Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: The Investiture of Jing'er

“I already heard it from inside!” Pei Ce stepped out with a smile, noticing the complete silence at the archery range, a hint of puzzlement on his face. “What’s going on here...?”

Then, the eunuch by his side recounted everything that had just happened in detail.

The emperor’s expression remained rather composed, merely remarking, “Be more careful next time. This is my archery range, not a place for brawling and fighting!”

After speaking, his gaze drifted toward Pei Jing with a trace of displeasure, as if silently saying, “Pei Jing is always like this, stirring up trouble for no reason.”

Pei Jing didn’t even raise an eyelid; he was being openly accused, but it was clearly not his fault.

Shen Zhi’s teeth itched with frustration, yet she had no choice but to endure.

“Have you all found your preferred teams, ministers?” Pei Ce asked.

Shen Zhi immediately realized the situation and looked toward Pei Jing. “We still haven’t gathered four people. What should we do?”

Pei Jing pondered, stroking his chin helplessly. “I honestly don’t know.”

For a moment, Shen Zhi felt a pang of sympathy for both herself and Pei Jing—two people unable to even find a single friend to join them.

Meanwhile, Pei Huai’s side had already assembled four members: Pei Huai at the center, accompanied by several young lords from prominent ministerial families, each a skilled archer.

Shen Zhi glanced around and saw that everyone else had already formed groups and begun practicing, while she and Pei Jing hadn’t even found anyone.

“How about Qin Yi?” Shen Zhi indicated the physician sitting alone on the open ground, snacking.

“Him? He’s even worse than Zhao Wan.”

Shen Zhi touched her nose and decisively turned away to look elsewhere.

At that moment, a handsome young man approached, bowing respectfully. “Seventh Prince, Seventh Princess, I wish to join your group.”

He carried himself with quiet confidence and refined manners. Shen Zhi was reminded of a verse: “A stranger on the road, as pure as jade; a peerless gentleman.”

She raised an eyebrow and appraised him from head to toe. “You seem a bit delicate. Can you really draw a bow and shoot?”

The young man bowed again with equal respect. “Seventh Princess, I believe the archery range will reveal the truth.”

Hearing this, Pei Jing cast him a casual glance before speaking, “We intend to win first place. If you can’t shoot well, won’t you hold us back?”

“Yes, we don’t want dead weight,” Shen Zhi added.

The young man’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, yet he remained composed. “Do not suspect those you employ, and once employed, do not doubt them. Seventh Prince, why not give me a chance?”

Impressed by his extraordinary demeanor, Shen Zhi nodded. “Very well. May I ask your name?”

“I am Ji Qingyue.” He clasped his fists and bowed at a forty-five-degree angle. As his hair fell forward, hidden from Shen Zhi and Pei Jing’s sight, a chilling smile crept over his lips. Ji Qingyue’s gaze then met that of someone watching from a small pavilion above the archery range, whose eyes abruptly vanished.

Even with Ji Qingyue’s addition, Pei Jing and Shen Zhi were still one person short. Shen Zhi was indifferent. “Fine, three will have to do. Perhaps fate will favor us.”

Pei Jing looked at her and nodded in agreement.

[Beep! Beep! Pei Jing’s favorability rating has reached 5%.]

It had been a long time since Shen Zhi heard the system’s voice in her mind. The system said, [Host, according to analysis, Pei Jing should no longer harbor hostility toward you, but you still haven’t truly entered his heart and opened it.]

Shen Zhi scratched her head irritably, her eyes narrowing. [Come on! Opening one’s heart takes time and process, you know?]

[Due to your slow progress, a special task will be imposed: make Pei Jing completely open his heart within ten days, or face punishment. Your right hand will become transparent.]

“Hey… wait…” Shen Zhi panicked. This damned system was so unfair. If her right hand turned transparent, what would she do?

She was about to explode with frustration. Worthless and always causing trouble, and now only ten days to make Pei Jing open up! Where was she supposed to find a way?

Wasn’t this setting her up to fail?

Just as Shen Zhi was about to speak to Pei Jing to try to bond, the emperor announced, “This year’s archery competition shall begin immediately!”

Shen Zhi closed her eyes and thought, fine—she would focus on the contest first.

Unbeknownst to her, Pei Jing watched from the side, observing her furrowed brows and closed eyes, committing every expression to memory.

---

The archery competition began. Pei Jing, Shen Zhi, and Ji Qingyue chose a spot near the edge.

“We’re short-handed. Let’s wait until the others finish their rounds and then reap the rewards,” Ji Qingyue proposed.

“Three of us guarding four targets is a bit tough. Seventh Princess, you protect the targets while the Seventh Prince and I shoot from the front. How about that?” he suggested, clearly eager to win.

Shen Zhi nodded. Her archery skills were no match for Pei Jing’s; managing to guard the targets was enough.

She resolved to practice martial arts in the future—otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to protect herself.

There were twelve groups in total, each assigned a different color. Shen Zhi and Pei Jing’s team was given yellow.

Shen Zhi hung the targets, each labeled with the names of the three of them, leaving one blank.

The competition began with Pei Huai’s group launching the first attack. His archery was excellent; the red team’s target was struck first, falling to the ground with a “clang.”

“Red Group 6, Second Young Master An Rong of An’an Prefecture, is eliminated.”

At the command of Eunuch Cheng, the red team lost a member first.

The Empress, seated beside the emperor, watched Pei Huai’s performance and smiled, brushing a strand of hair back. “Huai’er’s archery has improved again. That boy never rests and keeps practicing martial arts…”

The emperor nodded in response, lightly stroking the Empress’s hand. “Ru’er, Huai’er is my favorite, and I have the highest hopes for him.”

The Empress’s eyes shone with emotion, lips trembling slightly, tears glistening. “Your Majesty… hearing this from you is the greatest reward I could ask for.”

The emperor remained silent but nodded, then looked at Pei Huai. “Once Huai’er wins this archery competition, I will confer upon him the title of Prince.”

The Empress was overjoyed and knelt down to kowtow. “I thank Your Majesty on Huai’er’s behalf!”

Thus, Pei Huai became the first among the princes to be granted the title of Prince. Now a prince, he was destined to be the future crown prince. The Empress’s gaze grew steadier; she could not afford to be impatient.

Nearby, Consort Li’s expression grew troubled. She looked toward the emperor and quietly said, “Your Majesty, Pei Jing also works hard. I hope, in honor of my family’s three generations of loyal ministers and Pei Jing’s three campaigns to pacify Beiliang, Your Majesty will consider granting him a title as well…”