If Shan Chao were to rank all the men he had seen in the capital based on their looks, Commander Xie would definitely be at the top of the list. The man who just entered would probably be ranked second.
His face was pink and his lips were red. Even when he wasn't smiling, his face was really like a peach blossom. However, Shan Chao looked at him a few more times and felt that this person was very different from Commander Xie.
Even if Xie Yun was dressed as a woman, even if he was wearing a bright red phoenix coronet, his entire person would still look cold. His handsome appearance was just a layer of gorgeous clothing draped over his blade. The person in front of him, on the other hand, walked with an unsteady gait. His expression was also only on the surface. In short, he looked a little frivolous like a young master.
Queen Wu was interrupted, but she didn't get angry. "Oh?" She asked, "Min Zhi is here. Do you have any better ideas?"
Shan Chao finally remembered who he was — Helan Min Zhi!
That brainless Madam of Wei, Helan Shi's brother!
In fact, this person's surname should be Wu now. The Empress hated her two half-brothers for disrespecting her widowed mother, so she demoted them and made them leave the capital. She also ordered Helan Min Zhi to change his surname to Wu. He was made a Left Sanqi Chang Shi and a scholar of the Hongwen School in the province. She wanted him to inherit the Wu family in the future.
However, Helan Min Zhi, who had an Empress aunt and a younger sister who was favored by the Emperor, had a very ordinary performance in the court. He wasn't as famous as his other reputation — being a flower.
Not only did he like to pick flowers, but he also didn't do it willingly.
It was said that Xie Yun once went to visit the Empress and coincidentally met Helan Min Zhi on the way, so they entered Qingning Palace together.
However, the Empress wasn't there and the sky was getting dark. A beautiful palace maid came forward to pour tea for the two. Min Zhi saw that she was beautiful and full, so he used the excuse that it was convenient to sneak out. He wanted to knock her out when she wasn't paying attention so he could do something improper.
However, this plan did not succeed. When the palace maid was knocked unconscious, it alarmed others, and Min Zhi hastily escaped before the crowd arrived.
After the palace maid woke up, this matter was naturally brought up to Queen Wu. Queen Wu summoned the only two suspects — — Commander Xie and Helan Chang Shi to question them. In the end, Helan Min Zhi insisted that Xie Yun was the culprit.
Queen Wu naturally didn't believe it. If Xie Yun knocked out a palace maid, she might not even be able to scare off a mosquito, let alone someone.
But such a clear and obvious matter couldn't stop the Wei Kingdom's Madam Helan from crying and quibbling in front of the Emperor. After a few days of stalemate, in the end, they could only each be punished with 50 strokes of the plank, and both of them were fined their salaries for three months.
— — Commander Xie was born to make others suffer, but this time, she suffered such a big loss from the flower thief, so she definitely wouldn't let it go.
Therefore, on a dark and windy night, she sneaked into the Helan Mansion alone, knocked out Helan Min Zhi, kidnapped him, and beat him up violently. Then, she stripped him naked and threw him at the entrance of the Musical House!
This was very immoral. If Helan Min Zhi was not a frequent customer of the Musical House, and if the brothel girl who went out at midnight recognized him and hurriedly took him into the brothel to hide for a night, the joke of Young Master Helan running naked in the middle of the night would have spread throughout the capital.
When would revenge end? Of course, Young Master Helan was unwilling.
However, there was really no evidence. On the night of the incident, not only did no one see Xie Yun's shadow, even the flies and mice in the Helan Mansion were not alarmed. She was simply like a ghost, and the wind blew by without leaving a trace.
Xie Yun had finally used his actions to prove his strength, but from then on, the enmity between him and Helan Minzhi was irrevocably formed. In addition to Commander Xie's heroic act of breaking his wrist by the side of the Supreme Liquid Pool, new hatred had been added to the old enmity. It was not an exaggeration to say that when enemies met, their eyes would turn red.
Fortunately, whether it was Helan Minzhi or Xie Yun, neither of them showed the slightest trace of old grudges in front of everyone.
Helan Min Zhi was very elegant. He respectfully bowed to the Empress and said with a smile, "I heard outside that the Beiya Imperial Guard and the Valiant Cavalry Battalion were fighting. I feel that the Empress' punishment is very appropriate, but the martial arts competition seems to be a little inappropriate."
Queen Wu's face darkened slightly, but she did not show anything strange, "What's inappropriate?"
Helan Min Zhi looked at Yuwen Hu, and then looked at Shan Chao. His gaze swept past Xie Yun, who was beside the Empress and supporting her forehead with her hand. She was too lazy to even open her eyes.
He said, "Although Imperial Guard Dan has the advantage of weapons, it is also a fact that he defeated the Yuwen General. Even if he lost to the General with his bare hands, it does not mean anything. Therefore, there is not much meaning in having a martial arts competition."
Not only Shan Chao and Queen Wu, but even Yuwen Hu himself looked at Helan Min Zhi with a strange gaze. Did this person's brain suddenly go haywire?
Why was he speaking up for the Beiya Imperial Guard?
Queen Wu asked, "According to what you said, are we going to compete in poetry and composition?"
"No, I have another idea."
Helan Min Zhi smiled and said slowly, "The Beiya Imperial Guard is skilled in martial arts, and the Valiant Cavalry Battalion are soldiers who fight for the country. They each have their own specialties. It is normal for them to lose in swordsmanship.
However, since the first competition is biased towards the Beiya Imperial Guard, for the sake of fairness, the second competition should be biased towards the Valiant Cavalry Battalion. Therefore, it is better to change the martial arts competition to equestrian archery. It will also test whether Imperial Guard Dan is really worthy of an important position. What does the Empress think? "
These words were really reasonable. Shan Chao did not expect that Childe could be at this level and could not help but be slightly stunned.
"Yes," he then realized. "Even if he was stripped naked and left at the gate of the Musical House, it was done by the ruthless Commander Xie. He lost because of his Kung Fu, not because of his scheming. So it didn't mean that this Young Master was a good-for-nothing who was not worth worrying about!"
Queen Wu and Shan Chao obviously had the same idea.
Queen Wu pondered for a moment and glanced at Xie Yun slightly with doubt in her eyes. Her meaning was obvious: if it was equestrian archery, would Shan Chao still have a chance to win the competition?
Xie Yun opened his eyes slightly, without a trace of expression.
"Min Zhi's words are very reasonable."
Queen Wu coughed softly and first affirmed the other's opinion. Then she changed the topic and said, "But since we are going to compete in equestrian archery, we must have a good horse and a good bow to compete to the fullest.
Now that we are patrolling the east, the imperial horses are mostly used for ceremonial purposes. How can we use them for equestrian archery? "
This was actually a valid reason. Helan Min Zhi smiled, his eyes filled with confidence: "Niang niang need not worry. This subject came today just in time to present two thousand li horses and two thousand shi bows to His Majesty. It can be seen that this is just a coincidence."
— Just a coincidence?!
Queen Wu was stunned and asked, "Where did you get the horses and bows?"
Helan Min Zhi said, "They don't belong to me. I'm just offering them to His Majesty.
The person who collected the good bows and horses and asked me to offer them is actually an old acquaintance of mine. "
As he spoke, he bowed and smiled. "He is the sect leader of Shengui Sect, Yin Kaiyang."
The hall suddenly became silent and the Empress' expression changed.
"… What did you say? Dark Sect?"
Although the Emperor's tone was surprised, it was obvious that he was happy. He asked, "Did the sun rise from the west? Now the Dark Sect will offer things?"
The Emperor's reaction was not out of Queen Wu's expectation, not out of Xie Yun's expectation, and not out of Helan Min Zhi's expectation.
It could even be said that it was not out of the expectations of Yin Kaiyang, who was far away.
Helan Minzhi bowed respectfully with a sincere smile on his face.
"His Majesty's pilgrimage to Mount Tai is a rare event since ancient times. It can be said to be the highlight of the Three Systems.
The Dark Sect has served His Majesty for many years. Although they are not in the imperial court now, they still care about His Majesty's safety and are very willing to bow down to His Majesty. "
"Thus, when the Dark Sect was on their way to Mount Tai, they coincidentally obtained a good bow and a good bow. They said, 'Even if he is not by His Majesty's side now, if he gives the treasure to a warrior who can protect His Majesty, then his loyalty to His Majesty will be considered complete. His Majesty, please understand!'"
At this moment, the joy in the Emperor's heart could be seen clearly from the bottom of his eyes.
— If there was anything that could make the Emperor so happy now, it would be the Dark Sect's re-submission. It could be compared to the pilgrimage to Mount Tai.
"How rare, how rare!" The Emperor clapped his hands and laughed. Amidst the laughter, Queen Wu's expression finally sank inch by inch.
"Since Master Yin is so sincere, I will not go against his wishes!
Imperial Guard Shan, General of Yuwen, the two of you will compete in horse archery. Once the winner is determined, I will bestow the thousand-mile horse and thousand-stone bow to him! "
"Yuwen is the best in archery in the army."
Xie Yun said expressionlessly, "He always comes first in the annual competition between the three armies. That idiot from the Helan Family is here to mess things up."
The horse that the Dark Sect offered was indeed a good one, and the bow was indeed powerful. However, the imperial treasury had many good horses and bows, so it could not be said that the tribute in front of them was unparalleled.
However, the flattery from the Dark Sect was truly unparalleled. The Emperor pulled Queen Wu aside to admire it for an hour, and the eunuchs praised it endlessly.
Shan Chao stared deeply at Xie Yun and asked, "Do you think I will lose to him?"
"…" Xie Yun was in a daze. She had the illusion of a male peacock fanning its tail while squeezing in front of her.
She subconsciously shook her head and did not directly answer Shan Chao's question. Instead, she said, "Helan Minzhi might tamper with the horse to make you lose. You must be careful."
The horse in the enclosure neighed loudly. Shan Chao could not help but look at it. Suddenly, he was suspicious, "The leader of the Dark Sect, Yin Kaiyang … What is he trying to do?
Why did he team up with Helan Minzhi to defeat the Imperial Guard? "
Xie Yun raised her hand and rubbed her temples. Suddenly, a strange expression appeared in her eyes again. If she had to describe it in detail, it was similar to disgust and disgust. However, because of some misgivings, she could not say it out loud.
"Yin Kaiyang would not go as far as to … take those two from the Helan Family seriously."
Xie Yun paused. Shan Chao believed that she had omitted a series of vulgarities. However, when she continued, Xie Yun had already regained her composure, "It's just that some dirty tricks are hard to guard against. You must be careful."
Puyang Palace was not a large place. The racecourse was not the same as the Imperial Hunting Ground. Therefore, it was impossible to hold the Archery Competition and the Hunting Ground.
Because this was purely a matter of the Emperor's whim, there was no prior preparation. Therefore, Queen Wu only ordered people to place ten targets a hundred paces away from the racecourse. The winner would be the one who hit the most targets and reached the finish line first.
Xie Yun ordered someone to bring her white horse over. She flipped onto the back of the horse and came to the end of the racecourse. Suddenly, she heard a voice with a hint of laughter ask,
"— — Commander Xie is so concerned about the outcome of a small competition. Do you want to ride your horse and accompany her the entire way?"
Helan Minzhi stood by the horse's side and stroked the white horse's neck.
Big White understood human nature. It probably did not like this young master who was full of ridicule. It immediately snorted and turned its head away.
Xie Yun pointed at Helan Minzhi's wrist from afar. He didn't touch her skin, but Helan Minzhi felt a surge of energy coming from the air. Her wrist immediately went numb. "Ah!" Her entire arm dropped to the ground.
"Xie Yun, you!
— — "
"Say what you want to say." Xie Yun sneered, "Don't touch me."
He urged his horse forward. Helan Minzhi looked at his back and suddenly sneered, "Commander Xie!"
Xie Yun did not turn around.
Helan Minzhi said, "Master Yin asked me to pass a message to you."
"…"
Xie Yun seemed to have pulled on the reins because the white horse stopped in its tracks.
However, that was only for a moment. The Commander of the Imperial Army still did not turn around. His gaze did not even shift.
"Yin Kaiyang's words to you are 'ordered'," he said leisurely, "not 'asked'."
Immediately afterward, he did not even have the interest to listen to another word. Just like that, he rode his horse away.
Shan Chao and Yuwen Hu each carried a bow and arrow on their backs. They rode on their horses and stood side by side at the starting point of the track.
The two of them didn't show any hypocritical modesty. Neither of them looked at the other, treating the other as if they were thin air.
Then, Xie Yun rode over and stood beside Shan Chao. The Commander waved his flag and the two divine horses galloped out side by side. At the same time, Xie Yun's white horse also dashed out like a bolt of lightning!
Yuwen Hu's heart sank.
Xie Yun was here to keep an eye on Shan Chao.
— — Was he that obsessed with the outcome of a competition?
If it were another Imperial Guard, would he still stare at them without blinking?
Yuwen Hu's jealousy rushed up to his throat and immediately transformed into strength that could topple mountains and overturn seas.
The divine horse was extraordinary. The first target was in front of him in an instant. He drew his bow and arrow. The hard bow, known as the "Thousand Stone", was pulled back by great strength. Then — — Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two steel arrows flew out, one after the other. They traversed a hundred steps and instantly nailed into the center of the target from two directions!
The Emperor, who was watching from afar, suddenly shouted, "Good!"
Yuwen Hu was an experienced general. He did not panic just because he was temporarily tied with his opponent. He continued to spur his horse forward.
However, when he bent down, he saw that Shan Chao was only half a horse's length behind. He could not help but be slightly surprised. He thought to himself, this monk came from the Ci 'en Temple. How could he be so skilled in horsemanship?
What he did not know was that Shan Chao had been shooting eagles in the desert since he was a teenager. He chopped off the eagle's claws and secretly gave them to his master.
Perhaps it was because his ancestor's talent in archery was hidden in his bloodline. Dan Chao started practicing archery at a very late age, but his improvement could be said to be lightning fast. In the end, he even surpassed Xie Yun in terms of archery and horsemanship.
At this time, the second target was approaching from afar. Yuwen Hu and Shan Chao narrowed their eyes at the same time. They pulled back their bows and arrows. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The target was hit!
"Good, good!"
The Emperor was extremely pleased, "General Yuwen's reputation is not in vain. Even Imperial Bodyguard Shan can stand out. My subordinates are full of talents!"
Queen Wu felt a slight toothache and held her chin.
Yuwen Hu was wrong. Xie Yun was not staring at Shan Chao. She was staring at the horse that Shan Chao was attacking.
There were many techniques to frighten horses. He knew that there were many secret techniques in the Dark Sect that could make a horse suddenly faint without leaving a trace.
Helan Min Zhi was a person who could run out of the palace to molest palace maids. In order to achieve his goal, he tampered with the horse. This kind of despicable trick was completely tailor-made for him.
Xie Yun urged her horse to keep a close watch. In the blink of an eye, the two people in the field had passed eight targets. Shan Chao was still closely following Yuwen Hu by half a horse's length. He was not able to overtake Yuwen Hu, but he was not falling behind either. The Emperor's applause was so loud that it could be heard even on the field.
However, the reddish-brown ferghana horse did not show any signs of abnormality. Its spirit was valiant and full of vigor, and its steps were vigorous and powerful. After Shan Chao kicked the horse's abdomen a dozen times, the horse's hooves suddenly sped up. There was no sign of it suddenly going crazy.
Could it be that Helan Minzhi had really bet on Yu Wenhu's horsemanship, which was the best among the three armies?
Xie Yun's brows furrowed. At this time, the ninth target was already rushing toward them. Yuwen Hu and Shan Chao simultaneously released their hands from the reins and nocked arrows on their bows!
In that instant, Xie Yun's white horse suddenly raised its head.
"Neigh —"
The horse's cry was earth-shattering. Then, as if it had been struck by lightning, the white horse began to struggle wildly!
Xie Yun's eyes suddenly widened. In a flash, she remembered Helan Min Zhi's hand brushing past the horse's neck before the field.
At this time, it was too late to say anything. Startling a horse while galloping was fatal, especially when the white horse was vigorous and brave. When it jumped up in shock, it could topple mountains and overturn seas. Even if the rider was made of iron, he could be thrown out in an instant.
In a hurry, Xie Yun tightened her grip on the reins, but she could not stop the wild horse's momentum. She was almost forcefully thrown under the horse's hooves!
The unforeseen event happened too suddenly. Everyone outside the field was shocked. Queen Wu suddenly stood up. "Xie Yun!
Kill the horse! "
Xie Yun pulled out a dagger from behind her waist, but the moment she was about to stab the horse's neck, she stopped for some reason.
If this had been a person's neck, she would have stabbed it back and forth 18 times.
But this was her warhorse.
Xie Yun's breathing paused. She threw the dagger far away and then grabbed the reins with both hands. She was actually trying to use force to restrain the horse!
At the same time, the two people in the field also noticed the commotion. Yuwen Hu released the arrow and stopped in the middle of the target. She turned around to look. Shan Chao's fingers trembled and the ninth arrow unexpectedly missed the target!
He did not even look at the arrow. He suddenly turned around and stretched out his hand to Xie Yun.
All the unforeseen events happened in an instant. It was too fast for the eyes to take in.
The crazy horse let out a long roar. That roar was so heavy that Xie Yun was thrown into the air. If he didn't hold onto the reins, he would definitely fall to the ground and be trampled by the horse's hooves.
However, in the next moment, Shan Chao leaned out from the horse's back in the air. He clamped the horse's belly with his legs and wrapped one arm around Xie Yun's waist. With unimaginable strength, he carried him over in the air!
Bang!
Xie Yun was pressed in front of Shan Chao. Shan Chao wrapped his arms around her and grabbed the reins. Before she could say a word, the last target in front of them was already in front of them.
In that split second, Yu Wenhu was already several steps ahead of him, nailing the last steel arrow firmly into the bullseye.
He hit all 10 arrows in a row, and Shan Chao missed the ninth arrow. There was no suspense about the outcome of the battle.
Shan Chao sighed softly and then frowned. His sharp eyes narrowed slightly like that of an eagle's as he aimed at the bullseye.
Xie Yun only heard him whisper in her ear, "I can still win."