Xu Pingwan glanced furtively at Jin Shanyao, Jin Shanyao gave her an encouraging look and said, in what she thought was a very quiet voice, "Punishing nine generations of one's family is also acceptable."
So that's how the game is played! The little girl's confidence soared. No wonder her father said that state banquets are battlefields without gunpowder; she wasn't just using an idiom, she was fighting for her country!
A raging fire ignited in Xu Pingwan's heart, and her beautiful almond-shaped eyes widened in shock.
Jin Shanyao curled her lips into a smile and said, "It's our turn to set the questions."
Ming Shan, "You pay."
With her hands behind her back, Jin Shanyao asked with a wise look in her eyes, "What idiom says that no matter how good or bad people are, they all end up the same?"
Ming Shan hesitated before saying, "All beings are equal."
"Wrong." Jin Shanyao chuckled. "It's mutual destruction."
Ming Shan choked, then, with a stiff neck, Jin Shanyao and said, "Don't set any more questions!" He then looked at the delicate Xu Pingwan beside him, "You set them."
Xu Pingwan thought for a moment, then asked softly, "What idiom contains both men and women?"
Pu Shan pondered for a long time, "A talented scholar and a beautiful woman."
Xu Pingwan gently shook her head, her voice still soft and gentle, "Inaccurate. 'Talented men and beautiful women' only refers to young men and women, not older ones... The correct answer is... corpses strewn everywhere."
Ming Shan and Pu Shan were utterly speechless. Are you people from the Sheng Dynasty crazy?!
The emperor was overjoyed when the dynasty Sheng Dynasty the first round. His previously pale and sickly face was now flushed, and he appeared much more energetic.
In contrast, the entire court of officials was filled with shock and bewilderment... Had all the answers they had just contemplated been completely wrong?
Xiao Changchuan only snorted lightly, staring at Xu Pingwan with dissatisfaction in his heart. "When I asked you to make things difficult for Jin Shanyao, why didn't I see you being so good at fighting?"
The second round officially began, You Tuo a gloomy face. They had been memorizing idioms for eight years, and to lose a round right away was extremely infuriating.
Ming Shan posed the question, "What idiom contains both a general and soldiers?"
Xu Pingwan was about to say "elite troops and strong generals" when she saw Jin Shanyao a half-smile as she looked at Ming Shan and slowly said, "The entire army was wiped out."
Ming Shan's face was so dark it could drip water. How could anyone use idioms like that? Wasn't this cheating? The emperor sat on the dragon throne and laughed heartily. You Tuo's face was ashen. If this continued, only he would lose face.
He forced a smile and said, "The idioms of your dynasty are indeed exquisite and profound; we will certainly study them carefully when we return. Let's end the riddle-guessing game here for today."
The banquet continued, filled with singing and dancing, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
After several rounds of drinks, You Tuo proposed again, "I have long heard of the bravery and skill of the military officers of the Sheng Dynasty. Would you be so kind as to let us, the people of Silla, witness their prowess?"
The emperor coughed twice and chuckled, "I'm getting old, and I get tired easily... Would it be alright if the Crown Prince accompanied the young prince?"
You Tuo could tell he was forcing himself to stay upright, and smiled, "Then I'll have to trouble Your Highness."
Xiao Yuan smiled and stood up, leading everyone towards the training ground.
Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, Jin Shanyao slipped up to Jin Xiaoji and poked his arm, "Why aren't you talking to me?"
Jin Xiaoji was unhappy because he lost the previous match, and with a dark face, he took a few quick steps to shake her off.
Jin Shanyao caught up again, "Have you forgotten me? We met in Qingzhou Prefecture, haven't we?" She said, reaching out to pat his shoulder.
Jin Xiaoji instinctively dodged to the side, covering his groin with both hands, and stared warily at Jin Shanyao. "What are you doing? I'm warning you, there are people all around us!"
Jin Shanyao stunned. "I didn't do anything. I just wanted to get closer to you..."
Jin Xiaoji's face flushed red. She glared at her and warned fiercely, "Don't be too arrogant. I'll make you pay later." After saying that, she quickly walked up to You Tuo, not daring to lag behind.
Jin Shanyao was bewildered by the glare. What happened to her? She hadn't been arrogant at all!
Training ground.
You Tuo smiled and said to Su Wenqian, "I've heard that Lord Su in riding and archery. I wonder if I would have the honor of witnessing his prowess today?"
Su Wenqian laughed, "Young Prince, you've got it wrong. I'm a civil official..."
"Oh... did I remember wrong?" You Tuo looked at Xiao Yuan, "Didn't they say that all the civil and military officials of the Sheng Dynasty could shoot arrows? Could it be that Lord Su looks down on our Silla?"
Jin Shanyao her eyes. She was annoyed by You Tuo's antics. He had been bullying Su Wenqian relentlessly since last time, and now it was the same thing... Did Su Wenqian have a grudge against him?
The atmosphere became tense for a moment, then Su Wenqian smiled and said, " Anci, get me a bow and arrow."
Meng Anci took the bow and arrow from the guard and handed it to Su Wenqian. Su Wenqian drew the bow and shot the arrow in one smooth motion. Before anyone could see it clearly, the arrow had already hit the bullseye.
Su Wenqian humbly replied, "I was lucky."
You Tuo only intended to make things difficult for the other party, but he didn't expect Su Wenqian to actually know how to shoot arrows. He cleared his throat, "General Jin... why don't you give it a try and see if the bow and arrows of the Sheng Dynasty are to your liking?"
Jin Xiaoji took the bow and arrow from Su Wenqian and shot an arrow at the straw target... instantly knocking Su Wenqian's arrow to the ground.
Jin Xiaoji bowed to Xiao Yuan and Su Wenqian, " Lord Su's archery skills are excellent, but unfortunately, his strength is insufficient..."
Xiao Yuan's smile didn't reach his eyes. Lu Chi, who was beside him, secretly nudged him and glanced at Jin Shanyao. The two had grown up together since childhood.
Xiao Yuan instantly understood Lu Chi's meaning and smiled, " Madam Jin, I noticed you've been staring at the bow and arrow. Do you want to try it out?"
The Jin Shanyao. "Does the Crown Prince want me to shoot?"
Xiao Yuan nodded, "It's just for entertainment, anyone who likes it can give it a try..."
Jin Shanyao chuckled, "I think that although Lord Su is a civil official, he shouldn't show mercy to military officers. Otherwise, he'll just be ridiculed for being weak."
She stepped forward slowly, not taking out a bow, but casually drawing out a feathered arrow and waving it in front of Jin Xiaoji.
"My guitar... look closely, don't blink."
Before he finished speaking, he lightly raised his arm, and an arrow shot out through the air, its fletching humming.
In an instant, it cleaved Jin Xiaoji's arrow in two and pinned it firmly to the bullseye.
Jin Xiaoji's arrow fell to the ground with a thud, and everyone around gasped in shock.
Su Wenqian laughed loudly, "It seems General Jin's arm strength is no match for that of an ordinary woman."
"Oh, Lord Su, you jest. It was just for fun and entertainment." The gloom in Xiao Yuan's eyes vanished, and his gaze toward Jin Shanyao was full of approval.
No wonder Lu Chi admires her so much; he even felt a touch of admiration for her... Could this be what people call admiring the strong?
You Tuo and Jin Xiaoji were stunned by the scene before them and couldn't recover for a long time. They had always thought that Jin Shanyao was just a medicine seller, but they never expected that he could throw arrows and that he was so strong.
Jin Xiaoji swallowed hard and silently moved a little further away from her.
With You Tuo speechless, how can they even compete...? A general from their country can't even beat a woman selling medicine, what face does he have to challenge others?
Suppressing his anger, he proposed again, "I've heard that the warhorses of the Sheng Dynasty are incredibly fine. Let us broaden our horizons and witness the Sheng Dynasty's horsemanship."
Although Xiao Yuan smiled on the surface, he was already displeased. This Silla dared to provoke them time and time again. Did they really think that their father was too old to lift a sword?