100: Chapter 75: Thrilling_6 100: Chapter 75: Thrilling_6 At that moment, Jiang Li suddenly curved her lips into a smile, and quickly followed suit in drawing her bow and shooting an arrow, shooting the arrow in her hand right after!
Jiang Li’s arrow was marked with red, Meng Hongjin’s with blue; coincidentally, both arrows were aimed at the same target’s center, one after the other, blue following red, moving through the air with noticeable slowness.
Perhaps, Jiang Li used a bit more strength in drawing her bow, or maybe Meng Hongjin was too rattled.
In any case, Jiang Li’s arrow, released later, caught up with Meng Hongjin’s in mid-air, with the feathers on the arrow shaft causing Jiang Li’s and Meng Hongjin’s arrows to collide.
A light touch, as if it hadn’t touched at all, Jiang Li’s arrow swiftly continued its flight towards the center of the target, while Meng Hongjin’s arrow, after being deflected by the red arrow, veered off in a subtle new direction, taking on new energy from the impact, and headed toward something else—
“Princess!” someone cried out in panic.
Suddenly a tremendous uproar erupted.
Meng Hongjin instinctively looked and saw near the finish line of the Inspection Field, by Prince Cheng’s side, Princess Yongning clutching her shoulder, bleeding.
That was…
Meng Hongjin was somewhat bewildered.
“Scoundrels!
Seize her for me!” Princess Yongning screamed.
“Was it me?” Meng Hongjin thought, dazed, still unclear about what was happening, when Princess Yongning’s guards suddenly stepped forward, disregarding the ongoing competition, and apprehended her.
Meanwhile, Jiang Li finally crossed the finish line; she embraced the dark brown horse’s mane with one hand and opened her other hand.
As she passed by a nearby locust tree, she suddenly let go and leaped upward!
She hung onto the locust tree.
Although her posture was not particularly graceful, she did manage it with ease and lightness.
The frantic dark brown horse bolted from the grounds, with people already moving to intercept it.
Jiang Li’s last arrow, shot at the same time as Meng Hongjin’s, landed squarely in the center of the target, marked with the red cinnabar on its feathers.
She had won.
Jiang Li fell silent, then quietly looked towards the other side where Princess Yongning, now surrounded by a crowd, sparked a hint of coldness in Jiang Li’s heart.
She had still let Princess Yongning escape, thinking that if she had been any closer…
if Meng Hongjin’s arrow had been a little more lethal, it wouldn’t have been just Princess Yongning’s shoulder struck by that blue arrow; it would have been her chest.
Just a bit more.
Kong Liu finally sat down and patted his chest; he too was drenched in sweat, no better off than Zheng Huchen by his side.
Watching such a dangerous archery competition was more exhausting than the usual drills.
Still, Kong Liu was pleased and said to Jih Heng, “Did you see that?
Miss Jiang the Second was impressive.
Today was really an eye-opener.
She must be overjoyed with her success today.”
“I think she’s a bit disappointed,” Jih Heng responded coolly.
“Disappointed?” Kong Liu asked in confusion, “Disappointed about what?
She’s the champion, this damn Six Arts competition is over, and she’s first in every event.
What’s there to be disappointed about?”
“Frustrated that her attempt to kill through another’s hand failed,” Jih Heng said with a mild smile, standing up.
“Today’s play wasn’t bad, just didn’t get bloody, a bit too simple, we’ll see what the future holds.”
And with that, he left.
“Really is a weirdo,” Kong Liu muttered, something occurring to him, “You haven’t given your verdict yet!”
Jih Heng just strolled off with an arrogant air, but today’s Imperial Archery event was even easier to judge than the Zither Music, for the contrast was too stark.
Whether or not Jih Heng took part didn’t really matter.
It was clear to everyone that Miss Jiang the Second’s archery skills were well-honed.
But as for Miss Meng of the Meng Family, she had bad luck.
Not only was her archery subpar, but she had also hit Princess Yongning, the beloved of Empress Dowager Liu.
A scar on a lady, let alone on Princess Yongning, wasn’t a trivial matter – even an Official’s daughter wouldn’t let it go easily.
At best it was an accident, at worst, it could be construed as an attempt on the life of an Imperial Family member.
Meng Hongjin turned pale as a ghost and was shivering with fright, now fully aware of the severity of the situation.
She couldn’t help but struggle and say, “It wasn’t me!
I didn’t mean to harm the Princess, it was…
Jiang Li!
Jiang Li set me up!”
Someone in the crowd sneered, “This Miss Meng keeps lying.
The arrow in the Princess is marked with blue, her own arrow.
And now she wants to pin it on Miss Jiang the Second, how ridiculous.”
Each arrow has its own mark, and the arrow that hit Princess Yongning was marked with blue; naturally, it was Meng Hongjin’s arrow.
Jiang Li’s arrow had collided with Meng Hongjin’s so fast, and from so far away, no one had seen it clearly.
Even if Meng Hongjin herself spoke out, it was unlikely anyone would believe her.
For one, Jiang Li’s archery skills weren’t that refined, and secondly, why would Jiang Li want to harm Princess Yongning without a reason?