TGPSAC – Chapter 95

The martial competition began. The first round was archery.

The archery was divided into three rounds: stationary archery, moving target archery, and mounted archery.

Horsemanship was a single round; a win was a win.

The combat was also a single round. Each side would send out five people for a melee, and the winner would be clear.

For archery and horsemanship, each side selected three people. For combat, five were chosen. In total, that was eleven people per side.

On Great Zhou’s side, six were from noble houses, and five were from the military.

But Chi Wan had arranged for them to be drugged. The five weakest were stuck in the latrines, unable to come out, so the Embroidered-Robe Guard naturally took their places.

Chi Wan sat beside Yu Jiuzhou, her gaze calmly fixed on the competition grounds.

Yu Jiuzhou’s voice sounded, low enough for only her to hear. “Do you know that many people will impeach you for what you said?”

The Emperor would also be angry. He would think Chi Wan was inviting military disaster upon Great Zhou, and he would not let her off easily.

“I know,” Chi Wan said calmly. She could even guess what the Emperor would think.

If she worried about so many things, she would never get anything done.

Yu Jiuzhou tightened her grip on her teacup. “Why not think of another way?”

“Your Highness wants Princess Lin’an to return. This is the fastest and most honorable way.”

Chi Wan had considered sending people to secretly retrieve Princess Lin’an, and it would certainly have succeeded. But if they did that, Princess Lin’an would never be able to appear in public openly again.

With Princess Lin’an’s personality, if she could not return, she would likely take her own life in Beining. A furtive return would be worse than death to her. From the very beginning, both she and Yu Jiuzhou had wanted Princess Lin’an to be welcomed back by a Great Zhou honor guard.

Yu Jiuzhou grabbed Chi Wan’s hand. “I want my aunt to return, but I don’t want you to put yourself in danger.”

Comparatively, she valued Chi Wan’s safety more. As for her aunt, she would find a way herself.

Chi Wan chuckled, changing the subject. “The elevation of Great Zhou princesses’ status begins today.”

Yu Jiuzhou was exasperated, but she had to admit, “You are doing this for me.”

Towards Chi Wan, she could feel a change in her own heart. Just now, when Chi Wan had exchanged a toast with Duan Jinxian from afar, she had felt a pang of sourness.

Duan Jinxian had expressed admiration for Chi Wan, so when the two interacted, she felt uncomfortable.

Chi Wan didn’t want to say anything. A part of her was indeed doing this for Yu Jiuzhou, but she didn’t want Yu Jiuzhou to overthink it. She just whispered, “Your Highness, Princess Lin’an will be your greatest asset.”

“Is that all?” Couldn’t she just say it was for her?

“I am also doing this to protect my own wife.”

Yu Jiuzhou hummed lightly. She was satisfied, yet felt something was missing. “Hmph.”

Chi Wan enclosed Yu Jiuzhou’s hand in her own, nonchalantly toying with it. “Your Highness is also a princess. The higher the status of Great Zhou’s princesses, the easier it will be for Your Highness to achieve your goals.”

See? There aren’t many people who work as hard as I do.

Yu Jiuzhou was speechless. “Is that all?”

Er… what did Her Highness want to hear?

Chi Wan’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Naturally, it is also because Your Highness is my wife.”

It was truly embarrassing. She had been beating around the bush for so long precisely because she was too shy to say this. In the end, she had been forced to say it out loud. How mortifying.

Yu Jiuzhou’s lips curved, and she lowered her eyes to hide her delight. If Chi Wan was willing to do these things for her, then she would certainly protect Chi Wan.

Of course, they both knew that neither of them was willing to use a marriage alliance to trade for so-called peace.

Marriage alliances were useless. Only strength mattered. When a nation was strong, no one dared to invade. When a nation was weak, they would be attacked regardless of what they did.

Yu Jiuzhou watched the competition below. Great Zhou’s contestants had already won the archery round, but Beining had also won. Only Nanyue had lost.

Nanyue was never skilled at mounted archery, so their loss was to be expected. But their warriors were not bad.

In horsemanship, finishing in the top three was a win. A strange thing happened: each nation had one person place in the top three.

However, Nanyue took first, Great Zhou second, and Beining third.

Nanyue’s horsemanship was average, yet they had managed to take first place? Everyone was stunned.

Daloyan shot to his feet. “How is that possible?”

“Drugs?” Chi Wan narrowed her eyes. She could see something was wrong with their horse. They must have used a drug to make the horse excited to win first place.

And the person who took second for Great Zhou was from the Embroidered-Robe Guard.

By now, the Duke of Xin had realized something was amiss. Prince Bao’an frowned. “Who is that person?”

“An Embroidered-Robe Guard.”

“Then where are our people?”

The Duke of Xin turned to look at a general not far away, who had an anxious expression. He beckoned the man over.

Soon, he learned the whole story. “Our people have upset stomachs. Members of the Embroidered-Robe Guard stepped in as temporary replacements—one for archery and horsemanship each, and three for the combat.”

“Three? Then what about our plan?”

“Don’t be hasty. The men from Beining are not weak either.”

The Duke of Xin’s brow was tightly furrowed. The one who won in archery was from the Embroidered-Robe Guard, and the one who took second in horsemanship was also from the Embroidered-Robe Guard.

If they had all lost, it would have shown that Great Zhou had no talent to choose from. But when the Embroidered-Robe Guard went up, they succeeded. This would lead people to ask why the skilled ones weren’t chosen, and the useless ones were picked instead.

The Duke of Xin knew that the nobles he had chosen were all for show—they looked impressive but were actually useless. As for the soldiers, he had given them something to eat, ensuring they wouldn’t perform well.

The Embroidered-Robe Guard taking the field would make it seem like his selections were poor, and the Emperor would surely question him.

Therefore, he instructed his men to find a way to prevent the Embroidered-Robe Guard from competing in the upcoming combat round.

But Chi Wan saw their every interaction. “Your Highness, what do you think they will do next?”

There was one thing she didn’t quite understand. What was the Duke of Xin after? What benefit was there for him if Great Zhou lost?

Great Zhou losing to Beining? Had they struck a deal with Beining?

Several questions arose in Chi Wan’s mind, but without evidence, she couldn’t be certain.

Yu Jiuzhou slapped her mischievous hand. “Bargaining with a tiger for its hide.”

She understood. The Duke of Xin… or more accurately, Prince Bao’an as well, were willing to conspire with foreign tribes to achieve their goals.

Bargaining with a tiger for its hide? They should be careful not to be devoured by the tiger.

Those who would trade the nation’s dignity and interests for their own selfish gain all deserved to die by a thousand cuts.

Chi Wan thought for a moment, then said to Chun Gui beside her, “Have the combat contestants come out and stand in the sun.”

No matter the scheme, it could not hide under the sun.

A short while later, the five contestants came out. It was clear that the Duke of Xin’s expression was very poor.

Prince Bao’an sat up straight. “Why are they out here?”

“The Fuma has seen through it.”

“What?”

The Duke of Xin muttered to himself, “The Fuma knows what we are planning to do.”

“Are you sure?” Then, without waiting for the Duke of Xin’s reply, Prince Bao’an said in a low voice, “If she knows too much, then kill her.”

“We must not.”

The Duke of Xin was old and cunning. Even though Prince Bao’an had been reborn, his two lifetimes combined were still shorter than the Duke of Xin’s single one.

“Then what do you suggest?”

“The plan proceeds as before. Even if we lose the combat, only Daloyan will be angry.”

And the one they were cooperating with was not Daloyan.

Hearing this, Prince Bao’an calmed down. He felt that nothing had gone smoothly for him since his return; not a single thing had been accomplished.

Fortunately, the Duke of Xin was there, which calmed his heart considerably.

The Emperor was wary of them, the commandery princes, as if he feared they would stage a coup to take the throne.

Fortunately, his major rivals were now dead. As for that Prince of Shunchéng, without Yu Jiuzhou, what could she possibly use to contend with him?

Then the Duke of Xin shook his head. “However, to prevent His Majesty from suspecting I have ulterior motives in my selections, the Embroidered-Robe Guard cannot win.”

“What will you do?”

“The horses.”

“The horses?”

Before long, Prince Bao’an understood what the Duke of Xin meant.

The horses for the competition suddenly lost control. With red eyes, they began to stampede around the field. Before the Imperial Guard could react and intercept them, the horses had already charged toward the contestants.

The only ones standing on the field were Great Zhou’s contestants, so the horses naturally charged at them.

Two of them were sent flying in an instant, while the remaining three from the Embroidered-Robe Guard continuously dodged.

But the horses were relentless, determined to knock down the three Embroidered-Robe Guard members as well.

Chi Wan moved to shield Yu Jiuzhou, her cold eyes fixed on the stampeding horses. She commanded in a frigid tone, “Kill the horses.”

“Yes.”

The three Embroidered-Robe Guards drew their Embroidered Spring Sabers in unison and plunged them into the horses’ necks. The horses struggled for a few moments before finally collapsing.

An Embroidered-Robe Guard who carried a Embroidered Spring Saber was no ordinary member.

Within the Embroidered-Robe Guard, only those at the rank of Baihu and above were issued Embroidered Spring Sabers. These were the best of the best among the trainees.

The fall of seven consecutive horses made many people’s pupils shrink. Many had thought the Embroidered-Robe Guard were just for show—well-dressed, good-looking, with every movement as precise as if measured by a ruler. They were merely pleasing to the eye.

But when the Embroidered-Robe Guard struck, they were fast, precise, and ruthless—nothing like what they had imagined.

The Imperial City Division, no matter how poor it had been in the past, still had high standards for recruitment, not much worse than the Imperial Guard. Moreover, with their physical foundation, they had long surpassed the Imperial Guard after training. And Chi Wan had chosen the most outstanding members from among them.

Chi Wan snorted coldly. “Li Bao.”

“Your subordinate is here.”

“Investigate!”

“Yes.”

Hearing that the matter was to be investigated, Prince Bao’an immediately smiled. “Jinzhao, why be so angry? It was just some startled horses. With the foreign envoys present today, it’s best not to make a big fuss.”

His words were laughable.

But Li Bao paid Prince Bao’an no mind and went directly to investigate. They answered only to His Majesty. This was the true weight of the Commander of the Imperial City Division.

It didn’t matter if you were a prince or anyone else; you couldn’t make him obey.

Chi Wan stared coldly at Prince Bao’an for a while. When he started to look uncomfortable, she suddenly smiled, her tone firm. “It is precisely because the foreign envoys are here that we must treat this seriously. Those who come to our Great Zhou are guests. For something like this to happen on the field, no matter how big or small the cause, it must be thoroughly investigated. Otherwise, how are we to answer when His Majesty asks?”

An investigation was a certainty. The Duke of Xin hadn’t shown his hand before, and even though she knew he was behind certain things, she had let it go without evidence.

But now, with the horses going mad, wasn’t this evidence delivered right to her door?

Qiu Lai would soon find out why the horses went mad and why they specifically charged at the contestants.

As long as someone made a move, they would always leave a trace.

Prince Bao’an cupped his hands and sat down. The Duke of Xin’s expression remained unchanged. Was the old fox truly that composed, or did he believe the Imperial City Division would find nothing?

Chi Wan looked at the Embroidered-Robe Guard behind her. “Select two men to take their places.”

Her casual attitude gave the impression that any member of the Embroidered-Robe Guard could step up and win.

Could the Embroidered-Robe Guard really be that formidable?

This question appeared in everyone’s mind. The way the three guards had killed the horses without hesitation had shown them a glimpse of their strength.

The flying-fish robes and Embroidered Spring Sabers were each worth a fortune. To equip a single person with so much silver, they must be worthy of it.

Yu Jiuzhou had seen the Embroidered-Robe Guard before, but never in action. Seeing their clean and decisive movements, killing a crazed horse with a flick of the wrist, was truly impressive.

She looked at Chi Wan with admiration, thinking of all the things this person had accomplished. She wondered what other surprises this person would bring her in the future.

She grew more and more curious about what kind of environment could produce a polymath like Chi Wan.

Feeling the scorching gaze from beside her, Chi Wan turned to meet Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes. “Your Highness, why are you looking at me with such a passionate gaze?”

Passionate?

Yu Jiuzhou wanted to roll her eyes at her, but in such a public setting, she could only lower her gaze.

“Why did Your Highness look away?”

Yu Jiuzhou: “…” Looking was wrong, and not looking was also wrong.

Fortunately, the combat began, and Chi Wan finally stopped her chatter.

Some things, Chi Wan simply had to force her to say out loud. It was like this at night, and now it was happening during the day as well.

Annoyed, Yu Jiuzhou secretly pinched Chi Wan’s waist.

“Hiss~” Chi Wan clutched her waist. “Your Highness, that really hurts.”

Slightly flustered, Yu Jiuzhou pulled her hand back. She wanted to soothe the spot but felt it was inappropriate, so she could only ask softly, “Does it hurt a lot?”

“Yes.”

Chi Wan lowered her head pitifully, preventing Yu Jiuzhou from seeing her expression.

“It is my fault,” Yu Jiuzhou admitted in a low voice.

Only then did Chi Wan look up, pouting with feigned grievance. “Does Your Highness dislike me?”

Yu Jiuzhou shook her head. “I do not.”

“Then why did Your Highness pinch me?” The corners of Chi Wan’s eyes were red.

It was a good thing she was looking at Yu Jiuzhou, and no one else could see her eyes, or they would have been shocked.

Guiltily, Yu Jiuzhou clutched the corner of her robes, a heart-wrenching feeling washing over her. “Chi Wan, I… I was just…”

Just playing around.

But if she said that, would it make Chi Wan feel even more wronged?

To her surprise, Chi Wan suddenly smiled. “Your Highness is so concerned about me. I have no way to repay you, except to strive to please Your Highness.”

Yu Jiuzhou frowned, then her brow smoothed out. “Chi Wan!”

“Hm? What is it, Your Highness?”

Chi Wan had an innocent look on her face, her eyes sparkling, drawing one in.

“Don’t scare me like that again.”

After a long moment, that was all Yu Jiuzhou said.

Those words made Chi Wan feel very guilty. What kind of villain was she, teasing her princess like this? And what kind of angel was her princess, not getting angry at all?

She suddenly felt her sins were unforgivable.

“Your Highness, I was wrong.” She could only admit her mistake obediently.

Yu Jiuzhou replied calmly, “It’s nothing.”

“No, Your Highness, you must be upset. Don’t worry, I’ll do whatever you ask.”

Chi Wan felt she had been too reckless, daring to tease Yu Jiuzhou like that.

But Yu Jiuzhou’s tone remained placid. “Anything?”

“Anything at all.”

“Then tonight before bed, you will drink a pot of wine, and you are not allowed to use your internal energy.”

Ah?

Chi Wan stared at Yu Jiuzhou intently for a moment but couldn’t read anything from her expression. She felt something was off, as if she had fallen into a trap dug by Yu Jiuzhou, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

The two of them spoke in low voices, laughing, only occasionally glancing at the competition field, showing not a hint of worry.

Were they so certain that Great Zhou would win?

The result was indeed a victory for Great Zhou. The five Embroidered-Robe Guards won a complete victory.

The Embroidered-Robe Guards who could achieve the highest rank had formidable foundations to begin with. One of them could easily fight ten men. After training, and with the special medicinal baths Chi Wan had prepared, their strength had improved rapidly.

The key was their killing techniques. Before, they could defeat a person, but it would take over ten seconds. Now, their fastest time was 0.2 seconds, and their opponents were from within the Embroidered-Robe Guard, not ordinary people.

The five who took the field were the elite of the elite. The men from Beining and Nanyue were indeed skilled, but their fighting style was different from these men who struck to kill.

This was the difference between killing techniques and a normal martial arts competition.

Daloyan naturally could not accept this result. He shot to his feet. “You changed your contestants at the last minute. It’s not fair! Or is it that on your own turf, you can cheat like this?”

“Then what would the great king consider fair?” Chi Wan asked coldly.

Daloyan glanced at the five Embroidered-Robe Guards, then his eyes landed on Chi Wan. “This king will fight personally. Your Great Zhou will also send out a prince to fight. Only if you defeat this king will it count as a win.”

Daloyan looked to be two or three hundred jin. It wasn’t muscle on his frame, but fat. A man like that in armor was a human bulldozer; on the battlefield, twenty or thirty men couldn’t get near him.

“Daloyan, this marquis will fight you.” An Yizhi stepped forward immediately. Neither the Prince of Shunchéng nor Prince Bao’an knew martial arts; he couldn’t just pick on them.

Daloyan’s brain suddenly came online. “Who do you think you are? A mere marquis is worthy of fighting this king?”

“You!”

An Yizhi’s fists clenched. She wanted to beat Daloyan to death.

Just as An Yizhi was about to speak again, Chi Wan’s voice rang out. “Daloyan, do you think my Great Zhou has no one?”

Seeing Chi Wan, Daloyan’s eyes lit up. “That’s right! Fuma, your rank is equivalent to a commandery prince. You are also qualified to fight this king.”

“Is the great king refusing to admit defeat?”

“I think it’s the Fuma who doesn’t dare to compete.”

“A competition it is.” Chi Wan acted as if she had been provoked.

An Yizhi quickly grabbed her. “Chi Wan.”

Thinking Chi Wan had fallen for his trap, Daloyan immediately said, “Good! A gentleman’s word is his bond.”

Chi Wan pulled her sleeve from An Yizhi’s grasp. “Marquis of Pingliang, rest assured. The Six Arts of a gentleman—I have practiced them as well.”

Many people knew she knew martial arts; it wasn’t hard to find out. Clearly, Daloyan thought that with her fair and delicate appearance, she couldn’t possibly defeat him even if she knew some martial arts.

He had fought on the battlefield and was somewhat wary of An Yizhi, but he had no reason to fear a pretty boy who knew a little martial arts.

Yu Jiuzhou frowned, appearing displeased with Chi Wan taking the stage. This performance gave Daloyan even more confidence.

The two walked onto the fighting stage. Daloyan said with great confidence, “This king will not use a weapon. The Fuma may choose any she likes.”

Chi Wan was just about to pick up a saber, but hearing Daloyan’s words, she immediately said, “This Fuma does not need a weapon either.”

“So confident, Fuma. Then come at me.” Daloyan slapped his own fat, making it jiggle, which looked quite intimidating.

Then, he stomped toward Chi Wan, the ground shaking with each step, making a booming sound on the platform.

Most ridiculously, he even broke the wooden planks on the stage.

Chi Wan was speechless. Aren’t those wooden planks expensive?

The moment Daloyan got close, she executed a roundhouse kick, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Daloyan: “?” If his jaw didn’t hurt so much, he would have thought he had slipped.

He struggled to his feet. “I don’t accept this! You must have used some kind of trick.”

With that, he charged again.

Daloyan shouted to his subordinate, “Bring this king’s great hammers!”

As Daloyan picked up his great hammers, an Embroidered-Robe Guard immediately unfastened his own Embroidered Spring Saber. “Commander, catch!”

Chi Wan caught the blade but did not draw it. Daloyan charged again. “Aargh! Take my hammer!”

Idiot!

Chi Wan leaped into the air, landing squarely on his great hammers. Then, she pressed down hard, causing both hammers to slam heavily onto the ground.

She drew the Embroidered Spring Saber. The moment the blade was unsheathed, half of Daloyan’s hair fell away, leaving him bald on one side.

“Aaaah! You infuriate this king!” Daloyan, refusing to give up, wanted to fight again.

Chi Wan picked up the two hammers from the ground and threw them off the stage. Without his hammers, Daloyan panicked.

The two hammers weighed two hundred jin, yet she had thrown them down just like that. The onlookers were stunned.

Daloyan was also stunned. The pretty boy was this strong?

Chi Wan slowly returned the Embroidered Spring Saber to its sheath. “Still want to compete?”

“Bring this king a long spear…”

“Enough.” Abao Ping spoke up, interrupting Daloyan. “Honor your bet. Your esteemed country may send people to retrieve Princess Lin’an.”

Chi Wan felt she hadn’t even warmed up before being stopped. Just giving Daloyan a bald spot wasn’t enough of a lesson for this piece of trash.

But she knew when to quit while she was ahead. The goal had been achieved. After all, if she really pushed Daloyan too far, there was no telling what else he might do.

Chi Wan returned to her seat. Everyone looked at her with new eyes. They never expected that someone who looked so fair and slender could be so powerful.

Some knew that she had survived multiple assassination attempts and always emerged unscathed, so her martial arts couldn’t be bad. They just hadn’t expected them to be this good.

An Yizhi stared blankly at Chi Wan. “You know martial arts?”

“Yes.” Didn’t you just see?

Just when Chi Wan thought An Yizhi would say something more, An Yizhi simply returned to her seat.

She tilted her head. “Your Highness, what’s with her?”

“It’s nothing.”

Yu Jiuzhou rose, signaling that today’s meeting was over. There would be banquets to entertain the envoys every day from now on, but she would not need to attend.

The ones in charge of the envoys were the Prince of Shunchéng and Commandery Mistress Jiacheng.

On the way back, Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou shared a carriage.

She lay beside Yu Jiuzhou, occasionally scooting closer.

“Your Highness, who do you think would be best to send to retrieve Aunt Lin’an?”

Yu Jiuzhou looked down into her eyes. “Yizhi. With an army of one hundred thousand to welcome Princess Lin’an back to Great Zhou.”

“Will His Majesty agree?” They had settled things on their end, but the Emperor was another matter.

Yu Jiuzhou’s eyes turned cold. “He has no choice but to agree.”

The words Chi Wan had spoken today had made the soldiers, scholars, and common people all begin to look forward to Princess Lin’an’s return. The Emperor was obsessed with his image; he wouldn’t disagree.

But he would definitely punish Chi Wan.

Yu Jiuzhou reached out and touched Chi Wan’s ear. She would never let the Emperor do anything to Chi Wan.

Feeling the coolness on her ear, Chi Wan couldn’t help but take her hand. “It’s spring, yet Your Highness’s hands are still so cold.”

“Will you warm them for me?”

Chi Wan was puzzled. “Where should I put them to warm them?”

Hmm… Yu Jiuzhou glanced at the place that looked even flatter now that she was lying down, and silently slipped her hand inside.

Chi Wan: “?” Wait, Your Highness, is this how you warm your hands?

She grabbed Yu Jiuzhou’s hand and pulled her down to lie beside her. “Your Highness, this is not very proper.”

Outside, the Grand Princess was the very picture of perfect etiquette.

Yu Jiuzhou didn’t answer, merely murmuring, “No wonder.”

“No wonder what?”

“No wonder you like it.”

Chi Wan didn’t look very curvy, but it felt quite nice to the touch.

Chi Wan couldn’t help but swallow. How could someone be so serious at a time like this, as if they were pursuing scholarly knowledge?

She decisively pulled Yu Jiuzhou into her arms. “Your Highness, don’t be mischievous.”

“Are you saying that you are often mischievous with me?”

Er… A dignified top, being treated like this by a bottom… Chi Wan propped herself up and leaned down to kiss her.

After many days of practice, Chi Wan was no longer the inexperienced person she once was. She kissed Yu Jiuzhou’s lips fiercely.

Only when Yu Jiuzhou was slightly breathless did she stop. “Your Highness, I am not being mischievous. I am merely a good person who brings Your Highness pleasure.”

Hmph. Yu Jiuzhou finally couldn’t resist rolling her eyes at her. This person’s skin was getting thicker and thicker.

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