arrow would undo her hair, one arrow to open up her robes and occasionally ‘accidentally’ brush pa.s.s her body. When Princess Ming An pulled the bow open, she already knew what intention Princess Ming An had, and which angle the arrow would be coming from to where would it ended up at. How could she not be clear after a scene had repeated numerous of times?

She simply tilted her shoulder ever so slightly and let the arrow ‘coincidentally’ brush by her.

No one would believe Princess Ming An’s words, just like at the beginning no one would believe Shen Miao’s words. Being wronged, misunderstood, shamed were what this precious and respected Princess had to experience herself.

Of course, it was not limited to this.

Shen Miao held that bright red apple and smiled, “It is my turn so may Your Princess Highness bite this apple in your mouth.”

At the beginning, all the audiences were still subtly talking about the matter but when they heard what Shen Miao said, in a moment silence fell.

Princess Ming An stared wide eyed at Shen Miao incredulously, “What did you say?” Her voice was even more sharper because of the panic, and it was also somewhat hoa.r.s.e.

Shen Miao smiled as she looked at her, and there was some innocence in her eyes as she spoke, “Did not Your Princess Highness said that this is the Great Qin’s playing rules? The person shooting will determine where the fruit will be placed. Your Princess Highness wanted the fruit to be placed on this official daughter’s shoulder and this official daughter placed it there. Now…” She smile magnanimously, “If Your Princess Highness is scared, then it is possible to change it to another person.”

It was still alright if she did not say this sentence but once it was said, Princess Ming An was so angry that she could flip people and horses. By changing to another person, it was saying that she, Princess Ming An, was timid and could not afford to lose, so would not this be like losing one’s face to everyone in the Ming Qi, the Great Liang and the Qin country?

Yi Pei Lan suck in a breath of cold air and said to Shen Yue, “Is she crazy? How could she dare to go against Princess Ming An?”

Originally during the academy examinations, Shen Miao confronted Cai Lin and relied that Shen Xin’s official position was not lower than Cai Daren’s. But now one was facing a Princess of another country and Shen Miao also dared to provoke. This was beyond everyone’s expectations. Cai Lin and Cai Daren looked at one another and smiled bitterly. Initially they thought that Shen Miao was directly opposing him, but now Shen Miao did not even care about a Princess of another country, so what else could be said?

Over at the Princes’ area, they were also signs of wonderment. Prince Li smiled profoundly, “This Young Lady of the Shen family can really hold a grudge.”

Princess Ming An stared fixedly at Shen Miao, but Shen Miao only gave a shallow smile when facing her sharp eyes. In desperation, Princess Ming An could only look at HuangFu Hao for help.

HuangFu Hao lightly coughed, and was somewhat angry at Shen Miao for not appreciating favours. Princess Ming An represents the Great Qin so he could not let Princess Ming An unsatisfied. He looked at Emperor Wen Hui and swept a glance at Shen Miao, “It is only a game so why is the Young Lady of the Ming Qi this unwilling to overlook and spare?”

Emperor Wen Hui looked at the Shen family"s people.

Shen Xin and Luo Xue Yan were busy with drinking their tea, as if they did not hear the words before. Shen Qiu and Luo Ling looked calmly and unruffled above one’s head, but did not show their stand. Feng An Ning and Luo Tan were staring at Princess Ming An with an indignant look in their eyes.

The Shen family’s att.i.tude was very clear. They did not intend to forget about it and clearly marked Princess Ming An. There was anger in Shen Xin’s stomach, as just now Shen Miao was aggressively forced by Princess Ming An till she had no way out, so now naturally it would be Princess Ming An turn to have a taste of it. Do not do to others what one would not have them do to one. When Princess Ming An was scheming against others, she should have thought about the taste of others scheming against her. Since the Shen family had been placed to where the wind and waves were the fiercest, and since the Qin country"s people in the beginning targeted the Shen family, then what qualms did they need to have. When Shen Xin got temperamental, he was one who thinks that the barefooted would not be afraid of those wearing shoes, that even if today one were to shoot Princess Ming An to death, then let it go with it.

When Emperor Wen Hui saw Shen Xin’s att.i.tude, he understood in his heart. Shen Xin was one who s.h.i.+elded one’s shortcomings, moreover this was related to Shen Miao. Since Shen Xin wanted to be the target, then Emperor Wen Hui would be glad to see him happy, moreover he too did not like the arrogance of Princess Ming An, and that she did not even place the Ming Qi in her eyes. He planned to cut Princess Ming An arrogance so he smiled and spoke to HuangFu Hao, “This is a game between children, so the Crown Prince need not be that worried. Since they are playing happily, naturally Zhen will not stop them.”

HuangFu Hao did not expect that the Shen family were actually that difficult of snags, and also did not expect that Emperor Wen Hui, the sly old fox would sit on top of a mountain to watch the tigers fight, so for the moment he had no ideas. Moreover the Ming Qi’s officials gradually got bolder and began to whisper. If one were to reject it then the Qin country’s face would be gone. He warningly glanced at Princess Ming An, “Ming An, since it was you who brought it out, then play with Young Lady Shen till the end.” He then glanced at Shen Miao and said meaningfully, “Since Young Lady Shen is playing, she would definitely not hurt you.”

The unspoken implication was, that if there was any unexpected misfortune with Princess Ming An, Shen Miao would definitely need to pay the price.

Shen Miao only smile when she heard such threatening words, “Rest a.s.sured Your Princess Highness, since we have not signed the life and death agreement, this official’s daughter will definitely not hurt Your Princess Highness.”

The more she said so, the more uneasy Princess Ming An felt. But now she had ridden a tiger, it was hard to get off so she could only do as Shen Miao said. As she walked to the other side, Princess Ming An’s eyes were like knives, stabbing into Shen Miao’s body. She suddenly thought about something and her eyes brightened as she smiled, “But Young Lady Shen, BenGong’s bow is not something that can be pulled by anyone. One fear that you…”

Before the three words ‘cannot pull apart’ were spoken, one saw Shen Miao easily pull the bow apart.

It was different from Princess Ming An’s strenuous pull. Shen Miao’s pulled the bow extremely gracefully and easily, as if this bow had been with her for decades and she was extremely skilled. She smiled as she looked at Princess Ming An, and said lightly as she faced Princess Ming An’s unbelievable gaze, “Good bow, I can use Your Princess Highness’s bow without any trouble. Many thanks.”